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Operation Shield | pre | "Fine, you want me to help watch from the skies?" Rainbow Dash asks Lieutenant Crispin.
"Yes, you can report to Lieutenant Steelwing. He'll find something for you to do, just like he did for Fluttershy." Crispin answers.
"I'm amazed you got her to do anything at all with this. I assumed she would be too scared about the whole thing." Rarity comments.
"Well, it's very simple ma'am." Crispin explains. "We just asked her to watch to see if the Ursas were to come out of the cave while we were building the wall. She doesn't have to go in or anything, just watch."
"I understand. And please, sir, 'Miss Rarity' will do just fine. Save the 'ma'ams' for Applejack." Rarity gently corrects with a smile.
"Of course, Miss Rarity. And I promise to pass along the suggestions for new armor designs you proposed to Princess Celestia." Crispin affirms.
Rarity quickly feels the questioning stares of both Spike and Rainbow Dash on her regarding the 'new armor designs' comment. Doubtless Rarity was a fashion critic, but both of them found it hard to believe she would go THAT far.
"Don't look at me like that! Those armor designs are terribly out of fashion, you know." Rarity replies with an indignant tone of voice before turning away and beginning to walk back to her boutique.
There is surprised silence for a moment after Rarity starts away, and then Spike and Rainbow Dash share a sigh and eyeroll.
"Hey, I think I got something!" Twilight Sparkle says from behind the whole scene. Spike, Rainbow Dash and Lieutenant Crispin turn to look at a precariously balanced tower of connected parts - that promptly collapse back into a pile as soon as attention is focused on it.
"Or maybe not..." Twilight continues, looking back at those watching her with a nervous grin.
MEANWHILE, IN CANTERLOT...
"Lieutenant Tempest, Lieutenant Captain Aten will protect us?" Misty Fly asks the armored pegasus Lieutenant.
"Yes, Misty Fly. You will have free reign until the end of the afternoon shift." the Lieutenant affirms.
"I will address the group then. Come with me." Misty Fly continues, and the Lieutenant escorts her out to where some of the other Wonderbolts were waiting.
Misty Fly was determined to undercut Captain Spitfire's control of the Wonderbolts. Consistent underperformance against Fleetfoot and Surprise put Misty's 3rd place position in the organization in jeopardy, and as soon as Spitfire came out against Aten she would use the excuse of "undue influence by him" to put Fleetfoot or Surprise in Misty's place. Misty, therefore, decided to strike first by helping in Aten's "shenanigans".
There were currently twelve Wonderbolts in total, presenting a united front in public but divided into two roughly equal "factions" behind-the-scenes. Spitfire's "faction" included her second-in-command Soarin', the aforementioned Fleetfoot and Surprise as well as Blaze and Rapidfire; all were higher ranked or relatively neutral on Aten's "affirmative action" policy. Misty Fly's "faction" consisted of the lower-ranked members - Lightning Streak, Wave Chill, Fire Streak, High Winds and Silver Lining - which either supported Aten or simply did not like Spitfire's leadership.
Misty would only address and use the members of her "faction" for the operation now. Aten's cooperation and Misty's careful shaping of the situation would keep anypony which could've interrupted the operation from learning about it until it was too late. It would also give the implication that Spitfire supported Aten's challenge to Shining Armor, which was not only completely untrue but designed to cause tension between Spitfire and most of the senior officers of the Royal Guard - a surefire way to weaken Spitfire's authority and keep her from exerting much influence outside her own command. A very unwitting Spitfire was about to become a means to fracture both the Royal Guard and Wonderbolts, with what proved to be dire consequences for both organizations...
The waiting Wonderbolts - Misty Fly's "faction" exclusively - salute both Misty Fly and Lieutenant Tempest as they enter the room where they have been assembled.
"Greetings fellow Wonderbolts. You may notice that not everypony, particularly Spitfire and Soarin', are here." Misty Fly gamely begins. "You have been specifically selected for a special assignment, and this selection was done without the knowledge or participation of the Captain or her second-in-command."
The other Wonderbolts exchange confused glances and quiet statements of surprise, and Misty Fly waits for them to subside before continuing on: "During the long night which accompanied the return of 'Nightmare Moon', Captain Spitfire vowed in front of us all to never surrender to that alicorn. Now though she intends to break that oath by allying with the night shift commander and turning against a fellow pegasus. The lackey named Soarin' will not speak out against her. Fleetfoot and Surprise, favorites of the Captain, will not speak out either, and soon one of them will replace me if nothing is done to change the situation. This is a matter of honor and not betraying a fellow winged one in high places, Wonderbolts!"
Most of Misty's faction were stallions, and she could see their indignation of the thought of betraying a fellow pegasus rising to the surface as she spoke. They were convinced that whatever Aten's faults might've been he had to be supported because nopony that wasn't a pegasus would support him, and the "horned ones" would drive him from his position. Misty's artful twisting of Spitfire's previous words, which all the Wonderbolts had heard when they stood united in the darkness created by "Nightmare Moon", was all it took to get them to follow along with what she wanted.
Both Misty Fly and Lieutenant Tempest smirked at the indignant exclamations of the Wonderbolts in front of them after Misty fell silent again. Everything was going according to plan.
"Now you are wondering how to change the situation, fellow Wonderbolts." Misty Fly continues on. "Lieutenant Captain Aten has challenged Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor to cover all of Canterlot in a shield. We are to make sure the challenge is not forgotten or blown off. We are also to make sure it looks like Spitfire is supportive of the challenge. The Lieutenant here will provide posters which you are to distribute throughout the castle - Aten will protect you from interference while you work. Line up and receive your assignments from the Lieutenant, then make both wing and hoof speedy in the distribution. Good luck, fellow Wonderbolts!"
When Misty Fly falls silent again, she sees the lower-ranked Wonderbolts line up to obtain their allotment of posters, and the grin on her face spreads wide. Agent Snake would be most pleased, indeed... |
Operation Shield | Boiling Point | For all the drama surrounding getting construction started, the actual start of construction for "Operation Shield" was anticlimactic in comparison. Lieutenant Captain Fidelitas set up Lieutenant Crispin in charge of actual construction work while Lieutenant Steelwing supervised both guarding the workers and the supply shipments necessary for the job. The teams they commanded would rotate between the two different types of jobs on a weekly basis, with most of the actual grunt work done by local Ponyville residents.
The Element Bearers were involved in the project as well, though Applejack was exempted due to her farmwork and Rarity because of her business. Twilight Sparkle, as previously shown, was spent trying to reassemble the damaged cloud cannon. Pinkie Pie had already contributed her party cannon as a temporary replacement for the cloud cannon until it could be repaired, as well as donating Sugarcube Corner products that had gone stale but were still edible to help feed the workers. Rainbow Dash agreed to help with escort and guard duty between her regular assignments on weather control.
Finally, Fluttershy was tasked with what seems to be a simple duty: stand near the mouth of the Ursa's cave and alert to any sign of the giant bears coming out due to the work upsetting them. But even this was enough to put the shy pegasus in high tension, which is where we come in now...
It was easy enough for Agents P1 and P2, both pegasi, to traverse through the treetops of the Everfree Forest undetected from their hideout to the target location. But, looking out at the nerve-wracked Fluttershy below from a tree at the edge of the clearing, both Agents realized that was the easy part.
"You gotta plan?" P2 says in a stage whisper to P1, both of them looking over nervously at the work site. The site was far enough away to avoid immediate detection of their plan, but still too close for comfort.
"The filly's pacing. We'll strike when her back is turned, taught her about the love of animals. Try to break her will that way. Shouldn't be hard." P1 replies with perhaps overwarranted confidence.
"OK Fluttershy, OK, you can do this, just breathe. The Ursas won't hurt you... right? All you need to do is just tell everypony else if they wake up..." Fluttershy was saying to herself as she paced, over and over again, alternately giving nervous looks at the cave and the site where the other ponies were working.
This time, though, she hears wings flapping behind him and she barely has a chance to look before a sock-covered hoof covers her snout, suppressing her screech of surprise. Rapidly looking back and forth, she sees two pegasi, both wearing cloaks and socks disguising everything but their wings. One is the pegasus holding a hoof over her mouth, the other gets right up in her face and goes "Boo!"
"Meanies! You're big meanies!" Fluttershy exclaims as both pegasi pull back laughing.
"Teh, look at you, scared out of your wits! Not so brave without your precious little Elements of Harmony, are you?" Agent P1 mocks.
"In fact, you look like a big yellow chicken!" Agent P2 adds, and both pegasi promptly begin making bawking and clucking noises in mockery.
"I am not a chicken!" Fluttershy replies with an angry glare, stamping the ground with one of her forehooves. Her previous nerves meant she was not inclined to act in the usual manner, and the chicken insult was just as demeaning to Fluttershy as it was to Scootaloo when she was called that. The two Agents did not realize the kind of trouble they were asking for.
The Agents continue laughing and making clucking noises in response to Fluttershy's outburst, only exacerbating the situation and causing Fluttershy to flare her wings open and growl like an angry dog. This should've stopped anypony who saw this, but the Agents were unaware of this fact.
"Aww, is the wittle chicken threatening us? You wouldn't dare, or the butterfly gets it!" Agent P1 mocks, pulling out a small cage from inside the cloak he wears. The cage contains a trapped butterfly, which flutters helplessly inside as P1 puts the cage down near a forehoof.
Fluttershy immediately stops her threatening pose, torn between her love of animals and the duty to keep the pegasi from entering the cave and likely waking the Ursas within in the process. The two pegasi relish her indecisive, back-and-forth look between them and the cage with the butterfly on the ground next to them.
"There's a good filly." Agent P2 states before leaning uncomfortably close to Fluttershy's face. "One move, one peep out of you and the butterfly goes 'squish'! Got it?"
Fluttershy doesn't do or say anything as her typical shyness partly reasserts itself. The pegasus P2 interprets the lack of action as an agreement and nods back to P1, who picks up the cage with the butterfly in it between his forehooves and takes off in a hover. Both the Agents proceed toward the cave entrance, leaving Fluttershy trapped in her uncertainties.
Before they completely disappear into the cave entrance, they give into the temptation to make one more taunt. Agent P1 crushes the cage between his forehooves, also killing the butterfly inside, and drops it to the ground, him and P2 starting a mocking round of laughter and chicken clucking.
Fluttershy looks at the crushed cage in abject shock, and something inside her snaps. She straightens herself up as her face changes to a mean determination, stoutly marching up to the two pegasi engaged in rolling laughter and thus oblivious to what was coming. The yellow filly pauses a second to select her target, turn around, and use both hindlegs to smash Agent P2 hard in the stomach.
P2 immediately curls in pain, and P1 immediately goes from riotous laughter to explosive anger, slamming Fluttershy on the left flank and knocking her off balance. Both the yellow filly and the Agent of Chaos stallion tumble sideways, the stallion trying to pin her to the ground. Fluttershy uses a forehoof to smash P1's snout, which gives her an opening to escape. She gallops at full speed toward the construction site, yelling for help at the top of her lungs.
"I swear by the chaotic one, I'll tear that filly limb from limb...!" Agent P1 exclaims in rage.
"Forget about her, we got bigger problems now!" Agent P2, standing on shaky hooves, states looking in shock.
P1 follows his glance to find two pegasi - Rainbow Dash and Lieutenant Steelwing - divebombing toward their location! Both Agents knew this was not a fight they could win - the two would stall long enough for others to come up and finish the job. All they could do was run, so that's what they did, taking off in flight as if trying to make their way to Ponyville by air.
Rainbow Dash applies a boost of speed to try to get ahead of the two Agents. This forces P1 to pull away from his partner and confront Rainbow Dash directly while P2 tries to distract Lieutenant Steelwing and the other Guard pegasi now airborne and heading for the location.
The intensity in Rainbow Dash's eyes is obvious to the cloaked P1 as he tries using his heavier weight to knock her out of the sky. Instead, Rainbow Dash dodges out of the way with her high speed reflexes, flips around and rams P1 from behind, nearly knocking him out of the sky in the process. As he tries to turn around, Dash rams P1 again, this time sending him plummeting down into the Everfree Forest below.
"Hah, that's what you get for messing with the Rainbow Dash!" the rainbow-maned pegasus exclaims triumphantly before turning back to see what is happening to P2.
Agent P2, as it turned out, was being pursued by Lieutenant Steelwing and two other pegasi in the Guard close on his flank. Since he couldn't outfly them, he simply folded in his wings most of the way and abruptly dropped into a steep dive - before the other pegasi could bank around, he had disappeared into the Everfree Forest below. He had glimpsed P1 being knocked out of the sky, and now turned his efforts toward rescuing him. The operation had gone horribly wrong, and it would be all he could do to make sure both of them got out in one piece...
LATER, IN CANTERLOT...
Captain of the Guard Gibraltar knew immediately upon seeing both the presented poster and unusual anger on Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor's face that something was seriously wrong. The previous "shenanigan" by Lieutenant Captain Aten with the transfer requests had kept Gibraltar busy in his office all day, and as he tried to navigate his way through the tangle of red tape he worried that something subversive was being done behind his back. The presentation of the poster, along with Shining's high-volume rant about "not being a showpony" and "having no more to prove than his sister", confirmed the Captain's worst fears.
The poster in question, copies of which appeared to have been distributed all over the castle while the Captain was trapped in his office by the paperwork tangle, promised a demonstration of Shining Armor "covering all of Canterlot" the evening of the following day and that the Wonderbolts would test the sturdiness of the resulting shield. Gibraltar didn't know what was most disturbing about what he was seeing - the brazenness of the ponies that put up the poster, the fact that Aten was most likely behind it all, or the prospect of an "unholy alliance" between Aten and Captain Spitfire being evidenced in front of his very eyes.
"Shining, I'm very sorry this is happening to you. All I can tell you is that none of this was done with my authorization." Gibraltar replies in the calmest, most sympathetic tone he can muster. Shining's continued glaring and annoyed snort tell Gibraltar that words alone won't be enough to placate the indignation.
"I'll call a meeting with Aten and Captain Spitfire first thing tomorrow morning. Captain Spitfire had business outside Canterlot today and probably isn't aware yet what has happened. Between the two of them, we'll get to the bottom of this." Gibraltar continues, hoping he had done enough.
"If nothing else, sir, I will petition the princesses themselves to invalidate this!" Shining replies through clenched teeth, trying not to yell any more than he had already done.
Gibraltar lets out a heavy sigh before replying: "To be perfectly honest with you, I don't know if even that will do any good. In the meantime, because the posters are illegal they should be taken down regardless of whatever official markings are on there."
"Yes, sir." Shining again says through clenched teeth.
"I already know you're going to have a long night, so I'm not going to keep you any longer. I'm also going to suggest you get practicing the shield, just in case." Gibraltar explains with a weary tone.
"With all due respect, sir, that does not make me feel any better!" Shining exclaims again.
"I know, Shining, I know. But there isn't much else I can do for you right now, so being prepared is all I can suggest. There's no use complaining about it, Lieutenant Captain." Gibraltar replies matter-of-factly.
The Captain can see the understanding in Shining's eyes, but nevertheless Shining turns away and leaves the office with angry muttering under his breath. The Captain's hooves were tied, and he didn't think even the princesses could do much more than he could. At that moment, all he wanted was a drink, just to ease the disorder swirling around him... |
Operation Shield | Matters of Trust | "You seem rather distracted, Lieutenant Captain. Is something wrong?"
"Yes, in fact Your Highness something is wrong. The end-of-day report by the Captain will explain it."
Upon hearing this, Princess Luna decided to forgo her usual routine of waiting until after the moon raising to read the Captain's end-of-day report and decided to take a look at it right then and there. The more she read of the report of Aten's "shenanigan", along with seeing a copy of the illegal poster, the more her indignation rose. Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor also could feel something else in the air - the same kind of charged atmosphere one might normally associate with an impending thunderstorm. As Luna's powers over the storm and electricity were beginning to return, Shining made a mental note for her to be careful not to short out the delicate electronic equipment in her room by accident.
"Outrageous!" Princess Luna finally exclaims, tossing down the report with a "thump" on her bedroom suite floor, her expression mirroring Shining Armor's own indignant anger. "The lot of them are acting like rebellious little foals! We ought to punish them all most severely!"
"Be that as it may, Your Highness," Shining begins, "I am certain it is not as simple as you make it out to be."
"We already know that." Luna answers in a matter-of-fact tone. "Our sister has already whispered in our ear that one of the offenders knows something of our past he should never have found out. What that is we dare not say out loud, not even to one we trust as much as you. But it is the reason our sister has allowed him to run amok in the way he has."
"But surely you could do something she can't?" Shining tentatively offers.
"No, no we cannot. The mistake of a thousand years ago ensures that fact." Luna replies with a sad headshake. "It would have to be the Element Bearers to deal with it should the secret be exposed."
Luna is not surprised at Shining's subsequent skeptical look, so she drops into a somber tone as she continues on: "We understand you may not think it would require the stowed-away Elements and their new bearers, but you must trust us when we say this is not something an alicorn can deal with, either alone or working with others. Whatever reasons Celestia has for not saying what exactly this is in public I must use as well, for her sake."
Those words don't exactly satisfy Shining Armor's curiosity, but he has to accept them nonetheless. His acceptance has a resigned tone in the voice, which Luna accepts as she understands that her sister's secrets must be kept as much as she could manage.
"Good. Come now, we are behind schedule for the raising of the moon." Luna states to change the subject.
"Of course, Your Majesty." Shining replies, putting aside the angry emotions for the moment. He walks over to the closed doors to the suite's balcony, unbolting the doors with his magic and letting the sweet smells from the gardens of Canterlot waft into the royal suite. As Luna approaches, he then steps aside and lets her step out onto the balcony first, then comes up beside her as she stops, both of them taking in sniffs of the crisp twilight air.
The sky is already mostly dark, Celestia having already set the sun and its last rays fading fast. Shining Armor steps forward and swings around, laying down sideways in front of Luna and bowing his head down. Luna sets her forehooves on his back and begins her work. This moon raising tradition developed shortly after Shining Armor took command of the night shift - as Luna then still had a great deal of trouble with the moon raising due to her weakened state, having something to stand on and push against with her forehooves made the whole process easier. Now, with her powers beginning to recover, it was a comfort to her, akin to one human squeezing the hand of another in reassurance.
Shining turns his head left to watch the magnificence (it never became mundane, even after seeing it a good number of times now) of the moon rising into the sky at the command of Luna's magic. Luna's forehooves coming off his back is his cue to stand up again, and he moves to Luna's right to momentarily admire the gleaming beauty of the rocky orb that was Luna's responsibility once again.
He then turns left to look at Luna, and the princess of the night returns the look. The shy elegance Shining immediately discovered upon seeing for Luna the first time is still the predominant emotion in her look, but the increase of confidence as her powers start returning causes glimmers of gratitude and joy to peak through.
"Your Highness, I must ask, do you think I really could cover all of Canterlot with a shield?" the Lieutenant Captain asks as insecurity flashes across his face.
"Yes. We... I believe you can." Luna replies, and the dropping of the "royal we" rivets Shining's attention to the next words. "I believe you can because the magic of friendship flourishes within you. In your sister, it is now but a little seedling, needing time and care to come to full bloom. But in you, it has already grown into a mighty tree, one that will not fall or be uprooted even in the greatest of storms. The magic is not just in the Elements. It is in her, and it is in you as a brother of her blood. And I believe that magic will triumph over all trials placed in its path. I myself am living evidence of that. I have faith in you, Lieutenant Captain and brother of Twilight Sparkle. And I believe that, with all my heart."
Shining blinks back at the gently smiling Luna, and now it is his turn to give grateful eyes in the quiet of the new night...
MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE IN CANTERLOT...
"Well done, Agent 8. The challenge is set, and the Wonderbolt Captain's influence over events in Canterlot will soon be neutralized."
"Thank you, Agent Snake!"
"Our goals are almost accomplished. In the long run it will not matter whether the Lieutenant Captain succeeds or fails his challenge, because the divides are now set. The Wonderbolt Captain will soon become the perfect tool for the purposes of reviving the chaotic one, and we have you to thank, Agent 8."
"And I will take her place, as you promised?"
"Yes, but not immediately. The faction of Wonderbolts you lead must be recruited into our ranks before there is any attempt to replace her. That is what we are doing right now."
"But will they all agree to join on, Agent Snake?"
"Don't worry about that. They've all been made offers they dare not refuse. You can be assured of five Agents standing beside you in the Wonderbolt ranks."
"Yes, sir. I understand."
"Once the group is formed, you will operate under the designation 'WA', with your fellow Wonderbolts being 'WB' through 'WF'. I expect, Agent, that you keep this group coordinated and acting as a cohesive whole at all times. It is the only way the Wonderbolt Captain shall remain impotent."
"Yes sir, I understand sir."
"Good. Summon the fellow Wonderbolts in your faction. The recruitment shall begin now."
Agent Snake stops his walk to let Agent 8, aka Misty Fly, proceed ahead. Under his disguise, Snake makes an evil grin. In reality, the promise he made to Misty Fly was a hollow one, since he intended to set up the downfall of the Wonderbolts - if Misty Fly ended up with anything, it would be the splintered, disgraced ruins of that organization. In his mind, it was all part of the plan to sow chaos and resurrect the chaotic one... |
Operation Shield | The Big Show | "Lieutenant Crispin, do you feel sufficiently capable of taking over operations in Ponyville and continuing construction without my presence here being necessary?"
"Yes Lieutenant Captain, I do."
"Good. Lieutenant Steelwing will return to Canterlot with myself. You will have command for the duration of remaining construction for the outpost, and will soon receive receipt to take permanent command of operations in Ponyville once construction is complete. Understood?"
"Yes sir!"
Such was the conversation Lieutenant Captain Fidelitas had during that day's morning. Now, late in the afternoon on the train back to Canterlot, he was using ink and quillpen to write out his report to the Captain of the Guard in Canterlot.
His work is interrupted by a series of surprised gasps and low buzz around him, the eyes of fellow passengers all turning to see out one side of the train heading in the direction of the gleaming castle and city on the mountain in front of them.
"Lieutenant, what's going on?" Fidelitas asks Steelwing, who is sitting across the aisle in the same car from him.
"Sir, I think you want to take a look at this!" Steelwing exclaims in a stunned tone, jaw falling agape afterward.
Fidelitas moves to beside the Lieutenant and quickly spots what has the attention of the entire train - a magenta-colored bubble slowly enclosing all of Canterlot and its castle! The buzz grows as the bubble completely encloses the city, turning to confused quiet speculation as the train travels onward.
"Who and what would be able to create that kind of shield over the whole city?!" Fidelitas exclaims to Steelwing in surprise.
"It does not match the magic of any alicorn, sir. In fact, I think it's from..." Steelwing speculates.
"I just realized the same thing you did. And I'll be a donkey's uncle if it is!" Fidelitas exclaims again, joining most of the train manifest in slack-jawed shock...
MEANWHILE IN CANTERLOT...
There was scattered stomping applause of hooves around Lieutenant Captain Aten as the forcefield of Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor closes around the city. He is slack-jawed in mortified shock, as is the Lieutenants escorting him, as he never expected in a million years what he was witnessing now! Up on the balcony above the plaza, Shining Armor buckles after the effort but remains standing, and Aten's temper flares up as both Princess Luna and Princess Cadance give him congratulatory kisses. Anything else is lost to the roar of the pleased crowd that had come out to watch the spectacle.
"Why I oughta... let me at 'im!" one of the escorting Lieutenants says, flaring wings open, but one of Aten's forelegs shoots up in front of him.
"No, Lieutenant. Not with the princesses around." Aten cautions as the confused Lieutenant looks over at him. "The Wonderbolts will test the strength of the shield. If it holds, we'll take our licks and go on. He'll slip up sometime, and we need to be ready when he does."
"Yes, sir." the Lieutenant replies as he watches a half-dozen Wonderbolts swoop down to test the strength of the shield...
ABOVE CANTERLOT...
"Soarin', do you have those performance reports?!" Captain Spitfire shouts as she sits in her Canterlot office, located in the pegasi colony above Canterlot.
"Coming, coming!" Soarin' answers, hastily moving while trying to balance a stack of papers on the top of his head. He enters the office and takes no time getting the papers over to Spitfire's desk, whereupon she starts looking them over.
Very quickly, however, she is interrupted by a knock at the door. Soarin' turns to look in that direction and Spitfire puts down the papers in exasperation before telling the knocker to come in.
"Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but there's something you really ought to see taking place below us." the knocker, Wonderbolt Blaze, states.
Soarin' and Spitfire exchange glances before Spitfire gives her reply: "Is it a big emergency, Blaze?"
"Considering Misty Fly just launched half the squad without authorization, I would say yes ma'am." Blaze answers, and again Soarin' and Spitfire exchange glances.
"Take us out to see it, then." Spitfire affirms, and she gets up from her desk to follow both Blaze and Soarin' out of the office.
It did not take long for Spitfire to see Misty Fly leading some Wonderbolts trying - and failing - to break the shield bubble Shining Armor had put around Canterlot. It did not take much longer for Spitfire to order an immediate recall and demand from Misty Fly what exactly was going on.
"It's very simple, ma'am. Something happened while you were in Cloudsdale yesterday." Misty Fly explains, next showing a copy of the poster which precipitated the shield being formed around Canterlot, along with a (later revealed to be forged) censure notice from Princess Celestia addressed to Captain Spitfire for "supporting subversive and unpatriotic activity". As soon as Spitfire saw those two things, she hit the metaphorical roof, rightly guessing that Lieutenant Captain Aten had tried to frame her as supporting his "dare" to Shining Armor.
"Misty Fly, you and all those that launched with you have received strikes for not informing me of this as soon as you discovered it!" Spitfire exclaimed, her mane now looking it would literally becomes flaming and her eyes filled with fire.
"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am." Misty Fly meekly replies, not seeing any other reasonable response.
"That pegasus stallion has made a fool of me for the last time! I will deal with him myself tomorrow!" the Wonderbolt Captain continues in her indignant rage...
"There you are! What do you have to say for yourself, Lieutenant Captain?!" Spitfire exclaimed after storming past the guard into Aten's office the following morning.
"What do I have to say for myself, Captain?" Aten answers, speaking a calm, amused manner at Spitfire's rage. "Why it's very simple, Captain. You are being untrue to your word and honor as a pegasus officer of the Royal Guard."
"WHAT?!?" Spitfire shouts at Royal Canterlot Voice level, startling everypony else in earshot except Aten, who remains unphased.
"Is your memory so short, Captain? You gave a rousing speech to the Wonderbolts under your command while the 'Eternal Night' threatened all of Equestria, and now you intend to break that oath in private by allying with Shining Armor." Aten replies in condescending tone.
Spitfire remains fuming in silence as Aten now throws her words like flaming arrows: "'We shall not flag or fail! We shall go on to the end! We shall defend our kingdom against Nightmare Moon, whatever the cost may be! We shall fight in the clouds, we shall fight on the walls of Canterlot, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills! And we will never surrender to the Nightmare!' Now you have the nerve to come into my office and tell me I'm disloyal, you bucking hypocritical colt of a mule! I ought to turn you in for turning traitor, Captain!"
At this Spitfire had enough and immediately launched into a pounce toward Aten, who dodged out of the way as he was expecting her attack. The Wonderbolt Captain goes skidding across the office floor - she stops, turns to look Aten and takes a smash in the face from one of Aten's forehooves. She tries to pull him down to the floor, leading to the pair rolling around the office, knocking items off shelves and desks as they do. Aten pins her, hits her with a few more blows, then shoves her away.
Spitfire slowly gets back on her hooves, battered, bruised and as enraged as a charging bull. She yells at the top of her lungs as she charges Aten again, but Aten had prepared for this too and as she leaps both rear legs go up in a bucking kick. Spitfire feels the air go out of her lungs as the impact throws her clear across the office, ramming her hard against a set of file cabinets.
The Wonderbolt Captain's world goes blurry for a brief moment, and her head throbs with pain. Both legs and wings are splayed open, and she desperately tries to will them to move as the cabinets creek behind her and start tilting forward. Before she can react, the cabinets crash down, pinning her underneath their weight.
"Word of advice, Captain: Stick to your pretty little airshows and stay out of Canterlot politics. It will only get worse for you if you don't." Aten replies in smug condescension as Spitfire struggles to get the cabinets off of her.
Aten exits the office, motioning the guards to follow her and leave Spitfire to get herself out of the situation. To Aten, it didn't really matter that Shining had beaten his "dare", nor that Fidelitas had succeeded in his "Operation Shield". Spitfire's cries for help were music to his ears, as now his previous defeats had been avenged and she was rendered impotent in terms of political influence. It was all a part of his master plan, one he was eager to execute soon... |
Mobile Fighter Equus Gundam | pre | "Girls!" Pinkie yelled running down, only for once, she was in a panicked state.
"What is it Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked.
"I went upstairs to make sure Flurry was okay. But... SHE'S GONE!!!"
"WHAT!?" All of the others yelled at once.
"Yeah. Her room is torn up and all I found was this," Pinkie said before pulling out a piece of paper. Twilight quickly took the paper in her magic and looked to it.
"Oh no..." Twilight said as she read over the message.
"What is it Twilight?" Fluttershy asked in concern.
Twilight took a small gulp before reading the message out loud, "It says, 'Flurry Heart is ours. If you want to see her or Garble again, you must send Spike to meet me in the plaza of the Crystal Empire. If he doesn't show, the filly will die. Sludge.' This isn't good?"
"What do we do?" Rainbow asked.
"I think there's only one thing to do," Spike said. "I'm going to the plaza."
"Spike?" Ember asked. "Is that really wise?"
"Yeah," Applejack said. "Surely you can tell like the rest of us that no good varmint Sludge is setting a trap."
Spike sighed before saying, "I know that. But right now I don't think we have a-."
"APPLEJACK!!!"
They all turned to see Sunflower running toward them. She stopped to catch her breath while Applejack approached her for support. "Sunflower? What's up?"
Sunflower was panting as she tried to speak, "The dragon... After you left... He came back... Took her..."
"Took who?" Applejack asked concerned.
Sunflower finally caught her breath but also began crying. "Babs... That dragon took Babs..."
"What!?" Applejack yelled. "That varmint took Babs?"
"Seems like Sludge is serious," Spike said. "Looks like we don't have a choice. I have to go meet Sludge at the plaza. It's the only chance we have to save Babs and Flurry."
"But Spike-," Twilight started.
"There's no other way Twilight," Spike said. "I don't like it, but I'm not going to risk Flurry and Babs. But while I'm keeping him occupied, that might give you guys an opening to get them away from Sludge."
This left them all silent for a moment before Rainbow said, "I hate to say it, but he makes a fair point. Him keeping Sludge's attention should let us get those fillies out of harm's way."
"Then it's settled. See you when you get there," Spike said before he took off running out of the room before anyone could stop him.
"Spike!" Twilight yelled, but was unheard. When he was out of sight, Twilight sighed. "I swear. He can be so stubborn sometimes.
Later that day.
Sludge was sitting on an abandoned stairway to a building, munching on a bucket of gems with Flurry and Babs, both tied up and glaring at him.
"What's your problem man?" Babs asked in a stern tone.
"Simple. Your sister doesn't pay me the money she owes, she pays for the consequences of her actions," Sludge said with gems in his mouth.
"You mean for protection that you forced on us you tub of lard?" Babs asked in a smart elek way.
"You little brat!" Sludge said glaring at Babs and smacked her to the side and against the wall with his tail.
"Leave her alone you jerk!" Flurry yelled.
"Or what?" Sludge asked while taking a tight grip on one of Flurry's wings. He even plucked a feather from her wing and began using it to pick his teeth with.
"Spike's gonna beat you to a pulp when he gets here," Flurry said defiantly.
"Don't bet on it," Sludge said smirking. "Even when he does show up, like you two, he won't make it out of here alive."
Babs sat up and looked to the mark on her cheek from Sludge's tail. "You sound confident for someone who's so lazy he can't fight for himself."
Sludge glared at the filly as he stood over her. "If you don't shut your mouth, I'm gonna tear out your tongue you little-."
"SLUDGE!!!"
Sludge turned his sights around to see Spike flying in before landing and folding his wings. Sludge smirked before saying, "Well hey Spike. How ya been? Been a long time huh?"
"Not long enough Sludge," Spike said with a bit of venom in his voice.
"Awww," Sludge said in fake hurt voice. "Are you still mad about when we first met?"
"You mean when you lied to me and tried to convince me you were my real father instead of Bahamut just to take advantage of me and my home? Yeah. I'm still mad!"
"You really need to learn to get over it," Sludge said before eating more gems.
"Maybe if you hand over the fillies you've kidnapped, I might consider going easy on you," Spike said with a bit of anger.
Sludge remained silent before laughing, some of the gems he was eating were being spat out from this. "Yeah right. You didn't think I'd just hand them over did you? Boys!"
Not long after, many of Sludge's gangsters, some being unicorns with magic in their horns and the rest with crossbows, aimed at Spike.
"Open fire boys! Wipe him out!" Sludge yelled out.
All of the unicorns began firing their magic and the rest fired arrows at Spike as he was covered in smoke from the magic blasts.
"SPIKE!!!" Flurry and Babs yelled.
Sludge smirked at the sight of the smoke as his men stopped firing. However, his smirk quickly left when the smoke cleared to show Spike had taken no harm. The magic shots only hit the ground along with some arrows while some of the arrows were caught between Spike's claws. "What the!? How did you-?!"
Spike grinned as the crest from his fight with Grogar appeared on his right hand again. The sight of it made one of the unicorns to gasp in fear. "Oh man. Boss. That crest! It's the crest for the King of Sorcery! I've heard it used to belong to the unicorn who leads the Supreme Magic Sorcerer School for his magic and fighting skills! I heard rumors that he passed it down a student of his!"
An earth pony turned pale from hearing this. "So wait, are you saying that this dragon is-?"
"Yep," Spike said before throwing the arrows aside. "I was trained by the unicorn who bears that title. And that's why I'm not quitting until I get my friends back."
"This is crazy!" One of the gangsters, a pegasus, yelled before dropping his crossbow. "I didn't sign up to fight a legend! I'm outta here!"
"Get back here you worthless pony!" Sludge yells at him.
Soon after, his other gangsters took off running as well. Sludge groaned before saying, "Why is good help hard to find these days?"
"SLUDGE! Give Flurry and Babs back or else I'm coming over there and RIPPING your wings off!" Spike yelled out.
Spike's threat seemed to unfaze Sludge. The larger dragon then smirked laughed a bit.
"What's so funny?" Spike asked.
"Spike. I may not be a fighter, but I'm smart enough to have a backup plan when it comes to facing one. Let me show you," Sludge said before snapping his fingers.
This confused Spike until, from the shadows, Garble walked into view. However, Spike noticed he was wearing some kind of helmet with a black mane, eye covers, and red horns on the forehead.
"Garble? What are you doing?" Spike asked.
However, Garble remained silent. This made Spike feel uneasy before he glared at Sludge again. "What have you done to him?"
"I got a little creative," Sludge said with a smirk. "One of my guys found that helmet hidden around parts of the princess's castle. After a little research, we found out it was an old controlling helmet from the old ruler of the Crystal Empire, King Sombra. Turns out whoever is forced to wear it can be controlled by who put it on them. Simply put, Garble is now my puppet."
"You sick bastard!" Spike yelled out.
"Hey. It's what I do," Sludge said. "Garble. Get rid of him. And do it with your Crimson Dragon Gundam."
The controlled Garble simply nodded before suddenly, the ground rumbled a bit and Garble was soon lifted up by a metallic dragon like hand while most of the abandoned building fell to the ground to reveal a Gundam.
Like Spike's it had a metallic dragon tail and two dragon claw feet. It also had a sheathed axe on its back. The Gundam lifted Garble high enough for Garble to jump into the cockpit. Not long after, the Gundam lifted its foot to stomp on Spike.
"Corelander!" Spike yelled out before the corelander of his Gundam came to him and he grabbed onto it before the Crimson Dragon's Gundam stomped on the ground. Spike stood on top of it as Garble began controlling the Gundam with his control suit and began following Spike. He then began firing at Spike with his Gundam's vulcan forehead guns, with Spike doing everything he could to dodge the shots. "Oh boy. Garble's under Sludge's control and now he's being forced to attack me with his Gundam. Guess I only have one option."
Spike then stood up on his corelander and snapped his fingers as he yelled, "Rise Shining Dragon Gundam!"
Instantly, not too far away, a Gundam storage capsule rose from the ground and opened to reveal the Shining Dragon Gundam in a kneeling position before it rose to its feet.
(Based off this but with dragon claws for hands and feet and a metallic dragon tail.)
Spike's corelander turned to face the back of the Gundam before Spike jumped into it as it shifted to dock with the inside of the robot's back. Once inside, the mobile tray system activated and moved to get Spike into his control suit before opening in the center and spoke with its computer, "Mobile tray system checking brain waves, blood pressure, pulse, respiration, temperature, metabolism. All green."
Spike did a few movements to test the Gundam's responses before facing the Crimson Dragon Gundam. "I really don't wanna fight you unofficially Garble. But right now, I don't have a choice."
The Crimson Dragon Gundam and Shining Dragon Gundam charged at one another and locked hands, both trying to overpower the other. The Crimson Dragon Gundam then reared its head back and headbutted the Shining Dragon Gundam in the forehead before following up with a punch to its chest. The Shining Dragon Gundam then countered by blocking its next punch and pushing it back with a kick before throwing a punch back. The Crimson Dragon Gundam then ducked to evade a kick before tackling the Shining Dragon Gundam into a building. The Crimson Dragon Gundam then held it down while the Shining Dragon Gundam was trying to hold it back.
"Come on Garble! Fight it!" Spike said as he struggled to hold him back. He then ducked to dodge another punch before moving around and grabbed Garble around the waist to lift and slam his Gundam down to the ground. Spike then moved back and drew his Gundam's beam sword which ignited a pink beam before raising it to block the Crimson Dragon Gundam's axe. "Garble!"
Garble remained silent before pushing Spike's sword up with his axe and then spun to slash Spike in the knee with it. Spike felt the pain from it due to his battle suit and he backed up, which gave Garble the opportunity to then kick the Shining Dragon Gundam to the back and hold it against the building.
"That's it Garble! Kill him! Get rid of him!" Sludge yelled out.
"You're a sick monster!" Flurry Heart yelled.
"I'm getting tired of listening to you both," Sludge said before looking at the two and licking his snout. "Watching this fight is making me hungry. And I'm in the mood for a little filly. Let's see..."
Sludge looked between Babs and Flurry before stopping at Flurry. "I think I'll start with you. I kinda want to see what magic tastes like."
Sludge reached over and took Flurry in his grasp with Babs yelling, "Leave her alone you sick freak!"
"Wait your turn brat," Sludge said before taking a grip on Flurry's wing. "I'll start with this as an appetizer."
"No. Somepony help!" Flurry yelled out as Sludge's grip on her wing tightened.
Spike could hear the screaming and looked down from his Gundam. "FLURRY!!!"
"And now," Sludge said. "Let the wing go pop-AAAGGGGHHH!!!"
Before Flurry knew it, a golf club came out of nowhere and smacked Sludge right in the face, resulting in some of his teeth being knocked out and him dropping her.
"Ow! Who did... that?" Sludge asked before he looked to see Applejack beginning to untie Flurry and Babs.
But what made him nervous was seeing Cadance, who held the golf club, and Sunflower holding a mallet. And both were so red, one would mistake their fur color. "Ummmm... Hello?"
"You!" Sunflower said through gritted teeth. "You tore up my restaurant! Demanded money for unwanted protection! Kidnapped my sister! And then planned to eat her?!"
"Wait," Sludge said holding his hands up defensively. "That was just a joke. I wasn't going to do so."
Sludge then looked to see them look at the two fillies and became even more furious when Sunflower saw the bruise on Babs' cheek and Cadence saw the missing feathers on Flurry's wings.
Sludge, terrified, spoke again, "Look. Can't we talk about this?"
"You wanna talk?" Cadence asked with a glare and mad grin. "Okay. We'll talk. But me and Sunflower plan on talking with these!"
Sludge then watched as the two mares came at him with their weapons while he screamed out loud. Applejack just finished getting the fillies untied just as the others arrived. However, they got there just in time to see the shadows of Cadence and Sunflower beating down on Sludge. Cadence's club slammed down on his wing while Sunflower's mallet came down on his tail, making him scream more. With his mouth open, Cadence swung for his face, knocking more of his teeth out before Sunflower hit him in the eye, which likely caused a black eye.
After many minutes of beating, Cadence and Sunflower finally stopped and took a breath while they and the others looked to see the beaten down Sludge, laying barely conscious.
"If you ever come near Flurry again, that'll be just the beginning Sludge!" Cadence said with venom in her voice.
"The same goes for my restaurant and ESPECIALLY Babs!" Sunflower followed with.
Sludge couldn't reply. Just lay there trying to stay conscious.
"Mom!"
"Sis!"
Cadence and Sunflower turned around to be embraced by Flurry and Babs, with them returning the embraces. "Thank Celestia your safe Flurry."
"You too Babs. I don't think I could handle losing you."
"I'm fine sis. Thanks to you and Princess Cadence," Babs said.
This happy moment, however, was interrupted by a loud crash. They all looked up to see Spike was still struggling against Garble.
"Spike!" Ember cried out.
Spike looked down to see the other, relieved to see the two fillies were safe. "Good. That's one problem fixed."
Spike then felt his control suit put a lot of pressure on his gut from the Crimson Dragon Gundam striking the Shining Dragon Gundam in the gut. "Now to take care of the other. Wait. The control suits. That gives me an idea."
The Crimson Dragon Gundam then threw another punch only for the Shining Dragon Gundam to slip behind it to dodge.
"If I can strike his Gundam's head unit with just the right amount of force, his mobile tray system and control suit should strike the mask with enough force to damage or deactivate it."
The Crimson Dragon Gundam then turned to face the Shining Dragon Gundam and began rapidly throwing more punches. However, instead of fighting back, Spike began dodging the punches. "That's it. Just gotta wait for the right moment."
Spike continued dodging the strikes before pulling back to dodge a right cross and saw the head unit unguarded. "NOW!"
Using the wrist covers' boosters as extra propulsion, the Shining Dragon Gundam shot its fist forward and struck the Crimson Dragon Gundam right between the eyes. This caused the Crimson Dragon Gundam to stagger back a bit. Inside of its cockpit, the mobile tray system caused the attack to also strike the mask as well. The mask began blinking on the eye covers as Garble held his head a bit.
Spike watched as the Crimson Dragon Gundam held its head for a moment before it seemed to relax. "Garble? You there?"
The Crimson Dragon Gundam looked to him while inside, Garble raised his head and slowly reached for the mask. And instantly, Garble pulled it off before smiling at the Shining Dragon Gundam. "Yeah dude. I'm here. I owe you one Spike."
"No problem," Spike said. "However, you can thank me one way."
"What's that?"
"By us finishing this as an official Gundam match," Spike said. "The tournament just started today and I'm itching to have my first official fight. So what do you say?"
Garble remained silent for a moment before smirking himself and taking his fighting stance. "You got it Spike. Gundam Fight! READY!"
"GO!" Spike yelled out as the two charged one another once again. They both collided arms and for a moment before pushing away from each other. Spike threw a kick that was blocked by Garble, who then countered with a punch that Spike blocked as well. Spike countered with a right cross that Garble blocked before throwing a swing of his tail that Spike blocked with his arms before skidding back a little. He then used his boosters to dodge the next barrage of Garble's attacks.
From the ground, the girls couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Flurry asked, "Wait. Spike got that mask off of Garble. So why are they still fighting?"
"It's a matter of pride for the sport."
Everyone turned to Ember as she spoke, "When Garble fought the first time, it was because he wasn't in control of himself and the match was unofficial. But now that he's free of that mask, Garble and Spike want to finish it with an official match. Not out of defense, but out of respect for the sport as Gundam fighters."
Garble then threw a kick that was caught by Spike who tried to trip him, but Garble jumped to dodge it and used his other foot to push himself back again. Spike then charged at Garble again and the Shining Dragon Gundam threw a right cross that the Crimson Dragon Gundam blocked, but the Shining Dragon Gundam then countered by doing a left cyclone back kick that was also blocked but still pushed Garble back. "Not bad Spike. Not bad at all."
Garble then charged in and gave Spike a body tackle that knocked him to the ground. "But not good enough. Now let's see if you have what it takes to handle this!"
The Crimson Dragon Gundam's hands began to glow red as he threw them into the air. "Crimson! Eruptor! BLAST!" Garble yelled as he brought his two fists together in front of the Gundam and fired a powerful red beam from them. The Shining Dragon Gundam crossed its arms to block the attack. The attack was able to push the Gundam further back. "Looks like I win this one Spike."
"Don't be so sure Garble!" Garble looked to see the Shining Dragon Gundam getting to its feet and holding back the blast with its hand.
"What the-?"
Spike's right hand began to glow with his King of Sorcery crest. "This hand of mine glows with an awesome power! Its shining grip tells me to defeat you!"
The Shining Dragon Gundam's hand began to glow green as it began pushing through the blast with its hand and boosters. "Here I go! SHINING CLAW!!!"
The Shining Dragon Gundam pushed through the blast and eventually took a strong grip on the Crimson Dragon Gundam's head.
"Wow. This is some kind of power," Garble said.
"Garble?"
"What?"
"Recite the Gundam Fight Tournament's two primary rules," Spike said as his Gundam's grip forced Garble's to its knees.
"A pilot must not aim for an opponent's cockpit," Garble started. "And as long their Gundam's head unit isn't destroyed and disqualified, then the fighter may continue fighting in the tournament for as long as they want."
"Good," Spike said with a smile. He then released the Crimson Dragon Gundam's head before the Shining Dragon Gundam's hand stopped glowing and let out steam as it began cooling off. This action confused Garble.
"Spike?"
"You fought good and fair Garble," Spike said. "And I wouldn't mind facing you again sometime. So for now, I'll take the victory I have and spare your Gundam's head."
Garble was a little surprised but smiled gratefully. "Thanks Spike."
The girls down on the ground watched with smiles as the match ended with the sun shining down on the two Gundams.
The next morning.
After a bit of sleep, the girls and Spike were preparing to head off. Since the corelander was only built for two, Cadence provided another hover vehicle as a means of transport for the rest. They loaded up their stuff as Sludge was being escorted away by some guards before Spike stopped them for a minute.
"Sludge?"
"What? What do you want?"
Spike then pulled out the picture of Shining Armor they brought with them. "Shining Armor. Princess Cadence's husband. Have you seen him?"
Sludge took a look at the picture for a moment before looking away. "Of course not. I'd want no business to do with him."
"I see," Spike said putting the photo away while the guards took Sludge away. Spike then walked to his crew with Cadence, Flurry, Babs, Sunflower, and Garble.
"Spike," Sunflower said. "I can't thank you enough for risking your life to save Babs."
"Yeah. We owe you one Spike," Babs said with a smile.
"No problem kid," Spike said while Garble approached them.
"So where are you guys off to now?" Garble asked.
Twilight was looking over the list of countries. "I think we'll head to Neo-Amareica next. It's the closest one."
"Good idea Twilight," Applejack said. "I've been eager to visit one of the best countries in the world."
"Yay," Fluttershy said in her soft voice.
"Yes indeedy," Pinkie said.
"I wouldn't mind that myself," Rainbow said. "Matter of fact I think my old Wonderbolt squad mate Thunderlane is there. I'm sure he won't mind if we crash with him for a while."
"Good idea Dash," Ember said before looking at Spike. "What do you think?"
"Sounds good to me," Spike said. "Let's get ready to head out."
"Hold on," Cadence said as she and Flurry.
Flurry held up what appeared to be a green headband to Spike, "Mom and I made this for you. We were going to make a red one for daddy, but since you're fighting in his place, we made it green for you."
Spike smiled before taking the headband and tying it around his head. Flurry then asked, "Spike? Do you promise to bring dad back to us?"
Spike kneeled down and rubbed Flurry's head. "I do promise Flurry. And in the meantime just keep believing in him like I said. Okay?"
Flurry smiled and nodded before Cadence hugged Spike. "Be careful out there Spike."
"I will Cadence," Spike said before he broke the hug and turned to his crew. "Alright girls. Let's get going."
The girls nodded and loaded up the transport while Ember and Spike took the corelander. They waved bye to Cadence and the others as they drove off. While Ember piloted the corelander, Spike sat in the back with the picture of Shining Armor in his hand. 'Shining. For you and your family, I will find you and get you back to them. I will save you my brother. That's a promise.' |
Mobile Fighter Equus Gundam | Rumble in the Pronx! The Match Against Flash Sentry! | The screen is black for a moment before a spotlight shines onto Stalker, with his eye patch on, sitting in his chair.
"Hello everyone. Stalker here. Here's a refresher on the history of the Gundam Fight. Long ago, Planet Equus was overpopulated and the technology had advanced to the point where many inhabitants began moving out into space to live in space colonies. To prevent war between colonies, a proposal was made. The Gundam Fight itself. Each colony would send a representative fighter piloting a machine called a Gundam to fight in a tournament. The Gundams fight, and they fight, and they fight until only one is left standing to win the rights of leadership for the next four years over all of the other colonies."
"Excuse me?"
Stalker stopped talking to see Pinkie appear and hold out Spike and Twilight's picture of Shining Armor. "Have you seen our friend?"
"Afraid not-."
"Okay," Pinkie said before running off again. Stalker looked to the photo before looking forward.
"Well then. Where will the hunt for Shining Armor lead Spike and his friends now? Let's see. Today's opponent is the representative fighter of Neo-Amareica, Flash Sentry. Royal Guard turned Gundam fighter. He pilots the mighty Maximizer Guard Gundam. And what kind of surprises lie ahead. Well we're going to find out."
Stalker stood up with a microphone and his eyepatch in his hands and said, "Gundam Fight all set! Ready!... GO!"
Chapter 2: Rumble in the Pronx! The Match against Flash Sentry!
(based off of this design)
Drums and horns could be heard playing along with cheers from multiple creatures. The source of their cheers was a Gundam being guided through the city of Manehattan. It was designed and built with a yellow royal guard like helmet along with the standard Gundam V horns on its forehead. It had a blue head sculpt under the helmet. It also had a blue shield with a lightning bolt cutie mark on its chest. It had yellow royal guard armor designed and armor shoulder pads on it. It had red boot designs on its feet and had a blue pegasus tail. And at its sides, were two crossbow like weapons as well as a red corelander in its back. The Gundam was being displayed and escorted by multiple hover carriages.
"Here we have Maximizer Guard Gundam of Neo-America." An announcer pegasus said into her microphone, "This gundam has been one to speak about."
"Indeed." A stallion pegasus said with his own microphone, "In its last battle, the Maximizer Guard defeated its opponent with a single blow strong enough to knock off the head unit, which we all know, lead to its opponent being disqualified."
"Yes. And who is the one to pilots this machine?" The mare said, "Well that's obvious. One of the best stallions to ever serve in the Royal Guard. FLASH SENTRY!!!"
On the gundam's right shoulder stood stallion pegasus with yellow fur, a blue mane and tail. He wore a white shirt with his cutie mark on the center along with a black jacket, and some blue jeans. Flash held up his hand to give a peace sign and this made the creatures cheer even louder. The gundam soon stopped in the middle of a giant buckball field where four girls stood on the platform. Flash smiled down at them and said, "I could never have gotten where I am now without the crew I'm grateful to have. Sunset Shimmer!"
Flash pointed down to one of the mares who was a unicorn. She had a fur color of yellow that was a bit lighter than his. She had a flame colored mane and tail. She wore a black jacket with a purple undershirt with her red and yellow sun cutie mark on the center. She wore a skirt with yellow, orange, and purple stripes on it, and a pair of black boots as she waved to the crowd.
"Adagio Dazzle!" Flash yelled as he pointed at a yellow-goldish hippogriff with long, poofy orange and yellow hair in a purple, spiked headband, wearing a dark purple jacket with spikes on the shoulders, a light purple shirt with dark purple triangles and wearing sparkling purple shorts and black boots. She simply smiled to the crowd.
"Aria Blaze!" Flash yelled out before pointing at another hippogriff. She had light pink skin with long, purple hair with cyan highlights in two ponytails held by star scrunchies. She wore a cyan, fluffy jacket with a purple, white polka dotted shirt, black pants with cyan colored pockets, and purple boots with cyan fluff, like her jacket, on the back of them. She simply looked to the crowd with a small smile and crossed arms.
"And last but not least. Sonata Dusk!" Flash yelled before pointing at the final hippogriff. She had light blue fur along with a blue mane and tail. She wore a pink shirt with polka dots and purple in the middle along with tacos on the center and sides. She also wore pink and purple socks with a pair of tina shoes. She was waving frantically at the crowd.
Flash then raised his right fist into the air before saying, "And with them. I'm going to win this Tournament for my great home of Neo-Amareica!"
Meanwhile at a small diner, a unicorn mare bartender was looking at the TV to see this happening. "Ah. I remember him. Old Flash Sentry. Guess he's on his way to reaching his dream."
"You know him, ma'am?"
The mare turned to see Spike sitting at the bar with a drink in his hand. Sitting next to him was Ember, who was looking at her computer while the rest of the group sat at a nearby table. Pinkie was eating a lot of food. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Twilight were have some water while Rainbow was asleep in her chair.
The unicorn smiled at Spike before saying, "Nah. I don't know him personally. I just remember him when he was a young boy. He was always one to talk about being the best there is. One who wanted to stand up to bullies and become a man to do good things."
"I see." Ember said while typing on her computer, "She's right Spike. He has been a great fighter. I'm looking over his records and for all of the Gundam fights he's been in, he hasn't lost once."
Spike took a sip of his drink before saying, "Wow. He does sound strong. I can see why he's a gundam fighter."
"So it would be wise not to underestimate him Spike." Twilight said, "Shining Armor told me about Flash. He trained Flash himself. And from the letter Shining sent me back then, Flash was one of his best pupils."
"No wonder then." Spike said.
"So are you guys here to watch his other match?" A young colt asked, sitting on the bar not too far from them.
"Other match?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah. Turns out the Royal Guard have a special cage match tournament to see who's improving the most. Flash has been in a hundred of them and won all of his matches." The colt said.
"Woo." Applejack said, "Sounds to me like he's really willing to push himself."
"Of course he is." The young colt said, "He wants to make his dream a reality."
"His dream?" Pinkie asked with a mouth full of food.
"Yeah. When you grow up, if you believe and work hard enough, you can do anything."
Spike finished listening to the colt before pulling out and looking at his family picture. 'My dream is to get my family free of this. And there's a chance this Flash guy might know something. Wait. That gives me an idea.'
"Yeah. When I grow up, I want to be just like him." The colt said.
"Hey kid?" Spike asked. "When is this match of his?"
"Ummm." The colt said as he looked at the clock on the wall, "I think it starts in about three hours. Speaking of, I gotta get ready to be there."
The colt then took off running before Spike pulled out some bits from his pocket and placed them on the counter before getting up and walking to the entrance. "Ember. I think I'll see you girls back at the hotel later."
"Where are you going?" Ember asked.
"Just gonna go do some... Sightseeing. Later." Spike then took off out the door.
However, not long after he did, Twilight gained a somewhat annoyed look and asked "Why do I get the feeling he's gonna go do something stupid?"
"Come on Twilight, none of us in the group would do anything crazy right now." Applejack then heard Rainbow snore a little, making her look to the sleeping pegasus with a raised eyebrow as she said, "At least I think most of us wouldn't."
"Don't worry Twilight." Ember said as she kept typing on the computer, "It's Spike. Even if he does something crazy, how crazy could it be?"
"I guess you're right." Twilight said before thinking, 'But I still can't shake a sudden bad feeling.'
Meanwhile, Flash sat in a room with fighting tape around his hands. His crew was with him, Sunset and Adagio sitting by his sides and Sonata and Aria standing behind the couch they sat in.
In front of them sat two stallions at a desk, both were dressed in suits. Both appeared to be senators of Neo-America. One had a peach colored, puffy mane and tail with a white coat and wore glasses. His badge said "Svengallop".
Sitting in the desk was a stallion with a violet coat and silver mane and tail. His badge read "Gladmane".
Flash was looking at a picture in his hand with a calm expression while Gladmane said, "Now that your fight is beginning soon, we just wish to advise you not to show off too much."
"Why's that?" Flash asked before putting a toothpick in his mouth.
"We've recently heard that the Gundam Fighter representing Neo-Canterlot is here in Manehattan." Svengallop said, "He recently fought against the Neo-Bitaly fighter, Garble. And had he not spared his Gundam's head, Garble likely would've been disqualified."
"I heard about that Flash." Sonata said, "They say he took the place of Shining Armor, your old mentor's place in the tournament as Neo-Canterlot's fighter. You can bet that means he's a strong fighter."
Flash looked at the picture of the Gundam fight that took place in the Crystal Empire as he said, "I'll take your advice into consideration after I'm done with my cage fight tonight. I'd rather focus on it before I focus on anything else."
"But Flash-." Svengallop started.
"I said I'll worry about it when I can!" Flash said, crushing the photo in his hand, "I have another match to get ready for at the moment, so if you don't mind, me and my crew will take our leave."
Flash and the girls all gathered and walked out leaving Svengallop and Gladmane frustrated with Svengallop saying, "How he became our nation's Gundam fighter, I'll never know."
"All we can do is wait to see what happens now Svengallop." Gladmane said.
A few hours later, a large pegasus with stunt wings and wearing fighting tape on his hands while wearing shorts with some dumbbell cutie marks on the sides of them stood in the locker room. He had a duffle bag with "Bulk Biceps" written on it.
However, despite his size, he was a little nervous. "Oh man. Oh man this is the worst. I just started as a royal guard fighter and I get put up against the guy who hasn't lost a single match yet? Why do I have the worst luck?"
"Hey big guy?"
Bulk turned around to see a guy in a hood, covering his face. "How about you save your first match? I'll take your spot tonight."
"But..." Bulk started. "My sponsors. They expect-."
The hooded figure pulled out a paper and showed it to Bulk. "Don't worry. I talked to them and got an approval. I'll be taking your place."
"Really?" Bulk asked. "You don't mind taking my spot?"
"Not at all." The hooded figure said as he pointed at Bulk's role of fighting tape, "As long as you leave that behind."
"Yeah. Sure." Bulk put his stuff in his bag, except his fighting tape and headed to the exit and said, "Good luck."
Once Bulk Biceps was gone, the hooded figure walked over to the tape and picked it up with his hands, which were claws. "Don't worry. I won't need luck."
Meanwhile, as Rainbow said in the Crystal Empire, the girls were given permission to stay at Rainbow's friend, Thunderlane's apartment. And at the moment, the girls were once again doing their own thing. Twilight was reading, Ember and Rainbow were doing a few exercises, and Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack were watching TV.
"98. 99... 100," Rainbow said doing push ups.
"Not bad Dash," Ember said. "Now try doing the same with your wings."
"Challenge accepted Ember," Rainbow said, doing push ups with her wings.
Twilight continued reading until she looked at the clock."I wonder where Spike is. He should've been back by now."
"Ah wouldn't worry too much Twilight." Applejack bit into an apple as he said, "He's smart. He's probably just going to watch that fight to see how Flash fights. You know. Study his opponent."
"That would be the smart thing to do." Fluttershy said.
Pinkie was flipping channels until she stopped at one that showed an arena with a caged ring and said, "Speak of the devil. Here's the fight itself."
At the arena, the hooded figure stood in the ring waiting while the announcer said, "And for tonight there has been a change of plans. Rather than Bulk Biceps, the opponent tonight is unknown but has legally taken his place. Since we don't know his real name, we'll simply refer to him as Mystery."
Not long after the announcer said that, a stage entrance opened and in came Flash Sentry wearing blue shorts and fighting tape on his hands. With him was Sunset, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata, all wearing red leotards. The announcer said, "And now arriving is the champion of the cage fighting, Flash Sentry!"
Flash stood tall with his fists in the air while creatures watching cheered out from the crowds. Even the young colt from the bar was there and cheering for him, "Yeah Flash! Show that guy what a stallion who makes his dream come true can do!"
Flash smiled out to the ground before getting into the caged ring. He looked at the crowd one more time as the announcer began speaking, "And now, let the match begin. Ready? Set. And-."
"Rrragh!"
Flash turned around to see the one called Mystery run at him and threw an uppercut that knocked him to the ground. Flash's crew and the audience went silent when he fell onto his back with a groan.
Sonata, angered by that, yelled, "Hey that's not fair! You cheated!"
Flash rubbed his chin a bit as he stood up before glaring at Mystery and said, "That was a cheap shot. Hope you're ready to pay for it."
"Bring it on tough guy." Mystery said as he put his hands up defensively.
"You asked for it!" Flash said running at Mystery and threw a right cross followed by a left hook. However, Mystery dodged both while Flash continued his assault.
The announcer said, "Wow. It seems Mystery is able to really hold his own against Flash. Despite his record wins, Flash has yet to land a single blow."
"Little slow are we?" Mystery asked, continuing to dodge Flash's attacks.
"Shut up!" Flash yelled as he threw a punch.
Mystery dodged the attack by moving around Flash. However, he was surprised when Flash's punch struck the cage fence and left a big dent in it. "Wow. He is strong."
Mystery's shocked state was held for too long as Flash ran at him and struck him in the shoulder that made him fall to the ground and his hood drop off of his face. Flash smirked at his strike before asking, "How'd that feel Mr. Mystery?"
Flash walked a little closer, but when he saw Mystery's face, he was shocked. "You're..."
Back at the hotel, the girls were still watching the fight and were shocked as well.
"He didn't." Rainbow said.
"Apparently he did." Applejack said.
"Wow." Pinkie said, "Talk about a twist."
"Oh my." Fluttershy said in worry.
"Twilight?" Ember asked.
"Yep." Twilight said, "Let's go."
The two then took off running out the door.
Back at the arena, Bulk Biceps was watching from the audience and was also shocked. "No way! Is that...?"
"Spike." Sunset said from outside of the cage.
It was true. The fighter known as Mystery was revealed to be Spike. He stood up to see Flash still shocked and asked, "Guess this is a surprise for you huh?"
"No way." Flash said, stunned.
Spike felt his shoulder sore before looking at Flash. "Flash Sentry! We'll have to finish this later! For now, I hereby challenge you to a Gundam match!"
"What?" Flash asked. But before anything could be said, Spike extended his wings and took off flying out of the ring. "Hey! Wait!"
But Spike was out of sight before Flash could do anything to stop him. Flash watched before clenching his fist and struck the cage again out of anger.
Later in his room, Flash struck a punching bag hard enough to strike a hole in it and cause the sand to start pouring out. "I can't believe it."
"Flash." Sunset said, "Maybe you should calm down for a minute."
"I'm having a hard time doing so, Sunset." Flash said.
"What's the big deal?" Aria asked. "It's not like he got away without taking a hit."
"It's not that Aria." Flash said, "That was Spike Drakeson. The son of Bahamut, and the step son of Princess Celestia. Believe it or not, he inspired me to do what I do now. When I heard rumors about him, I wanted to train myself to be stronger and be ready for any opponent in the Gundam Fight."
"And that's why he's here Flash." Svengallop said as he and Gladmane came in.
"What are you talking about?" Flash asked.
"We've been doing a little more research and it turns out that fighter, Spike, is Neo-Canterlot's fighter."
"Now I've heard everything." Flash said.
"Don't worry Flash," Gladmane said. "We'll handle getting rid of him for you. You just say the word and-."
"No!" Flash said, "He may be an idol of mine, but tonight he made a fool of me. I'm gonna accept his challenge and take him down!"
"Let me handle that Flash." Sunset said as she held out a bottle of water to him, "Luckily for us, Princess Twilight and I are old friends and I have a feeling she's a part of Spike's crew. You just tell me when and where you want the fight to be."
"Now hold on." Svengallop said, "Surely Gladmane and I can take care of this Spike. There's no reason you need to fight him."
"Svengallop is right." Gladmane said, "As soon as we find him, we can have an assassin team take care of him. One less competitor to worry about and one more vic-."
"Don't meddle in my affairs!" Flash yelled out at the two. "I'm not gonna back out of his challenge like a coward! I'm going to face him in a Gundam fight like a real fighter!"
"Mr. Sentry. Please see reason." Gladmane said.
"Just shut up." Flash said, "I didn't ask for you two to be here. Get out and don't bother me or my crew until after my match with Spike."
"You ungrateful-." Svengallop started but was cut off by Gladmane.
"Very well." Gladmane said, "All we can say is good luck."
The two then walked out the door while Flash looked to Sunset and asked, "So you can get everything set up Sunset?"
"You know I can Flash." Sunset said, "Twilight and I once shared education under Princess Celestia. She and I go way back. And I also know Spike well enough that he'll agree to when and where to face you."
"I knew I could count on you Sunset." Flash said with a smirk, "I've been itching for a real Gundam fight. And I know Spike can deliver that."
Meanwhile, Svengallop and Gladmane had gone to sit in their office. Gladmane sat in his desk while Svengallop paced back and forth in anger. "We both know he doesn't have the skill to back up what he says. So why are we leaving this to him?"
"We're not."
Svengallop then looked to Gladmane with confusion before Gladmane said, "We're not going to count on Flash any longer. Now we take things into our own hands."
"So why didn't we stop him back there?" Svengallop asked.
"Because we still need him to fight on behalf of Neo-Amareica." Gladmane said, "We can't do anything to stop him. However, we can do something about Spike with or without him knowing."
"I was hoping you'd say that." Svengallop said with a smirk before asking, "So what's the plan?"
Meanwhile, Spike was walking slowly through the park. He was gripping his shoulder as he groaned and sat down on a bench while saying, "Damn. I thought he only grazed my shoulder. But apparently he did a lot more. It looks like I underestimated him. If he managed to do that much damage to me with just a small punch, he must be one hell of a Gundam fighter."
Spike leaned back on the bench, still gripping his shoulder when his resting was interrupted when he heard footsteps. He sat up a bit to see a group of earth ponies approaching him. All were dressed in black suits while pulling out crossbows.
Spike groaned as he stood up and gripped his shoulder. "Great. I'm injured and now I got guys with crossbows coming towards me. Not good odds."
The stallions stopped a few feet away from before aiming their crossbows at Spike. One of them smirked as he said, "Say goodnight, scale belly."
Spike glared at the group as they prepared to fire when, right before that happened, lights flashed on and temporarily blinded them. While they couldn't see, Ember jumped out in front of one and snatched the crossbow from him before knocking him out with a swing of her tail to his face. The other two took aim at her, only for their crossbows to be shot out of their hands by blasts of magic that came from Twilight who said, "I would advise you all to leave our friend alone before Ember here stops going easy on you."
Ember picked up the unconscious stallion and threw him to the other three. "Now beat it!"
The two stallions took their unconscious companion and left with groans with one yelling, "Let's get out of here!"
Once the three were out of sight, Ember walked to Spike while Twilight flew to his side. Ember supported him with his arm around her shoulder while Twilight gave a small groan and gave him a small slap to the shoulder and said, "I swear. If you keep this up, you're gonna end up giving me or one of the girls a heart attack."
Spike groaned from Twilight's slap before Ember said, "She barely touched you."
"Yeah well. Flash Sentry's strike to my shoulder did more damage than I originally thought it would have." Spike said, "It feels like he actually knocked it out of place."
"Serves you right for doing something that stupid." Twilight said with an annoyed voice.
"Can you get me back to the hotel and have Fluttershy fix me up before you continue lecturing me Twilight?" Spike asked with a groan as his vision became blurry. Despite his efforts, Spike couldn't prevent himself from passing out.
"If he had stopped talking he might have had some energy to stay awake." Ember said with a small grin.
"Let's get him back then." Twilight said taking his other arm over her shoulder, "Can't have him sleeping for too long."
The two then began flying Spike off to their hotel.
Meanwhile, Flash Sentry stood on the balcony of his own rented hotel room. He chewed on a toothpick as he looked out at the sight of the city, lost in his thoughts before he felt his black jacket being put on his shoulders and looked to see it was Adagio as she asked, "What are you doing out here Flash? You always wanna hang out here when it's around night time. Though... Not that I can blame you."
The two looked into the room to see Sonata and Aria playing poker. Sonata threw down her cards to show she had four aces and yelled, "Ha! I win!"
Sonata reached for her winnings until Aria grabbed her wrist and made cards slide out of her sleeve. "You cheater!"
The two began arguing while Flash and Adagio continued watching them. Adagio did so in annoyance while Flash did in amusement. Flash then looked to the city once again before saying, "Guess I'm just dreaming again."
"Dreaming?" Adagio asked with curiosity.
"Yeah." Flash said, watching the lights and cars of the city shine under him, "I guess you can say this is where everything started for me."
Flashback
A young Flash was running from a group of gangsters with food in his hands. He quickly dodged a swing from one before jumping to dodge another making a grab for him. He looked back to see they were still following him. He quickly made a turn to lose them but he found himself at a dead end. He turned around to see the gangsters had him cornered. He glared at the four as he carefully put the food he had down. One of the gangsters ran at him only for Flash to throw an uppercut and knock him down.
"You little!" Another gangster ran at him only for Flash kicked him in the stomach.
The other two gangsters then charged for him at once only for Flash to jump over them and make them knock heads together and knock each other out. Flash then felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to throw another punch only to be shocked at who stood behind him. It was...
Flashback ends
"Shining Armor." Flash said, "Growing up wasn't easy for me. It was hard to make a single bit for some of us. I had to grow up making myself stronger. I had to fight for every morsel of food I could get. Shining Armor saw I had potential and allowed me to go with him to train as a cadet Royal Guard. As I got older and stronger. He gave me the chance to live my dream in the colony of Neo-Amareica and I took it without a second thought. I worked as a Royal Guard for years and eventually the Neo-Amareican government saw what I can do and requested I become their Gundam Fighter for this tournament. And like anyone else!"
Flash extended his wings and threw his fists out in beside him. "I will fulfill the dream for not just myself but for Neo-Amareica!!!"
Adagio watched with a smile while Flash looked out to the city once more. Flash grinned as he said, "Wherever Spike is right now and whatever he plans to do in our match, I say bring. It. On."
The two then heard more groaning and rumbling in the hotel room causing Adagio to sigh and say, "Shall we break those two up?"
"Guess we have nothing better to do." Flash chuckled before following Adagio inside.
Back with Spike, he began groaning as he sat up and clenched his head. "Ugh. Where am I?"
"Where do you think?"
Spike looked to see Fluttershy enter the room with a smile. "You're in your hotel room in Manehatten."
She said as she sat down in front of him before asking, "And who am I?"
"You're Fluttershy." Spike said, confused by the question.
"Good." Fluttershy said, "That means you don't have any concussions. Now then."
Fluttershy then leaned a little closer while carefully holding Spike's eye open, looking into it before letting go and sitting down. "Good. You don't seem to have any other injuries."
Spike groaned a bit as he leaned into his bed and said, "So if I'm to guess, Twilight's waiting in the other room to finish lecturing m-." Spike was cut off by Fluttershy popping a pill in his mouth.
"A little medicine to kill the pain and help with your headache." Fluttershy said with a smile while Spike swallowed the pill, "And as for your question. Yes, she is."
"You bet I am."
The two looked to see Twilight entering the room with a stern look which made Spike say, "Here we go."
Twilight was about to start lecturing Spike, but Fluttershy held her hand up as means of telling her not to be too hard. Twilight took a deep breath before saying, "Spike. I'm not mad. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I was a bit worried because we're in a place we're not familiar with. And you picked a fight with Flash before you knew enough about him."
Spike sighed a little as he got up from his bed and said, "I'm sorry Twilight. You're right. I didn't think before I acted."
Before they could continue, they heard Pinkie say, "Hey guys. We have a visitor."
The three were surprised and left Spike's room to find Sunset Shimmer standing in the room with the girls.
"Sunset." Twilight said as she walked up to her and hugged her, "It's been so long. How have you been?"
"I've been good." Sunset said as she looked to Spike, "And Spike. It's good to see you again. You've gotten bigger since I saw you when we were kids."
"Yeah. It has been a long time." Spike then asked, "So what brings you here, Sunset?"
"I just came by to drop off a message to you from Flash Sentry." Sunset said, "He accepts your Gundam Fight challenge and he wants you to be ready to meet at Broadway Harbor at a 8:00 sharp tomorrow."
"8:00, Broadway Harbor." Ember said, "Got it."
"Great." Sunset said, "I better get going."
"Are you sure?" Twilight asked, "You don't wanna stay for some tea real quick?"
"No I can't." Sunset said, "I have to get back and make sure Maximizer Guard Gundam is ready. One of the responsibilities of being the head mechanic of the team."
"I know how you feel sister." Ember said looking over at Applejack and Rainbow who whistled casually.
"Yeah. I'm sure." Sunset said as she opened the door and left, "Anyways. See ya tomorrow."
Sunset then walked down the hall a bit until she stopped and a slight glimmer went over her eyes as Svengallop came out in front of her, with him on a cellphone and saying, "Everything went the way we wanted Gladmane."
"Good." Gladmane said on the other end, "Unfortunately, our assassin team failed. So it looks like we'll have to resort to plan B."
"Not a problem." Svengallop said, "Besides. Plan B will be a bit more fun."
The next morning.
The girls were asleep in their respective sleeping places until Twilight woke up and looked to the clock for a moment before turning around and tried to go back asleep. However, after a couple of seconds, Twilight's eyes shot open and she spun around to see it read 8:00. "Oh no! Girls wake up!"
The girls all started groaning and waking up as Twilight shot up and turned the TV. "We slept in past the starting time of the match! I hope we're not too late!"
The TV showed Maximizer Guard Gundam standing in a large arena where an announcer said, "And here we are in the Celestia Square Garden, waiting for the Neo-Canterlot fighter who has yet to arrive."
"Celestia Square Garden!" Rainbow said sitting up, "But Sunset said Broadway Harbor!"
"What in the hay is going on?" Applejack asked.
"Only one way to find out." Fluttershy said.
"Let's get dressed and get to that arena." Ember said.
"Can we get breakfast first?" Pinkie asked as her pink mane puffed into its usual puffiness.
"PINKIE!!!"
"Okay. Okay." Pinkie said, "It was just a question."
At the arena, Flash stood cross armed on the shoulder of the Maximizer Guard Gundam while Adagio, Sonata, and Aria stood at the bottom looking around.
"Still no sign of him Flash!" Sonata said.
Flash gripped his arms a bit and gritted his teeth. "Come on Spike. I know you're not afraid to face me here."
Meanwhile at the harbors, Spike stood by his corelander as he looked around, confused on why the area was empty. "That's weird." Spike said as he looked around, "Sunset said Broadway Harbor, but there's no sign of Flash."
"Spike!"
Spike turned around and covered his eyes a little as wind began picking up and was barely able to make out who said his name. "Sunset?"
Descending behind Sunset was a strange helicopter like airship. Sunset smirked as she was soon covered in a green magic to reveal a female changeling with a curved horn and green slimy like hair, who smirked and said, "Nope. Try Chrysalis. And I hope you're ready Gundam fighter. Because this is going to be your last fight."
Chrysalis then teleported away with her magic before the airship began firing cannons at Spike, who entered his corelander to evade the shots. Inside of the airship, Gladmane was piloting it with a retrained Sunset in the cockpit behind him with tape covering her mouth.
"You won't get away that easily!" Gladmane yelled as he began firing more at Spike.
At the arena, the explosions by the shots were being seen by Flash and his crew with him asking, "What's going on over there? The area over there is uninhabited."
"Flash Sentry!"
Flash and his girls looked to see Twilight, Ember, and Rainbow were flying towards him while the other three took their group transport.
"What's the big idea?" Rainbow asked, "Why would you send Spike to the wrong spot for your Gundam Fight?"
"Huh?" Flash asked.
"Yeah!" Pinkie said, "Your girl Sunset Shimmer came by and told us and Spike the fight would be at Broadway Harbor!"
"What are you talking about?" Adagio asked.
They then heard more explosions before looking in the direction they were coming from with Aria saying, "Looks like a battle is going on."
"I see." Flash snapped his toothpick before saying, "Gladmane and Svengallop! I told those two not to interfere! Adagio! Sonata! Aria! Get the others there! I'm gonna go on ahead!"
"You got it Flash." Adagio said while Aria and Sonata nodded.
Flash then entered his Gundam's cockpit before pulling his jacket off. "Activate the mobile tray system now."
The Gundam's cockpit did as he said and put him in a blue control suit with a red colored neck cover and with his cutie mark on the chest of it.
"I'll meet you there!" Flash said as he made the Maximizer Guard Gundam pull out a hoverboard and took off into the air and headed towards the battle area.
Back at said area, Spike was dodging shots by another airship that was being piloted by Svengallop. "You won't be getting away from us!"
Spike's corelander was heading towards the water before Gladmane's airship appeared in front of him before transforming into an airship mobile suit. "Once we get rid of you, that'll be one less fighter to worry about facing." Gladmane said as he made a shoulder cannon take aim at Spike.
From a rooftop, Chrysalis was smirking at the scene going on. "Helping them get rid of that dragon will surely help me become invited to the colony."
CRASH!!!
Chrysalis looked to see Gladmane's mobile suit was struck by a right cross from the Maximizer Guard Gundam. "Seems I better take my leave." Chrysalis said before teleporting off with her magic.
Back with the fight, Spike was surprised by this before Flash said, "I'm here to face off against you Spike. So you might wanna get inside your Gundam so we can start."
"You got it." Spike said with a smile before snapping his fingers as he yelled, "Rise Shining Dragon Gundam!"
Not too far off shore, the eyes of a giant alicorn statue began lighting up before crumbling apart to reveal Shining Dragon Gundam underneath. Spike entered his corelander before it shifted and docked with in the Gundam's back. Inside, the mobile tray system activated and moved to get Spike into his control suit before opening in the center and spoke with its computer, "Mobile tray system checking brain waves, blood pressure, pulse, respiration, temperature, metabolism. All green."
Spike did a few swings and kicks to do a few test movements with the Gundam before Svengallop's airship transformed into a mobile suit and moved in. "You worthless dragon! You ruined everything!" Svengallop yelled before firing more cannon shots at the Shining Dragon Gundam. Spike blocked the shots with his arms crossed before dodging more. He then extended his Gundam's knee boosters to close in on Svengallop's mobile suit while firing his vulcan head guns as he drew his beam sword. Svengallop tried to strike with his mobile suit throwing a right cross, but Spike dodged it before the Shining Dragon Gundam sliced the mobile suit's head and cockpit off. The Shining Dragon Gundam then moved a safe distance away before the rest of the body exploded.
"Nice moves Spike." Flash said with a smirk.
"Flash!"
Flash turned to Gladmane's mobile suit as it got up with Gladmane asking, "What are you doing? Have you forgotten we're on your side?"
"Shut up!" Flash said as the Maximizer Guard Gundam put its guard up. It shot its right fist forward where a fist cover flipped over it while it reached to its left side to pick up its crossbow weapon. "You two are an embarrassment to Neo-Amareica! It wasn't bad enough that you tried to take out my opponent when I wanted to fight him, but you also messed with a member of my crew! You don't deserve to be a part of the colony!"
"Fine then!" Gladmane yelled out as his mobile suit charged forward. "We'll get rid of you as well!"
Gladmane began firing cannons at the Maximizer Guard Gundam, only for it to dodge each one before getting up close. "Oh no!" Gladmane yelled as the Gundam closed in.
"Knock! OUT!" Flash yelled as he dealt an uppercut that knocked the mobile suit's head unit and cockpit off the body before catching it. He then jumped back and blasted the remaining body with the crossbow weapon to finish it with an explosion.
Not long after, both Gundams set the separated cockpits on the ground where Gladmane groaned. However, he yelped when the cockpit opened to show Twilight, Adagio, Ember, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Twilight and Adagio took Sunset and quickly untied her and pulled the tape off of her mouth.
"Ow! A little easier with the tape next time Twilight." Sunset said.
"Sorry."
"Good to see you're safe Sunset." Adagio said.
Gladmane, seeing they were distracted, was about to make a run for it until he found Fluttershy and Applejack blocking his way.
"Oh. Hello girls. How have you been?" Gladmane asked nervously.
"You messed with our friend Gladmane." Fluttershy said in a stern voice.
"And that means you messed with us." Applejack said cracking her knuckles.
With Svengallop, he found himself in a similar situation. He was about to get out of his own cockpit when it was opened by Pinkie, Rainbow, Aria, and Sonata.
"Ummm... I come in peace." Svengallop said nervously.
"Too bad we don't." Rainbow said, cracking her knuckles.
"And this is also for lying to me back then Svengallop." Pinkie said with a serious face and smile before they began beating down on the stallions.
Back inside of his Gundam, Spike smiled a little at the scene and said, "Guess it's true what they say. Karma is unforgiving."
"Hey Spike?"
Spike turned to the Maximizer Guard Gundam as Flash said, "I'm not fond of how things have gone. So this time, let me be the one to challenge you. Do you accept my challenge?"
"I do." Spike said with a smirk.
"Alright then. Gundam fight standing by!" Flash yelled out as the shoulder pads on his gundam detached.
"What the?" Spike asked as he watched. The shoulder pads shifted into gauntlets and the fist covers folded over the Maximizer Guard Gundam's fist before the gauntlets attached over them.
"Gundam fight!" Flash yelled as the chest cover of his gundam shot off revealing a chest like design. "Ready!"
"GO!" Spike yelled as the two Gundams charged at each other and collided fists. Spike then threw another punch and Flash dodged it before throwing one of his own that struck Spike in the face. Flash was about to throw another only for Spike to dodge it and retaliate by jumping up and throwing rapid kicks. Flash took a few hits before crossing his arms to block any more coming at him. Flash then threw a left cross that Spike dodged by flipping over him before striking Flash from behind with a kick that pushed the Maximizer Guard Gundam forward a little ways. Flash then turned around just in time to block a punch from Spike before striking him with a right hook and then followed with a left hook. He was about to throw another right hook only for Spike to block it and then counter by grabbing the Maximizer Guard Gundam by the head and hit it in the face with the Shining Dragon Gundam's knee.
Down at the ground, the girls and Flash's crew, along with a beaten and knocked out Gladmane and Svengallop, watched with amazement.
"Awesome!" Sonata and Rainbow said.
"Incredible." Aria followed with.
"I'll say." Sunset said, "I can't believe how strong Spike has gotten over the years. It's incredible."
"He's definitely a strong fighter." Adagio said with admiration, "One definitely good enough to fight Flash."
Back with the fight, the Shining Dragon Gundam was pushed back as Maximizer Guard Gundam stood in front of it. Its right fist began to glow white as it reared back.
"Let's see you handle this Spike. WHIRLWIND FIST!!!" Flash yelled as he threw his right fist forward and from it shot a tornado that collided with Shining Dragon Gundam and pushed it back further.
"Looks like Flash is the winner girls." Sunset said.
"Don't be so sure yet Sunset." Ember said, confusing Sunset and her crewmates.
"She's right. Look for yourself." Rainbow said, pointing to the fight. Flash's crew did as she said and were surprised at what was happening.
The Shining Dragon Gundam was pushing through the wind slowly as its mouth plate opened and lifted its right hand against the wind and began to glow green. "Don't count me out just yet Flash!"
"What in the world?" Flash asked, shocked.
Spike's right hand began to glow with his King of Sorcery crest. "This hand of mine glows with an awesome power! Its shining grip tells me to defeat you! Here I go! SHINING! CLAW!!!"
The Shining Dragon Gundam began pushing through the wind with its glowing hand until it collided with the Maximizer Guard Gundam's glowing gauntlet and electricity began dispersing from the fists.
"What? What's going on?" Flash asked.
"Flash! I have something to ask you!"
"What is it?!"
On Flash's monitor, the picture of Shining Armor appeared. "Shining Armor. Have you seen him recently?"
"No." Flash said as he struggled to hold back Spike's attack, "I haven't seen him the past couple of years!"
"I see." Spike said, "Well then time for this fight to end!"
The Shining Dragon Gundam's Shining Claw then powered up enough to destroy the Maximizer Guard Gundam's fist and caused it to fall back.
"NOOOOOO!!!" Flash said as his Gundam fell down against a building in defeat. The Shining Dragon Gundam's mouth cover folded back in as its hand powered down and smoke came from it from cooling off.
"Spike..." Flash said, "I don't understand. Why not finish the match by destroying my Gundam's head and disqualifying me?"
"Because." Spike said, "You and I were both helped by Shining in the past to get where we are now. And I'd like to see how we can get better to face each other again further on in this tournament."
Flash was surprised by Spike's words before smiling, standing up, and holding his arm. "Thanks Spike. I can tell why Shining Armor told me so much about you back then."
The girls watched as the two Gundams stood proud while smiling.
"You were right Twilight." Adagio said, "Spike is something else."
From a rooftop, Chrysalis watched with a glare and said, "Damn it. I was close to getting off of this rock and getting a colony ticket. Oh well. Better luck next time.
Chrysalis then teleported off with her magic.
Later that day, Svengallop and Gladmane were arrested and Spike and the girls were preparing to take their leave. Sunset and Twilight were sharing a hug as Sunset said, "It was good seeing you again Twilight."
"You too Sunset." Twilight said, "And after seeing how good of a fighter Flash is, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again sometime down the road."
"You can bet on it."
Pinkie and Sonata were exchanging snacks as a means of saying goodbye while Aria fist bumped with Rainbow and Applejack. Adagio was surprised by a hug from Fluttershy, but returned it nonetheless. Ember smiled at this all before looking to Spike and Flash, who shared a fist bump as well.
"See ya around Flash." Spike said with a grin.
"You bet." Flash said, "And next time, expect to lose."
"I was gonna say the same thing." Spike said as he and the girls loaded up the corelander and group transport again and took off, watching as Flash and his girls waved off to them.
"So Spike?" Ember asked, "What's next on the plan?"
"We continue searching for Shining Armor and the Devil Gundam." Spike said as they drove off into the direction of the sun. "Next stop. Neo-Chineigh." |
Luna's Thoughts - A Story | pre | She didn't answer immediately. The trance to had a strong grip of her mind and she had to regain her consciousness before she was eventually, "We would like to enjoy thy company."
She was surprised how low and eased her voice became in the silence, but what was even more surprising was the missing awareness of what she had said. The words were just.. there.
Discord, however, stepped undeterred out into her little vista of colorlessness.
"So," he said in a much lower voice than usual, "you're ruling the night, eh?"
"Guiding," she amended, "in fact I don't think I'm doing anything at all."
Discord passed her emotionless before he leaned against the stone-cold railing, his face turned into the land and his body twisted further than she ever think of doing herself.
"Keeping the ball as low as usual."
She shook her head, "No, I mean it. There is hardly anything I have done in the nights yet. Why are you here anyway?"
"Dear Celestia surely wasn't too much influenced by my psyche while working out this rest-time. You know, all the silence is quiet boring."
"Boring? Well, I think there's something missing, too."
Discord loosed the twist of his load at her clause to face the dark-blue goddess, "but of course there is, my dear. All the life is gone. Why should we bother with creating life when they go hide and interrupting their actions over again."
"I don't know, she said as no explanation came to her mind, "but that's not what I'm missing, actually."
"But I do." Discord said louder than his previous words, immediately casting his paw over his mouth silence himself, only to speak up again, "Can't we just raise at least a view creations?"
His voice became pleading, but she knew that Celestia would be angry if she disturbed her plans.
"For that," she said after a little thought, "we would need to fasten up time. And as you know that is only Celestia's responsibility."
Discord turned again around to watch the darkness feasting at his source of joy and satisfaction.
"The boredom is killing me. I can't wait that long over and over again."
She raised an eyebrow at the overly dramatic figure in front of her and stepped beside him, also observing the nothingness.
"You could help me to guide this nothingness."
Discord waved his paw in denial, "You're the ruler of the night, not me."
"That's not what I meant. There's something missing in the darkness, I feel it, but my mind fails me to actually name it."
"Now, that doesn't surprise me," he said while he unscrewed his claw, "Celestia supposed it to grasp the consciousness so you can find it again after you blacked out for far too long. Not the greatest way of resting, if you ask me."
"What do-" she felt a sudden urge to silence herself, as she saw the draconequus drop his claw lazily down the balcony, only to have it catapulted back upwards seconds later, catching it midair with his paw and replacing it where it originally was located.
"How," she tried again, "how do you think I could do it then? It's surely my task to retreat missing objects."
Her guest scratched his chin before he spoke up, "Do not trust in words were thy are bereaved of their powers. There is more to the soul than we can see.
And if you'll excuse me now, I'll try to use my ears as wings."
Luna blink-blinked at Discord in slight confusions as he began to even unscrew his head.
"I don't understand," was everything she managed to say.
"Of course you don't." the unscrewed head said, "understanding is powered by words."
With that, the asymmetrical body threw off it's head into the wides of ht night.
"But- but..." she moaned as the headless body didn't seem to make any further reactions.
Understand without understanding, name the missing piece without words...
this wasn't helpful at all!
Luna forced her eyes to focus the headless body that stood next to her like as a bizarre derision of life and logic themselves. She hoped it would grand her inspiration, but for a long time it did nothing but granting her a huge headache. But the resisted the exhaustion. It was her burden now to carry the night on her shoulders and to bring back whatever got lost on the journey through the desert of time.
The words had to make sense! He was in her doubts, after all. She gave him company and he couldn't repay that with senseless words. Then again, he was a headless snake-body.
There it was again. This feeling that was absent in the past nights, when she was alone.
She stood between sides, two powers which tugged at her. Bizarre creation that begged for her action and death nothingness that wanted her to do nothing but rest. She stood against them with all her might, but what could she possibly do?
She closed her eyes.
She wouldn't get sucked into this game. When they didn't want her to understand she won't bother trying to. They said the night should be a time of resting,m where the problems of the day lose their might. And they made her the ruler of it. She wouldn't fail.
There are no values in the night.
There are no values.
The sentence echoed through her mind as if Discord's head sent it like a ball to a fatal collision through a library, knocking all the sorrows down onto the ground and out of the shelves of her consciousness.
It almost seemed as if the darkness that surrounded her was lightened up by the emptiness that grew in her every passing second. It grew, until there was nothing left to threaten her eyes with existence, and then she saw it.
A shadow or rather a flame that danced in her mind, fastly changing it's position as if it understood her mind as a habitat itself,m inviting fort a indefinite dance ignorance.
Now she had it, now it was hers.
She reached for it, grasped the idea tightly
But as soon as she grasped it, ready to throw it down to non-existence, it started moving again.
It shook widely, s if it was in terror. She wanted to destroy it, but she couldn't. So it grew in her grasp, in its strength in its might. Soon, she found herself moving in an eerie metamorphism, trapped by something that couldn't exist.
Then it took hold of her, growing up to her face and granting her a vision she never could have imagined. Beneath her, where she only expected an endless nothingness to be, laid the other ideas, shattered and buried too far beneath her to make out the single pieces.
In terror she recognized herself moving. The colourful yards grew tinier, until she could barely make out more of them than a single dot in flawless blackness. It made her lose any feeling for form and weight; she just felt the movement in it's purest substance.
After a not recallable duration of time, a string of light that passed a corner of her eyes at enormous speed made her turn the vision into the other direction. What she saw, however, was not what expectations could ever have built.
In contraction to what she suspected to be the bottom of her mind, the sphere's vapour were covered with dots of enormous quantity and variations; unimaginable intense colours and abstract forms, glimmering constantly responsively. She shot through the mass of lights with unbroken speed and into the light of creation.
She opened her eyes.
The world that surrounded her was glowing in silver shimmer of light calling for her to ascent a last time into the empty space above her.
She spread her wings and untied herself effortlessly from the spiritless ground.
Her body was burning. She didn't feel her skin being burned, it was pure energy that perched in her chest, unwilling to expand any further but still increasing in its intensity.
With pounding beats of her wings she carried herself higher, slowly passing the line of the horizon and was suddenly greeted by a ball of floating light, spreading a silver light over the world.
It ascended with her, until she fell back into the grasp of nothingness and onto the hard stone of the balcony. -
"Luna."
Nothing.
"Luna!"
Nothing.
"Chocolate Rain?"
"NO!"
Her head shot up in terror, bashing Discord's face merciless out of it's way.
Discord shook his head back into its natural position, already accustomed to ridiculously overdrawn reactions.
"So I take it that you're back up."
Luna tried to get back on her hooves, but fatigue smashed this plan in its earliest stage of development.
"What happened?" She asked in a similar but weak voice as her first greet of the night.
"You tell me. I was slowly getting used to my ear-flying techniques as this... thing raised behind the horizon," he was pointing with a talon into the sky, where a silver shimmering orb stood where usually the sun took place. However, it didn't burn one's eyes as the sun used to.
"I... this..." words were still missing in her throat.
"Just in case that you want me to tell that it's an alien battleship that comes for our souls, you may want to rethink that answer."
Luna in response turned her head aimlessly around and eventually back to the orb.
As Discord only raised his eyebrow, she sighed and looked up to the draconequus.
"I guess you were right. Not everything requires words."
"Until I want to know about it!"
"I'm afraid that it's just ain't that way."
Discord stepped back into a pale shade of moonlight, placing his face in a beam of silver strings.
"Just as you get a higher responsibility you begin to sound like Celestia. You even look look her!"
"What do you mean? She asked with higher curiosity.
As Discord pointed worthlessly on her flank, her expression became suddenly petrified and a shade of ruby-red pushed through her dark-blue fur.
"I'm getting fat?!" She shouted in a all-of-a-sudden fatigue-less voice.
Discord found himself stuck in a unbelieving expression before he waved his head a wild no, "Rubbish!" he said, "Listen. I'm the god of chaos and you're getting dangerous closely to my jurisdiction. I actually meant the... whatever it is on your fur."
Luna looked down her body. Beneath her round belly was her full-grown flank that provided enough space for something that had shape and colour similar to the thing that filled the sky with its beauty.
"I wonder where that came from, "she said with a little absence in her voice.
"Well, I certainly don't know what you've done in the time I was flying around, but what I do know," he stopped his voice to reposition his claw into a thinking pose, "is that the naming of strange things lies in the responsibility of the god of chaos, who is particularly me. Therefore, I shall hereby degree that whatever it is that adorns your flank is called cutie-mark by now."
"Cutie-mark? Don't you think that sounds a little.. odd? How did you even come up with this?"
Discord smiled at his neologism, "because you're the only one who wears it, just as Tia does. Therefore it's a mark."
"And where comes the cutie from?" She asked in highest curiosity.
"Luna," Discord said with a suddenly stoic voice.
"Because Luna?" she asked more than a little irritated.
"Luna."
"What?" She began to feel unease.
"Luna, your leadership is required."
"But- but I'm here!"
Without any further signs, Luna felt her self dragged down by something strange, back into a deathlike silence and into the highest spheres of the sky. -
Luna reopened her eyes and blink-blinked her vision under the sign of the still petrified Discord awake.
"I searched you everywhere Luna," a voice boomed in her ears, "why didn't you tell anypony where you went?"
"I," Luna began, but failed to overcome the dizziness yet. Memory-spells of this intensity had their undesirable side-effects as well, after all.
"I didn't feel need for it." She finally managed to say.
"Is everything okay?" Celestia asked hesitatingly.
Luna faced her visitor and nodded slowly, "It is. We were just... remembering old days."
"Past days," Celestia elaborated, "the kingdom needs you now,m in the presence. What's behind should be left behind. Speaking of it.. I'm sorry."
"You're sorry? Luna couldn't stop her mind from doing a little twist, "What for?"
Celestia lowered her head and walked few steps around Luna.
"For having observed you. I should have waited for your return to hear about it."
Luna felt a light chill run down her spine as she heard this apology.
"Oh, that," she said, "it's fine."
Celestia frowned, "Really? You're not angry anymore?"
"If that would have been your biggest mistake everything would have been very easy." Luna said in a clear voice again.
Celestia said nothing for a moment, but came up with an answer eventually.
"Thank you."
Luna nodded, "I guess it's time to get back into the castle. The night doesn't rule itself."
"True," her sister agreed, "but tell me, will you return to Trixie?"
Luna moved her vision into the still moonless sky above her.
"As the goddess of the night" she said, "it's my task to guide our subjects to rest. And I think I know where I will begin tonight."
Worthlessly the two Princesses left the garden side by side.
Because sometimes a lie is easier to take.
End of Chapter One |
A New Harmony | pre | Twilight Sparkle raced after Sweetie Belle, but the filly had too much of a head start. The sounds of cracking scrub had faded some time ago, depriving Twilight of any directional cues. She slowed to try and catch some last vestige of noise from her quarry, but no sign remained.
What was that thing? It felt... twisted. She shuddered at the memory of that vertigo-inducing symbol etched on Sweetie Belle's flank. Discord sure seemed proud of it.
Twilight's ears pricked at her sudden realization. Discord! If he's involved, there's only one way this is headed.
Moments later, she appeared with a brilliant purple flash in the sculpture garden of Canterlot Palace. A stony draconequus towered over her in the darkness. She quickly dismissed the notion that it had turned to look at her. Preposterous! It's just stone. For now...
She knelt in the grass next to the statue and waited. Sooner or later, Sweetie Belle would come here. I'd better be ready this time.
Trixie awoke to the sounds of a hushed discussion in the library downstairs. She silently descended the staircase halfway, her ears pricking at the mention of her name.
"Leave Trixie out of this. It's our fight."
"I agree, sugarcube. I don't know how she won Twilight over, but I still don't trust her."
"Well, somepony's got to sneak up there and get Twilight's crown without waking her. And with the reigning 'Shh!' champion missing, you're the quietest one of us, Applejack."
"Alright, but only 'cause time's a-wastin'. Twi could be in major trouble by now."
Trixie abandoned any aspirations of stealth and hurried into the midst of the discussion. "What happened to Twilight?" she asked, her heart pounding.
Rainbow Dash twisted her mouth into a frown and squinted at the new arrival.
Applejack swallowed and gritted her teeth, remembering her promise to Twilight. She found that she couldn't force a smile, but at least if she spoke slowly, she was able to keep the venom out of her voice. "Yeah, she is--" Applejack pried the word from her throat "--sugarcube."
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Trixie yelled, already on her way out the door.
"We need the crown!" Pinkie shouted after her.
"Already got it!" Trixie's rapidly diminishing voice called back. "And I know where Twilight's going!"
Applejack shook her head, her patience long since expended. "Get along after her, y'all!"
"Aren't you coming, dear?" asked Rarity.
"Naw, I gotta go find Fluttershy. I've been rackin' my brain, and I think I figured out how."
Just as the birds began sounding their dawn reveille, an exhausted Sweetie Belle emerged from the cover of the forest and took her first steps up the winding road to Canterlot. She smoothed her cloak to ensure it concealed her cutie mark. Once the panting unicorn had reached the city gates, she proceeded nonchalantly to the sculpture garden, comfortable in the knowledge that nopony here would recognize her.
Sweetie Belle took a few hesitating steps into the garden and looked up at Discord's motionless form. She gulped and took a deep breath, casting a glance around to make sure she was alone. "A-are you here, Dis--?"
Twilight Sparkle stepped out from behind the statue. "Sweetie Belle, what is this all about?" Her stern gaze belied the gentle, measured tone she forced. "I don't know what's made you do this, but it's gotten way out of hoof. Let me help."
The younger unicorn leaped backward into a defensive stance, silently cursing the trembling plainly visible in her fatigued legs. "I can't," she said through clenched teeth. "I have to get away from here, or they'll kill me. Nopony can help me now."
"Oh, tut, tut! I thought we already covered that." Discord smirked as his ghostly form materialized in front of Twilight. "I've got your back, Demon Master." He flew straight at Twilight with incredible speed. She backed away and held up a protective foreleg to ward off his attack, but the shade passed through her unimpeded.
Her cutie mark and horn immediately blazing, Sweetie Belle sent waves of arcane energy toward Twilight, forcing her to crumple to the ground and squeeze her eyes shut against the resulting dizziness. The conflicting forces of horn and pentacle caused rippling distortions visible in the air, the chaotic interface rumbling like thunder.
A loud cracking noise preceded a shower of dust and stone fragments that rained down on Twilight from the statue above her. She rolled out of the way as it fully disintegrated, leaving an unencumbered draconequus free to step down from the pedestal.
Discord snapped his fingers, producing a fedora simply for the purpose of being able to doff it to his audience. "Greetings and salutations, Twilight Sparkle. Sweetie Belle." He nodded to each in turn, a smug grin playing across his features. "Thank you kindly, Demon Master," he said, theatrically sweeping an arm across his body in a gracious bow. "Congratulations for outliving your usefulness." The draconequus swatted Sweetie Belle with the back of his paw, sending her sprawling across the ground until she slumped unconscious against the hedge.
Twilight Sparkle charged her horn, whipping up a cloud of rocky particles from the statue's remnants. She sent the dusty mass flying toward him and tried to form a shell around his body, but she wasn't fast enough. Turning to face his attacker, Discord flicked a talon at her and flashed a self-satisfied smile as the gravel bombarded her face, blinding her. She stepped back into a defensive posture and gritted her teeth as she swiped at the grit in her eyes. In the blur of her obscured vision, Twilight couldn't see the tawny paw swinging for her. It caught her squarely on the jaw and sent her sliding across the grass.
"You know you have no hope, of course," gloated Discord. "You and your pathetic little friends."
Rolling back to her hooves, Twilight rubbed a foreleg across her bruised cheek. She folded her ears back and squinted in a defiant sneer. "You're not up to full strength yet or you wouldn't have bothered fighting me." A purple glow began to swirl about her, whipping the air into a vortex that lurched at the draconequus.
Straining against the gale, Discord dropped to all fours to gain what purchase he could in the earth. His labored progress finally flagged in the windstorm's fury, but he had approached close enough; the tufted end of his tail caught Twilight on the shoulder and slammed her against his former prison's base.
Reeling from the impact, Twilight shook her head momentarily to fight off the spinning sensation. By the time she looked up again, Discord was in midair, flying straight at her with claws bared.
He failed to hear the rapidly approaching hoofbeats behind him over the sound of his own yelling.
Applejack knelt down as she tightened the knot of a cloth bandage around Winona's leg with her teeth. The confused canine looked up, her ears plastered back. Cocking her head, she gave an inquisitive whine and squinted against the first rays of dawn streaming over the distant hilltops.
"We talked about this, remember? You gotta do a convincing job. Now, let's hear it."
A half-hearted whimper escaped the dog's throat before she sought an approving smile from her owner.
"Not bad for a start, but you can do better, sugarcube! C'mon! Sell it!" Applejack said, waving her forelegs.
Winona knitted her brow and uttered a heart-wrenching yelp after rising to hobble around on her bandaged leg. Seeing the triumphant expression her master wore, she gave a playful bark, then allowed her tongue to loll out the side of her mouth as she wagged her tail furiously.
Shaking her head as the smile faded from her face, Applejack nudged the brim of her hat a little further up. "You were doin' so good, too! You broke character."
Winona tucked her tail between her legs and sidled up to Applejack. Once she felt that enough time had passed to establish her contrition, she ventured a glance upward and rolled onto her back to request a belly rub.
Applejack allowed herself a brief indulgence of making Winona's leg kick reflexively before snapping her concentration back to the task at hoof. "Alright, time's a-wastin'. It'll have to be good enough."
The long trot to the edge of the Everfree Forest passed in silence as Winona kept by Applejack's side, deftly weaving around her flicking hooves. When they finally reached the first dense copse of trees, Applejack motioned for her companion to wander into the thicket, then took cover behind a stout oak. Winona milled about for a few minutes, making pitiable sounds and walking with a pronounced limp. However, the only attention she managed to attract was that of a startled covey of mourning doves. An hour later, the disheartened dog slunk back toward Applejack and curled up next to her, an enormous yawn drawing a squeak from her throat.
"It's okay, sugarcube," Applejack reassured her. "I think that might be enough. Now we wait."
Before long, Winona's ears pricked at the distant sound of crunching leaves and a soft voice. One of the doves returned and settled on a nearby branch, cooing excitedly.
"Where was it? Oh dear, I hope the poor thing is okay."
Applejack hissed at Winona and nudged her back out from their hiding spot. Winona stumbled from the bushes and emitted a high-pitched keening.
"There, there, dear," Fluttershy comforted her through a gentle smile. "Let's have a look--Winona? What are you doing out here?"
"She's with me." Stepping out from behind the tree, Applejack set her jaw in anticipation of a quarrel. Instead, the pegasus ran over and locked her in a tight embrace.
"Applejack! It's so good to see you!"
"Um... yeah, same here," said a flustered Applejack with a nervous grin, reaching a foreleg around to return the hug. "I kinda figured you'd be... well, mad."
"Oh, no. I could never be mad. You got my note, just like I hoped!" Fluttershy trilled, smiling so broadly that her cheeks trembled. "But... what's wrong with Winona?"
"Nothin', sugarcube," Applejack replied. "She was bait. And good bait at that," she added, giving her pet a commending wink. "Here you go, girl. You earned it." Applejack reached into her saddlebag and produced a large biscuit, then flung it in a high arc. Winona timed her leap perfectly and already had half of it devoured before she landed. "Where've you been, Shy?"
"Well, um, I've been staying with Zecora," Fluttershy explained. "Because I left my normal place, she kindly volunteered some space. The critters find a helpful mare, and know I still can treat them there. Oh, now she's got me doing that, too."
"That's great, Shy," Applejack said, the impatience in her eyes underscoring her voice's note of urgency, "but we need you. Where's your Element? We gotta go! Discord's at it again!"
"Um, it's at Zecora's house," answered Fluttershy while trying to take refuge behind her mane from the unwelcome news. "Where are we going?"
"I dunno, sugarcube." Applejack shrugged and glanced off in the direction of the palace. "Somewhere 'round Canterlot, judgin' by which way Sweetie Belle was headed. I expect they won't be hard to find."
"Sweetie Belle? What...?"
"I'll explain on the way." Tilting her head toward Zecora's home, Applejack added, "C'mon." She trotted off without looking back to see if Fluttershy was following.
Discord's leonine claws swung toward Twilight's head as she braced for the impact. At the last moment, Discord's body jerked sideways, propelled by a dusky blue streak. He tumbled across the ground before righting himself and turning to face his assailant.
"Ah, the prodigal filly, come back for redemption, eh?" he spat. "You're not even worth my time." Cracking his knuckles, he advanced once again on Twilight, a leer on his face.
Trixie watched as Twilight fought to see through the dusty tears that clouded her vision, making her lash out at the blurry mirages in front of her. Trixie's eyes grew wide as she momentarily backed away, her legs trembling, but as her horn's glow increased, she strode toward Discord with renewed determination. Through gritted teeth, she growled, "You leave her alone!" The aura around her horn reached a new intensity as she clenched her eyes shut. Four flaps of turf sprung up and snapped shut around Discord.
He slashed easily through the soil with his talons and stepped out of the grassy pyramid, his look of astonishment not even half as intense as that on Trixie's gaping face. "Aha! So you're more than just a one-trick pony, I see."
"You mean..." Trixie stammered quietly, "I actually..." She shook herself out of her reverie as Discord approached. The scowl returning to her face, she lowered her head and charged him. Trixie dodged his paw's feint, but his talons caught her unprepared, leaving a trio of deep gashes as they raked down her side. She cried out and braced for another impact, but a flurry of motion over at the garden's trellised entryway caught her attention.
Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash had just passed the last of the small, glowing trail markers Trixie had left for them and galloped into the garden just in time to see a deathly paleness overtaking her face as she sank to her knees. Discord made one last lunge toward Twilight, but the last traces of light surrounding Trixie's horn enveloped his arm and held it in check. With a grunt, he loomed over Trixie as her strength failed. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was a purple form tackling him from behind, then disappearing with him in a brilliant flash.
When Applejack and Fluttershy finally trotted up to the Canterlot city gate, the guards on duty stepped in front of their path. "Excuse me, ma'am. Are you those other two Elements from Ponyville?" the captain asked.
"Um... yes, sir. I reckon we are," Applejack replied.
"Princess Celestia arrived not long ago. She said to send you to the sculpture garden as soon as you arrived. Do you know your way?"
"Yes... yes, we do. C'mon, Shy!" The two galloped through the city until they reached the palace grounds, then grimaced upon remembering the circumstances of their last visit during the Gala. As they stepped through the ivied archway marking the entrance to the garden, their eyes immediately alit on three hubs of activity.
Rarity knelt by the side of her unconscious sister, her forehead creased as she lightly splashed some cool water on Sweetie Belle's face. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were applying bandages to a badly wounded Trixie, whose limp form drew shallow, ragged breaths. In the center of the garden stood Celestia, her eyes closed in concentration as she used her magic to examine the large stone hemisphere that dominated the statuary.
Celestia looked up at the new arrivals and smiled, her wings drooping loosely by her sides. She exhaled heavily before her bloodshot eyes focused on Fluttershy. "How fortunate that Applejack was able to find our Element of Kindness," she remarked as she tilted her head downward.
Bowing, Applejack looked up when the Princess's breathing deepened and saw her head slowly sinking toward the ground. "Um... yes, Your Highness." Celestia's eyes snapped back open. "She hadn't gone far."
Fluttershy hid her face as an embarrassed smile crept across it. "I'm sorry. I just--"
"No explanation is necessary. Please rise," said the Princess. "We have much work do." She stifled a yawn and led them over to Trixie. "I have sent word to have my sister awakened. After last night's events and having to raise the sun this morning, I do not have the strength to handle this situation alone. We need to know what Trixie witnessed." Celestia lay down in the grass next to the wounded mare and gave Rainbow Dash a concerned glance.
Dash anticipated the Princess's question. "We've got her bandaged, Princess. I'm glad she was out when we put on the disinfectant, or it would've hurt!" She shook her head, then recovered from a brief moment of silent distraction. "I think she'll be fine, though."
Eager for the chance to contribute, Pinkie Pie bounced up beside Rainbow. "Uh huh! She'll be good as new, lickety split!" Once she finally opened her eyes, she saw the fatigue gnawing at Celestia. "I've got some awesome hot coffee, Princess! Fresh from Sugarcube Corner. Would you like some?" she asked, pulling an insulated bottle from her saddlebag.
"Actually, that sounds like a good idea," Celestia replied, and poured herself a cup. It floated along beside her as she strained to regain her hooves and walk toward Sweetie Belle's prone form. The unsteadiness in her knees only grew worse as she approached the faint red glow of Sweetie Belle's cutie mark. "How is she, Rarity?"
"Her pulse seems to have settled down, Your Highness. I think she's just resting now. Oh, I can't believe my own sister would attack--"
"Please. I believe she was coerced," Celestia assured her while mustering as kind a smile as possible. "She has nothing to fear from me. I do, however, need to determine exactly what the nature of her 'talent' is."
"Trixie's comin' around, y'all," Applejack called from behind the Princess. "You'd best come over here."
Celestia downed her cup of coffee and returned to Trixie's side. When Trixie attempted to get to her hooves to bow, the glow of Celestia's magic surrounded her and held her down. "Please rest, Trixie. We just need to know what happened."
"Discord attacked Twilight and--" She winced and drew a sharp breath as the effort of speaking tightened the muscles in her side. Through clenched teeth, she continued. "I tried to stop him. He was still weak. She--she teleported somewhere with him."
"Luna should be able to trace where, but I already have my suspicions. Ah!" Celestia remarked as Luna flapped to a landing beside her, flanked by two of her personal guard. "We have work to do. That," she said, pointing at Sweetie Belle's cutie mark, "has to go. But first, please tell me where you think that enormous rock originated. Twilight Sparkle teleported somewhere and exchanged positions with it." Luna's eyes widened as she raised an eyebrow at the massive stone.
Twilight awoke with a pounding in her head. She rubbed a hoof to her temple and then blinked a few times to make sure her eyes were actually open. Bracing herself to try standing, she immediately collapsed back to the ground, a searing pain burning down her right side. As a soft groan escaped her lips, she lit her horn with a weak glow and peered at the dull rock walls surrounding her.
"Clever pony. But you must know that this place won't hold me forever." Discord smirked at her as he stepped from the shadows.
"Doesn't need to." Twilight looked along her bruised and battered body, then let her head sink to the cold granite as her light died. "My friends will be here soon." Remnants of illumination danced in front of her eyes as a wave of lightheadedness washed over her.
"You're in no condition to do anything about it. And what threat will your pathetic little friends pose without their precious Element of Magic?"
Twilight could practically hear his expression of glee. "Your magic can't reach through stone. And there's an awful lot of it here."
"I can move. And I have claws. It may take me a hundred years, but I'll dig my way out eventually. You should have teleported me into a more draconequus-shaped space."
"I can't be that precise over this distance. That's why I'm even here with you. I had to make sure I didn't miss and put you outside somewhere." Twilight winced again at the pain in her sides and the throbbing in her skull as her head swum, once again descending toward unconsciousness. She heard an evil chuckle and one last remark in the darkness.
"Oh, I'm the only one who's ever getting out of here."
Luna bent low to examine Sweetie Belle's cutie mark, wrinkling her nose at the faint vertigo it caused. "This is... horribly unnatural," she said, looking up at Celestia. "How did it even get here?"
"Discord did something to her. I don't know what," Trixie replied. "That was before he got to me." She looked away from the assembled ponies and hung her head. "I just know that it lets her control demons."
Nodding, Luna beckoned her sister over. "This will take both of us." Her horn's glow enveloped Sweetie Belle as Luna tried to get a feel for the magic that had been infused in her.
As Luna loomed over her and Celestia looked on, Sweetie Belle's eyelids fluttered open. She stifled a scream and charged her horn, but Rarity moved in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"No, Sweetie Belle! They only mean to help you!" Rarity shouted as she fought back the rising wave of nausea.
Sweetie Belle shook her head as she backed against the hedge. "No! They're going to kill me!"
"No they won't!" Rarity said, looking her sister in the eye. "Discord lied to you. That should come as no surprise. Nopony will hurt you. I wouldn't allow it," she added, directing a pointed look at the Princesses.
"But... Discord told me there was only one pony that had this talent before... and Celestia had him killed." Sweetie Belle gulped as her heart raced.
Stepping forward, Celestia knelt down next to her. "Sweetie Belle," she said in her gentlest tone, "I have never seen anything like this before. It is not a real cutie mark. We have to remove it. I promise no harm will come to you."
Seeing her sister add an encouraging nod, Sweetie Belle forced a smile and allowed her magic to dissipate.
"Discord gave you a real ability, but he could control it," Luna explained. "It would be foolish to allow that influence over you to remain. However," she added, "the fact remains that such a power has been forced upon you. You may well retain it to some degree, perhaps permanently."
Sweetie Belle hesitantly lay down on her side as Rarity held her in a hug. A moment later, Luna and Celestia had flared their horns to a fiery intensity and touched them to the pentacle on Sweetie Belle's flank. A shower of red sparks immediately shot up from it as the air rippled with distortions, the red star hissing and seething its defiance. The cutie mark's crimson glow intensified, pushing the Princesses back. Fighting to maintain their footing, the alicorns' hooves left deep scratches in the turf.
"Rarity!" Celestia shouted into the swirling wind. "Please help! We need every bit of magic we can collect."
"How...?" Rarity replied as she frowned down at her sister, who had begun trembling.
"Just add whatever energy you can." Luna took her eyes off Sweetie Belle for a moment and waited for Rarity's gaze to meet her own. "We can redirect it."
Nodding, Rarity gulped and brought her magic to bear. As soon as she did, the magical resistance pushed her away as well, but her effort had enabled the Princesses to creep forward slowly once more.
"Trixie!" Celestia called.
Fluttershy let out a whimper, barely above the sound of the wind. "No... Her bandages..."
Before Fluttershy could act, however, Trixie had struggled to her hooves and added her own stream of energy. In response, Sweetie Belle's pentacle flared even brighter until nopony could look at it.
Luna gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, straining to get close enough to touch her horn to the cutie mark again. Flapping her wings hard to get that last bit of momentum, she finally reached it.
The sound of breaking glass echoed throughout the garden as red shards erupted into the air. Everypony stood transfixed for a moment, looking at the glittering fragments as they drifted slowly earthward and faded to ash, finally borne off by the now-subdued breeze.
When she had returned to her senses, Rarity whipped her head back toward Sweetie Belle. "Are you okay?" Her mouth hung open as she tried to slow her panting.
Sweetie Belle opened one eye, and glanced down at her side. Looking up at her sister, she gave a weak nod as her eyes welled with tears. "I'm sorry..."
Rarity leaned in and hugged Sweetie Belle tightly. "I'm just glad we've got that all sorted out." She backed off a little, letting a few of her own tears dot the grass. "I've just been... so worried about you lately, and..."
"I thought I finally had it. My cutie mark..." Sweetie Belle averted her eyes as she sniffled.
Just as she was leaning back in for another hug, Rarity turned toward the sound of a clearing throat behind her.
"We must act quickly," Luna said, "on Twilight's behalf. I do not know how long she can hold out. It is reasonable to assume she is not safe."
"You know where she's gone?" Applejack asked, stepping forward.
Luna nodded. "I can teleport us there, to the center of Dragon Mountain. It would make the thickest stone walls in all of Equestria." As the assembled ponies gasped, Luna continued. "We must bring the Elements with us, but first, we must locate the Element of Magic."
Sweetie Belle's mouth hung open momentarily as she tried to force the words out. Finally, she grimaced and let out a small sob. "I--"
"I have it," Trixie said, glancing over at Sweetie Belle. "And I'm coming with you."
"How'd you get that?" asked Applejack, raising an eyebrow.
Trixie set her jaw. "Discord," she growled, bracing a hoof to stand.
"Whoa, whoa!" cried Applejack as she blocked Trixie's path. "You've done plenty already, sugarcube. You need to rest."
Luna looked over to Trixie. "Your friend"--Trixie's head jerked up and her eyes widened at the use of that word--"is correct. You must remain behind."
Trixie's mouth continued to hang open as she glanced back and forth between a smiling Applejack and Luna. Finally, she removed her hat, reached in a hoof, and pulled out the crown. "Who'll use it?" she asked as Luna levitated it toward herself.
"With any luck, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said as a glow resurged from her horn, growing to envelop the five assembled Elements. She then glanced at Celestia's trembling knees. "Rest, sister. We shall return shortly."
Just before the teleport spell took hold, Trixie lurched forward into Luna's side, with Sweetie Belle close behind.
Twilight stirred to the sound of scratching. It took her a moment in the total darkness to realize that her eyes were actually open. She attempted to stand, but the burning pain in her side sent her back to the ground, stars dancing in her vision.
"Awake again?" The scratching halted and footsteps approached her. "You've been out for about two hours, and I've already gotten a good quarter-inch closer to freedom. I should be out in... oh, eighty years or so. Blink of an eye."
Twilight didn't reply. She lay her head back on the ground and considered trying out a few of the healing spells she knew, but they took too long to work, and any glow from her horn, no matter how faint, would shine like a beacon in this black void. Forcing her breathing to slow, she concentrated on getting what rest she could.
The frigid stone actually felt good. Out of the shadows, she could see Spike approaching with a nice, tall glass of water. Perfect! That'll hit the spot. She wriggled off the spot that her body heat had warmed a bit to get more of that pleasant sensation. It wasn't until a few beads of sweat had trickled across her face that she regained any semblance of clarity. Pain flared along her ribs, but it soon faded into blissful numbness once more as Spike set the glass down next to her. As she reached for it, a bright light sliced through the image, and she squinted at the blurry figures in the distance. Surrounded by multicolored spots, a central midnight-blue blotch registered in her mind just before everything went black.
Luna flashed into existence in the center of the cavern amid seven other ponies. As soon as she had materialized, Trixie sank back to her knees and met Discord's glare, illuminated with the full light of Luna's magic. Trixie staggered back to her hooves and galloped to Twilight's side. Brushing Twilight's forelock up, she ran a foreleg across Twilight's cheek. "She's burning up! It must be shock."
Discord stood with his arms crossed and smirked at Luna. "Oh, dear," he said, clicking his tongue as he puffed out his lower lip. "You seem to be one Element shy of a set. Tragic."
Luna glanced back and forth between the crown she had floating in front of herself and Twilight. Upon catching sight of it, Discord's eyes shot wide open. He managed to close his gaping jaw, then glared at Trixie. Turning toward Twilight, he swung his talon at her, keeping it on target even through the fresh source of light that threatened to distract him.
"Stop, Discord!" Sweetie Belle yelled as her horn blazed. His arm halting in mid-swipe, Discord grunted as he strained against the magic that confined him. Claws inched forward through the glow that enveloped them as Sweetie Belle squeezed her eyes shut. "I said stop!"
Discord growled as he struggled to keep his claw moving toward Twilight. He raised his arm in a sweeping gesture.
"Behind me, everypony!" Luna shouted as she conjured a shield to deflect the wall of flame he sent their way. Most of the Elements managed to duck behind her, but the thinner edge of the barrier was only partially successful, allowing the inferno to singe the tips of Trixie's and Sweetie Belle's manes.
Trixie flipped her cape up in time to ward off the last of the heat, then tugged the Element of Magic away from Luna and set it gently on Twilight's head. "C'mon, Twilight," she rasped.
With one final snarl, Discord jerked his arm backward and free of Sweetie Belle's magic. Trixie lowered her head and closed her eyes, and soon there were a dozen copies of her dodging and feinting around Discord from all sides. While they had him distracted, she bit down on Twilight's tail and tried to drag her over toward Luna, but she felt a renewed burning on her side as a fresh streak of red soaked through her bandages.
The other five Elements rushed over to help pull Twilight over to Luna, but Discord had finished slashing his way through all of the impostors and grabbed Twilight, hefting her over his shoulder. "No. She stays with me."
Twilight's crown clattered to the ground and rolled in front of Trixie. She looked up to where Twilight's glazed eyes had opened halfway and stared unfocused at the wall. "Yes, Princess Celestia," she mumbled, "this is my friend, Trixie."
Her breath caught in her throat, Trixie glanced back down at the crown in time to see Applejack scoop it up. Applejack shoved it over Trixie's hat and looked her in the eye.
"It's gotta be you, sugarcube," she said with a fierce smile.
"B-but... I..."
"The magic works through friendship. Twi said so herself," said Applejack, pointing a hoof toward Twilight. "I heard what she said. You gotta believe it."
Trixie shook her head and gulped.
"When she saw you in need and shared a meal with you. When she gave you a place to sleep. How'd that make you feel?" Applejack patted her shoulder.
Looking past Applejack, Trixie saw four other faces grinning back.
"Think about it. Remember how it felt."
Trixie hesitated, then gave a small nod. She focused on that unfamiliar warmth, keeping her concentration even as a voice rang out next to her.
"You put her down!" Sweetie Belle shouted, and Discord's body once more lurched to a halt.
He whipped his head around and gaped at the whirlwind that had formed around Trixie. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy all hung in midair, their necklaces streaming light. Trixie raised her head, but kept her eyes shut, tears dripping from her muzzle as little fits of laughter sounded through her blissful smile.
As Discord shielded his eyes from the increasing glow, Sweetie Belle threw her shoulder into him, knocking Twilight loose. Sweetie Belle dove under her limp form to take the brunt of the impact.
Trixie closed her eyes against the still-growing brightness, but it cut right through her eyelids. The rest of her senses died away, only the radiating warmth left to sweep over her in the sudden stillness. With a final flash, everything went black once more.
Trixie limped into the garden and weaved her way among the statues until she took her place in the group already seated in the center. A tall statue of a dranconequus loomed over them, and next to it, smiling stone faces of Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. As well as Sweetie Belle and Trixie. She gasped when she recognized her own likeness staring back at her.
"Feelin' better, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.
"Yes." Trixie blushed and looked down at the grass. "I just don't think I should have been part of that," she added, waving a hoof at her statue. "I caused half the trouble myself."
"Actually, Discord caused every last bit of the trouble. And he still gets a statue." Celestia walked over to the assembled ponies and beamed at them. "I am glad you could all be here. I wanted you to be the first to see it before we did the public dedication."
"Uh... Princess? Is it a good idea... you know... to leave Discord out here again?" Fluttershy asked from behind her mane. "I mean... with what happened the last two times..."
Celestia chuckled and held a hoof to her chest. "Oh, that is not the real Discord. He is still at the center of Dragon Mountain. I thought that would be a wise precaution."
"Then what...?" Rainbow Dash asked, jabbing a hoof toward his likeness.
Luna strode over with a broad grin on her face. "That would be my doing. I fashioned both of these out of that mound of rock Twilight left here. It just seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up."
Her ears pricking toward her own likeness, Rarity craned her neck to see around the side of the pedestal. "What is that? Over there..." She rose to her hooves and took a few tentative steps toward some scratches she could see in the stone. Upon closer inspection, they read: May include Tom or Tom by-products.
Rarity's face turned a deep red, and she began to shake. Behind her, Rainbow Dash fell over onto her back, laughing uncontrollably. "I thought we all agreed never to speak of that again!" Rarity shot as she whipped her head around. She let out a low growl.
"Nice," Pinkie said as Rainbow managed to roll upright and slap hooves with her in one fluid motion.
"You come back here this instant!" Rarity shouted as she ran after the fleeing pegasus.
Applejack chuckled for a moment, then patted Fluttershy on the shoulder. "I had a nice, long talk with some o' the ponies in town. They feel bad about how they treated you, and... well, they wanted to say they were sorry. We've arranged for Pinkie to throw you a 'welcome back' party. That is, if you can forgive 'em."
"Oh, I was never angry," Fluttershy replied with a soft smile. "I was just afraid for my animals. But if everypony promises to be more understanding with them..."
Applejack nodded. "Yeah, they do. And so do I."
Leaping at Fluttershy, Pinkie nearly tackled her with a hug. "This is going to be the best 'we're sorry, Fluttershy' party ever!" She held a hoof to her chin and squinted. "Of course, it's the only one of those I can think of... but that still makes it the best!"
"And how about you, Trixie?" Twilight asked. "Will you stay in town this time?"
Trixie sighed and shook her head. "I appreciate what you taught me. All of you," she added, sweeping her hoof around the group. "You'll always hold a special place with me. I just need to spend some time thinking about what's happened. Fix up my old wagon. Decide what's next for me. But I'll come back from time to time." She leaned over to hug Twilight and whispered in her ear, "You'll never know what it means that you stood up for me. You're right--there's power in friendship, and I need to understand it. I'll visit, though." She patted Twilight's hoof.
"You'll certainly have a lot to tell your friends when they get back," Twilight said to Sweetie Belle.
"Yeah, but they're gonna come back with their cutie marks. I'll still be left behind."
"Nuh-uh," Applejack replied. "Just got a letter from Apple Bloom a few days ago. She'll be home next week, and still a blank flank. Though I don't know 'bout Scootaloo."
"And how many of your friends can say they have a statue at the palace?" Twilight added.
Sweetie Belle sighed. It hadn't turned out so bad after all. She still had a strange ability to control some magical creatures--she'd already tried it on Philomena while she was here, but no luck. She also had a very unique adventure. But she couldn't help thinking that it would have all been better if she'd just had the super-boring summer she was afraid of. What good had come of any of this?
For a moment, Sweetie Belle watched Trixie smiling and looking around at everypony there. She had to grin herself, and when Celestia caught her eye and nodded at her... Well, maybe things did have a way or working out for the better.
"I'm gonna try to catch up to my sister. See you all back in Ponyville for the party?" she asked. Everypony nodded back, and she started toward the entrance, but she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned to see Trixie, who wrapped her in a hug that lingered much longer than she would have expected.
A new friend. Yeah. Definitely better than boredom. |
Life isn’t done with you | pre | Focusing back on his own crate, Psalms could feel the texture of fine wood. He could sense the dimensions that made up the box as if he was personally measuring them himself, but most of all, he was physically and mentally bearing the brunt of the crate's weight.
"Now that you hold the objects in your magical grip, you can feel the weight as if you were physically hauling it yourself. It takes time and repetition to increase your mana's strength on physical items. Levitation is one of the most basic concepts foals are taught upon reaching age." Ingot glances around as he eyes the dirty and cluttered barn, a growing twinkle lighting up in his eyes. Psalms and 'Red' could only share a nervous glance before focusing on Ingot again. "Luckily for you two, we will make up that time with our work for today. I've been meaning to clean this barn out for some time, but you boys wouldn't mind lending aid to an aging stallion, now would ya?"
The last rays of dusk disappear over the twilight horizon as Psalms and 'Red' haggardly finished the last of the barn refurbishing. Two hours had passed since their magic lesson and within that time, their levitation had strengthened nearly twice over. Still low for a unicorn their age, but progress takes time.
Honey and Ink had apparently made well with Ingot's request for a feast as the lavish scents that could be whiffed within the barn had sent all of the stallions into a slight frenzy in order to complete their job sooner, their empty stomachs rumbling their discontent the whole time through.
Ingot being the elder and owner of the ranch, excused himself to help set the final table preparations, trusting in Psalms and 'Red' to finish the barn on their own without supervision.
Psalms had mastered his magic control to a greater degree than 'Red' as he finished his side of the barn in a timely and more coordinated manner while 'Red' on the other ha-hoof, struggled to catch up. The whole time they spent cleaning the barn together, not a single word was muttered between the two.
"...Hey... 'Red'." Psalms called out, halting 'Red' in his tracks who opted to keep facing away from Psalms. "...What happened... back at the river... we haven't had the chance to talk about it yet."
"...There's nothing to talk about." 'Red' replied, resuming his heavy lifting with a puff of breath.
"...I just... I just wanted to say... that I forgi-" Psalms was cut off as 'Red's' burden slipped from his magical grip as sparks and pops crept up his crimson horn. In a flurry of panic, 'Red' hastily repeated the breathing steps, successfully draining his magic to a non-critical level.
"...Shut. Up. Just, shut up. ...You're not real... none of this is real... your words mean nothing."
"You've gone through an awful lot of trouble learning magic and cleaning this barn up for the past two hours even though it's not real, according to you." The sound of the dinner bell ringing could be heard emanating outside. "Look. I know that all of this being real is a lot for one to take in, and you'd be crazy not to go crazy to a degree after experiencing all of this, but like it or not, it is real. I'm real. That family is real. This world is real. When you're ready to face it head-on, you can count on me being there to help." Psalms turns to leave the barn, "If you're able, can you fetch Rush for dinner? Ingot says he likes to play in the quarry behind the house." With that said, Psalms takes his leave.
'Red' could only stand within the barn and fume at Psalms' words, anger and indignation boiling over. Just what the hell had he been doing for the past two hours? Cleaning a barn that wasn't real? Using magic that wasn't real? Because some old prune who wasn't real ordered him to do so? Why the fuck was any of this even happening!? His body is no doubt lying and dying in a ditch somewhere and here he was playing housemaid with a bunch of donkeys conceived from the inner machinations of his bleeding brain. If he didn't find a way to wake himself up at this very moment, his very next breath may be his last.
Foregoing his remaining chores, 'Red' stormed out of the barn, wandering around aimlessly as he wrapped his mind around possible solutions to render himself conscious: He already bit himself, and he already fainted which is the equivalent of sleep. He's experienced pain and has drawn blood and he did most of the chores in the damn barn in the vain attempt that would wake him up for whatever reason; and yet, all of it was a failure. There has to be something else... ... ... ...
Shock. He has yet to be shocked... at least he thinks so. He has yet to do something that would leave him flabbergasted, that would leave him in stunned silence. Something horrible? Something dramatic? Something... traumatizing...yeah... a good jolt should do just the trick... but how?
It was only then that 'Red' realized that he had wandered behind the house, up to a cliff edge that overlooked a small quarry full of big rocks and jutting gemstones. Nestled right at the very center was little blue Rocket Rush, hopping and galloping and frolicking with a set of toy diamond dogs in a fierce battle against a turtle wizard.
'Red' was directly above Rush, not even fifteen feet away. How either one had remained oblivious to the other eluded 'Red's mind. What didn't elude him, however, was the chunky-looking boulder at least four times bigger than the crates he had been lifting earlier just off to his right. The boulder had been carved and excavated from the earth and was free of any anchors tethering it to the ground. With will and power, 'Red' was easily able to lift the boulder within his magical grip before setting his sights on the colt.
Inch by inch, the boulder levitated away from the cliff's edge, centering itself on the oblivious colt below. The boulder's immense size and crushing weight left little wonder as to how effective the results would be.
...He's right there... he's not real... he's right there... it'll be quick... painless... he's not real... there would be no pain at all.
The boulder hung in the air with a slight sway from the wind, as if tethered to the sky by a fine thin line of rope. One snip of that rope was all 'Red' wanted. All he needed.
...He's not real... none of this is real... this is my ticket out... I can feel it...freedom... it's...it's screaming at me...begging me... to drop it.
'Red's' magic began to falter, dimming and dulling with each passing second. The colt continued his fun with not a single other soul there to bear witness as to what came next.
...It wants freedom... it demands its virtues...liberation...from my flesh... from its meaty cage... I can help it...I can help the boy... I can set them both free... and what is death... but ultimate freedom...
The forewarned sense of creeping pain crawled up 'Red's' horn as he struggled to steel himself. The screeching voice not of his own reached its crescendo within his mind.
...Let go... just let go... he's not real... he's a trick... a lie... a facade... just like she was...take revenge..take action.. take freedom! Let go! Drop it! Release it! Sweat release! Death's embrace! Kill him! He's not real! Let go! DEATH! KILL! MURDER! KILL HIM! DROP IT! LET GO!!!!!!!!
"Carrot cauliflower casserole, sauteed spinach and eggplant with mashed potatoes, glazed onion rings, steamed broccoli dumplings, and a good ol' fashioned apple pie for dessert? Mm-mm-mmm, you truly know a way into a stallion's heart, Honey." Ingot drooled as he examined every dish with an ever-increasing desire to dig in right then and there. Psalms' stomach rumbled in agreement as he finished clearing away the dishes under Ink's supervision. Nothing beats home-cooked food from a loving family.
"Keep that drool to yourself, Mr. We did not prepare all this food just to have you slobber all over it before we even had a chance to sample some. I mean, I wouldn't mind it, but I can't say the same for the kids." Honey finished with a light chuckle as Ink emoted faux gagging.
"Ew! Yuck! Get a room you two."
"Oh please, as if you haven't been sucking face with that Copper colt these past few months." Honey retorted.
"That's what couples do, Mom. But you're my parents and it's icky when you two do it."
"Oh, hush. And I thought Rocket was the foal of this family." Contemplation etched its way onto Honey's features. "Speaking of Rush, where is the lad? He always comes crashing in when the bell is ru-" A resounding crash echoed from the quarry's direction, cutting Honey off. A slight tremor rocked the kitchen and its occupants for a second before peace resumed.
Not a moment later, 'Red' came bursting through the back door, wheezing out puffs of breath. His face was that of concealed dread as he gazed upon one member after the other. "... I uh... w-wheres your bathroom?"
'Red' was quick to scramble away as directions were relayed to him, leaving the rest of the kitchen in the dark. "...Must've been holding it in the whole time," Honey commented.
"What was that bang just now?" Psalms asked as worry flooded his veins upon seeing 'Red' so agitated. He was supposed to bring Rush inside...surely he wouldn't try to do something to him... Oh, fuck! What have I do-
"Mom...Dad... it happened again." The little colt's voice rang out as the back door opened and closed once more. Rush soon enough hopped into his seat, a forlorn look upon his face like that of a scolded puppy.
"Out playing in the quarry, right?" Ingot interrogated, earning a nod from Rush. "Were you messing with the stone pillars again?"
"... I don't know..."
A groan escaped from both parents. "This is the third time these past two months. That's it. You're grounded from playing in the quarry, young stallion."
"But, Mom! It's the perfect place for the final battle of my epic adventure saga to conclude!" Rush exclaimed, wings buzzing in irritation.
"You'll just have to find somewhere else to play in the meantime then. Now all of you settle down and let me fix you up some plates."
As everyone finished their tasks and settled down before the table, in walked back 'Red' having cleaned his face up as water still dripped from his face. His tired drained eyes reflected across the room. "Good to see you freshened yourself up, unlike a certain other two stallions. Grab yourself a seat and let me serve you," Honey instructed.
'Red' did just so, as he seated himself within the corner farthest from all the others. "...Thank you... Mrs. Bu-... Mrs. Honey... and thank you... Ms. Ink... for the food..." 'Red' finished, a thin layer of anxiety coating his comments and physical features.
"Ink is just fine... are you ok? I know we haven't really talked or been formally introduced to each other, but you seem to be on edge. Something happen in the barn?"
'Red' was slow to respond, hesitant more so than sluggish. "...No...I-I mean yes... I... uh... there was a...um... never mind, was just fine." 'Red' mumbled the last part.
Ingot was quick to be alarmed. "Fire? Did something combust in the barn?"
"Fire? Fire!? Where!?" 'Red' jumped within his seat, stark horror plastered on his face. Ingot's words finally registered within his brain and he was quick to shake his head clear to alleviate the mix-up. "No, no, no, sorry I didn't mean fire, I meant 'spider'. Yeah, I...uh saw a spider and it, uh... ya know..." 'Red' resumed his silence once more.
Ingot wasn't ready to let it go just yet, "So you're saying there's no f-"
"Nope-no-nothing... just a spider.... nothing to worry about...sorry for scaring you..."
Ingot reflected on 'Red's' words before finally relenting as he heaved a tired sigh. "I understand. Them creepy crawlies always manage to send shivers down my spine, despite being the big burly old stallion that I am."
With the tension bleeding away, the family and two alicorns had their plates fixed and began to dig in, some more so than others. Conversation, little jabs and jokes, and questions along with answers hung thick in the air as the hour passed. Even 'Red' participated to a degree as the dining drew to a close.
"So," Ingot inquired to his two guests. "What's the plan for tomorrow? I'm assuming you wish to meet with the princesses in Canterlot, what with your whole being here to fight evil and all that."
Psalms swallowed the last of his food before wiping himself and responding. "It's plan B. Our first step is to head on to Ponyville, and see if we can meet with Princess Twilight. She's the one who does all the fighting lately."
"Hmm, well, the railway to Canterlot does pass through Ponyville. I don't mind covering the cost of the train, so you two are more than welcome to tag along. But it does beg to question," Ingot turns his sights to 'Red', "What is it you want to do, hmm? Psalms tells me that he was sent here to fight the good fight, but what about you?"
"...I want to go home... I don't know why I'm here... I don't know why this happened to me... but this Twilight person or one of the princesses or the king or whoever runs this show may be the only ones who can help me. I guess I'm stuck with him... for now."
'Red's' confession surprised Psalms as he continued to speak. It almost sounds like he... actually believes he's in Equestria! That he has accepted the world around him to be true!
"So," Honey piped up, eyeing Ink and Ingot both in silent unity as they wordlessly reaffirmed what they had convened earlier at the wagon. "Sounds to me like the both of you are two young souls a long way from home with no family around. Does this sum things up?"
Psalms and 'Red' exchanged glances and shrugs between each other, before nodding in agreement. Honey along with Ink and Ingot seemingly brightened up at the duos' answer. With a light clap of her hooves, Ingot and Ink rose from their seats and joined Honey's side as they faced the two. Rush was quick to buzz himself onto Ingot's back, a confused but excited twinkle in his eye.
"Now, I know we only just met around five-ish hours ago, and first impressions may have been a bit...messy to say the least, but regardless, it has been a delight hosting you along our wagon and within our homestead." Honey began.
"Our family isn't a typical one. As you could see, our house is a little too big for a family of four. We used to host all sorts of extended family here, but things changed. They moved on, and we are all that is left." Ink added.
"The farm always needs tending no matter what time of year. I used to handle it perfectly fine on my own, but I ain't getting any younger, lads. My joints ache, my magic's getting more wonky, and there just isn't enough hooves around to get things done in a timely matter anymore. Ink ain't exactly keen on taking up the farming mantle, and Rush is a long way from pulling his own weight." Ingot continued.
"Why pull when I can fly!?" Rush chimed.
"What we're trying to tell you, is that if you want, we'd be happy to take you both in, seeing as how you've been left stranded here like lost babes in the woods. We have the space and enough bits to not worry about financial expenses. It's a bit upfront and a rush, I understand, but you two seem like good souls who need a helping hoof, and we'd be happy to extend ours," Honey did just so. She along with the others extended their hooves forward, inviting the two to join their communion.
Psalms' eyes bugged out of his skull while 'Red' reflected his eyes down to the floor, shame and guilt mistaken for apprehension.
"I... I'm touched by your offer... " Psalms began, "...But, are you sure this is something you want to invite us into? I... the last thing I want to be is a burden unto you."
Ink blew a raspberry in response to Psalms' comment. "Uh, duh? Of course we're sure. Otherwise, we wouldn't be offering to begin with." Ingot and Honey nodded in agreement, assuring Psalms of their action.
Psalms couldn't help but shed a tear as he witnessed this family open themselves to strangers. The magic of love and friendship was in overdrive at the moment. If Psalms had any doubts whatsoever that he wasn't in Equestria, they were obliterated once he touched his hoof to theirs. "Thank you. Thank you all. I accept." He finished to the combined cheers of his new household. He cupped the pendant into his hoof and reflected on his previous life. "I honestly can't believe I lost my family and gained a new one in the span of a single day." Thank you, Lord, above. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And thank you, Sophia.
As the cheering settled, all eyes reflected on the bat-alicorn. 'Red' continued to keep his head down and away from prying eyes. "...I don't deserve it...you don't want me here..."
"Lad," Ingot began, "In my long life, there are, and there were, many things I needed and wanted, but they are not always the same things. Maybe you don't deserve it. Maybe you don't want it. Maybe you don't need it. Regardless, we see fit for our offer to continue to stand; no matter what."
"That's dad's way of saying we already consider you family, so put 'er there, 'brother'."
'Red' had not the energy to make any more objections or counterarguments. ...Stupid... this is stupid... what kind of naive family just opens their home to strangers? ...The magical pony kind I guess. What have I to lose? Either I go home at the end... or I'm stuck here...I'm a danger... a good thing we'll be gone by tomorrow then. With a sigh, 'Red' hefts his hoof into the bunch, eliciting yet another round of whooping cheers. Ingot closed the gap between each member by wrapping his arms and magic around all of them, bringing everypony into a crushing hug.
And there, nestled deep within one huge group hug, was Psalms, embracing his new family with ever-growing glee. Barely any time spent in this world and yet he already had so much to fight for, to protect, to guard, to shepherd. Deep in his core, he prayed to Sophia, to God, and to all the good people in the world, that he would never relent, never stop, and never rest in his Crusade against evil. A promise he would see through with all his might. His one true purpose within this new life.
A small round of gasps escaped from Honey and Ink as Psalms was released by his hug only to be blinded by a bright light shining around his tush. Joy cascaded throughout his being as a symbol of a grey shield wielding a red cross found itself onto either side of his rear end, cementing him among pony kind. Yet another round of cheers from all but one was exclaimed throughout the night.
Cheers that would drown out the distant thunder. |
Life isn’t done with you | Interlude: Reconciliation | Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
-Ephesians 4:31-32
The celebrations were short-lived. The time for bed had been surpassed by all members and though they wished to further enjoy their new family members' company, the call of sleep was too alluring. Psalms and 'Red' were shown to their shared dorm and a good night of sleep was wished upon all. That had been well over an hour ago, and sleep had proved to be elusive for 'Red'.
There was no tossing or turning or nightmares to come. In fact, 'Red' had dismissed sleep entirely. He chose to lie in bed and stare at the ceiling, reminiscing on all the time he had so far spent within this equine world. In particular, his mind rarely strayed from his moment above the quarry, the moment a boulder was held directly above a blue little boy.
Next to that was the time he had pinned Psalms to the ground, his horn aimed straight for his jugular, ready to wet the ground with watery iron.
And finally, there was the disrespectful treatment he gave to Honey Buns on the wagon along with the dismissal of Ingot's magical lecture. Nearly the whole time he's been in ponyland, he's been nothing but one complete asshole. He nearly killed an innocent guy who's done nothing but try to help him, and he almost murdered a child. A fucking child. Real or not, he'd be damned to ever consider such a thing again. ...Things cannot continue like this...
Intent on remedying his nature, it was lucky for 'Red' that Psalms had yet to slumber away, opting instead to re-examine his medallion this way and that, a small smile ever present on his face. "...Psalms..." Psalms stopped in his track, giving 'Red' his undivided attention. "...I'm sorry. I'm s-so sorry... about earlier... back at the river...I... I would never want to hurt someone... but I couldn't stop...I couldn't control myself...I would've killed you if they hadn't intervened...I can't stay here... I'm a danger to everyone and everything... I need to go home, Psalms. I'm a crazy bloodthirsty lunatic, and I need to be put away before I truly do something to regret."
"Don't say that. You aren't a lunatic, you aren't crazy, and you deserve to be happy, not locked up."
'Red' shook his head fervently. "No, Psalms you're wrong. I'm a threat, a danger! I....I... I almost did something unforgivable. Unthinkable. Something beyond redemption. All for what? Just so I can convince myself that if do this horrible thing I won't need to slog through a pretty girly pony world just so I can be secure about my manhood? This whole thing is just fucked up!" Silence reigned as 'Red' regained his breath.
"...You finally believe that everything around you is real?"
"...I don't know man... I don't really know what to believe anymore...real or not, I won't do anything that I would forever regret. All of this could be some fucked up imaginary shit... or it could be real. I don't know about you, but I don't like fifty-fifty chances. Better safe than sorry... better safe than sorry."
"Red, look at me and listen. You understand what happened in the dining room, right? Do you know what their words meant and what my symbol means? Having joined hooves with them, we are now family. Brothers. I've never had a brother, and I lost my old family coming into this world, but now I have you and we have them. Short-lived as this has been, I am not ready to lose either. This symbol? My cutie-mark? Is a promise. A promise to you, them, and everyone. A promise that I will be there for you, that I'll look out for you, through thick and thin. Whatever demons you're facing, I want to help you defeat them. Being in magical ponyland, anything is possible."
"...Something is horribly wrong with me, Psalms. I've never been so violent before in life, not even when someone rightfully deserved it. It's like I'm not even me anymore..."
"There's a princess in Canterlot, Princess Luna, who's undergone the exact same thing you're going through right now. She was possessed by her rage and sorrow, enough so to morph her into an entirely new being. If there's anyone in this world who can help, it'd be her."
"...Maybe...maybe...but I don't want to take any chances, Psalms. If there's a possibility that I can go home, I'll take it before anything else."
"Are you sure you really want to go back to Earth, Red? I'm fairly confident that we can fix you up here with all this magic at hand. Returning to Earth may not solve anything at all, assuming this is more than just a case of temporary delirium due to blood loss."
"C'mon man, use your head. You more than anyone should know all the powerful magic that exists in this world. Time travel, mind control, portals to other worlds? If I learn how to do any of this stuff and I go crazy again, there may be genocide on a scale that'll make the nazis and commies blush. If what you said about alicorns being immortal is true, It'd be a matter of when and not if. I can't live with that possibility. I need to go home."
"Living in constant fear is no way to live, 'Red'. Celestia could yeet the sun at the planet at any given moment, but nobody is worried that that's a possibility. I'm sure there are plenty of precautions we can take to prevent you from going coo-coo or doing too much damage. You just have to have faith in us, faith in yourself, and faith in God wouldn't hurt too... you do believe in God now, right? I don't mean to be preaching or anything, but, He's kinda the reason I'm here, so He is most definitely real, so..."
"One thing at a time, ok Psalms? Even now, I'm still struggling to wrap my mind around the fact that I am a magical horse. And yes, I guess my faith hath been renewed for the Big Man in the sky...boy do I have a lot to talk about with Him."
"I forgive you, Red, for what you did earlier, and like Sophia said before I was dismissed, 'The Lord is forgiving above all else.' One of these days, I'll teach you a prayer to recite before you sleep if you want. For now, though, we better get some shut-eye. Today is a big day, I can feel it. Goodnight, Red." ... ... ...
"...Thomas..."
Psalms cracked one eye open at the crimson alicorn. "...My name... is Thomas. Thomas Vinditti."
Psalms couldn't help but smile once more as he rolled onto his side. "It's nice to finally meet you, Thomas."
"A pleasure to meet me as well, ha-ha. ...Goodnight, 'brother'... that's gonna take some time to get used to."
"Heh, night, bro." |
Life isn’t done with you | Chapter 3: An Adventure Already?! (Part 1: The Not-So-Calm Before The Storm.) | The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind, lightnings lit up the world; the earth was troubled and it quaked.
-Psalms 77:18
The day did not start as one would hope as the dawn climbed further into the sky. Dark smokey storm clouds blotted the heavens above as rumbling thunder rippled this way and that. Rushing wind cascaded throughout the farmland, upturning leaves and scattering trash across the grazed land. The cattle and pigs were in a panicked frenzy as they stampeded through the driveway as Ingot and Psalms struggled to corral them into the already overpacked barn for shelter. Meanwhile, Ink, Thomas, and Honey packed the cellar with emergency goods and bed stuff as a precaution in the vain hope that the weather team doesn't allow a tornado to form on top of their heads.
As the last of the animals entered the barn, Ingot and Psalms slammed the barn door shut before booking it into the kitchen, gathering their breath upon entering said room. "Ain't natural. Ain't natural at all. Never seen this before. What in tarnation has gotten into them weather ponies!?"
While Ingot struggled to understand their circumstances, Psalms had a sinking feeling he knew all too well what had transpired, but he needed to move fast if he was to make sure his belief was true. It would mean that Twilight needed help. "Ain't natural, I agree. You need to get your family into the basement and you need to stay there. Me and Thomas will head on over to Ponyville and find out what's happening. Princess Twilight may need our help."
"Ponyville? You ain't traveling to Ponyville on hoof, not in this weather, and there's no guarantee that the train's even running with these conditions."
Psalms shrugged his shoulders. "We gotta head to Ponyville or Canterlot, one way or another. We'll check the train station. If they're out of service... well, we'll figure it out along the way."
"Why not just use your wings? Those things are more than just ornamental chick magnets, right?" Ink called out as she and the rest of the family convened unto their spot. Rush could be seen digging himself into his mother's mane, terrified of the whipping wind outside.
Again, Psalms simply shrugs. "Like our horns, we weren't taught how to use them. I doubt Rush can give us any pointers; can you, squirt?"
A clap of thunder cracked above, its roar causing Rush to squeal his answer. "FAST FLAPPY AND FLY!" He retreated deeper into Honey's nape.
"I wouldn't want either of you to even think of flying with this storm out if you could. In fact, I should have half the mind to forbid you from even leaving our sanctity. Celestia knows what's causing this, but I can guarantee it's nothing good!" Honey exclaimed within mother mode.
Psalms took one of her hoofs into his own, his reassuring face doing little to calm the mare's nerves. "It's precisely why it isn't good that we need to go. I know you want only the best for us, but this is something we need to do."
"Er, why exactly?" Thomas inquired as he reached the two, giving Psalms a curious eye. "Why do I have to go? Being the guardian or protector of this world is your job, and I'd love to help out, but I'm not exactly cut out for some action, not in this body. We'd just be getting ourselves killed more than anything."
"I understand your concern, but I need to confirm this threat before time runs out, and yes, time is of the essence. And I told you that I'd look out for you, Thomas, and I will, but I will do so with you under my wing. Like you said earlier, you're stuck with me."
A short snort escapes from Thomas as he reflects on Psalms' words, before relenting with a nod.
Another clap of thunder echoes through the sky, its roar slightly shuddering the windows. "Come one, we need to get to the train station before it gets worse out there. Mr. Ingot... uh, Dad, do have the bits to cover the tickets?"
Ingot retreated into his bedroom to retrieve the money as Ink fished out two rain cloaks which both stallions accepted heartily. "I've been meaning to ask if you guys had any spare clothes lying around. Going all-natural just isn't my thing." Thomas remarked as he fastened the cloak tight against his back, leaving him covered for the most part.
"With magical modesty being a thing here, it's no wonder that ponies don't wear clothes all the time." Psalms commented just as Ingot returned, a small satchel of bits within his jaws.
"Should be more than enough to get you by for at least a week, wherever you go." Ingot said, before fastening the satchel around Psalms' neck. Wielding his magic, he fetched out a single saddle bag kit from a nearby closet which he hoisted upon Thomas's back. Two pairs of bottled water and an assortment of snacks were jammed into the bag's pockets. "I am hoping there is nothing to this weather phenomenon, but should there be any trouble, you head back here if'n you can and we'll help you out. Understood?" Ingot brought both stallions into a tight hug. They were joined by the others soon enough. "You two be safe out there. You're family now. I'd hate to lose either of you so soon."
"Don't worry, I have faith that all will go well, although we may be gone for some time." Psalms and Thomas broke the hug apart as they ventured out the front door, their family calling out to them along the way.
"Please be safe! And make sure to keep hydrated! And steer clear of trees when taking shelter from lightning, they are not adequate cover!" Honey anxiously advised, her hoofs dancing with worry.
"If you're going on some epic adventure then make sure to bring back souvenirs!" Ink requested with a cocky smile etched on her face. Not a hint of worry adorned her character.
Rush was abuzz with energy and excitement, his fear quelled from seeing his new brothers braving the storm. "Kick-kick-kick their butts! All their butts! Butts, balls, and buckets! Kick them all!"
Psalms and Thomas waived away as they walked past the front gate and crested the top of the hill, taking a moment to look back upon their new home and family. "We will be fine, right Psalms?"
"I won't lie, anything can happen to us, Thomas. But have faith, because sometimes, that's all you need."
The walk towards the train station was an anxious one as the rolling waves of clapping thunder assaulted the duo's ears. Both stallions had yet to see any actual lightning or flashes in the sky, but they nonetheless opted to pick up the pace lest they tempted fate. Ingot's isolated farm was situated to the South-Southwest of Ponyville which consisted of a commute of nearly two hours on hoof and less than half of that on a train.
Traffic along the dirt road was practically non-existent when the family was traveling on the wagon back home, granted neither Psalms nor Thomas paid any attention to that aspect of the travel at the time, but it was virtually a dead zone all around as the pair traveled further down the route. Not a speck of hide or feather from any creature could be spotted around for miles. Even the insects could sense the figurative dread hanging in the air and wisely chose to remain silent, leaving an eerie silence occasionally broken by claps of thunder.
"Uh, Psalms, this shit be getting a bit spooky for a cartoon for little girls. Are we going up against Cthulhu or something?" Thomas couldn't help but reflect his eyes this way or that, a creeping feeling of an imminent ambush frazzling his nerves.
"No, nothing like that...at least I don't think so. Like I said earlier, I need to confirm our foe to ascertain where we are in the timeline, assuming we are in the canon timeline and not some alternate one. If everything checks out, we'll be facing some abominable yeti-man wannabe and his gorilla henchmen."
"And you're absolutely sure you know how everything plays out, right?"
"Oh, yeah, totally. More so than the cartoon, because this event happened in Mlp's first featured movie. The story was meh, but the animation rocks."
"Oh... well... that's good, I guess." Thomas's next question left him even more anxious as to its answer. "...Say, now that I think about it, you said we planned on helping Twilight out, right? Which I'm assuming means interjecting ourselves into the movie's script, thus potentially changing its outcome. Aren't we kinda shooting ourselves in the foot by changing the story up? Or even the show's canon events for that matter?"
Psalms had to take a minute to reflect on the possible outcomes of their interference. "...It's always a possibility, I suppose, but there's no helping it now. Psalms and Thomas don't exist within MLP, so our presence already is a divergence from the main canon. We can only hope that it is the only divergence at this point. As for changing the movie's script? ...I honestly don't know. Yeah, it isn't the wisest of choices, and everything resolves itself in the end so we could just stay at home and do nothing and we'd be fine."
Psalms paused again as he reflected beyond the movie. "...If this was the Equestria that I know all too well, I wouldn't have to do a single thing to keep it safe, because it already is destined for good to always prosper. The girls would always pull through in the end, and all I would have to do is sit back, stay out of the way, and do nothing."
"But that can never be allowed to happen. I cannot afford to slack off, not now, not ever. This isn't the cartoon world I grew up watching as a kid. It looks like it, it feels like it, and it may mimic it in every way possible to a T, but it has one significant difference. Evil is here. Pure unfiltered, uncompromising, unrelenting, true evil has set foot within this world, a Demon; and it may strike anytime, anywhere, and at anyone."
"So yes, we may be screwing up the story for the worse by doing this, but... I can't sit back and do nothing, Thomas. I'd be betraying my duty to God above. He sent me here for a reason, and that was to protect and help these ponies from any and all evil. We have no choice but to go through with this." Psalms resumed the trek forward.
"Besides," Psalms added further, "the show's canon is mostly episodic in nature with sporadic big baddies sprinkled here or there. We'll only interject ourselves whenever necessary. Should alleviate any damage our presence may do, but still, no guarantee on anything."
"Whatever you say, man. I'm just glad you're competent enough to have thought this through." Thomas finishes as the duo takes notice of abandoned luggage and carts adorning the sides of the dirt road. "Anyway, I think I see the station up ahead."
True to his word, the wooden figure of the train station could be seen adjacent to its iron railway tracks with a single train docked. The first signs of life since leaving the farm were witnessed as a large group of hectic ponies scrambled this way or that, sat frustrated to the side, or joined together to yell at what appeared to be the train conductor. Said conductor tried in vain to pacify the crowd, but was met with increasing failure.
The ruckus the crowd made hampered any attempt to ascertain why they were upset to begin with, leaving the alicorns to make way for the ticket kiosk booth to ask why. Just as they are about to voice themselves out, the kiosk mare takes one bored look at them before grabbing a roughly handled paper and began to drone out the script with a dreadfully dull tone. "All ticket sales to Appleloosa, Dodge City, and Las Pegasus have been suspended by court order five-seven-seven. In accordance, with official Ponyville court orders, all ticket prices for remaining operational railways may vary and fluctuate. The only remaining operational route is through Ponyville via the Friendship Express. Train departs in...-" The mare turns to face the clock behind her before returning to the duo. "-sixteen minutes. If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints, please file them through the proper respective channels of the Equestrian Railway Public Transport Service Branch. Thank you and have a nice day."
The alicorn brothers shared glances with each other, both surprised to find the mare so calm amid the currently present panicking ponies. "Uh, hi." Psalms venture forth, "We just came from, uh, one of the local farmsteads, and we were wondering what exactly is ha-"
"If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints, please file them through the proper respective channels of the Equestrian Railway Public Transport Service Branch." The mare repeated back, popping a potato chip into her mouth, eyes forever fixated on her fashion designer magazine as she addressed Psalms.
"Oh, no, I'm not asking about the tra-"
"All ticket sales to Appleloosa, Dodge City, and Las Pegasus have been suspended by court order five-seven-seven. The only remaining operational route is through Ponyville via the Friendship Express." The mare yet again interrupts Psalms.
"Again, ma'am, we aren't asking about th-"
And once again. "This kiosk and its occupant are reserved only for the physical transaction of available train tickets and provision of corporate-sponsored brochure flyers for Equestria's top premier hot spots. Solicitation is prohibited on all Equestrian Railway Public Transport Service Branch-owned property and fines may be issued upwards of five hundred bits should repeated offenses be made. Thank you and have a nice day."
The mare had seemingly struck a nerve with Thomas as he finally found his voice to chime in. "Listen hear you puke-flavored cupcake, we're on important busi-"
Thomas's poor choice of words had equally struck a nerve with the mare as she adorned a faux-friendly smile before reaching for the shutter nob, seconds away from slamming her kiosk closed. "Thank you and have a nice da-"
"Wait!" Psalms screamed as his wings involuntarily extended to jam the shutter open. The mare was left flabbergasted as she made note of a male with both wings and a horn. Equally as surprised, Psalms ever so slowly willed his wings to pry the shutter back up into its cavity, his understanding of how his wings functioned being revealed by the second. The mare offered no resistance. "Uh, sorry. Look, what my brother said is true. We're on important business, and we need to know what is happening out there... oh, and we'd like two tickets to Ponyville, please."
The mare continued to remain stunned for a few more moments before finally shaking herself free. One big stink eye landed on the two as she fished out two train tickets as requested. "Ponyville. Of course. That'll be twenty-eight bits."
Psalms placed the bits onto the kiosk and the transaction was completed upon receiving the tickets. "Thank you, ma'am. I hate to be of more trouble, but we could use a little more insight as to what's happening. Perhaps you can shed some light?"
"Same shindig, different day. Ponies being ponies." The mare ' elaborated'.
Psalms failed to grasp her meaning. "...What? I don't understand what that means."
The mare rolled her eyes before responding. "Ponyville. Nuff said."
"Enough with the riddles lady, we aren't natives. Just spill the beans already." Thomas was quick to cut in.
The mare heaved a heavy sigh before setting her exhausted eyes on the duo. "Ponyville issued another five-seven-seven court order and ponies all around are rightfully peeved. With all the trains clogged, there's nowhere to go except to Ponyville itself." The mare set her sights on the sky above. "And nopony is keen on following the storm trails. So they stay here, and they whine and complain, and I am not paid enough for this."
"You seem awfully calm compared to all the others," Thomas noted.
"As I said, it's Ponyville. I've been working at this kiosk for well over a decade and up until the day that Twilight girl went over there, everything around was peaceful. Nowadays though, they be hoofing out five-seven-sevens like candy, clogging up the tracks for 'evacuation', even though not a single pony from Ponyville has ever used it."
"The court orders are for an emergency evacuation of Ponyville? Huh. One would think a small town wouldn't have so much trouble to warrant something like that." Psalms commented back.
"When is it not in trouble? From bugbears to centaurs to evil alicorns, Spirit of Chaos, star bears, you name it, Ponyville has dealt with it. Trouble just keeps finding itself there, so much so that the mayor has become trigger-happy. It's gotten to the point that if one of her precious ponies so much thinks that they smelled the fart of a diamond dog, the whole town panics, and in come the court orders, clogging up the rail system and leaving many ponies like these stranded. Sometimes for days. This latest order came in about twenty minutes ago."
"So, what's today's special then?" Thomas asked.
The mare offered a limp shrug. "I don't know, something about airships spewing black smoke and big monkeys. It'll be resolved by the end of the day, just you wait."
"'Fraid we can't do that, ma'am. Duty calls. If you can ship the train out now, we'd be grateful."
The mare remains at her spot for a moment before relenting to Psalms' request. "I'll see what I can do... your highnesses." The mare departs before Psalms could interject.
"...Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that we're pretty much royalty." Thomas asserted as he watched the mare retreat to the back.
"Yeah, technically we are. Please don't let it get your head though. The last thing I need is you flaunting it around and making more trouble than necessary."
Thomas snorted before sending a glare Psalms' way, indignation radiating off his words. "I know all too well how shit like that goes down. Don't preach to the choir, kid." Thomas said his piece before roughly turning towards the train. Anypony who got in his way was rudely shoved past without so much as a word being muttered.
Yikes. Think I hit a nerve there. Blowing out a soft sigh, Psalms maneuvered himself over to the train conductor and his many hecklers. Said conductor had given up trying to pacify the crowd and anxiously eyed his pocket watch and the nearby hanging clock, no doubt counting down to the second he could officially make way to Ponyville. There was no sign of the mare yet, so Psalms opted to hang around and eavesdrop on the others around him.
"-elling you, it's that dragon from years back. It's back and it wants to roost agai-"
"-aw it with my own eyes! Big hairy beasts jumping down from great wooden coconu-"
"-ou don't think it's an invasion, do you? I heard one of them weather ponies say that from Manehatten all the way to Las Pegasus, storms and airships dotted the sky."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure Princess Twilight and her friends are on the case by now."
"Eh, I don't think so. They're up in Canterlot still setting up the festival, remember? The one we were taking the train to get there early for?"
"So? There's no way that nopony up on that mountain can't see all the smoke blotting the sky."
"I don't know about that. I heard one of the pegasi say they saw one of the ships engulfed in regular clouds before turning all smokey and thundery, like camouflage. Not to mention that with this Friendship Festival being the biggest event of the year, all weather ponies have been called across the kingdom to keep the skies clear. They probably think that these are just far away mild and wild thunderstorms, not an invasion. Canterlot is gonna be in for one rude surprise."
At last, the mare from the kiosk entered the picture as she briskly made way for the conductor. She catches sight of Psalms to her side and gives him a nod before handing the conductor a note and whispers into his ear. Relief flooded through him as the mare retreated before he fished out his whistle and gave a hearty blow, silencing all. "Last call for Ponyville! Departing immediately! AAALLLL Aboard!"
Immediately following his call, A clap of thunder sounded overhead, causing all heads to turn. Up above among the clouds, a dark smokey trail slithered its way over the train station. A faint blue glow emanated within the dark storm, its shape like piercing jagged eyes. By Psalms guess, it was trudging along toward Canterlot, followed by a dozen or more smokey trails. His suspicions were all but confirmed, yet it made no difference in his plans.
The conductor scrambled into the train in a panic as the rest of the gathered ponies entered into a frenzied hysteria as a couple of the smoke trails veered away and descended toward the train station. Psalms felt a tugging sensation as Thomas's magic grip pulled him toward the train's passenger car. "Psalms! Get in! The trains already departing!"
Psalms turned his eyes back to the ponies as they ran around like headless chickens as the now visible airships dropped anchor upon the station. Big furry bipedal creatures could be seen hopping over the ship's rails and immediately gave chase to those around.
They'll be fine. Those things are relatively harmless and they'll just cage them up. They'll be free by the end of the day today or tomorrow... unless I'm in some alternate M-rated dimensi-
"Psalms!? Move!" Thomas cried out, his shout attracting the attention of several creatures who dashed for the train.
Quick on his heel, Psalms galloped and plunged himself into the open car door, painfully sliding himself down the aisle. Thomas attempted to shut the door but was foiled as the storm creatures pounced and forced entry into the car. Thomas was quick to deliver a magical punch that jostled one of the creatures off and onto the tracks, but it was soon replaced by two more.
Psalms levitated one of the food carts present and hurled it into one of the creatures, elicitating a groan and stunning it as the other one closed the gap to Thomas, its claws outstretched and ready to grapple him. The creature brought its arms down on both sides of Thomas, but he was able to duck before getting caught within its grip and followed up with another magic punch into the gut with little effect as the creature's hide and armor absorbed the impact, leaving Thomas open to a swiping counter-attack that sent him flying into the car's wall.
The creature was upon him in an instant and tried as he might, Thomas couldn't bring his flailing hooves to deliver any effective hits upon his assailant. The thing wrapped its claws around his waist and hoisted him into the air before making its way toward the car's door, aiming to bail with Thomas in tow. This only increased the alicorn's futile struggle.
The other stunned creature recovered and attempt to enter the fight, but a barrage of trash, food, and other random objects from Psalms halted its advance. With one arm shielding its face, the other dug into a small satchel. Within its claw, Psalms was alarmed to see a familiar black marble-looking object with a glowing green center. The creature primed its arm back and pitched the grenade at Psalms, but not before he magically seized the arm of the other creature who had successfully seized Thomas into its clutches, bringing it forefront to the grenade's trajectory.
The grenade detonated upon its ally's back, petrifying it on the spot as Psalms successfully plucked Thomas away in the nick of time. With Thomas secure, Psalms hefted the stony creature and rammed it straight into the other, ejecting both from the train. Slamming the door shut, the brief five-minute fight concluded.
Psalms struggled to calm his breath as adrenaline ran rampant through his veins. Sweat also drenched his coat, but he was otherwise unharmed. Holy crap! I was not expecting to fight this fricken soon!
A small groan escaped from Thomas as he rubbed the back of his head. "Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, that hurts...shit was already sore... now it's gonna be ten times worse."
"You good?" Psalms called out.
Thomas offered an affirming grunt as he got back to his feet. "There aren't any more of those things on the train, are there? This body isn't cut out for physical stuff like that."
"I don't know, but stay here. I'll check it out."
Psalms finished his sweep five minutes later, having found only terrified and some awed passengers who bore witness to the fight, and the sky outside was clear of any tailing airships. The train was in the clear.
Psalms re-entered the first passenger car, finding Thomas situated in one of the seats, a half-full bottle of water by his side. Upon seeing Psalms, he hefted the bottle into his magic grip as an offering.
Psalms took his seat across and nodded his thanks before chugalugging away. "I'm assuming we're safe for now?" Thomas asked to which Psalms nodded again. "Good. Good. I talked to the conductor. He says we should arrive in Ponyville in half an hour." Thomas shifted his gaze to a local hanging clock before turning back to Psalms. "Did you know it's only 9:15? Can you believe that? It has only been an hour since we left the farm and already we are fighting evil henchmen. That is what those things are, right? The gorilla henchmen you mentioned earlier?"
The last of the water disappeared down Psalms' throat before he responded. "Yes. Storm creatures that serve the Storm King. And that airship with the blue glowing mark we saw back at the train yard? No doubt that was Tempest on her way to crash the party in Canterlot. Her ship is slow so we still have some time before the movie's script start's ramping up." Psalms saw the question on Thomas's mind and opted to explain further. "Tempest Shadow is a unicorn who works for the Storm King. She is the one who hunts Twilight and the others throughout the movie. Basically the driving force."
"Alright. So, how does this movie go down? And please tell me there won't be any singing."
"'Fraid there is. Quite a bit actually. Anyway, to sum it up, the movie begins with Twilight and her friends in Canterlot. Tempest and her minions come busting in and subdue all the Princesses save Twilight. She is told to go to the land of the hippogriffs where she must ask for their magical aid. So she and the gang travel to some desert town and meet a feline friend who sells them out and they are forced onto a pirate ship and they... it's a lot harder than I thought trying to summarize all this."
"Yeah, your summary isn't short enough for my liking."
"Alright look, right now we're barely in the prologue of the movie. When we meet up and begin our travel with the girls, just follow along and let them do their thing for the most part. The movie's beats will play out and we'll be done before you know it."
"If you say so." Thomas relented before turning to look out the window, silence descending onto the two.
Psalms however wasn't finished with Thomas just yet. "You said it was thirty minutes till we get there, right?" Thomas nodded. "Good. Gives me time to finally get some questions I've had about you off my chest if you don't mind me asking."
Thomas reflected on Psalms' words before finding himself surprised. "Oh, wow. Aside from my name, I haven't told you a lick about me, have I?"
"Nope. I figured since we had some time, now is better than later. I said something back at the station that riled you up, right? I don't want to make that mistake again, so, maybe you can tell me a bit about yourself?"
"Hmm. I suppose that's fair enough reasoning." Thomas took a moment to reflect on his human life before answering. "Well, my name is Thomas Vinditti. I'm twenty-two years old, and life lately has been... rough for me to say the least. I had it good growing up though, well, better off than most anyway; although when your mom is a trophy wife and your dad is a career politician, things can go to shit pretty fast."
Thomas made himself more comfortable before continuing. "Yeah, dad is a real piece of shit. The definition of a career politician. He cheats, he lies, he fools, and he wins. Flaunts his power and ego everywhere and to everyone and fools see fit to elect him year after year. One election year, his opponent finally had enough and did whatever they could to bring some dirt onto Dad's shine. Long story short, they conned me. Hard. And I had to pay the price just for being his son. Son of a bitch had the gall to blame me for losing the election, and before I knew it, I was disowned and relocated to some back-water nowhere town in the bumb fuck middle of Nebraska where there's nothing but boredom and prairies."
Thomas's teeth clenched tight as a snarl presented itself before Psalms. "Never should've trusted her. Deep down I knew she was too good to be true. Now I have nothing left, all because of her."
Before Psalms could ask, Thomas shook his head clear of the boiling rage. "Sorry. I didn't mean for you to hear that. Please don't ask about it...at least not so soon." Psalms obliged Thomas's request as he set that question on the back burner. "So, yeah. Earth Politics sucks fucking ass and it ruined me. My bright future full of potential has been reduced to me having a permanent mark on my record and working at the deli of a local grocery store for minimum wage with no outlook of any better-paying jobs."
"The last moments of my human life that I remember was me coerced into working a late shift for no overtime. When I finally finished, I stormed out of the damned place and couldn't afford to rent a cab, so I opted to walk home and...and then..." Thomas's hide visibly rippled as he struggled to find his next words... but they never came. Instead, he shook his head in refusal to reminisce any further and reflected his eyes to the outside once more.
The train came to a gradual halt as Ponyville drew itself closer. Thunder rumbled across the town as airships hovered overhead belching out smoke and storm clouds. Thomas and Psalms were too late. Ponyville had fallen. This fact did not deter the two as they exited the train car and set their sights on the little village. "Remind me again why we came here if the movie begins in Canterlot?" Thomas inquired.
"We may be alicorns, but we know jack-shit about magic or how to fight. We got lucky back on the train, but that little battle proved to me that my internal mana storage is very small and because of that, we may be more of a hindrance than help to the girls when we tag along. So, to remedy that, I'm calling in the calvary. Fair warning, what I plan on doing is most likely gonna flip the script on its head. Now come on, we need to get to Twilight's castle over there."
Following Psalms' pointing, Thomas can't help but cringe. "That is an eyesore of a castle if I ever saw one. How are we gonna get to it?"
Creeping up along the train station's edge, Psalms is witness to the storm creatures herding chained ponies toward the town center. "Just as I figured. They're taking the prisoners into the center of town. Twilight's castle lies on the very edge of Ponyville's borders, so we can very easily flank the outskirts of town and reach it without catching their attention. Follow my lead."
True to Psalms' word, The duo reached the castle without incident as they ducked and bobbed and weaved under bushes and around houses and through the trees. Sliding along the castle's walls, the duo reach the front entrance, found the doors unlocked, and dashed inside with the enemy none the wiser... or so they believed at the time.
"Alright, we made it. What now, ninja?"
"Now, we need to find the library. There's a machine that holds a portal to another world. A human world."
Thomas couldn't hold back a choke upon hearing Psalms' words. "And you decide to tell me this now!? I was getting worked up for nothing!?"
"Let me finish. It's a human world, yes, but it is not Earth. It's a reflection of Equestria where every person is a human. It's not a way home, Thomas. And don't think you can stay there either should there be no way of going back to Earth. That world is familiar with equestrian magic and it won't stop you from morphing into a demon or whatever should you let your emotions run rampant."
"...Dammit. Knew things wouldn't be that easy. Alright, fine. Why do we need this thing?"
"Not the machine itself, but the people it was built for." Psalms scanned the crystal hallway for clues as to the library's whereabouts, but it proved to be futile. "How does anybody get around in here? None of these doors are marked at all."
Thomas took a minute to observe the hallway as well before making his suggestion. "Looks like we'll have to Scooby-Doo through this problem."
Psalms turned and raised a brow back at Thomas, prompting him to elaborate. "What? You know about Scooby-Doo, right? That little gag they do where they go through one door and pop out another? Ringing any bells? ...No? Oh, whatever let's just get this over with."
And so they did. Painstainkenly checking one room after another throughout the maze-like castle. Eventually, luck was struck as Thomas called out for Psalms. The library was just like Psalms remembered from the show, except far more grand in person. Situated near the center, was a purple horseshoe mirror encased around an elaborate steam-punk-looking magical machine. Just off to the side was a pedestal holding a closed magical journal. Yes! everything is here.
"Good job, Thomas. Alright, looks like everything is here. Give me a minute." Walking up towards the journal, Psalms plucks the feather quill, applies ink to its head, flips the journal to its latest entry, and began writing. Hope this works. My penmanship hasn't been tested with magic yet.
(Sunset Shimmer? Are you there?) Psalms set the quill to the side and was forced to play the waiting game.
Nearly a minute passed before the journal began to glow with a spectrum of colors as words magically appeared before him. (Twilight? Back already? How did the Friendship Festival go?)
Psalms was quick to pick the quill back up but hesitated just before applying ink. Should I pretend to be Twilight and urge her over... no. No, there's no reason to deceive. (This isn't Twilight Sparkle. My name is-) Psalms quickly skimmed for an equestrian name that he felt comfortable in, and before long he had it and resumed writing. (Fire Quill.)
A few seconds passed before Sunset responded back. (And you are?)
(A friend of Princess Twilight. Listen to me, Equestria is in the midst of an invasion from a foreign force and I need you and your friend's help to aid Twilight in her quest.)
A flurry of words magicked before him in quick succession. (Invasion!? By who!?)
(Somebody called 'The Storm King'. You've never heard of him but his minions have taken over Ponyville and other cities across Equestria. Ponies everywhere are under lock and key and his forces are almost at Canterlot. Twilight and everybody else over there are completely unaware of the danger coming. I need your help. I don't know how to turn this machine on so you need to come in through your side.)
This time around, Sunset took longer to respond than Psalms was comfortable with. The book eventually came to magical life again. (I know next to nothing about you and you come to me warning of an invasion across Equestria, urging me to open the mirror portal on my side to 'help' you. Why exactly should I trust your word?)
A resounding crash echoed from the front of the castle. The sounds of grunts and soft roars reverberated into the library. The brothers were caught flat-footed as several storm creatures spotted the pair through the open library door. Thomas was quick to shut the door and barricade it with whatever laid nearby, including himself. The impact of several bodies against the door was barely repelled as Thomas used all his strength to keep them out. "Whatever you're doing, get it done! Times up!"
(There's nothing I can write that'll convince you! Storm creatures are here and at the library door! Brother can't hold, our magic too weak! Help! Help! Please! Ple-) Psalms was interrupted as a heavy blast rocked the library. The doors were slammed open with extreme force, knocking the makeshift barricade apart and ejecting Thomas over by Psalms feet.
In walked six storm creatures. claws primed and ready to snatch up more prisoners. Thomas was quick to climb back to his feet, eyeing the room for any weapons before settings his sights on a nearby wooden table. Hoisting it with his magic, he equips it as a makeshift battering ram/shield and charges into the right-most flank of the group. He slams himself into one of the creatures knocking it off its feet before bringing the shield up as the other creature latched onto it, locking the two into a tug of war.
Psalms was quick to flank the group's left and started hefting the biggest books he could find and hurled them into the remaining creatures, hoping to keep them distracted and off Thomas's back while he struggled with his two opponents. The creatures proved to be more competent than Psalms gave them credit as one of them ordered another to split from the other three and reinforced the already overwhelmed Thomas, who could do nothing as he became surrounded on all fronts.
Psalms' book barrage did little to slow the last three as they too swarmed him from all three sides. Just before either group could pounce on their respective targets, a flurry of magic swirled and lit up the room as the mirror and machine sparkled to life. A torrent of power flooded through the mirror and within a flash, a yellow screaming figure came hurtling through.
Sunset found herself sprawled on the floor in a daze. "Another happy landing." Sunset voiced out in a loopy voice before shaking her head clear and shifting her focus around the room. She was quick to find herself in the spotlight as every head had turned to witness her floundering body fly threw the air.
"...Help us!" Thomas called out, snapping the storm creatures out of it, leaving two of them to turn towards their new foe.
It took Sunset a moment to remember she possesses magic before she summoned it forth with great force. The two creatures who had closed in on her were hoisted into the air and flung hard into one another, clocking them out for good.
Witnessing a far greater threat, one more creature from Psalms and Thomas's groups broke off and formed a new pair targeting Sunset, more caution applied than the last two. Sunset was quick to summon magical blasts that pummeled her two assailants, who bore the attacks and shielded themselves however they could.
Having gained much-needed relief, Thomas continued to physically struggle with his shield as his storm creature tried to pry it away. Meanwhile, Pslams did not relent in hurling books wherever he could at his own foe and the others.
As Thomas continued his struggle, he spotted a wooden stool directly behind the creature. Thinking fast, he ceased his magical grip on the table and instead applied it to the stool, accelerating it into the back of the creature's leg, bringing it crashing to its knees. Thomas hooked the stool above its head and slammed down hard. For extra measure, Thomas topped it with a double stomping strike of his front hooves directly into the creature's face, knocking it out of the fight for good. Thomas then shot the stool over to Psalms' side, scoring a hit on the back of the creature's head.
Psalms was quick to follow up with books striking the left, right, lower and upper sides of the creature's face, before finishing it off by sandwiching the creature's head between the heaviest tomes at hand, leaving it to crumble into an unconscious heap.
Both brothers were soon witnesses to one of the creatures soaring through the air and landing hard into the shelves, burying it under Twilight's personal catalog. The last creature struggled to retreat but was soon snatched into the air by Sunset who twirled it with great speed before letting it smack into the floor. Dazed beyond anything, the creature attempted to slowly clamber back onto its feet but was finally defeated when Thomas slammed the wooden table on top of it, officially ending the fight.
Both Psalms and Thomas were left drenched and haggard while Sunset seemed to not even break a sweat. "Nicely done boys. I didn't know what to expect coming through the mirror, but you two handled yourselves nicely." She took a minute to survey the two. "Which one of you is Fire Quill?"
Thomas's breath hitched within his throat, leaving him to gag and choke on the air for a bit before clearing his lungs. Upon his face, a newfound mad delirium adorned his face. "Fire!? FIRE!? Where!? Where!? get it away from me!" He screamed out as he buried himself into one of the room's corners. His little outburst startled Sunset and Psalms considerably.
Psalms was quick to reach his side as Sunset continued to stare in perplexion and mild caution. "Woah, Woah, hey! Thomas! Calm down, man. Calm down, there is no fire. She just said my name, that's all. Look around you, we won. We're ok. Here-" Pslams plucked a water bottle from Thomas's bag and swiftly handed it over to his brother who greedily began to gulp it down. As the seconds passed by, Thomas's breathing reached calmer levels and his crazy face fully disappeared upon finishing the last of the water.
"...Uh, is there anything I can do?" Sunset hesitantly asked.
"No. No, he's good now. We both are thanks to you. If you hadn't jumped in, we'd be in chains by now. Thank you."
Thomas wordlessly offered his thanks as well, having regained his senses.
"Well, I'm glad I did. I almost dismissed you as saboteurs or invaders trying to lure me to open the portal. I'm assuming you're Fire Quill?"
"The hell he is." Thomas croaked out before Psalms could confirm. His use of harsh language earned a wince from Sunset. "His name is Psalms," Thomas spoke to Sunset before shifting over to his brother. "Your name is Psalms. What the fuck is with this 'Fire Quill' shit?" He demanded.
Psalms was hesitant to answer. "...It's my name...my pony name...that I came up with just now..." Psalms trailed off as Sunset's puzzled face wavered not.
"Look I'll explain later, we don't have time to be idle. Sunset, meet Thomas. Thomas, meet Sunset. We all on the same page? Good. Now-" Psalms turned his attention back to the mirror, a faint glow circulating throughout it and the machine, indicating its powered state, "-with the machine on, we need to get your friends. Their magic and geodes will come in handy in Canterlot."
Mild shock found its way onto Sunset's face. "How do you know about the...forget it. You're going to explain yourself later." Turning towards the mirror, Sunset begins her trek back to the human world. "It may take me a few minutes to gather the girls, so wait here and-"
"Watch out!" Thomas cried out as he slammed himself into Sunset's side, knocking them both out of the way as one of the petrification grenades was hurled by. Unbeknownst to the group, the storm creature who had been buried under the book rubble was not yet out of the fight. While the ponies had been preoccupied talking among themselves, the creature ever so slowly reached into its satchel and snatched up a grenade, cautious as to not make any sudden moves. As it primed its arm for the throw, one of the books slid off its hide and slammed into the ground, alerting Thomas to its intent, but he was too late and too exhausted to intercept the projectile, opting to instead clear Sunset from the danger. The mirror was petrified on the spot in exchange.
"Oh no! The mirror!" Sunset and Psalms exclaimed in unison. Meanwhile, Thomas was quick to gallop over to the pinned creature and applied two hoof bucks into its skull, rendering it cold.
Sunset and Psalms frantically surveyed the mirror, hoping beyond hope that it was still operational and usable. Alas, the portal was shut off, and the machine powered down not a moment later. Oh fuck. Oh crap. Dammit! ...Shit, there goes my plan... at least we have sunset though...ok we can salvage this. Sunset will have to do.
Sunset was in a frenzy trying to reactivate the portal. She applied her magic in various ways in the hope of removing the obsidian. "No, no, no, no! Nothings working! My magic is being repelled by this dark matter! Hngg! ...Gaaah!" Sunset screamed in frustration as she kicked at the dark substance in a last-ditch attempt to remedy the situation. She hangs her head against the dark stone, a small teardrop forming in the corner of her eye. "What if it never comes off? What if I can never go home again?"
"Sunset...I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. But I don't think you need to worry about the machine. Far as I can tell it just turns stuff into obsidian, kinda like a cockatrice. If there is a way to do it, then it can be undone."
After a moment, Sunset nods her head in agreement as she wipes the tear away. "Right. You're right. I'm getting ahead of myself. And besides, who's to say that there isn't another way home, right?"
"Guys!" Thomas's shouts ring out from within the hall; he had left the library without Psalms or Sunset noticing. A second later he sprints back into the room before barricading the door once more. "More of those things are coming! The whole town invasion force is converging on us, and this time they have magic-repelling shields! We need to leave! Now!"
"Sunset." Psalms was quick to turn to her. "Can you teleport us as close to Canterlot as you can?"
"I...I don't know. It's been a while since I wielded unicorn magic again. I don't know how far my teleport will get for all three of us."
Resounding bangs along with roars and grunts sounded off behind the library doors. "Anywhere is better than here! Just do it!" Thomas demanded.
Powerful magic radiated off of Sunset's horn as she focused all her mana on herself and the brothers. The air became electrified and the smell of ozone filled their lungs. Within a flash and a pop, All three were gone.
Somewhere below the Canterlot Castle itself, a pop of magic was heard, soon followed by the grunts and groans of three ponies who suffered a mild drop from where they first appeared.
"Oh...I don't feel so good..." Commented Thomas as he held a hoof to his stomach. The color green coated his cheeks.
"Yeah...yeah, you get used to that feeling...eventually." Sunset dryly commented before sitting herself up. Smoke rose from the tip of her horn.
"...We're too late..." Psalms noted to the others as they set their sights above.
Sure enough, pillars of storm clouds and smoke blotted the sky above with airships hovering overhead, seemingly in search of something.
"...Alright. I think it's time for some answers. Just who is the Storm King? Why is he here? And how do you know about him when Canterlot is... was oblivious to his campaign? Furthermore, how do you know about the human world along with our geodes and powers? The only ones who know anything about that here are Twilight and the princesses, and I can't imagine her telling somepony I've never met all about us. And to top all of this, Psalms and Thomas aren't pony names." Sunset shifted her accusing eye between the two stallions, but only Thomas paid her any mind as Psalms struggled to come up with their next course of action.
Sunset saw that Psalms was lost in his mind and instead focused her attention solely on Thomas. "...Well?"
Thomas reflected his eyes left and right in apprehension. "Well...I don't know... The storm king is a...-" Thomas's hoof swirled circles in the air, his mind trying to come up with an answer, "-...like an abominable...yeti-thing? According to Psalms anyway."
"And how did you come to find out about him?" Sunset pressed on.
"I didn't. Psalms the one who informed me on everything storm king related."
"Then why is he here? Why is he doing all of this?"
"Girl, I don't know. Why do you keep asking me the questions when clearly Psalms is the one with all the answers? I'm here trying not to barf up breakfast in front of you but yo-"
The rest of their argument goes ignored by Psalms as he looks upon his reflection within the river they had teleported by. His mind was asunder with indecision as he struggled to remember how the movie progressed. What do I do? What do I do? We just missed the attack on Canterlot and I can't remember what followed after that...they head off to the desert, to that weird town, but I have no idea how long it takes them from getting from here to there...If only I knew where they are right now... I sure could use some help. Sophia, Lord above, please give me a sign...
As he continued to view his reflection, a very familiar stetson hat floats directly by, catching his eyes as he watches it float lazily downstream, not a care in the world for it. At first, Psalms was perplexed by the seemingly random event, but before long his eyes brighten significantly and his resolve strengthens once more. Thank you, Lord Almighty! Thank you, Sophia!
Psalms turns back to relay the good news to his companions but finds himself all but forgotten as the two ponies were at each other's throats. Heads bumping against one another and nostrils flaring.
"You take that back!" Sunset snarled out.
"I will not! All of your pony cities and towns are beyond ridiculous! They're stupid! Las Pegasus? Manehatten? Fillydelphia with an F? What a joke. I may have been screwed over by my country's political trash, but I will forever remain a patriot in heart and your city's ridiculous play on names taken directly from my home offend me greatly!
"Guys, guys! What's gotten into you two?"
A huff of indignation escapes from Sunset before turning to Psalms. "I may have moved into a new world, but I will not let this stallion slander my Kingdom's names and pride, especially with these bogus claims of plagiarism."
...Are they for real right now? "...Is this really the most important thing going through your minds right now, you two?"
"Of course it is!" Sunset asserted. Her face soon fell from that of rage into bewilderment as she ran her words and Psalms in her mind again. "...Wait...no it isn't... I don't even care about the names...why was I..." She turned over to Thomas with a small sheepish smile. "I'm sorry...I think my brain is a bit fried from that teleport."
Thomas cupped a hoof to the back of his head equally ashamed at his bout of stupidity. "Y-yeah... I think my head may be bleeding again. What the hell were we fighting over again? Ya know what let's just forget this ever happened and never speak of it again. Shake on it?"
Sunset was happy to exchange hooves. Psalms could only shake his head in exasperation before quickly remembering why he sought the two, to begin with. Darting his eyes down the river he could see the stetson hat float further away.
"I'm happy for you both but we need to move, now! C'mon, follow me!" Pslams called over his shoulder as he galloped ahead, leaving the other two behind.
"Woah, hey! Psalms slow down! We need a minute to rest!" Thomas's receding voice called out to him, but his request fell upon deaf ears.
Wheezing breaths afflicted Psalms' lungs as he hid within a bush, having followed the stetson for a bit before it was inevitably returned to its rightful owner. Said owner gripped her beloved hat into her mouth before plopping it in its rightful place. Applejack then turned her back to Psalms as she addressed the others who took shelter under a fallen tree, her words beyond Psalm's hearing range. His eyes lingered not on them though, instead, they found themselves upon the one and only Princess Twilight Sparkle, unknowingly mimicking Psalms earlier as she stared upon her reflection within the water's surface.
There she was. Finally, he found her. The memories of this scene playing out flooded his mind and he found himself hatching a plan to properly introduce himself to them, an introduction he needed to time perfectly for the maximum gain. You cannot redo first introductions after all, and Psalms was aiming at getting this one down perfectly.
His companions, however, posed a serious threat of revealing themselves before Psalms could do so himself as he heard their hoof steps off to his left.
"Yeah, the Queen!" Pinkies words rang out loudly enough for them to hear.
"...Pinkie?" Sunset called out before emerging from the brush, her sight immediately set upon the Mane Six. "...Twilight?" Sunset said in mild disbelief.
"Sh!" Pslams was quick to shush her.
"...Excuse m-"
"Sh! Stay low and follow my lead...please... let me do this," Psalms begged before the two. Sunset could only stare at Psalms with growing perplexion before shifting her gaze over to Thomas. He offered only a half hearted shrug, too tired to give damn. Sunset looked back to Psalms pleading eyes before silently relenting to his request. The two followed suit as they dropped to the floor.
Time was of the essence and so Psalms along with his companions were quick to crawl over to the edge of the riverbank, the ponies and the dragon on the other side oblivious to their presence.
"Hungry?" Spike's worried voice repeated after Pinkie.
"Hippos?" Applejack inquired.
Being this close to the edge, the group's voices were no longer imperceptible. Psalms moment was coming up fast, but what to say? Something simple? Extravagant? Cheesy? Why was he overthinking this? Why was he wasting time doing something as stupid as this? ...Because it's Twilight, that's why... oh shit, now's the moment, what do I say...Just going with my gut.
Psalms turned to his companions and nodded to them before Rising from his spot, they along with him.
The girls and Spike were still oblivious to them as Twilight tried to ease their fears. "I understand you're scared. And nopony else has to go." A small surge of courage welled up within Twilight. "But I have to find this Queen. ...She might be our only hope..."
"Mind if we lend a hand?"
Psalms' voice caused all heads to turn toward them. Applejack, Pinkie, and the other three element bearers had little to no reaction upon seeing the trio, save of course Twilight and Spike. The former was in stunned silence upon seeing her otherworldy friend and the latter in mild surprise.
Silence reigned supreme over the river.
"...Uh, hand?" Rainbow Dash questioned of all things. This word alone garnered the attention of both Sunset and Twilight who shifted their gaze upon Psalms who began to sweat bullets.
"*Ahem* Hoof! ...I mean can we lend a hoof...to you...to help...yeah." ...Fuck...
"Real smooth." Thomas chided. |
Life isn’t done with you | Chapter 4: An Adventure Already?! (Part 2: Rest, Regroup, Remobalize.) | "Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them."
-Ezekiel 38:7
It was easy. Far too easy. The greatest nation on this side of the world, full of powerful arcane tools and weapons, mighty sorcerers, and four immortal deities that controlled the sun and stars themselves, and they had folded in less than an hour. Their nation subjugated in less than a day. The battle had been won before it even started. Far too easy indeed.
It was pathetic and sad even for Tempest to acknowledge their defeat. She didn't expect much, Equestria has always been a peaceful nation, and with an all-powerful, all-mighty leader like Celestia in charge, who wouldn't laugh at the idea of a successful invasion? That bug queen years back sure made them eat their words. You'd think after that they would boost security, strengthen the army, and do anything to make themselves more safe and secure.
And yet here she was, standing upon the royal balcony of the royal castle, having petrified the mighty sun princess with little effort. The other two fell just as easily. Not even a speck of royal guards anywhere on the site. Celestia must be getting rusty, first the bug queen and now her, a broken unicorn. Not so powerful, is she?
A cluster of colorful balloons passed her view as she gazed upon the festival below. A snort escapes her. "All this 'power', wasted on parties." After witnessing the events earlier, Tempest wasn't sure there was anything greater the princess's power could be used for. Another snort escaped her as she turned back into the throne room. Passing by the sun princess she can't help but level a glare at her, horn sputtering with damaged mana. "When there are far greater uses."
Before her two of the storm beasts approached, bearing a magical hail from the King himself. Uncorking the potion into the cauldron, and with a little magical trouble later, the scrying spell summoned a vortex, bearing the Storm King's image.
"Oh. There you are." The King stated as impatient eyes reflected on her. "Here's the deal. I'm in the middle of a big re-brand here. 'The Storm King' is tracking well as intensely intimidating, but you know what? I need to back it up. You know what I need to back it up with?" If Tempest had any care to respond, the King beat her to it, his image expanding as his anger flared. "A storm! That would be great! You promised me magic that could control the elements, and right now, I'm holding a what? A branch. A twig. Bleh!"
Exhaustion flooded Tempest's mind as she once again informed the Storm King as to the purpose and power of said branch. It's ability to siphon the alicorn magic and harness the power for himself. "You'll soon have the power of a hundred armies."
The Storm King's tone shifts to that of a mixture of arrogance and belittling when he next speaks. "So that would be a yes on your locking down the four Pegacornicuseses, or whatever you call them?"
"Give me three days. I'll have everything ready for your arrival."
The King's eyes narrowed. "You didn't answer my question. Do you have all four little ponies?"
Tempest shifted her gaze towards the little groveling Grubber. The useless little creature opted to whistle away, eyes pointedly not looking in her direction. Index fingers pointed together before mustering what little courage he had and shook his head no before cringing away from her gaze.
Tempest's teeth grounded away before she heaved a small sigh and faced the King once more. "...No. One got away...but my forces will find her."
"One?" The Storm King questioned, sarcasm dripping from his words. "Are you sure it's only just 'one'?"
Mild Confusion settled onto Tempest's features. "...Yes, your Highness. There are only four alicorn rulers in total within this and the neighboring nation."
"Huh, that's really interesting. Help me with a little math problem why don't ya, ey Tempest? There were four pegacorns over there where you are. Three down, one just now got away, right? So why am I getting a report from over an hour ago of two more being spotted in a train station south of a...really? This is real? A town called... Ponyville? Seriously?"
A report from an hour ago? Two more alicorns? "...That's not possible, your grace. All currently existing alicorns ar- were present. The records clearly state tha-"
"Well, clearly you didn't do your homework good enough. And here I thought I finally found a competent commander." Indignation rolled through Tempest. "If you can't properly count your princess ponies, then how can I trust this isn't just some regular stick, huh!?" Rage rippled across the King as he gripped the staff tightly, heaving it above his head. Cracks began to form along its rod body. "A lot of wasted time for this useless branch. Guess it's back to square one!"
"No!" Tempest screamed out, halting all before her. She was quick to calm her panicked expression upon noticing she had the King's attention. "No, your grace. The staff and its power are real, I can vouch for that. To destroy it would be to set us back by years. I have been away from Equestria for decades, perhaps there are more alicorns running around but we only need four total. I will deliver them to you, I swear."
"You better have once I get there, Tempest, for you and your horn's sake. After all, I've got an image to run here. What good is conquering the whole world if there isn't any flair or pizzazz to go along with it, huh? You're on the clock, best get trotting along now. Toodle-loo." The Storm King topped the call off with quickly fading laughter until silence descended upon the room.
Cold hard eyes settled unto pathetic little Grubber, who could only muster a hard swallow. "A report. An hour ago. More alicorns?"
Grubber swallowed hard once more. "Ah, well, see, uh you were hyping yourself up with the whole capturing the princesses and stuff and you may have cried a little when you mentioned your horn to no one when I was eavesdropping... not that I do that a lot or to you but you were brooding in the corner and I had received the messaged you're asking about right now and back then didn't seem like the best time to interrupt so...but yeah. They were spotted at a train station and in a castle in a town called...Ponyville."
"Then we have our leads."
"Twilight! Spike!"
"Sunset!"
The trio greeted each other heartedly as they embraced upon the river bank. The others gathered around were content to let the three have their moment.
"I didn't know you were coming today! You said you wouldn't be able to make it. What changed?" Twilight probed.
"I was telling the truth back then Twilight, I am, well, was too busy to be able to join, but then these two-" Sunset flinged her head in the human's direction, "-knuckleheads begged me to come save their hides. There was a fight and everything, but now I'm stuck here. One of those beasts petrified the mirror. These two explained to me the situation, albeit very vaguely."
"And what exactly is going on? Canterlot has just been ravaged by mangy hulking brutes, the princesses are all stone, and they're after Twilight for her magic; Do any of you three know why they're doing this?" Rarity questioned.
"They've captured the princesses!?" Sunset exclaimed.
"Because of a traitor!" Dash was quick to enter the conversation. "It was a unicorn of all things! Came down in a giant airship and started demanding our surrender. If I had known then, I would've popped that gas bag in ten seconds flat!"
"How did you know to come to help us, Sunset?" Spike inquired.
"If it wasn't for those two, I wouldn't have known any of this would be happening at all. I've never heard of this Storm King before so they're the ones with the answers about all that." Sunset sent the two humans a hard glare before looking back at Twilight. "But, their story is full of holes so I need you to confirm something. The yellow and black one there is...'Fire Quill' and he knows a lot about me and the human world and claims to be your friend. Is he?"
Twilight fixated upon us and suspicion settled upon her features followed by Sunset and the others upon hearing her next words. "No. I don't recognize either at all. I've never met them before."
"That's really funny because he sure knows about you and me. He even knew about the portal but not enough without asking me to open it. Even mentioned the invasion and the Storm King and how you were seemingly unaware of the coming danger."
"We had no idea until twenty minutes ago. The ship came down, then that unicorn... she attacked us and now the princesses are captured."
Rainbow Dash was quick to circle the duo. "That unicorn was a traitor to Equestria. Who's to say these two aren't spies as well?"
"Normally, I'd be quick to dismiss Rainbow Dash's rash claims, but recent events have shown that she may have merit, I'm afraid." Rarity piped in with a nasty stink-eye leveled their way.
Fluttershy, Spike, and Pinkie opted to remain silent while Applejack prepped her lasso. She along with Twilight, Sunset, and Dash slowly encroached upon the two.
"Now would be a good time to explain yourselves." Sunset asserted.
Thomas and Psalms were quickly cornered upon the bank, leaving no room to further retreat. "All right, enough with the drama, they're just ponies for crying out loud." Thomas declared before a swift kick in the rear was delivered to Psalms, knocking him forward. "Just tell them everything already."
An indignant huff escaped from Psalms as he reared off the ground. "Not everything. I already botched first impressions, I'd at least like to keep an air of mystery."
"Only if you wish to keep our trust away for good because right now, you're off to a bad start. You tried to lie about your name, you lied about being Twilight's friend, you know a lot more about this Storm King than you're letting on, and you know things you shouldn't about me and my home." Sunset closed the distance, a stony glare aimed directly at Psalms.
"Start flapping 'em gums if'n ya don't wanna be tied down now." Applejack declared as she gripped her lasso and began twirling it in the air, ready to hook either one.
Tension overflowing, it was Twilight who acted first to calm everyone down, having ushered herself between the former humans and her friends. "Everypony, please calm down. Let's not get too hasty." Turning to the humans, she greets them with a brief small smile before it drops back to its previous gloomy state. "We've been through so much in such little time, and I'm still struggling with what happened back up there, we are being hunted as I speak so we can't afford to delay our mission. We could use all the help we can get, but we need to be able to trust you. Please, tell us what you know."
"Yes, yes, of course. Sorry, it's just... never mind. Ok, uh, well for starters, you can say we aren't from around here, Equestria I mean. We... we come from a faraway land-" The look Thomas sent Psalms way did not go unnoticed. "-a land too far to reach, so to speak. Anyways, We know about the Storm King because for years he has been conquering faraway nations, leading an army of beasts, and subjugating all in his way. He seeks all manners of powerful magic and has obtained an ancient relic, a staff, that will allow him to harness said magic from even the greatest of sorcerers, even alicorns. I had to lie about being Twilight's friend because otherwise, you wouldn't have come to our rescue. I'm sorry, by the way."
"You come from far away, hmm? From what nation do you hail? I may be well versed in all manners of fashion and high society, but one must know of all geological places and nations of greatest importance to stay relevant within the world of fashion."
"I... er...um... United States of...Amareca?" The look Rarity sent was of suspicion and disbelief. Thomas could be seen silently mouthing the word 'Amareca' to himself, disgust flashing across his eyes for a brief second. Thomas had never heard of such bullshit before.
"Another lie?" Rarity nodded to Sunset's questions. "Thin ice, 'Fire Quill', and it is melting by the second. How could you possibly know about me and the human world? And again, what kind of names are Thomas and Psalms?"
"Look, girls, I... I'm sorry but right now just isn't the best time to discuss this, I know I haven't given you anything for you to trust with, but we are on the same side, I give you my word."
"Just tell them the truth," Thomas whispered into Psalms' ear. "Quit with the lying. Why are you even doing it in the first place?"
Psalms continued to keep his eyes upon the natives as he spoke to his side. "They already think we are spies what with me knowing things I shouldn't like Sunset and her home; if I tell them we're humans from another world who just so happen to run into them in the midst of an invasion commanded by a traitor unicorn, you think they'll believe us? Suspicious timing to them. I thought I could bluff my way through."
"Enough talk. Get them!" Dash cried out, as she streaked straight toward Thomas's side.
Following those words, Applejack was quick to fling her lasso around Psalms' neck, but as Psalms struggled to free himself, the lasso soon caught onto the nape of Psalms' coat, and with a heave, Applejack pried the coat straight off the stallion's back, leaving all eight natives to gasp.
Flared into motion, Psalms' phoenix-colored wings extended and retracted with irritation before settling back to its owner's side, bits and pieces of feathers ruffled and riled.
Silence descended as each creature took a moment to examine the newly uncovered male alicorn before them. "You're... you're an alicorn?" Twilight was the first to find her voice, a cocktail of perplexion and intrigue flashing across her features.
"...Yes, my brother and I, we are alicorns. My name is Psalms, but you can call me Fire Quill, and this is my brother Thomas, but you can call him... Thomas. Thomas, meet the six heroes of Equestria and their little scaly friend." Psalms was quick to introduce each native respectively. "We have come a long way from home."
"Male alicorns... the notion of such an existence has never been considered possible before. In all of Equestria's history, not once has there been a mention or record of male alicorns at all."
"That's the thing, isn't it? Not in Equestria's history, but maybe there is in some other faraway land we know not of. Just as we have never heard of the Storm King before, so too would we not know the existence of male alicorns on the other side of the world. That's how you know about the Storm King before we did. He's been hunting you two down for your magic all across the world, hasn't he? Long enough to forgo you two and initiate a surprise attack on Canterlot and take all four unprepared princesses at the first chance." Sunset concluded to herself and the others with neither human willing to correct her assumption just yet.
All mouths were soon shut as a clap of thunder rumbled across the sky. Up above, everyone could see the entire invasion fleet begin scattering into several groups bearing course in all directions. One group of half a dozen airships soon began the descent that would plop them far too close to the group's comfort.
"We need to move. Twilight, you said this queen hippo is in the south, right?" Psalms of course knew but feigned ignorance regardless. A quick nod from Twilight prompted him further. "Good to know, c'mon, follow me."
"Woah wait, where are you going? South is that way." Spike thumbed at the mud path past the fallen tree.
Psalms didn't stop his trudge along the river bank as he called back, "You know there's a desert towards the south, right? I don't know about you, but walking into a desert without a mode of quick transportation or supplies is a sure quick way to get yourself killed. I'm taking you to our new home and family, we'll rest for the night and stock up before heading out in the morning, now cmon! Those ships are getting too close. We'll use the trees as cover."
One last glance above was enough to send the others to scatter forth. Twilight and Sunset shared a glance before Sunset offered only a shrug as she and Twilight followed suit.
"Again. Please! Last time, I promise! I just need to see them one last tim-"
"Alright, alright! I don't mind you looking, just... no more pointy things, please. And no flashy magic or spells or whatever that was a second ago." Heaving a sigh, Thomas once more took his coat into his mouth and slung it off his back, exposing his vampire batwings to an all too-crowding group of girls and a male lizard who have already seen them five times now. Honestly, they're just wings; creepy, ugly, evil-looking ones too in his opinion, nothing like the angelic aesthetic adorning Psalms and Twilight or the other two pegasi. The others however seemingly didn't judge their appearance, opting to instead examine them in curiosity.
"Remarkable. We know so little about alicorn physiology what with there being only five, well previously presumed five, alicorns in existence. Wing genotype has always been the default pegasi form, with the exception to Nightmare Moon's distinct appearance but that was still an avian subtype. But, yours bears a striking resemblance to that of the Thestrals, even to that of Fluttershy during her bat phase." Twilight finished her examination of Thomas's wings before moving to the rest of his physical features. "Aside from your wings and the fangs in your mouth, nopony would think you other than a regular pony. Are you by any chance an alicorn thestral hybrid? Who are your parents?"
Twilight had been poking and prodding Thomas all the while as she asked her questions. Thomas gently pushed Twilight away as she tried to pry open his mouth once more. "Uh... yeah I have no clue what I am. My best guess is half pony half goblin/gremlin/demon or pterodactyl. Whatever the case, your best guess is as good as mine."
"Why even guess at all, Dontcha know your own parents?" Pinkie Pie relayed to his side, bouncing all the while.
"In this world? I don't even know if I have them to begin with."
The mood soured at his comment what with Pinkie ceasing her bounce and Applejack hanging her head slightly. A small sob escaped Fluttershy. "Oh you poor thing, you were orphaned?" She asked through growing tears.
Thomas threw a dumbfounded look their way before responding. "Uh...no. I don't think this body has parents to begin with, or at least I hope it doesn't." The last thing I need is to find out I'm from some incestuous royal bloodline. "Pretty sure it was conjured up by divine powers or magic or whatever."
The girls took a few seconds to glance between themselves before Rarity piped up. "I believe I speak for everypony when I say, I don't understand what you mean." Added nods from the others confirmed her words.
Thomas heaved a heavy sigh before responding, "For the love of... just go talk to Psalms if you want to know more, alright? Sunset here can tell you how little I know of anything right now. Bottom line is, one moment I was human, the next I'm a walking, talking, pretty horsey, ya get me?"
The word 'human' struck a chord with both Sunset and Twilight. The two shared a look as Sunset mouthed the word human to herself, understanding dawning on her. "That would certainly explain they're weird names, they're not from this world at all."
"Both of them are from the mirror world?" Spike asked as he centered himself between the two. A puzzled look soon found itself on his face, "But I thought we just established that they're from the other side of the world, being chased around by the Storm King for a long time, long enough to force him to come here."
"Well, from what I can recall, neither of the princesses knows when the mirror was created or by who, it was just simply there for who knows how long. With both of them being alicorns, they could be ancient for all we know."
"But there's another problem," Sunset interjected, "I've been in the mirror world for quite a while, and far as I can tell, it's just another version of Equestria. Same ponies but different species. Names like Psalms and Thomas still stand out to me, whether or not they're human names. The dots aren't clicking."
"I'll talk to Psalms," Twilight asserted as she trotted ahead, "I'm sure we can sort all of this without getting a headache."
"Jumping Jiminy crickets! You have no cutie-mark!" The shout from Pinkie turned Spike and Sunset's heads as they along with the others conveyed themselves around Thomas's posterior, much to his chagrin. Sure enough, The Crimson Princes' flank was entirely blank.
"How the hay did we miss that?" Applejack questioned.
"I think we were all looking at his wings at the time," Fluttershy replied.
Thomas was quick to reassert his cloak onto his withers. "Yeah, yeah I have no mark, so what?"
"So what? SO WHAT!? How could anypony not care or want to know what their special talent is!?"
"Maybe because I'm not a pony, to begin with? Because I'm a human? Something I just told all of you like less than five minutes ago?"
Rainbow Dash flapped herself over Thomas. "How old did you say you are?"
"Twenty-two?" Thomas replied, brow quirked up.
"And how long have you been in our world?" Spike asked after having saddled himself onto Sunset's back.
"At least a day," Thomas answered. He took a moment to examine his limbs and his surroundings before releasing a soft snort. "I'm still trying to comprehend how I'm a horse in a fairytale land of magic and prancing ponies. And now I'm seemingly on a quest to save the kingdom right off the bat; Go figure."
"Well, then it's no wonder why you don't have a cutie mark yet. Don't worry darling, I'm sure with enough time, you'll have it in a flash." Rarity assured.
...Yeah, not too sure I want something called a 'cutie-mark' on my ass thank you very much. Thomas offered only a grunt in response.
"Oh-Oh-Oh! How about we play a game!? Each of us come up with an idea for Thomas's cutie-mark! We'll compare and contrast and the best one wins! I'll start! Ok, you look like a pony whos good at-"
"Woah, woah, wait minute. What exactly is a... ugh, cutie-mark? Stupid name, by the way."
"Well, simply put, it's a unique symbol that denotes an aspect, passion, characteristic, or skill that you behold among other things. Each and every pony, zebra, and thestral has one and it is usually earned at a young age. The reason we were shocked to find you don't have one is that the notion of an adult without a cutie-mark is unheard of really."
"Huh..." Thomas was quick to examine each other's symbols before turning up at Rainbow Dash. "Your symbol means?"
"Heh, I'm not known so much for my symbol as I am my speed. Just watch, I'll clear that cloud over there and be back in ten seconds fla-" Applejack was quick to grab hold of Dash's tail before flinging her down to the ground. "Hey! What gives?"
"Have ya forgotten the sky is riddled with airships looking for us?"
"Pfft, I knew that... I was just going to give it a quick buck..." Dash folded her arms and began to lazily drift away.
"What ya need to understand, sugarcube, is that cutie-marks can be as complex or vague as Dash's or as simple as mine. Apples, Applejack, I live and work on an apple farm, it speaks for itself."
"So what do you think yours will be, huh-huh-huh?" Pinkie questioned, each 'huh' propelling her face further into Thomas's personal space.
Thomas redirected his gaze back to the trail, noting how Twilight and Psalms were considerably ahead. A frown adorned his face as his mind ran rampant with ideas, but struggled to latch onto any. "You're asking me to simplify my entire existence into that of a little symbol that could mean thousands of things. Nothing is coming to mind."
"Really? Nothing at all?"
"...Can one have a cutie-mark about something they hate? ...Something they...fear?"
The group of natives looked upon themselves, unsure what the answer was. "Well... I suppose if you have strong enough emotions about it, it could possibly manifest. Why? Is this thing you hate or fear the only thing you can think of?"
Thomas opted to remain silent. His wing talons pinched and painfully dug themselves into his hide and his mind ran rampant with raging turmoil as it fixated upon the only thing it could not move away from. Fire.
Psalms let out a little squeak as Twilight saddled herself to his side. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
Oh man, oh man, oh man, she's right there! Psalms made a quick gulp before responding, "No, no, you're alright. Just been looking out for more of those ships. I should be paying attention on the ground as well. Ambushs can come from anywhere."
A forlong look adorned Twilight's features. "Ambushes shouldn't be a thing a pony has to look out for in Equestria to begin with. Why would anypony ever think of invading our peaceful kingdom? It just doesn't make sense."
"Evil doesn't have to make sense, Princess. So long as it has a goal, any goal, and enough will and power, it'll move mountains to achieve it."
"I suppose you are right. And please, you can call me Twilight." She offered a small smile.
Psalms gazed upon her and reflected his own smile, stopping for a brief moment to offer his hoof which she was happy to take. The duo continued their trot soon after.
"So, you and your brother are humans," Twilight stated.
Psalms hesitated for a split second before nodding away, "Thomas spilling the beans back there?"
"In a sense. Doesn't seem like he cares about keeping secrets. I have a feeling you two aren't from the mirror world, are you?"
"Nah, we aren't. Me and Thomas come from another human world, not much different from Sunset's excluding all the vastly colored people. Like hers, ours has no magic...well maybe? Who knows at this point." Psalms offered a limp shrug.
"Speaking of Sunset's world, how do you know about that and her? Far as I know, only Spike and I along with the princesses have any extensive knowledge about that world. I find it hard to believe Celestia or Luna would disclose the nature of the mirror to anypony without informing me or Sunset first."
"I'd find it hard to believe they'd do that as well. No, I know all this because... well, because I was specifically chosen to reincarnate in this world. Yes, before you say anything, I died when I was still a human. Instead of retiring to the Great Beyond, I was chosen by my God to join his army in the coming Holy War. Your world is but one of countless many in God's domain that has come under the assault of one of hell's demons. They chose me because I already have extensive knowledge of this world and its people and magic. In a way, you could say I even have knowledge of your world's future, premonitions if you would, although I know not how useful they may be."
It took Twilight several seconds to wrap her mind around the new information before she finally responded. "Our world's future?"
"To a very limited extent. The catch is that I know the future of an Equestria that doesn't have me or Thomas in it, so again, I know not how useful my 'premonitions' are if they are at all."
Again, it took Twilight more time to comprehend his answers. "When you say 'God' you mean a divine being of immense power? And you're telling me that our world is at threat from a divine war that we know nothing about? An ancient evil from beyond our realm is on Equis and you're here to stop it?"
"More or less. It's the nutshell version but let's save this conversation for after we deal with the Storm King and his invasion, then I can tell all of you princesses everything and not have to repeat myself. Is that fair?"
"Yes. Yes, I suppose we can put this off for now, The Storm King takes priority."
"Right. Once we rest and get everything we need, we'll head for the train station and see if we can find a ride down south. Airships are obviously a no go and teleporting across towns will bring us to the forefront of any invaders. Trains are speedy and use isolated tracks for the most part; so long as we keep it chugging, we should make out of Equestria before they even realize it. If they find us and give chase, the train's speed should excel that of the airships, leaving them in our dust trail."
"Good enough a plan as any. The only problem is that I don't know where these hippo lands are other than south. I would suggest we head to my castle library but Ponyville is already under siege and we can't risk getting caught. Perhaps we can make a detour stop at Apple Loosa and I can asse-"
"Gonna hafta stop you there, Twilight," Psalms shot her down, "The Storm King and his forces invaded from the south. Every town in Equestria aside from the far north is already under his reign. We'll be passing by Apple Loosa on our way out, but we'll no doubt attract their attention. We can't afford to slow down then or we risk being captured. I'm sure we'll find someplace safe enough to research way down in the south, but let's focus on getting there safely first, alright?"
"I suppose it will have to do. I'm assuming your parent's farm doesn't have anything that'll help?" Psalms was quick to shake his head. "Figures." ... ... ...
"Wait a minute... you have parents here in Equestria? How old are you?"
"Adopted parents, and I'm nineteen. The funny thing is I died as a human yesterday, reincarnated as an alicorn in the middle of the woods, found my brother within the span of an hour, and we stumbled upon this nice group of ponies that were all too happy to take us in once they knew most of our story. I lost and gained a family within a single day, talk about a rollercoaster of emotions."
"Wow, I can't imagine what that was like for either of you." Twilight hummed to herself a bit before replying further. "I have to say, you and Thomas look nothing alike save your alicorn physiology."
"That's because he's my adopted brother. We became a family under the same group of ponies. Honestly, there's not much I can tell you about him other than he's human like me. I stumbled upon him not ten minutes after arriving in this world. Coincidence? Certainly not, but the reason for it I still don't know. I'm sure he'll open up given enough time, but time may not be on our side in this matter."
"Why not?" Twilight inquired.
"Because Thomas doesn't want to be here in this world. He wants to go back to Earth, our original home. He was hoping to ask you princesses to help him, but I'm not sure how well things will work out for him. He may not be able to go back at all if he reincarnated as I did, again I don't know enough."
"Why would he want to leave?"
Psalms hesitated to answer. "I'm not sure it's my place to tell you, sorry. All I'll say is, I believe Princess Luna is the one who can help him the most. What he's going through may ring some bells with her."
"We'll all provide whatever help he may need," Twilight applied a hoof to her chest, "You have my word."
"HELP!" Thomas's cry could be heard from behind. Turning back, the duo was witness to a flurry of colors and shapes mixed together in a growing cloud of dust and dirt. "THESE CRAZY CHICKS ARE TRYING TO INK ME!"
"Fangs! He'd look good with a fang cutie-mark!"
"Too brutish darling! Personally, I believe a nice chiseled sapphire or ruby would do wonders to match his coat, they would certainly compliment his crimson eyes."
"Oh-oh-oh! How about a cape to complete his vampony look! Watch out everypony, Count Thomas has come to suck our blood! Blegh-blegh-blegh! Tee-hee-hee!"
"Consarnit y'all, we need to keep quiet."
"GET THAT QUILL AWAY FROM ME! PSALMS, TWILIGHT, HELP!"
"...Your brother doesn't have a cutie-mark?"
"Heh, he will in a second."
"Oh, my boys! My wonderful new baby boys! Welcome back!" Honey Buns was quick to envelop both young stallions upon entering the farmhouse. Her earth pony strength was at full display as she crushed the wind out of both sons. "Thank Celestia above! You two are safe and sound!" She topped her display with several kisses to both stallions, eliciting many rounds of giggles from the group of girls and dragon behind.
"M-mom, not in front of our guests." Thomas half-heartedly tried to protest, not nearly as embarrassed as Psalms was at the affectionate display.
"And what guests indeed. VIP for that matter." Ingot proclaimed as he washed his hoofs of the dirt and muck he garnered outside. "You two have returned far early than I anticipated. What went wrong?"
"Everything," Thomas commented, "The whole kingdom is under invasion. Three princesses were captured, and the capital has fallen. That group is the only one to escape."
Ingot inspected the group once more, a small smile soon adorned his face. "I know you lot. Elements of Harmony. Always saving the day. Glad to see you girls are all safe and accounted for. I'm assuming you already have a plan in motion; what brings you here to our homestead?"
Honey finally allowed the brothers freedom from her smothering. Psalms took a moment to catch his breath before responding. "We need to head on south, find the land of the hippos. Nothing but desert over there so we'll need to rest and gather resources before trekking that way."
Honey was quick to instantly deflate upon hearing his words. "'We'? You're going with them? But you just got back here!"
"It's ok, Mom. We're staying the night, and resume our journey in the morning. I know we just got back but they need all the help they can get. You know my mission, my reason for being here. I can't not help."
Tears threatened to cascade down her face, but she was quick to smother them away, a look of resolve adorning her. "You're right. You're right sweety, I'm sorry. A mother can't help but worry for her little doves. *Sniff*-*Sniff*."
Sniffling could be heard from the girls, mainly Fluttershy and a little from Rarity. ... ... ...
and possibly Dash, butyoudidn'thearthisfromme!
"Thank you both for being such gracious hosts," Twilight declared upon the two with a hearty smile, "We'll do everything in our power to keep your sons safe along our travels."
"You better," Honey warned to the surprise of all, Ingot being the most affected as his jaw slackened. "Princess or not, if a scratch is laid upon their heads you won't be able to escape the wrath of La Chancla!"
"Alright Honey, it's nap time. Go on now, back to bed. I'll be sure to serve you in bed when you wake up, go on now." Ingot cooed to his wife and carefully lead her away back to their bedroom.
"You'll have to forgive Mom; she tends to get cranky when family is in potential danger." Ink relayed as she fished through the refrigerator, not a care for the mane six in the world. "Anyway, we still have plenty of leftover food from the night before so help yourselves to whatever. Me and Dad will prepare bedding in the basement for all of you. Oh, one last thing, try to keep noise to a minimum. We just got Rocket to sleep and he'll explode if awakened. Got all that? Great, thanks, bye." And just like that, she was gone as well, still no care in the world.
"Charming family, darling." Rarity asserted. Nobody could tell whether her comment was sarcastic or not.
"Are those three actually related? Their daughter looks nothing like either." Sunset commented.
"Alright everypony, better get some chow down an' hit the hay. Long day tomorrow." Her piece said, Applejack and the others were quick to scavenge the fridge clean of contents.
Psalms managed to pluck two apples from the group and surveyed around to find Thomas, only managing to catch a glimpse of him trudging upstairs to their room no doubt. Sure enough, upon entering their shared domain, Thomas was laid flat out on his bed. Dreary, dark, miserable eyes reflected upon his brother before he released a sigh and flopped his head back to the bed. Covering every inch of his body, crude, amateur, pathetic attempts at cutie-marks were on display. The shapes and symbols varied wildly.
"Looks like you had some fun."
"I've never been manhandled by horses before. Their stupid boney hooves hurt, man. I'm aching everywhere."
"A nice hot shower should do just the trick. I'll let you have first dibs. Don't take too long though, your apple will get warm." Psalms magicked the apple over to Thomas's nightstand.
"They're children. Worse than children...well, not all of them. Rarity is all hoity-toity, but she is nice enough. Dash has an ego as high as the moon. Applejack is running the show for the most part. Pinkie Pie is a literal child that is certainly getting on my nerves. Fluttershy...too quiet...too-too quiet. I don't trust her." Psalms quirked a brow at that. "And Twilight? A little too touchy. All of them a little too upbeat for my tastes but whatever. Oh...oh God... you mention that there was singing earlier... oh this is going to be a pain."
"Hey now, don't get all doom and gloom on me just yet. These girls are one of a kind. Give 'em a chance, you'll be surprised at what they're capable of."
"At least we have the lizard." Thomas heaved a sigh. "That little dude is all right, no complaints here... well except one thing."
"Which is?"
"Little dude has a huge crush on Rarity, a full-grown woman." Thomas's hide visibly rippled. "I can't be the only one uncomfortable at the thought, right?"
"Don't worry, it's just puppy love. Nothing will come of it."
"Sure hope not. Ok, I'm taking that shower now. Back in a sec." Psalms soon found himself alone in his room, he took a moment to reflect on the journey from the river all the way back home.
First impressions were botched, but things are looking on the up and up now. Hopefully, our journey will be a breeze.
A distant clap of thunder that quaked the house hampered Psalms' hope.
The morning was just as dreary and chaotic as the last, more so even. Strong winds buffeted the barn and farmhouse and the animals were once again driven into a frenzy. Luckily, with the combined efforts of Applejack's herding skills and Fluttershy's soothing whispers, The stampede was halted and steered back into their pens with little effort. Rainbow Dash was slick but careful in popping the overhead storm clouds that threatened to form a tornado. Thomas and Ingot fished through the barn for bits and pieces that could help tidy up the rickety wagon, while all the others were inside the house, abuzz with activity as they collected and organized their travel supplies.
Laid upon the dining table, was a series of items and tools, the very basics of what constitutes a desert survival kit. Psalms raddled off to each item as Sunset and Twilight along with Rocket observed and noted each object. "Alright, we have enough food and water to last a week at the most, two fire starter kits, a first aid box, enough sleeping bags, and three heavy framed pitching tents. Goggles and glasses for sandstorms, a portable cooler, a compass, and a basic map of Equestria should we need to find an alternate route. I doubt we'll be spending more than a day in the desert, but it never hurts to come prepared."
"Fire? In the desert? That's like... twice the hot!" Rocket exclaimed in complete bafflement.
"It's for the nighttime, little squirt. Deserts can be scorchingly hot, but at night, it can become really cold, really fast."
"That's dumb." Rocket simply replied. A second later, a tremendous thunderclap rattled the very earth, sending little Rocket careening to his mother.
"Sounds like troubles coming," Sunset commented as she summoned her magic and took hold of several items, "C'mon, let's get all these over to the door."
A minute or two later, The front door burst open as Rainbow Dash settled herself inside. "Airships are everywhere in the sky, that thunder is coming from them scouring the forest. None are too close or heading this way so we need to start hoofing it."
Applejack entered a second later, "Wagons ready, y'all. Weather ain't getting any better, best hop to it."
Hop to it they did as they loaded each item within the wagon. Enough space was allocated to allow all ten occupants room aboard. Ingot trotted out of the barn, a bundle of rope and slings within his magical grasp. "Managed to find some reins for two. Which among you is the strongest?"
At a glance, one could easily pick out Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but it was instead Thomas with his slightly bulky physic that was chosen to lead alongside Applejack. "I'm better at keeping to the skies. Watch our six and all that. Don't worry, egghead, I'll be extra careful." Dash said as she flung herself into a spiral above.
"AAALLL ABOARD!" Pinkie helpfully called out. She dug into her main and pulled out a whistle and blew with a mighty gust of breath, eliciting uncontrollable laughter from Rocket as he laid upon Honey's nape. The rest of the family had maneuvered themselves to the front of the house like the day before, bidding goodbye and well wishes.
"You better not forget about my souvenir!" Ink reminded.
"Please be safe! Take care of each other, all of you now ya hear?" Honey pleaded, dancing on her hooves once again.
A steel hoof wrapped itself around her waist and pulled her tight against Ingot's side. He calmed her racing heart with a soft smooch before flashing the wagon a smile and waving farewell.
The group said their farewells, shouted in Pinkie's case, passed the front gate which they closed once fully exited, and began their trek to the train station, repeating the same journey the brothers took the other day.
"All right everyone," Thomas called out from the front as he and Applejack paused for a brief moment, capturing all present attention, "as you all may or may not know, Equestria is under lockdown and any ponies seen by the enemy will be immediately detained and handed off to the nearest imprisonment camp, or I assume at least. Anyway, they get their claws on us and it's game over, they spot us before we reach the trainyard, and it's game over, which is why I need all hands on deck. Eyes and ears open, mouths shut... or at least very quiet, and weapons at the ready. Shouldn't be too long till we reach the trainyard."
"Weapons? Does Applejack's lasso count as one? Because other than that, we don't exactly go around parading arms in our adventures." Twilight informed as the others nodded in agreement.
"Raritys always whipping that couch out of nowhere whenever she gets into one of her moods, does that count?" Dash snickered as said fashionista rolled her eyes.
Thomas fixed them a questioning glare, "So wait, you six go on these epic adventures and fight big baddies and none of you have any weapons for self-defense at the very least?" ...*Crack!*, the sound of a hoof facepalm could be heard from Thomas, followed by a grunt of pain. "Hooves... no hands... clear as day. Say, Rainbow Dash?" It took a second for her to slide to his side. "You pegasi can physically manipulate clouds, right?"
"Yep! Any shape or size. Wild or not."
"Hmm... Think you can wrangle up a decent-sized one and have it positioned over us as we travel? Use it like a camouflage so that any eyes up above see just a traveling cloud?"
Dash took a second to ponder. "I can gather up a decent cloud, but it won't follow us."
"Sunset and I can use our magic and keep it tethered to the wagon." Twilight offered.
"So long as it works, use whatever means. Dash can use the cloud as a crow's nest of a sort, keep an eye out with the added benefit of cover."
"Aye, aye, captain!" Dash mock saluted before rocketing away.
"Fluttershy." Thomas called out, eliciting a small 'eep' from said pony. Thomas heaved a sigh, "Fluttershy...need you for a sec." It took more than a minute for the pony to fully emerge from the back. "...I hear you have a way with animals, you can... request them to do things to an extent, right?"
Fluttershy opted to retreat within her mane, eyes facing the ground. "...Erm, yes, they usually do what I ask."
"Can you ask several critters to be our scouts for up ahead?"
Fluttershy tilted her head slightly at the request. "Scouts?"
"Yeah, scouts. Ya know, have them do some recon for us? Move ahead of the wagon and warn us of any trouble, can you do that?"
Fluttershy swept her gaze along the forest canopy before returning to Thomas. "There's not a lot of critters running around. Most of them are scared to their wits... but I'll try." She received a nod from Thomas.
"Rarity... I don't suppose you can magic up a needle and fabric and begin weaving up some actual camo for the wagon, can you?"
"Well, whatever for, darling? I was under the impression we'd be ditching the wagon once we find a train."
"That's the plan, but there's no guarantee we'll find a train over there to begin with. I mean there was only one when we first arrived so the chances of finding another docked there are low. And that's not taking into consideration the possibility that the trains may need repairs, or there's an enemy force and we need to look for an alternate train yard, or-"
"Alright, darling, I get the picture. Regardless, my hooves are tied. My magic can't reach all the way to my shop and I can't just magic things from nothing."
Thomas simply shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, worth a shot... hey, think you can camo up my cloak instead?"
Rarity hummed to herself as she seized the cloak within her magic grip, a scrutinizing eye scanning every thread and stitch. "Hmm... I'll first see to its restoration before considering the application of any concealment." Rarity continued to talk to herself as she turned away to the back of the wagon.
"Jeez, Thomas. Were you a military tactician back on Earth or what?" Psalms commented.
"It's called basic common sense. I've never been on a dangerous mission adventure before, but one would think of some measure of precautions before venturing out."
"Oh-oh-oh! What can I do!? What can I do!?" Pinkie asked as she bounced upon her tail.
"Pinkie, you can... you can...hmm." Silence descended for a solid second. "...You can take stock of food and water, make sure they're nice and secure. The last thing we need is to be smack dab in the middle of the desert and find our provisions missing or forgotten."
"Oki-doki-loki!" She disappeared in a flash.
"Psalms you... what can you do?"
Psalms' eyes reflected left and right before offering a shrug. "I was a glorified janitor back at the orphanage so...emotional support?"
"...Just be extra lookout."
"I'll be extra lookout."
Thomas offered a nod before reflecting on himself and Applejack. "Guess we'll be the heavy haulers for the moment."
"Ain't too bad at the whole leader thing, so you can fall back on that."
"Nah, ain't leadership... advisor, I guess? I dunno, let's just get this show on the road."
"Giddy-up now, heeyawh!" The crack of the reins along their spine elicited a startled cry from both ponies, they were quick to turn a glare at the offender.
"...What?" Spike questioned. "Everypony else got a job, so I declare myself the driver. Not my fault you forgot me."
The duo's glare soon dropped as they both released a sigh. With another, softer, crack of the reins, the wagon and its crew began the journey toward the train station. |
Life isn’t done with you | Chapter 5: An Adventure Already?! (Part 3: Runaway Train Troubles.) | Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
-Hebrews 12:1
Smoke choked the azure as its spread left little of the blue sky. Thunder clapped and rumbled across the heavens above, and only the bravest of animals skittered across the earth. Thanks to Fluttershy's efforts, multiple woodland critters of the land and air dutifully performed recon on the terrain ahead as Dash remained within her cloud nest, eyes vigilant on the storms around. They widened at the sight of an airship and she called a warning down below.
With quick urgency, Thomas and Applejack dove to the side of the road, allowing the tree top and their personal cloud to provide cover as the airship lazily floated by. Not a single word was spoken as all held their breath. Once the ship had fully passed, Dash signaled the all-clear.
"That's the fifth one in the last hour, and all came from the direction of the train yard ahead. We should double back and find an alternate station." Sunset warned, heaving a sigh and wiping a trail of sweat away.
Psalms turned his head towards the receding airship, its figure shrinking by the second. "We're almost there, we can at least check it out before writing it off. Doubling back now is an unnecessary risk."
"I see the piled-up luggage and abandoned carts up ahead, Psalms," Thomas called from the front. "I'm parking this wagon to the side, let Fluttershy's friends finish their work."
"Roger." Psalms turned to the shy pegasus, who opted to hide amidst her mane, "How much longer till they come back, Shy?"
"Uh, erm," Fluttershy adopted a nervous mask. She looked this way and that, watching for any of her furry friends. She spotted movement along the bark of a tree and was happy to be pounced upon by a chipmunk. It crawled to her ear and whispered its report through its chittery tongue. "Uh-huh...uh-huh...*Gaps!* Oh no! There are ponies over by the station, but the beasts have them in chains! There's one airship docked, and they are almost done loading the prisoners!"
"Is it safe to approach along the road?" Applejack inquired.
The chipmunk chittered some more before hopping off the pony and rushing back into the woods. "It's safe to move, just be careful."
They didn't need to be told twice. Applejack and Thomas resumed the trek. As they closed the distance, they could see the billowing of smoke from an airship that was obscured by the station itself. The duo settled for a forest alcove to hide the wagon.
Thomas was quick to unhitch himself. "Pslams with me. The rest of you stay here." Nopony offered any objections and the two humans were quick to reach the exterior of the ticket booths. Rounding the corner, they framed themselves against the wall as the enemy airship and its prisoners came within view.
Chained together and ushered in single file lines, multiple rows of ponies and a few other species were being led into the bowels of the gasbag. It would appear that the airships they had seen earlier had been ferrying prisoners as well, as the remaining prisoner columns held very few souls. Off to the duo's side was a docked train, one that wasn't there yesterday. Thomas found himself pleasantly surprised. "Looks like we got lucky. I honestly didn't think we'd find another train over here."
Psalms reflected his gaze back to the prisoners. "Lucky for us. Not for them, unfortunately."
"They brought this train to us, that's all that matters. Hmm, looks like we're extra lucky, they're almost done loading 'em up."
It took an additional five minutes before the last of the prisoners were finally loaded. The storm beasts meandered for a bit before they too started boarding the ship, but not before throwing a mild wrench into the ponies' plan.
"Ah, crap," Thomas cursed, "looks like they're leaving a garrison." Sure enough, the airship began to ascend, leaving a small retinue of twelve storm beasts. An elite unit by the looks of it, with each wielding a spear and magic-resistant shield. For whatever reason, they remained within the outer area with little care to move to the station. Yet. "Twelve. Armed, but lackluster. Not great, not terrible. If they stay right there, we could easily get the train moving before they know what hit them."
"...But?" Psalms asked, sensing a 'but' coming.
Sure enough, it did. "But, I doubt they're gonna stick around in the heat. Those things look built for winter conditions, they'll be moving into the shade any moment. If we're taking the train, we have to take them down. Can't risk them notifying the whole invasion fleet either." Psalms was in agreement and the two retreated back to the others.
"Good news and bad news. Which do you guys want first?" Psalms called out to them as they reached the wagon.
"Good news? Good news!? I like good news! oh goodie-goodie-goodie! What is it!?" Pinkie vibrantly requested.
"Good news is that there is a train docked within one of the ports. We can easily steer the wagon to its side and begin unloading the cargo, which is exactly what I need you, Fluttershy, and Spike to do in a moment. The rest of you will be helping deal with the bad news." Psalms informed.
"Which is?" Sunset asked.
"Twelve elite storm beasts. Each with an anti-magic shield and spears. Right now they're out in the open and in a perfect position for Dash to deliver a surprise attack." Thomas explained.
"A surprise attack? Now we're talking, what's the plan?" Dash asked, anticipation filling her eyes and itching her wings.
Thomas motioned for all participating members to gather around as he grabbed a stick with his magic and began making figures on the dirt floor. Pinkie and Fluttershy latched themselves to the wagon and strode towards the train, Spike in tow. "I need you to gather together a sizable storm cloud. Psalms saw fit to explain more of your abilities to me earlier so you'll be our shock and awe. Hover directly over their gathering and deliver as many lightning kicks as you can onto the group. If we're lucky, the lightning should knock them out and we'll be done in ten seconds flat. Your specialty, or so I have been told." Dash winked his direction.
"If not," Thomas resumed, "then we'll go for the tried and true approach. Overwhelm them with arcane and brute force. I've already seen Sunset in action but I'm not too sure about you two." Thomas indicated to Twilight and Rarity.
"I admit, combat is not my forte, but I still have a magic spell or two that will assist in the heat of the moment. If push comes to shove, I am not averse to getting my hooves dirty. And you need not worry about Twilight, darling. She is the Element of Magic after all, she can handle these brutes for sure."
"An' I can wrangle up some nasty varmints no trouble," Applejack reassured.
Psalms and Thomas shared a look before nodding together, both satisfied with their team's qualifications. "Alright then. Applejack, Rarity, and I," Thomas called out as he drew their figures into the dirt, "we three will remain on the station's outer property, and hide along the exterior edge of the ticket booths; once the battle commences, our job is to ensure that none of the beasts retreat in our direction for cover." The two natives nodded in understanding. Thomas then drew a thin trail that circled around the beasts drawing, "Sunset, Twilight, and Psalms will flank through the trees and establish a semi-circle formation, cutting off any potential retreat into the forest and peppering them however they can. If all of this works out, we'll have them completely surrounded. Dash, the moment they break apart, you're free to engage whoever. Everyone know their stations? Any questions?"
"How tough are these varmints?" Applejack prompted.
Thomas reflected in his mind all the moments he had dealing with the creatures, compiling and sorting the information into brief notes. "They have exterior armor plating along the shoulders and chest and their mask or face or whatever is tough as nails. Their shields are anti-magic so watch your magic beams. They can take a beating too. Oh and watch out for ones hauling satchels, they carry those petrification grenades."
"What if they're too tough to defeat?" Twilight asked, a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Then we buy Pinkie and the other two enough time to get the supplies onboard. You're the smartest among our group, supposedly, so you'll have to figure out how to get the train running."
"Maybe we should load the cargo and get the train prepped before going through with this attack?" Sunset suggested.
"No time," Thomas relayed with an added shake of his head, "they're in prime positioning for Dash's attack and the longer we wait the sooner they got off their as-er I mean flanks, and make for a greater defensible position. We strike fast and hard or not at all. Enough questions, get to your places, break!" With that, each pony was quick to maneuver to their designated areas.
Thomas, Applejack, and Rarity were the first in position, gaining confirmation that the group of beasts had yet to move and that the plan was still a go. It took a couple of minutes for the other three to reach their spots as the edge of the forest was farther away from the beasts than the station, but it worked out all the same as Dash finished her storm collecting just as they reached their designated areas.
Dash gave them an additional minute before making her move. Quick as her namesake, The storm cloud was positioned directly over the storm beasts who were slow to realize the coming danger. With a flap of her wings and a jolt of thrust, Dash came crashing down onto the cloud, all hooves pivoted against its electric surface.
The flash of lightning struck true as several of the beasts lit up like Christmas trees. The booming thunder was an added bonus, leaving various beasts to cusp their ears and drop their tools, something that each magic user capitalized on as they seized the shields and spears amidst the beginning chaos. Another strike of lightning landed amidst them, eliciting more grunts and roars of pain.
Before the third lightning strike commenced, the beasts grew wise and dispersed before the attack could be made. It came as an additional surprise when the few remaining beasts with spears aimed directly at the cloud and unleashed magic lasers of their own. Dash was quick to vacate as the storm cloud was punched full of holes.
And thus the ambush phase was completed. Seven of the beasts had been relieved of their tools, the other five fully armed, and all twelve dazed and bruised. From the forest, all three magic users emerged, closing the gap and unleashing all manners of magical might.
Witnessing an opportunity in the making, Thomas was quick to prevent Rarity or Applejack from emerging and joining the fight, at least not so soon. With all prominent magic users assaulting the beasts from one direction, they were quick to leave themselves exposed from the rear, all eyes fixated upon the forest. That was when the time to strike came. Applejack was the first to emerge, lasso flailing away, she hooked the rearmost beast around its neck and began to drag it away into the forest, its cohorts none the wise.
Hoisting one of their shields within his magical grasp, Thomas began his charge against another isolated member. With all his strength, Thomas flung the shield like Captain America against the beast's feet, toppling it to the ground where he immediately began pounding both front hooves repeatedly against its skull, not letting up until it was down for good. Only then did the creatures realize the true extent of their situation.
They were quick to reorganize against their assailants, prioritizing three of their armed forces to maintain a ranged conflict against the magic users as the rest focused on the weaker pony group. Sunset and Twilight were able to maintain their magical assault while withstanding the enemy's returned fire, but Psalms wasn't so well-versed in magical combat. Fatigue soon found itself within him and he was forced to retreat for cover from enemy fire. Twilight and Sunset tried to compensate for him, but with having to dodge incoming lasers and focus on their own targets, they could do nothing as the third armed beast advanced toward Psalms' position. It was then that Dash rejoined the fight, swooping and diving and distracting the beast however she could.
On the other side, Rarity was providing Thomas and herself with magic cover as the enemy bombarded their position with lasers. With both suppressed, The remaining unarmed beasts flanked the duo, arms stretched out and ready to capture additional prisoners... well that was the plan until they made contact with the enemy.
Bursting from the forest, Applejack remade her entrance as she hooked another beast around the feet and began dragging with all her strength. Her surprise attack startled her victim, who promptly latched onto another beast, leaving both to be dragged around through the dirt and muck. Applejack wasn't the only thing to burst from the forest as a large swarm of squirrels and chipmunks bum-rushed directly onto one of the beasts, leaving it flailing and screaming in a panic. Their initial plan shattered, the remaining two unarmed beasts began a hasty retreat but Thomas was having none of it.
"Rarity!" Catching her attention, he gestured his head towards the two beasts maintaining fire on them, "Keep those two occupied! These are mine." Hoisting another shield, he charged into the fray. One brave beast stepped up to the plate and met Thomas head-on. It latched onto the shield which Thomas relinquished upon contact, before turning towards the other one. Using his magic, he scooped up a handful of dirt and threw it straight into the beast's eyes. The thing let out a roar of pain and began to furiously rub at its face, delaying its intervention in the fight.
Turning back to his first foe, Thomas wasn't surprised to find himself on the back foot as the beast re-equipped the shield, using it to bash at him from every angle. The one drawback for the beast was the size of the shield that effectively left it blind whenever it commenced its bash attack, something Thomas was hoping to take advantage of. Ducking and dodging, bobbing and weaving, the beast went with another bash, but upon recovering, it was perplexed to find its opponent unaccounted for. Flanking to its right, Thomas delivered a swift kick to its knee joint, bringing the creature down. He was quick to pin himself against the beast and with all his magic might, yanked upon the arm holding the shield. Roars of pain filled the air and the creature relented soon enough. Heaving the shield into the air, Thomas brought it down with all remaining arcane strength, successfully conking it out.
Thomas was left in a lethargic state but had enough juice for one mighty kick to the groin upon the other assailant who had yet to recover from his dirty trick. With a shrill cry, it too fell for good. A cry from Rarity alerted Thomas to her failing state as her magic shield beheld many cracks, doomed to fall at any moment. With one last gust of energy, Thomas propelled himself before her, shield in tow, and began weathering the barrage as the last of her magic collapsed.
The two beasts rangled by Applejack had had enough as they fished within their pouches for grenades. One 'nade found purchase upon her lasso, that petrified it on the spot, ceasing her little round-up. The two beasts stumbled back onto their feet and soon enough began a barrage against Applejack as she struggled to evade their projectiles.
Rainbow Dash was a flurry of motion, delivering taunts and attacks equally as her foe was too slow to retaliate. As much endurance and speed as she had, she was lacking in strength and power as her moves did little against tough hide and armor. But that mattered little as her goal was to buy Psalms time to recover and finish the fight. It took Psalms a minute or two to fully capture his breath, but once he was ready, he primed his horn with all the magic he could muster into one mega-magic beam. He allowed his mana to reach critical levels, settled himself into the perfect firing position, and waited for Dash to give him his shot.
Dash swirled one last time around the creature before stopping directly in front of its face, blew a raspberry, then high-tailed away as Psalms took aim and fired. It tried in vain to raise its shield in time, but the magic struck before it could, leaving it flailing through the air and down onto the railroad tracks. Psalms slumped against a tree, all energy drained, and had only enough to barely remain conscious. His fight was over.
The remaining beasts began to waiver amidst their falling numbers and clever foes. Fear and desperation began to take hold as they struggled to maintain cohesion. As if things weren't bad enough for them, the magic spears from the two facing Twilight and Sunset ceased firing their laser, battery having been drained much to their panic. Driven to desperation, the remaining six combat-effective beasts regrouped into a tight circle formation, hoping to cover each other's flanks and weather the assault.
A distant boom echoed from the direction of the train station and a large shadow began to morph around the beast's last stand which grew darker by the second. Within a flash, a cake the size of a boulder landed a direct bullseye, ending the battle with a sugary finish.
"Thanks, Pinkie Pie!" Several called out, eliciting shouts and cheers from said pony, her signature party cannon smoking beside her.
The last remaining beast, the one who had remained completely covered in woodland critters the entire time, continued to flail and scream like a girl before he slammed himself cold upon the bark of a tree. No critters were harmed in the process.
"Whew-nelly! That was a tough one! Everypony ok?" Applejack called out.
Aside from fatigue and a few scrapes, the group had come out none the worse. "Tired, but ok," Sunset reassured. Her eyes surveyed the battlefield. "Is that all of them? Did we get them all?" She turned back to Applejack. "What happened to the first one?"
"Hogtied in the forest yonder. I'll get 'em in a moment." Applejack informed.
"I saw another one flying onto the tracks. I'll make sure it's down for good." Thomas called out, leaving the others as he ventured away.
Turns out he didn't have to stray too far as the beast barely managed to get back on its feet by the time he rounded the corner. Its senses were dulled and broken as it swayed from side to side drunkenly on its limp, wandering around aimlessly. It saw Thomas and lethargically equipped a blue potion within its claws, raised it as if to strike him down, then promptly collapsed onto its back, the blue potion broken and its contents spilled, blinking away before its luminescence darkened completely. Careful to avoid the unknown potion, Thomas sidestepped till he was by the creature's head and delivered one kick to the noggin, just to be sure. "Well...that's that."
Ponyville was a bust. Whether the reports were true or not, all three targets had managed to escape despite no exfiltration from the castle which suggested teleportation. Tempest couldn't help but *tsk* at her time being wasted. She spared one last glance at the petrified mirror before taking her leave.
There were no clues as to wherever they could have possibly gone and the magic needed to whip up a breadcrumb trail from the lingering teleport energy was beyond her skills or power. The journal on the pedestal was equally useless. From what she could gather, a pony or two tried to enlist the help of one of the princess's friends, the mirror before her being a portal of a sort. It's how they escaped no doubt, rigged one of the grenades to detonate once they crossed over denying further access. Equestria officially had guerilla fighters running amuck, and if they manage to reach the Princess and her group, well that was an additional headache she didn't need at the moment.
Teleporting back onto the deck of her command ship, another headache presented itself as Grubber waddled before her. "You find anything down there?"
Tempest treaded past him without sparing a glance. "Get the ship moving, we've wasted enough time."
"So, I take it that's a no?" Tempest was quick to flash her anger, sparks flying from her horn. Arms flying up, Grubber cowered before her might. "BecauseIjustrecievednewspleasedon'thurtme!"
Tempest's snarl lingered at the lowly creature for a moment more before her features visibly calmed as she released a heavy sigh, "Report!"
Grubber visibly gulped before responding back. "W-we just got a call from one of our forward groups but there was no connection established. We tried calling back, but we've received no response."
"Where?" Tempest demanded. With any hope, the call would originate from-
"The train station mentioned in the alicorn report. News is we just finished rounding up pony prisoners before leaving a contingent behind. No word from them since."
Tempest cast her gaze along the south. Airships dotted the sky and more were turning up by the second. "How long until we arrive?"
Grubber took a minute to count on his appendages. "...An hour, forty-ish minutes if we set engines to maximum overdri-"
"Do it," Tempest ordered.
"Ah- right, of course." Grubber turned to relay her orders but hesitated for a moment, then turned back to Tempest, "I-uh took the liberty of issuing the order for all nearby ships to condense onto their location."
"Oh, really now? Done stuffing yourself like a pig and finally flexing some command now, hmm? There may be hope for you yet." Tempest stated as she pushed past Grubber's flabbergasted expression and descended down the bowels of the airship.
"...R-really?" He asked, genuine hope lacing his words.
The heavy cackles of the commander reverberated from beyond the dark entrance and her echoing words frazzled Grubber's nerves. "In your dreams. Know your place, rodent."
The hogtied beast, the first to go down, was thrown into the closet with the other eleven before the door slammed shut and was magically locked. "That's the last one. Gotta say, I'm impressed with your tactical skills. Were you part of the human army or what?" Sunset fished around as she and Thomas exited the interior of the train station building. The battle had finished roughly half an hour ago, and in that time all the cargo was successfully loaded, enemy tools confiscated, and final preparations for departure were underway.
"Heh, nah... I wish, but it takes a lot of... time and patience to get a job like that, and I'm also not cut out for that kind of stress. I play a lot of video games; military games, strategy games, and mil-sim games, enough that you could consider me an armchair general. I guess all that 'wasted time' is finally paying off, suck it, Dad." Thomas finished with a small grin.
"Well, I believe I speak for everypony when I say your experience is most appreciated." She flashed him a smile, one that he reciprocated a moment later.
The duo made their way toward a small gathering that lingered just outside the train's driver cabin. Thomas steered himself toward Applejack, "You guys manage to uncouple the excess cars?"
"Eyup," She confirmed, "Even managed to reattach the caboose onto the end. Train now consists of the driver's cabin, a single car, an' the caboose. Cargo's nice an' secure in the middle."
"Great. How soon till we leave?" Sunset asked.
"Eh," Spike shook his claw in the air, "depends upon Twilight. She's got the controls sorted out for the most part, just need to figure how to get it started and we'll be outta here."
Thomas set his sights along the train's exterior, "This is a steam train, right? Don't they use coal as fuel?"
"Yeah, we got that figured out." Spike thumbed behind him at the boiler compartment. "Pinkie volunteered as the shoveler. We're just having trouble with the start-up procedures, once she knows, we'll-" Interrupting his moment, several clangs and clicks echoed from the engine compartment which was followed by a slow build-up of train chugs. "-...be on our way."
The harsh cry of the train whistle filled the air as Pinkie stuck her head out the cabin window, "AAALLL ABOARD! NEXT STOP, APPLE LOOOOOSA!"
"Pinkie!" Applejack exclaimed, ready to give the party pony some words but was interrupted as several claps of thunder drowned out all sound, even the chugs from the train. Several members gasped as the sky cleared away to reveal several enemy airships at varying distances but each steadily making their way. Careening out of control from above, Rainbow made a crash landing against the train tracks. "Rainbow Dash!" Applejack exclaimed as she and the others rushed to her spot and helped the pegasus up off the ground.
Said pegasus hacked out a coughing fit before responding. "So many ships, they came outta nowhere! I tried to warn you guys but they shot me down before I could."
"Everypony on the train, now!" Sunset called from the main car. All the others were too eager to comply. Once everybody had successfully boarded, Sunset sealed the cabin doors shut and locked. "Everyponies accounted for!" She shouted towards the front, "Full steam ahead! ...Hah, I've always wanted to say that... Pinkie! Shovel duty, double-time!"
"Oki-doki-loki! Wee-hee! Just keep Shoveling, just keep shoveling..." The blasts of several more thunderclaps rocked the train's car.
"Those lightning guns are causing quite the racket! We are safe here in this car, right?" Rarity worried.
"I say let's not stick around and find out." Spike wisely interjected.
Stick around, they did not as the train picked up gradual speed, leaving the trainyard and their pursuers farther and farther behind, but they weren't out of the woods yet. Airships all across the southern area of Equestria had been ordered to their coordinates, but upon spotting the train and its smoke trail, each and every one of them diverted to intercept, most beyond reach, some perfectly positioned.
*CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* The airships thundered away as the train passed them by. Their tesla cannons proved more than useless against the train's metal frame which absorbed the shocks. Seeing their failure, others tried using remote explosives, but that required them to position directly over the train and time their drops, something beyond the capabilities of the storms beasts as they time and again dropped their load too early or too late.
Nevertheless, the explosives posed a major threat to the train and its crew. One lucky hit and their train would be disabled for good. "We have to take those airships down! We can't risk having the engine damaged!" Thomas bellowed over the exploding chaos.
"How!?" Sunset cried out, "Dash is in no condition to go flying around! Why don't you go!? You got wings!"
Thomas took a moment to reflect upon his leathery wings before turning back to Sunset, frustration radiating from his face. "I can't! I don't know how to fly!"
Sunset blinked once, then twice, then her face exploded in a myriad of emotions. "What!? What do you mean you can't fly!? Are you kidding me right now!?"
"Can't you just shoot some lasers and pop them!?" Thomas tapped his hoof to Sunset's horn several times for added emphasis.
She was quick to swat his arm away, annoyance at clear display. "I already tried! Their fabric is tough as scales!"
Thomas's eyes brightened as an idea came forth. "What about overcharging your shots!? Like Psalms did back at the trainyard!"
Sunset made to argue but paused at the last second, leaned out a window, and primed her horn with an overcharging shot. She aimed for the one ship causing the most noise and fired away. Her overcharged magic was slightly slower than her regular shots, but its increased power made a world of difference as her target popped and began a hard descent off to the side.
Sunset turned back to Thomas with a wide smile but it was quickly replaced with worry. "Overcharging works, but I'll burn myself out with another shot or two, maybe three. You're free to give it a go with your own horn."
"Eh, not viable. I'm more a 'might' than 'magic' kind of guy... hey, what about the spears, think we can overcharge them?" Thomas asked as he and Sunset trotted over to the stockpile of enemy equipment. Hoisting one within his magic, Thomas surveyed every inch until spotting an internal spring switch along the interior of the rod body. Winding the spring until fully compressed, sparks started to emit from the head of the spear. Sharing a devilish look and grin with Sunset, he leaned out the car window and aimed ahead at the nearest airship. With a squeeze of the switch, the spear shot forth a fat laser rippling with arcane power that tore straight threw the airship's gasbag, leaving it to crash adjacent to the train tracks. Whoops and cheers sounded off within the car.
Tempest's flagship busted through the cloud cover obscuring the train station below. Already, several ships were docked with their troops out and about roaming every inch below. From so far up above, they looked like swarming ants, but Tempest had her sights focused elsewhere. Chugging away toward the south, the Princess was quick to make a speedy exit within her locomotive. Run, run, run, little princess. You'll trip on your dress soon enough.
*Crunch* *Munch* *Munch* *Munch* Grubber ruined the moment as he gorged himself upon a bag of chips. If it weren't for the fact the little weasel was the only one who could understand the storm beasts, Tempest would've ejected him off her ship years ago. Maneuvering to intercept, allied airships began bombarding the train with their tesla cannons. "Oh! We got them on the ropes now! Ha-ha-ha!" He took another fistful of chips and jammed them into his face-hole, eliciting an eye-roll from Tempest.
As the minutes passed, the effectiveness of the cannons proved inefficient. "Stupid beasts. Can't they see they're dealing no damage!? Switch to black powder barrels. Knock that train off its treads."
Grubber was quick to fish out the scrying spell and through a series of roars and grunts issued the new order. "Don't you think that's a little excessive?"
"If this princess wants to actually put up a fight, then I'm game. How long until they reach the next settlement?"
Grubber consulted with a nearby beast before answering back. "The thing is they're moving fast, too fast, so maybe... eight minutes?"
"Perfect. Get in contact with the next settlement's forces. We're going to rig them a surprise." Tempest finished with a growing grin.
Up in the driver's cabin, Twilight was hard at work eyeing each system and ensuring the engine ran in one piece all the while applying magic shields over the cabin whenever bombs strayed too close for comfort. Psalms was busy reading the map and pinpointing their exact location and estimating the time until they reached Apple Loosa. Spike stood upon the train's dashboard, keeping an eye for any airships ahead and providing calls outs whenever necessary. A bright flash lit up the entire cabin, and a moment later, one of the airships popped like a balloon, crashing into the earth and trees. Shouts and whoops echoed from the train car.
"Alright, we're making good time, great time actually. If my calculations are correct, we'll pass Apple Loosa, speed in between the Macintosh Hills, roll right along Rolling Rock Ridge, and reach the edge of the Badlands within fifteen minutes at the most. This train must be more advanced or efficient than the last because Apple Loosa is already directly ahead and we just barely left the station."
"That, or Pinkie is a really great shoveller," Spike thumbed at the posterior chamber.
Twilight examined the engine's readings, whispering to herself all the while before finally turning to the two. "We need to slow down, we're putting on too much steam. The boilers are reaching critical levels and if we push too far, we risk a complete shutdown or bypass all safety measures and leave the train speeding until it explodes."
"How long until it's too late?" Spike asked.
"At the rate we're burning, five minutes. We have to hemorrhage steam now." Twilight reached one of the emergency valves and began twisting until she was interrupted by the cabin door exploding open.
"Twilight! Twilight!" Fluttershy cried out as she skitted to a halt before said alicorn, a falcon remain perched upon her mane. "You have to slow the train down! Up ahead in Apple Loosa, they've rigged the tracks to-" *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* Went the railroad in bright fiery mushroom clouds, "-...explode," Fluttershy squeaked.
Silence descended upon the cabin as each member slowly registered how dire the situation became. They...they blew up the train tracks? Disbelief flashed across Psalms' face, disbelief and growing dread. They blew the tracks... they blew the... how are we going to get past? How are we going to make it to the desert now...did I fuck us completely?
"Hey! What happened, what were those explosions?" Thomas asked as he and the rest of the ponies crowded into the cabin. The silence hung thick as their expected answer never came. Thomas flicked his eyes between Psalms and Twilight in increasing irritation. "...Well!?"
"...They blew the tracks... in Apple Loosa," Psalms all but whispered.
"Blew the tracks?" Thomas parroted. He scanned around the cabin until he found a pair of binoculars and ascended to the roof hatch. Popping it open, it took him a minute to focus the lens onto the town ahead. Sure enough, jagged metal and burning wood were all that was left of the tracks rapidly approaching. Having his fill, he descended back down to the cabin, was at a loss for words, and opted to fling the binocs against the floor, startling the others. Sweat began to drip down his face and his breath began to run wild as internal emotions warred against his calm facade. He reigned them all back as he turned to the only two who could provide answers. "Well... shit...now what?"
All eyes turned to Psalms and Twilight, both of which held their silence. "The train was my only plan. Unless we can all be teleported far enough away, we'll never escape on foot."
"A mass teleport of this large of a group is very much ill-advised. Unless you want to split us up and risk an easier capture, but that would require us to slow the train to a stop..." Sunset adorned a forlorn mask. "...but at this point, we don't have a choice, do we? Any other ideas?"
"We could...no.... oh-oh! We could....no...oh-oh! We could.... ah never mind." Pinkie tried in vain to brainstorm but eventually, her resolve fell along with her mane and tail, both drooping limply.
Nopony else was forthcoming with answers... that is until, "...Why don't we just...lift the train over the damaged tracks?"
All eyes turned toward Thomas. "I mean, we can lift shit with these things, right? We have three alicorns present and sure we don't have a lot of practice with magic, but me and Psalms have a good enough handle on telekinesis. With our combined magic and the train at top speed, we would only need to float the train for a few seconds at the most. ...It's not great and it's incredibly stupid, but it is a feasible plan... right? ...Guys?"
Scattered mutterings littered the cabin, draining Thomas's enthusiasm, but they were drowned out by the sputtering of steam from one of the valves. Twilight was quick to rectify the breach. She checked the gauges and sputtered a small yelp before redirecting her gaze to the blown tracks ahead, panic running rampant in her eyes. "There's no more time to plan! We'll just have to make it work!" She shifted her gaze between each pony as she called them out. "Thomas, Rarity, you two oversee the caboose! Sunset will take the main car and Psalms and I will handle the cabin! On my mark, we apply all magic to the train, don't hold back for a second, now go! Everypony else, hang on tight!"
Each member was quick to scramble to their places, panic having taken hold of everyone's minds... well except for Pinkie, who was having the time of her life shoveling more coal into the furnace... somebody probably should've told her to stop... ah well.
Sweat dripped down the face of Psalms as the first of Apple Loosa's buildings passed them by, broken tracks closing in by the mile. "You know, Twilight, I didn't think things would get this out of control."
"You're telling me, I never planned on being a Princess in all my life, but here I am!" Without warning, thunder and explosive barrels assaulted each side of the train as it reached ever close to imminent doom. The attack was sudden and without cohesion which crescendoed in a near instant, all the while their accuracy was literally all over the place.
Psalms couldn't hold in his laugh as the barrage reached its zenith. "Their attack screams desperation! They must've thought we'd be cowed to their bluff!"
A barrel that came way too close for comfort exploded just outside the front of the cabin, rocking the room and its occupants down to the floor. "I'm happy to prove them wrong!" Twilight blurted out, a near-manic smile on her face.
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* Went the railroad in bright fiery mushroom clouds. Checkmate, Princess. Good game, better than the other three, but that isn't saying much. "All forces in that town are to converge onto the track and establish a perimeter immediately upon its stop. I want all airships on overwatch and have the Grenadiers prepped and ready for boarding action. The alicorns are mine, petrify all the rest."
Grubber was quick to issue her orders. "Huh, so that's it then, nowhere to go. Game over."
"Indeed." Tempest agreed for once. ... ... ...
"...Uh... they aren't stopping."
Tempest released a snort. "Even a blind you could see the writing on the wall, and they know this. They will slow down." ... ... ...
"...Still haven't slowed down."
Tempest's eye twitched as her teeth slipped into a snarl and rage threatened to boil to the surface before it was simmered cool within an instant. She heaved a heavy breath and blew it very slowly, calming her singed nerves. "There is nowhere for them to go. Nowhere for them to run. They have no plan. They are completely surrounded and outnumbered. It. Is. Over. ....Any second now." ... ... ... ... ...
"...It's been a minut-"
"RRRAAUUUGGGGHHH!" Tempest roared into the open air, broken horn flaring and sputtering, her inner rage manifested in uncontrolled mana strikes upon her deck. "FIRE EVERYTHING AT THEM! EVERYTHING! TOPPLE THAT TRAIN DOWN! THEY WILL NOT ESCAPE!"
Their window of time was drawing to a close. "Everypony Ready!?" Twilight screamed out amid the chaos. "Thomas, Rarity!?"
The caboose was distant and the raging exterior cacophony hampered their voices but the duo had heard them loud and clear and shouted their answer with all their might. "Ready!"
"Sunset!?" Twilight fixed her gaze to the interior of the car.
"Ready!" She responded, a small smirk of confidence at her mouth's edge. It did little to hide her inner nervousness.
Twilight turned to her side and offered a small smile and a hoof "Psalms?"
Psalms was wide-eyed for a moment before he took her hoof and offered his own smile. "Ready."
"Alright, everypony!" Twilight reflected on the broken tracks ahead, her mind racing with running calculations and following formulas that would ensure their survival. "...Three!"
"Fire everything! Yes, everything! ...No! No, not the cake!" Grubber yelled into his scrying spell.
Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash reinforced themselves into the corner of the main car using several boxes and crates as a makeshift barricade. Spike locked himself into the furnace and Pinkie...Pinkie was living in the moment.
"...Two!"
Under Tempest's direct orders, All of Apple Loosa's garrison was stationed on the tracks, waiting to surround the train that was reportedly slowing down. The bullet train before them didn't look the least bit slow, a fact the beasts were, for their sake, quick to pick up on. Chaos descended among the ranks and each beast was left to fend for itself as they trampled over one another.
"In case we somehow mess this all up, I wish to express my thanks, for being my gallant knight from the battle before. Thank you." Rarity cuffed a hoof to Thomas's cheek and brought him close to deliver a kiss upon it.
Upon being released, Thomas remained still for only a moment before stammering and sputtering his words, earning a giggle from Rarity. "...Uh...uh, yeah, yeah, no problem. A-any time...wait, this doesn't mean you're gonna give me some cutesy name, are you?"
"...One!"
"...What are you doing?" Tempest whispered to herself. Disbelief overpowered all rage within Tempest as she tried to comprehend the very scene playing before her eyes.
Twilight and Psalsm shared one last look and a squeeze between their hoofs. "...NOW!"
*SSSSCCCCCCRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHH*
"AAAAAAGGGHHHHH!"
"HHHHHHHAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"GGGGGUUUUUUUUUAAAARRRRAAAAHHHHHHH!"
The screams of all magic users filled the air as they struggled to lift the thousand-ton hunks of iron and steel. Gravity punished them for every waking moment. Eyes bulged and veins were nearly popping, but continue the struggle, all did.
*CCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHKKKKKKK*
The sound of screeching metal verberated from the caboose, its angle at a noticeable incline, leaving it dragging across the earth.
"Thomas!" Rarity screeched, sweat dripping from every pore and mascara running down her face along with a fresh stream of tears, even a little dribble of blood leaked from her nostrils. Thomas fared no better. "We...can't...slack! ...Lift...harder!"
Never before had Thomas felt such strain on his body, mind, or soul. The weight was crushing, bone-breaking, soul-rending... but push harder he did, enough to pop a blood vessel or several, leaving his eyes to gain a whole new level of crimson. With another cry of pain and effort, The caboose shifted its position just enough to fix the crooked angle.
Back in the front cabin, Twilight stifled her cries and cleared away the tears from her face, allowing her a clear view of undamaged tracks ahead. She held her breath, counting down the seconds until the caboose would clear the last of the damage...then their moment finally came. Her voice was gone at that point so she simply released her hold of the train. With her support lost, the others lasted not a millisecond longer.
*CCCCRRRRRKKKKKKKKKSSSHHHHHT*
A slight screech from the wheels reconnecting and... blissful silence, train chugs aside.
Twilight was gulping breaths down like no tomorrow and her horn was literally ablaze. A few flaps of her wings and the fire was put out. Beside her, Psalms was sprawled across the floor, limp as a fish and... completely unmoving. Worry flooded her fiery veins as his chest failed to contract. She waited for a moment, then another, then panic overtook her as she rushed to his side. Sure enough, he wasn't breathing, and terror threatened to overtake her senses but she reigned it back in and recounted all her medical knowledge.
Following the basic procedure, she applied both hooves to his sternum and rigorously began pumping, calling his name out each time, hoping his eyes would fly open at the pain. Thirty chest compression, calling his name in whispers each time as her throat had nothing more to offer. She did not hesitate upon moving to the secondary motion. Leaning all the way down, she cupped his lips to hers, delivered two breaths, and waited a moment for a response. Nothing. Rinse and repeat.
Psalms was standing in an endless plain, spanning beyond the eye's view, a virtual endless field of wheat. It felt safe, it felt familiar, the Angel before him certainly was familiar. "Dismas. I must say, I didn't expect you so soon." An impish smile lay smothered across Sophia's features.
It took Psalms a moment for his brain to catch up with current events. "...I...I died? Again?"
"You are what they call 'clinically dead' but truthfully? No. Fear not, your flame is hard at work bringing you back."
Flame? "...Twilight..."
"She has a most beautiful soul. Compassion... kindness... friendship... and so many more virtues. A being truly worthy of her gift."
"Sometimes...sometimes I wonder if I won't be good enough for her."
Sophia gently cupped her hand to Psalms' cheek, bringing his eyes to bear upon hers. "Let doubt fester within your soul and fear will compel you away for good. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."
A wave of air blasted through Psalms' corporeal form, then another, driving a breath into his lungs, leaving him gasping for more. "A little spark, conjoined between two hearts, may yet burn together for all eternity."
Psalms collapsed to the floor as more air flooded his lungs, His eyes grew dark and his mind turned foggy. "I wish you farewell and good luck, Little Light. Your journey has only just begun."
Twilight delivered a breath and as she cupped her lips to his once more his eyes flew open and he choked upon the air she delivered, racking a coughing fit as his lungs burned. Tears flowed freely from her face as she and Psalms embraced each other, neither having the voice to utter words.
There they sat for a minute as each gathered their strength and breath equally. With one last gulp, Psalms finally steadied his lungs. Nodded his appreciation to Twilight and both slowly pulled themselves off the ground, Hooves untangling as each braced themselves fully to the floor. Passing by the boiler compartment, Pinkie was back to shoveling away at the coal. She offered a mock nod and salute before giggling to herself and resumed her work.
Limping into the main car, The floor was a mess. Their supplies lay littered across the floor and a few boxes had broken open, scattering their contents to all corners. Applejack nursed a nasty bruise on her forehead while going around with Spike and tried in vain to clean the car. In one corner laid Rainbow Dash, and another with Sunset who sat drenched head to hoof in sweat and a little bile of which Fluttershy was hard at work cleaning her right up. The triumphant smile on her face was all they needed to know about her status. With each face they met, they could only offer a tilted head or quirked brows and in return received a variety of 'I'm good' body gestures.
The cabooses door was wide open, providing the two a clear view of Rarity, napkin in hoof and Thomas in her lap. She went to work smearing away the dirt and grime and other less savory stains as he drifted away into a deep slumber.
Twilight and Psalms shared a look before racking coughs afflicted the two. Coughs that soon turned into roaring laughter, that was joined in by the others one by one, until the train's own chugs were drowned out by their cackling. Whoops and cheers joined in, and the world soon was nothing but the sounds of celebration... until it wasn't.
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* The impact of the tesla cannons drove away the good cheer and once again, it was action stations. "Aaahh! C'mon!" Dash cried out, much to the agreement of every other soul.
Twilight limped with all her might to the front cabin, taking a quick note at the ridge to their left. The Rolling Rocky Ridge, notoriously known for its rocky avalanches. Any disturbance was bound to bring down a boulder or two, and today would be no exception. She took note of the steam gauge and immediately blew out her spittle before rounding herself toward the boiler compartment. "Pinkie, stop! Stop! No more coal!"
"Oki-doki-loki!" She offered her usual response.
Trudging back to the engine, she was quick to turn the emergency valves and bled the steam away. It was a miracle it hadn't shut down or blown up yet. As if there weren't enough problems, a great impact rattled the cabin which was followed by several blaring sirens. She and Psalms were quick to reach the dashboard, surveying the blinking lights and reading the warnings.
"Something damaged the interior of the engine." He scanned through the manual, quick to identify each flashing symbol and connect the dots, "A pipe's been ruptured... we're bleeding too much steam, if we don't fix this now we'll be dead on the tracks." Psalms relayed.
"Fix? Fix how!?" Twilight said in a panic as she checked, re-checked, and re-re-checked the engine and its steam gauges, indecision leaving her mind a muddy mess. "I barely understood the engine's manual, I'm not a mechanic!"
Psalms took a second to ponder his next move. Opening the interior engine crawl space, he was almost met with a blast of direct steam. Peering through, he could see the air visibly ripple and feel the scorching heat no doubt due to them overloading the system for so long. "...Spike! ...Spike!"
A moment later, Spike came clattering through the cabin, tripping himself over the many tools and items spilled from their brief flight. "I'm here! I'- oof... I'm here!"
Psalms motioned him over in quick succession, "You any good fixing things with a wrench and pipe?"
"Uh, erm, not really?" A shrug followed suit from the little forlorn lizard, but he was quick to brighten up, "Oh, actually yeah! I fixed a leak in a water main once! Even retrofitted a pipe! ...Well, actually I watched the repair pony retrofit the pipe, all I did was twist the screw tight. But other than that, I've never done maintenance."
"Well, what little experience you have is enough for me, and I have faith you're good at working and learning on the fly!" Psalms dug through the spare parts compartment and compared the pieces to those within the manual. Finding the one that looked ideal, he hefted the pipe and wrench into Spike's claws. "There's a ruptured pipe in the interior engine and it's leaking steam. You have to fix it or else we're doomed. No pressure." Psalms fixed him a weak smile.
Worry plagued Spike's face. "W-what? Why me!?"
*BOOM* *CRASH* "Because you're the only one who can stand the heat and a direct blast of steam! Because you're small enough to crawl through and install the part. Because you're our only hope now!" Psalms placed his hoof over the dragon's chest, giving him his biggest smile yet. "Because I believe in you. Everybody does, Ain't that right, Girls!?"
"I believe in you, Spike!" Twilight added her support, sharing a quick glance and smile despite her frazzled face and horrendous condition screaming otherwise. Voices from the main car and even as far as the caboose spilled their praises and cheers for the little guy.
"I believe in you, little dude!"
"You got this, Spike!"
"Nothing stops Spike the Brave and Glorious!"
"Be fearless, my Spikey-Wikey!"
Hearing the others add their support was enough to drive determination within his eyes. With a flick of his tail and a quick nod, Spike steeled himself and made a b-line for the interior engine hatch and soon disappeared behind a cloud of steam.
Taking a glance at the gauge, Psalms noted the quickly depleting power, even as the steam meter warned of its critical levels still. Not good, we need more power. Turning on his heel, Psalms made a dash for Pinkie, rounding himself to the boiler room, "Pinkie! We need more coal, start shoveling!"
In a flash, she straightened herself and offered a mock salute, an ever-increasing gesture the longer they spent on the train. "Oki-doki-loki!"
"No! Are you crazy!? Any more fuel and we risk blowing the engine! Pinkie, no more coal!" Twilight called from the cabin, too busy to leave her station.
Just as she was about to shove more fuel, Pinkie paused mid-haul and instead did a 180* and flung the coal back into the pile. "Ooki-doki-loki!"
Frustration boiled within Psalms, he applied a hoof to his face and began massaging it for a brief moment before calling out. "If we lose any more power we'll be sitting ducks!" Psalms redirected his gaze to his pink friend, "Pinkie, coal!"
Pinkie's mouth opened and closed several times, no doubt wishing to ask for clarification, before she shook her head away and plucked another shovel full of coal, "Oooki-dok-"
"Too much steam pressure and the engine emergency shutdown will kick in and we'll be guaranteed sitting ducks!" Twilight peaked her head into the cabin, sparing a moment to glare at the party pony. "No, Pinkie!" Her piece said, she ducked back out.
Irritation began to sprout on Pinkie as she once again dumped the load of coal onto the floor "Ok?"
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*
"We don't have a choice!" Psalms climbed into the already cramped compartment and began heaving small clumps of coal into the furnace, desperation plastered upon his face as he turned to Pinkie. "Pinkie, please."
Pinkie turned her eyes to the entrance, then onto Psalms, then back again... before finally relenting. "Alrighty then!"
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*
*Sprtz* *Sprtz* The discharge from the spears left a small cloud of smoke that left Applejack a coughing wreck. Heaving a gulp of air, she readjusted her aim and fired her overcharged spear once more. *Sprtz* Pop, pop, pop, went the airships as the ponies retaliated, sowing chaos among the sky and thinning their foe's numbers one by one.
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*
But each time the tesla cannons opened fire upon the ridge, the threat of falling debris presented itself as chunks of stone pelted against the car's side, leaving dents and small holes. Glass lay spilled across the floor as multiple windows caved in.
"Dagnabbit!" Applejack cried out as she tripped upon a boulder fresh from the outside. "Varmint's gonna bring the whole dang ridge down on us. Keep firing everypony!" *Sprtz* *Sprtz*
"I'm out!" Thomas's cry echoed from the caboose, a second later he came rushing through, eyeing every edge of the car for more weapons. *Sprtz* *Sprtz* Desperately digging around in one corner, he failed to find nothing more than trash and debris. "Where're the spare spears!?" He roared over the laser shots.
"Ask Fluttershy! She's reorganizing our supplies!" Sunset called out as she rushed from one window to the next.
Smack dab in the middle of the car, Fluttershy struggled to single handily compile and secure the group's tools and resources. With the car bouncing and skipping this way and that from the explosions and rocks, the crates kept falling from their bundles, and the damaged ones spilled their contents once more.
*BOOM* *BOOM* Thomas nearly tripped his way over to the pile, scanning every angle trying to find another spear. No dice. "Fluttershy, do we have any spare spears!?"
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* The battle raging outside crescendoed, nearly deafening all on the train. "What!?" Fluttershy screamed out, but Thomas didn't hear a single word, opting to instead read her lips.
"Spears! Spears!" Thomas hefted his dead spear and began rigorously shaking it before the mare. "Spear-" *CRASH* *CRKT!*
Turning to his left, the crash of several rocks against the car wall, reverberated across the room, but it was what was coming yet that left Thomas scrambling over to Fluttershy, tackling her and driving out her breath as they skirted to one side of the car. All other ponies were warned of the coming danger and they too scrambled for the edge.
Not a moment later, A giant jagged boulder impacted through the already weakened car wall, tearing through glass and steel and, unfortunately, right through the group's gathered supplies before bursting through the other side of the car, leaving two gaping holes behind. The car became littered with broken wood, steel chunks, glass, and the remnants of their much-needed resources.
Rage overtook Rainbow Dash and she set her sights upon the one airship that had been tailing them the longest, one that had withstood all their overcharges while all the others fell with ease, one that had a magical shield that kept intercepting their attack. The one that had two jagged piercing blue eyes.
Without a moment of hesitation, Dash gripped her spear tightly and flung herself out the gaping hole, much to the panic and shouts of the others inside.
Ever since she was shot down back at the train station, she had been laid up recovering, practically useless throughout the train ride. Sure she nailed a ship or two, but anypony could do that with their eyes closed. Those gasbags were big, slow, and easy targets. No more, even if her wings and back were on fire, she was the only one who could strike a critical blow and get back in one piece, she had to, otherwise, it was game over.
Using the clouds and smoke as cover for above, She stuck close to the ground, allowing thermal soaring to do most of her flying work, and weaved through the trees to decrease the risk of exposure. Sporadically littered across the land for miles were the wrecks of multiple airships. The damage they took was practically nonexistent as shooting the gasbags usually entailed them slowly descending to the ground and wracking up scrapes against the hull from digging into the earth. Some were a bit on fire but for the most part, they had received little damage structurally.
As Dash settled onto a branch to regain her breath, the flagship floated by above, its cannons firing relentlessly. It was the same ship from before, the same one from Canterlot, carrying that traitor unicorn. Tempest. Oh, Dash had a bone to pick with her. Loyalty was her Element, and this mare was the physical manifestation of the exact opposite. That just won't do, time for them to get a taste of their own medicine.
With a mighty thrust, Dash launched herself high above, rocketing herself till she was directly behind the ship. The traitor had grown wise to their way of attacks and had magically reinforced their balloon. Dash was keen to find out if they considered the vulnerable engines as well. Time to find out. Revving up the magic, Dash unleashed all remaining power.
*Sprtz* *Sprtz* *Sprtz* *BOOM* Her aim struck true as fire crackled from the open wound. Several combustions sprang from the engine exhaust hole and smoke soon replaced the burning fuze from before, but after a minute or two, nothing else of note took place. Dash was disappointed at the lack of a fireworks display, expecting all engines to explode into a gushing fiery blaze, but alas, her work proved only to hamper the speed of the ship. Hearing the grunts and roars of several beasts, Dash dove back to the ground at break-neck speeds. She hoped to maintain her momentum as her train had yet to decrease its speed at all. From her position, she could see the end of the ridge and the great sand dunes beyond. Right as the ridge ended and the Badlands began, lay a high angled cliff of which the tracks took a sharp turn to the right, sharp for a train at their speed. They were beyond the event horizon.
Blaring sirens and ringing alarms plagued the driver's cabin as steam levels reached beyond critical. Twilight tried with all her knowledge to alleviate the levels, but they were past the point of no return. Spike appeared to be successful in his mission, too successful as the steam pressure proved too much. Pipes began to burst, and nuts and bolts were ejected at lethal speeds, bouncing all over the cabin, forcing her to shield herself. With one final spurt of steam, the engine's readings shorted and combusted into flames, followed by the dashboard and the steam gauge. The cabin was nothing more but fire and smoke, forcing Twilight from it for good.
Shutting the cabin door, Twilight was left gulping for air. Her wheezing alerted Psalms and he was quick to exit the boiler room and sat by her side. "Twilight, you alright? What happened?"
It took her a few more breaths before responding. "The engine is completely destroyed, we've overloaded the system. The emergency shutdown didn't kick in, we're on an ever-accelerating ticking bomb."
Psalms reflected onto the driver's cabin, then turned towards the rear two train cars. "... It's just the driver's cabin that's going to explode, right? We can move everyone to the caboose and brace for it. Summon a magic shield and hold." Twilight relented with a nod and Psalms made to inform the others but was stopped by one of Twilight's wings.
"Wait," She requested before turning back to the cabin, "We have to get Spike."
"Don't worry about him," Psalms reassured as he pulled Twilight along with him. "I've had time to go through most of the manual. Right now he's deep in the bowels of the steam pump which is virtually a steel bunker." Doubt still lingered on her face, which he was quick to remedy. "He's in a safer position than we are. Trust me." Twilight lingered on the cabin door a moment more before relenting with a nod.
Twilight headed into the main car while Psalms paused by the boiler room. "You are relieved of duty, Pinkie. The Equestrian Railway Public Transport Service Branch thanks you for your generous labor."
Pinkie flung the last of the fuel before planting the shovel deep into the coal mound. "They're gonna be hearing from my lawyer! I mean have you seen these working conditions?" Pinkie giggled away as she bounced into the next room followed by Psalms who was left slack-jawed upon seeing its condition.
An explosion rang out from the driver's cabin. The door's window imploded and fire cascaded out. Smoke began to leak from the breach. "Psalms! Over here! Hurry!" Twilight waved from the caboose, all other ponies looking over her shoulder.
Sparing a glance back, Psalms retreated toward the group, "What about the car!? Our supplies!? We have to secure them!"
"There's practically nothing left, darling! Not to mention there's no space left in here! Take a look ahead outside!" Rarity motioned Psalms to the open window. The whipping wind made it difficult for his eyes to focus, but growing closer by the second was a sharp curve along the tracks that were before a cliff that presented a grand view of the Badlands in all its sandy glory. There was no way they were escaping the coming flight. Psalms had seen enough as he ducked back into the caboose, window sealed shut. "We'll have to survive that first before worrying about our supplies." Rarity finished.
"We just can't catch a break, can we?" Thomas asked aloud, earning various forms of agreement from all present.
Another explosion rocked the front cabin and a fresh cloud of smoke surged forth toward the caboose. The door was sealed shut just as the smoke reached the entrance edge, successfully blotting the window's view. More explosions rocked the train caboose and a screech of grinding steel filled the air.
"We need to get off this fireball! Can one of you magic us all away!?" Thomas pleaded.
"Are you kidding!?" Sunset shot him a bewildering look. "After lifting a thousand-ton train!? I'm shocked we can even summon any magic at all!"
"Teleportation, Portals!?" Thomas desperately listed out.
Sunset gestured wildly at every individual present. "Too many ponies!"
Twilight's horn flared as she settled herself in the direct center, A half bubble having morphed around her. "There's no time to brainstorm! Everypony in!"
Everyone was quick to cluster together leading to the bubble to completely sealing shut. All other magic users flared their horns and added what little reinforcement they could. The outside world flashed by at the speed of light and it wasn't long before a sinking feeling entered everyone's stomach. Gravity had reversed itself and they were left flailing around as the windows provided a view of the heavens on one side, and the rushing ground on the other.
Straight out of an action flick, the train barrelled past the curve, landed off the tracks, skidded through the rocky dirt, and hurled itself off the cliff and into the sky at full throttle and then some. It actually gained elevation for a brief moment before gravity asserted itself as the dominant power at play. And just like that, the train disappeared from view and Tempest was left holding her breath with anticipation. Actually, fearing the worst.
Nothing else happened. No great explosion, no fireball, no magically flying train again, just dead silence on the deck. There was a brief streak of a rainbow that had been following the train. It too disappeared, following the locomotive.
"...Wow... that... was a once-in-a-lifetime thing to see." *CRUNCH* *MUNCH* *MUNCH*
Tempest found herself agreeing with Grubber's assessment once again, a thing she hoped wouldn't be reoccurring anymore. "Engine status?"
Grubber conversed with one of the beasts before relaying it to Tempest. "A lot of internal damage. Several broken fuses and we're hemorrhaging fuel. All in all not too bad. Easily fixable...."
Tempest could smell the hesitation and was having none of it. "But?"
"...But, your ship isn't carrying enough spare parts." Grubber hitched himself onto the rail and scanned the many smoke trails dotting the land. "We can salvage from one of the airships, but they're all behind us. Repairs will take some time too."
Tempest flared her nostrils and turned back towards the Badlands. At her nod, Grubber went scurrying, issuing the order to turn back. So, the little princess has some drive in her. Let's just see how far she can get. |
Life isn’t done with you | Chapter 6: An Adventure Already?! (Part 4: Desert Dilemmas.) | Who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water,
-Deuteronomy 8:15a
As soon as the magic bubble morphed completely around everyone, silence descended within their cramped space save for wheezing breaths and an occasional whimper or two. Everyone was sharing looks at one another, fear and worry prevalent the most. The raging wind and fiery explosions were nothing more than dulled vibrations. The window to their right provided a perfect view of their ever-accelerating state as the curve in the tracks they saw before flashed by within a blink of an eye, followed by a horrible screech of grinding metal. Tremors afflicted the caboose as the train successfully landed beyond the tracks and dug through the stony earth. Before they could comprehend anything further, the tremors ceased, the earth disappeared and the Sun and sky became forefront to the window's view.
It was tranquil for the briefest of moments before the tell-tale sinking feeling of free fall afflicted all. One by one, every other magic user applied what little mana they could to the bubble as gravity was inverted and the caboose slowly began to tilt towards its side. From their port side of the caboose, the sandy dunes and scorching desert grew in size and detail as the seconds passed while the starboard presented the blinding sun along with its everlasting shine and a clear blue sky.
No words were muttered still and any cries from earlier were muted as everyone braced themselves for the coming crash. Bodies were pressed together and hooves interlocked amongst one another. Nearly all eyes were shut as each pony reinforced their heads against one another. Psalms shared one last look with Twilight, who remained ramrod as she beheld the bubble. Her eyes reflected dread but deep down a sparkle shined within as she watched him mouth to her the only word that brimmed in his mind. Faith.
Twilight's resolve strengthened ever so slightly and she nodded to him just as he was shutting his eyes closed and ducked for cover. As haggard and drained of magic as Twilight was, hope and faith still prevailed even in this most dire situation, and If she could behold such natures at the very moment, then what reason had he to be worried? With her confidence at the display, he shouldn't, but that's easier said than done. Anticipation flooded his veins as the seconds ticked by and Psalms did not dare open his eyes lest his heart beat its last, for the third time.
Then the crash came, and nopony within that bubble would ever be able to recall exactly what happened as one second all were held within a magic bubble, and the next, Psalms found himself flailing through the dry heat as buffeting winds assaulted his ears. In his panic, his wings had unfurled themselves, and tried as he might to land safely, his expertise with the feathery appendages still equaled zilch. It was a good thing he kept his eyes closed the whole way through as he soon found himself impacting through the head of a dune. The crash softened his momentum but he found himself within the air once more but at a heavy decline in elevation. He impacted the dune once more and was rumbling and tumbling down the slope. It must've been a small dune as he soon found himself splayed out on his stomach against a coarse rocky ground.
At first, he couldn't feel a thing, his mind was a swirl as if having been through a night out on the town. Opening his eyes was a mistake as grains saw their chance and assaulted his delicate optics. His scream filled the air as he scrambled along the floor, his body flailing around like a fresh fish out of water. Eventually, he settled himself onto his knees and allowed his tears to slowly build up and flow freely, taking his assailants along with them. His relief was short-lived as his senses returned in full, and the first sensation that filled his mind was the blistering heat adorning his back and searing his knees and wherever his naked body made contact with the ground. He was quick to jump onto his hooves which too began to burn, his froggy bottoms practically melting by the heat's touch.
And then there was the stinging. Piercing, aching stings littering almost every corner of his being. Sand covered every nook and cranny on him and the aching burning pain he felt was due to finding splotches of friction burns across his hide. Shaking himself free of most of the sand, Psalms was quick to survey his surroundings, hooves dancing as he tried to keep the ever-increasing burning sensations at bay. He was situated at the bottom of a sand pit but he was able to spot a smoke trail just beyond the hill's peak. Quick on his feet, Psalms scurried along the dune's edge, his wings abuzz in the hopes he could fly his way back. No dice.
Cresting the top, he was presented with the train and its three main components a fair distance away. He could barely hear the shouts of one of the ponies, but at his distance, he was unsure as to who. Staring long enough, he spotted movement, and with the lack of enemy airships around, he was confident it was one of his friends. Feet burning, he hesitated no more and began a mad dash towards the reck.
Amid the yellow sprawling dunes, and the grey outcroppings of boulders, the smoking remains of the train and its colorful cohorts were a welcome sight for Psalms. It was Pinkie who had perched herself atop the wreckage of the caboose, train whistle blowing as a call for all missing members to regroup at. She stopped upon spottings Psalms, eliciting a cheer from her as she bounced atop the train's carcass full of glee, hooting and hollering at the others all the while.
The wreckage before Psalms provided ample areas of shade and he was quick to sprint for the nearest open spot, noting the colorful coats of his friends within his peripheral vision along the way. Two yellows, orange, pink, white, purple, crimson...no sign of blue or green. The burning within his frogs was too much as he skidded along the sand and rolled himself into the cool shade. His breaths were heavy and labored as the burning in his feet and across his hide throbbed with every pulse of his heart.
"Psalms!" Twilight cried out as she flapped her way toward him before landing by his side. "Oh, thank Celestia, you're ok! I-I-I don't know what happened, one moment we were together and the next-"
"Flying through the air," Psalsm interrupted through labored breaths, "Yeah... I know... is...is everyone ok?"
Twilight was quick to nod away. "A bruise here and a scrape there, but everypony is fine; tired and drained of magic, but fine... well, except for Sunset, I believe her leg is broken. Fluttershy and I were tending to her and the others when Pinkie started announcing your presence..." It was then that Twilight eyed the various burns adorning his physic. "Oh no, you're hurt too! Just wait right here, I'll go fetch some cream." Twilight made to get the medicine but was stopped by one of Psalms' hooves.
"Cream? I don't remember us hauling cream on the wagon." He had personally overseen all their resources and there was no cream... unless-
"They came pre-packaged within the first aid kit," Twilight reported with a gleeful smile and a little dance on her hooves. "It is nothing short of a miracle we managed to find it; relatively undamaged too!"
Thank you, God, Thank you, Sophia. Psalms completed his thanks with a kiss to his pendant before stopping Twilight once more, "I'm fine, at least for the moment. See to Sunset and the others first, Thomas and I will wait last."
Worry flashed across Twilight's face as she switched her gaze to Thomas off to their left. "...If you're sure.... besides, I don't think we have medicine that could fix that anyway..." Twilight flicked her gaze to Psalms and nodded Thomas's way before turning back for the others.
Turning to his left, Psalms was witness to Thomas cradled in a fetal position against the body of the train, rocking back and forth and muttering words he couldn't hear. It appeared he had entered another state of madness, something that was increasingly worrying Psalms. He strode up by his side and tried all manners of gaining his brother's attention but his mind was gone. Pinpricked eyes, blood, sweat, and tears stained across his body, and his hide rippled and shivered with increasing frequency.
"...Hot...hot...hot...too hot...burning up...burning...burning, burning, burning... forever in a lake of fire... surrounded by a sea of glass," Thomas's eyes reflected onto Psalsm's, blazing rage bubbled in an instant, "...because of you!" He screeched as he shuffled onto his feet.
The girls all turned, eyeing the two with worry, and began to converge on them, but Psalsm was quick to shoo them away as he flicked his hoof at them, "We're ok, we're fine! Don't worry about us, we just need some time alone." Psalms flashed them a strained smile, convincing the girls to reluctantly turn back to their own affairs as they tried to ignore the shouting that followed.
Thomas was quick to seize Psalms by the shoulders and slam his frame against the exterior roof hatch of the driver's cabin, "What the hell was all that? Just what the hell was all that crazy shit, Psalms!? Outrunning an entire armada, lightning guns trying to zap us, explosive barrels raining from the sky, tracks blowing up!? We could have died back there, we almost died back there, I could have died!" Thomas emphasized his panicked rage with a heavy stomp into the sand, "I thought you said we were in some little kiddies cartoon, what the actual fuck!?"
"I know, I know, alright!? Just keep your voice down!" Psalms peeked to his right and continued upon seeing all the others preoccupied, a hoof cupped between the two, "Things... things had gotten out of control, I admit that, but so far it isn't anything that didn't or couldn't have happened in the movie...at least I think so."
Thomas's jaw slackened. "W-wha...what!? What do you mean you think so!? You said you knew what the fuck was going to happen ahead of time! Explain!"
A heavy breath escaped Psalms as he scanned the others before continuing. "Look, like I said earlier our presence is already a divergence from the cartoon's canon. I have no doubt what we went through most likely didn't happen in the movie, but I can't be sure because it was never shown how they got to the desert. One scene they were by the river where we first met, the next they're crawling through the desert dying of thirst."
"W-what!? We're going to die and you knew it ahead of time!?"
"Oh for the love of God, get your head screwed on straight already!" Psalms did not hesitate to apply a forceful slap against Thomas's face. "No, we aren't going to die, dumbass! Like I or the directors would let that happen, then there wouldn't be a movie at all." Psalms couldn't help but apply a hoof to his face as he blew out a frustrated string of air, "Look, I know exactly where we are in the story, we'll be following the girls into a dingy town and while I might have some plans in the works, we'll let the girls do their things for the most part and we'll play along. I'll give you a heads-up if or when I'm going to make some changes to the story, capeesh?"
Thomas lightly slammed Psalms into the train once more, hooves still affixed to his shoulders, nostrils flaring and eyes glaring. Thomas's lips parted but no words were uttered as he struggled with his inner turmoil. With one last flare of his nose, his hooves loosened and the burning in his eyes simmered. "Fine... if you say everything turns out just peachy then how can I possibly oppose your word? Just see to it we all make it out in one piece because it's your damn head if anything happens to any of us." Thomas cornered Psalms against the train as he pressed himself against his brother, heads clashing, "Capeesh?" He warned.
Hard eyes reflected Thomas's visage before it disappeared as Psalms shifted his gaze to the cuffed medallion in his hoof, gave it a small kiss, and returned back to Thomas, a firm nod offered, satisfying his brother.
*BANG* *BANG* Hard thumps crashed against the train's hatch as it buckled against an unknown force behind the two. Panic filled Thomas's veins as blazing heat escaped from the hatch's crevices.
*BANG* *BANG* Psalms summoned what little magic he had left and lifted a small pile of sand within his magical grasp, ready to repeat Thomas's action from earlier.
*BANG*
*BANG* ... ... ...
*CRKT!*
The latch blasted straight off its hinges and blazing fire along with choking smoke surged forth, eliciting a panicked scream from the red alicorn as he dove and flailed away back into the blistering sunshine. The scorched earth evoked more manic screams as the alicorn dashed back into the shade at the train's rear, earning the eyes and ears of all the other ponies. Their eyes soon fell upon Psalms and the smoking hatch.
From within the belching smoke and crackling fire emerged a singular claw that gripped the edge of the opening. With a huff and a puff, Spike struggled, then stumbled, and finished with a tumble onto the ground. Rising to his feet, he spat the wrench that he had fastened between his teeth into one claw and picked up a broken pipe he had dropped with the other, bringing both objects into view for the others to consider. "Job finished!" He stated with a cheery proud smile.
"Hahaha!" Psalms couldn't contain his mirth, "Nice job, Spike. You did good." He finished with a razed hoof that was bumped a second later. "See, Twilight? I told you he'd be sa-oof!" Psalms was interrupted as Twilighted dashed by, her flared wings catching his side as she passed.
"Spike!" Twilight cried as she hoisted the little lizard into her limbs, bringing the duo into an embrace. The other ponies were quick to follow through with their own greetings, well most did.
At the wreckage of the caboose, Sunset laid within its shade while Thomas had retreated into the darkest corner, his hide rippling as his figure shivered. Bandages were adorned across Sunset's front left limb. Her cheeks bulged with a heavy breath as she clambered onto her hooves. Applying a minuscule amount of weight, her injured limb began to twitch and spasm. With a hiss, she finally relented back to the floor.
Remorse flooded Psalms' mind as he watched the mare squirm on the floor in pain. "Hey," he called out as he reached the two, "You alright?"
Sunset lifted her injured limb before her, earning yet another hiss before dropping it with a sigh. "Well, I would say I've had worse, but I don't want to attract Applejack's ire. Where is she and the others anyway? What's happening over yonder?"
"She and the others are coddling Spike who's safe and sound, as I told Twilight earlier." Psalms settled himself on his haunches upon reaching the shade. "If it weren't for the little guy, I think we'd be buried under a new mountain by now."
"No kidding?" Sunset asked as she reclined on a small dune, "That kid's going places. Sharp mind and a strong heart, he's got a bright future."
Psalms nodded in agreement. One I intend to keep. "...I'm sorry."
"Hmm?" Sunset offered a quirked brow.
"About your leg," Psalms pointed as added emphasis, "About the train, about the mirror, about everything! I brought you along on this crazy adventure and you got hurt because of me. All of you got hurt, and the possibility for worse was never too far... isn't far even now..."
A flick on his shoulder from Sunset's magic stirred Psalms' mind from his muse. "Hey now, don't be thinking like that. It isn't your fault that all of Equestria is invaded and we're being chased around by a bunch of hulking monkeys. Twilight and the others have been through worse than this on more than one occasion. The mirror can be fixed or replaced, and this?" Sunset hefted her injured limb before them once more, "This ain't nothing. Everything is fine, and we'll all be laughing this whole adventure off in Sugar Cube Corner by this week's end, you'll see."
Psalms made to counter her point but hesitated and relented at the last second. His eyes reflected on his brother whose state had yet to change, shook his head in resignation, and closed his eyes as fatigue crawled along the edges of his mind. He was content with letting the girls sort themselves and their situation for the moment.
His rest was short-lived however as the flapping of wings disturbed their brief tranquility. Before he could peak from under the caboose, Rainbow Dash settled herself before them in a hard landing. Her breaths were nothing but wheezes and sweat dripped like a waterfall from head to tail. Her wings hung limply to her side as she settled her tush upon the metal perch that was the caboose's wheel.
"Rainbow! There ya are!" Applejack called out as she and all the others relocated to their position. "Consarnit filly, what went through yer mind to do something so foolhardy as jumping off a moving train in yer condition?"
It took a moment more for Rainbow to respond, "Take it easy, AJ. I saved all your flanks with the stunt I pulled." She puffed herself up and scrubbed her hoof against her chest before replying further, "You're welcome, by the way."
Sunset looked anything but impressed if her deadpan expression was anything to go by. "Uh-huh, and what exactly did you do to save us? Because I'm assuming you aren't talking about the train." Sunset deduced.
Dash took a couple of flaps to settle herself onto the ground. "I bought us time. Did a loop back over the cliff and Tempest isn't following us anymore. In fact, there isn't a single ship in sight anywhere except for the hundreds of smoking wrecks for miles around, that's how much butt we kicked!" Rainbow topped off her exaggerated report with a couple of karate kicks into the air. Several of the girls couldn't help but roll their eyes at her display.
A small, almost imperceptible shift in the sand to Psalms left caught his eye for the briefest moment but gazing into the scorching wilderness provided no answers after a moment of surveying. Another moment later and he was back to listening to the others.
"So, the gangs all here, now what?" Spike was the first to inquire about their next course of action.
"Isn't it obvious?" Thomas filtered out as his wits returned and he shifted closer to the group. "We leave this godforsaken searing wasteland. I can't stand these boiling conditions a moment more!"
"What was the direction the Princess said again, Twilight? South, was it?" Rarity inquired as she reflected her gaze on the sun above.
"I don't think any of us are in any condition to make a trek down south in this heat." Psalms reflected his eyes on the main car, to the splintered remains of their supplies littering the dunes. "Certainly not without any supplies; did anything survive?"
Twilight turned to the corner and her magic flared as a crumbled mess of objects clattered to the ground before the group. "Barely anything. All of our food and water are gone; sleeping bags, headgear, fire starter kits... well with nopony to move the sun those would've been useless anyway... we did manage to find a partial tent kit, and thank Celestia the first aid was intact, but other than that there isn't anything else."
"Woah wait, back up a sec, whaddya mean there's nobody to move the sun?" Thomas was quick to question.
All the others shared a look before turning back to Thomas. "...Nopony told you?" Fluttershy softly probed.
Thomas could only offer a blank face in return. "Wouldn't be asking if I knew, now would I?"
"Right, yes, sorry my fault, I may have neglected to tell him a thing or two about Celestia and Luna to him." Psalms turned to his brother, "Right, I'll make it short, Princess Celestia literally controls the sun and its position in the sky, and Princess Luna does the same as well for the moon. Both are petrified so no one is controlling the time of day."
Thomas's eyes bugged out upon hearing Psalms words. "...Are you serious? That's even more reason we need to get the heck outta this damn desert! The temperature's gonna keep rising and we have no water as is!" Thomas fished into his saddle bag's pockets and dumped the four bottles from when their adventure first began. "This is literally all we have, and any water out there is gonna boil away in this heat. We need to leave, now!"
Another shift in the sand within Psalms' peripheral earned his attention. He noted not one but multiple shifts across the dunes, but they settled a second later. None of the others took notice. Then something slithered out, slithered into the air, flickering with some kind of bulbous end. Quick as a flash, it retreated back into the sand, leaving a quickly filling hole. No further movement across the desert.
"-ight, Psalms?" Thomas's words registered late.
"Huh, wuh?" Psalms blurted out as all fixated upon him.
"You came barreling from across the dune when the train crashed, right?" Thomas lifted his hoof before Psalms, earning a wince from his brother as he noted the many swelling lumps on his froggy bottom. "Your feet were blistering on the burning sand too?"
Psalms shifted upon his own hooves, the tingling stinging pain from his frogs having lingered from his trek. "Yeah, the desert was frying my hooves the whole way here."
Thomas pointed between himself and his brother, "Our feet were on fire, how come you guys have no trouble walking around?"
"Uh, horseshoes?" Twilight prompted upon inspecting her own.
Thomas was quick to bring both front feet before his eyes and took note of the scabbing adorned upon them. He shifted himself to Twilight side's and the two compared between themselves, noting the steel horseshoe Twilight adorned. "No wonder. Dammit, we need to get out of here but our feet will melt off within an hour."
"You could just fly, you have wings ya know?" Dash pointed with a flair of her wings before they slumped back to the ground.
A heavy groan was growled out by Thomas, but he was beaten by Sunset before he could so much as utter a word. "He can't. He doesn't know how. He's only been an alicorn for about a day at the most, remember?" Various members muttered in agreement as the talk they had yesterday was refreshed in their minds. Sunset sent a questioning look Psalms's way and he too shook his head, confirming his inability to fly as well.
"So," Thomas piped up, "back to square one, me and Psalms can't go galloping off into the sunset without our legs catching fire."
"Leave that problem to me, darling." Rarity called out as she trotted upon the ruined tent canvas. Within her magic, she hefted eight broken wooden planks and tore off small portions of the tent's fabric. "Twilight, if you would be so kind?" Rarity asked as she nodded to the two humans. Getting her gist, Twilight struggled to magic the two into the air for a brief moment as Rarity went about jury-rigging the planks and cloth strips into makeshift crude sandals before forcefully applying them to each individual hoof. With a nod, Twilight released the two. "Certainly not my greatest work, but hopefully they shall do for the time being."
A quick test from the two proved the tight apparel functional if not comfortable. "Alright, with that out of the way, we can leave."
"Can we though?" Pinkie of all ponies questioned Thomas, her hoof cuffed to her chin as she entered analyzing mode. "Because I'm party pooped, and if I'm pooped, then everypony else is super-duper-ultra-double-triple-pooped."
It hadn't occurred to Thomas yet, but as he surveyed each pony and lizard one by one, well it's a tale already told. Everyone was filthy, sweaty, haggard, and all other manners of dead tired, especially the magic users. As Thomas took their appearances in, his adrenaline decided then and there to high-tail it and his muscles nearly gave way as numbing darkness threatened to overtake his mind. He vigorously shook the darkness away, "We have no choice, stick around and we'll waste our water. Time is of the essence, and that's not even mentioning how airships could peak over that cliff any moment without warning. We need to leave before they find us."
"We need rest more than anything else. Can we spare ten minutes?" Fluttershy requested.
"No," Twilight asserted, "Thomas is right, we can't stay and wait to be caught or needlessly lose any more water."
"Thank you, Twilight." Thomas spared a moment to look from one pony to the next before fixating upon Sunset. "Who's gonna carry Sunset? I-I don't have the strength anymore."
The sand shifted and this time, Psalms wasn't alone to spot it. Rainbow Dash redirected her gaze toward the movement, her wings flared and tension flooded her figure, a sentiment shared with Psalms as the bulbous figures slithered from the sand once more, much closer than before. "Hey! Eyes up!" Dash helpfully called out as more of the figures emerged. Rarity screamed as one of the things emerged to her right and Applejack was quick to haul Sunset onto her back as the group back peddled against the train's corpse.
There were dozens, maybe even a hundred of the things that emerged from the sand, their bulbous figures pulsating in the air sporadically. They were stalks of three spherical bud-looking sacks with the appearance like that of a thistle weed, the tips even adorned with red colorful petals. They shifted ever so slowly toward their position, the group's shouts or screams drawing them in with renewed vigor. twenty-five meters, then twenty, fifteen, ten, five... then they halted. The stalks ceased their advance and their motions stilled, then one by one they retreated back into the sand. The last disappeared into the dune and silence descended amongst all. ... ... ...
"...Ok," Twilight cautiously ventured forth, "I think it's safe to mo-"
*SPFFTH* Ruptering forth from the dunes, a great many oily-black slithering bodies took to the air and descended upon the train in quick succession.
*SPFFTH* *SPFFTH* *SPFFTH* The waves were endless as they converged upon the train and began to tear away chunks of steel and iron as others secreted a foul-smelling ooze that melted through the exterior hull. "Everypony run!" Twilight ordered as the others scrambled away.
"What in Equestria are these horrid things!?" Rarity squealed as she and the others ducked and dodged as more of the snake-like things flung themselves onto the train.
"Slag Worms, a whole colony by the looks of it!" Fluttershy answered, screamed, answereamed.
The things just kept springing up from everywhere as the group bobbed and weaved with the only silver lining being that the worms were fixated on the train alone, but that didn't stop everyone from doing everything they could to avoid catching one in the face.
Wheezing and coughing, eventually they crested over the largest of the sand dunes and took a moment to catch their breath as more and more of the worms swarmed the train's frame. From their view, the train quickly became nothing more but a rippling black mass of mucus and tendrils.
"Wha-" Spike took another gulp, "-What are they doing to the train?"
"They're using their corrosive stomach acid to melt it down into a soupy sludge," Fluttershy explained further. The worms had fully converged on the train as the last of their kind trickled from the sand. "They break down the complex metals and materials for egg production, creating an impenetrable egg sack for their young."
"So, they eat metal?" Dash asked.
"Oh no, they absorb and store the melted metal in pouches across their skin. When the time comes for egg laying, they secrete the metal into a soft fiber that they weave like silk, it hardens as the mucus dries up."
The last of the train disappeared within the black mass and soon enough, the bulbous stalks emerged from their maws that flooded the air with pulses once more.
"...Well... least no ships will find the train now." Applejack pointed out.
"So, if they didn't eat the train... then what do they eat?" Spike asked with a heavy gulp. His words seemingly earned the worm's attention as every stalk shifted toward their direction once he spoke.
"What any other carnivorous creature eats." Fluttershy relayed with a smile, happy to inform her friends of such an amazing and unique creature as the Slag Worm. Nature is so fascinating.
The stalks pulsated one more time and in quick succession, they retreated back into the sand, their movement kicked up sand into the air as they closed the distance to the group.
"Can we never catch a break!?' Thomas screamed into the air as he and the others made a mad dash away from the coming death tide.
*Gulp* *Gulp* *Gulp* "Guh! ...Gah!... *cough* *cough* ...Oh, thank you, Lord above." Psalms finished his thanks with a quick kiss upon his medallion before hefting his water bottle to one of the other parched throats.
Hours. They had run for seemingly hours as it was impossible to tell what time of day it was without having the sun move from its fixed position. Whatever the case, they pushed themselves to the limits as they escaped further and further into the never-ending sea of dunes. The whole time through being chased by the worms which rarely relented for a moment of rest. The things would split up and forced the group in all manners of directions other than south, leaving them to waste more energy and time. Multiple times the group became lost in the desert as scattered clouds blocked the sun's position in the sky.
Eventually, a large sandstorm peaked over the horizon and the group was left with no choice but to brave the storm in a desperate attempt to rid themselves of their slippery foes. More hours passed within the blazing desert and the group had dropped dead of energy just as they passed through the sandstorm's threshold. Sand stinging their eyes and filling every nook and cranny, the group swiftly pitched their tent and a wave of relief filled them as they settled themselves within. The human's feet were pulsing with pain as their makeshift shoes caused even more blisters to flair in their rugged journey.
They feverishly dug through Thomas's saddlebags and tore through what little food snacks were available while their limited water was rationed as much as possible between each member. They had survived the worm's onslaught, but being down to a single bottle, their prospects were anything but good.
"Hey! Give that back! I'm dying here!" Dash demanded as the last water bottle was fished into Twilight's magic.
"Dash, calm down," Twilight asked as she secured the water back within the saddlebag. "All of us are thirsty but we need to conserve what little we have left for tomorrow."
"Maybe if ya stop flapping 'em wings ya wouldn't be so thirsty." Applejack pointed out, earning a groan from her feathered friend.
"There's no space for me on the floor as is, AJ. Besides, I can't make them stop, they've been numb for a couple of minutes now." Applejack responded by hooking her lasso onto Dash and yanked the pegasus down to the ground earning, an 'oof' which was followed by a quiet 'thanks'.
"I must say," Rarity began as she attempted to comb the sand out of her filthy mane, "out of all of the adventures we've gone through so far, none have been so hazardous and left us so ragged quite like this current one has."
Sunset shifted from her spot as she tested her leg on the floor. The medicine Twilight had delivered earlier along with what little magic she could supply left her limb sore but healed enough to allow her mobility once more. "Yeah, I was going to say, If this is what you and the gals do on a daily basis, then I'm extra glad I didn't somehow become an element bearer."
"Ain't so bad a gig, Sunset. Saving the world is somethin' we all can be proud of." Applejack said from somewhere amid the crammed bodies.
Murmurs of agreement filled the air before a companionable silence settled within their tight quarters, raging sandstorm blasting against the tent aside. Eyes drooped and yawns were shared as one by one the ponies settled themselves as comfortably as they could before dozing away.
Twilight settled herself between the two brothers, "I've set a magical alarm for five hours from now. The storm should be gone by then. I wish we had a chance to stop in Apple Loosa; aside from moving south, we're completely lost. With only one bottle of water left, I fear we won't make it far in our travel."
"We'll just have to make do," Thomas stated as he settled his cloak upon the floor and promptly plopped himself down on it. "No matter what, we keep moving or else we're done for. Get some sleep, you two." With his magic, he seized his saddlebags and used them as a makeshift pillow. His snores soon joined the others.
"Don't worry, Twilight," Psalms reassured as he too settle onto the floor, "I have faith that we'll make it outta here in one piece."
Twilight fixed him a raised brow. "Are you sure it's just faith alone? Not because, oh I don't know, future knowledge?"
Psalms couldn't hide his sheepish features. "I may or may not have foreseen us reaching relative safety, but nothing is set in stone, not anymore anyhow. As my brother said, we just need to keep moving." Psalms reclined on his side as the last of his energy receded.
Being so close to one another, it was only then that Twilight took note of the many inflamed spots dotting all across Psalms' hide. "Why didn't you tell me you had friction burns?"
Having been reminded of their annoying existence, the stinging reared its ugly head upon Psalms, earning a small wince from him. "Well, frankly I completely forget I even had them. I suppose being chased by a bunch of pony-eating worms tends to make you forget a couple of things in the heat of the moment. And I guess you forget you saw them earlier when I first arrived, remember? You wanted to give me some cream for 'em?"
Twilight's adorned a mask of perplexion before she emoted an 'Oh' which was followed by a sheepish smile, "Oh, right, my bad. Hah, being chased by pony-eating worms does make one forget a thing or two. Well, how about I take care of this while we have time to spare." Summoning her magic, she fished out the relatively pristine first aid container out of a corner. She eyed the goods for a moment and tsked at the lack of options before picking out an antibacterial spray and a couple of extra-large bandaid patches. "Sorry, Psalms, but this is all I have at the moment. Half a spray left and the last of the big bandaids. You weren't the only one with burns." Spray in hoof, she went to work dispersing it to the most severe spots before applying the bandaids.
Psalms hissed as the wounds stung with increased fervor. "Argh! ...Damn, that stuff hurts! Honestly, Twilight, I'm good... should save that stuff for the others."
Within Twilight's magical grasp, the now empty first aid box lingered before his face. She rattled it for added emphasis before flinging it through the tent's entrance. Psalms relented with a nod and allowed her to do her work in companionable silence. Bandaids applied, Twilight sprayed the last of the canister's contents before it too took a trip to the outside. "And that's that. Let's hope we can get out of this desert in one piece."
Psalms took a second to look upon his tended wounds. "You didn't have to do this, I could have gotten someone else for it, you of all ponies need the rest after what we went through earlier."
"It was no trouble, Psalms. Alwa-" A yawn interrupted her words, "-ays happy to help a friend, no matter what. And besides, I'm the Element of Magic, I figure I have more mana in the tank to spare."
Psalms couldn't help but flash her a smile before he too yawned into his hoof. Eyes drooping ever so slowly, he reclined once more. "Goodnight, Twilight."
"Goodnight, you two." Twilight yawned as she curled herself up between the brothers. Her gaze shifted upon the little holes and tears on one side of the tent canvas that allowed the tiniest rays of sunshine and sand to filter through. She was amazed at how everypony could sleep so peacefully after everything they went through not even a day ago, her nerves were still fried from their time on the train earlier, but it wasn't enough to stow away the ravenous fatigue that coursed through her frame. It finally reached her brain and all grace was lost as she hit the ground snoring up a storm, drool pooling out her mouth.
Far as her eye could see, the land below was little more than a desolate wasteland, there was little chance the princess had survived this far on hoof. Tempest and her fleet had been scouring the wastes for over ten hours and not a single sign of the ponies or even their train for that matter existed anywhere. If she didn't already know the Badlands and the many creatures that dwelled within, she would have been baffled by their lack of progress. No, the most likely outcome of the princess's little flight was their doom by Slag Worms, of which proof of the creatures was found at the predicted crash sight of the train.
One would assume all were lost to the creatures, but evidence suggested they made a break for it as the worms left many trails, all in one direction, deeper into the desert. Their search was discontinued as a giant sandstorm ravaged the land below, delaying the fleet further. Tempest wasn't worried, there was still time before the Storm King arrived, and if her research was true, alicorn numbers aside, then these ponies have been through worse than carnivorous worms. Irritatingly, this sentiment wasn't shared by all onboard.
Specifically, by one little pudgy weasel who droned on and on endlessly as he leaned upon one arm, surveying the wastes down below with a weary mask. "Sand...sand...sand...more sand... oh! Oh, wait, that's a rock. Yeah... I don't think we're gonna find them out here, can we leave this place yet?"
"And go back to the Storm King empty hoof after we promised him limitless power?" Tempest let out a shrill whistle, "Color me impressed, you actually had me fooled that you had any semblance of a brain all along."
"Momma always did say I had traded my brain for a second stomach." Grubber fished within his pocket and presented a slice of pie before Tempest. "Fair trade if you ask me!" He exclaimed before digging in.
Just then, a storm beast emerged from the ship's bowels, a scrying spell in claw, and began grunting and growling at Grubber. The two exchanged grunts until the creature retreated back into the interior while Tempest impatiently waited for her little pig to flush his food down. "*BURP* Oof, 'scuze me... ok, uh, our scout ship has spotted Klugetown ahead. We've reached about as far south as we can go. Want me to turn them around?"
"All but three are to turn back and resume the search in the desert. Set course for this Klugetown." Tempest ordered.
"Aye aye, commander. Still, if you ask me, I think them ponies bit the sand already."
Tempest eyed grubber from the side. "It's a good thing then that I didn't ask, now get us going." Grubber shrugged his shoulders in resignation and made way for the cockpit. For both our sakes, we better find the princess alive.
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BE-KONK* "Ow!" Twilight yelped as hoof thwacked her noggin, leading her to nurse her forehead as she glared at her colorful assailant.
"Five more minu..." Dash's coarse throat ceased its words and instead filtered out heavy snores once more, but Applejack was quick to get the bird up with a few kicks in the shin. "Ow, ow! Ok, ok, I get it, I'm up. Ow! I said I'm up!"
"Just makin' sure, sugarcube. Long day ahead, an' the early bird get's the worm." Applejack stated as she strode back to her sleeping spot, snatched her signature hat back into place, and blew a sharp whistle. "All y'all best be getting up now, ya hear?"
None of the others were as quick as Applejack hoped to stir awake. Dry crusty eyes, haggard manes and tails, and parched lips adorned every single soul present.
A yawn tore through Thomas's face hole as he fished within his saddlebags and found his target, the last of the water. With a flick, he tossed the bottle into Applejack's hoof. "That's all that's left so I don't want to hear any complaining. Anyway, I gotta... do my business outside so nobody leaves the tent just yet."
"Thomas! Wait," Psalms slid up to his side and cuffed a hoof between the two before whispering away, "number one, right?" Thomas slowly nodded as he fixed him with a raised brow, "Aren't we supposed to...I mean wouldn't it be smart to... collect some into a bottle? Isn't that something they do in those desert survival documentaries?"
Thomas couldn't help but revolt a little at his suggestion, disgust barely adorning his face. "One, that's disgusting. Two, even if I'm somehow convinced to go through with it, no way in hell am I willing to share that with the others. And three, that would do more harm than good in the long run. I know we're desperate, but not that desperate. Didn't you say we would be hitting a town soon?"
"Like I've said time and again, nothing is set in stone, not with either of us existing presently. Ok, I see your point, and yeah, I wouldn't want the others to go through what I'm suggesting."
"Hey," Thomas settled a hoof onto Psalms' shoulder, "At least you're thinking of some way to remedy our water problem. My plan is to just run like hell till we're out and that's it. Your idea has merit, but... we'll keep it on the back burner for now alright?" Psalms nodded at his suggestion. "Good. Now, if you'll excuse me." Thomas turned back towards the tent's entrance and flung the covers away before a hoarse scream filled his lungs as he fell upon his back at the sight of three bulbous stalks just beyond the opening.
The stalks were pulsating with ever-increasing frequency as they homed in on the prone alicorn before they quickly descended back into the sand. Panic filled Thomas's veins as he knew what was to occur next. Luckily for him, he had an ace up in his saddlebag. With much haste, he feverously dug threw the pockets of his bag until he found and promptly hurled out a small satchel. Digging in with his magic, he snatched up three grenades within the nick of time.
*SPFFTH* *SPFFTH* *SPFFTH* Three worms soared into the air and straight for Thomas, their razor-sharp maws locked open and ready to tear him asunder.
Too panicked to analyze the coming threats, Thomas hoped for the best and tossed the grenades their way before booking it into a corner. His aim struck true as the worms petrified instantly upon breaching the entrance, but not before eliciting screams from various ponies. The screams eventually subsided as the creatures remained fixed in their position, but the group did not hesitate to book it out of the tent in a panic, tearing it apart as they resumed their mad dash for sanctuary. |
Life isn’t done with you | Chapter 7: An Adventure Already?! (Part 5: Explosive Introductions.) | Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
--Acts 3:19
They ran and ran, and ran. Hour after hour, they crested over endless dunes, trudged through shallow quick-sand, choked on the dusty winds, and above all else, soiled the scorched earth with their salty sweat. Mouths dry as bones, legs aching from nonstop exertion, and wings numb for those who utilized them, the group hopelessly continued their advance. Some time ago they had finally managed to give the worms the slip, but by then the damage had been well and truly inflicted. What little water they had consumed upon waking up was never going to be enough, but by then they had believed the worms to be lost to the sandstorm. With this having not been the case, however, everypony was left barely conscious and on the brink of delirium. Even Spike, the heat-resistant dragon, was suffering from severe dehydration.
Of course, Thomas and Psalms fared no better than the others, what with Thomas having seemingly entered auto-pilot as his dead eyes reacted to nothing as his tongue hung freely with every gasp of breath. If it weren't for his hooves still being in motion, one would assume him a standing corpse. Psalms, meanwhile, internally cursed at his dark shaded coat and was almost tempted to curse the heavens as well, but instead opted to curse at the sand that filled one's vision in every direction. Never-ending, endless, infinite sand. As one Jedi Knight so elegantly put it, it was coarse and rough and irritating, and it just. Got. Everywhere! Snow would forever hold a deep hatred within his heart, but its grainy earthy cousin had easily made its way to the top of Psalms' shit list, and he didn't even know he had a shit list to begin with! That's how bad sand is... did he also mention how sand just gets everywhere?
"...There's... sand in my... everything..." Rarity panted out. The first words uttered in how many hours and they only affirmed Psalms' feelings further.
"Heh... saving... Equestria..." Pinkie began before delving into short, mad, cackles before noticing and reaching for a bleached skull of the avian distinction. "Maybe this guy knows where to go!" Delerium manifested into a strained smile as a creepy crawly crawled right across Pinkie's parched eyes, eliciting no reaction whatsoever. "What's that, friend? We're lost?" Mad cackling infected her once more before racking coughs overtook her lungs, and just like a popped balloon, her physical form visibly deflated upon her collapse into the blistering earth.
She was right, they were hopelessly lost. What with the sun never rising or setting, being chased in every direction by those damn worms, having barely any rest and energy, and their minds and bodies screaming for nothing but water, it was incredibly difficult for Psalms to remain focused on just simply continuing south or even determining which direction was south to begin with. If he didn't already know what was yet to come, he would legitimately believe the end was nigh, and it would have been all his fault.
Luckily for him, the scene was playing out just as he remembers as Spike collapses onto his knees as Rainbow Dash and Rarity passed him by. Then he picks up the rock and shows off the cactus on his toosh, and then he fully collapses onto the eroded cobble road, garnering Twilight's attention to it.
"Where there's a road, there's a..." Cresting over the dune ahead, her words are halted by a gasp as the dingey, shabby, desolate, murky beacon of hope for the little ponies known as Klugetown is presented before them. One pony after another can't help but exclaim in one way or another upon sharing Twilight's view.
The town itself isn't much to look at from their distance, but the sight was enough to seemingly invigorate a second wind into everyone, even in Thomas as he licked his dry lips and shook away his dazed state upon joining the others, but none more so than Pinkie as she reflated back into a pristine shape as if never having suffered the ravages of the Badlands at all. "Oooh! A city! We are doing it, you guys!"
"About time something goes our way. I've had enough sun and sand for a lifetime." Sunset added with a shake of her mane, depositing a small hill of sand off to the side.
Thomas was less than impressed at the sight, downright repulsed if his face was anything to go by. "So, we made it to some polluted looking ramshackle of a city, big whoop. Now what? We go scouring every inch of it till we find this Hippo Queen? And how the F does this town even function? It's stationed right on the very edge of a plateau and is bordered not by an ocean, but by a huge misty gorge."
Thomas's latter inquiry goes unanswered. "There has to be a library or maybe a vendor selling a map somewhere in there. Once I can confirm the location of the hippo's homelands, we can depart." Twilight asserted as she and the others began their trek toward the rundown town.
"And while you are doing that, I will be on the prowl for a spa. Even a simple shower would be sublime right now." Rarity gushed at the thought of fixing her mane up.
"Sorry, Rarity. No time for that," Psalms informed, to Rarity's detriment, as they reached the gates of the town. An odd assortment of nasty and unsightly creatures from all walks of the animal kingdom traveled in every direction upon entering the entrance. The pony group stood out like a magical thumb among the crowd. They relocated off to the side as they formulated a plan. "Alright so, a map is priority one, and priority two is resources. Thomas and I will head this way and stock up on food and water, you eight focus on finding that map."
"Uh, why the split up?" Dash inquired, a sentiment shared among the others as they nodded away. "We can find all that stuff together no problem."
"I'm sure we would, but we'll cover more ground doing this, not only for our supplies, but to also keep an eye out for storm beasts. Thomas and I can take care of ourselves, it'd be safer for all of you to stick together." Psalms' eyes reflected this way and that on the various creatures around. "I don't think I need to state the obvious, but we aren't exactly in Equestria anymore. These...'people' don't exactly look like the friendly type, so be careful, alright?"
Various forms of acknowledgment were shared around, leaving Psalms satisfied for the moment. "Good. Once everyone's done, we'll meet up at the docks. See if we can get ourselves a ride. Good luck!" He called out with an added wave along with Thomas before the two headed off in one direction, the girls and Spike in the other.
A poke upon his ribs halted Psalms as Thomas caught his side. "Seriously, why are we splitting up? That was a good excuse what with the beasts and supplies, but you said we'd let the girls do their thing and follow along."
"One, those aren't excuses, we do need supplies, and storm beasts could be around. Two, we are letting the girls do their thing. Sure, Sunset wasn't with them originally but so far things have turned out just like the movie, so I don't think she'll change anything for the time being. And Three..." Psalms took a moment to reflect on the stalls around, wary to notice a certain feline's outline. Upon conclusion, he cuffed a hoof to Thomas and whispered away. "There was gonna be a song and dance."
Thomas recoiled upon his words. "...No kidding? I can practically feel the soot and ash and other nasties in the air afflicting my lungs as we speak, and someone or a group of someones wanna go yodeling away?" A snort escapes. "Stupid cartoons. Always needing their stupid songs and dances and cutesy little critters to market away with. Whatever, thanks for sparing me from that."
"Don't thank me yet, the songs ain't over after this one." A grin squirms onto Psalms' face as an exasperated sigh leaves his brother. "But that won't be for a bit, let's just focus on getting the stuff."
The two continued deeper into the town and deeper into the cesspit. Vendors all around advertised their trinkets or their prized possessions or one of the numerous bizarre creatures fastened within a cage or... other things that shall go unnamed. It was safe to say that the two humans, on multiple occasions, almost found the need to empty their stomachs with what they encountered being sold on the market. The conditions, not only of the people and items being sold, but of the very air and town itself continued to worsen the farther they traveled, and without any traces of water or edible food in sight, the duo eventually relented and opted to turn back, their pockets still empty for the moment.
"This place is disgusting and dingy in more ways than one. How the hell does anything even survive here? As I said earlier, it's not even bordered by a body of water, and history has taught me that every city in human history has been adjacent to water out of basic necessity. This place should be a ghost town."
"It may not have water, but it does have the capacity for commerce that's for sure. This would definitely be the shady place you'd sell your kidney at." Psalms blanched a little upon uttering those words. "You see how many docks they have along its exterior sides? Trade may be the only thing keeping this place alive."
"Speaking of trade," Thomas fished out Ingot's coin pouch and tossed it into the air before catching it within his magic. "What's the currency exchange rate in this town? It ain't Equestria so I doubt they take bits... hey wait, what country is this town even a part of?"
Psalms could only shrug his shoulders following with a muffled 'idunno'. "Storm King's Empire? Who knows, who cares. Anyway, they have things called storm bucks for money here." Finally, the two spotted a vendor potentially selling water, if the sign is anything to go by. "So first, let's just see what one bit can get us with."
The two pushed past many creatures before settling at the 'water' vendor. The creature manning the kiosk could only be described as a mix of octopus, shark, and sea lion. make with that, what you will.
Before the vendor could open its mouth, Thomas was quick to cuff a hoof to Psalms ear. "I don't trust this vendor at all. That could be salt water or piss for all we know. We should look elsewhere."
Psalms shared a pained look, "I ain't exactly thrilled to sample the merchandise either, but we've been to the deepest reaches and back and this is the first vendor selling anything that could remotely be water." Psalms reflected upon the containers of possible water, but it was impossible to examine the contents through the metal lids. "I'll take one for the team. You go find some food, give me time to process this down."
Thomas flashed his brother a facade of sadness. "Your sacrifice shall not be in vain." He turned and left within a flash, not sparing another second around. He could hear his brother yell 'Remember me!' as he descended a flight of stairs and was back on another road flanked by more vendors. Thomas had to admit, some of the many items on display were interesting in one way or another, but they didn't have the time or the coin to waste. Still, maybe one day he could come back and snag that T-Rex-looking tooth away. Now, where oh where are the food vendors? Hmm.
Without warning, the air filled with the sound of music, and a voice rang out that drowned all the noise, "-cunning, that can help you take the leap!"
"Huh?" *CRASH* The sudden shift in the atmosphere left Thomas confused but it was soon replaced with a heart attack as a large metal mine cart crashed right before his path. Had he not hesitated at that very moment, he would've been minced meat. Thomas stood frozen in place for a minute as he stared down at his would-be inanimate assassin before he found his footing and eventually his breath. "Holy shit!" he simply exclaimed. He had no idea what had transpired at that very moment but he wasn't gonna stick around to find out.
Turning into a dark alley adjacent to his original position, the sound of music and singing once again bore down on him. "-o protect you wherever you go!"
Proceeding forward, a familiar yellow and pink figure gradually came into view along with some tall fellow that Thomas couldn't make out. "Fluttershy? Who the hell is- aaahhh!" Screams filled his lungs as a swarm of dark bats filled the air ahead, darting straight for him. Their speed was greater than his reaction as they crashed into his frame and face a moment later, eliciting more shouts and screams as the gnarly fanged winged rats filled every inch of his vision. He tried to run, tried to swat them away, tried to duck, but the damn things just kept hurling themselves upon him, smacking his face silly. Eventually the last of the damn things flew by and Thomas was left ruffled and dirty with scratch marks and a bite or two. Oh shit, does rabies exist in this world? ...Fuck it, doesn't matter, magic can fix anything...yeah...
Preoccupied with dusting himself off, Thomas slowly makes his way toward the light ahead at the end of the alley but stops himself a moment before emerging as it was only then that Thomas noted the eye-catching red carpet that was unfurled upon the dirt road.
"~'Cause I'm the friend, that you need-~"
Not a second later, the sound of music and singing hit his auditory senses like a truck as from one side of the alley opening to the other, a lengthy anthropomorphic tanned dapper cat in front of him passed by in a hop-shuffle dance, followed directly by all of his pony partners as they sashayed along to the lyrics.
"-~When you're lost and don't know what to do, I'm your pal, your amigo, lookin' out for friends like you!~" As the talking cat's figure passed by and disappeared off to the right side, the exuberant atmosphere muted significantly, all but confirming the magical song and dance was tailored specifically to him. One by one, the Element Bearers passed by his little alley entrance, too enamored with their choreography to notice his presence, save three.
While Thomas was shooting all who passed a completely scrunched-up baffled look, hanging jaw and all due to the seemingly rejuvenated figures of all present before him as if never endearing the hardships over the last day, Spike offered only a small wave before jumping along to the music. Sunset meanwhile had an amused smirk stitched onto her face and could only shrug away at Thomas's questioning look while her head, hips, and hooves tapped away to the beat. Bringing up the rear, Twilight reluctantly followed along; her head was held low and she had a dreary face bordering on gloom and doom. She could only heave a sigh and offered a shake of her head as her tired eyes reflected onto Thomas as she continued to follow the others.
Peaking from the side, Thomas could see the carpet stretching all the way to some windmill-looking building further down the road; the song and dance had yet to let up. "Uh-uh, nope," Thomas did a one-eighty, "not singing, not dancing, I'm out."
Ten minutes later, Thomas's bags bulged with food and water as he and Psalms exited the market and made their way to the floating docks off the city's side, with Psalms clutching at his sides all the while with green cheeks. A wet burb escaped him every now and then along the walk.
Another burp escaped and Thomas couldn't help the flinch that followed. "Jeez man. I warned you to move on from that 'water' vendor."
"S'not that," Psalms huffed out, "...tried one of 'em... ooaaf... purple gloob glob thingies... just a little bite..." Psalms' cheeks puffed up and a look of panic settled within his eyes. Spotting an open barrel nearby, he settles his hooves on the rim and his cheeks bulged once more. "...Wouldn't recommeeuuuuaarrghh!" And his stomach finally decided to vacate his innards.
"That's what you get for eating dank dingy food from a decrepit town like this." Thomas opened his saddle bag and began fishing for water. With both brothers preoccupied, neither took immediate note of a descending shadow until it was directly on top of them. "Honestly Psalms, I thought you'd be smarter-" Then Thomas finally noticed, "-then... that... ah hell."
With the last of his mistake out of his system, Psalms lethargically lifted his head and took instant notice of the airship parked directly in front of the two, one with distinct blue jagged marks.
"More beasts? These damn things just don't let u- whoah!" Thomas was interrupted as he, within Psalms' magical grasp, and his brother dove behind a stack of crates, concealing them just as their foes departed from the ship. There were two unique-looking storm beasts, both flanking the sides of a short, fat, little hedgehog-looking thingy munching down on a caramel apple and a... a pony?
"Tempest." Psalms whispered out, earning a questioning look from his brother. "Tempest, the unicorn that staged the attack in Canterlot. The one who's in charge of the army and has been tracking us since the train station. The main antagonist."
"You never mentioned any ponies on the enemy side."
"My bad, now shh." Psalms hushed him up before electing to creep ever closer as Tempest observed her surroundings while the others continued disembarking.
She finished her glances around and the group proceeded to enter the market sector. Thomas and Psalms silently crawled to the entrance and peeked over the wall just as she began issuing orders. "Get the ship back into the air. Establish overwatch within a fifty-meter radius centered on me and I want it ready for a snatch-and-grab operation on my command." She stopped for a brief moment and reflected her gaze upon her personal guard, "Start searching. I want every stall overturned, every barrel cracked open, every corner scoured. Lock down all entry and exits and ground all flights. Now."
Having received new orders via Grubber's grunts and roars, the beast was quick to fish out a scrying potion and began relaying them to four other beasts visible within the blue magical screen. A second later the potion dissipated and, without hesitation, the beast spun on its heel and gripped the lower base of the nearest trader stall, and heaved it away in an impressive show of strength, eliciting startled shouts and curses from the diverse natives before it. It scanned this way and that for any traces of ponies, and upon coming up empty-handed repeated its savage search deeper into the commercial district, trailing after Tempest and her escort.
With a deep rumbling groan emanating from behind the brothers, they were witness to Tempest's flagship departing its docking station and beginning a lazy spiral into the air above, smoke belching from its rear as it took to its overwatch station. As it fully pulled out from the docking area, the vacant space left behind allowed the visage of three other Storm Skiffs who slowly docked into Klugetown's empty bays. There they immediately began offloading scores of beasts that rushed into the dingy town, ransacking all the while.
A frown settled on Psalms' face. Those ships are bad news. With that much surveillance across the city, there's no way the girls will escape without being seen. We have to take them out of the picture. Psalms' eyes fixated upon a small group of beasts that were making way for a familiar cargo ship stationed on the next pier. Crap. "Thomas, we need to stop that group now before they secure that ship. It's our only ticket out of here."
"Yeah? How exactly?" Thomas pointed his hoof toward the sizable group of beasts that were still being offloaded. "Case you didn't notice, there's a whole damn army right there!"
Eyeing one ship after another, the beginning of a plan formed within his mind. "Ok, listen, I know you're still tired from the whole desert ordeal, but I need you to lead all those beasts away into the city, buy me time to take out all the ships." Psalms lifted a hoof just as Thomas began to object, "I'm not asking you to run all across town for an hour, just lose them and return here as soon as possible, I should have the ships dealt with by then. Leave your saddlebags here, we'll fetch 'em upon departure."
Thomas wanted to object, wanted to say he had done enough running and fighting for a whole week, but he didn't have the luxury of choice, not when others were depending upon him. This didn't stop him from resenting his mission. "Dammit, Psalms-" Thomas cursed as he shrugged off and promptly shoved his saddlebags into Psalms' arms, "-when is this shit gonna be over with? Haven't had a true moment of rest in over twenty-four hours."
"Afraid I can't say just yet. Good luck."
Thomas waived him off before getting a small stretch in before cantering toward the group of beasts. He paused by one of the many entrances leading deeper into the city before he flicked off the hood of his camo coat and bucked the side of the wall hard enough to elicit a sharp crack, grabbing the attention of all around, beasts included. "Hey! Looking for me, ya wampa wannabes? Come on then, catch the pretty pony!" He didn't waste a moment before booking it away, successfully drawing the army of storm beasts away from the skiffs. Psalms' turn now.
Stowing Thomas's saddlebags near Celaeno's ship, Psalms quickly fished through them, brushing aside food and water rations until his prize surfaced before him. With a yank, the grenade pouch was freed from the bag's depths and was secured around his neck.
*CERCHUNK*
The sound of snapping metal brought Psalm's head glancing toward its origin point among the skiffs. Before him, the metal chains that anchored the ships to their dock snapped apart as the remaining skeleton crew worked away with the bolt cutters. The farthest ship away had already freed itself as it began to slowly depart the pier.
"No, no, no!" Psalms exclaimed as he charged in between the two still-docked ships, plucked out several petri-nades, and began targeting all the remaining chains yet cut. His aim wasn't nearly as on target as he hoped but the results were acceptable as both ships remained fastened despite the urgent struggles of their crew as they broke bolt cutter after bolt cutter on the magic obsidian. Psalms dashed after the third ship but it would clear away before he could even attempt to board, thus requiring desperate measures.
"Ok, Psalms, you got this, it's just levitation, you've done it dozens of times back in the barn, plenty of practice, just up, up, and away." He steadied his breath and recalled the words of Ingot when first summoning his magic. He felt the blood flowing in his veins, felt the mana circulating all across his body, through his spine, up into his horn. He let it collect, let it settle, build up. "Just, up, up, and away." Opening his eyes, he fixed his gaze upon the deck of the escaping ship, summoned his magic, and had it fastened around all four of his legs. "Up, up, and away." With a quick surge, he projected his magic forward and immediately regretted his decision. "Up, up, and aaaahhhhh!!!"
Psalms failed to take gravity into account in his little levitation trick and upon thrusting himself off the pier, found the world inverted before him with the ground above and sky below. Projecting his magic as thrust upon his levitated legs, the alicorn was happy to find he had enough juice to actually 'fly' through the air with success, relatively speaking. It was a sight to behold honestly; with the grace of a fly, Psalms erratically soared through the air, performing numerous twists and turns and loopty loops all the while maintaining an inverted ramrod posture while screaming the whole way through.
Through sheer luck or divine intervention, Psalms had successfully directed himself upon the ship's main deck, sliding on his back as he landed. Disorientation was his world as his eyes spun within his sockets, forcing him to lie for half a minute before overcoming the effects. Slowly standing up, Psalms shook away the last of his dizziness just as a claw came hurtling right for his face, causing him to shout and leap away just before being snatched.
Having successfully evaded the attack, Psalms was presented with four beasts before him, far too many for his liking as fear and adrenaline coursed through his veins. Scrambling in a retreat, he hoofed up the stairs that lead towards the quarterdeck, whereupon he could see one beast manning the helm above, fixated on navigating than the pony. Turning around, his horn was quick to grab whatever liftable object it could and barraged his pursuers, throwing chairs, barrels, and crates down the flight of stairs, with little success as the beasts weathered the assault and continued the hunt. They were closing in fast and Psalms was running out of options until he took notice of a large crate to his left. It was far too heavy to lift and too big to come crashing down the stairs, but if he guessed correctly...
He used his magic to jam the crate in between the rails and fished out one of the last remaining grenades in the pouch. It found purchase upon the crate and petrified it and the immediate surroundings, creating a makeshift obsidian barricade blocking entry that way.
Before he could fully appreciate his work, a claw found its way into his hair and yanked with the strength of an ox, earning a shriek of pain as the former human was twirled in the air by his mane before being ejected across the quarterdeck. Upon slamming against the guardrail, Psalms found himself struggling to regain his breath as the beast from the helm trudged upon him. To his left was another set of stairs of which the four other beasts prior were quickly ascending towards him.
Refocusing on the beast before him, Its tight claws found their painful grip upon his shoulders, hefting him in the air as he struggled within its grasp. A raspy noise filled the air, the sound of laughter Psalms figured, coming from his direct foe. With both limbs pinned to his side, the alicorn summoned his magic and pointed his horn at the creature's eye before firing away. The blast wasn't powerful, but it was enough to earn a sharp squeal and forced the beast to release him as it furiously rubbed away. After a second, its red watery eyes fixed its glare upon him and a snarl escaped its throat as it readied itself to pounce upon Psalms' prone form, but it was too late. Fishing out one last grenade, he thrust it directly into the creature's face and only a small squeak was uttered as the beast petrified fully.
The series of events was quick as a flash as the four beasts prior had yet to fully climb the quarterdeck, something Psalms was quick to capitalize on. Turning to the petrified beast's side, he applied all his available mana upon the creature and tipped it towards the stairs and the beasts below. "Timber!" Psalms exclaimed as the poor creatures scrambled to evade their stony brother, but they were too clustered to escape. With a mighty crash, all foes were left splayed across the main deck, a perfect strike in bowling terms. Wiping a drop of sweat away, Psalms made way for the helm.
Finally reaching his intended target, Psalms struggled for a bit to acclimatize himself to the skiff's steering, but the wheel was easy enough to figure out. Adjusting course back towards the docks, it came as a surprise to still see the chains uncut from the two other ships, leaving the alicorn pleased they hadn't managed an escape yet. Within his peripheral, the most peculiar thing was taking place as giant wooden windmill blades were wreaking havoc across the city a little distance away. Time wasn't on his side.
Foregoing all precautions, Psalms aligned himself on a crash course with the two ships and pushed for full throttle ahead. His plan worked better than expected as the bow of his ship cleaved right through the skiff's envelopes like butter, utterly obliterating the first one and gouging the second. Something must've caught his ship however as he entered a steep incline forcing a trajectory into the side of the cliff.
His job finished, Psalms climbed up to the poop deck and once again refocused his internal mana around his legs and neck this time around and ejected off, making way for the cargo ship. His flight this time around was far better, but the added strain of keeping himself right side up left him breathless upon landing on the ship's rear deck.
"Holy shit, Psalms what the hell was that!?" His brother incredulously exclaimed from below. "You rammed all three ships down!?"
"Good... good to see you made it." Psalms took a second to gulp more air down.
"Wasn't easy giving them the slip I tell ya what." Thomas took a second to scan the area, "How am I supposed to get up there?"
Before Psalms could respond, a familiar voice echoed from afar, "Hurry!" which was soon followed by the figures of the rest of their merry band, with Dash taking the lead.
Spotting a loose roll of rope, Psalms fastened a secure end on the deck before chucking the rest overboard. "Here!" he exclaimed, garnering Rainbow's attention.
Catching the other end of the rope within her maw, Rainbow extended its max length and pinned the rope beneath the hooves of the others and used their weight to fashion a makeshift tightrope, allowing the others a route to board.
Thomas took a glance at his saddlebags, "No way that's gonna support my weight and load; Psalms, a little help here!"
Summoning all his remaining magic, Psalms gritted his teeth in pain as he strained to lift Thomas up and through the air. "Argh... Thomas... use your magic and help, dammit!"
Some pressure was relieved as the brothers used their combined magical might to propel Thomas before the group and release him with a pop and a small thump, earning a groan a second later.
Psalms flopped onto the deck's floor, gasping for breath as all strength drained away. We did it...we did it... all safe and sound aboard the ship, just like in the movie... Psalms reflected his eyes this way and that for a brief moment. Well...almost all safe and sound... they should be on board right about...now.
True to his depiction, Twilight came flapping into view from the mist and dumped her pink cargo onto the deck with a grunt before plopping herself down as well. "Best. Escape. Plan. Evaaa!!!" Yelled the living cargo.
"...What!?" Twilight exclaimed before she and Pinkie both became wrangled up by Applejack's lasso, bringing both into the group's midst within the cramped cargo space. Before anyone could mutter a word, Spike shushed all as two shadowy figures entered into view.
"Did you hear somethin'?" a gruff voice asked its shaded partner. Instead of a proper reply, only strange garbled squawks sounded off. "Eh," the same gruff voice continued, "probably just the rats. If we find 'em, we'll eat 'em." With that said the two figures retreated away leaving the group space to breathe.
"Rats?" Rarity Squeaked out, a grimace plastered across her face.
A huff escaped Thomas as a frown etched its way on. "Oh, great, now we're stowaways on a ship with a hostile crew." Another huff escaped him as he settled himself onto the floor, unlatched his saddlebags, and shoved them into the center with a kick. "Help yourselves." He settled onto his side and pulled his hood over his eyes as he rested. "Can we ever catch a break?"
The others were quick to tear into the supplies and refreshen themselves, uttering thanks to the two brothers.
"So," Psalms started, "Did we miss anything?"
"Oh, it was just simply dreadful darling, simply dreadful! Nothing but dirt and muck and icky stuff we shall not speak of! And the people fared no better... even the best amongst them." Rarity finished, a scornful yet equally remorseful look adorning her features.
"Yeah, I wouldn't expect to find any class or grace in a town like that," Thomas commented from the floor.
"Well, we did." Rarity answered back, "Or at least I thought we did. I thought we found a true diamond in the rough...."
"Thought we found the needle in the biggest haystack," Applejack stated, "Darn near thought we struck gold."
"Fools gold more like," Pinkie added with a bit of deflation for emphasis.
"What truly matters," Twilight interjected, "is that we finally know our true destination. Celestia wasn't talking about hippos." Twilight splayed the map for all to see. "She was talking about the hippogriffs. They live on Mount Aris."
"Great!" Psalms clapped his hooves together, "So, where is that?"
"The map says it's about southeast of Klugetown, but it doesn't say how far. And with us being stuck on this ship, who knows where it's going." Twilight adjusted her sights to the forepart of the ship. "If I could just get my hooves on a compass, and the ship's manifest, I should be able to calculate our rough location and plot a course to follow."
"Maybe later, right now we have the opportunity to eat, drink and rest, if for just a moment. You above everyone else should take it, Twilight."
"But...but the manifest..." Twilight protested.
"Isn't going anywhere, Twilight," Sunset assured as she settled along a crate, food and water in tow. "An hour's break is all we ask for you. Besides, there isn't a lot of room to sneak by on this ship what with those birds shuffling all around, we'd just get ourselves caught sooner. Better have it done when we have some amount of strength in us."
"But... I... the..." Her objections faded away. "...Fine, yes, you're right. We all need rest... but as soon as the hour is up, we have to get back to it immediately."
"Gonna take a rain check on this one, Twilight. Running all over town with an army of monkeys on your back while you're starving and dehydrated really takes a lot outta one." Thomas settled himself further into a dark corner. "I'm sure you guys can take on a couple of birds without me."
"You should take one too, Psalms, we can handle ourselves." Sunset offered, "After what you did, you deserve it."
Psalms could only offer a quirked brow, "What do you mean?"
"Don't think we didn't see what you did back at the docks, dude. How could anypony miss that awesome ram you pulled on those two ships!? Sliced right through those gasbags and turned all three into confetti!" Rainbow Dash emphasized his actions with mock explosions of styrofoam peanuts in the air from a nearby open crate. "So cool!"
"Rainbow Dashes's exaggerations aside, what you and Thomas accomplished warrants extra recovery time, and we are all too happy to oblige, darling." Rarity applied a hoof to Psalms' shoulder, "Go and rest, you have earned it."
Psalms could only offer a warm smile. "Thanks. We appreciate it."
"Anytime, Sugarcube. Now, 'nough talk, less we ruffle up some feathers."
"How did this happen!? Who did this!?" Tempest demanded as she bared witness to the wreckages of the three skiffs that were ferrying her garrison forces during the desert hunt. She turned her glare to the gaggle of beasts that opted to shuffle on their legs and fiddle their thumbs, a few even whistled away, all avoided her eyes. "...Well!?" she directed her question to Grubber who spang to action emitting grunts and roars and receiving them in turn.
"Apparently, there were two ponies, two unicorns. One gave our forces the run through the city and the other boarded one of our ships and..." Grubber gazed below, "...well you know the rest."
Two unicorns, giving her newly arrived troops the slip immediately upon landing and destroyed her ships. It was impossible, both unicorns, former unicorn in the princess's case, had been accounted for back at the cat's residence. All of her group had been, save one. The red and golden-haired one. She had no matches in the network, no results for the elements of harmony, no records, nothing. Forever an enigma, if Tempest didn't know where to recollect in her memories. One glimpse at her cutie-mark and Tempest had it all figured out. She was Sunset, the one 'Fire Quill' contacted. The one from the mirror, her mark perfectly matched that of the journal.
The princess had successfully regrouped with the guerilla force, bolstering her group's size and strength, as if they weren't enough trouble already. Tempest figured they had already met by now, what with the lack of resistance activity in their subjugated lands. "These unicorns, describe them."
Another series of roars and grunts followed. "Ok, so the one that was leading our troops on a goose chase has dark red fur, black hair or mane or whatever, and was wearing a camo coat and hoodie. The other... let me double check." Yet another series of roars and grunts and Grubber turned to Tempest... before hesitating and turning back. More grunts and roars and a couple of growls and Grubber finally turned back with a small frown. "Ok, so, mistranslation for the latter pony. Wasn't a unicorn, was an alicorn. Black coat, red and yellow mane, colorful fiery wings, definitely not our princess."
The other alicorns. Tempest had already written them off as misidentified reports. With there being no accounts of such individuals across all of Equestria's record halls, Canterlot included, the notion of two unknown alicorns coincidentally appearing and aiding the princess on the eve of the invasion was preposterous to Tempest. She may have written them off too soon it would seem. "Are you sure?" She growled out.
"Don't just take my words alone, feast your eyes on these." With a grunt, one of the beasts surged forth and presented two objects of interest before the Commander. A lock of red and yellow mane ripped from the beast's offender back on the ship. It wasn't much, could've easily come from Sunset as the two hair colors and textures were nearly identical. The other object, however, casted nearly all doubt away as a vibrant, fiery pegasus feather adorning colors just like the mane lay flat against the beast's palm. Such vibrant colors would stand out amidst any normal pegasus as all wings across pony kind wore monotone colors alone, save this single unique feather. There are no ponies in Klugetown, her storm beasts made sure of that; no hippogriffs, nor griffons, and it certainly wasn't from any other walking feathery creature.
It was very convincing evidence for Tempest, But she held a 'seeing is believing' policy. She would just have to meet this feather's owner in pony to truly determine the legitimacy of this rampant alicorn rumor. And to do so, she needed to know where they are. "Bring the feline before me, we do not have time to waste."
"Whatdaya think, Twilight?" Applejack inquired as she and Rainbow Dash inspected the area before them. It bustled with the activity of the crew as they organized their cargo across all decks. From their position, reaching the manifest meant certain detection from the captain as she had yet to meander away from the helm or the captain's quarters. "Should we just... ask 'em to take us?"
Upon hearing her words, Twilighted reflected away from the map and fixed them a worried look, "Last time we trusted somepony, he tried to sell us!"
"...Well, yes... but it worked the time before, didn't it? With Psalms and Thomas? We trusted them, didn't we?" Fluttershy meekly interjected.
"That's because they're a unique case! They're alicorns for crying out loud. We can't trust these parrots, just look at them! They're wearing Storm King uniforms!"
"Well, they are ferrying merchandise cargo; kinda figured it was a mandatory uniforms situation at play in their job regulations," Sunset added off to the side. "Believe me, I know their pain all too well."
"Why don't we just put it to a vote? That way everypony can participate! I'll go get the sleepy-heads!"
"Pinkie! No! Wrong way!" But Twilight was too late as the pink pony uttered an 'oof' upon impacting on a feathery talon. She slowly lifted her head to look above and visibly gulped before backpedaling back into her group.
"Hey, guys!" Squawked the gruff bird as he hefted the crate the ponies used for cover away. "Come check this out!"
*FWOOOOOOO*
"All right! That's lunch!"
The shout startled Psalms awake from his slumber, leaving him to blink away the crust in his eyes as he surveyed his surroundings, finding nothing but crates, merchandise, and Thomas curled up like a cat in the corner, he appeared unbothered by the noise that just occurred, lucky guy. Psalms knew taking the extra hour nap would only make him feel worse, but boy was that the best nap he had ever had. Now, though? He felt more tired than before, but he knew he couldn't go back to sleep, lest they both risk missing the coming boarding from Tempest. Still had to wait out the song and dance routine, but at least that would be entertaining to see in person. Thomas was for sure gonna owe him one for letting him sleep through it, though. Trotting over to the nearest rail, Psalms leaned on it and his hoof as he observed the storm clouds below.
...Thomas... now there was a thought he hadn't really explored much yet. Granted, the whole invasion ordeal got in the way of everything, but still, for being his adopted brother, he knew practically zero of the former human. Yeah, sure they had a talk on the train and got introductions out of the way, but the biggest question still hung in the air since he first laid eyes on him; why was he here? Recollecting all his moments from the afterlife, he could find no mention of Thomas. It is absolutely not a coincidence the two landed next to each at the same time with both being former humans now turned alicorns...could he possibly be...
Dammit, he should've asked Sophia when he had the chance back on the train, could've shed a lot of light on his crimson companion. Considering the circumstances it took to encounter her both times, arranging yet another meeting with her wasn't exactly a viable option for the moment. Maybe he could pray? Ask her or God for answers? "...Nah, I'm sure he's got his hands full at the moment...oh, who am I kidding, this is God we're talking about."
His statement does beg the question though, If God is truly all-powerful... then why is there even a Holy War to begin with? Can't he just... snap his figurative fingers and boom, Satan and his minions turn to ash? That would be very convenient, wouldn't it? Diving deeper into these disturbing thoughts, if God is truly all-powerful, then why not rid all evil across all worlds? What's stopping him? Does he choose not to? Why does evil exist within this world? Was there a pony Adam and Eve and they did their own version of biting of the forbidden fruit?
...How the hell did I get from thinking about Thomas to questioning God's extent of power and the first ponies? Psalms heaved a sigh. These questions and others just as similar had always plagued him during his time growing in both body and spirit. There have been many answers from many people and just as many lacked the insight to provide one. Even Pastor Ian couldn't give a concrete answer, something that had left the boy rattled for many years after. If someone so heavily rooted in the Christian faith as Ian couldn't give an explicit answer... then maybe these weren't questions worth asking. Maybe they weren't meant to be asked, or maybe humans couldn't handle the answer.
Whatever the case, Psalms wouldn't consider asking another human these questions ever again given the chance. Not only because he was sure to get direct answers from the Big Guy himself one day, but because some of the answers from some of his 'fellow Christians' were more than unsatisfactory on multiple occasions. A frown etched itself across Psalms' face as he recollected bad memories from a life before. Crazy fanatics and their crazy-ass way of thinking, putting nothing but dirt on Christianities's name. I've always considered myself a devout Christian, but you won't catch me stooping to those crazies levels. Using the Lord's name as a cover for all manners of blasphemous and heathenous actions and agendas...
Psalms relaxed his muscles and blew away the breath he had been holding in. None of that matters anymore, those are human problems for his human brethren to worry about. He was here, in Equestria where he assumed nobody even knew that God existed. Psalms knew what his objective was on this planet, but he idly wondered if perhaps God or Sophia wanted him to begin spreading the word of the Gospel, to start slowly converting the natives...
Psalms rigorously shook that thought away. No, he knew his duty, he remembered Sophia's words 'go forth and maintain the peace, immerse yourself in its magic, ensure that Harmony reigns, and live the life that you dreamed of.' Not everyone is receptive to the Lord's words, and these ponies have done well for themselves so far, best not to do anything that could ruin it, at least for now. Perhaps in the far future, but before anything, Psalms would need to learn the history of the alicorns. Perhaps there he will find the beginning traces of God's presence within this world.
Pslams' post-nap musings were interrupted as a shockwave rocked the floorboards and cargo which startled Thomas into a dazed frenzy. "Huh!? Wuzzah!? Weez under attack!?" He scrambled off the floor as his adrenaline infused addled mind left scanning all directions for danger.
Psalms saddled over and placed a calming hoof on his brother's shoulder. "No, but we're about to be. Get your things and meet me outside." Psalms turned to exit the poop deck's rear cargo hold and join the others below the helm, with Thomas joining his side a moment later as they both were witness to Rainbow Dash circling the airship while weaving trails of literal rainbows in her wake.
"Wow," Thomas voiced out to himself, "...Am I still dreaming?"
A small smile found itself perched on Psalms' face upon hearing his brother's words. Rainbow's 'little' stunt, despite being terribly foolish, did brighten up all the others so he couldn't give her too much flak. Brightened everyone but one panicking princess.
"Twilight?" Psalms called out, "You alright?"
Rainbow finished her maneuvers and landed on the deck below. She was soon joined by several others as they offered praise and sport while their energy was high, leaving the two alicorns alone.
"No! I'm not alright! Why did Rainbow do that!? What was she thinking!? She'll lead her straight here!"
"Looks to me like she was caught up in the heat of the moment." The soft clangs of two swords echoed from the deck below. "But, I agree, not the smartest move, but then again, she isn't well known for her smarts, now is she?" Psalms lightly joked, hoping to give some slight solace in Twilight.
Her frazzled mind, however, did not take kindly to his jest. "Now isn't the time for jokes! We need to formulate an escape plan! Dash's rainboom has no doubt already alerted-"
The *Ding* *Ding* *Ding* followed by the alarmed squawking of the ship's 'special' crewmate interrupted Twilight and drew all eyes to the starboard side as Tempest's flagship came burling in their direction at max speed.
"Storm guards!" Captain Celaeno stated, "Looks like they found you!"
"-Tempest!" Twilight finally managed to finish her sentence.
Celaeno was quick to command as she issued orders to her crew while all of the ponies and Spike were ushered into the ship's bowels. Upon the hatch closing, the captain's commands became muffled and the startled breaths of those around filled the air. Rainbow Dash could only cringe as the consequences of her actions slowly became realized. "...Ya think she saw my sonic rainboom?" A sheepish smile followed.
"Are you kidding me!?" Twilight righteously inquired.
Any further dialog was hindered as all were thrown harshly against the ship's port side as a harpoon found purchase deeper within their compartment.
Shaking his head clear, Psalms spotted the offending object that had been buried into the hull and opted to inspect it closer. The hook was securely fastened within the wood and Psalms had no doubt his magic wouldn't make a dent in the metal. It took not even half a minute for Tempest's ship to secure itself off the starboard side, and soon several thunks reverberated overhead. Instead of muffled sounds, the voices that followed were relatively clear what with there being a gaping hole right next to him.
"Where is the Pony Princess?" Tempest went straight to the point, no doubt tired of this game of cat and mouse.
"Princess?" Celaeno questioned. Psalms was ninety-nine percent sure she was just playing the fool for their sake, but he truly did wonder if she actually knew Twilight was a princess or not. He didn't expect a swashbuckling treasure hunter to be privy about pony royalty so he safely assumed not, but then again, she was a pirate, so maybe. "Prin-cess, Prin-cess..." Celaeno continued, "...Nope. All we're hauling is Storm King merchandise."
"Psalms, what're we doing? Why are we hiding down here? We can easily take these guys out." Thomas inquired as he positioned himself by his brother's side. Said brother proceeded to hush him before returning to the interrogation above.
"You do realize that if you were to shelter fugitives, the Storm King would be quite... explosive." The soft crackling of magic barely filtered into the interior before ceasing a second later.
With a lull in the interrogation having overtaken above, Psalms spared a brief glance at Twilight where the formulation of an escape plan had quickly taken root in her noggin. Psalms then redirected his gaze above, no doubt standing directly underneath the cargo ship's crew. They'll be fine. Sure their ship gets destroyed and they become stranded, but fine nonetheless. I know the future, I know what's to come... so why does it feel so wrong to simply leave them to their fate? Psalms turned his head towards the harpoon and the ship that it originated from. ...What guarantee do I have that everything will turn out fine? I've interjected myself and changed so much and yet so little has been affected. Maybe all of my interference had slowly culminated into here and now and thus the fates of the cat and the crew are worse off than before... maybe I'm just overthinking and worrying about nothing...
"Psalms, Thomas, quickly, I need your help to-"
"Make a makeshift hot air balloon using a crate, rope, and that fabric, I know, but we can't help you, there isn't enough time. You need to go now. Assemble it on the way down, I know you can do it." Taking a second to search their confined space, Psalms magicked up the map Twilight had been using to plot a course and hoofed it over to Twilight. "Don't want to be forgetting this now." Spotting the still-hanging fabric, Psalms yanked it down and thrust it into the arm of Dash.
"What are you doing?" She inquired as all the others gathered around her, coincidentally standing directly on the exterior hatch.
"Buying you time." Psalms simply said before magicking a grip on the lever and pulled, eliciting multiple startled cries as all free fell down below, all save one.
"You aren't getting rid of me that easily." Sunset sounded off as she appeared to their left. "I saw that look in your eye, you got a plan and the will to strike. I'm getting sick of constantly running, and you've already had your little action moment before, it's time I get mine. Besides, you could use the help."
Psalms fixed her a smile. "Glad to have you onboard."
"Woah, woah, woah, are we just gonna ignore how you casually sent all those girls and Spike plummeting to their deaths? What the hell was that!?" Thomas asked with an ever increasingly perplexed face.
"Don't worry, they're perfectly fine. Now, we can take this ship and its crew on, but I'm going to need your guy's help. Tempest is not one to be underestimated, so me and Sunset will focus on her, hopefully with our combined magical might, we can go toe to toe. Thomas, you work best dealing with the beasts. With the added help of the pirate crew, I think we stand a good chance." Several thuds reverberated across the ship's bowels. "Sounds like the last of her troops have boarded. Sunset, think you can magic us onto her ship?"
Sunset cracked her neck eliciting several satisfying crunches. "Just us three? No problem."
"Hold on now just a moment, I didn't agree to do this with you. There's no way you're getting me up there and fighting a bunch of yetis while balancing off the side of the ship." Thomas protested.
Psalms quirked a brow. "Weren't you just complaining about us hiding instead of fighting? What's the problem now?"
"The problem is there's only three of us left. With all ten of us, we'd be wiping the floor with them within a minute, but now you want me to put my trust into two cripples, a cyclops, an old hag, and a literal bird-brain, all the while balancing a thousand feet in the air?" Thomas stomped his hoof. "Absolutely not. I've had it up to here with all these near-death encounters, what with the train ride and the whole desert and that damn town, enough is enough!"
"...Well, I suppose the choice is yours but uh, I don't think you have a lot of options at the moment." Psalms motioned to the open hatch just yonder.
Thomas took a moment to reflect upon the hatch, then directed his gaze to his side, lifted his coat, and examined his wings. A heavy hiss escaped him a moment later. "Fucking dammit... I have got to get these wings working. Alright, fine, you win, but don't think I'll just forget what you did, Psalms. I could've been with Twilight and the others, but you forced me into this position. Everything better turn out just peachy."
"Search the ship! Every nook and cranny. Nothing goes unturned." Tempest shifted her gaze to the pirates, eyes narrowing into slits. "Bring the cat here. I have an example to make and I don't do repeats." The order issued, beasts began tearing the ship apart while one of them hopped back on the skiff to retrieve the prisoner below. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, lying to a commander of the King's Regiment, aiding rebels,-" Tempest took a cursory glance at the pirate's attire, "-and least of all, dereliction of duty. You know, I've been having a bad few days, It'll be nice to release some... pent-up steam."
If Tempest had anything more to say, she would've been interrupted as the beast sent for Capper found itself splayed out amongst numerous broken Storm King merchandise and crates. Low groans were emitted by the creature and it tried to sit up off its back but the strain was too much and it was forced down for good.
Broken horn flared, Tempest turned to the offenders, finding all three perched upon her bow. One camo crimson unicorn to the right, newly identified Sunset Shimmer to the left, and centered right in the middle...
Tempest was at a loss for words as the alicorn stood before her. Red and yellow mane, fiery phoenix-coated wings, black coat, blue eyes, and undeniably a stallion. A stallion.... a stallion... huh, now she's seen everything. "You." Tempest declared with a heavy snort. "Fire Quill, is it? You and your royal girlfriend have been nothing but a thorn in my side. From Canterlot to Klugetown, you just don't know when to give it up, do you?"
"Can't say anyone has ever called me stubborn before, but coming from you, it's a real honor."
Tempest ignored his remark. "No matter. I only need one more alicorn for the staff to work, since you're so keen to offer yourself up, I'll make your capture quick." Her horn was quick to flare up and she blasted away at the trio but her mark was denied as a shield formed around them which dissipated a moment later. Without any words, The crimson unicorn launched himself off the bow and oriented himself against Tempest's personal guard. Sensing the newfound opportunity, the pirates raised their swords, gave a mighty 'HAR!' and dashed off for their own targets as the beasts ravaging their ship condescend back onto the main deck.
Tempest didn't relent as she fired away. Blast after blast impacting the duo's shield. The strain was great, but with their combined magical might, they were able to weather her barrage.
With growing frustration, Tempest ceased her magical assault and teleported herself between the two, a surprise move that left both open to her quick strikes. Fast as a snake, Tempest delivered a sweeping maneuver that left Psalms tripping on his hooves. Before he could hit the ground, she delivered a two-prong kick that knocked the wind out of him once more as he was catapulted through an open hole leading into the deepest depths of her flagship. Before she could give chase, a bolt of magic impacted her shoulder, hindering her for a brief moment. Turning her glare to the offender, Sunset prepped another mana strike, but before she could successfully discharge it, a purple sphere was assembled directly upon the tip of Sunset's horn.
The resulting blast sent Sunset flying across the deck, where her form lay still. She was only spared a glance as Tempest surged forward to her true target.
Psalms hacked out a few coughs as he regained his breath and it took a moment for him to discern his surroundings. He found himself splayed out on a metal grated floor, where a dark red mist lingered below. Very little light illuminated his vicinity, which left him to fumble for a bit as his eyes ever slowly readjusted. Up above a single heavy cage swayed in the air, ready to snatch him up within its confines, Psalms was quick to move out of its operatable range.
*Clank* *Clank* The sound of impacting hooves sounded off from his six, and sure enough Tempest came into view as he turned to face her.
"Like what I've done with the place?" Tempest began as she leisurely began to pace around Psalms, "I think the mist might be a tad much, what do you think?"
Psalms steadied his breath as he regarded her with calm eyes. "I don't know, I'm not one to fuss over interior decorations."
"Well, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to familiarize yourself with it when we make way for Canterlot. Luckily for you, a good host always has a room ready for her guests. Even prepared a nice, cozy bed, just for you." She inclined her head above. "Care to take a closer look?" She finished as her horn flared with rippling wild mana.
"That's alright, I've rested enough already." Psalms horn flared as well.
"Please," Tempest began as a snarl replaced her faux smile, "I insist!" A bolt of magic arced through the air, coiling to strike Psalms down but with a quick leap to the side, the bolt detonated upon the metal flooring which creaked and groaned in protest.
Sliding to her left flank, Psalms jumped back onto his hooves and summoned his magic to fasten around his legs, and projected forward with all his mana, once more using his levitation to attempt a body slam into Tempest.
She refocused her sights on him and unleashed a sweeping arc of magic that sliced through the air at breakneck speeds in his direction.
Psalms ceased his magic, curled his legs under himself, and slid under the magical arc, barely singing his air as it flowed overhead before levitating himself once more, still within his tucked-in form, and surged to meet Tempest's side. He successfully connected and the blow threw Tempest against the wall to his right. Her armor dampened the blow significantly and his shoulder was for sure gonna sport a nasty bruise in the morning, but with her out of the way for the briefest moment, Psalms turned towards the stairway and desperately began a hasty retreat.
He did not have the magical prowess of Sunset or Twilight to engage in a prolonged magical duel, nor did he have the raw strength like Thomas to physically subdue her. He knew Tempest was a foe not to be trifled with and he had hoped with the added support of Sunset, the two could keep her preoccupied and weather her attacks until all other beasts were dealt with and all could converge and overwhelm her at once. Yet, it took not even a minute for her to send him flying down here and presumably render Sunset out of action before fixating solely on his capture. He needed to resurface if he wanted to stand any chance against her. Taking into consideration Tempest's proficiency at CQC meant the confined space he shared with her was only to her benefit.
Ascending the flight of stairs, Psalms reached for the hatch's handle but a hard tug at his tail pulled him away at the last moment. Yanked forcefully down the stairs, Psalms was subject to having his head impact each stairstep along the way, cracking his jaw all the while. Another tug and he was thrown off the side of the stairs, impacted the ground with the grace of a piano, and subsequentially lost all breath once more.
Tempest ceased her magic and trotted up to Psalms until he was directly beneath her. She applied a heavy hoof onto his sternum and pinned him before her. "Now, where do you think you're going?"
Psalms gasped for breath as she pressed her hoof further. "...Oh... you know...thought I could use some....fresh air." Psalms hissed as she pressed even further. He opened his eyes and oriented his face to meet hers. "You're making a mistake, Tempest... the Storm King won't uphold his end of the deal... he won't fix your horn-" Tempest's eyes grew wide, "-he's just using you. I know you know this, you have to."
Tempest's face continued to remain shocked. "...How... how do you know about-"
"I'm an alicorn, let's just say I know many things I shouldn't, but I don't need to be an omniscient being to know that you are nothing but his pawn." Psalms pointed to the dark metal cage above. "Is this who you really are, Fizzlepop?" Tempest's breath hitched as she took a step back. "A conquerer? An invader?" Psalms clambered back onto his feet, "...A traitor?"
A bolt of magic struck him back down and Tempest was quick to bear her snarling face against his. "You don't know what I've been through! You know nothing about me! You don't know what it's like to have your very own friends, your very own family, turn their backs on you! To be an outsider to your very own home!"
Psalms took a moment to wipe away a drip of blood from his mouth. "...No, maybe I don't, but I do know what it's like to be ostracized by those around you." Tempest snarled once more but Psalms continued before she could interrupt. "I wasn't always an alicorn you know, and I wasn't as lucky to have a family in the beginning as you did, nor did I even have friends. I was born into the world utterly alone, Tempest. A sickly little child barely living in an orphanage. I spent many years there, and in all that time nobody wanted me, nobody, not until the very end." A bitter laugh escaped his lungs. "Not even the universe tolerated my existence because just as soon as I came to accept my place in the world, I came down with a terminal disease."
A conflicting mask adorned Tempest's features and she backed away from Psalms as he struggled to clamber back onto his feet. "But, no matter how much shit the world threw at me, I never lost hope and faith, not in myself or others. Sure, they've waivered from time to time, but they have never been broken. I know there's good in you, Tempest, It's not too late to stop and fight back against the Storm King. It's not too late to turn things around."
"...I can't... the damage is already done... most of Equestria and its citizens are under our subjugation... I'm beyond the point of redemption."
A small smile found its way onto Psalms features. "You severely underestimate the lengths these ponies will take to befriend just about anyone. Believe me, they'll forgive you in a heartbeat."
"But can they help me?" Tempest bit back with a glare, inching her way toward Psalms with each case she listed off. "I've read the reports, I've seen firsthoof just how truly powerful you alicorns are. Your sun princess couldn't stop one starving little bug queen from incapacitating her to a wall. She couldn't or wouldn't stop Discord's rise without the element bearers, only to then have him be released on good behavior which almost led to the complete loss of all magic from that raging centaur! Couldn't break free from some measly magical plants, didn't even bother helping with the Pony of Shadows, sent her own niece to fight off an ancient foe instead of herself?"
Tempest's encroachment pressed Psalms against the wall. "Luna can't control her emotions or darker side, Cadence needed the help of a baby dragon to save the day, and you can't even protect yourself from a broken unicorn! ...How can I have hope that you mighty magical beings will be able to mend my horn when you can't even save yourselves!?" Her horn flared once more, "...The Storm King promised to restore my horn... and with the power of four alicorns, he very well could."
"...But do you honestly believe he will?"
The desperate look that morphed on her face for a single second was all the answer he needed. It was quickly replaced with a hard glare as her horn flared for a strike, but the insistent rattling of the cage's chain above drew the attention of both as a dark figure slid down and disembarked with a jump straight into Tempest's side. The force of the figure's weight drove Tempest against the wall with a harsh impact that echoed throughout the chamber.
"You alright?" The voice of Thomas was a flood of relief for Psalms. He offered a simple nod. "Get topside, I'll buy you time." Tempest had recovered by then and her horn sparked with enraged magic but Thomas was quick to lock her within his grip and the two began a rough tussle as Psalms booked for the exit.
Closing the hatch behind him, Psalms was surprised to find fire had broken out within the ship's bowels. Smoke choked the path ahead, forcing Psalms to take an alternate route. It wasn't long before hacking coughs from another individual entered his ears as he came across a series of empty cages, save for one. There Capper was, one paw cupped to his mouth and the other fiddling with his cage's lock with one of his claws. His teary eyes soon noticed Psalms within his peripheral. "*Cough*, *Cough*, *Cough*... Not too keen to lose one of my lives here, friend. Care to lend a helping hoof?"
"Promise you won't try to sell my friends again?"
The look of shame that flashed across the cat's face was reassuring. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Capper finished with the added motions.
A quick zap from Psalms horn and the lock shattered. "You know Pinkie's Promise already?"
Capper kicked the cage open and stretched his limbs upon exiting. "That mare's running on a twenty-four seven sugar-rush. Darn near told me her whole life's story in one breath."
Muffled explosions from the rear rocked the ship and the two around. "C'mon, that promise is a start, but you still need to grovel on the floor and beg for their forgiveness after what you tried to pull." With Capper in tow, the two rushed for the exterior hatch, passing by more out-of-control fires along the way. Breaching through the hatch, The two are presented with the last Storm beast falling at the hands of Captain Celaeno as she and the beast tangoed with their spear and sword respectively. She parried the beast's strikes expertly and once it tried to lash out with a ranged attack, she finished playing around committed to a one-two strike and slice that tore the spear into three halves. The spear rumbled uncontrollably with chaotic energy and the beast narrowly defied injury as it chucked the spear bits away which exploded a second later. It turned back to the Captain in which she delivered an elbow to its face, toppling the beast down for good. The battle won, she sheaved her sword and let out a triumphant cry which was followed by the others. Lying around, the unconscious bodies of multiple beasts littered the deck.
Another explosion rang out and the Captain was quick to issue an 'abandon ship' order as she and her crew collected the beasts, and a surrendered Grubber, onto her deck. Capper let out a startled yowl and pounced away to safety as another explosion racked Tempest's ship.
"Psalms! Over here!" Sunset called out as she exited Tempest's quarters with multiple scrolls and books within her magical hold. "I'm sorry I couldn't come to help, her bubble shield cause me to burn my horn out, lost control of my mana until a few moments ago, but I managed to snag all of these, might be useful inf-"
Sunset was interrupted as the hatch leading into the bowel blasted open, propelling Thomas's form across the deck's floor. His coat was torn and smoke lingered from the shot that had successfully landed on him. He lay still for a moment, but soon enough a groan was heard as he slowly settled back on his feet. Sunset was quick to throw her load onto the cargo ship before she and Psalms were by Thomas's side and all swiveled their head as the creaking stairs announced Tempest's emergence.
Bruises adorned her face and legs and scratch marks covered every side of her armor, but other than that, she looked no worse for wear. She did not hesitate to unleash her inner rage onto the trio who shielded themselves with their combined magic as they retreated towards the ship's bow. Celaeno and her crew drew swords once more and rushed to assist, but with a quick flick of her magic, Tempest sent all hurdling to the far end of the cargo ship. Capper attempted to help by throwing what he could at her, but she simply ignored him and continued to pummel at the ponies' shield.
Strike after strike, Tempest was unrelenting. She did not bother with words or quips or threats, she wanted Psalms and she was desperate to throw everything to get him. Blast after Blast after blast, and just as the shield began to waiver, Tempest paused for the briefest of moments, but only to allow her horn to build up with her strongest magical strike yet. The air visibly rippled with heat as Tempest's horn pulsed with overcharged power. The trio scoured all angles with panicked eyes, trying in vain to spot anything that could be their last-minute salvation, but nothing came forth, nor was there time as Tempest leveled her horn, primed her magic, and fired awa-
*CRA-BOOM!*
Without warning, the deck splintered into rupturing flames and smoke as it imploded from its inner bowels, sending shrapnel and ponies flying. Psalms found himself slamming against yet another guardrail and was grateful he didn't have the momentum or force to be pitched overboard. Dazed didn't even begin to describe his state of mind as he struggled to shake his head clear of the vertigo plaguing him. After a brief inspection of himself, he was surprised to find little damage.
The same couldn't be said for Thomas as he arose from a cluster of broken crates. He sported a hoof to his head upon fully emerging as a dribble of blood leaked from the wound at the base of his skull. He stumbled for a bit but soon enough found his footing as he and Psalms surveyed the surrounding damage. Once the notion of proximate flames registered within his mind, Thomas's eyes grew wild with fear and he began a hasty retreat towards Sunset.
Said mare managed to land on the very edge of the ship's bow; with her feet curled under her, she hissed and winced with every breath, but looked to be in one piece.
Turning back to the ship's rear, Psalms finally laid eyes on Tempest as she surged back onto her hooves, nursing her forelimb as she braced against a nearby crate. Another explosion rocked the ship resulting in the destruction of the engines as they belched smoldering fire from their exhaust openings, resulting in the skiff pitching forward to a sharp degree as it began to lose altitude. Before Psalms could shout an alarm, a crate struck Tempest's side, sending her flying over the guardrail and down below to the misty sea.
The screech of grinding metal filled the air as the skiff gouged the side of the cargo ship. With its harpoon still in place, Tempest's flagship threatened to bring both ships down to Davy Jone's locker. Scrambling to regroup with the other two, all three ponies laid eyes on the metal chain hooking the two ships. "We need to-"
"For Celestia's sake, we have eyes too, Psalms!" Sunset snapped as her horn blared and her magic wrapped around the chain. "Shut up and start pulling!"
With a glance being shared between the brothers, their magic soon joined in the desperate tugging. The grapple remained firmly fixed within Celaeno's hull, refusing to budge an inch no matter how much they struggled. Sunset and Psalms soon started blasting holes around the opening, hoping to tear off enough wood and metal that kept the hook secure. As they slowly worked away at the hull, Tempest's ship continued to pitch forward, dragging the pirate's ship into a growing incline leading to crates and barrels and scores of merchandise rolling off the ship's side while the crew struggled to secure themselves along the deck.
Finally, with a heavy pop, the harpoon grapple relented with a massive jerk that lead to the ponies tumbling onto the floor. With the tether severed, Celaeno was quick to slowly readjust her ship's elevation and restore its leveled state. The crew and Capper were in a frenzy to lower all ladder rungs along the starboard, but only the one at the skiff's rear was of viable reach.
A desperate sprint to the poop deck was made as each pony scrambled over broken debris, belching fires, and each other. Just as Sunset breached the top of the stairwell, one final hurdle by fate was launched their way in the form of several barrels that were previously secured but became loose amidst all the chaos and rolled directly their way, leaving no time to react. Sunset was flattened by the first few while Psalms launched himself to the side and out of the way while the rest came barreling directly into Thomas.
Psalms could only stare in horror as his brother topple down the stairs once the barrels impacted. "Thomas!"
Within his peripheral, the ladder rung was quickly losing length as the ships continued to drift further apart. Without a second thought, Psalms caught the last of the rung before it escaped and jammed it within Sunset's hooves. Before she could even comprehend his actions, she was forcefully yanked off the ship's side. Her retreating figure soon came into view and Psalms was able to confirm her safety as she hanged for dear life.
"Thomas! Psalms!" Her cries echoed from above.
With Sunset safe, he focused all his attention to saving Thomas. Turns out he didn't need to go too far as he was able to spot his brother fastened in between the helms guardrail and a secured crate. Psalms allowed himself to slide down until he impacted the ship's steering wheel, earning Thomas's attention.
"We're going to die!" Thomas screamed out, "We're going to die, and it's all your fucking fault! Fuck, why me, why!?"
Thomas may have been panicking out of his mind, but that didn't mean his words were any less true. They most certainly were going to die and it was his fault. Everything would've turned out just fine for everyone... so why did he have to go and risk it all?
...Because he just couldn't sit and leave the birds and cat to their fate, even if there was no danger of death. He was ready and willing to follow Twilight's escape plan, but the moment he decided to turn his back... he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He felt it when he left those ponies to fend for themselves back when they first reached the train station when their adventure started, and he felt it again when he let those prisoners get loaded up once they returned to the trainyard. The chill tore at his heart, telling him that he had made a mistake... maybe it was emotions getting the better of him, or maybe it was a sign from the Lord, he didn't know, but he swore from then on that he'd make sure that chill would never run through him again if he could help it.
That's why he decided to help the pirates, to risk it all for something nonsensical, because it was his duty. He has a divine mission to maintain and by God, he was going to uphold it come rain or shine. Involving Thomas however was his mistake. His brother's life wasn't his to throw away or manipulate... and yet he had done exactly that, and now the both of them were likely doomed to an early grave... and it would all be his fault...
Psalms was torn away from his thoughts as the last of the storm clouds cleared and the visage of Mount Aris was presented before him. Seeing the mountain within close proximity, hope surged within his soul, and with a successful test of the wheel and the rudder controls, it blossomed fully into faith. Faith that they'll pull through yet again. "Thomas! If you can hear me, brace for impact!" |
Life isn’t done with you | Chapter 8: An Adventure Already?! (Part 6: Revelations.) | Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
--Hebrews 13:16
Tempest breached the water's surface and fixed herself to a nearby crate as she struggled to clear the water from her orifices. Hacking out salt water from her lungs and throat left burning sores that dotted her inner esophagus. As the last of the water left her, she wheezed with painful, hoarse groans as she struggled to ascertain her whereabouts. The ocean surrounding her hung heavy with mist, blocking her view of the two airships above, yet the explosions that rang out clearly indicated the state of her airship. The booms soon became muted as her flagship no doubt began to drift to a watery grave.
She had harpooned her ship to the pirate's own vessel, if they didn't manage to cut the line in time, then she doubted there would be any survivors.
Tempest cast her gaze across the horizon, hoping to spot land or anything of note, but the mist obscured all.
She had lost it all. Her ship, her troops, her chase. There was no possible way she could cover the vast distance of sea in the desperate hope of finding her alicorn prizes, and with the princess abandoning ship before she could get a hint as to her next destination, Tempest was at a roadblock. The Storm King would arrive later that very day, and if he were to find out she was still without a fourth alicorn, after 'generously' allowing three extra days, well, her horn wouldn't be the only thing that was broken.
Luckily, Tempest had an ace, a chance to save her skin, Plan B, one final lead. To say she was reluctant to follow through with the plan was an understatement for multiple reasons, but what choice did she have? If either alicorn had simply decided to come quietly, none of this would have been necessary. The blame was on them... but what was to come would surely be on her hooves... and she couldn't deny that.
Tempest's horn stump flared with all her magic and within a flash, she teleported away, reluctant to follow Plan B, but desperate enough to forgo her concerns with it.
They made it. They had actually, finally made it. Twilight almost couldn't believe it. After everything they have endured, from Canterlot's invasion to the daring escape within the train, from their treacherous trek across the desert to their desperate flee from the city, followed by their miraculous survival free falling a thousand meters in the air, they were finally before the gates of the hippogriff's home. After almost three days of nearly nonstop danger and peril, their journey's end was right before them. They all made it... well, most of them anyway.
Casting her eyes to the skies above, the rumbling seas of storm clouds blotted the heavens along with the ship they had ejected from, leaving Psalms, Thomas, and Sunset behind. Many questions lingered on her mind regarding the fiery alicorn. Why did they stay behind? What was happening up there? Were they ok? ...Was he ok? ...Why was she worried about him the most?
These questions were only the tip of the iceberg when it came to everything else that was leaving Twilight a barely functioning wreck. Why was Tempest doing all this? Why was she invading now? What did they want with her magic? Why had they never heard of this Storm King before? Were the princesses ok!? How was she going to free them!? Why didn't she think to get the Elements!? How was she supposed to stop an entire army!? What if the hippogriffs couldn't help!? How were they going to get back home!? What was she going to do!?
"TWILIGHT!" The shout elicited a startled whinny from the Princess as she turned to see a rainbow blur careen straight into her side. Before she knew it, Twilight was dangling from Rainbow's front limbs as the Wonderbolt pitched themselves into the air just as a flaming ball of fire hurtled straight into Mount Aris, narrowly avoiding the Hippogriff statues. A shockwave resounded as the airship impacted the stone, scraping against the mountain's side, spilling debris and flames all around. The screech of metal echoed and ever so slowly, the ship crawled to a full stop. Its airbag slowly began to deflate, covering the pillaring smoke that ascended.
There the remains of Tempest's ship were settled to rest, its last voyage ending with a bang.
"Twilight! Oh Celestia, Twilight, are you both alright!?" Rarity exclaimed as she and the others left the edge of the stairs where they had taken shelter.
Rainbow released Twilight as they touched down. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be a princess pancake right now. What gives?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you until the last second." Her statement earned the worried looks of her friends.
"Twi, we were hollering yer name for a good minute before Dash had to physically move ya." Applejack fixed her with a concerned frown. "What's going on?"
Twilight reflected her eyes across the others before releasing a heavy sigh. "It's...it's nothing girls. The stress of it all, the lack of sleep, it's just getting to me. I'll be fine, I promise."
The others made to express their concerns further, but all attention shifted to the burning wreck as a magical blast resounded from the interior.
A beam of crimson exploded out of the side of the ship and the screams of a familiar stallion echoed from within. A few more beams tore at the wooden hull before it exploded outward as Thomas's figure crashed right through with licking flames flaring upon the sleeves of his raincoat. On his back, the dazed form of Psalms was harshly ejected as they cleared away from the burning wreck. Thomas, screaming all the while, stopped dropped, and rolled, smothering the fire, but he didn't stop there as he grabbed a mouthful of his apparel and began tearing it piece by piece, grinding the burnt bits and fragments into the dirt with ever-increasing vigor.
Psalms, having recovered, continued to lie on the ground as he and the others remained fixated on Thomas's erratic behavior. Soon enough, Thomas switched targets from his torn coat to the burning wreck as he unleashed mega beam after mega beam into the ship, propelling melted slag and splinters in every direction while he roared away. "NO MORE! NO MORE! NO MORE!"
One more beam and silence descended upon the area. All were stunned as choked sobs and fresh tears spilled down Thomas's shivering frame. His eyes were glazed over as he reflected upon them "...No more flames... please... no more fire... I-I can't go back... don't... DON'T TAKE ME BACK!" To the horror of the others, save Spike what with Rarity covering his eyes, Thomas's sharp wing talons flexed inward and gouged themselves deep into his shoulders before pulling down and out, spilling a small stream of blood from each wound. "Take it! It's all I have to offer, just take it! Don't send me back!" He finally collapsed as more choking sobs left him hyperventilating.
What have I done? The thought ran rampant throughout Psalms' mind. What have I done?
Before anyone could move a muscle, a yellow and pink blur was upon him in a flash, cradling the broken alicorn within her lap as she whispered sweet reassurances before quietly switching to a harmonic hum, soothing the former human into a quiet babble. Extending her wings, she wrapped the both of them into a feathery cocoon, providing much-needed privacy.
The rest of the group remained stunned for a bit before Rainbow Dash broke the silence. "...What.... what just happened?"
"Somethin' we weren't meant to see." Applejack began, "I think by now we all knew somethin' was wrong with Thomas, if not then a hunch. Seems to me he's reached a breaking point." She seized her hat and reflected upon it with sorrowful eyes. "I reached a breaking point once myself many years back. Can't say I came anywhere close to what he just done, but it wasn't pretty neither."
"But... but why would he do that to himself?" Pinkie quietly voiced out, her jovial appearance having deflated significantly as well as her colors having become muted.
"Trauma affects ponies in many different ways, Pinkie. I...I can't begin to imagine what he's gone through to elicit that kind of reaction, but it's not our place to know. Not unless he wishes to share. For now, we can only give him and Fluttershy space." Rarity turned to Twilight, fixing her a small smile, "Well, at the very least we have finally arrived at our destination. I believe some quality respite is what we all need at the moment. Rainbow dear, can you perhaps notify the local ushers of our needs?" She shifted her gaze to the burning wreck. "Why they haven't seen to our needs yet, I haven't the faintest clue. Nopony could've missed that at their doorstep."
"I'll go take a look, be back in a sec." Rainbow settles herself into a take-off stance before sparing a glance at the crimson alicorn. With her unable to help him in any way, she dashes through the air and into the Hippogriff's home, her figure becoming obscured by the foggy mist within moments.
The clop of hooves resounded behind Psalms' prone figure as the voice of Twilight reached him. "I'm glad you both are ok. ...Mostly ok." Psalms remained quiet. "...That's Tempest ship, right? What happened up there? Where is Sunset?"
"...She's safe. We decided to help Celaeno's crew and we rescued the cat, Capper. We thought we could hold against Tempest, but she proved to be the superior foe. Collateral damage ensued... she went overboard. Managed to whisk Sunset to safety but..." his gaze shifted over to Fluttershy and Thomas, "...we had to endure the fall... I forced Thomas to endure everything. He never would have agreed to the plan but I forced him into it without his consideration... he's almost died multiple times now.... and it's all my fault..."
"Psalms! Twilight! Up here!" The voice that registered above caused all to reflect upon the sky as the Celaeno's colorful ship slowly descended. Off the port side, Sunset's head along with the crew and feline passenger were sticking out as they hollered. Clearing away to make space, the ship drifted to a halt along the stony steps. A ramp soon extended out and Sunset was quick to slam herself into Psalms' side as a few tears escaped her eyes.
The hug lasted only a few moments before she slugged his shoulder, albeit not as hard as Psalms would've expected. "I know you had a very good reason, but don't you ever pull a stunt like that again on me! I could've helped you both!"
Psalms fixed her a small smile. "I didn't want you in ha-"
"In harm's way, blah blah blah, you care about me, blah blah blah, you had no choice, blah blah blah! You oaf, I can take care of myself you know." Her anger simmered before a bashful smile reflected his way. "...But, thank you."
Sunset didn't hesitate on turning to Twilight and also hug her. "Glad to see everyone is ok... wait where's Thomas?" Both alicorns indicated Fluttershy's way.
The unicorn had to squint to make out the scene and as she turned to inquire, Psalms beat her to it. "He couldn't take the pressure of the last couple of days, and I don't blame him for it. I dragged him into all this, it's my fault his condition's gotten progressively worse."
Sunset reflected upon the first time she had met the two. "Yeah, he hasn't been all... there. Been like that since I first met you two. He has an extreme reaction to fire, enough so that even the name 'Fire Quill' agitated him..."
"It's not our place to dwell on such a topic, and I'm very sorry to say, but we don't have the time either." Twilight reflected upon the gates of the mountain. "At least we made it. With the Hippogriff's help, we can repulse this invasion. Things are looking up for once."
A hiss from Sunset earned the two's attention as she winced upon hearing Twilight's words. "Um, yeah about the Hippogriffs... I don't think we have the time to enlist their help."
Twilight blinked at her words, "What do you mean?"
"Back on Tempest's ship, she managed to knock me out of the fight. When I came to, I wasn't going to be of any help for Psalms or Thomas, so I decided to snoop around while everypony was distracted, and I extracted as much information as I could from Tempest's quarters." Sunset magicked over a pile of notes, scrolls, books, and one onyx journal. "It took a while, but I compiled and looked at everything and... I know the reason why. I know why she's invaded Equestria, why the Storm King is invested, why they need you so much."
"They have an artifact,-" from the pile, she fished out a scroll with a depiction of said artifact outlined from charcoal, "-the staff of Sacanas. Its power can siphon all magic from the most powerful of objects or beings, and harness it for itself and its user. Tempest has spent a lot of time theorizing if her notes are anything to go by, but she ultimately believes that with the harnessing of four alicorns, you princesses specifically, the power held within would restore her horn, the reason she's doing all this, to be made whole."
"That's why she's been chasing you all across the continent. You're the final piece for her Plan A. I've looked through all of her journal entries and it appears she was growing desperate when you fled Klugetown. She had no idea we were headed for Mount Aris as she was fooled by the cat to head East. If it weren't for the rainboom, she never would've found us." Sunset's face settles into a frown as she rubs a hoof against her face while heaving a sigh. "We tried looking for Tempest in the ocean, but she had teleported away before we got sight of her... I'm afraid she has no choice but to head back to Canterlot and with the Storm King coming soon... I fear she will be forced to follow through with Plan B."
"Which means..." The tone Sunset had left Twilight fearing the worse and her fears were confirmed a moment later.
"Tempest only needs one more alicorn, Twilight... there's only one left unaccounted for..."
Disbelief struck Psalms like a truck as the implication was made clear a second later. No... there's no way she'd consider... oh my God... I fucked up... I really, truly, royally, fucked up...
Fear struck deep within Twilight's heart, leaving her legs a shaking mess as her breaths became rapid and ever-increasing. "NO!" she screamed, "No she can't! She won't! I can't let her!" Her desperate pleading eyes reflected upon her shocked friends and the others around, "We need to go! We need to go now! She can't touch Flurry Heart! We have to stop her now!"
"No." Thomas's grave voice boomed out. He gently set Fluttershy aside as he clambered back to his feet. His eyes were bloodshot and the stains of tears were still present across his face. His face was drained of all emotion as he fixed Twilight, then Psalms, with a dead glare. "...I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore." He turned for the ramp, but not before Twilight cried out.
"No! Thomas, please! I need your he-"
"I said I'm done!" Thomas growled out, turning his head to face behind, a snarl fixed on his lips, leaving most ponies, Twilight included, taking a step back. His eyes shifted to Psalsm and he released a snort. "Ever since we left the farm we've been on the run from monsters and airships and evil crippled unicorns, leaving me a hairs width away from death all the while...you promised you'd look after me... instead you forced me into yet another life or death situation! You said everything would turn out just fine without your intervention, yet you still saw fit to interject yourself at every chance you could, and what a surprise it was for me when it inevitably left us burning up in goddamn flames!"
Shivers cascaded through his figure and just as Fluttershy attempted to brace herself by his side once more, he motioned her still with a wave of his hoof as he recovered with choking hiccups. "I can't go back... I refuse to go back... I won't be subject to such torture... not again. I will not let myself get killed because of this stupid adventure. I'm done." He turned once more onto the ramp, leaving Twilight a blubbering mess.
"N-no! Please, Thomas, stop!" Her legs failed to support her as she crashed into the ground as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I-I-I don't understand!? I need you! Flurry needs you! Please! Why are you doing this!?"
"Because if I die, I'm not going up there!" Thomas roared out.
Silence descended, leaving Psalms to finally scramble off the dirt as he took careful steps toward his brother. "...What do you mean?"
"..."
Psalms scrambled to be before Thomas, bringing the brothers face to face. Nothing but unbridled pain and fear was reflected in Thomas's features. "Thomas, talk to me, what do you mean!?"
Sobs threatened to run amock within Thomas. "...Psalms... I died... back on Earth. We both did... and... and I remember everything. I didn't ascend before a singing angel choir, I didn't rise to the pearly gates, I didn't see a bright shining light..." The look of pure unfiltered horror upon his brother's face would forever haunt Psalms. "...I was dragged into the ground... I swam only in darkness... I was greeted with the screeches of the eternally suffering... and mine joined them." His eyes glazed over. "...Fire...fire... forever burning in a lake of fire... choking on the stench of my own charred flesh... surrounded by the shrieking damned...all of us begging... begging... for a single drop of water..."
A few moments of peace passed before Thomas rigorously shook his head clear of the terrible memories, his demeanor calming as he turned to fix Twilight with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry Twilight... I-I really am... but I can't do this anymore... not for you, not for Flurry Heart, not for anyone. I-I need to head home." He once more turned his back to the mare.
"...Please..." Twilight dejectedly croaked out, "...She's just a child..."
Thomas's form paused immediately upon hearing her words. A small glimmer of hope swelled within Twilight.
"...Wha-... what did you say?" Thomas whispered as he turned to her, his expression of shock and disbelief.
"She's my niece, she's just a child. Her mother was turned to stone in Canterlot. She and her father, my brother Shining Armor, are both back in the Crystal Empire." Twilight heaves a shaky sigh before continuing. "All three were supposed to visit for the festival, but Flurry came down with the flu at the last moment, and Shining elected to stay behind." Twilight fixated on Thomas with pleading eyes, "Please, Shining won't know of the coming invasion until it's too late. They can't be allowed to get her."
Thomas's shocked expression remained plastered a moment more before he set his eyes to the side as a frown replaced his previous features. His teeth visibly began to ground against one another and his tail began whipping furiously around. Frustration coursed through every vein before he fixed Twilight with another snarl. "Listen and listen very closely. When you say 'child' you do mean the 'goo-goo gaga, I just shat my diaper' kind, and not the thirty-year-old living in mom's basement dwelling man-child kind, right?" Thomas seethed out, earning the confused faces of all save one.
"She's a child, Thomas." Psalms informs. "She's not even three." A subtle nod from Twilight affirms his information.
"Then you should have said that from the start instead of leaving us idling with our thumbs up our ass. There's no time to waste, we need to go now."
Thomas's three-sixty attitude flip left Twilight momentarily paused. "Yes, thank you, Thomas, thank you! We need to leave now, everypony else, please speak to the Hippogriffs and send help for Canterlot as soon as possible." Twilight was quick to usher herself onboard the ship, but was halted as Psalms hoof blocked her path.
"I'm sorry Twilight, but you have to stay here." He lifted his hoof as Twilight made to object. "I know, it's your niece, I understand, but certain events need to unfold if we are to ensure complete victory, and that means you need to stick with your friends. Thomas and I will go. It's my fault Flurry Heart is in danger, and I swear to my very core and to everything I cherish and value, that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe." Twilight's eyes beheld uncertainty, something Psalms aimed to amend. "Please, Twilight. You must stay with your friends. We cannot risk your capture with the Storm King."
"But if you both go, then it doesn't matter if he captures me or not, he only needs one of you!"
"Which is why we'll have to be extra careful, and besides, aside from looking the part, we don't exactly have any of the other qualities that you true alicorns have. I mean I can barely squeeze out a few shots outta this old ivory thing before I'm left breathless. I'm not sure there's any magic he can suck out of us to begin with." Psalms lifted his hoof before her. "Do you trust me?"
The two remained fixated on each other's gaze as doubt and fear ate away at Twilight's mind. For the longest time, the two remained in place, before a shaky breath was heaved by Twilight as the last of her tears fell away. She wiped her face with her hoof before joining hers to his as the smallest of smiles adorned her face. "...Yes... yes, I... I trust you, Psalms. I trust you both. Please, please protect her, and wait for us."
"You're not coming with me."
The two were left stunned by Thomas's words as they both oriented his way.
"What?" Psalms simply inquired.
"You. Are not. Coming. With me." Thomas articulated, "It's your fault that all of this transpired in the first place, and right now, I can't stand to see your hide a second more. So you're going to give me my space and that's final."
"Thomas," Psalms hesitantly prodded, "I understand and completely agree, this is my fault, but please think this through. You're going to go up against the invasion force alone, you barely have any magical prowess, you can't fly, and you don't even know where the Crystal Empire is or how to even get there. You have every right to hate my guts right now, but Flurry is in danger. We need to do this together."
"You've caused enough damage as is, Psalms and I'm sure I can ask for directions if I somehow can't figure out how to read a map. You sure as shit can't fly either and you have the prowess of a wet noodle so I don't know what the hell you're spouting out."
"Thomas, please, now isn't the time-"
"I'm the one who has been calling the shots in combat situations! Stay in your lane."
"Brute force and mega beams aren't going to be enough against an entire army, Thomas!"
"Of course not, what do you take me for, a shit-for-brains brawny brute? But hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
"Please, you two, stop fighting! We can figure this ou-"
"ENOUGH!" The boom of Sunset's shout silenced all. Sunset took a moment to gather her breath and composure. "I will go. I still have yet to have my heroic moment after all, and we're burning daylight squabbling over who's it or not. The Storm King arrives today, which means Tempest is pressed for time." Her gaze settled upon the pirates ship. "We won't make it to Canterlot in time to stop Tempest, not in that ship."
A snort leaves Thomas. "So, we won't make it to Canterlot to stop the invasion in time, which would mean we have even less of a chance of getting to this Crystal Empire and protecting Flurry." A heavy stomp onto the stony floor perfectly reflects Thomas's simmering frustration. "We just can't catch a fucking break!"
"...Actually, this time we can." A glimmer of hope enters Thomas's eyes. "But you aren't going to like it one bit." It was promptly snuffed out.
"Well, it's not like we got a lot of options at the moment, so despite how I may feel about it, lay it on me."
Sunset fixed him a sharp nod toward their lizardy companion. "Spike." ... ... ...
"...Spike?"
"Spike."
Thomas looked over Sunset's shoulder as the little dude surveyed around for who called his name. "...Spike?"
Sunset nodded. "Spike."
"Me?" the dragon asked, fixing a digit to himself.
"Yep. You."
"Buh?" Twilight intellectually inputted.
Psalms' eyes slit up with the realization. "Dragon Breath!"
Twilight's eyes were quick to be alarmed. "That will never work!" She declared, catching their attention, "There are magical fail-safes in place that ensure the accidental transportation of organic beings cannot occur. Teleportation for living beings via Dragon breath has not been thoroughly tested and the risks far outweigh the benefits."
"Maybe so, but it is the only option that can provide instantaneous transport straight to Canterlot in less than ten seconds, buying us all the time in the world to delay Tempest's attack before you can come in and finish the job. It's the only way Twilight." Sunset set her pleading eyes on her alicorn friend.
"You don't understand, even if I intended to go through with this, I would need to carefully deconstruct the heavily enchanted spell core piece by piece so as not to damage the spell's matrix as well as comb every angle to find the established nodes that prevent organic matter from being utilized by the spells core functions. Then I would have to establish strict parameters and ensure everything was synced together properly to prevent a catastrophic spell defusion. And that's not even mentioning the equipment and time it will take to make the spell compatible for instant travel." Twilight heaved a breath. "Simply put, it's impossible to send you two through." A thought wormed its way into Twilight's head, and from it, blossomed a plan, a very risky plan. "... At least... at least not as you are now... maybe there is still a way I can send you through, but..." Her face bore a worried frown.
"No buts, Twilight." Sunset was quick to dash the caution away. "If there's a way, then we need to use it. We don't have any other options."
"I know, I know, but... it's been so long since I did it, nearly two decades to be exact, and when it happened it wasn't exactly... voluntary...for anypony...a-and there is no guarantee that if I repeat the process, the results will turn out exactly like last time. The statistical probability is one in a-"
A pair of hooves settled upon her shoulders, one from Thomas and Sunset alike. Their reassuring smiles did wonders to calm her nerves.
"It's ok, Twilight," Sunset voiced out. "We have faith in you. That's enough for us."
Twilight shared a look between the two before hooking her hooves with theirs and bringing the two into a tight hug. "Thank you; from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I can never repay this debt. Please, be safe. I don't know what they'll do if they get their claws on you."
"It's alright, Twilight," Thomas reassured, "we can handle ourselves. And don't worry about my potential capture. If it means me over Flurry, then I'll take the fall anytime. No child deserves to have any harm done unto them. I promise to protect her."
Released from the hug, the two volunteers settled at the base of the ramp. All other souls gathered around as Twilight primed her magic, wishing luck and safe farewells.
"Ready when you are, Twilight," Sunset called out.
"Just... give me a moment, I've only turned ponies into inanimate objects once before, not of my volition mind you."
"Wait, she's turning us into objects?"
"Uh, yeah? Didn't you hear her say living things can't travel through dragon breath? What did you think she was going to do to us?"
"Pfft, how should I know? I'm an alien from another world for crying out loud! Give me some slack...so wait, dragons breath only works on inanimate objects?"
"Yep."
"So, we turn into objects, and then Spikes gonna, what, cough on us, or something? Burp out a bubble or something and poof, off we go?" A horrified look adorned Thomas's face. "He's not gonna eat us and throw us back up, is he!?"
"What? Ew, no, no, no, nothing disgusting or weird like that." Reassurance flooded through Thomas's figure.
Twilight's horn rippled with barely contained energy. "Ok, here goes nothing!"
"Spike's just going to use his fire breath to turn us into magical ash and reform us before Princess Celestia."
A toothy snarl was reflected Sunset's way. The smirk on her lips never relented as Thomas began to chew her out. "Oh, you conniving little horse bi-"
*Zap*
"Wow." Twilight reflected upon the two with surprise. "Exactly like Mom and Dad... Spike, quick, before the spell expires!"
With a heave of his breath, Spike summoned forth his inner rumbling depths, before spewing out green flames that engulfed the two former ponies. The magic worked as intended as their new forms collapsed into ash that was whisked away to a Celestial Princess in a capital far, far away. "Not exactly flowers, but I don't think the Princess will mind."
Psalms heaved a sigh as his brother's ashes disappeared in the wind. What a clusterfuck. way to go, me.
Hell. Thomas came from hell... the implications were... harrowing. Psalms shook his head. There's a time and place for everything, focus on the here and now.
"-ouldn't find anypony! The entire place is a ghost town." Rainbow vocalized aloud as she came for a landing before her group with Psalms catching the last of her statement.
Just as Psalms was about to immerse himself into the conversation, a talon found his shoulder at the last second. Turning he found Captain Celaeno and her crew crowding around his figure, varying displays of appreciation adorning their beaks. "Hey, you're that pony fella that risked yourself to save us from Tempest's wrath, right?"
Psalms nodded away, "Me, my brother Thomas, and a friend, Sunset. I'm Psalms, nice to meet you, Captain."
Celaeno accepted his hoof and the two shook with mutual respect. "Because of you three, my crew is safe, the ship is... relatively intact,-"
"And our booty be nice and secure, Yargh!" One of her mates called out, earning more 'yarghs' around.
Celaeno couldn't help but chuckle away, "Yes, our booty is secure because of you three... you ponies truly are something else, you know that? First, you help us get our mojo back, then you risk life and limb to save us, and last but not least, successfully defeated Tempest, all for a bunch of strangers." Celaeno fixed Psalms with an intrigued look. "Maybe there is something to this magic of friendship after all."
"Oh, you better believe it, sister," Capper announced as he jumped down from a boulder he had been using to relax upon. "In all my years within Klugetown, I have done many... eh, 'rambunctious' activities and jobs and other assorted opportunities to better finesse myself to a higher quality of life, so to speak, but..." His features withered ever so slightly as he continued. "...but, I cannot say in any uncertain terms that I have considered or gone through with the attempted sale of sapient goods before, at least not until now. ... I don't know why I ever considered doing such a... well, let's not sugar coat it, a horrible, irredeemable thing..."
His features brightened once more. "But, after groveling in the dirt, begging and pleading with the ones I wronged, doing exactly what Psalms said I should with all of my heart and soul, those ponies that I oh so wronged in the worst possible way..." A tear or two slid down his face, which he was quick to wipe away with his sleeve, leaving his eyes to linger on the button Rarity sewed previously. "They still saw good in me, even after what I did... these ponies, I tell you what, are no ordinary ponies or even ordinary creatures at that, but I am truly humbled and forever grateful, to call them my friends."
"Psalms!" Pinkie shouted out from beyond the gates. The figures of the others disappeared into the mist as they advanced. "Dashie heard singing in a spooky dark cave! We're going to investigate, you coming!?"
"You gals go on ahead, I'll be right behind you."
Pinkie nodded away before bouncing and giggling into the mist.
"Well," Psalms began, "I'm glad all of you are ok."
"Ok? We're better than okay. We're ready and willing to join your fight against the Storm King." Celaeno and her crew joined arms together as they hefted their scabbards and other assorted weapons into the air. Even Capper linked arms with the pirates. "It's the least we can do for all you've done. You have our word."
"Glad to have you and your crew aboard, Captain. You too Capper." Psalms shifted his view unto the cargo ship, eyeing the damage inflicted upon its hull. "Real glad to have your ship too. Should make travel to Canterlot that much faster and easier, but I think it needs some repairs."
"We're on it, you go join your friends, we'll have the ship ready for departure before you know it," Celaeno reassured.
"Thanks, best of luck to you!" Psalms shouted as he galloped after the rest of his group.
"And to you too!" He received in return.
Sprinting for Skystar's little hangout, Psalms ignored the dilapidated and overgrown ruins that adorned every direction. Spotting the open entrance, the sounds of the girl's voices echoed within. Reaching the opening, Psalms tucked himself into a ball and slid through the tight opening. As he crawled onward, the voices soon turned into screams as the sound of rushing water reverberated throughout the cavern halls. The cramped space finally opened into an ornate and extensively flooded atrium, where a vortex of water was being flushed down. Seeing the water quickly disappear, Psalms took one large gulp of air and plunged himself down the spout.
Many miles away, centered within the throne room of Canterlot, the petrified figure of Celestia along with her sister Luna and niece Cadence, were arranged within the pictogram etched into the marble flooring, its size and shape perfectly suited for the rune Tempest procured along with the staff for the successful transfer of power. The throneroom was quiet, empty, barring the three trapped souls.
*Pop*
Correction, barring the five trapped souls.
Plopped right before Celestia's stony hooves, two familiar potted plants magicked into existence via Spike's Dragon Breath. Celestia's frozen pose provided the perfect view to examine the plants in detail. One tall prickly cactus with a cute little flower adorning its head, and a common household dracaena, exactly as she remembered all those years ago. There the two plants were deposited and peace reigned for but a few seconds before Twilight's magic expired, plunging the room in a bright flare.
Celestia mildly expected to see the familiar forms of Velvet and Night Light, for whatever reason, but instead, to her surprise, she was greeted with the familiar face of her reconciled former student, Sunset Shimmer, and a crimson unicorn, no wait, a crimson pegas-, no, neither yet both... a stallion... alicorn? Her thoughts were short-lived as said stallion erupted into speech upon immediately transforming, his booming voice having drowned out her inner thoughts.
"-tch! You fucking swindling yellow-bellied rainbow shitter! You knew fire was involved, didn't you!?"
"Of course I did," Sunset nonchalantly replied as she dusted herself off. "And if anypony had told you about it then you wouldn't have volunteered to come, now would you?"
Thomas lifted his hoof to protest further, but her words struck true and he relented with a huff. "...No, no I would have gone insane again. You better believe I'm pissed as all hell, but I understand completely." Thomas clambered back onto his feet. "I'll get over it, in time." Thomas swiveled his head around, taking in the immense expanse of the throne room. "So, this is the Canterlot throneroom, I presume?"
His question goes ignored as Sunset straddles up to his side, her eyes fixed solely on Celestia alone. Thomas examines her before orienting himself before the Sun Princess, leaving all three ponies a moment to reflect upon one another.
"It's good to see you again, Celestia... I just wish it was under better circumstances." A sentiment Celestia deeply agreed with.
Thomas shifted his gaze between the two multiple times before coughing into his hoof. "I, uh, don't mean to ki- er, crash the mood... but um, these petra-nades... they don't, uh, kill their targets, right?" A question we all should've been asking much earlier.
Sunset shook her head. "They work similarly to a cockatrice's stare. The victim remains within suspended animation until released."
"And uh, how exactly do we break them out?"
A soft sigh exited her lungs. "...I don't know. Tempest didn't mention anything in her notes."
As Sunset answered his questions, Thomas took the liberty to survey the other two alicorns present. They may be fixed within their stony prisons, but Thomas couldn't help but feel their eyes crawling all over his form, leaving a shiver that wriggled down his spine, leaving his wings to involuntarily fluster themselves against his side. The chill rebounded down his spine once more.
Looping back around to Sunset's side, he rejoined the examination of Celestia. "...So, this is Celestia. She's the one that controls the Sun." Thomas reflected over his shoulder, back to the others. "And I'm assuming the one with the moon on her bu-, her flank, is Luna?" At Sunset's confirmation, he repositioned himself before Cadence. "Which leaves you...Cadence... Flurry's mother."
The faintest touch of something deep within Thomas's soul was felt, a tug at the heart one could say when he mentioned Flurry's name. Thomas cuffed a hoof at the spot of contact before gazing deep into Cadence's eyes, his expression hard and sturdy. "...Don't worry, I promised Twilight I'd protect her from harm, and I promise you as well. Nothing will befall your daughter, or your husband, nor your kingdom and subjects. You have my word." He felt another tug before it was washed away in soothing warmth.
"Underneath all that gruff macho bravado, you're just a giant teddy bear, aren'tcha?"
Thomas simply shrugged his shoulders. "I got a heart just like everyone else, Sunset, and nothing tugs at it more than the thought of innocent children or animals facing harm from the evils of the world." Thoughts of a child within a quarry with a boulder looming overhead cascaded through his mind. "...There's nothing I could do for them back in my world, but here? Now? We're all that stands between the two, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Me neither." Sunset steps to his side, fixing him with a proud smile. "So, what's the plan, oh great general, or was charging blindly into the heart of the enemy it?"
"Right, the plan. Normally I wouldn't charge head-first into a suicidal mission without at least considering the options, but who knows when Tempest will reach here if she hasn't already." Thomas trotted to the stained glass, getting a view of the storm-covered city. "First and foremost, we need to stop Tempest from gathering her forces and heading straight for the Crystal Empire. The problem is, we have no idea if she somehow beat us to the punch or not. I highly, highly, doubt she has, but regardless, we need to keep them here in Canterlot. They're looking for an alicorn, so we'll just have to shine the spotlights on one."
"But," Sunest began as she joined his side "that's assuming Tempest is already here, right?"
"Right. If she hasn't arrived yet, then there's no need to blow our cover. If I remember my history correctly, the element of surprise was almost always the key deciding factor in ancient human battles. The first priority is recon. We need to scope out the local forces, get a rough estimate of their strength and size, find the head of Canterlot's security, and keep an eye out for Tempest."
Sunset frowned as she eyed the sheer size of the city before her. "That's a lot of ground to cover with just the two of us. There's no way we're going to find Tempest through all that."
"We'll know when she gets here. She'll be in a mad scramble to scrounge up whatever she can and head straight for the Empire without delay. It'll be a madhouse of activity when that happens."
A light bulb lit within Sunset's mind. "Then we'll let her do just that." Seeing the puzzled look on Thomas, Sunset explained further, "Canterlot is huge, so it's safe to say it took a really big army to conquer it. There's no possible way we can tackle them all by ourselves and buy the others time to get back; but, if we are correct about Tempest's desperation, then she won't hesitate to cram everything into her fleet and leave a token force behind!"
Thomas nodded along as she finished and was quick to offer his own thoughts. "And hopefully by then, we will have conducted enough recon to locate the imprisoned Canterlot guards, free them and the others, and we'll have a fighting force on our hands, but, how are we going to get Tempest's attention when she races off for the Empire?"
"We'll have to find one of the beasts in charge. They carry with them a blue scrying potion that allows communication with its superiors, I.E Tempest. Plaster your face through the call, and that should be enough to turn her boats around."
Thomas hooked a leg around Sunset's shoulders as a devilish smirk adorned his lips. "Ha-ha, look at us, two guerrilla commanders scheming our enemy's downfall right at the heart of their invasion. They won't know what'll hit 'em."
Thomas's leg retracted as he climbed the staircase to the royal balcony. "You know, the way you're acting right now is a complete far cry from back at Mount Aris," Sunset stated.
"What can I say? I am so over all this bullshit, and if planning a little guerilla op is what it takes to finally end this, then who says I can't have a little fun while doing so?" |
Life isn’t done with you | Chapter 9: An Adventure Already?! (Part 7: The Journey's End Draws Near.) | There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall come back to their own country.
--Jeremiah 31:17
Darkness was Psalms' world. He had plunged himself down the water vortex with no hesitation and just as his lunch threatened to eject itself from his body, darkness shadowed everything and silence reigned supreme as the vortex stilled and he was left adrift within the pitch-black ocean. Vertigo assaulted his senses, muddying his internal balance and orientation, leaving him flailing around in the dark with no sense of direction. Pressure began to mount within Psalms' chest as the urge to empty his lungs was confounded by the second. C'mon Skystar, any day now would be nice!
Just as his lungs reached their breaking point, a flash within the dark illuminated for the briefest second which was followed by the life-saving air bubble that formed around his head, leaving Psalms' to gulp down the air greedily. The bubbles themselves provided only the faintest of glows, but compared to the present sea of black, they were bright shining beacons, allowing Psalms visage of the others who were grouped up below him.
"How do I know I can trust you?" A young inquisitive voice rang out from the dark depths. Psalms' assumed Skystar's voice was magically amplified as her voice was crisp and clear despite the present conditions that should leave her sounding muffled.
A problem quickly reared its ugly head at Psalms as his attempts to swim closer to the group painted a clear picture of his water acrobatic skills, which equaled zilch. Psalms never had the chance to do any swimming while on Earth, leaving this particular skill lacking, pony form notwithstanding. Kicking and floundering his feet in every direction did little to propel him forward, and panic began to settle at the thought of being left behind by the others.
Skystar's form soon flashed into existence as she and the others continued to converse. "The Storm King?! I'm so glad I saved you guys! I'm totally taking you to my mom," her voice reverberated through the water. She hooked her fin to Twilight's hoof while the others latched on as Skystar began towing them away. "Oho! She might have an idea," Skystar responded assumingly to one of Twilight's questions.
"Hey! I'm over here! Don't leave me hanging!" Psalms cried out, hoping that Skystar could hear him as the others couldn't.
"Oh! Whoops! My bad! Almost left one of you behind." Skystar nervously laughed. With a twist and a quick turn, she scooped Psalms with her other fin before resuming her escort to the Hippogriff's Queen.
Firmly anchored to Skystar's side, Psalms couldn't help the heavy exhale that exited his depths as his nerves calmed themselves. That was close.
"Psalms, you made it!" Twilight exclaimed as she turned her view to the alicorn adjacent. "Her mother might know the whereabouts of the Hippogriffs, we're on the right path!" Twilight couldn't help the smile that followed.
Coming up on a thin rocky opening, one by one the ponies and dragon released themselves from Skystar's escort as they independently followed close behind her, save Psalms. Tightening his grip further, Skystar turned her head and flashed him a friendly yet inquisitive look.
"Never swam before in my life. If it's ok with you, I'd like to hang on just a bit further."
"Sure! No problem, just uh, don't let Shelly or Sheldon find out. They get jealous real easy." Skystar whispered the last part out, snickering to herself as she tugged Psalms through the crevice. "We're almost there!" Breaching through, the mesmerizing view of the Hippogriff's home enamors Psalms like a bug to the light. The chasm of hexagonal pillars that made the foundation of Seaquestria left Psalms wondering if the formations were natural or not. Centered right in the middle, Queen Novo's throne room stalactited or stalagmited, depending upon the orientation of your view, directly into the center of the all-encompassing chamber. At the base of the tower, the illumination of numerous structures and sea life was visible.
Ushered forth, Psalms was given little time to truly take in the view before he and the others entered through a hole adorning the ceiling or floor, again it's hard to determine when one's sense of direction is heavily skewed. Entering the Queen's chamber, the group is surrounded by vast amounts of coral, sponges, clams, urchins, seaweeds, kelp, and all other assortments of undersea life and decorations. They even had stationary bioluminescent jellyfish acting as curtains to the exterior port holes. Adorning either side of his group as well as the Queen, were two armed guards with rigid spears of sharpened coral. Situated up on a purple throne, Queen Novo reclined in her seat, eyes closed to the world. Above her, the jellyfish-looking capsule containing the Pearl of Transformation loomed, its power barely visible through the transparent membrane.
"Mother!" Skystar exclaimed as she released Psalms hoof from her fin and dashed towards Novo, but she and the others go ignored by Psalms as he remained fixated upon the luminescence dotting every corner of the room, scouring everything in a fuzzy and shaded light that left Psalms wanting nothing more than to find a nice comfy spot and nap for the next millennia. He couldn't help but be reminded of the candlelight he had back in his old Earth room, how the flames bathed the night with a soothing and warm aroma, leaving him to feel safe and secure.
The spearhead that was shoved within an inch of his eye did little to replicate those feelings as a startled yelp escaped Psalms as he and the others were forced into each other's backs. The scene proceeded to play out just as he remembered as Skystar pleaded to her mother before promptly explaining away the history of the Hippogriffs and their retreat into what is now Seaquestria, much to Novo's chagrin. "We are... well, we were the Hippogriffs! Ta-da!" Skystar finished the history lesson that had enraptured all but one.
As the guards and the Queen were distracted, Psalms allowed himself to float to the floor before extracting himself to the nearest window and getting a better view of the sea kingdom and all its wondrous beauty. The hanging homes of the residents, the grassy sea floor writhing with all kinds of crustaceans, bottomfeeders, and other undersea life along with the occasional sea turtle, the many schools of fish from all walks of the aquatic kingdom, all of these things living together in harmony, it was a blissful sight. If he was able, he'd spend hours swimming and taking in the sights, but he was content with sitting on the edge and enjoying the view.
He should be with the others, pleading their case to enlist the hippogriff's help along with the pearls' powers, but after what he did back in the air above, he couldn't bring himself to interject, at least not yet. And if he was being completely honest with himself, he didn't know what he could possibly say to change Novo's mind right then and there, so he opted to play it safely and let things run their course for the moment, waiting until the right opportunity to play his hand.
And so he sat and watched as all myriads of aquatic life lazily swam by, going about their business throughout the kingdom. He sat and watched the twinkling lights that shone through the murky dark sea, the visage presented before him leaving him in awe of the striking similarity to Luna's night. This was perhaps the closest he was going to get to floating in space, to dance within the moonlight, suspended through the void with not a care in the world. The tranquility of it all enraptured Psalms, enough so that when the pearl's magic transformed him and the others, he hardly paid it any mind.
Eventually, the tranquility was disrupted as the voice of Novo was heard overhead. "Yes, a massage, too. Mama needs her deep tissue." Novo's eye glanced to the side, eyeing Psalms for a brief moment before she halted. "Jamal, be a dear and get everything set up for me, I'll be there in a moment." Novo oriented herself and lazily swam to Psalms' side with the two eyeing each other all the while. "And who might you be? You aren't like the others."
"Well, I am a male alicorn, so I guess there's bound to be some differences in appearances."
"Don't be slick with me, boy, you know well what I'm talking about. I know transformation magic when I see it, we have been under its influence for over a decade after all. You already had some on you before I used the pearl."
Intrigued flooded through Psalms mind. "Really? What makes you say that?"
"I saw traces in you. It's not exactly the same power as the pearls, but it is transformation energy nonetheless... and yet, something else entirely different." Novo's eyes roamed every inch of Psalms form. "You weren't originally a pony, not before, but whatever you are now, you are whole. You are one with the magic. Care to explain yourself?"
A sigh escapes Psalms' lungs as he shifted his view to the open ocean. "It's a long story. Complicated, puzzling, and long, but don't worry, we'll be out of your hair before long." Silence descended between the two. "...Your home is truly beautiful. What I wouldn't give to spend a few hours exploring every inch of it."
Novo nodded away. "A lot of sweat and tears and hungry nights followed us when we abandoned Mount Aris. We put everything we could spare to starting anew. There were many sacrifices to get to where we are now."
"...You can't hide forever, your Majesty." Novo fixed him with a glare but he continued. "The Storm King has not relented since the day you escaped his wrath. He has scoured across the globe seeking magical artifacts that can enhance his power, and he has found the greatest of them all. The Staff of Sacanas. With it, he can drain the rulers of Equestria of their magic, and the power over day and night will be his. I don't think I need to explain in depth how bad that'll be for everyone."
"The Storm King is many things; arrogant, prideful, ambitious, ...but he is no fool." Doubt laced her words, Psalms noted. "His lust for power knows no ends, but even he knows that to mess with the celestial powers could mean certain doom for all, and all that he has worked for will be for naught..." Concern and frustration warred within her features and before long, an exasperated huff escapes her. "See, this is exactly why I need that deep-tissue massage!" Novo turns her back to Psalms as she slowly descends her kingdom's depths. "I'm sorry, but we have sacrificed enough to build our new kingdom, and to risk the pearl's capture would mean to render it all for nothing."
"Please, Queen Novo," Psalms began, halting the Queen, "we've journeyed so far, braved many dangers, and escaped the Storm King's capture time and again, all to find you. The Princesses are stone, the citizens of Equestria are under lock and key, and they plan to invade the Crystal Empire next; if there's anything you can do, even one small thing, would make a world of difference for us."
Novo held his gaze over her shoulder before turning away, a sorrowful mask adorning her face. "I'm sorry, but there's just too much at stake. Skystar is still too young to take the throne, and she can't afford to lose another parent." Their conversation ended as she disappeared below.
Water flooded Psalms' gills as he heaved a sigh. I tried, but I'm not done yet. Pinkie, work your magic.
Speaking of the devil, the pink mare herself along with Skystar and the others rushed into the dark sea, a trail of tunes and notes faded away as they drew further back. And that's my cue.Heaving himself off the edge, Psalms was quick to test his fishy appendages and found that regardless of the magical change, his aquatic proficiency had yet to improve a bit, leaving him to sigh as he crawled once more back into the throne room.
Situated up above, Twilight paced just a foot away from the starry tendrils, whispering to herself while stealing nervous glances at the pearl every other second as she steeled herself to her decision. I have to do this, I have no choice; for Equestria, for the Princesses, for Flurry Heart. Novo will understand, she has to, in time. Twilight halted her pacing and oriented herself before the pearls capsule, her face that of brittle determination. Time... if only there was more time... I'm sorry girls, this is the only way... She reached out with a tentative hoof that became a blur the closer it inched toward the tendrils.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Twilight yanked her hoof away with a startled yelp. Of course, it couldn't be this easy.Twilight heaved a sigh; she didn't dare turn her back or else she'd lose her nerve completely. "What choice do we have left, Psalms? We can't afford to waste time, not with Tempest heading for the Crystal Empire, not with Flurry Heart in jeopardy. I don't want to do this, but we have no choice. I have no choice."
"There's always a choice, Twilight, but you don't need me to tell you that." Within the corner of his eye, Psalms briefly spotted the girls dashing in between the hanging homes of the hippogriffs. "You're not alone you know, what about your friends? Haven't you always turned to them when the times get rough? Why is now any different?"
"Because we are not enough! Equestria has already faced a danger like this before, we failed then and we failed again now! The only difference is last time we weren't given the courtesy to know we were in peril, before we even knew it we were cocooned by Chrysalis, all of us, every important pony across the continent. If it weren't for Starlight, Trixie, Thorax, and Discord, we'd still be cocooned and Equestria would have fallen from within." Remorseful eyes met Psalms as Twilight finally turned to him. "We can't hitch all our bets on one little song and dance being enough to change the Queen's mind. We've come too far and endured too much to turn tail now." Twilight returned before the tendrils and her hoof stretched out once more.
"I agree," Psalms stated to the surprise of Twilight. "After we're done here, our time to return to Equestria will be upon us, but Twilight, you must understand that the weight of Equestria's fate isn't on your shoulders alone, it never has been before. Not with Nightmare Moon, not with Tirek, not with Starlight, not with anyone or anything; sure there was the occasional hiccup, like the wedding, but nobody is perfect." The music and singing began to crescendo outside. "The stress of everything has clouded your mind, but I want you to recall all those moments and remember all those who were with you every step of the way. Time and again, you six have pulled through with the power and magic of your title's namesake, and if I can help it, today will be no different."
With great strain and a few grunts, Psalms slowly swam before Twilight's side and placed his hoof over Twilight's, slowly easing it away from the tendrils. "All I ask, and all your friends deserve, is at least a little bit of trust, and I don't mean to sound like a broken record here when I say a little bit of faith would be nice as well." It took no effort for Psalms to slowly lead Twilight toward the side opening, presenting a view of all participating members within the song and dance. "After all, having a little bit of one small thing can make a big difference."
Twilight turned her eyes back to the pearl's resting place before she heaved a heavy sigh. "You know best, don't you? I can't fight against your premonitions."
"Premonitions have nothing to do with the here and now, Twilight, all of this rests solely on you. We are treading new ground as we speak. I won't stop you if you wish to snatch the pearl, but all I ask is for you to look at yourself and everything you've experienced and learned until now, and ask yourself if what you're doing is the right thing."
Silence filled the immediate void around as Twilight mulled over Psalms words. As usual, a myriad of emotions reflected rapidly across her features as she continued to exchange her view between the pearl, Psalms, and the dancing others. Instead of exploding with overflowing emotions, Twilight sucked in a breath, and calmly blew it out, settling her nerves and straightening her posture as she reflected Psalms with a calm, yet small, smile. "You're right. You're right. The power of friendship has always been enough before, and whether we have the pearl or not... I believe it will be enough now. I let fear and desperation control me all the way here... but with friends like them, and with friends like Thomas and you, all of us together, will be enough."
Psalms flashed her a smile of his own. "I'm proud you overcame your inner turmoil. We may not get the help of the pearl or the hippogriffs, but we got Captain Celaeno, her crew and ship, Capper, and each other." Psalms turned his gaze upon the others. "Looks like the songs coming to a close. Would you be a dear and help escort this poor frail feeble man down? My fins just aren't as they used to be."
A light chuckle escaped Twilight as she hooked her hoof with Psalms and the two descended down to the party.
The song peaked and ended as just as they arrived with Queen Novo and her daughter striking a pose which was soon followed by laughter and cheers all around, Queen included. As the girls grouped up into a giggling bundle, Twilight hesitated for a brief moment before Pinkie forcefully pulled her right in, eliciting giggles from the Princess a second later while Psalms settled himself by Spike off to the side. The Queen's laughter petered out as she fixed the group with a gleam in her eye. "Well, I guess there is one small thing we can do."
Twilight couldn't help the gasp that escaped her as she maneuvered herself to be forefront to the Queen with a gleaming ray of hope twinkling in her eye. "You'll let us have the pearl!?"
An amused snort escapes the Queen. "Girl, did you not hear me say the word 'small'? No, the pearl stays here, that is final." Twilight's features visibly withered, but Novo held a fin up before she could continue with her dismayed performance, and with her other, the pearl was summoned from its capsule and drawn into her palm. "But, that doesn't mean its magic can't accompany you back home, however, there is a catch. The pearl's power is great, but it is not limitless. I can use it upon you all and transform you into great and powerful beings, but the magic will last no more than a day. I'm sorry, but it's all I can offer."
Twilight took the Queen's hoof into hers while sharing a look of deep gratitude. "Thank you. It's more than enough."
"You can thank me by taking the Storm King down for good. Once he's dealt with, I'll finally be able to breathe easier at night. Now, let's get all of you back to the surface and send you on your way home." Her statement earned more whoops and cheers among the ponies and they along with Queen soon began the trek back to the surface, that is until it was halted as the Queen took note of one accompanying individual. "And where exactly do you think you're going?" Novo questioned her daughter with a fixed glare, one that goes ignored by Skystar.
"What do you mean, Mother? I'm going with my friends, to take down the Storm King once and for all!"
"Are you insane!?" Novo screamed out. "Absolutely not!"
"But, Moth-" Skystar began, but she was swiftly shut down.
"No buts! How could you even consider such a thing!? One song and dance and you're ready to lay down your life for a bunch of strangers!?"
"But Mom, they're not strangers, they're my friends! They need all the help they can get, it's why they came here in the first place! With the power of the pearl, we have a fighting chance!"
"That's exactly what your father said and look what happened to him!" Novo shouted out. Silence descended throughout the Kingdom as her words registered within all present, herself most of all as her ire sizzled away and made way for sorrow to replace it. Novo's eyes shut themselves away from the world.
Some moments passed before the silence was broken. "...I'm Princess Skystar, heir to Seaquestria's throne... one day I'll have to lead our people, and they will have no choice but to put all their trust and faith into me. I will be the keeper of the pearl, the guiding light of our kingdom, and the ruler of our citizens." Skystar fixed her mother with a determined glare. "As royalty, our duty is to our subjects, to our kingdom, to our safety, but how can I call myself Princess let alone Queen one day if I stand aside here and now while our friends go out and risk their lives fighting the one who drove us from our home? The one who took Dad from us..." Both royals choked up a bit upon mentioning the former monarch.
Her daughter's words struck hard, but true. "...Please... Sky... I can't lose you too..." ... ... ...
"Then she won't go alone, your Highness."
Among the crowd of hippogriffs, one armored individual swam before the group. With a rigid posture and a rock-solid stony face, the guard cleared his throat as he continued. "If the Princess is willing to drop everything and fight for us and her newly affirmed friends, then we'd be doing the Crown and the late King a great disservice by not fighting by her side, for it is our duty as their subjects to preserve the kingdom no matter the cost." The guard turned his attention to the gathered crowd. "For too long our kind have dwelled within our shadow, for too long we have lingered within the depths of our own fear, for too long we have weathered this storm. This may be our only chance to rid ourselves of it once and for all. The King sacrificed himself for our safety many years ago, I say it's about time we pay our debts." The guard turned to the Queen once more. "With you're permission, my Queen, we'll see to your daughter's safety and the return of our original homeland, and bring an end to this nightmare, once and for all."
Novo fixed her eyes on the pearl, then onto Skystar, before settling on the guard and the gathered crowd, before pinching the bridge of her nose out of frustration. "Heavens above, Skystar, you are going to be the reason I start greying so soon. The moment you are finished with your little adventure in pony land, you get your keister straight back here, and don't think for a second you won't be grounded for an entire month, do you understand me?"
Novo's threat and snarling face goes ignored as Skystar squealed into her mother's side as they shared a longing hug.
"Lieutenant Reef," Novo called forth the outspoken guard as Skystar was released from her embrace. He fixed her a salute upon presenting himself. "I am putting all of my trust in you and your team to keep my daughter and our friends safe. See to it that the Storm King finally falls... and give him a kick or two courtesy of yours truly, call it a cultural exchange between rulers."
Reef thumped his chest as she finished her statement. "Your will is our command, my Queen."
"Now tighten it to the left."
"Squaw."
"No, no, no, not my left, your left."
"Squaw squaw."
"No, that's right!"
"Squaw? Squaw squaw!"
"No, you feather brain, not right as in correct, I mean right as in the direction, you have to tighten the bolt going left!"
"Squaw!?"
"I know it's confusing, but it's a left-threaded screw, so you need to turn it left to tighten it... that's it... that's it... one more turn and... done." Boyle wiped away the grime adorning his forehead and turned to give Celaeno a thumbs up. "Installation of the last piece complete, Captain. She's ready to go."
"And not a moment too soon," Mullet commented to Celaeno's side as the visage of numerous creatures warped into existence upon exiting the mist of the mountain's entrance.
Capper peeled his sweaty goggles away as he eyed the newest strangers with surprise. "Well, I'll be," He began as he closed the distance between the two, "You actually managed to find the hippogriffs? I thought they were gone gone. Everybody did, nobodies seen them for years."
"Well, they're back, and they're willing to help." Psalms' eyes wandered to the floating hunk of wood and steel. "What's the status of the ship?"
"She's badder and better than ever. Take a look at what we managed to scrounge from Tempest's ship." Celaeno indicated her claw towards the four freshly installed Tesla cannons adorning each corner of the ship with the greatest installment being the harpoon gun situated directly on the bow of the ship. "With these babies, we can go toe to toe with any skiffs that get in the way."
"So," Celaeno began, "We ready to set sail?"
Movement was caught within Psalms' peripheral and upon turning, he is presented with the huddled group of the captured storm beasts and one forlorn-looking Grubber. "What about them?"
"Oh... them... gonna be honest, I kinda forgot they were there. We had to move them out of the ship to get repairs underway." Celaeno turned her gaze upon the hippogriffs. "Guess the only thing we can do is leave them here under the hippogriff's supervision."
Grubber's watery eyes invoked something within Psalms. Upon confirming the contents of one of the food crates, he dumped said crate at the little guy's feet, earning the attention of all captured individuals. "You look like a guy who knows his snacks. What is it you're craving right now?"
"Anything! Anything!" Grubber pleaded as he latched his arms around Psalms' leg. "Never before have I gone this long without something to eat, I'm starving, I'll take anything!"
"And in return, you'll give me...?" If Grubber was as desperate to sate his hunger as Psalms believed... well, never let an opportunity slip by.
"I'll tell you everything I know about the Storm King! I'll draw you a map of all our forces across Equestria and beyond! I'll share with you my Nana's famous cockatrice casserole, anything you want!"
Psalms cuffed a hoof to his chin as he pursed his lips and furrowed his brows. "Hmm.... how about... a promise."
"Yes! A promise! Sure! Anything! Say the word and it's guaranteed!"
"Great! Then you and your beasts promise to aid us in the battle against the Storm King."
Grubber stopped his groveling and fixed Psalms a puzzled look. All the other beasts did so as well, along with a fair few of his own friends. "Say what now?" the little creature voiced out.
"You will help us command your beasts into battle against the Storm King and his forces in Canterlot."
Grubber fixed Psalms a wonderous look, twinkling eyes and open jaw and all. Soon enough, his eyes began to water and his lips quivered in a very dramatic manner.
"Uh... what's wrong?" Psalms tentatively inquired.
"N-n-nothing-" *Hicup* "-I-i-it's just-" *Hicup* *Sniff* "N-nobody has ever given me command over anything before... Bawhahahah!" Grubber's theatrics, which barely tugged at Psalms' heart, had a profound effect on the local beasts as one by one they fell victim to his little 'heart-wrenching' scene and they too burst into tears.
"Uh... well... help us defeat the Storm King... and you will be in charge of not only all of his beasts and fleets, but also his entire... empire... prior to his campaign of conquest, of course."
Grubber's jaw could not drop any lower. "...Me... my own... empire?" Fresh tears welled up once more. "Mama will be so proud!" Grubber then began to mash his lips against the bottom of Psalms hoof, much to his disturbance. "*Muah* Thank you! *Muah* Thank you! *Muah* Tha-"
"OK!" Psalms dislodged his hoof away from the strange little creature, shaking his leg afterward to rid it of the saliva. "Ok, ok, we get it, you can stop whatever you're doing... so, that is a yes...?"
Grubber clambered to his knees and fixed Psalms a sloppy salute. "We got your back, Pony! Right, fellas?" Turning to the beasts, they each nod away at Grubber's words. "They're in too. None of us really liked the Storm King anyway, and Tempest is just plain rude... and bossy... and scary."
Well, that was relatively easy. "Right, well, welcome aboard. See if you can find yourself some green paint and mark yourselves as allies." Psalms turned back to Celaeno and inclined his head at the beasts. "Captain Celaeno, would you be so kind as to have our new friends released from their binds?"
Celaeno's face was not without concern. "Are you sure about this, Psalms? You really think we can trust him?"
"You'd be a fool not to keep an eye on them along the way to Canterlot, but yes, I think we can trust him and his cohorts, for the most part. And besides, if they become more trouble than they're worth, there's only eleven of them and forty-one of us, we can handle them." With his piece said, Psalms turned towards Queen Novo and the girls, who had been patiently waiting to the side for his report. "Ship's armed, repaired, and ready to depart on our word. Let's get you gals juiced up and we'll make way."
The Queen nodded at Psalms' words before turning to face Twilight and the others. "Remember, the pearl's magic will only last one day, so don't waste it. You kids ready?" Upon hearing the group's various confirmations, Novo pitched the pearl forward to the group, and with a flick of her fin, the pearl's magic cascaded forward, shrouding them in a blinding flare.
As the searing light receded, a gasp left Psalms' lungs as where only one alicorn was previously present, now there was six total. Their forms shivered with visible rippling magical energy and each Element Bearer gained a few inches in height as well as having their manes and tails acquiring a certain magical aspect shared only by the royal sisters. Shouts of surprise, glee, and intrigue filtered out from each individual, but one last surprise was in store when a hulking figure's shadow loomed over the group.
"All-hah-hah-right! Now this is what I'm talking about!" Spike's deep voice drummed out as all turned to inspect his transformed figure which elicited more shouts and gasps. Whereas he was a puny little runt of a dragon before, Spike's now elongated, scaley, and spikey figure screamed apex predator. His Discord-esque-looking physic along with his impressive new wings left Psalms comparing him to the dragons of Europe's fables.
"Ok, now that is an upgrade." Psalms turned his eyes towards the rest of their companions. "Think you can spare a little more power for the others?" Psalms asked, despite knowing the obvious answer that followed.
"I'm sorry, but this took significantly more magic than I thought it would out of the pearl, it barely has enough power to get us back to Seaquestria. You will have to do with this for now."
Skystar embraced her mother's side once more. "It's enough. Thanks, Mom."
"Don't you thank me just yet, little Missy. When you come back, I'll be sure to have a little list of chores you can do the entire month through. It'll serve you right for leaving me worried sick." Novo's stern expression melts away into a serene smile as she gazed upon her daughter. "Your father would be very proud, I know this because I am. Good luck, my little Shining Star."
A shrill whistle pierced the air which was followed by a shout from Capper. "All aboard! Next stop, Canterlot! Repeat, last call for Canterlot! Let's get a move on people!"
The royal hippogriffs shared one final hug before Skystar booked it for the airship. As the others made their way to board, Twilight shared final words with the Queen. "Equestria cannot thank you en-"
"I don't care what Equestria, or you, have to say." Novo's heavy tone silenced Twilight's throat. "You have our magic, you have our guards, and you have my daughter." Darkness loomed deep within Novo's eyes as her gaze left Twilight paralyzed, something Novo capitalized on as her face closed in against the Princess's. "I expect all three to be returned by the day's end. If anything happens to one of them, I will personally see to it that the Storm King's reign of terror be little more than child's play compared to what I'll do." Novo was quick to turn on her heels, retreating into the mist but not before calling out one more time. "Best of luck, now get off my mountain."
"I'm an Alicorn... never in my life would I have thunk them words would leave my mouth... Big Mac would be all colors of jealous if'n he saw me now." Applejack marveled as she and the other freshly turned alicorns examined and re-examined and re-re-examined their new appendages as the ship made way for Canterlot.
Psalms couldn't help but chuckle at her words. "You're preaching to the choir, yer 'Highness.' At least you've always been a pony, talk to me when you struggle to do any basic functions while in an alien body."
A rainbow blur streaked past the group as Rainbow made a rough landing off to the side. "This magic is amazing! It's like my Pegasus powers have been dialed to eleven! I could pop every cloud this side of Equestria, no, this side of the entire planet in ten seconds flat!"
"I must concur with Rainbow Dash, these wings are truly divine!" Rarity did a little twirl to show off to the others. "My butterfly wings from years back absolutely do not hold a candle compared to these beauties!" Rarity's features visibly droop as she heaves a sorrowful sigh. "It is quite the shame they will last only for a single day. Oh well, at least I am a Princess like I always wished as a foal for the time being."
"Rarity's right, we only have this magic for one day, so we need to stop ogling and start working them." Rainbow turned her gaze to Psalms. "You most of all."
Psalms pointed his hoof to himself while fixing her a quizzical look. "Me? What're you talking about?"
"You've been hoofed an alicorn body, dude, and not once this entire trip have you or Thomas used your wings." Rainbow cast her eye among the various transformed members present. "And seeing as how we're heading back to liberate Canterlot, a bit of practice with your wings is exactly what you guys need right now, while we got time to spare. Luckily for you, you have the fastest Wonderbolt for a teacher and all the room in the world to work out the kinks."
"Er, Um, Rainbow Dash, what about our horns?" Fluttershy meekly asked.
She received a raspberry in return. "There's no time for foal's magic one-oh-one, and besides, we're going up against an army of magicless furballs, all you need is speed and a wham and a bam, and they're down."
Psalms mulled it over in his head before he relented with a shrug. "Well, I suppose it's about time I learned how these things work." A hint of dread settled within Psalms' core and he voiced his worry out. "Uh, Rainbow? I know speed is your whole shebang, and we admittedly don't have a lot of time to spare, but can we take these lessons all slow and steady like?"
"Don't worry, we'll be taking baby steps, I promise." The malicious grin that settled on Rainbow's face did nothing to ease Psalms' worries, and it wouldn't be long before those worries blossomed into full-blown panic. |
Life isn’t done with you | Interlude: Birds of a Feather Fall Together | Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions,
--Deuteronomy 32:11
"Walk the plank!"
"Walk the plank!"
"You're insane! You're certifiably insane!" Psalms screamed out as he along with Applejack, Spike, and Rarity teetered on the edge of a wooden plank, being slowly pushed off inch by inch by two burly storm beasts as the shouts and calls of various creatures resounded all around, hooting and hollering for their plunge. Psalms shifted his panicked gaze over to one guffawing rainbow alicorn. "What the hell happened to baby steps!?"
Rainbow's chortles died down as she picked herself off the floor and wiped away the last of the saliva adorning her cheek. "What? We are doing baby steps." She snickered once more. "Baby bird steps that is." More laughter echoed across the deck.
"So this is your master plan!? Throw us off the ship and hope for the best!?" Rarity Screeched.
"What can I say? As one great saying I know goes, 'Everypony knows the best way to learn quickly is under intense, life-threatening pressure.'"
"That's a fucking Spiderman quote!"
Rainbow ignores Psalms shout. "Momma birds gotta force her chicks outta the nest, and this seemed the best way to replicate that."
"We're not birds!" Spike boomed out, his hulking figure was the only obstacle that was heavy enough to keep the beasts struggling.
"Eh, potato tomato, quit stalling and follow after Pinkie's lead for once."
"She jumped off the ship before you even explained what we were doing!"
"Exactly! Look how well that worked out for her." Rainbow extended a hoof into the air at a pink blur that swooped elegantly around the ship's gasbag while gleeful cheers reverberated across the air.
"The exception is not the rule, Darling! What works for Pinkie Pie doesn't necessarily apply to the rest of us, you know this!"
"Oh shut your trap, Rarity. You already have some experience flying, what's the big deal now?"
"I was not being forced off the edge of a ship against my will a thousand meters in the air by a couple of mangy brutes last time!" Spike's planted feet gave for a split second before anchoring once more, but it was enough for Rarity to scream and shout out. "For Celestia's sake, Rainbow! End this shenanigans at once!"
"You can end it by walking the plank! Yargh!" Boyle drew his cutlass and began to toy with the dragon with fainting slashes, which earned flinches from Spike.
"Walk the plank!"
"Walk the plank!"
"Alright, alright, that's enough we had our fun," Rainbow announced, halting the storm beasts in their track much to the dismay of the other onlookers.
"Aw," Boyle disappointedly began, "but they're right there, and we have never managed to get anyone to walk the plank before, tis a real mark of shame for pirates to go this long without having someone thrown overboard."
"Well, when you put it that way..." The storm beasts resumed the push a second later.
"RAINBOW!" Her victims called out.
"Ok, ok, you win, we're done for real. You guys can come back-"
*SNAP*
"-...aboard?"
Everycreature standing upon the rickety wooden board took a glance at their feet before slowly turning to collectively give Rainbow a glare, storm beasts included.
"Oops?"
*SNAP*
Another snap and screams from her 'students' briefly filled the air before they disappeared into the misty sea of clouds.
"...Ah ponyfeathers." |
Life isn’t done with you | Chapter 10: An Adventure Already?! (Part 8: Capitulated Resistance.) | "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
--Psalm 82:3-4
Several shadows passed by in quick succession, but one lingered as the rest pressed on. It extended its head to the air and a few snorts and sniffs followed, forcing Thomas to hold his breath and hope the damned thing followed after the others real soon.
No luck, the beast had caught the scent of something that demanded its immediate attention, and soon enough, the shadow morphed into a pitch-black figure that contrasted sharply against the illuminated alley opening. It lingered from side to side, getting a whiff of stale mold, trash, and rotting wood, but it was undeterred as Thomas's scent prevailed. Its legs bumped against his cardboard box and just as it reached to pluck his cover away, a roar reverberated from the street beyond. The beast before him yelped, and beat a hasty retreat back into formation.
After waiting a moment more, Thomas jerked his box away as he gulped down a breath and slowly calmed his nerves. Fuck, that was close.
Canterlot was a stir, what had been a relatively calm occupation moments before had descended into blundering chaos as troops flooded the streets and skiffs swarmed the air. There was no doubt lingering, Tempest had arrived. Where? Impossible to determine under these circumstances, it was already difficult enough to scout around Canterlot as one of the only equines in the entire capital not imprisoned, so forget about lurking in the shadows when there was a beast around every corner.
No, there's no chance he's finding Tempest anywhere on the streets, the only hope of confirmation was where he first arrived, and that would mean...
Thomas reflected his eyes on the royal palace high above, wincing in pain as he nursed his throbbing left leg against his chest, staining his already crimson coat with his life juice as memories of his little escapade only an hour ago flooded through his mind.
Perched upon the balcony edge, Thomas reflected his gaze across the kingdom below, careful to only peek through the open railing for maximum concealment. Littered across the streets were the imprisoned citizens of Equestria strewn all about, hauling cargo, tending to the beast's whims, or simply rotting in their metal cells. Gloom and doom were plastered across every face, except for a scant few who were making quite the ruckus.
Centered within one of the lower plazas, an immense cage housing a couple dozen ponies was the source of the only voiced opposition within the entirety of the occupation, the source of the only equine noise in the city, aside from one melodic voice singing out.
The shouts, curses, taunts, and threats these ponies spewed at their captors, were not those of scared civilians, far from it. It only took Sunset a scant few seconds of listening before she was able to confirm Thomas's suspicion. The Royal Guards, at least a few contingents of them.
"That's them all right. Spent enough time growing up in the castle to know their verbiage. And I also know that during events like these, the Princess becomes very lax regarding security. I'm confident all of them were off duty when Tempest struck." Sunset shifted her gaze to the castle. "This means the armory should be fully stocked with their gear. If we can successfully escort them back here, we can retake the castle, establish a hoofhold in the city, and if we have enough forces, maybe we can even take back the Canterlot Archives; maybe I can find a way to free the Princesses there."
"Solid enough plan," Thomas nodded away, "but wouldn't the beasts have plundered the armory by now?"
Sunset offered only a shrug. "Maybe, maybe not. The castle's a maze to the unacquainted, especially since there are no interior directions. We'll just have to hope it remains untouched." Sunset returned her view to the caged guards. "Anyway, it's a safe bet the Captain of the Guard isn't with that rowdy bunch. The title alone is enough to enforce strict discipline amongst all guards without exception. We'll have to search further to find them."
"You know the castle's layout better than me; see if they're being held in the dungeon and make sure that armory is stocked. I'm going down and getting a better look around."
"Down there? By yourself? You can't stand against an army, they'll capture you in minutes."
"So be it. Better me than Flurry Heart."
"What about maintaining the element of surprise? Aren't we doing all this to stall Tempest? Not much stalling if you hoof yourself over immediately."
Thomas released a sigh as he combed his hair back with a hoof, "Ok look if you want me to be brutally honest here, I don't think we have a snowball's chance in hell of pulling much of anything off; not against an army big enough to take a city like this, because let me tell you, it looked a lot smaller way down by the river."
"But ultimately," Thomas continued, "if you may remember, my capture doesn't matter, so long as it means they stay away from the Crystal Empire. Now, we don't have much spare time, get going with the castle, I'll scour the streets."
Sunset's conflicted features promised further rebuking, but ultimately she abdicated with a shake of her head.
"Oh, hey wait, before you go, can yo-"
With a sparkle of her horn, she flashed away, no doubt deeper within the confines of the castle.
"-u teach me... how to... teleport...crap." Thomas shifted his gaze to the streets below, mouth running dry as he considered his options. Hesitantly settling on one, Thomas ever so slowly clambered onto the castle's rail, hooves a-rattling away upon perching. A nervous shiver cascaded down his spine as he reflected upon his bristled wings. "Oh man, oh man, oh man. This is stupid. Unbelievably stupid. Never even used the damn things." The crimson alicorn stole a look into the castle's interior before reflecting down below. "Yeah, no. That'll take forever. No time to waste."
Taking a few quick breaths, Thomas attempted to settle his nerves, but just as his pulse began to level out, a guttural growl reverberated from a rooftop nearby. Not a second later, a spear of sizzling magic streaked overhead, missing his skull by the skin of his teeth. Heart thrumming out of his chest once more, Thomas was left flailing off and over the edge, plunging wildly into the city's depths. For all its worth, the desperate flapping of his wings did little to stem the fall. It was only by the grace of God that Thomas did not ultimately end up a crimson smear on the cobblestone street as he soon found himself tangled in several clotheslines, swinging within a long arc narrowly avoiding street signs and balconies before finally being deposited through a glass window within a highrise building. A moment of respite was not allowed as more grunts and growls echoed beyond the broken frame.
Lacerated, bleeding, and panicked, Thomas retreated towards the stairs, hoping beyond hope that he could somehow evade the coming horde.
And evade, Thomas did. For well over an hour, he ducked between dirty alleys, saddled himself against the darkest corners, and squeezed through the tightest crevices to ensure his freedom, all the while keeping an eye out for friend and foe alike. All that time being hunted, and yet it was only now that the city stirred like an agitated bee hive. Yes, Tempest had most certainly stepped foot within the city and rounded up all forces as predicted. The trouble for Thomas now was the constant troop movement across his dead-end alley, with the occasional straggler catching a whiff of his wounds. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, it was only a matter of time before he'd be caught.
Judging by the growl from the dark shroud ahead, that time was now. Within a flash, a leathery claw snatched Thomas by the neck, eliciting strained gurgles from the pony. It brought the two face-to-face, huffing a puff of breath at Thomas as he feebly pounded at the thing's grasp. Alas, his one good leg wasn't enough.
The double-pronged air kick from the side that followed sure did the trick though as the beast released Thomas and sailed perfectly into the nearby dumpster. Rising its dazed head from the trash, the beast only had time to squeak out a whimper as its assailant dive-bombed. Adorned on the pegasus's front hooves were small tuffs of cloud rippling with vibrant lightning. Upon contact, the beast began spasming erratically; arms flailing wildly, fur puffing up, and voice squeaking out. The scene ended as the trash can's lid was forcefully slammed shut.
Turning to Thomas, the pegasus adorned in guard armor regarded him with a salute of his wing. "Prince Thomas, Private Swift Stream... I gotta say, when that sun mare mentioned a stallion alicorn, I didn't believe it, but you standing before me..." The Private rigorously shook his head clear of the distraction. "No doubt the other things heard our commotion, so we need to move, now." Swift Stream turned to a trash-covered corner and peeled away the debris, revealing a manhole. Swift motioned to the opening, "Inside, hurry. The sewers are too small for them to follow. Word of advice, hold your breath."
Shuffling to the hole, Thomas reared his head from the smell and hesitated for the briefest of moments before hooking his hooves on the ladder rungs and began the descent.
Roars rang out from the street, prompting Swift to collect various trash and cover the exposed hole, but not before Thomas stuck his head back through. "Hey, wait, what about you?"
"Don't worry, I'll find an alternate entrance, they're littered everywhere. Take a left and follow the hanging lights, keep going until you find somepo-" More growls echoed closer, "Time's up, down you go!" Swift shoved the rest of the garbage onto Thomas's head before booking it up and over the alley walls, disappearing in one swift move.
Not hoping to push his luck, Thomas descended fully and had to struggle to hold his stomach in as the all-encompassing stench of sewer assaulted his nostrils. Careful to avoid serious infection, he kept his injured leg securely nursed to his side and began the arduous hobble deeper into the murky depths.
Filth covered every wall as rats and roaches scurried across the damp dirty floor. Mucus and fowl fluids dripped from every crevice and the stench? The stench flooded Thomas's lungs with every labored breath, evoking his stomach to flip with every step he took.
To think, a city as beautiful as Canterlot could hold such a decrepit underbelly... politicians and nobles weren't the only nasty things in the city it would appear. Thankfully, the darkness did well to hide the nastier visages present, but this respite was soon discarded as luminance flooded into view.
The hanging lights adorning the tunnels provided ample illumination during Thomas's trek, and it wasn't long before the voices of others were heard just beyond one corner. Peeking around the corner, five individuals are revealed within a larger chamber, two of which were armored and overlooking what appeared to be a map, while the other three toiled away barricading a door up.
"Hey!" Thomas shouted out, earning all eyes on him within an instant. The strained faces visibly relaxed upon seeing Thomas's equine form, and it didn't take long for confusion and shock to follow suit upon observing his figure further. "Please tell me you guys have somewhere that doesn't smell like a sewer for me to clean my wound."
Their surprised looks lasted a second longer before the assumed officer began barking orders. "It's the Alicorn Prince. Corporal, resume fortifications, I shall return shortly."
"Yes, Ma'am!" The guard saluted as the officer ushered herself forward.
Like before, The officer stood at attention upon reaching Thomas and delivered a crisp salute. "Your Highness, First Seargent Cinder Spark. We were informed of your potential presence in the AO; the Captain of the Guard, Rampart, wishes to speak with you. I shall teleport us to the FOB if you are ready, your Majesty." A simple nod was offered and with a glow of Cinder's horn, the two were whisked away.
Thomas was left disorientated upon flashing into existence, and it only took a few seconds of gathering his senses before the sounds of voices, infant cries, shouts, and various other audio assaulted his popped ears. More shouts and some gasps echoed out before complete silence dominated. Thomas's eyes finally readjusted, presenting to him what appeared to be a rotund rundown mineshaft, with rusting mine carts shoved into one corner and various piles of scrap metal in another. Layered across all rock walls were various crystals jutting about. Dozens upon dozens of eyes from mare to stallion to foal, all were fixated upon his form. Many were teary-eyed, wearing bags or had little light in them, but, the mere sight of one such as Thomas, revitalized their inner spark. Many droopy ears flopped back to life as they no doubt noticed the wing-horn combination. Soon whispers and shouts equally filled the dead air.
"Is that the Princess!?"
"Thank Celestia! We're saved!"
"Are the baddies gone, Mommy?"
"It's the Princess! Rescue's here!"
"That's no Princess, that's a stallion."
"Did we always have an alicorn prince before?"
"It's that alicorn that yellow mare was talking about, his name was...uh-"
"Thomas!"
A voice rang out, one Thomas was able to recognize amidst the present crowd. Craning his head over the ensemble of ponies, The waving hoof of Sunset catches his eye at the very rear.
"Stand aside, stand aside! Make room for His Highness!" plowing through, a contingent of armored guards speared the crowd in half with the foremost figure beckoning Thomas forward. Cinder took to covering Thomas's rear as he became enveloped in the living guard bubble. The group traversed through the herd with ease, concerns and shouts from the civilians aside, and Thomas soon found himself deposited before Sunset Shimmer along with who he could only assume was Captain Rampart; what with the chiseled features, toned muscles, and untarnished immaculate silver armor all the while adorning a stone-faced mask that screamed of impatience to nonsense.
One glance at Thomas's injured leg and Rampart was quick to call out, "Corpsquine!"
"Thomas, you're hurt! What happened?" Sunset asked upon viewing Thomas's state.
"Got cut on some glass earlier... stings like a mother... you guys have any anti-bacterial anything? Was in a nasty sewer a moment ago." A shuffle of footsteps to Thomas's side signaled the arrival of the medic whose horn began flaring up.
"Stand still and steady your breath, this should only take a minute." The medic relayed.
"Full sweeping scan, Private, we're not taking any chances." Finally, Rampart's eyes met Thomas's, both fully taking each other's appearance in. Like the others, Rampart couldn't help but focus on the wings and horn almost exclusively.
Thomas should have seen it coming as a crisp salute was delivered yet again unto him. "Captain of the Guard and supervising Regent of Her Majesty's Royal Kingdom of Equestria, Captain Rampart." Rampart released his salute before dipping low and bowing before the crimson alicorn, "At your service, your Highness." The Captain's action hushed the crowd and soon all other equines, aside from Sunset, joined in.
Thomas was left stunned and did little else other than pivot his head this way and that before finally offering an awkward cough. "...Uh, you... you may rise, please rise, enough." Rampart and the others did just so upon his command.
"Gotta say, today's been full of surprises so far." Rampart reflected over to Sunset, "Didn't expect to run into you now of all times." His eyes returned to Thomas, "Didn't know we'd be getting new additions to the royal family, and now I hear liberation will be delivered in a few short hours?"
"If all goes according to plan. Speaking of which," Thomas turned to Sunset. "I didn't think we'd be finding the Underground Railroad so soon. Where'd you find these guys? I thought all of Canterlot was subjugated."
"We were caught with our pants down, I admit that-" Rampart answered in her stead, "-and amid the ensuing chaos the majority of my forces were swept up within the panicking crowd. What remained retreated to the castle, but the enemy force had already secured the front gates. Contingency plan Beta was enacted and we ushered as many as we could to the sewers below, where the beasts couldn't follow.
"For the past few days, we've been held up down here, scavenging around for food and medical supplies for the citizens, locking down all entrances big enough for those things, and scouting the crystal mines for an exit at the base of the mountain. With so few of my forces to spare, progress has been exceptionally lagging, and with most without any gear, we've been vulnerable to most prodding assaults. We've lost quite a few to capture in the days since our capitulation. Then out of nowhere, Miss Shimmer here decides now of all times for a little reunion while we are all quite literally down in the dumps."
"You know me, RP, can't leave an old friend hanging." She delivered a soft punch to the Captain's shoulder, which elicited the faintest of smiles from the stallion.
Another armored figure stepped in between the two and asserted himself into the conversation. "Things had been going relatively steady for the last few hours, but now those things are a jumbled mess topside. Our recon team reports enemy forces are scrambling across the city in a hurry. At first, we thought they finally found a secure way down here, but so far they've been amassing troops, supplies, and ships along the docks. Sunset was in the midst of explaining when you arrived, so if you may resume, Miss Shimmer?"
"Of course, Lieutenant. As I was saying before, the Storm King has seized a magical staff capable of draining the Princesses of their magic and harnessing it for himself. The ritual for the staff requires four magical contact points, i.e. the four princesses themselves or four of any beings equal in power. The King fetched his commander, Tempest, onto Princess Twilight for an easy target, but so far we've managed to escape her grasp, enough so that Tempest has become desperate, desperate enough to go after another easy mark, the only mark left; Flurry Heart."
The Lieutenant couldn't help but flinch at the implication and Rampart's eyes grew a shade darker.
"Vile wretch! The audacity!" Yet another voice joins the fold as an armored pegasus adorned in iron armor with a Roman-styled pith helmet lands amidst the group. "Hail unto thee, Prince and Savior! Worry not for we shall endeavor to keep treacherous hooves away from young Princess Heart! Just point out this Tempest and I shall quell her!"
The Captain held up a hoof before further remarks could be made. "That's enough, Drill Seargent Magnus. So, she plans to stage an assault upon the Crystal Empire to seize the only other alicorn as far as she knows." His gaze turned scrutinizing upon Thomas. "And I assume your presence here isn't a coincidence."
"He's the irresistible bait. With the Storm King coming today, Tempest has little time to make up for her failure, she has one chance to fix it, so she's going all out for it. The plan is to let her leave with her army and leave a token force behind. We use this chance to free as many prisoners as possible, arm ourselves up, fortify the castle, or whatever makes the best defensible position, nab a scrying potion, and ring the dinner bell. Hopefully, she'll bite and come crawling back to us. After that, well," Sunset shrugs her shoulders, "it'd be only a matter of time holding out for Twilight and the others to get here and end this."
"However, no plan survives contact with the enemy," Thomas continued, "We can hope all we want, but we must be prepared and ready in case help doesn't come at all; so while we hold out for as long as we can, Sunset, you will be focused on escorting the Princesses out of the castle."
"That's assuming we can retake the Canterlot Archi-"
"Forget the archives," Thomas interrupted, "It'll take too long to research a cure. We'll just move the statues themselves, hide 'em away, deny the yeti his prizes."
"We've already tried," The Lieutenant piped up, "we managed to sneak into the castle's throne room the night of the first day. Magic, might, didn't matter, they're sealed in place with a rune, there's no moving them."
"Maybe so, but you had a look at Tempest's notes, Sunset. Any way you can think of removing the rune?"
Sunset placed a hoof to her chin as her eyes scanned the ceiling above, "...Mmh... I can think of a few spells at my disposal that may hinder the rune's magic, the keyword being 'may'. If I had her notes with me now, I'd know for certain. Whatever the case, the spells will take time to work their magic so you'll have to buy me as much time as possible."
The horn from the medic finally dimmed. "Well, aside from some bruising, we're looking at a clean bill of health."
This statement earned a confused look from Thomas. "Uh, what? You sure your horn is working right? I was leaking droplets all across the streets; and with nothing to cover the wound, I for sure caught some nasty shit while in the sewer."
The medic took to Thomas's side and grabbed hold of the injured leg before foisting it into Thomas's face. Sure enough, the many lacerations previously adorned were all but replaced with intact crimson fur and skin. No signs of trauma lingered. "Alicorn healing factor is my guess. Never seen the Princesses injured, nor have there ever been reports of any injuries, not that I know of at least. Like I said, aside from some bruising, clean health. Captain?"
"You are relieved, Private." The Private saluted before returning to his post.
Thomas wasn't quick to test his leg out, but after a moment of hesitation, he applied pressure and found himself able to be supported without any difficulty. No putting me down this time, Farmer Brown. "*Sigh*... Alright, so we have a basic outline of a plan; free the prisoners, fortify the castle, wait for reinforcements, now we need to flesh it out. Deployment of forces, fallback positions, escape rou-"
"No need." Rampart interjects, "Canterlot forces are well drilled in all Canterlot Castle security contingencies. Once we secure it, leave the defensive layout to me. The interior design of the castle should be perplexing enough to maintain a stalwart fortification."
"Right, of course... I suppose I should leave command to the trained expert."
"It's for the best, my Prince." The Lieutenant finishes.
"You do know I'm not...ugh, whatever... well, what about them?" Thomas reflects his gaze on the gathered crowd of civilians. Multiple pairs of eyes are reflected back, each in varying states of despair, fear, and surprisingly, hope.
"We have a few teams surveying the crystal caves below for an exit. Without any maps or directions, it's been slow going. We have yet to encounter any of the beasts but with so few guards to spare, we can't afford to take any risks of ambush, and so slow and steady remains paramount." Rampart hefts a hoof to his chin, "Hmm, there was a mare down here that had been permitted to examine the mines and its geological properties by order of the Princess. ...Maud Pie I believe her name is. I don't know how, but in the short time she has spent down here, she managed to open up twenty-two new tunnels. It's a long shot, but if she was captured, she could help speed up our progress substantially. I'll mark her down as a VIP target in the coming operation."
"Captain," Flash Magnus began, "again I plead, let me scope the caves out; with my speed, I'll find an exit before the turn of an hour!"
Rampart fixed him with a glare and a shake of his head. "Negative, Drill Seargent, we need a full team to properly traverse and mark the tunnels. With your speed, all it takes is one wrong move, one wrong turn and you will sever the only connection back to the FOB and before you know it, you will be hopelessly lost amidst the numerous mined-out veins.
"And that's not to mention how cramped and cluttered the caves are. For all your agility and speed, it won't matter in a close-quarters ambush. So again, I say negative. You are one of the only few with true combat experience, we cannot afford to waste it. Right now I need your eyes and ears topside with the rest of the lookout."
Magnus heaves a sigh before saluting. "Aye, Captain." With a flap, Magnus soars into the air before looping through an open doorway, shutting it close as he zooms past it.
"Exactly how many are under your command, RP?" Sunset inquires.
At the mention of his guards, Rampart heaves a heavy sigh before settling himself upon a nearby stool. "Everything happened so fast in the beginning, we never managed to get a proper headcount. Lost many personnel since then, remaining active members have us numbered thirty-seven strong as of yesterday."
"Thirty-seven?" Thomas spouts. "Christ, that ain't gonna make a dent against an army of hundreds. If we want to stand any chance, we'll have to liberate all guards in the city, no question about it, it's top priority."
"Agreed. My flyers have been diligent in maintaining overwatch on the prisoners." Gesturing to a map detailing Canterlot's layout, Rampart pinpoints a courtyard just off the center of the central city plaza. "Luckily for us, the beasts have chosen to collect most prisoners within this enclosure with a scant few sprinkled throughout the branching streets. Security has been relatively lax, what with the arrogant beasts so sure of victory. With a quick and precise strike, all of Canterlot could be liberated in one move.
"We'll have to utilize all available forces, we cannot afford to hold anything back. It will take time to free every individual and we will need to split a third of our forces to escort all civilians to the caverns below, which means we cannot use these mineshafts as a fall-back point. Those airships utilize explosive barrels, I'm not sure if the beasts are monster enough to use them in the city, but I can tell you the sewers and caves will not withstand their volatile force. Once we enter the castle, there is no turning back."
"Didn't plan on doing so, Captain. What defensive armaments do we have against the airships?"
Captain Rampart shifts his hoof over to the castle. "We have several ballista stations positioned across the castle's exterior, one in each corner fortification, one on each side of the middle layer's balconies, and two stationed right here near the front gate. Ten total, concealed with invisibility runes. We do have a few javelin tubes, but they are terribly obsolete in terms of aerial combat."
"You can also overcharge your mana strikes and pop the balloons with relative ease." Sunset offered.
"And leave our few unicorn reserves drained amid the battle?" The Lieutenant questioned, to which Sunset offered only a shrug. "Sounds like a last-ditch measure to me, Captain."
"Agreed. To further complement our combat efficiency, we have an elite squadron of Wonderbolts under lock and key. We could arm them with the javelin tubes, providing us with another counter."
"The airships are armed with tesla cannons. They'll need to perform diving maneuvers to strike efficiently." Thomas added.
"What about the grenadiers?" Sunset adds. "Those petranades will tear our forces apart real quick."
"Our unicorns will have to be acting support for the frontline. None of us are Shining Armor powerful, but our magic shields should be enough to negate-"
"Captain!" A voice cried out from above and Magnus made his appearance once more. "Sir! The enemy has mobilized, bearing north-northwest, fielding well over ninety percent of the occupational force! Recon reports minimal enemy combatants remaining!"
"Looks like we're on the clock now, Sir."
"Agreed, Lieutenant. Gather our forces and make way for marker five-C and await further orders." Rampart turned to the gathered crowd, cleared his throat, and stomped the ground with a sharp clap. "Attention all civilians, favorable circumstances have been brought to light before us and we are earnestly acting upon them. This military operation requires all available hooves, this is non-negotiable. Due to his stellar assistance in this trying time, I see fit to enact a temporary charge onto the individual known as Fancy Pants. Sir, I entrust to you the safety of every individual present, I expect you to uphold this responsibility with the utmost care. Your orders are to retreat to the crystal caverns. Do not, I say again, do not stray any further than what is marked along the path. Upon reaching the end, hold position, the Lieutenant will arrive shortly with the freed prisoners as well as a small force and a survey team, whereupon pathfinding operations shall resume. Understood?"
"Fret not, honorable Captain, I shall see to it everypony follows your instructions to the letter." Fancy Pants assures. "Good luck to you lads and ladies."
Rampart fixes the stallion with a nod. "And to you as well."
As Fancy Pants begins directing the civilians to the mines below, Rampart orients himself to an adjacent doorway and beckons Thomas and Sunset to follow. "When Canterlot fell, it was chaos. Panic in the streets and disarray plagued our military command. Come nightfall, however, an eerie peace settled upon the city, and we took our chance to strike back.
"Alas, as you know, our mission to secure the Princesses proved futile, and by dawn, we had lost well over half of our combat force. It was a complete disaster." Stopping before a padded door, Rampart fished out a set of keys before finding the correct one and with a 'click', the door was ushered open. The small chamber was empty save for one wooden chest which Rampart set about unlocking it. "But," Rampart continued as he dug through the chest's contents, and soon enough presented an object to the duo. "at least we didn't come out of it empty hooved."
"What is it?" Sunset questions as she takes the trinket in her hooves. Its triangular-shaped base bared a single crimson gem that radiated power. Adorning the top was a depiction of a dark alicorn with red-tinted eyes.
"It's called the Alicorn Amulet. Its power enhances the wearer for an untold duration and only the user can remove it, but be warned, it is said to corrupt the user the more power is used with it." Rampart ushers the two out and locks the door once more. "Once I noticed the Princesses had been singled out, I personally retrieved it during our failed operation. I wanted as few alicorn-related objects in their filthy claws as possible. Ever since that night it has remained hidden here, from all eyes but my own, until now.
"As much as it pains me to say it, I cannot fully trust my forces with this item's existence. Canterlot was subjugated under a traitorous unicorn, this whole invasion has been culminating for months no doubt, plenty of time for infiltration into the royal guard. Which is the reason why I'm hoofing it to you two now. We'll need every advantage for the coming struggle, and if we use this amulet sparingly and carefully, we stand a much better chance of holding out."
Taking the amulet into his hooves, Thomas could feel the amulet's primal energy rippling throughout his very being, slipping its dark tendrils into every crevice, probing deep into his core. With a shout of surprise, something deep in Thomas probed back, sending a rush of energy throughout Thomas's spine and forelimbs before cascading into the amulet itself. The amulet flashed crimson before falling dead in his hooves. The series of events unfolded within a split second, leaving only the bristling of Thomas's fur along his spine and the shout as the only evidence in the aftermath.
"Thomas? You alright?" Sunset inquired as she and Rampart crowded upon him.
Thomas took one last look at the amulet before applying it around the base of his neck. "Something really weird just happened. Something magical. It's gone now, but still, it was really weird."
"Like I said, be careful. We have no records of its origin, but I assume it's dark seeing as how it corrupts its users." Rampart's horn begins to emit a green glow. "All right, we've spent enough time here, let's get this operation moving." With a flash, the trio teleports away.
"Just you wait you fuzzballs, you've made a terrible mistake coming here, and once the Princesses are free, I'll be smiling as you lot grovel in the dirt for mercy!"
"They've left you behind! Open these cages now and I promise only to blacken one of your eyes."
"Hey, you, big guy! Why don't you do yourself a favor and stick your staff straight up your flank! It'll be better than the coming tail whooping I assure you!"
Three days. For three days the caged guards had been slinging insults and curses at their captors without relenting no matter how many beasts growled and roared in their faces. For three days, they had been a tireless nuisance out of pure spite, enough so that most of the leftover beasts had nothing but the alpha to quell their growing frustration. One beast, in particular, had seemingly reached its peak if the bulging veins, tightening grip, and twitching eye were anything to go for.
"Psst! Hey buddy!" The beast knew it should ignore the irritating equines, but at this point, it was looking for an out, and if that meant going ballistic on the ponies, so be it. It turned to its heckler before being bonked in the head by a small rock. "Is that your twin? Cause you both certainly share the same intelligence! And boy howdy it's like staring in a mirror! Ha!" That did it; with a single twitch, a guttural roar was emitted as the beast hurled its spear and shield into the air before barreling straight into the cage's bars, one claw fully extended hoping to nap any prisoners within.
Said prisoners huddled on the far side of the cage well out of the creature's reach. "Ladies and gentlestallions, we've got a bite."
The frothing creature continued to reach within but with no progress to be seen, it resorted to the set of keys on its hip. It fumbled for a bit before finally selecting the right one, and just as it began to turn the key, two other beasts closed in on its sides, hooked their arms against its own, and dragged the creature away.
A pegasus prisoner streaked for the key, found purchase with her wing and turned. A click rang out, and with a kick, the cage's door was opened for the first time since the city's fall. She and the other pegasi did not hesitate to take flight, but just as she exited the doorframe she was painfully plucked at the wings by a sentry. With a sharp twist, the mare was hurled straight into the others, sending all crashing back into the far side. The other guards attempted a rush, but all were repelled as the beast unleashed its spear upon them. With a snort, it slammed shut the door, locking all once more.
"Welp," one of the prisoners commented, "there goes three days of progress." The mare couldn't help but unleash a scream of frustration before wildly banging against the bars which elicited more curses and shouts from the others.
Several beasts gathered around the spectacle and the sentry couldn't help but snicker at the pony's pathetic display. The others joined in a moment later.
Then suddenly, without warning, a clap of thunder roared overhead and the sentry ceased laughing as it and the others were filled with hundreds of volts. It didn't stop there, one clap after another after another, until finally the beasts fell with smoke filling the air.
"Attack!" the command rang out which was immediately followed by several charging figures into the confused beasts' ranks. Mayhem erupted as ponies, most without armor, assaulted the beasts head-on, tangling their foe in CQC while several pegasi utilized small storm clouds as makeshift lightning artillery against rushing enemy reinforcements while the unicorns provided support, stripping the enemy of their arsenal or pummeling them with magic missiles.
Even with a successful surprise assault, the pony strike force was heavily outnumbered, barely holding the upper hand due to the disorganized ranks of the beasts.
Swooping in from the sky, Flash Magnus snatched the cage's key from the fallen sentry and released the prisoners with a buck against the door, flinging it open. "Company fall in! We're taking the fight to the enemy and retrieving the rest of the regiment; gather what equipment you can and let us liberate Canterlot, let us save the Princesses, let us brave the storm!"
The rush Thomas felt as he and the guards surged toward the fumbling beasts from every direction all at once was nothing short of exhilarating. With precision, the earth ponies targeted the back of the creature's legs, bringing the beasts to their knees just as their gear was swept away via unicorn magic. Deposited into friendly arms, the crackle of spear fire filled the air. The first few minutes of the surprise attack was a turkey shoot what with the ill-prepared storm sentries putting little resistance as they panicked.
The sight of the fleeing beasts spurred a few guards to overextend as they gave chase, hooping and hollering in glee as they fired upon the beast's flanks even as the Captain roared away with commands. The guards were not given a chance to ponder their mistake as petranades from nowhere pummeled the small detachment without mercy. Quick as a flash, their frantic faces were captured perfectly upon their obsidian confines as they were sealed indefinitely.
Silence descended as the ambush concluded, and as all were fixated upon the freshly petrified ponies, the severity of the situation was made painfully aware. Within every window, around every corner, across every street, atop every roof, and perched upon every balcony, dozens up dozens, perhaps even hundreds of beedy blue eyes reared themselves upon the evening's disturbance. Forefront to the pony liberators was a bell tower, of which a beast was straddled at the very tip. With a leap, it plunged straight into the street, cracking the foundation without issue as it rose back onto its feet. It was by far the biggest of any of the beasts Thomas had come to scuffle against; easily several feet taller, far bulkier, and adorned in gold etchings across armor and fur alike, the Alpha wasted no time as it heaved a mighty breath and bellowed out a screech, shattering glass across several blocks in the process. At once, the beasts poured into the streets and straight toward the ponies, coalescing into a horde of roars and grunts seemingly from all sides.
"Frontline form up!" Rampart ordered, directing the designated group to the opening of the main street. Flashing into existence were magical barriers providing cover as the guards saddled up against their sides. "Focus fire on the grunts! The Alpha is mine. Magnus, Cinder, you're with me!" Brushing by, Rampart hollers over his shoulder as he and Cinder round a corner, "Thomas, you and Sunset get to freeing the others!"
"You heard the Captain, better get to it, we'll be back in a flash! Here, catch!" Before zipping away, Magnus flung the keys through the air, straight for Thomas's open hooves, but was beaten to the punch; quite literally, as a beast's fist crashed against his cranium, flinging the alicorn away as it snatched the keys and stored them upon its hip.
Thomas barely managed to clear away his daze before diving to the side as his foe attempted to poke and prod him with its spear. Dodging to the left or rolling to the right, Thomas continued to evade as the beast proved unrelenting. Eventually enough, Thomas found himself backed into a corner. The beast, thinking Thomas an easy capture, forgoes the spear and opts instead to wrangle him with its own claws. A critical mistake it would find out a moment later.
Ducking underneath the beast's outstretched arms, Thomas slid between the creature's legs, nabbed the keys secured to its waste, and delivered a fierce buck against the beast's flank, sending it crashing through the walls of a damaged house.
Sensing rushing footsteps to his right, Thomas successfully ducked away from the latest creature's first strike but was too slow to dodge its uppercut aimed at his jaw. With a crack, Thomas was sent tumbling across the floor; the taste of metal adorned his tongue, and a chiseled tooth was soon spat out. His assailant primed another strike, but a series of magical beams rattled the creature, leaving it a smoking wreck as it collapsed to the ground unconscious.
"Thomas!" Sunset called out as she reached the downed alicorn. She primed and fired an overcharged beam at an incoming beast, sending it flying across the plaza, before she hooked her hoof to Thomas's and hefted him back onto his feet. "You alright?"
Another goblet of blood was spat out before Thomas fixed her with a nod. "I've got the keys, cover me will ya?"
"I've got your back," Sunset assured just as a swiping claw came bearing down on the duo. Jumping back in surprise, she responded with a magical right hook straight into its gut, knocking the air right out, before grabbing hold of a leg and sending the creature spiraling into a nearby brick wall. With a huff, Sunset wiped a bead of sweat away. "Hurry up, will you?"
Thomas did not need to be told twice as he set about releasing one prisoner after another with them fighting or fleeing alike afterward, the former half coming as a bit of a surprise as a cream-colored earth pony and her reluctant turquoise unicorn friend charged into the fray.
Inserting a key into yet another lock, a snort from the occupant caused Thomas to give them a quick glance, momentarily pausing at the sight before him. "Woah, you're a big one ain't you?" From behind, a trio of growls sounded off. Thomas took to quickly freeing the prisoner and upon seeing their posture and stance, he understood their intention.
Finishing his work, Thomas cleared away as the beast of a pony within bucked the cage door clear off its hinges, striking the middle beast head-on and knocking it cold outright. Stepping from out of the shadows, the enraged workhorse offered only one word in exchange. "Eeyup." The other storm creatures could only squeak in fright as the crimson duo set upon them in a quick fashion.
Once finished, Thomas turned to continue spreading freedom like a true American, but a red hoof on his shoulder caused him to pause. "Wait, thank you kindly for the rescue, but ah need your help. My sister and 'er friends are locked up over yonder." Following the stallion's hoof, Thomas is directed down a street flooded with enemy troops with no allies anywhere near. Squinting for a better view, Thomas could barely make out one cage holding a trio of little pony children, each shivering in fear and wailing at the sight and sounds of combat.
"Sunset!" Thomas calls over his shoulder. Upon receiving a nod from the mare, he continues, "Cover our flank, things are about to get cramped!" Turning back to Big Mac, he urges him forward with a flick of the head. "C'mon let's go!"
"Eeyup!" Big Mac bellows out before full out charging straight for the gathered group of beasts leaving Thomas to choke on his dust. The beasts are too slow and too cluttered to make space for the pain train and are thus plowed and trampled before Big Mac's might. The few unharmed are soon personally acquainted with the hardened soles of Big Mac's hooves as he delivers one quaking buck after another.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Thomas sets about freeing the Cutie Mark Crusaders, offering quiet hushes and assurances all the while. "Shh, shh, shh, it's ok guys, we're gonna get you outta here, just bear with me for a sec-"
"Big Mac!" One of the little kids cries out, reaching out her arms through the bars as fresh tears start filling her eyes. Thomas turns to face where she cries out to, only to witness the stallion being peppered from all directions as the beasts lay on him with their spears. The magic beams do little against his tough hide, but their concussive force leaves him disoriented, enough so that several beasts close in and deliver powerful strikes with their shields. The stallion is brought to his knees but the beasts do not relent as they continue to beat him thoroughly.
With only a gasp from one of the children as a warning, Thomas found himself suffocating in a headlock as the beast attempted to thrash him away from the cage, where Thomas held for dear life. With one powerful yank, Thomas and the beast were sent fumbling onto the floor as he lost his grip. The clang of the keys caused Thomas to jerk his head up just in time to witness them fall down a nearby storm drain. "No!" He cried out, earning the attention of more creatures. Before he knew it, Thomas was the epicenter of a dogpile as the beasts scrambled to secure each limb and chain him up and no doubt throw him into the nearest cell, but Thomas was having none of it.
With a pulse of magic, Thomas summoned the amulet's power, its rippling energy cascading out and engulfing those around him in his telekinetic grip, and with a surge, he mentally thrust outward, hurling everything in every direction at accelerating speed. Houses crumbled from impact, walls shattered, and beasts cried out in pain.
Now free from assailants, Thomas turned his attention to his big friend, and with a flick of his horn, a wave of energy swept up the remaining foes and sent them flinging across the street.
Powerful magic the amulet was, but very taxing as well as Thomas was left panting, leaving a lull in the battle for the briefest of moments. It was during this moment of respite that a melody was heard through the air.
"~I am here and I see your pain.~"
Adrenaline still flooded Thomas's veins and so it wasn't long before he recovered enough to get moving again. He strained to hear any more of the singing but the sounds of battle were too great. Shaking his head clear, he strode over to the big stallion. Big bruises and several cuts were afflicted along his burly coat and a nasty mark was found purchase upon his left eye, but the stallion was no worse for wear. "Still breathing, big guy?"
A few coughs afflicted Big Mac, but he offered a nod afterward.
Returning to the children, Thomas gave the door a once over before rising onto his rear legs and hooking his hooves around the bars. With a red flash, The amulet once more activated, its power coursing through Thomas's muscles as he strained against the cage's strength. The screech of metal filled the air as bit by bit the bars collapsed and were crushed under the alicorn's grip. With one final heave, the door was torn right off its hinges and was tossed aside. The child with the bowtie didn't hesitate to rush into the stallion's arms, spilling more tears all the while.
Once again, the singing voice filtered into Thomas's ears.
"~Through the storms, through the clouds, the rain.~"
Surveying around in the hopes of finding its origin, The view of enemy reinforcements is all that fills Thomas's vision... until... there!
Within one of the cages farther down the street, an individual, a pegasus with eye-covering bangs and a giant pink bow sang her heart out as a battle raged on before her.
"~I'm telling you you cannot escape.~"
The child in Mac's arms, whether looking for the sound of the singing or not, takes notice of the coming forces and lets loose a scream of fear.
Thomas shoves Big Mac back onto his hooves, snatches the children up in his telekinesis, and sets them upon his back. "Go! Get to safety!" The stallion offers a nod and quickly beats a retreat.
Grabbing one of the many spears lying on the floor, Thomas begins a barrage of fire, forcing the beasts into cover and retaliating with their own fire in return. They lay many strikes upon Thomas but the amulet absorbed the energy and reconfigured it into a makeshift magic shield encompassing the front of Thomas which flared with every shot.
As more beasts poured into the street, they soon reorganized themselves into a phalanx formation and steadily crept forward, maintaining fire and cover equally.
The consistent barrage against Thomas's shield proves too great as it collapses, leaving Thomas rattled until he manages to find cover. Frustrated at the turning events, Thomas poured as much magic as possible into the spear, going beyond an overcharge and straight into a meltdown. Satisfied, he hurled the spear with the last of his energy, right into the beast's ranks. They scrambled away but the following implosion and subsequent shockwave left all in a catatonic state.
Thomas's breath was little more than wheezes, but push forward he did in the vain hope that no more beasts would come his way. Reaching the cage, the pegasus was untouched by the scuffle, and once enough strength returned, the door was pried away as before.
"My hero, you have my thanks."
A rumble filled the air as a flash illuminated the sky. Above, one of the few airships left behind was ablaze. It rained beasts upon the city as they lept from the wreck which was in a steep decline, headed straight for the duo.
"Oh shit, run!" Fresh adrenaline pumped through Thomas as he and the pegasus made a mad scramble back to friendly lines. Songbird attempted flight, but three days spent in cramped quarters and with little food or water, left her wings sore and weak. Seeing her struggle, Thomas summoned his magic, took hold of the pegasus, and sent her gliding away just as the ship crashed into the street. Packed full of black powder barrels, the resulting explosion sucked all air out of Thomas's lungs, and the last thing he remembered as he twirled through the air was the scorching heat that engulfed his senses.
Tempest ignored the sounds of battle, ignored the ear-cracking boom of the explosion, ignored the looks the beasts under her command were sending her, she ignored it all. So what if some Canterlot stragglers decided now was the perfect time to rise from the depths and revolt? So what if they retake the city? So what if the Storm King arrives to that? Sure, he'll be fuming, but once he has the powers of the alicorns, Tempest doubted he'd waste time on the little details. No, he'd be focused on the results, and that's exactly what Tempest was aiming for, she still had the rest of the day to fulfill her promise, that is all that matters.
Scrying potion in claw, a beast presented it before its commander, but just like the others, she ignored it.
She didn't have the time to waste hunting down a few rogues and making everything all pretty and neat for his royal pain-in-the-flank. She needed to be resolute in her commitments, she needed to do what must be done, and she needed the little princess... but... could she really go through with it? It's not like the staff would harm her in any way, maybe leave her drained and fatigued but that's the worst-case scenario. She studied the artifact extensively, and read all the notes available before going through... but... what if... what if she didn't research enough...
Yet another beast brought a scrying spell before her, and with a snarl, she sent it scurrying away.
Going through with this, she'd be crossing a line, and if anything were to happen to the foal, no amount of begging, no amount of remorse would ever fix what she'd break. Faust, what is she doing? Not even the Storm King directly did anything with the children he conquered, and here she was ready to foalnap and siphon magic out of the little princess, all for this tyrant king. And once he has all the magic he could ever want... what use would he have for one such as Tempest? What reason would he have to waste time fixing up one dinky little unicorn horn...
...Why did she ever put any trust in his word?
Within the corner of her eye, the blue gleam of a scrying potion pierces her retina.
With a raging flair of magic, she slams beast and potion against the ship's deck, breaking both bone and bottle alike. Released from its confines, the spell transfigures into a scrying mirror, receiving the visual of the Alpha. Upon finally making contact with its commander, the beast releases a torrent of grunts and growls, all of which fall upon incomprehensible ears. "What are you... I don't speak your language, beast! Stop wasting my time and show me! Show me what you so insistently called me for!"
With a roar of frustration, the Alpha pivots to the side, allowing a view of the raging battle. Battered bodies littered the plaza, beast and pony alike, with at least one house set ablaze all the while rubble lay strewn about. Liberated civilians made a mad scramble through the action as several guards intercepted the beasts hot in their pursuit. All of that was ignored as the spell was fixated on one individual. Charging through the chaos, one familiar unicorn mare blasted away one beast after another as she neared the plaza's center.
"What!? How is she there!? How did she..." The words died in her throat as Sunset neared a crimson body and began tugging at it. Reaching for one of his limbs, she struggled to load her passenger onto her back. The alicorn's eyes twitched to life and racking coughs afflicted his lungs as his addled mind took a moment to survey the surroundings. His eyes eventually landed on Tempest's, eliciting a mutter out of him which seized Sunset's attention as she too turned her focus upon her. There the three stood, staring each other down until the spell flickered and collapsed.
Tempest's image ceased as the spell diffused into the wind. "Welp, if she didn't know before, she sure knows now."
Thomas grunted with each shift of her motion as she traversed the battlefield. "Argh... good... just as we planned... ugh... a little sooner than I'd like but... we'll make do." Thomas turned away from the fight and focused on his rescuer. "The pegasus... she make it out alright?"
"You flung her all the way down the street last I saw, I think it's safe to assume she got out unscathed."
Thomas heaved a small sigh of relief before more coughs afflicted his lungs. "Good... good...and... and you? You doing ok?"
Sunset lets out a snicker at his question. "Me? I should be the one asking about you. You just survived a point-blank explosion, how are you feeling?"
Thomas could only offer a shrug. "Pretty sure every bone in my body is broken... I mean it should be but... well with my healing factor, I supposed it doesn't matter much. Not like I'd feel anything with all my adrenaline, not for a while anyway. Again, how are you doing?"
Sunset took the moment to wipe sweat from her forehead. "Even after leaving a token force behind, there's still too many beasts. My magic reserves are all but drained, but a moment of rest should do us some go-"
*KABOOOM*
Blasted clear off her hooves Sunset and Thomas found themselves launched into the remains of a water fountain. Ears ringing from the cacophony and lungs empty of air once more, Thomas was left splayed on his back, whereupon he viewed the only remaining airship clearing past a smoke column, its front tesla cannon brimming with energy, ready to deliver another strike.
Sunset struggled to climb to her feet, but what energy she had left was drained, forcing her to flop back to the ground, breathless and dazed. Several beasts, Alpha among them, emerged from the dust shroud coating the air and crept forward upon the duo. Both of their horns flared to life only to sputter out in sparks; Sunset desperately dug at her neck, taking hold of a hidden pendant, and called upon its power but it was too late to respond. Above, the cannon rippled to life, energy cascading throughout its coil frame before settling into the duction tubes and with a shrill wail, the cannon let rip its charge. The bolt of electricity arced through the air faster than the brain could comprehend and struck true at its intended targets, but not before another duo had entered the frame.
Cealed in his doom, Thomas kept his eyes closed just before the cannon delivered its blow, but the sound of spell casting along with the muffled boom from the discharge of the cannon had left Thomas perplexed as to his continued existence. Upon opening his eyes, the turquoise dome of magic surrounding him was the first thing he took note of, followed by the equally flabbergasted look of Sunset, before finally laying eyes on their savior. The lilac unicorn held a hoof to her head as she winced in pain.
"Ok," She spoke out, "that hurt more than I thought it would." She turned to the two and offered a small smile. "At least you two are ok." Her relief is short-lived as another lance from the cannon left her screaming out in pain. The beasts that had been advancing halted from the dome and opted instead to pummel it with spear strikes and petranades.
"Trixie!" The mare called out to her companion, a mare adorned in a cape and wizard hat.
"I'm on it, Starlight! Feast your eyes on the great and powerful smoke screen!" From out of a satchel, several silver orbs ejected into the surrounding air and street. In unison, they each popped and dispersed a cloud of heavy smoke, disrupting further assault on their position.
Hoisting Sunset and Thomas within her magic, Trixie and Starlight joined with the rest of the chaos of the rushing crowd as the sound of a general retreat was issued from Rampart. The frontline fully collapsed as both sides turned tail and withdrew to safer positions.
The airship dared to continue the skirmish but the arrival of the now-freed Wonderbolt team deterred it from committing. It instead lingered within friendly air, providing overwatch as the beasts regrouped.
A stampede rampaged through the streets as everypony scrambled toward the castle. Up ahead a fork in the path lay, whereupon the Lieutenant from before was perched upon a makeshift barricade, his voice magically amplified for all to hear. "All combat-ready personnel are to make way for the castle immediately! Volunteers for Her Majesty's Army are urgently requested, otherwise, make way to the lower levels for evacuation, follow the markers!" Despite the Lieutenant's words, only a trickle of ponies made their way to the castle, among countless others vying for the lower levels. Starlight and Trixie did not hesitate to keep to the left following the call of duty.
Awaiting at the castle's front gate were Rampart and his contingent who were directing newcomers. "Report to the armory to be issued your gear then make way for the cafeteria, on the double! Food and aid will be provided, double rations for all liberated individuals!" Upon seeing the smoking bodies of Sunset and Thomas, his eyes bulged and he took off in a sprint towards them. "Corpsquine!"
Starlight came to a halt and gently lowered both ponies to the ground before backing up as the Captain and a few medics assessed the duo's state. After a quick checkup, a few more guards arrived and escorted the two mares into the castle.
"Water... please," Sunset begged before being hoofed Rampart's personal canteen. She proceeded to chug the water down, splashing her face in the process and leaving her mane drenched before forking it over to Thomas who did more or less.
No words were exchanged as they were allowed a moment of respite, not until the medic's horns finished their scans. "The mare has a torn fetlock adorning her left forelimb. She's suffering from exhaustion, mana fatigue, a mild concussion, and a ruptured eardrum."
The other medic continued his scans on Thomas before relenting with a frustrated sigh. "I...I don't know. Either something is interfering with my scan, or his healing factor is repairing his body at an accelerated rate that my magic can't account for."
Shifting his eyes to the amulet adorning the alicorn's neck, sure enough, Rampart is witness to it aglow with mana, leaving the faintest of red sheens covering his figure, perfectly camouflaged against the crimson coat. "Get them to the infirmary, let the Doctor do his work, then let them rest for a bit." Casting his eyes to the north, the silhouettes of the invasion fleet flood the horizon. "They're gonna need every second of it soon enough."
"No... no." Sunset protested as the medics attempted to move her onto the stretcher. "I'm ok...I'll be ok... I have to free... the Princesses."
"You're in no condition to help them, Sunset, and I will not waste valuable assets foalsitting you while you try."
"Trust me... RP." She fixed him with a determined look. "Trust me... I'll be fine, I promise." Knocked cold from exhaustion, Thomas's body was escorted away via stretcher, giving Sunset pause as she witnessed him and his escort disappear beyond the gates. Fishing out the pendant fastened to her neck, she gave it a gentle rub. "Thomas isn't the only one with a little ace up his sleeve. I have to free the Princesses, I have to try, time is of the essence." Sunset stumbled to her feet even as they screamed for rest. "Don't stop me." She brushed past Rampart, leaving him and the others just as a pegasus guard descended from the heavens.
"Private Swift Stream, how goes the scavenging run?"
"Bountiful, Sir. We won't be running out of shields or spears for some time. However, I regret to inform you that very few of the petranades were recovered. It appears the beasts snatched most of them up before withdrawing."
"Yes," Rampart nodded, "I figured as much would happen. And the herd?"
"There are still some stragglers lagging, but all of the elderly and foals have been relocated to the mines without issue. The Lieutenant reports VIP target, Maud Pie, has been exceptional in excavating an exit with her bare hooves alone, and by her own estimate, they expect to breach the exterior within the hour. He also wishes to inform you that due to this exceeding progress, he will be sending a small reserve of reinforcements upon completion."
"Negative. Canterlot will be swarmed once more when the fleet arrives. We can't risk exposing the civilians. Inform the Lieutenant to stick to the plan, no deviating. Report back once finished for some R&R."
With a salute, the Private took to the air, leaving Rampart alone as he gazed upon his city. Several smoke columns blotted Her Majesty's sun, varying damage adorned every structure in view, and a few infernos blazed unopposed through a few streets. Down in the center plaza where the battle took place, the petrified forms of numerous fellow guards were left behind, their stony faces full of fear and shock.
Regret filled Rampart's heart. Once again, the Equestrian Royal Guard failed to put in substantial resistance to an all-conquering enemy. Once again, the Princesses were subdued with little difficulty. Once again, the fate of all rested within the hooves of six heroines.
Rampart's gaze shifted into a stern glare. Thanks to Sunset and Thomas, Rampart was able to organize a successful revolt and provide a chance for redemption, a chance to bring honor and integrity back into the name of the Royal Guard. The prospect of successfully repelling the invasion force was none at best, but by Celestia were they going to go down fighting with their all. Once the Element Bearers saved the day, as they always do, a lengthy discussion about military reformation would need to be had with Princess Luna. It was time for ponies to stop being pushovers, or else all would fall to worse enemies yet to come.
> Chapter 11: An Adventure Already?! (Part 9: The Siege. The Assault. The Death.)
"When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you;"
--Deuteronomy 20:1a
Deafening silence filled the cold air as Thomas lay curled within the darkness; dreading... waiting. Dreams rarely came to him in his sleep, and the frequent nightmares that plagued his mind usually were filled with the screams of the damned as they all bathed in the Lake of Fire. So, one can imagine it was a surprise when he found himself alone, surrounded by a shadowy sea of haze, completely lucid.
It was a torture unlike any other. Escape was impossible, dream or not, and exploring the shroud promised only pain and suffering arriving sooner, or so he feared; therefore he curled up on the floor, covered his face, and did his damnedest to stifle his whimpers as he braced for the worst yet to come. Time lost all meaning as he dared not to move an inch. Perhaps only minutes had passed, maybe a few hours, several eternities could have come and gone, and yet, he still would not move from his spot. If the denizens of his hellish mindscape were content to leave him be, stewing in his swelling fear and anxiety, then it was a hell of a lot better than his usual alternative.
Bellum est increpit
Like a hot knife through butter, a voice echoed across the void, easily slicing through the silence and what little mental fortitude Thomas held. It spoke in an ancient and dead language, but Thomas understood it nonetheless.
The war is raging
Thomas's breath hitched as he peaked from under his limbs and surveyed the mist for a moment before noticing the blood-red glow that emanated beyond the fog. Every hair along Thomas's back stood on end as a new sense of dread and danger blared away, but he was left paralyzed as the voice continued.
Boni et mali iterum confligunt, et omnia regna sanguine lavabuntur
Good and Evil will clash again, and all kingdoms will be washed in blood
Within a blink, the shroud collapses upon itself, coalescing down into the shape of a smokey humanoid figure, leaving behind an all-blinding white emptiness stretching beyond infinity. The towering figure loomed before the cowering alicorn.
Mundus hic non parcetur, nam catalysta sumus
The world is not spared here, for we are catalysts
Upon the figure's head sprouted two soulless eyes and a gaping maw full of jagged teeth which split into a devilish smile. Jutted forth were two smokey arms that lingered above Thomas's figure which spewed lines of strings that slithered themselves around Thomas's limbs before burrowing beneath his skin, snaring bone and sinew alike. His veins and arteries clogged up the further they slinked within until his very heart was fully entangled. He felt his soul dilute as the entity asserted itself within him, and yet he also ignored the sense of familiarity that followed.
Usurped into a spectator of his very own flesh, Thomas found himself at the mercy of the entity as it played with its new toy, subjecting his body to all manners of strange and alien movements as if testing the range of its control.
Evil and inhumane thoughts flooded his mind as a rumbling roar spewed from his lungs before descending into maniacal laughter as the entity solidified its authority. Within a sudden jerk of motion, Thomas's vision shifts toward the huddled figures of three familiar little fillies, eyes wide and full of panic and tears as they cowered together in fear. Before his mind could fully register their sudden appearance, the usurper was upon them.
The orange one cried out in shock and pain as her throat was seized within the alicorn's maw before silencing her forever with a meaty crunch.
The entity spat the bloody remains of the filly's throat before setting sights upon the fleeing others. Dark powerful energy coalesced within the tip of his horn, a far cry to Thomas's own magical prowess, and lashed out upon the little unicorn. A shrill scream was all she could squeal out before being reduced to smoke and ash, leaving the last foal knocked away in a broken heap from the spell's blast.
Seizing one of her legs within its magical grip, the child was dangled before Thomas's view. A snap rang out as Thomas's jaw unhinged itself and extended his gaping muzzle beyond normal measures. The filly's eyes lingered not away from Thomas's own, silently pleading, begging for his help. He could offer only flowing tears.
A sharp inhale of air resounded from the gaping muzzle as its suctioning force siphoned away the very light from her eyes, leaving a thin trail of glittering luminance to be greedily slurped away, and when all was done, the husk that was the filly was tossed aside.
Nightmare or not, the way her soul squirmed deep within him left Thomas wanting to scream out, and yet despite having a mouth, he could not.
Before his mind could delve deeper into his insanity, another foal was presented before him, one he was all too familiar with. Entrapped within an all too steep quarry, little Rocket Rush, frozen in fear, beheld the giant boulder that loomed directly above.
"B-big brother? What are you doing?" He asked as his eyes shifted to Thomas's.
It's not me! I'm not in control! Thomas internally screamed, shutting his eyes as fresh tears swelled. He refused to see the inevitable.
Tu semper compos fuisti
You were always in control
"Lies!" Thomas shouted, shocking himself upon hearing his vocal cords under his reign once again. The strings were gone, his heart was free, and his mind was clear of any influence. Sure enough, his crimson magic was his own as it held the boulder lingering over Rush.
...He's right there... he's not real...
Thomas flinched as the words, his very own words from days ago, reverberated through his skull once more.
Memento qui fueris
Remember who you were
Thomas clutched his head as a torrent of thoughts swirled within.
He's not real! Let go! DEATH! MURDER! KILL HIM! DROP IT! LET GO!!!
"NO! NEVER!" He shouted, and with a flick of the horn, the boulder was flung into the ethereal void. Clutching his hooves to his head, Thomas hunched over as he whispered away. "Leave me alone. Go away. I don't know what you are or why you torment me but just go away. GO AWAY!"
Rocket's fear-stricken face distorts into a sneer before his whole being takes on a smokey quality that engulfs the quarry pit until the entity's towering form rears itself upon Thomas once more.
In aeternum dampnati sumus
We are eternally damned
Like before, it ensnared the alicorn, hooked all of the strings around Thomas's throat, pulled tight, and brought his choking figure face to face.
Nos unum sumus
We are one
With a tug, the pressure around his neck reached its peak, and there was a snap.
Numquam eris a me gratis
You will never be free from me
With a hoarse scream, Thomas bolted up from his cot as he clawed at his formerly constricted throat. His lungs continued to remain paralyzed a moment more before finally expanding as Thomas gulped the precious air down. His desperate heaves collapsed into racking coughs just as the presence of another made themselves known as they began to pat his back.
"Easy son, easy, We're here. Slow deep breaths now, get them lungs under control. Nurse Softheart, if you'll fetch me a-, oh, thank you... here, drink this."
Upon being hoofed a canteen, Thomas quickly chugged the water down much to the voice's protest. As the last droplets impacted his tongue, Thomas was left breathlessly quenched yet still haggard. The preceding nightmare, like all the others, blissfully retreated from the forefront of Thomas's mind, slinking away into his deepest depths, a small mercy granted by God above.
Taking a cursory glance around, a field of cots litter the expansive room, with many being filled with various injured figures. Many ponies sported bandages across their barrels and legs with even a few having gauze wrapped around their cranium. Off in the corner, a pile of petrified figures were bundled together. The room was filled with lanterns, bathing it in a low warm glow, sharply contrasting against the sporadic light show that filtered through the boarded windows. Several groans and whinnies filled the air, but they were mere whispers compared to the thunder booming outside.
Shuffling into his view, an aging unicorn sporting a doctor's coat and a young aqua-marine pegasus nurse take to each of his sides. "You alright, lad? Any pain? Numbness, aches, sensitivity, fatigue, anything abnormal or concerning?"
A great rumbling shook the foundations, leaving dust trails from the ceiling to linger in the air.
Thomas waited a moment for the calm to settle. "I'm...I'm fine, I think. A little sore, maybe?"
The doctor took a look at the clipboard to the side, humming to himself while doing so. "Hmm, with the beating that you took, I'd be skeptical. However, seeing as you're an alicorn, the first recorded male one at that, I'll have to take your word for it. There are practically no records of any of the Princesses sustaining injury in combat, and what little we do or don't have would be useless as a comparison for you, for the most part. Hmm, perhaps if we had some time, I'm sure a few tests would square some things away..."
The doctor coughed into his hoof, "Excuse me for going off on a side tangent, it's not every day one treats royalty, I only wish to provide the best care I can." The ground quakes once more. "Especially during such troubling times. Anywho, my name is Doctor Scope, Chief Physician of Canterlot Castle, and this is my CNO, Nur-"
"Doc!" A voice shouts out before the doors burst open with a buck. Within a unicorn's magical sphere, a slumped armored guard is held within followed by several limping figures. "We've got another one!"
"Nurse Softheart, please see to his Majesty's needs and inform him of Rampart's request!" The Doctor hastily departed as several other nurses gathered around the latest influx of patients.
Nurse Softheart seized Thomas by a foreleg and began escorting the alicorn to the nearest entrance. "I'm terribly sorry to do this, your Majesty, but you look healthy enough for a quick discharge, and we need all the room we can get for the injured. If you truly need it, I can go fetch some over-the-counter medicine for your soreness." As the duo reached the exit, pounding hooves banged away at the entry before them. Softheart reached out with her wing and swung the door open before Thomas, allowing another entourage of injured ponies through. "If not, then I must inform you that Captain Rampart requests your presence urgently!" Softheart shouted over as the last of the injured entered.
Thomas's response was delayed once more as the ground and foundation quaked following a booming cacophony. "No, that won't be necessary, I feel fine, for the most part." Another set of doors burst open as a hyperventilating pony is guided to one of the few vacant cots. "What is going on? Where am I? How long was I out?" Thomas questioned.
Softheart extracted herself to a patient's side as she answered, "You're in the castle's infirmary. Currently, we are under siege, and we've been so swamped tending to the sick and injured that I can't say how long it's been. An hour, maybe? More or less? I dunno." She administered a sedative before turning back to Thomas, "As you can see, it hasn't exactly been a cakewalk defending it."
She took a cursory glance at the alicorn. "Again, you look fine enough, so unless you say otherwise, consider yourself discharged. Rampart needs you urgently."
"Right, sorry, I'll leave this to you." Thomas shuffled toward the exit, but not before narrowly avoiding a face full of doors as yet another group of ponies burst through and scrambled for medical assistance.
One of the group's escorts, an armored guard, took notice of Thomas's approach and delivered a crisp salute. "Your Majesty, Captain Rampart wishes to speak to you. Please follow me."
With little choice, Thomas follows behind. The duo traversed through once lavishly decorated halls now adorned with crates of supplies, scattered weapons and armor, makeshift barricaded windows, and several ponies strewn about. Their sunken eyes and lathered coats painted a clear picture to Thomas of the overall state of the Royal Guard. With each clap of thunder, a few whimpers echoed through the hall.
The cacophony outside relented not, and the hurried rush of several guard groups to and fro did nothing to ease the tension sullying the air.
Suddenly, a doorway adjacent to the duo exploded open as a squad of guards retreated into the foyer, each frayed with varying levels of injury. "They've breached the eastern hall!" One lingering guard yelled out. "We need reinforcements, they're taking a beating in there!"
Exhausted as they may be, the haggard ponies hesitated not to dawn their gear and swallow fear as they scrambled onto their hooves. They along with one of the passing squads turned heel and double-timed through the crowded doorway. Beyond the masses, the echoing grunts and shouts of battle reverberated through the hall.
Thomas turned to follow suit but was snatched on the leg by his escort. "No, the Captain needs you ASAP! Let them handle it." With a tug, Thomas was reluctantly pulled away, his eyes spared one last glance back before relenting.
"You saw the way they are, they're barely holding it together, they need me," Thomas protested.
His escort was quick to turn on Thomas, "Captain Rampart needs you! We can't afford to waste time on them! They're royal guards, they've trained for this!"
With a halt, Thomas shifted his gaze to the sounds of battle as muffled cries and roars reverberated beyond, but after a minute, no more guards trickled through the doorway. Hesitantly, Thomas allowed his escort to prod him away.
"Just how FUBAR is the situation?" Thomas asked after a moment of silence, prompting his escort to release a weary sigh. "That bad, huh?"
"Airships choke the sky, circling the castle like vultures. They've been peppering us for the past half hour with their electric cannons, causing hole breaches in the shield. They've been sending small infiltration teams, but for some reason have been holding off from a full-on frontal assault with the main force. Hasn't stopped them from thinning our numbers little by little though. Our ballista stations have been popping them, but there are just so many that we've run out of ammo already."
A quaking explosion outside causes Thomas to slip upon the marbled flooring. "Ouch... and the Wonderbolts? Our aces in the air?"
The guard offers a hoof and Thomas accepts. "Grounded, for now, but very eager to get back out there and for good reason. You should have seen it, they were weaving around cannon fire and cleaving through the airships like nothing. 'float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.' that's what Captain Spitfire called it."
"What stopped them?" Thomas asked.
"Same problem as everything else, there's too many. They did excellently against the first few airship groups, but only because they had overextended themselves from the main force, making them easy and isolated targets. But once the rest of the fleet swarmed the castle, airspace became too tight."
From the exterior, a clap of thunder rumbled out shortly followed by the earth quaking. Upon finding his footing, Thomas cast a look through a window, catching the golden glow of a wide shimmering barrier barely covering the castle's perimeter. Before him lay the baily which hosted the remains of a crumbled stage along with several destroyed festival stands, trampled to pieces by the swarm of raging beasts as they filled every available space. The beasts forefront to the barrier thrashed the magic shield relentlessly as their rear comrades whooped and cheered and roared away, pounding fist to shield and causing as much ruckus as possible all the while becoming further fueled upon seeing the crumbling morale of the guard.
The staircase leading from the castle to the courtyard held makeshift fortifications where several pony guards hunkered behind, effectively creating a funnel that the enemy would have to filter through to reach the castle interiors, thus acting as a secondary defense point should the barrier fail.
Another crash of lightning thundered as a spear of electricity struck the shield wall, causing it to flicker and for a breach to briefly puncture. The shield was rectified soon enough, but not before dozens of beasts dashed through the opening.
Immediately, they formed into organized phalanx groups, allowing their shield carriers to steadily advance and provide cover as their spear bearers and grenadiers pummeled the pony line.
Under enemy suppression, the two sole unicorn defenders failed to intercept several attacks, ultimately leading to several guards falling from spear strikes and petri-nades alike, severely crippling the already strained defense force. A shrill short whistle sounded off, "Fallback!" an officer yelled as she ascended to the castle doors, "Regroup at the secondary defensive line, hold them there!"
The last of the remaining forces sprinted through the doorway just as the beasts reached the top of the stairs, allowing Thomas the barest glimpse of their quivering hide just as the doors slammed themselves shut. The entryway was further reinforced with two ornamental cabinets, but it did little to stem the tide. The barricade bulged as the beasts pounded away, but for the moment it held.
"More made it through than we could anticipate, these fortifications won't hold them for long. Private Shale-" said private was quick to salute at attention, "-double time to the central lobby and enlist every available mare and stallion. I don't care if they have a boo-boo on their snout or broken ribs, if we lose this sector our enemy will have a straight shot at the infirmary." A heavy blast rattled the barricade as several guards cried out.
"Yes, Ma'am!" the private shouted before sprinting past the alicorn and his escort, sparing only a small side glance as they passed each other by.
Several more discharges rang out as the spears tore the barricade to pieces. "Hold the line!" the officer shouted as she and several members braced against the doorway, but not before noticing several shadows flickering through the hall.
Scaling along the castle's exteriors, beasts affixed themselves and began prying and bashing at the reinforced window frames, puncturing the glass and ripping the shoddy boards apart with brute strength. With a swinging kick, one by one the beasts launched themselves through, kicking up glass and debris upon the velvet carpet, only to immediately be pummeled down by a hail of spear lasers and missiles.
A few managed to equip their shields and endured the pony's barrage as they closed the distance, eliciting the earth pony guards to charge them head-on. The clash of metal rang out as hooves met shield, but soon a scream filled the air as one of the beasts latched its claw onto the leg of an unfortunate guardsmare who was subsequently utilized as a makeshift living club. Battering her compatriots left and right, the beast continued its assault unopposed as the guards scrambled away, wary of injuring their friend worse than she already was.
At last, with a flair of a unicorn's horn, the beast's wrist was seized within the air, and with a twist, it released its hold on the mare, who crumbled into a bruised heap. Once she was cleared away, all of the royal guards dogpiled the beast, smothering the thing in stomps and kicks until it was little more than a twitching heap on the floor.
The other beasts fared no better, what with one of them being dropkicked out the window from which it entered and the last one suspended in an expression of panic as the petri-nade finished its work.
The gathered ponies released a collective sigh of relief, one that would not last.
With one final heavy discharge, the barricade splintered to pieces, dislodging the nearest guards into the adjacent walls and coating the rest in shrapnel and dust. A smokey haze obscured the doorway and beyond, allowing a brief moment of tranquility to fill the air. Barriers were quickly erected and fortified just in time for a scant few reserved forces to gallop into the fray. Without warning, however, two beasts somersaulted through the smoke and skidded to a halt before reaching into the bags fastened to their waist. Clutched within both claws by the dozen, petri-nades dotted the air in sweeping arcs, coating everything within the room with a layer of obsidian. Caught in the midst of sprinting for cover, three fresh recruits were too slow on the draw as they petrified on the spot, their faces of fear and shock causing the rest to entrench themselves against their defenses further.
With their diversion in motion, the smokey outline of the remaining beasts morphed into being as they charged the opening. Several guards rushed to plug the hole, but the discharge of spears halted them in place, forcing a withdrawal into cover. One unfortunate soul found himself yanked by the leg and tossed into the enemy's ranks where he was manhandled to the floor just as the last of the beasts emerged through the opening. The clashing of metal echoed through the hall as pony and beast tangled in CQC. Hooves pounded on flesh and fur as shields and spears bashed hide and armor, each side giving and taking a few inches as they each struggled for a breakthrough.
Fortunately, the beast's momentum stalled as the guards gave no quarter, and with the advent of reinforcements joining the fray, the tide of the battle fully shifted to the ponies as the beasts were gradually driven back to the breach. Even as the beasts peppered them with petri-nades, the unicorns were quick to snatch them up and away or better yet, returned to sender.
The battle soon devolved into a contest of sheer strength as the beasts erected a wall of shields pushing back against the rippling hooves of the guards as they teetered on the edge of the doorway. Heavy breaths and grunts filled the air as each side pushed and shoved with all their might but with a shout of surprise, the two most forward pony guards found themselves flailing onto the floor as their counterparts unexpectedly pulled away to the side, leaving a hole to the rear wide open. With precise aim, a wooden barrel was tossed through the opening, bypassing most of the guards before rolling to stop only a few feet away.
Thomas's eyes grew wide at the sight of the black powder keg, especially its lit fuse which quickly receded into the barrel a second later.
"Duck and cover!" Somepony shouted out, but they were too little too late. The keg exploded into a shower of splinters, sending the scrambling guards flying away in several directions at pummeling speeds. Windows shattered and barricades were shredded as ponies crashed into marble pillars and floors. Groans and a few screams rang out among the littered bodies as the few capable guards struggled to recover.
The painful ringing in Thomas's ears had yet to subside when he clambered back onto his hooves to help, but his escort thought otherwise as he was sharply pulled away, but not before witnessing yet another keg be launched from the beast's ranks. Many jaws slackened at the sight as it sailed and settled perfectly in the middle of the injured guard contingent. Many ponies were frozen in place and those few still able-bodied shielded their injured from what was to come with their own hide.
Thomas's escort tugged on him once more with a wing but it was forcefully dislodged with a shove before he slid down the railing and launched himself forward. Surging forth, his magic consumed the barrel in full, compressed until total encapsulation was achieved, and he attempted to shove the bomb right into the enemy's fold. Still, the fuze was quicker to burn away instead.
Encased by Thomas's magic, the following explosion induced negligible damage to his fellow ponies, a consolation Thomas couldn't appreciate as concussive forces consolidated through his mind, cracking his horn in the process. The power of the energy hit harder than a falling train, leaving only a small gasp to be emitted from Thomas as he collapsed to the floor, staining the marble with red as a fountain of blood gushed from his sinuses. His unhinged jaw and clouded eyes complimented the scene further. The rapid rise of his sides and his shallow wheezing breaths were the only indications of life.
Laying in a broken heap, a shadow descended onto his frail figure but was rebuffed as shields and spears and blue ghastly eyes surged forward like sprung snakes. A claw soon filled Thomas's bleary vision, aiming for his throat, but just as it was about to find purchase, a flicker of red flashed within their iris. Upon his neck, the Alicorn Amulet flared to life, its magic coursing along Thomas's figure and all throughout his insides, enhancing his natural healing factor and providing an adrenaline-boosting surge of energy as his eyes sharpened onto the beast before him. Rolling waves of rage rebounded through his freshly revived mind, thus eliciting
a snarl from his muzzle as a jet of steam was snorted out.
The beast hesitated, taking a second to reconsider its actions, but a second was all Thomas needed. With rippling power coursing through his veins and a quick turn on his heel, he delivered a quaking buck into the beast before him, rocketing the poor creature straight outside the breach, cleaving right through the storm army like Moses and the Red Sea. With a stomp of his hoof, red tendrils leaked out, spewing forth and snaring the few brave beasts who dared to charge him. With a flick of his hoof, they were sent soaring above, cracking the ceiling and tearing the chandelier to pieces. With a quick swipe, the beasts were sent hurdling into their adjacent partners below, leaving the group a bundled mess of limbs and equipment.
Trotting up to the nearest beast, the same one that attempted to snatch him moments before, the creature cowered before Thomas's figure. His snarl was soon replaced with a fanged grin as his slitted eyes narrowed around the creature's neck. His horn flared to life, sputtered little wispy strings, seized the creature by the neck, and applied pressure. Hefted before his snout, whimpering gasps escaped the beast's throat as its eyes bugged out and its fur turned pale. Its claws feebly pried at the strings, but it did little to ease the constricting. As the seconds ticked past, only one word echoed through the alicorn's mind. Death. Death. Death.
So focused on his victim, Thomas failed to notice the beasts reconsolidating their forces and beginning a new offensive, this time aiming to sidestep the mad alicorn and prod at the injured forces situated only a few feet away, too injured to repel the attack.
Finally, out of the corner of his eye, Thomas takes note of the last powder keg being lit and thrown upon the retreating guards. Turning back to his prey, his insatiable blood lust nearly overpowers his senses once more, but as a scream of fear blurts from behind, he is jolted away from the dark thoughts, and with a grunt, shoves the gasping beast back to its comrades. With a quick lance of energy, the keg is shrouded in red mana and promptly ejected out one of the many broken windows. A boom was quick to follow.
"Enough!" Thomas yelled to all in the hall, catching many eyes and turning equally as many heads. With a surge of crimson mana, a transparent curved barrier sprouted out until the corridor was fully encompassed from wall to wall. Several spear shots impacted the shield, doing little more than fixing another snarl onto the alicorn. With a mighty stomp of his hooves, Thomas surged forward, sweeping everything adorning the passageway up against his glistening wall. The closer they got to the doorway, the more compact the shield reformatted until a condensed ball of beasts and various objects cascaded through the breach into a painful heap at the bottom of the staircase. Immediately, the beasts reconvened upon the entryway, once more bashing on the erected barrier, but much to their surprise, the shield relented and a large portion of their group collapsed to the ground in confusion, only for their pupils to shrink as they gazed inside.
Propped before his hooves, a handful of petri-nades twirled within Thomas's magical grip. He gave the enemy a stoney glare before hurling all 'nades upon them. A collective shriek was uttered as a green shroud of gas encapsulated the breach, only to silence in an instant. Once the cloud dissipated, the living pile and the entryway were fused as one. A few stragglers lingered beyond, but another glare sent them fleeing, disappearing as they rounded the exterior corner.
Thomas continued to glare their way, huffing and puffing all the while, but as the seconds passed, the adrenaline flooding his veins drained away, leaving his head faint and his legs quivering. The amulet ceased its magic, leaving Thomas tipping over, but not before his escort from before braced his side.
The guard fixed Thomas a look, opening and closing his jaw several times, on the verge of sputtering words before relenting with a shake of his head as the two hobbled away.
Ears pounding, heart racing, adrenaline spiking, wings aching, these went ignored as lightning arced overhead. The heat of the electricity singed the tips of his feathers and the quaking boom that followed caused his wings to twitch, forcing him to pivot to the right. The sudden jerking motion induced a rift of air to coarse harshly against his primary feathers at the wrong angle, causing an involuntary dive that was hastily rectified before dipping into the sea of clouds below. The panicked flapping subsided once he leveled out and for a brief moment, tranquility reigned supreme in the heavens, that is until another bout of lightning and thunder rippled from his pursuer. Cursing under his breath, another set of evasive actions was taken, a hard right bank in particular before swiveling into a dive. Sweat trailed down his figure as he soared on high, but it was for naught. The prickling of his hair all across his hide was the first and only warning given before the lightning struck true, leaving him a spasming wreck that collapsed mid-flight. Before his smoking form could recede into the ocean of mist, he was caught within the magenta aura of a fellow alicorn, who gently deposited his body onto the ship's deck.
"A minute, seventeen seconds. That's a new record, Psalms, and your wings didn't lock up this time. Way to go champ." Rainbow congratulated as Psalms groaned before her hooves. A wave of cheering across the ship resounded along with a few pirate 'aarrghs!'.
A cloud of smoke was wheezed out as he responded, "Happy to make you Coach, proud."
Trotting up to the two, Rarity delivered a soft slap of a wing on Rainbow's shoulder. "Darling, we've already told you not to push him too hard!" Kneeling before his figure, she conjured forth a rag and began wiping away the grime. "Honestly dear, I think he's had enough. You've been running him so ragged he's a fountain of sweat! One should be prim and proper for their debut at Canterlot."
"Ah think he can forgo the polished mane for this one Rares." Applejack aims a small glare Rainbow's way. "But she does have a point, Psalms needs a break. Ah reckon Twilight would like to focus on his magic for a spell or two."
"Hey, it's not my fault he's only just now getting the hang of it, compared to everypony else who's pretty much got it down." Rainbow relents with a moan. "Ugh! Fine, take him to the egghead. He'll probably be more useful staying on the ground anyway."
Psalms ever so slowly clambers back onto his hooves. "Does this mean I pass?"
Rainbow lifted a hoof to her chin, contemplation etched on her features. "Well, you're certainly no soon-to-be Wonderbolt recruit... but what the hay, you pass in my book, just not with any flying colors, save your own."
Suddenly, a shower of confetti coats the quartet from nowhere. "Yay!" Pinkie shouts out, "That officially makes you the very first flying male alicorn in Equestria's history ever!" With a gasp, she seizes Psalms by the shoulders and brings him face to face, "Do you know what this means!?" She didn't bother waiting for his response, "This means I have to plan the very first Flying-Male-Alicorn-in-Equestria's-History-Ever party! And that's on top of planning every birthday we missed with you and Thomas, and the New-Royal-Princes party, and the We're-Happy-You-Found-A-New-Family party, and the-"
At last, Rarity voiced her outrage, "Pinkie! I've told you before to please not shower me with your confetti! Celestia's sake, this will take hours to snuff all the flakes out, and I just finished preening my wings!"
"Oh! I know a spell that can help, Twilight taught it to me five minutes ago! Stand still!"
A horrified look adorned Rarity's features. "Pinkie! No!"
It was too late, with a blast of her magic, a tiny tornado was conjured into existence that swept across Rarity's face. The flakes were gone, and so too was Rarity's immaculate mane.
Pinkie plastered a sheepish grin. "Ah-hah-hah... oops?"
Rarity blinked once, then twice, before a growl clawed its way up her throat. Foregoing all words, she opted instead to pounce upon the pink menace, only for her to find bare wood as Pinkie took to the skies. "Get back here and fix my mane!" With that, she too took to the skies, forgoing all speed and urgency, and instead flew with grace and elegance, which predictably left her in Pinkie's dust trails.
With a flare of her wings, Applejack dislodges the last of the confetti. She takes a moment to reflect upon the action she committed, at her wings in particular. "Don't think Ah'll ever get used to this feelin'. Magic sure is scary sometimes." Her wings ruffled once more before settling down. "We better go after her, Rainbow, Ah could use the practice." Applejack indicates Twilight's direction with a flick of her hoof, "Twilight's over yonder that way, Psalms. Should be finishing up with Fluttershy."
With a nod of thanks, Psalms catches one last breath before trotting forth. Celaeno's ship was abuzz with activity, what with Princess Skystar's hippogriff guard contingent utilizing most of the deck as impromptu training grounds, running drills, and hosting sparring matches. Even a few of Grubber's beasts allowed themselves to be used in take-down demonstrations, pointing out areas of weakness for their kind to be taken advantage of.
Speaking of Grubber, he and the other friendly beasts were nestled off to the side, playing cards in hand as they shared stink eyes with one another. "Do you have a... six?" The creature to his left growled a response, "Dangit!" Grubber proceeded to draw four.
"Do you have... G52?" Pinkie asked as she shuffled her cards. The beast before her gave a questioning look before growling negative. "Ha!" Pinkie shouts as she displays her cards before the group, five aces of diamonds in hoof, "Bingo!"
Groans were uttered from all with one beast flinging its cards in frustration as Pinkie seized the pot, cackling like a mad mare. "Pinkie!" Rarity shouted from above as she ever so slowly caught up with the pink menace.
"Uh-oh!" Pinkie expressed before leaving a pink trail as she dashed overboard, flinging all the storm bucks into the air in the process.
"Ugh!" Grubber moaned, "I hate blackjack."
Moving on, Psalms climbed the stairs to the helm where Captain Celaeno watched Capper tinker with the harpoon gun.
"You sure you know how to operate this machine?" Celaeno inquired.
Capper finished readjusting the gun's sight before responding. "I'll have you know, I was the reigning dart-throwing champion for nine consecutive years in the Klugetown Klugefest."
Celaeno waited a moment for Capper to continue, but seeing as how the cat had no more to say, she took over. "...Ok? And that's relevant to this... how?"
With a flick of a switch, the gun roared to life as steam exited its exhaust tubes. Swiveling to the starboard, Capper surveyed the area before focusing on a single storm buck, far adrift, at least twenty meters away, flickering wildly in the roaring wind, and descending to the lands below. With a squeeze of the trigger, the harpoon was ejected and in an instant, impaled the bill. Gravity did its work and the two disappeared into the cloud layer. Capper rubbed his knuckles against the hem of his coat as he replied, "Just give me a target and clear line of sight, and I'll be popping balloons all day."
Passing the two by, waves were exchanged as Psalms trudged up to the quarter-deck, where Twilight and Fluttershy were found, huddled around a small controlled fire. Fluttershy eyed the fire behind her mane, brows furrowed with beads of sweat dripping down. In contrast, Twilight was steadfast as she guided her shy friend. "Remember, think cool, liquid thoughts, imagine in your head an ice cube melting, the water washing away, but instead you grab it, you hold it, and with it you..."
Fluttershy closed her eyes as her horn lit, sputtering magical sparks, until a flash of illumination filled the air as a splash of water doused the fire. "I did it." Fluttershy gasped.
"Great job, Fluttershy! While aqueous magic is a novice spell class to master, the fact that you managed to successfully cast it in such a short time speaks wonders to your innate magical prowess. That simple water spell, along with casting mend should be enough to keep this ship afloat when battle arrives. I wish I could teach you more, but for the time we have, it'll have to do."
"Hey girls," Psalms called out, "you should be more careful, Twilight, this is a wooden boat after all."
"It's alright; I had it under control," Twilight reassured. "Speaking of control, I was hoping to speak to you and Thomas both about your mana manipulation. Unfortunately, things just kept escalating, and I never had the time. But I do now, and if you're willing, I'd like to take a moment to analyze your inner aura matrix."
As Psalms settled himself, Fluttershy quietly took her leave, not without waving goodbye to the two. "What's this all about? Is something wrong with my magic?"
Twilight shook her head. "Not per se. It has more to do with how you are exerting your magic." From out of a corner, Twilight summons a heavy tome before depositing it between the two. Depicted on the front cover was a staff entwined by two serpents, the Caduceus. Lighting up her horn, the pages begin to flicker one after another as her eyes analyze each chapter with lightning speed.
Psalms brows pursed together. "Uh, where did the book come from?"
"I've established thaumatic connections across several tomes and illustrated academic papers from heavily credited institutions, which provides easy access to relevant information when I'm conducting research. This medical book is one of them, now take a look here. " At last, her magic ceases as the book settles upon Chapter 83, "The Manifestation of Magic"
"It's a well-established fact that magic permeates through most substances and beings in all corners of Equus. It is also understood that, thanks to multiple archaeological and paleontological studies, magic has existed longer than recorded history or even Equus caballus as a whole; which unless proven otherwise, insinuates that all matter, inorganic or not, has been saturated with magic since at least the formation of modern life on the planet itself."
Finished with reading from the book, Twilight turns her attention to Psalms. "Magic has been ingrained in our genetic makeup since the time of our ancestor's ancestors and perhaps even before; magic and ponies have coexisted together as one for all of our species' existence. The reason I'm telling you all this is because you and Thomas may be the first and only beings untouched by magic down to a cellular level."
"Wow," Psalms proclaimed before his face scrunched up, "No, wait, hold on, that can't be right, just look at me! I'm a male alicorn, my human body was transformed into this... well technically I didn't have a body since I had already died so I was a spirit... or a soul? Anyway, shouldn't my pony body be made of nothing but magic?"
"And there lies my conundrum. Psalms, I am the embodiment of the Element of Magic, so believe me when I say I was perplexed by the lack of magic I sensed within the two of you, at least the magic that I know of."
"That you know of?" Psalms parroted back.
Twilight nodded away. "There is no doubt the essence that makes you, you, is magical in nature, but it is a type I have never encountered before, and it is one beyond my current understanding. I have researched many different types of magic; dark, chaos, arcane, and transmogrification just to name a few, but compared to all I know, what you two embody... I can only describe it as... greater." She fixes Psalms a look, "I assume you will attribute this to your 'God' from before?"
Pslams cuffed a hoof to his medallion. "He's the only reason I'm here, made me in your image, so to speak, so yeah, I do."
Twilight takes a moment to study his figure before relenting with a small nod. "Well, getting back to the topic at hoof, it is this lack of magic that has me interested in scanning your matrix to determine your inefficiency in spell casting. When we ambushed those beasts back at the train yard, I noticed you were quick to tire out after only a few casts. With this scan, I may be able to identify your problem..." Without warning, Twilight releases a sharp gasp, "...and if I'm correct... not only will I be able to mend your power output, but this may even provide a solution to Dispareunia Magicae Neonatorum!"
Psalms's muzzle gaped, but as the seconds passed without Twilight's further input, he opted to take over. ".... I... uh... Dispara... wha?"
Taking Psalms's head between her hooves, Twilight brings the two face to face. "If I'm correct, because of your non-magic origins, you and Thomas may be the heralds of a cure to a genetic disorder that has plagued unicorn newborns for many generations!" Twilight releases Psalms as she sweeps her hoof over the horizon, "Every year, hundreds, sometimes thousands of foals across the kingdom are born with DMN; a neurological deficit of certain protein chains within our DNA that prevent the formation of leylines, most prominently within the horn structure. For centuries, we have had the means of furnishing the protein chains, allowing limited mana access for certain 'lucky' disabled unicorns, but without a clean, untarnished template of the leylines, restructuring a pony's matrix without afflicting further neurological damage was an impossibility... until now. With you two, we may finally have our solution!"
"No way," Psalms denies, "Are you sure? What about the mirror world? Sunset's home? That place and its people don't have magic, right?"
Twilight pauses for a moment, "...Not inherently... or initially."
"So why haven't you used them for a cure?"
"Because there's nothing that can be utilized from their group. Their world and ours are offshoots of one another, connected in more ways than the mirror alone. After Sunset told me of the mysterious cave where she and her friends found their geodes, I can only assume three things; magic has been leaking from Equestria for a long time, magic does naturally exist, or has come to naturally inhabit their world over time. Regardless of whether the inhabitants can manipulate magic or not, my counterpart and I were able to confirm that leylines, albeit dormant, were present as part of her and her friend's circulatory system."
"Leylines, you keep repeating that word, what is it?" Psalms questioned.
"Think of leylines along the lines of arteries or veins. Where they carry blood and plasma, leylines ferry mana throughout the body. The point I'm trying to make is that Sunset's world and people are already muddied with magical essence, even if very little, but you and Thomas have pure leylines never before tainted by magic use. And like a newborn who's never used its horn before, you use brute force to inefficiently channel magic."
"Well, we were only given a rough crash course by our father. He taught us how to feel the magic flowing through us and not much else."
Twilight nods knowingly, "Proprioception, the sixth sense, and the most relevant for magic users. Foals instinctively use this sense, oftentimes far too early and unrestrained, leading to involuntary magic surges, but for somepony like you, it is the quickest way to establish a connection to your matrix. Speaking of which, I'd like to take a scan of it now."
"Go ahead, if it helps, I'm all for it. Just one concern though, me and Thomas have been using magic for the past few days already; So our, uh, matrix is already tarnished with magic, right? Wouldn't that make the scan worthless?"
"I have a theory, but let me take a scan first, and then we'll find out." Twilight reaches a hoof out, cuffing it to Psalms' chin before directing him down low. With a tilt of her head, her horn comes in contact with the base of Psalms' own. "Stand still now and take deep breaths; you should feel a slight buzzing sensation, that's normal." She sucks in a deep breath before steadily exhaling it out. "Alright, medical breakthrough, here we come."
True to her word, a buzzing sensation cascaded through Psalms' frontal lobe, dissipating just as it reached his neck. This went on for a few seconds more before it relented, leaving behind an itch all across his affected areas.
"I have it..." Twilight whispered out, pausing Psalms mid-scratch. Twilight turned to him, a smile as bright as the sun at full display. "I have it!" She closed her eyes, internally analyzing the image in her mind. "...Just as I theorized. Your core leyline root is saturated with magic... but all other branching roots lie dormant... negligent... of any traces of magic! This is it! This is what we needed! What everypony needed!"
"So this is it?" Psalms questioned, a smile too blossoming on his muzzle as he became infected with Twilight's ecstatic mood. "With one little picture, we just cured DMN for good?"
Twilight's smile dropped down a single notch. "Well," she began, "we have a clean template that will allow neurosurgeons to reconfigure the secondary and tertiary leyline branches, which in turn will circumnavigate and overtake the function of the core leyline root. All leylines aside from the core act as a redundant system in the case of severe horn damage, thus allowing continued magic manipulation for somepony like Tempest, albeit with great strain and possible limitations." A forlorn look overtakes Twilight. "Having to lose a horn is a tragedy, but never being able to use one in the first place, being stripped of your birthright from the start, is soul-crushing." In a blink of an eye, her frown turned upside down. "But thanks to you, we have the means to forever remedy it!"
Twilight delves into cheers and laughter as she delivers a hug upon Psalms, who in turn embraces back. Another set of cheers and giggles enters the fray as a new body enters the hug session. "Yeah! Woo-hoo! Hurray! What are we celebrating!?" Pinkie inquires.
With a huff and a puff, the alicorn and his guard reached the top of the stairs where they opted to take a moment to catch their breath. Before them lay the ornately decorated doors leading to the throne room. "Rampart's through here," Thomas's escort gasped out, "I need to return to my post, good luck, your Majesty."
"Hey," Thomas calls out, halting the guard mid-step, "I never caught your name."
The guard about faces and brings a wing up in a salute, "Sir! Private Hard Buckle, Sir!"
"Well, Private Buckle, thank you for the escort. I know I didn't make things easy for you, and sorry about the shove earlier."
"No need to apologize, Sir. It is not my place to question the actions of standing royalty, in spite of the circumstances at hoof." With his piece said, the guard clacked his heels, turned, and descended.
Thomas spared Buckle one last glance before shouldering through the doorway. The petrified forms of the princesses are the first objects observed as Thomas walks on through, but his eyes soon shift to the lines of unicorns adorning both sides of the throne room. Their hides glistened with sweat as their horns shined with streams of energy that fed out the stained glass panes and into the surrounding shield. An arc of lightning lit the exterior as it struck the shield, eliciting one of the guards to collapse to their knees, grunting with strained breaths, but they were soon back on their hooves as their companions hefted them back up, supporting their weight against their side.
In one of the corners, a group of pegasus ponies adorned in blue jumpsuits lingered about as they gazed upon the skies beyond the window.
In another corner, off to the side, was a stockpile of books messily strewn about with Sunset, along with their two unicorn saviors an hour before, being forefront amongst it. Sunset and the pink-ish unicorn were animatedly discussing the contents of the heavy tome before them, while the blue wizard lazily flipped through another.
The sound of his entrance caught Sunset's ears, causing her and the other unicorn to turn to him. "Thomas, are you alright?"
Thomas closed the distance, causing Sunset to give him a brief embrace. "I'm fine, somehow. Had a little trouble along the way, but nothing I couldn't handle. You?"
Sunset released him, limping as she nursed a hoof to her chest, hissing in pain when retracting herself. "Well, not everypony has the luxury of an alicorn healing factor, but I'll live." She turned towards her fellow unicorn, gesturing a hoof to her. "This is Starlight, one of our saviors from before. She's Twilight's personal student and certainly has the prowess and potential to match her."
A slight blush adorned Starlight's cheeks, "I, uh, I wouldn't exactly say that; she is the Element of Magic, after all."
"And yet, you still gave her quite the struggle with that time fiasco." Sunset's hoof shifts to the wizard. "And she is Trixi-"
"The Great and Powerful Trixie!"
"-The Great and Powerful Trixie, mare of the mystics arts, and our other savior."
Within Thomas's peripheral, he could see the Captain urgently waving him forward. "Great to meet you both, Starlight, Trixie. We owe you one." Thomas flicks his head at the books, "Busy trying to free the Princesses? Any luck?"
Starlight and Sunset both heave a sigh. "None whatsoever. None of our arsenal of spells so much as left a crack."
"And we're finding no luck with any of these stupid books!" Trixie exclaimed as she tossed hers aside with a huff. A rumble from the outside added to her mess as a tower of books collapsed.
"Thomas!" Rampart echoed from further ahead.
"Alright, keep at it, I gotta take this."
With a dash, Thomas was by the Captain's side, before them an empty cauldron lay with a blue potion held above within the Captain's magical hold. It pulsed with intent and urgency. "Finally," The Captain began, "It's been ringing for the past half hour. She wants to speak to you."
"Any sign of Twilight or the King?"
A snort escapes Rampart. "Are you kidding? I'm surprised any sunlight is breaching through to us at all. Spotting either is a needle in a haystack situation, and we don't have enough eyes as is."
Thomas nodded in understanding. "How's the defense holding up?"
Thunder trembled through the air. "We may be in a castle, but it's no citadel. There's only so much of a beating it can take before giving. My mages have erected a shield that has been bearing the brunt of the tesla cannons, but once that goes down, I will be the last line of defense. While I'm no Shining Armor, my magic is nothing to scoff at, my name is Rampart after all." The potion pulsed once more. "She won't wait much longer, it was a courtesy from her that the Castle hasn't been completely stormed yet."
"Then let's not keep her waiting." With that said, Rampart poured the potion into the cauldron, and as the mist rose, the visage of Tempest materialized.
Rampart excused himself offscreen, leaving the two ponies to examine each other in silence, until...
"So, my eyes were not deceiving me. Yet another male alicorn...we fought, back on the airship." Her eyes reflected upon his exposed wings. "How I didn't notice your wings before will forever elude me."
"A cloak tends to hide things, shocking, I know." Thomas steeled his features. "This ain't a social gathering, what do you want."
"Straight to the chase, I can appreciate that." Tempest squared herself before him as a stern mask settled over her features. "I want... I need you, and only you. I'm done playing these games, and so, I am willing to make a deal. Lay down your weapons, surrender yourself to me, and I will allow all of your ponies to leave the city peacefully."
Thomas didn't hesitate. "Hell no."
Tempest took a moment to blink before responding, "I don't think you are in a position to bargain here. You are completely surrounded, hopelessly outmatched, and severely outnumbered. With just one order, I'll have your shield crumbled to dust and everypony back in chains within the hour." Tempest inched her face closer to the scrying screen, her stern gaze hardening evermore. "Do not squander this mercy."
"And again, I say no." Thomas pushed back, mirroring Tempest's face.
A growl escaped Tempest's throat, her veins visibly popped and red tints in the corner of her eyes. "You and your friends have been nothing but a thorn in my side this entire operation; thwarting my plans, escaping my forces, wasting my time with these wild goose chases!" Tempest reeled her face away, sucked in a lungful of air, and blew it out in a slow stream. When she turned back to Thomas, all traces of anger were gone. In its stead was a melancholy, almost forlorn look of resignation. "I'm so close to achieving my life's goal, I've come this far and committed too much to throw this away now. This is your last warning."
"And this is yours," Thomas spat. "Understand this, you are in the land of sunshine and fricken rainbows where as far as I can tell second chances are handed out like candy. Hell, these ponies base themselves and their society entirely around the concept of harmony and that... I can't believe I'm gonna say this... that friendship is..." Thomas applies a hoove to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose as he finishes, "...magic, ugh. So here's the deal, this whole invasion is your mess, clean it up, and if your heart's in the right place then maybe, just maybe, the elements won't petrify your ass. Poetic justice if they do."
Tempest ground her teeth. "I don't have a choice, it's too late!"
"Bull." The alicorn called back. "You always have a choice and no, it isn't too late. I'm not a very forgiving man, Tempest, so believe me when I say that if I, of all people, am willing to accept an olive branch after everything you threw at us, how do you think the literal Princess of Friendship would respond in my stead?"
Conflicted emotions flashed across Tempest's face, tugging upon every visible feature as they warred through her mind, but before she could respond, a thunderous horn trumpeted through the air, shrouding all of the city in silence. Creeping across rooftops and through the packed streets, a heavy shadow blanketed Canterlot Castle, dimming the already smoke-dense luminosity to midnight hues. All who turned their gaze saw not but a hazy blotch eclipsing the sun, that is until it breached the squall layer. Two piercing blue dagger-eyed marks heralded the approach of an armored zeppelin that, after a moment, opted to linger upon the mountain's peak.
Tempest released a breath. "He's here." She fixed her gaze back onto Thomas. "Times up. For both of us." Finally, the potion's mist collapsed, but not before uttering Tempest's fading apology.
"What was that?" Rampart questioned as he strode back to Thomas's side. "What did she say? What's happening?"
Before Thomas could respond, a flash of teal shimmered into the pony's eyes, catching their attention as they shifted view to Tempest's new flagship. There, a shower of sparks and blinding light accumulated upon Tempest's horn as she surged her power to ever-dangerous levels. Her entourage was quick to make distance as she was enveloped in a bubble of unstable magic. The eyes of many defenders were caught by her theatrics as they coalesced around the many windows layering the castle.
The city was bathed in various shades of teal as Tempest reached her zenith and with but one last flicker, shot forth her mana with lightning speed, impacting the mage's shield with an ear-piercing clap strong enough to shatter window panes all across the city.
Thomas clutched at his pounding ears as tears fogged his vision, but he could only share sympathy with his armored fellows who bore the brunt of the impact, with their minds no less. Each guard was clutching their smoking horns as they writhed on the floor; some screamed their lungs out, and only a 'lucky' few were stricken comatose, but Tempest's strike worked perfectly as all energy stabilizing the shield ceased.
With a muted flicker, the dome dissipated from the apex down. The moment the shield completely collapsed, the air was flooded with the victorious howls of hundreds as electricity bombarded the castle walls in unison. Trumpets blared their tune and with a resounding cry, the storm converged upon the castle. Bounding on all four, the beasts blitzed for the walls. With their sharp claws, they dug into the marble and stone, hefting themselves up and over the edge or through the windows, while most others breached through every pummeled doorway. Airships collected above, raining fire and beasts alike as they harpooned themselves against the spires.
"The shield has fallen," Rampart stated as he gazed upon the swarming army below. "Our timetable has just accelerated. Captain Spitfire," Rampart shouted out as he turned to the Wonderbolt's group, "I need you and your wingmates to round up all available units and reinforce the infirmary. We're abandoning our defensive positions; notify Seargent Fling that his pathfinder squad will maintain subterfuge orders."
"All units, Sir?"
"All," Rampart confirmed, "We have far too many injured than we anticipated. Civilian auxiliaries are a priority objective."
Spitfire saluted before she and her squad dashed through the exit.
"Subterfuge?" Thomas questioned.
"Seargent Fling has rigged most entryways with petri-nades, should stem the tide, but..." Rampart turned his gaze outside, to the zeppelin above, "I don't think we can hold out much longer."
Just as Rampart finished, the passing of shadows along the marbled flooring caught the duo's attention. Turning their gaze to the stained glasses, the silhouettes of numerous beasts presented themselves as they crawled along the courtroom's exterior. They traced their movements as the beasts made way for the balcony behind the thrones.
Joining their side, Sunset along with the rest of the unicorns, recovered guards included, regrouped with the duo, forming an all-around defense as beasts ever so slowly encircled their formation.
Psalms' hide shuddered as a slinking cool feeling slithered around within his horn as if liquid had pooled and sloshed around unconfined. Its touch was soft yet rough not unlike sandpaper, and its aftertouch left him itchy. The itch was most irritating, leaving Psalms twitching as his hooves stomped in tandem.
"You know, fidgeting around like a foal isn't going to speed this up." Twilight admonished.
"I can't help it!" Psalms exclaimed as he shook his head. "Feels like worms are wiggling around in my head. It's unnerving."
"Well, you're a big stallion, just bear with it for a moment, and stop moving." Twilight finished with a slight flick of her wing against his hooves.
"What are you doing again?" Psalms asked with a sigh as he rubbed at the tingle adorning his forehead.
"I told you, in order for me to maximize your mana output, I need a comprehensive probe of your matrix and synapse structure."
"But you already scanned my matrix?"
"Yes, I scanned your matrix; now I'm probing it, using a low-energy filter as my mana traverses your leylines."
A moment of silence lingered. "...And that does?"
Twilight releases a huff as her horn ceases its shimmering. "You do realize I can't concentrate with you asking all these questions, right?" She reconnects horns and her magic resumes.
"Well excuuuuse me, Princess," Psalms whispers under his breath.
Before Twilight could respond, the 'special' pirate crewmate began squawking up a storm as he rang the alarm, pointing his finger toward the ship's bow.
"Thar she blows! Land ahoy!"
A voice rang out amid the deck, eliciting a turn of Twilight's head as she set her sights on the far horizon. "Ow, ow, ow!" Much to Psalms' chagrin.
"Oops! Sorry!" Twilight sheepishly exclaimed as her magic dissipated.
Taking a moment to rub the pain away, Psalms and Twilight soon join the rest of the passengers and crew as they bunched up upon the main deck, all eyes focused on the view before them.
In the rapidly closing distance, just barely peeking out from the storm front, the visage of Canterlot is witnessed, illuminated with the hailfire of tesla canons and obscured by a swarm of skiffs and climbing smoke columns.
"Jesus Christ," Psalms exclaimed, "looks like the entire armada is there, and they're tearing into the castle."
"Wait, that's Canterlot? Famous city of the pony Princesses?" Capper questioned as he lifted his goggles for a better view. "Yeesh. Looks like it's seen better days."
"I'm counting at least fifty skiffs just off of visuals alone, and that's not taking into account all the ones obscured by the smoke." Captain Celaeno relayed as she collapsed her telescope. "And that's not all; I've identified the Storm King's flagship high at the mountaintop."
A few whimpers were uttered from the storm creatures and Grubber swallowed a large gulp. "T-t-t-the Storm King is...here?"
"He is," Celaeno confirmed. "But strangely enough, it doesn't look like his ship is participating in the siege."
"That's great! One less thing to worry about in our plan." Psalms exclaimed.
"Uh," Rairty scratched at the base of her neck, "now that I think about it, what is the plan exactly?"
"I'm sure egghead here had plenty of time to make one up." Rainbow proceeded to noogie said egghead. "Whatcha got for us, Twi."
Twilight released an indignant huff as she fixed her mane and turned her attention to all others, which, in turn, surrounded the princess. "It's simple in principle; we each play to our strengths. I believe Rarity and her shield magic, along with Fluttershy and her mending and water spell, would work well with providing magical support aboard Captain Celaeno's ship. They in turn are well-equipped to deal with the skiffs." She turned towards Rainbow Dash, "And with the fastest Wonderbolt by their side, I expect the skies clear in ten seconds."
"Flat." Dash hoof-bumped with Celaeno.
Giving them a nod, Twilight continues, "With the air taken care of, we can focus on the ground. Applejack, Pinkie, Psalms, and I will hoof it straight for the castle w-"
"Where my guards and I will provide a distraction! Oh, it'll feel good to finally give what's coming to them. Ain't that right, fellas!?" Skystar giggles to herself.
"Yes, your Highness!" Her guards echoed in unison.
"Oh, uh... I was kinda hoping you'd tag along with us, but-"
"Apologies, Princess Twilight," Lieutenant Reef began, "but even with our combined effort, I'm afraid a frontal charge directly into overwhelming enemy forces is... ill-advised to say the least." A shake of his head was added for extra measure, "No, we shall provide a distraction and funnel enemy troops away from the castle and through the city. If you still need extra muscle," He nodded toward the storm beasts, "I think they'll make do."
"If they can be trusted." A Hippogriff guard commented to the side, earning a few grunts of agreement.
Several eyes turned to Grubber, who was sweating up a storm. His eyes darted from figure to figure before choking out a cough and clearing his throat. "I, uh, well, uh, you see, uh, y-y-you can count on my friends here to be by your side... we... we did promise after all, right, guys?" He took a nervous glance back, his pleading eyes on the beasts before him who quickly shook themselves from their stupor and rigorously nodded away, with one even adding a thumbs up. "See? We totally got your back, it's just... um..."
"Just what?" Psalms asked with a raised brow.
"Just... well... if it's ok with you, I'd like to stay on the ship."
"Whatever for, darling?"
"If it was just Tempest, everything would be a-okay, but this is the Storm King we're talking about." He flicks his eyes nervously from side to side, "Let's just say I've bitten more than I could chew a few too many times with him. If he finds out I'm after his empire, you can bet he'll do me like a kebob on his big stick he keeps twirling around." Grubber scoots to the side and makes way for the ship's depths. "Besides, I'm no good in a fight, I'll just slow you down."
"But we need you," Psalms protested, much to Grubber's surprise, "you're the only one who can communicate with the beasts; the only one who can lead them. Didn't you want this? A chance to take charge for once? A chance to be seen as more than a food-face-stuffing goofball?"
Paused at the entrance to the ship's bowels, a moment of silence filled the air as Grubber took great consideration to Psalms words, eyes flickering from him to the beasts and the others, but soon enough, a heavy sigh left the little guy, "Sorry, but it just wouldn't work... I can tell these guys to follow and protect you... but that's about it... sorry." His piece said, Grubber reluctantly disappeared into the darkness.
A few of the beasts cried soft whimpers as their leader left, but they moved not an inch after him.
Capper shook his head. "Little guy's selling himself short."
"If only we could spare some pearl magic, we could make him biiiiiiig and strong! Like Spike!" Pinkie's outstretched hooves were directed at the drake.
"Yeah, speaking of which, what about me, Twilight?" The thunderous voice that was Spike asked, "I can help too... you'll let me... right?"
Any words Twilight had kept getting clogged within her throat, leading her to open and close her mouth numerous times like a gaping fish. In the end, Twilight reflected her gaze on the deck, unable to confront Spike eye to eye. Her mind ran rampant with objections and excuses, most commonly tied to the phrase, 'still a baby dragon'.
"...Spike I... well, you... just because the pearl..." Inhaling and exhaling, Twilight composed her mind and began again. "...Spike, with the pearl's magic, yo-"
Before Twilight could finish, Capper gave a soft slap against the drake's burly leg. "You, big boy, are our ace in the hole."
"What?" The siblings echoed out, one more pointedly than the other.
"Just think about it," Capper began, "You can fly, thanks to Rainbows here, you breathe magical fire, and your scales are as tough as diamonds. You are, by far, the most threatening-looking being we're bringing along, and you have the pearls prowess to back it up. If they take one look at you, you can bet they'll focus all their attention on taking you down, if they aren't pissing themselves delirious as they run away. Problem is, their skiffs are a joke, except for one which is..."
"...The flagship?" Spike inquired, which earned him two flinger clicks and a wink.
"That's right! Now, I can't say I'm well versed in the armaments of said flagship, but I'll bet you all the bits they have plenty of those stone-turning grenades on board and won't hesitate to use them on you. But, if they never find out about you, well then their guard is down, and when they inevitably see us kicking their army's flanks and join in the fight, they'll be so focused on what they've seen and know, they won't notice you lurking in the shadows and that's when you deliver the one-and-done strike."
"You can't be serious! He's a baby dragon! He shouldn't be out there fighting at all, and I fail to see why we can't let Rainbow Dash deal with the zeppelin."
"Because she can't damage it." Reef interjected, "None of us can, magic or not, except for him."
"Him? Explain." Twilight requested.
"Our kind have faced the zeppelin before, back when we were driven from Mount Aris. Its airbag is encased in a fine sheath of obsidian, exactly like their grenades. All attempts to penetrate the armor failed spectacularly. Taking everything and everyone we have here into account, nothing and no one is getting through." Reef turns to appraise Spike. "Except you! You're a bonafide dragon, your kind eat gems for crying out loud. I'd bet every sand dollar I have you could chew right through that armor like tissue paper. Here," Reef digs through the satchel on his waist and brings out a petri-nade where he proceeds to chuck it at a vacant folding chair. Once done, he hands the chair to Spike. "You don't believe me? Go ahead, take a bite."
Hesitating for a moment, Spike directs his gaze to Twilight, a questioning look adorning his facial features. Despite the objections flowing within, Twilight relents with a small nod. With the go-ahead in place, Spike takes a bite of a leg, *SPFFT*, and immediately spits it out.
"Spike!?" Twilight panics.
"Blegh! Yuck!" The drake exclaimed. "Argh! Black licorice?! No thanks!" Spike chucked the chair overboard.
Scooping the spat-out leg, Reef presents the piece for all to see. "Chewed it right off with no effort. You, my lad, are all that stands between total victory and complete defeat." He turns his attention to Twilight. "The cat fella may not know the dangers of that ship, but I do. How do you think the Storm King has subjugated so many nations so easily?" He directs a finger at the zeppelin. "Because of that thing; twelve overcharged arc emitters, twenty-four black powder thunder-rails, and six transluminal conductors, all of which can and have rendered entire armies dumb, deaf, and blind in one strike. And that's not mentioning the entire stockpile of bombs full of petrification gas in its bay, ready to rain down with a single lever pull. All of these armaments, encased in impenetrable obsidian, and now you have a clear picture of its unstoppable power.
But, we mustn't show our hand too early. The zeppelin has faced dragons before, it knows it is weak to their unique appetite and thus has special contingencies in place. It is able to switch its configuration between two modes, offense and defense. I've already described its offensive mode, its defense is what worries me. If it gets a whiff of Spike here, it won't hesitate to collapse its structure upon itself, covering the deck and all portholes, creating an interior vacuum. Once done, specialized gas charges all across its shell will detonate, plunging it into a bubble of stone-gas. It won't stop, won't relent until either Spike is petrified, or all of Canterlot is."
"Scorched earth." Psalms whispered to himself.
"You know an awful lot about this ship for an isolationist." Rainbow pointed out.
"I have spent a number of years traversing the world, seeking answers and opportunities to further our chances against the Storm King.
I also know there is a key component within the ship's bombing bay that should it be destroyed, would seal all gas valves throughout the ship, rendering its defensive mode useless and vulnerable. Then and only then, could Spike bring it down. We have one shot; once they realize our target, it's permanent turtle mode."
"One shot is all I need," Capper affirmed.
"So," Applejack began, directing her gaze to everycreature, "is that it? Y'all know the plan?"
"Yeah! Kick flanks and chew bubblegum! And I have plenty of gum!" Pinkie relayed as she stuffed her cheeks full of gum from who knows where.
"Alright, then, everyone back to their stations! We're almost there." Captain Celaeno ordered. The deck soon dispersed, leaving only Twilight and Psalms.
Psalms directed his view to the Castle, where a frown soon found itself on his face.
"Worried about Thomas and Sunset?" Twilight asked as she joined his side.
"Yeah... but not just them, I'm worried about... all of this... this plan... this zeppelin... our friends... none of this happened in the cartoo- um, I mean the premonitions." Psalms rested his head along the rail, "So much could go so wrong... so much has already changed, and whether we've made a difference for the better or not, I still can't help but think from time to time that we never should've gotten involved in the first place." Psalms released a sigh, "I just hope we haven't royally screwed anything up."
"Well, we won't know until after all this, but I'm glad you intervened. I was in a dark place when all of this started, and I'm afraid I would have made several mistakes if you hadn't been there to straighten me out. I'm glad to have met you both, Psalms. I'm happy to call you my friend." She flashed him a smile.
He flashed one in return. "Thanks, me too."
They stared at one another for a moment before Twilight hacked out a nervous cough. "Well, in any case, I think we should get back to your mana probing. Clocks ticking after all."
"Right, you said you could fix it; can you run the procedure by me again?"
"Of course. Essentially, I will snake small whisps of my magic through your unused leylines, tunneling throughout the system, creating new paths for mana to be channeled through, kinda like a construction worker digging ditches to lay new pipe. I almost finished when Canterlot was spotted, so as I said before, deep breaths, calm mind, and no movement."
Following Twilight's instructions to the letter, the itchy pervasive force from before begins anew, yet it was no match for the revitalized alicorn, who did not so much as flinch the deeper the probing descended.
Silence became the two's companion as the minutes passed, but eventually, the shimmering of Twilight's horn ceased as she released a sigh and dabbed away a trail of sweat along her cheek. "There...done."
Taking a moment to relieve the itch, Psalms ever so carefully directed mana into his horn matrix. Whereas force was needed to channel magic before, this time around it came as easy and naturally as flowing water. With mana coursing through his horn spiral, a new sense of power and control unlike any time before overcame his senses. Once the magic reached the apex of his horn, it bloomed outward in a blast of light and colors in a moment of involuntary control.
"Wow," Psalms breathed out, "it's like... it's like you popped my back. There was a pressure there I just couldn't overcome no matter how hard I tried and now... I can feel the magic coursing all throughout me, like a freshly stretched limb... it feels good, right, it feels..." Something caught Psalms' attention, a slight wavy movement just off the corner of his eye, but when he turned, it disappeared beyond his vision. "Twilight, what is..." and there it was, a strand of his mane, billowing in the wind with a touch of a shimmering aesthetic applied to it not unlike the two celestial princesses.
"I wasn't expecting that, but clearly my probing has worked." Off to the side, Twilight summoned a crate between the two. "Why don't we give your new mana levels a test; summon as many objects as you can from the box."
Following through with her request, Psalms sets his sights on the box, allows a small trickle of magic to leak from his horn, snakes it up and into the box, and gets a general 'sense' of the contents inside. Satisfied, he lets go of all inhibition and fully encapsulates the box with his mana. With an internal command, the objects are streamlined out from the container with a flair of elegance and control previously unseen by the alicorn. Once empty, the crate itself soon joined in the flow of movement as a figure-eight was formed in mid-air. A loop de loop was performed between the two alicorns as the objects came to settle within a makeshift pyramid figure back in the crate and with a *slam*, the opening was sealed shut with the wood panel.
"Woo!" Psalms cheered as he pumped a hoof into the air. "Did you see that!? All I did was picture everything in my mind and my magic followed it to the letter!? It was so easy, I'm not even winded!"
"In your own words, how would you describe the change in power?"
"It's like night and day, Princess. I'd compare it to...to like running. Before, I couldn't go one mile without collapsing exhausted, but now, I feel like I could run a marathon!"
Twilight let out a squeak as Psalms snatched her up in a hug. "Thank you, Twilight. I was worried I'd have to learn to do magic the hard way, or worse, that I would be stuck being that weak. I... all my life, my human life, I was always weak, in body if not mind. So again, thank you." Psalms released her with a smile, taking note of her small blush while doing so.
"I'm... I'm glad I could help." She smiled too.
A dash of wind tore through the two as Rainbow circled above. "Heads up, lovebirds, we're about to get into the thick of it!" She flicked her hoof to the side, towards the sound of thunder and battle.
Both alicorns were surprised to find themselves so near the siege without noticing until now, what with the booming claps of thunder that assaulted the air. "Any last-minute spells you can teach me!?" Psalms shouted to Twilight over the ruckus.
"Not with the time we have! Rainbow! Is everypony ready!?"
"As ready as they can be! The hippogriffs already left! Celaeno's dropping your group off now! Spike's gonna stay in the cargo bay until his debut!" She yet again flicked her hoof, this time indicating to Twilight's group which was gathering on the port side. "Better get moving!"
Twilight nodded before she and Psalms booked it on over. Joining the others by the rail, the edge of the city drew ever closer as the ship descended. From their distance, the devastation of the city was plain to see, but luckily, no beasts were in sight. Celaeno's ships ground to a halt as the hull plowed the earth, whereupon Grubber's green-painted beasts, dubbed Grubber's Green Knights or 'knights' to avoid confusion, were the first to hoist themselves overboard. Armed with repurposed shields and spears, they scanned the area for their loyalist brethren, and upon coming empty-handed, signaled the others to join them.
Applejack left a small crater as her heavy form impacted the cobblestone street. From under her hat, her eyes scanned the surrounding area, rope in her maw at the ready. With a giggling fit, Pinkie Pie pranced over to the knights, sparring not a glance around for danger, which earned her an eye-roll from the applecorn. Satisfied with her findings, Applejack stuffed the rope under her hat and joined the knights's side. With a flash of her horn, Twilight teleported before the group, leaving Psalms by his lonesome.
With a heave of a breath, Psalms unfurled his wings and kicked off the side, gliding away with the occasional pump of his wings. His little flight is concluded upon touching down, just short of the entrance into the building his group was using for cover. Upon reaching the doorway, Psalms sets his sight back on Celaeno's ship, which had quickly ascended and was beelining straight into the heart of the storm. Just as he turned to enter, movement was detected within his peripheral. Whatever it was, it was gray and wasn't any bigger than a dog, and it was gone by the time he took a greater look. Shrugging it off, he finally joined the group, right in the midst of an argument.
"An' Ah'm tellin' ya, Skystar said to wait at least twenty minutes before charging in," Applejack stated to Twilight, ears flickering at the insistent droning of thunder. Off in the distance by the castle, a hooting chant from hundreds of voices echoed through the streets.
"We don't have that time to spare." Twilight directed a hoof at the besieged castle, "They don't have that time either, we can't sit here and wait!"
"Magic or not, we can't fight an army with just us, sugarcube. Unless you can think of another plan, we have to sit and wait."
Twilight released a frustrated sigh, "I know..." She turned her gaze to the cracked windows, surveying the abandoned streets on the off chance of a solution. As lightning cascaded through the air, the shimmering light reflected off a pile of straps and chains. Twilight stared at the pile before directing her gaze unto the knights, then back at the pile. It wasn't long before a smile found itself on her face.
Five minutes later, the group finds itself traversing the empty streets towards the castle, with each pony being led by the knights while adorning chains. "Bold plan, Twilight. Let's hope it pays off." Psalms commented.
"Are ya sure putting us in chains and being led by Grubber's folks was the best idea, Twi?" Applejack eyed the knights with warry. "There ain't nothing stopping 'em from turncoating again."
"Every minute counts, Applejack. This isn't ideal, but it's all we got, and I...I trust the knights. I have faith."
"Uh-oh, party poopers at twelve o'clock," Pinkie announced as from out of the shadows, two squads of beasts emerged and flanked the group.
Stepping forward, the knight leading Twilight emitted several grunts and growls to the assumed leader of the beasts, motioning with its claws at the ponies in which it made several exaggerated gestures. Once the knight concluded its tirade, the lead beast's eyes shimmered only with suspicion. With a snort, it pointed its claw at Twilight. The knight's gaze reflected upon Twilight and the beast several times before relenting with an eye roll and a heavy sigh. With a tug of the chain, the knight ushered Twilight before the beast, which scrutinized her with glaring eyes. The knight released another sigh, whereupon it seized one of Twilight's wings and unfurled it before the beast. Unbeknownst to all, a trickle of nervous sweat dripped down the knight's forehead, a growing sentiment that was shared with the others as the beast's cold blue eyes remained fixated upon the wing. Eventually, the beast tore its eyes away from Twilight; instead setting it upon all the other alicorns. With a grunt, one wing from each alicorn was seized and presented before the beast. Their wings were released following another grunt, and once again the lead knight was under the narrowed eyes of the beast.
From out of the woodwork, more and more beasts crept from the shadows, bolstering the surrounding force which already was cramped to begin with. The knights shifted nervously; eyeing their loyalist counterparts with growing trepidation, their grips upon their equipment tensed with every passing moment. Several beasts, knights and loyalists alike, ever so slowly reached a claw into their grenadier satchels, their hides rippling with tension as they waited for someone, anyone, to make the first move, that is until one voice caught all attention.
"Wait, *huff* *puff*, w-wait just a sec, *huff* *puff*." trudging a line through the loyalists, Grubber breaks through to the front, only to collapse to his knees as he continued to gulp breaths down.
"Grubber? I thought you wer-"
Still clutching his knees, Grubber lifted his index finger, silencing Psalms. He heaved one more breath before straightening himself out, after which he plucked a cookie from one of his pockets and munched it down in one bite. "Wooh, oh that's much better." He spared a glance at Psalms, "Silence, pony! For you are my prisoner!" He flashed a wink. Turning to the beast holding them up, a series of grunts, growls, and howls were exchanged, ultimately ending with the beast and its cohorts reluctantly standing down. With a sharp exhale, the beast turned and beckoned the others to follow, at a distance of course. Psalms and his group proceeded unimpeded with Grubber proudly leading from the front.
Psalms checked over his shoulder, amazed at the lack of hostility directed their way. "Grubber, I thought you were staying on the ship, what changed?"
Grubber shrugged his shoulders. "Got hungry but there was nothing but bird slop. No thank you, I'd rather starve than eat that, and besides, friends don't leave each other hanging." Grubber flashed the group a smile. "Anyway, you're lucky I happened by; they were going to petrify all of you."
"What are they doing instead?" Pinkie asked.
"Taking us to Tempest," Grubber replied nonchalantly.
"What!?" Twilight exclaimed, gaining the attention of several beasts. Once they lost interest, Twilight leaned her head to Grubber's side. "That's the last thing we want." she sharply whispered.
"I know, but she's just outside the castle itself, and at this point, you won't be making any escape attempts without getting caught. Just stay close, and keep quiet."
The group did just so as they were escorted closer to the siege. The scars of battle were in an open display as they traversed the streets, along with several petrified figures, ponies mostly. The amount of damage the city accumulated within just a few days was staggering.
At last, the group found itself in the shadow of the castle, where hundreds of beasts lingered, watching wave after wave of their brethren storming the castle walls. The sounds of combat were almost as deafening as the chanting and shield beating, but not as much as the repetitive claps of lightning arcing overhead. Gathered within a corner of the courtyard, a line of chained ponies was dragged out. A few stubborn souls buckled their locks, but a few kicks into their side made them yield. Weaving through enemy forces, hundreds of blue eyes stared after them before continuing with their war cries.
A moment later, the group found themselves before a war tent where the lead beast entered before Grubber could instruct it otherwise.
"I told you beasts I wasn't to be disturbed!" The familiar voice of Tempest lashed out. A few growls from the beast were uttered. "For the love of... how many times must I say I don't understa-" The tent's flap was flipped open, "-nd you creatures!" She snarled at the beast, but soon her attention shifted to the opening before her where her jaw proceeded to slacken.
Taking the initiative, Grubber grabbed hold of the alicorn's chains and pulled them inside. "Thanks for the escort, you can go now." He stated to the lead beast upon passing it by. It was all too eager to dash out.
Tempest was a mess for lack of better words. Laid up on her side, her soot-covered armor reeked of burnt rubber, while her sunken baggy eyes begged for sweet dreams. Her fur was singed and charred, but most of all, her horn was lit, spewing out a fountain of sparks like a New Year's firecracker. The strained muscles and bulging veins visible on her forehead left little wonder as to the level of pain being afflicted.
"You!" Tempest seethed out as she directed her eyes Psalms' way. With Twilight by his side, he didn't know who she was addressing, both most likely. "...and you?" Tempest addressed uncertainly to Grubber, who offered only a wave in return. "How did you... when did you..." it was then that she took note of the other two alicorns present. "What!? Alicorns!? How!?" She turned back to Grubber, "How did this happen!? How did you of all creatures capture them!?"
"Oh, it was easy. I didn't."
Tempest was left flabbergasted by his remark if her face was anything to go by. "...What?" she simply asked, all energy having been drained.
Grubber sent Twilight a knowing look, who after exchanging looks with the others, stripped herself and her friends from their binds with a simple tug of magic.
Tempest only blinked at the display. "...What?" she repeated.
"Tempest, call off your armies, this doesn't have to end with a fight." Twilight pleaded.
"You think I have any control anymore!? None of this would have happened if you had just surrendered when I asked you from the start! Now your city burns, your castle crumbles beneath his might, and your citizens flee in terr-argh!" with clenching teeth, Tempest applies a hoof to the base of her horn, which flared with increased intensity. The pain is too much, and a scream escapes her lungs.
"What's happening to her?" Psalms questioned Twilight as the duo dashed to Tempest's side.
"She's undergoing mana burnout; she must've performed a taxing spell beyond her current level or capabilities. For the average unicorn, a moderate headache is to be expected, but for somepony like her, she could develop a brain aneurysm."
Tempest screamed out once more as both hooves clutched her temple.
"Well, can you help her? We can't leave her like this."
"I can certainly try." As Twilight leveled her horn to Tempest's, a hoof slapped it away.
"I don't need your help! This isn't my first rodeo!"
"Tempest, this burnout could kill you; please, I can help."
Tempest releases a derisive snort as she settles back into her cot. "As if. I've been to every doctor, every shaman, every priest, scientist, sorcerer, from Manehatten to Las Pegasus and beyond. They all said the same thing, 'Our bodies are delicate. Our mind is a mystery. Unicorn horns are both.'"
Psalms beckoned Twilight close with a hoof, and once face to face, raised a wing between them and Tempest before whispering away. "That scan you have of my leylines, can that be used to help Tempest?"
"Yes," Twilight nodded, "...in theory. Obviously, such an operation has never been done before, but with the use of prosthetic horns or keratin growth therapy, her matrix could be artificially reconstructed. But we certainly don't have time for something like that." She took a glance at the broken unicorn. "I can suppress her burnout, but that's all for now."
"Do it."
"If she'll let me." Psalms wing dropped, "Tempest, I can alleviate the burnout if you'll let me."
Tempest's brows scrunch together, "After everything I've done, why would you help me?"
"Because it's the right thing to do." Twilight simply replied. "Because it's not too late for you to fix all this, to end it here and now." She flicks her head at Grubber, "He and his beasts agreed to help defeat the Storm King; if he can change, so can you. Psalms said he saw good in you. I believe it."
"And because we can fix you." Tempest's attention swiftly shifts to Psalms, eyes rapt and ears at attention. "Despite what every doctor, wizard, or anybody else said, Twilight can fix your horn. That's the honest-to-God truth; isn't that right, Element of Honesty, Applejack?"
"Eeeyup!" Applejack hollered with an added nod of her head.
"I..." A slight spasm overtook Tempest before ceasing. "I don't believe you... it's too good to be true! After all the time I spent searching for help, you two are the ones with the solution!? Why didn't you say anything before, back on the ship!?"
"Because we didn't have a way to help you then, but I swear on my life, on my God, on everything good in the world, we can achieve your lifelong dream, we can give you your horn again!" Psalms takes her hoof into his, "Please, trust us. Trust me."
Tempest's gaze lingers on their hooves for a moment before it hardens as her hoof withdraws. "I've heard it all before. False promises and lies by swindlers and conmares. Your speech is a dime a dozen."
"Honestly, Tempest, I'd take the offer. Not like you have anything left to lose." Grubber commented, earning the ire of his former commander."
"Silence your tongue, traitor! AAArgh!" Another wave of pain hit Tempest like a train as she thrashed against her cot."
"Tempest, let me help you, please!" Twilight cried out.
"Aaargh! Fine! Help me! Aaargh... please!"
Twilight was already horn to horn as Tempest finished her pleading. Magenta intermixed with teal as her magic flooded the inner matrix, dousing the overcharged leylines and flushing the hole system one synapse at a time. It took a minute or two longer for Tempest's muscles to finally ease away and for the sparks to simmer to a halt.
Twilight's horn ceased, leaving Tempest to suck in a lungful of air as she stared at the ceiling. "...You can't imagine how long I have lived with the pain... I forgot what it felt like before..."
"I had to apply a mild sedative to keep the leylines relaxed, it should wear off in the next ten minutes."
Tempest reclined within her cot, eyes droopy but fixated on the group. "So... now what?"
"Now you eat," Grubber stated as he plopped an apple within the palm of her hoof. Tempest raised a brow. "Momma always said you got to replenish your fuel tank, especially if you overwork yourself to near collapse."
Tempest continued to stare at the apple for a moment before looking Grubber in the eye. "I understand them, but why are you being... nice to me? ...I never once showed you any favor..."
Grubber cupped a paw to his chin before offering only a shrug. "You never were nice to me... but then again nobody ever really was... you were someone I could talk to. Even if you ignored me most of the time, at least you acknowledged my existence by yelling at me, and let's be honest, you could have transferred me off ship anytime you wanted, you didn't need a translator to relay orders." Tempest stared at Grubber for a moment before turning back to the apple in her hoof.
Before anything else could transpire, A rumble shook the tent foundations and not a moment later, a pink ooze seeped through the tent flaps.
"What in tarnation?" Applejack questioned as she and Pinkie closed in on the substance.
Pinkie scooped up some of the ooze and before anyone could object, popped it right in her mouth. A pleased purr rumbled from her throat, "Mhm, strawberry!"
Just then, a storm beast barged right through the tent flaps, knocking Applejack and Pinkie away, and barrelled past the last two alicorns, ignoring them as it settled itself by Tempest's side, growling and grunting out a storm.
Grubber didn't need to be prompted. "It says they are taking artillery fire from the farside of the city center, and a rainbow ship is popping skiffs out of the sky. It's here to take you to a safer location by orders of the Alpha."
"Artillery? Ooh! They must've found Big Bertha!" Pinkie squealed out in giggles.
"Times up." Psalms stated as he and Twilight shared a look.
The beast shifted its gaze to the alicorns for a brief moment before turning back to Tempest... before finally releasing an alarmed shriek as its two brain cells connected the dots. Without warning it slammed a fist into Psalms' side before grabbing Tempest and hefting her onto its shoulder as it dashed out the tent flaps, howling in alarm while doing so.
"Ah horseapples, we've been made!" Applejack shouted as she and the others exited the tent, only to step into absolute chaos.
All around, pink splotches dotted the streets and buildings as beasts scrambled for cover, while the smoking remains of several airships littered the city. The distant boom of Big Bertha echoed through the alleys as confectionary cannon fire rained down. In the air, skiffs trailed smoke and flames as a rainbow blur blitzed through their condensed fleet, skewering gas bags or outright torpedoing herself right through them while remaining virtually unopposed.
Just outside the bubble, Celaeno's ship blasted away, tesla canons firing bolt after bolt of lightning that arced against the storm's edge, laying waste to all skiffs that dared to strike back, and those that successfully did were rendered mute by Rarity's shields, or Fluttershy's quick mending. If one took the time to look carefully, the harpoons of Capper could be barely seen impaling any balloons in sight.
Back on the ground, It's only a heartbeat later that the surrounding army takes note of the unchained ponies within their midst. Those most immediate close the gap. Shields are raised and spears are primed ready to lay waste to the ponies. Twilight erected a shield, covering all four of them, but with the combined might of dozens of spears aimed their way, there was doubt that it would hold. Just as the spears reached overcharged condition, all too suddenly the beasts found themselves enveloped within a familiar green gas, too little too late to do anything other than cry in alarm. Grubber's knights roared out a cheer as an entire semi-circle of petrified beasts lay at the pony's hooves. Their victory was short-lived as the air was soon clogged with spear fire from all directions.
"The castle, we need to get to the castle!" Twilight shouted out amid the battle. Grubber's knights were quick to utilize their petrified brethren as cover while dishing out spear fire of their own. It was then that Twilight realized one alicorn was among their numbers. "Pinkie!? What are you doing!?"
Deployed before her, Pinkie's party cannon was stuffed to the brim with all sorts of pastries, cakes, and other assorted sugary munitions. "Giving those meanies the greatest food fight the world has ever seen, Twilight! Big Bertha already has a head start so I cannot delay for a moment!" She turned to her side, "Is the cannon ready, assistant?"
"Locked, loaded, and ready to deliver the goods!" Grubber replied, licking his frost-coated fingers as he joined Pinkie's side.
"Fire!" Pinkie commanded. With the amount of food stuffed down the barrel, it fired out the equivalent of grapeshot into a charging column, taking down a platoon's worth of beasts in one shot.
"Pinkie's fine, Twi. We need to get moving." Applejack tugged on Twilight's shoulder, who reluctantly acquiesced.
The trio dashed through spear fire and smoke, foregoing all enemy encounters as they booked it for the nearest opening into the castle. The closer they inched themselves, the greater the fire concentrated upon their figures, enough so that upon reaching the exterior castle walls, Twilight's shield collapsed just as they dashed through a doorway.
"Consarnit, there's just too many of 'em." Applejack cursed out as a lance of spear fire narrowly avoided her cheek. "They're aiming to keep us bogged down. That just won't do. Twi, you and Psalms keep movin', I'll hold 'em here, cover y'all's rear." Applejack held a hoof up, silencing Twilight's protest. "Don't you worry none about me now, Sugarcube, they need y'all more 'an Ah do, now get going before they fish out them 'nades. Speaking of which, heads up!"
From atop one of the many balconies adorning the surrounding buildings, A beast had hurled a petri-nade with a trajectory straight for the alicorns below. Unfurling her rope from beneath her stetson hat, Applejack reconfigured its shape into that of a slingshot on the fly. Snatching the nade midair, Applejack proceeded to go all David and Goliath on the poor beast, whose petrified body lingered on the balcony after the nade was returned to sender. "Get going y'all, Ah'll deal with these varmints! Yeehaw!" Applejacked dashed back outside, whereupon her figure was lost behind a hazy smoke column. Twilight and Psalms shared one last look outside before closing the door shut, just in time too as a petri-nade impacted the doors, sealing the two within the castle for good.
"On your left!" Someone called amid the scuffle, but being too preoccupied bobbing and weaving with his opponent before him, Thomas relegates the warning to background noise, no different than the numerous grunts and clashes of beast and pony alike all around. A mistake he came to realize too late as a crushing force tackled his side.
The throne room was a mess of chaos, defeated beasts were scattered around as they adopted a divide-and-conquer tactic for the remaining pony holdouts, but this batch was proving far more stubborn and defiant than others.
Starlight and Sunset had teamed together to create the, quite literal, power couple; blasting away any who dared to take them on. With their combined might, nothing stood in their way; however, given the amount of time they and the others have spent fending off the beasts without respite, it isn't a surprise to see their power waning.
Sunset sure wasn't surprised when instead of shooting out a laser beam, her horn sputtered out sparks, which is when she called upon her geode's powers. She was fortunate to find the pendant in the same spot where she lost it, back when she teleported Thomas, Psalms, and herself by the river when everything first started. Magic, her magic, coursed through her leylines, refreshing the synapses and rejuvenating her fighting spirit. With a burst of golden light, she jumped back into the fight, taking on a whole squad by her lonesome.
Rampart, for his part, was in a three versus one ordeal, and yet could not wipe the smirk off his face. Surrounded on all sides, not a single bead of sweat dripped down his figure. "A three versus one, ey? Since you boys are at a disadvantage, I'll make things easy for you. No magic on my part." He beckoned them forth with a hoof.
It did the trick as with a growl a beast came charging, followed closely by the other two. Rampart simply side-stepped it while keeping a hoof out, tripping it as it passed by. The one that followed cuffed its fists together and swung down in a heavy pummeling move, but with a quick turn, Rampart used his moment to propel himself into the air and delivered a wide arcing roundhouse hoof kick across the beast's jaw, spewing several teeth and sending it twirling onto his previous foe, who had yet to clamber off the floor. Upon landing back on the floor, the last beast delivered a crisp punch into Rampart's cheek, but the Captain didn't so much as flinch upon being struck. Instead, he turned his eyes onto his assailant, appraising it with unimpressed eyes. "You call that a punch?"
The beast stood still for a moment, before hesitantly shrugging its shoulders. Rampart steeled his eyes as he stared it down. "Pathetic." Popping his shoulder and quick as a viper, the Captain delivered the mother of all uppercuts, sending the beast into the air. As it came down, he snatched its tail between his teeth and with all his strength, spun the creature until a full rotation was made whereupon he arced it overhead and slammed it down upon the other two. All three beasts wheezed out their breaths and did not stir afterward.
Meanwhile, sprawled on the ground, both of Thomas's opponents clawed at his hide and limbs, attempting to find purchase. For their efforts, one was gifted a primed buck to the face, where a harsh *crunch* echoed through the throneroom, and the other a poke in their eye courtesy of Thomas's crimson horn.
The eye-poked beast reared its head to the heavens with a cry as it furiously rubbed against its agitated peeper, while its companion collapsed onto its back with blood leaking from its nostrils. Flipping onto his stomach, Thomas hoisted himself off the ground and delivered a double-pronged buckshot into the beast's sternum, sending it careening straight into a marble column where it crumbled into slumber.
"AAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!" A voice screamed nearby and with a turn of his head, Thomas spotted the culprit. The blue wizard, Trixie if he recalled, appeared to be in the midst of fleeing but was snatched at the last moment by the scruff of her tail. Her legs furiously prodded forward but against the beast's grip, they did nothing more than scrape the floor. With a tug, the unicorn was pulled in off her hooves and was hoisted in the air, her face inches away from the beast's which snorted hot air out directly into her. "Ugh!" She clogged her nose with a hoof, "ever heard of a breath mint?" The beast's eye twitched before a roar erupted from its lungs, eliciting yet another scream from Trixie.
"Trixie!" Momentarily distracted, Starlight called out to her friend, only to earn a spear strike to her side, sending her rolling into Celestia's side with a grunt. Another shot was fired at her, but a unicorn guard with a pilfered shield intercepted and deflected the shot away before it could find its mark.
Rushing forward, Thomas latched his muzzle onto the arm hoisting Trixie, and applied all the pressure he could. The taste of iron was becoming too common for Thomas's liking. The beast, screeching in pain, dropped Trixie in an instant as it swung its arm frantically, a futile move as Thomas only clenched down harder. Proving to be inadequate, the beast ceased its flailing and instead started delivering crisp powerful strikes straight into Thomas's snout. That only proved to piss Thomas off more, and so he bit down harder. Then the beast targeted his eyes, which really pissed Thomas off, so he bit down even harder. Finally, it targeted his throat, latching its free claw around his esophagus, and squeezed as hard as Thomas was biting down.
The two stared each other down as both relented not, but with the urge for oxygen growing greater by the second, Thomas began to involuntarily gasp for air, thus allowing the beast to pluck him off its arm. It raised Thomas's gasping figure into the air and roared triumphantly, only to earn it a magic missile to the back.
"Take it down!" The voice of Rampart ordered just out of view. Turning to its newest foes, the beast charged into battle, flinging Thomas away while doing so.
While his vision was nearly blacked out, Thomas was able to make out the figure of the lunar sister closing in by the second, then the impact was made. What little breath he managed to gulp down was lost once again as he crashed into her shoulder, all momentum halted upon her immovable figure. Drooping down to the floor, Thomas cradled himself by her hooves as he called upon the amulet's magic to hasten his recovery, but the amulet was slow to respond. He knew he had been pushing the trinket to the limit as its power wained throughout the day, and he would gladly let it have time to recharge, but the constant wave after wave of unrelenting beasts was simply too much for it to keep up with.
Regardless, the amulet lit up once more, and although it was slower than he'd like, he could feel its power coursing through his veins and mending the many injuries he had accumulated. Not much more it can give without calling it quits... for the... day... ... ... ...
..." ...-mas..."
"...Thomas!"
Thomas jerked with the shout of his name. His bleary eyes soon adjusted and settled onto the figure of Rampart. "Had me worried for a second there, my Prince."
"...Wha... what happened?" Thomas rubbed at his crusty eyes.
"You lost consciousness for a moment there, Sir. Not to worry, the throneroom is secured, if only for the moment."
"That's what you said last time, and the time before that, and the time before that." Sunset droned on as she wiped a trail of sweat from her forehead. "I'm not sure we can last much longer like this."
"I'm surprised we've lasted this long at all," Starlight added as she limped into view, wincing every step of the way. "They just never stop coming, one group after another. Has anypony seen anything from Twilight's group? Any inkling that they made it back yet?"
Hoisting her front hooves onto the window sill, Trixie extended her head outside. "I can't make heads or tails of anything out there!"
Before anybody could respond, a rapid pounding upon the boarded doors of the throneroom reverberated out. Nobody moved a muscle as another series of pounding rang out, but as a third set of pounding began, a voice joined in, "Captain Rampart!? Are you there, sir!? It's Drill Sergeant Magnus! Open the gate, please! We have wounded!"
"Get that door open, double-time!" Captain Rampart ordered his retinue of unicorn guards, in which a chorus of 'Yes, Sir!' was received in turn.
Upon unlatching the deadbolt, the doorway burst open as a flood of ponies scrambled through. From nurses and wounded, to guards and volunteers, they stampeded from the hall in a crazed panic. From the rear, a handful of guards blocked the entryway with shields and spear strikes, but the multitude of enemy fire left them pinned in place, any who attempted to fall back were struck down.
"Seal it!" A command was given, from who was unknown but it was followed through without hesitation. Before the doors fully shut, the visage of the guards being overrun was presented before all. With a *Clank*, the lock was put in place, securing the room... for the moment.
"Drill Sergeant, Report! You are supposed to be defending the infirmary with the rest of the tertiary force."
"Aye, Sir, and I was, but a detachment of the nurse corp was ambushed mid-transit. First Sergeant Cinder and I took it upon ourselves to rescue them, but our path back was cut off, and we were forced to divert here."
Magnus cast his eyes to the floor, "We lost Cinder on the way, along with a good helping of our defense forces. The infirmary is not fairing any better." Magnus's eyes returned to Rampart, glistening with a hardened steel edge to them. "If we don't end this soon, they'll be overrun; it's guaranteed."
As the two royal guards conversed, Thomas was busy gathering strength as he chose to remain reclined at Luna's hooves. Many unfamiliar faces paced the throneroom, but one did catch his eye. "Well, I'll be." Clambering back onto his hooves he closes the distance. "Big Red? I didn't expect you to be here."
Big Mac turned to Thomas with mild surprise present before fading into indifference. "Eyup, same here, your Highness."
"C'mon man, none of that now, names Thomas." Thomas hefted a hoof for Mac. He would've preferred a handshake, but the times were strange.
Mac hoofbumped. "Big Mac. You might've already met my sister, Applejack, Element of Honesty, and you saved my little sister earlier, Apple Bloom. My family and I can never thank you enough."
"So long as they're safe, that's all that matters. Speaking of which, where are they?"
"Safe with my cousin, Apple Fritter."
"Yeah? Then what gives? What're you doing here instead of with her?"
"My duty as a brother is to protect her, and I could do that no better than by volunteering here, with ya'll."
"Huh... family means that much to ya."
"Family should for everypony. Whether by blood or bonds, through thick or thin, together always."
A resounding bang reverberated through the throneroom, earning the attention of all eyes and ears. Another bang rang out as the doorway bulged inwards with splintering cracks cascading throughout its frame.
"I think things are about to get thick in here all right."
"Static defenses on the double! Arrow formation! All non-combatants retreat behind the thrones! This may be our last stand!" Rampart barked, causing a slight panic among the volunteers with his last words.
"Captain, our flanks! They're scaling the walls!" One guard yelled out, pointing a hoof at the rear balcony entrances and along the broken windows where the outlines of beasts could be seen.
"We've got it covered, Rampart," Sunset announced as Starlight and Trixie joined her side, but the Captain shook his head.
"Negative, we need all heavy hitters on the line. To buy time, we are to funnel the enemy through the narrow opening and pepper them with ranged attacks while our unicorns provide overwatch. Casualties should be high on their side, but they have more than enough to spare so make your shots count. I'll hold the breaches, just focus on the front."
"Why don't we just stonify the doorway, or whatever; that'll hold them out, right?" Trixie questioned.
"Nothing short of petrifying every inch of this room will keep those things out. Make no mistake, Miss Lulamoon, one way or another, they will penetrate our sanctuary. I'd rather keep the door open than the roof collapsing on us, everything else I'll cover."
"You plan to hold all of them by yourself? You've barely had any time to rest!" Sunset protested.
"I have plenty of reserves to last us through-" The doorway bulged once more. "I can hold it, get into positions!" With his piece said, Rampart's horn lit up, establishing shield barriers along the windows and balcony entrances. It was not a moment too soon as beasts piled up along the barriers and began pounding away at them.
Situated near the front, the guards had assembled into a wedge defilade spanning from wall to wall, with storm shields providing cover, save the forward tip where Flash Magnus had propped up his own special shield. Between every gap was a spear primed and ready to unleash lasers.
"Alpha and Bravo teams, maintain posterior interception overwatch," Rampart ordered the two unicorn groups, which promptly receded from the frontlines and positioned themselves between the two rulers of Equestria. Their horns are primed and ready to intercept any petri-nades coming their way.
At last, the doorway is blown to bits, covering the breach in a shroud of dust, but not a second passes before it is dissipated by the sheer volume of beasts that come crashing through in a frenzy, enough so that a multitude of them are trampled by their own comrades.
No hesitation was seen nor was any quarter given as the defensive line laid waste to the first wave, tearing down beast after beast with a shot or two before focusing on the next one, and there was virtually no need to aim what with how condensed the mass of bodies before them was, like fish in a barrel. The lack of equipment present on the beasts did not escape notice, no doubt to prevent the ponies from procuring more supplies from the fallen. What limited weapons the ponies did have were stacked just behind each shield bearer, well within reach once a spear ran dry. And run dry they did; rather quickly, to no one's surprise, what with the endless tide of enemies pouring in.
On and on, they just kept coming; flooding the room with piles of unconscious bodies. The beasts were in a frenzy, giving no regard for themselves or each other, focused solely on breaking through the pony line. Eventually, the heavy hitters arrived, beasts wielding shields and spears coming in to turn the heat up.
And more poured in.
"Prioritize fire on the spear-bearers!" Magnus shouted over the chaos, "Line, prepare for combat!"
As the guard's fire shifted targets, the bare beasts charged the line unharassed. Claws met hoofs and shields as scuffles broke out across the room, but no one was in their element quite like Big Mac was. He didn't even bother to aim his quaking bucks and yet without fail, they'd find purchase upon the burly beasts.
And more poured in.
Situated on the throne dais itself, Trixie was running a special operation of her own. Attached with bags of glitter and sparkles, Trixie launched fireworks directly at the breach, encasing the onslaught of beasts in a shroud of eye-irritating particles. Perhaps not the most effective repellent, but they took whatever they could get. Where did the rockets and glitter come from? A magician never reveals her secrets.
And more poured in.
Positioned on either side of Thomas were Starlight and Sunset, the former of which sported a smoking horn and had opted to operate one of the spare spears lying around. Her marksmanship was second to none as she nailed spear-bearer after spear-bearer between friendly lines and through the mass of beast bodies, and when beasts wielding shields came within view, she fired overcharged shots, which proved more than adequate as their charge ground to a stumbling halt with each laser impact upon their shields.
And more poured in.
The latter of the two lit up like a star before opting for a 'best defense is a good offense' doctrine as she charged head-on into the storm, not without the protests of several others. Laying waste to the current wave of beasts, Sunset displayed her newfound magical prowess as she sent a wave of energy cascading through enemy lines, sending beasts flying away in all directions. She tore shields and spears from their owners and flung them back into friendly hooves, and the freshest wave of beasts didn't know what hit them as a barrier of magic pushed them straight on back from where they emerged. Just as it appeared that she would single-hoofedly turn the tide, a hail of petri-nades rained down upon her figure, and it was only due to a well-timed teleport that allowed her to escape a stoney fate.
And more poured in.
Having regained the initiative, the grenadiers barraged Sunset's every position. She along with every other unicorn worked overtime to intercept the 'nades; unfortunately, a scant few found marks other than their prioritized targets. Starlight's side bore the worst of it as several guards and volunteers were petrified on the spot, forcing Starlight to dive behind one of the few shield ponies left as what little allies remained dwindled before her eyes. "This is too much! We can't hold it!"
And more poured in.
"Left position is collapsing, Bravo team, move to reinforce!" Rampart ordered.
And more poured in.
Big Mac bucked with all his might. He bucked and bucked and bucked, but no matter how many he bucked, more kept coming, and so he bucked more and more until finally, his legs turned in their two-weeks notice, by which I mean the mother of all charlie horses hit him like a mule. A muffled cry barely escaped his tight lips as he was forced to retreat, leaving his position to reach its breaking in a heartbeat.
And more poured in.
With the last of her fireworks launched, Trixie threw at the beasts whatever she could pull out of her hat; a rabbit, a deck of cards, colorful handkerchiefs, smoke bombs... they achieved nothing.
And more poured in.
Shouting came from the rear as nurses attempted and failed to order their patients to stand down, but the injured, seeing the line crumble, forced themselves onto their hooves to assist, even if it meant buying a second at the most.
And more poured in.
Thomas was in the thick of it. Forefront, right next to Flash Magnus where the duo relented not, even as their flanks collapsed. He punched and kicked and munched and bucked and blasted away, and yet more poured in. More and more and more. His senses were overloaded; deaf from all the howling and blinded by an insistent rage, and yet more poured in.
And more...
And more...
And more...
Just as everything was collapsing, the line, the guards, the plan, that was when Rampart played one last hand. With a ripple of white energy, an all-encompassing force field washed away the beasts in a torrent. The foe Thomas was grappling with was pried from his hooves in a flash and dumped along with every other beast to the front where a shimmering barrier was all that was separating them from being overrun.
Left behind from the sweeping wave were the battered bodies of the defenders; many of which did not stir as the minutes ticked by. Those who did, deliberately lay where they were, gulping breaths down as their adrenaline crashed. What few spare nurses they had were quick to tend to their injuries. Sunset, for her part, was still standing, no surprise given her powered state. The same could not be said for anypony else.
"What happened? Are we stone yet?" Trixie asked from under her hat.
"Not If I can... can help it," Rampart replied with a wince. His immaculate figure wasn't much so anymore if the fountain of sweat dripping down was any indication. "I was really hoping we could hold out longer than that."
"What is this?" Sunset questioned, "Some kind of failsafe?"
"I just used the last of my reserves to conjure that... should buy you half an hour... after that, I'm depleted. You'll have to carry the slack from then on."
"Nopony will be able to carry anything in their current state, Captain." A nurse responded as she administered aid to one of the many fallen guards. "With all due respect, this battle is lost. If you can, I'd recommend contacting the enemy for a surrender."
"You can't be serious. Look at what they did to our Princesses," Sunset flicked a hoof to each one, "you want to negotiate with that?"
"We have to try!" The nurse's shout silences all. "Take a look around you; We are beyond lucky nopony has anything worse than a broken leg here. Any more attacks and we could be facing fatalities. As a nurse, that is something I cannot accept, especially when it's so needless." The nurse turned to Rampart, "You have fought valiantly, Captain, nopony will say otherwise, but please, for their sake, raise the white flag."
"I'd listen to her, you know." A male voice rang from the breach, one unheard by any before. Stepping through the opening, a lanky figure wielding a staff passed through the mass of beasts with reverence, not even a squeak or growl uttered as all bowed before him. "Because the eye of the storm is on you. Oh, that's good, I'll have to remember that one."
High in the heavens above, Rainbow Dash was having a blast. She tore through the air at Mach speed, leaving behind a rainbow trail wherever her figure blitzed to. Skiffs left and right and all around had no chance of landing a hit, so much so that any who foolishly attempted did more damage to friendlies than even Rainbow at times. At such speeds, every sharp turn was a guaranteed rainboom at will, which did a perfect job of dispersing and disorienting large swaths of skiffs in one go. Several sharp turns and rainbooms later, the swarm enshrouding the city had been swatted into disorganized makeshift fleets, perfect targets to be picked on by the pirates, and they did just so as all tesla cannons adorning their ship thundered away at easy pickings. Capper was a sharpshooter with the harpoon gun, nailing targets both close and far with pinpoint accuracy, and with enough ammunition for days, all he needed was a line of sight and to fire away.
Rarity's role aboard the ship was taxing but equally vital. Surrounded on all fronts by enemy fire, she opted to surround the vulnerable gas bag with maximum shield coverage as possible. There was no possible way she would have maintained such a feat in her unicorn form, but the boon that was the pearl magic allowed her to sidestep her limitations, if only for the day. A pity, oh how she'd love to flaunt her figure before every pony in Canterlot, maybe once all of this was done and over with, she could arrange a deal with Queen Novo for more magic.
Fluttershy shared a similar responsibility to Rarity and oh boy did she not enjoy it one bit. Everything happening around her was complete and utter chaos, and that's saying something considering her draconequus friend. Thunder and lightning intermixed in a cacophony of light and sound that left the poor mare blinded and deaf, that is until her alicorn healing factor kicked in and rendered the issue mute within seconds. Still, the stress she endured with every waking moment would put even a hydra out of commission. Regardless of how she felt or wanted, Fluttershy, the tough cookie that she was, put aside her fear and focused on her responsibilities entrusted to her, which consisted of mending any and all damage the ship sustained and extinguishing all fires, and let me tell you, there were a lot, much to her dismay.
Captain Celaeno, the fiery figure that she was, couldn't help but hold onto the feeling that she and her crew had bitten off more than they could chew. This sentiment was quickly squashed away once she recalled all that her pony friends had done for them; reclaiming their swashbuckling spirit back, fighting Tempest, and almost dying for them. If they did all that and asked for nothing in return, well this was the least she and her crew could do, and right now, to say things were hectic was a vast understatement; Celaeno and the Storm Empire had butted heads before, but never in her wildest dreams did she think she'd face off against the entire Storm Armada, and actually come out winning! Left and right, skiffs were set ablaze as her ship cleaved through their erratic formations, all thanks to their fellow prismatic pony. Smoke columns from dozens of wrecks across the city choked the air and left her eyes watering, but slowly, ever so slowly, the skiff's numbers dwindled to double-digit figures; a feat Celaeno had trouble wrapping her head around.
Coming about through a small covering of storm clouds, Celaeno was able to spot Dash tangoing with a group of five skiffs. Weaving through the bow of one, her horn tore an underside gash across the fragile envelope, leaking precious gas into the air as the skiff began an uncontrolled descent. Directly below it was another skiff that failed to yield divergent directions, causing a rupture of their own gasbag that imploded in a burst of fire. Panicking beasts aboard both ships jumped overboard as both wrecks crashed into the city below. Without strength in numbers, the airships easily fell from the sky. The three remaining skiffs bunched together into a combat formation but with the combined fire of Celaeno's tesla cannons and Rainbow's improvised cloud lightning, the electricity combined to create a greater arc that tore across all three vessels at once.
"That was awesome!" Dash exclaimed as she maneuvered to the starboard side. "Did you see the lightning jump from ship to ship!? It was so fast even I couldn't keep up with it!" She raised a hoof up, "Hoofbump me sis-"
*CRAK-BOOM*
From nowhere, a great strike of lightning impacted Rainbow Dash, sending her smoking body crashing next to Celaeno. "Rainbow!" She gasped out.
A groan escaped from the pegasus, "Ugh... where's the leak, ma'am?"
*CRAK-BOOM*
Another lance of lightning impacted Rarity's shield. Overwhelming pain flooded through her horn as she collapsed to the deck with a scream.
"Captain! Look!" Mullet called from the deck, finger pointed at the immense figure obscured by the city's smoke. The Storm Zeppelin lazily drifted down from the mountain peak, arc emitter cannons facing forward their way.
"Captain Celaeno!" Lieutenant Reef flapped himself aboard within the helm, "You need to pull your ship back!"
"Way ahead of you!" With the pull of a lever, the engines revved into action as fresh smoke belched from the engine ports, providing extra speed and doubling as a smoke screen, and none too soon as another arc emitter discharged away, missing their flank by a hair's width.
Sitting up on her haunches, Rainbow hacked out a few coughs, "*Cough*, *Cough*, ...What the hay? How did they hit me from that far away?"
"Their armament is efficient and their crew accurate. They will blow either of you out of the sky within moments of spotting you." Reef relayed.
"So, how do we fight back then?"
"As I said earlier, only Spike can truly defeat it. For now, we hide among the clouds and recuperate. Princess Skystar and the regiment will have to draw the zeppelin's attention long enough for it to prepare a bombing run. That is the moment we strike, for the component we must target is held within the belly of the beast."
"Wai-wai-wai-wait," Rainbow held her hooves out, "you want us, the baddest motherbuckers in the air, to sit this one out!?"
"For. Now. I doubt you're in any condition to go flying, and we need time for the right opportunity to present itself. We have one shot; we cannot afford to miss."
Stepping close to Rampart's barrier, the lanky figure tapped his gem-tipped spear against it. "You know, for a bunch of cutesy-wutesy itty-bitty little prancing ponies, you've put up more of a fight than the last five-, no, six nations I've conquered combined! Isn't that just sad?" He tapped the force field again. "Then again, they didn't have power like this, did they?"
"Storm King, I presume?" Rampart deduced.
"No, the name's Sabretoot-, of course I'm the Storm King! Haven't you seen my merch hitting the stores? Conquering the world is expensive, let me tell you." The Storm King released a frustrated huff.
"Speaking of which, you and your little buddies have been a thorn in my side; luckily for me, I have some 'delicate' help." He finished with two taps of his staff to the ground.
Before anyone could decipher his meaning, the roof caved in. Ponies scrambled away from the falling debris, but with Rampart being in the center of it all, he conjured a small barrier over him instead. A mistake he would realize as instead of rubble, clawed feet impacted next to him.
As the dust shroud dissipated, standing before them all, was a familiar bulky figure, clad in gold etchings adorned on both armor and hide alike. The Alpha took one look at Rampart before snatching his entire face in the palm of its claw. Raised into the air, Rampart bucked and punched with all his might, but the Alpha's grip was iron-clad.
Sunset primed an overcharged shot straight for its wrist, but the Alpha had a trick up its sleeve; it brought up its forearm of which a gauntlet of metal and crystal was fastened. Sunset's magic was absorbed into the gauntlet, channeled through the crystal, and dispersed into the Alpha's claw tips. Extending its claw forward, Sunset's shot rebounded to her chest, sending her flying into Cadence's figure where a sickening *Crunch!* echoed through the hall. Her figure collapsed to the ground unmoving. Trixie screamed in alarm as Starlight dashed over to her, but try as he might, Thomas's legs refused to stop shaking as he attempted to rise off the ground; calling upon the amulet proved futile as it was long overdue a recharge.
Turning its attention back to Rampart, the Alpha swung its arm straight down, slamming the Captain hard enough to crack the marble flooring. His shields flickered briefly, eliciting howling and war cries from all. Seeing this, the Alpha primed its free claw into a fist, aimed for the horn, raised it high, and launched it with all its strength; but it was for naught.
Just as the Alpha launched its fist, Sunset's geode flashed into a blinding light that illuminated the room in a brilliant radiance, causing the Alpha to strike the space next to its target instead. Rising in a golden orb of aura, Sunset was subject to a rejuvenation akin to that of a phoenix as her injuries and dirty appearance were burned away, leaving her figure immaculate and refreshed. To finish her 'pony up', her geode's magic coalesced across her back, collecting together and amassing into two transparent wings.
When her eyes opened, they glowed with blinding fury as they set their sights upon the Alpha, and with a flap of her new-found wings, she rammed straight into the beast, sending them both crashing into the force field, causing it to once again flicker. Restraining her target in place, Sunset unleashed a stream of magic directly into the beast's face. Even with her second wind, the Alpha proved a formidable foe as it ever so slowly brought its gauntlets forefront despite Sunset pouring all her strength into keeping them pinned down.
Upon intercepting Sunset's magic, the energy was transferred into the Alpha's claws, allowing it to unleash the hijacked assault back at Sunset, forcing her to retreat. With a little juice to spare, the Alpha unleashed another set of blasts at Sunset. Despite her best efforts to evade, the last shot clipped her transparent wings, sending her into a dive below.
Leveling herself at the last second, Sunset found herself skidding to a halt, but the Alpha was upon her in a flash as it bounded on all four. Dashing to her right, Sunset narrowly escaped the ground-pound aimed her way. Rolling with her momentum, she propelled herself back into the air, and upon seeing the Alpha struggle to pull its claw from the marble, she conjured a mana bracket and secured the Alpha's limbs down.
Pinned in place once again, Sunset unleashed a hail of mana bolts across its hide, but she was completely ignored as the gauntlets absorbed the bracket. Upon breaking free, the Alpha grabbed chunks of marble and hurled them at the pseudo-alicorn who deftly dodged them. Taking high into the air, Sunset snaked her magic onto every shield, spear, and sizeable piece of rubble where she proceeded to bash, stab, and pummel the Alpha from all directions. Taking cover behind the sun princess, the Alpha surveyed the area for a countermeasure, but a scream tore from its lungs when a lance of overcharged energy blasted its face. Spear igniting with another overcharged shot, Starlight retreated between the thrones upon noticing the Alpha focusing on her.
Upon chucking a piece of rubble, the Alpha dashed on all four, sidestepped Sunset's attacks, leaped onto the dais, and yanked the spear from Starlight's grip before backhanding her away. Just in time too as the spear reached its overcharged state. Instead of firing away, the spear was torn in two, destabilizing the battery into a meltdown. As the Alpha chucked one part of the spear at Sunset, it intentionally delayed the chucking of the other, observing Sunset's evasion in a spiral dive before throwing the other piece directly in her flight path.
The point-blank concussive force of the blast sent Sunset's smoking form cratering. She was slow to stir from the impact, but the outline of the Alpha approaching through the dusty haze spurred her into flight once more. Unfortunately, it was then that the Alpha unleashed the pent-up magic within the gauntlets, pinning Sunset into the wall with her mana bracket.
"Will you please quit toying with your pony and end this game already? I'm ready to get this storm started! Oh, hey that's pretty nice, I should trademark that." The Storm King tapped the floor, impatience written all over him, "Chop, chop!"
Stepping before the mare, the beast seized both claws upon Sunset's horn, siphoning away the geode's power and leaving the depowered mare collapsing to the floor for good this time. Turning its sights upon the Captain, the Alpha kneeled before his figure, channeled Sunset's magic into its fist, and struck Rampart's horn, fracturing it to pieces.
Unconstrained magic bled into the air, stripping away his shield barriers and force field from all entry points, allowing a flood of beasts to storm in.
Thomas had no energy to fend off the multitude of claws and shackles filling his vision, and once he was secured, they dragged his body and dumped him at the feet of the Storm King. Within the corner of his eye, a line of chained ponies was marched away, Starlight, Trixie, and Big Mac chief among them. Seized by the throat, Thomas was face to face with the one who started it all.
"You're still moving? Why are you still moving? Why is he still moving?" He directed the question to the Alpha as it joined his side. "Tempest!" She did not respond back, forcing a groan from the King. "If you wanna do something right, do it yourself. Here!" The king hefted Thomas into the Alpha's arms, "Put him in place, and let's get this over with."
Deposited within the empty corner of the pictogram, the Storm King aligned the base of the staff with the center and plunged it into the groove. The pictogram illuminated with a blue glow as it extended to cover the entire sketch. Once completely lit, the pull of a powerful force tugged upon Thomas's leylines, siphoning away every bit of magic held within as his horn lit up, dispelling his innate magic into the staff along with the magic of the petrified princesses. As the last of it slipped away, Thomas's vision grew hazy as something deep inside stirred, but the lull of slumber proved too great as his mind retreated into darkness.
Psalms felt it, everybody did. A static discharge in the air as magic was vacuumed into the staff, with the physical manifestation displayed as blue lines racing away to the throneroom, giving pause to all as they watched it slither away. The peace did not last as spear fire resumed pinning the two alicorns in place.
"What was that!?" Twilight yelled over the sounds of their battle.
"That was from the staff! The Storm King has the alicorn magic!" A lance of spear fire narrowly missed his head, forcing him to duck once more. "Let's deal with these beasts already, we have no time to waste!"
She sent a nod his way before peaking from her column cover. Blocking the way forward was a group of eight beasts, four of which had spears in claws, keeping them pinned as the other four steadily closed the distance. Spotting a Chandileer directly over the ranged beasts, she conjured a sharp arc of mana straight for the stem. Her move did not go unnoticed as two of the beasts followed her magic, witnessing her intention before diving away from the point of impact, leaving the other two squashed.
As the other four pushed forward, Psalms primed his horn for an attack, the first time doing so since his leylines were flushed anew. The rush of power was exhilarating, making him feel light as a feather. Once fully primed, he leaned over the side, aimed his horn, and let-a-ripped. His beam struck hard and true, faster and stronger than any other beam before as one single primed blast sent the beasts flying. Such a power move was still taxing, but Psalms knew he could spare more than a couple of shots without collapsing exhausted this time around. And he did just so as enemy reinforcements flanked their rear, blasting the beasts left and right without breaking a sweat. As one of the beasts chucked a petri-nade his way, a new overwhelming instinct to shield himself manifested a mana bubble, deflecting the nade upon impact.
For the last two beasts with spears, Twilight took to the air, overshadowing the duo before freezing them on the spot with her crystal infusion spell. "Come on, Psalms! The throneroom is just beyond this hall!" Bucking open the doors, Twilight was forced to pause. Perched against a broken window pain was a skiff, ramp extended with pony prisoners being loaded aboard.
"Twilight!" Starlight shouted from the corner where she along with Sunset and Rampart were caged together. The other two unicorns stirred not from their spots.
Gaining the attention of the beast retinue, they charged the princess. With a *Pop*, Twilight teleported herself and Psalms amidst the prisoners, freeing them with another *Pop* as the shackles disappeared. A little whimper escaped the beasts as they now found themselves outnumbered four to one.
As the guards dogpiled the enemy, Twilight and Psalms dashed over to Sunset, but she waved them off with a hoof. "Forget about us, get in there and stop the Storm King!"
"Bu-" Twilight didn't get farther than that as Starlight yelled once more.
"GO!"
The two alicorns burst through the throneroom doors. Before them is the tyrant that started it all, and within his grip, one familiar crimson alicorn. The tip of the spear crackled with electricity as it was digging into his stomach before suddenly-
*CRAK-BOOM*
"Woah mamma! Look at that glow!" Exclaimed the Storm King to the Alpha as he swirled the staff in the air, unknowingly producing a small tornado while doing so. "You gotta be kidding me, one little twirl and I can create a twister? Oh I have to see what else this baby-"
"Infelix bestia, audes a me deserere carnem meam?"
The words were croaked out from the sole animate pony remaining whose crimson eyes leveled a malevolent stare at the two. Joints cracked and popped as he shifted his lethargic self into a standing position, eyes never leaving that of the Storm King's.
"Fervebit sanguis tuus, et caro tua lanulat, ut damnatione aeterna te damnem." the words were purred out, sending a shiver down Storm King's back
"Alright, now you're creeping me out, which is totally ruining my mojo right now." He seized the alicorn by the throat, yet it elicited no reaction. "I don't like your words, magic mare." The Alpha cupped a claw to Storm King's ear and whispered away. "This is a guy? How was I supposed to know that, you know I don't bother with anything cute."
Spit was ejected from the alicorn's fanged grin, coating the wannabe yeti's face and leaving him a sputtering mess. "Mundus te timet. Horror verus est adhuc futurum."
"Alright, that does it!" The spear's tip is jammed into his stomach. "Let's see what this staff can really do." The gem flared with magic and lightning, and even as the doors burst open, their eyes remained fixated on one another, until-
*CRAK-BOOM*
The alicorn was ejected straight out of his paws and through the window, free-falling below.
"Thomas!" someone shouted as a dark blur crashed through the same window, falling after the other.
Turning to the origin of the shout, another free pegacornicuses was standing before him. "Another one? Just how many of you are there?"
"I'm all that matters right now, Storm King, and as the Princess of Friendship, I want to give you a chance to-" The Storm King dramatically groans out loud.
"Ugh! All you ponies do is yap, yap, yap!" He mimicked her with the flapping of his phalanges. "Haven't I made it abundantly clear what I aimed to achieve here?" He pointed a finger to the opening in the roof, particularly at the zeppelin lazily hovering by as it descended closer to the city, armaments firing away at Skystar's resistance. The flash of its firepower illuminated the decrepit room. "Does that scream peaceful diplomacy to you!? Get with the program already! I conquer, you surrender. Then we can all go on with our lives selling my merch for 14.99 a piece!"
Twilight's horn flared with power. "This isn't a joke, Storm King!"
The staff lit up with energy. "Neither is taxes!"
The throneroom was bathed in the light of their clashing magic.
A sudden jerk tore at Thomas's consciousness, ripping him away from La-La land. Before his eyes was the exterior of the castle with him slowly circling to the back. Below was a skirmish of beasts upon... beasts? And Applejack fought with them?
...Wait, how was he seeing all this from the sky?
...Oh right, he was falling.
Thomas's eyes grew three sizes at that moment and he couldn't help his flailing and kicking that followed, much to his savior's chagrin.
"Thomas! Thomas stop! It's me! You're gonna make us both fall if you don't stop kicking a fuss!"
Thomas ceased his panicked movements as his body went limp. "...Ps-Psalms? ...What took you so long?"
"Trust me, bro, we came as fast as we could."
"...This... this isn't anything like the movie... is it?"
Psalms couldn't help the laugh that left his lungs. "Not even close."
Touching down in the middle of the semi-circle of petrified beasts, Psalms released Thomas's lethargic figure. Around them were the figures of friend and foe duking it out, with Pinkie and Grubber manning her pink canon as Applejack plowed row upon row of beasts. Oh, and they both were alicorns now too. Neat. "Don't worry. Twilight and I, well, mainly Twilight, will fix this. We have to."
A burst of magic surged from the balcony above, its radiance bathing the city in showers of blue and magenta alike. "I gotta go, just stay here, you'll be safe!" With a surge of power filling his wings, Psalms dashed through the air and straight onto the balcony, disappearing beyond the rails.
A flicker of movement was caught within Thomas's peripheral, whereupon he caught the faintest glimpse of Tempest's hide entering the castle.
Sprinting through the balcony entrance, Psalms is witness to Twilight and the Storm King dueling with clashing mana beams with neither having given any ground. Just as he channeled magic to intervene, a swift hard-as-stone kick into his side sent him flying. Upon impacting a marble column, he lost all his breath as he slid to the floor.
The Alpha leaped from the dais, feet aimed at the alicorn who narrowly avoided being crushed when he rolled to the side. Horn overcharged, Psalms fired upon the beast, but it raised a gauntlet up, and before Psalms knew it, the Alpha shot a beam of its own straight from its hand, impacting his chest and sending him hurtling once more.
"What the...?" Psalms coughed out before clambering onto his hooves. He barely got his footing back when he noticed the beast darting to him on all fours, panicking the alicorn into an early retaliation. Opting for a 'quantity' rather than 'quality' approach, Psalms discharged three mana bolts at the charging beast. It in return dodged to the side with the first, brought up a gauntlet for the second, and leaped over the last as it lunged with a magic-powered ground-pounding fist. Psalms took to the air as the beast made impact, and could barely maintain course as the magic sent a shockwave of energy as it dispersed.
With all the energy he could muster, Psalms plucked one of the marble columns adorning the hall and hefted it within his telekinesis, albeit with some struggle. Raising its far end like a hammer, the Alpha made for one very enticing nail. The castle trembled with each impact the column made, but none struck true as Psalms' sluggish strikes were trivial for the Alpha to dodge. It in turn snatched a handful of rubble chunks and began pelting the alicorn where he flew. Changing tactics, Psalms swept the pillar across the floor, its surprising speed catching the Alpha on the side. To his shock, the Alpha braced itself and dug its clawed feet into the stone floor. The beast was barely nudged upon impact, enough so that the pillar was torn into two. Quick to act, Psalm pivoted his remaining pillar chunk back into the Alpha's other side, squishing the beast between the two where it let out a roar of pain. Pinned in place, Psalms focused his mana onto the gauntlets themselves, hoping to pry them away, but he was once again bewildered to find his strong telekinetic grip instantly slackening upon making contact with them.
Repurposed into raw power within its claws, the Alpha repulsed both pillar chunks away with Psalms expended magic. It let out a roar of fury upon being freed.
"The gauntlet absorbs magic, turning it against you!" Starlight shouted beyond Psalms' shoulder as she peeked through the breach. "It took all of Sunset's magic and she was supercharged!"
"Really?" A terrible idea entered Psalms' mind; beyond risky, but with his newfound magic reserves, it might be the only one. "... I wonder how much it can take...time to find out!"
Pouring everything he could into his horn, every iota of mana across his figure, from the tips of his hooves to the end of every strand of hair, it flared with a fury of a thousand meltdowns as it bubbled and sparked with the scarcely contained energy. Sweat dripped from every pore, as the temperature rose with every passing second. At last, all the pent-up energy was released in a dazzling display of colors as it raced away directly into the Alpha gauntlets. The efficiency of absorption from the trinkets was an impressive display of craftsmanship, too bad its internal storage capacity was rather limited, or else Psalms would've made a critical mistake, supercharging an enemy like the Alpha with alicorn magic.
Instead, a blaring buzzing siren rang from the devices as the last of Psalms magic entered them. It crescendoed as mana leaks burst from the outer casing, dispelling raw magic back to its owner. The Alpha began to panic as it tore at the devices, squealing in addition as smoke and flames sputtered into existence. Crackles of energy spazzed out wildly, zapping the Alpha into a soot-covered mesh, before finally, the gauntlets gave in and combusted in an implosion. Raw magic cascaded out in snaking trails as they slithered back to their master, rejuvenating him to a degree. As the smoke cleared away, all that remained of the Alpha's presence was a smoking hole to the outside.
Collapsing to his knees, Psalms was left breathless, but victorious. Casting his eyes on the other two duelers, he was witness to Twilight's beam completely overpowering that of the staff's, much to the detriment of the Storm King if his panicking face was anything to go by, at the cost of much strain to the mare herself. "Twilight, stop! You're overdoing it, just yank it away!"
"I... I can't stop! The staff... it's absorbing my magic!"
"It is?" The Storm King took a quick glance at the staff, finding no resistance or strain applied to it. "Haha! It is! Er, I mean, of course it is. It's mine and I know how it works after all."
Before Psalms could attempt it himself, Starlight leaped into the fray, dashing to the Storm King's flank as she applied her magical grip onto the staff, tugging for all her worth, but her magic soon joined Twilight's in being swept away.
Dashing forward himself, Psalms latched his jaws around the staff itself, pulling with all his might as he and the yeti battled it out in the world's most pivotal game of tug of war. With each tug this way and that, the two grunted and growled with increasing fervency as their muscles rippled with power, fighting for dominance.
Finally, the last of the mare's magic was siphoned away, leaving the staff to emit a small blinding flare of light that caught Psalms's eye, long enough not to see the kick coming his way. His jaw cracked upon impact, leaving spittle and blood to spurt out as the Storm King delivered a haymaker into his cheek, spinning the alicorn until he fell on his stomach with his eyes spinning wildly until finally settling, allowing him a view of the war-torn city and the zeppelin wreaking havoc outside.
"As I said before, you ponies have put up more of a fight than most other countries." His foot stomped onto Psalms' back, driving out what little breath he managed to regain. "And those few who did, well, I made examples of." The pressure increased, leaving Psalms gasping. The Storm King leaned down, whispering away into his ear. "And your country will be no exception." With that said, The Storm King raised his fingers to his mouth and blew out a long and piercing whistle that reverberated across the city.
Skystar's diversion had worked out well, too well in fact as she and her retinue of guards had become pinned within one of the many city centers of Canterlot. Surrounded on all sides, her forces had used every available means and tactic to draw the enemy zeppelin their way, and they were successful, seeing as how they bore the brunt of its wrath, but the cruelty of the Storm Army knows no bounds as instead of storming their position and taking prisoners, the beasts instead lingered on the very edge, whooping and hollering with glee and cheer as they allowed the warship to unleash the full might of its weaponry upon the helpless resistance.
Arc emitters discharged away, electrifying groups of hippogriffs too bunched up to prevent the current jumping from being to being. Black powder thunder-rails rained down concussive forces, rupturing eardrums and leaving them disoriented. Last were the transluminal conductors, sweeping blinding rays through her ranks, leaving them open to further attacks, repeating a never-ending cycle of combat.
That is until a sharp piercing whistle filled the air, ceasing the beast's insistent hollering and halting the zeppelin's attack. For the first time since they arrived, tranquility filled the air, but it wasn't meant to be as a thundering trumpet blared away, its origin pinpointed at the zeppelin. The zeppelin continued its lazy drift toward them, but its guns remained silent. Instead, with a burst of steam, the bomb bay doors popped open, filled to the brim with petri-bombs, at long last presenting what Skystar had been hoping to see all along, the Achilles heel.
"Hahahaha! Now look upon your city, and watch with despair, as I show you firsthand why I am feared all across the world! Once I render this place to stone, all shall forever know the might of the Storm Ki- is that seriously a rainbow balloon?"
Steaming in at full speed and more, Celaeno's ship came hurdling down from the clouds above. It zipped past swarms of skiffs with no resistance, and those few who gave chase were popped by a small rainbow blur. The airship swooped in low enough to clip the tops of several houses, and just as it neared the zeppelin's bow, it dropped anchor, pitching it into a steep angle directly facing the zeppelin's innards. Not a second later, the shape of a small harpoon was ejected into the opening, and a rupture of flames erupted out of the warship's bowels, clogging its pipes and shutting all but the reserve ventilation systems.
Then the winged demon was unleashed. Bursting from the pirate ship's cargo ramp, Spike, in all his fearsome glory, belched out a stream of green flames across the zeppelin deck, sending many figures scurrying away into its depths as a siren blared away. Within a minute, the zeppelin collapsed itself into its defensive mode, but with all exterior ventilation compromised, Spike was left unharassed as he sunk his razor-sharp teeth-filled maw into the petrified coating. Chunks of material were torn away with every bite, and it wasn't until Spike reached the vulnerable center that his maw sharpened into a razor-thin grin. Tearing a hole into the thin fabric, Spike huffed and puffed and blew out a jet of flames deep into the gasbag.
Instantaneously, the shell ruptured into a million pieces, leaving the main body to free fall into the city streets, luckily it was only a short distance to the ground. Landing on the zeppelin's corpse, Spike roared into the heavens, a cry of triumph that left all foes who witnessed quaking. Setting his fierce sites on the beasts lingering before him, Spike took to the air once more, shooting plumes of fire over the now fleeing beasts filling the streets.
This was it. Their spirit broken, their trump card destroyed, beasts all across the city began to retreat in all directions. Dropping spear and shield alike, those battling against Applejack and Grubber's knights turned tail and ran, whimpering every step of the way. Skiffs throughout the sky ceased the belching of smoke and storm clouds as they ascended above the cloud layer. The Storm King, for all his pizzaz and boasting, was left dumbstruck at the site of his army crumbling.
"It's... over." Psalms wheezed out from under him, picking his head slightly to stare him in the eyes. "You've lost."
The King stared at him with wide eyes, before a low guttural growl echoed from his depths as he picked Psalms up by the scruff of his hair, earning him a shout of pain in return. "Lost? I NEVER lose. I am the STORM KING!" Psalms was ejected towards Twilight and Starlight's lethargic figures. "You think this little setback means anything? Who needs an army when I have this!" He jammed the gem-tipped spear into Psalms' gut, siphoning away his magic in one fell swoop. As the last of the magic left him, Psalms collapsed back to the floor, exhausted beyond any lack of sleep. "The ability to harness any and all power in the world, with a mere touch! No runes, no etched engravings, no incantations needed. With yours and theirs-" Storm King swung his staff to both Celestia and Luna's still forms, in turn causing the sun and moon themselves to flicker across the sky, a detail he did not fail to miss. "-magic... I can control the sun and moon? Hahaha! Of course, I can! I can control the very world itself!"
"The sun and moon are a very delicate system. You can't just bend them to your whim without facing consequences for everypony across the world!" Twilight stated.
"Who cares what you think!" He zapped a bolt of energy at her, only for Psalms to jump in the way, tanking it in her stead with a grunt of pain. His limp figure was deposited into Twilight's hooves. "I have the power of a god! I can do anything!" His eyes set themselves on the three lowly figures before him as his staff crackled with energy. "And I don't care to converse with pathetic mortals like you any longer." His staff crackled with unparalleled power, reaching critical levels within seconds. He leveled the tip at the ponies, ready to unleash all on them.
"Think fast, chucklenuts!"
"Huh?" was all the Storm King could mutter before Rainbow dashed a knuckle sandwich into his cheek at Mach speed. His figure was spun in place several rotations before collapsing to his knees, but still, he remained conscious, a feat Rainbow Dash didn't consider possible with her move.
"Wow, this guy is no pushover, unlike his minions."
"You'll pay for that!" The Storm King roared.
"Catch me if you can!" Dash mocked as she spun circles around the King, who in turn spammed a storm of magic bolts through the air.
"Stand still!" He roared once more, but Dash cared not for his words. Little more than a rainbow blur, Dashed shoulder checked the King numerous times, delivering swift kicks and punches across his figure, but doing little more than ticking the tyrant off. "Enough!" He shouted as he pointed the spear to the sun, summoning a blinding ray of light that engulfed the room entirely. It did its job perfectly as Rainbow grunted in pain upon colliding with Celestia's stony figure. Ceasing the blinding light, the Storm King did not waste a second to fire an overcharged shot at Rainbow who could only stare with wide eyes, but it did not strike true as it was deflected by a diamond-shaped shield manifesting around Rainbow.
"Sorry for the wait, girls, but knowing me, you couldn't expect anything less than fashionably late, now could you?" Rarity quipped as she, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack joined the party.
"Enough of this! Yer beat!" Applejack exclaimed with a flair of her nostrils.
"Nothing's over till I'm done with the lot of you!" Thrusting the sun into the horizon, the moon crested the sky. Swinging his staff to them, a stream of shooting stars cascaded down. Fluttershy was quick to snatch Twilight's group to the side, safe and away from danger, while Rarity conjured a dome around herself and Applejack. Pinkie disappeared in a shower of confetti and Dash took to the skies once more. The shooting stars assaulted the alicorns with precision and numbers, leaving Rainbow barely untouched through her speed alone.
Raising the shield dome above their heads, Rarity provided Applejack ample coverage for her to buck chunks of debris at the King, forcing him to dodge which momentarily ceased the barrage of stars.
"He needs to concentrate to direct the stars!" Twilight relayed to the others, earning nods of acknowledgment in return.
"Hey, Kingy! Over here!" Pinkie shouted away as she flailed her limbs wildly in the air. Seeing nothing more than an easy target, Storm King directed a stream of stars her way, only for her to pop into a shroud of confetti. "No silly, I'm over here!" Spinning on his heel, Pinkie was found atop the throne dais, having moved from one side of the room to the other in a split second. A growl escaped his throat as he sent another wave of stars her way, only for her figure to become obscured by a cloud of confetti once again. A tap on his shoulder caused him to turn, whereupon he found the pink alicorn right in his face. "Surprise!" She shouted as confetti exploded point-blank. He didn't have time to register what happened as Dash decided just then to deliver an uppercut. It was a surprise indeed.
Howling in rage, the staff was twirled in the air, creating a great vortex that morphed into a storm cloud, filled to the brim with electric power. Lightning infused itself into the staff's gem, solidifying his control over the squall. Thumping the base of his staff to the floor, a wave of lightning struck all at once, forcing the girls to duck and cover under Rarity's dome. Adding their own magic to it, the barrier shimmered with varying colors as magic and lightning fought for dominance and destruction.
The last of the electric current subsided as the cloud's juice was depleted, leaving the girls be as they prevailed. "Now it's our turn!" Rainbow remarked as she zipped straight for the staff, hooking her limbs around it, and lifted with all power coursing into her wings as they furiously flapped themselves to the sky.
"No! You won't take my power away!" The Storm King screeched at her, mouth frothing with malice.
A whipcrack of Applejack's lasso was heard as it tangled itself upon the staff. "Just watch us!" She muttered through her rope-filled maw. Her muscles tensed with strength as she pulled with all her might.
Rarity did her part as she seized one of his claws into a bubble, yanking its grip off and away from the staff.
Pinkie simply lodged her teeth around the staff's body and started shaking herself silly, like that of a dog.
For all his strength, The Storm King could not maintain his hold as one finger was released, then another, leaving his thumb the only anchor remaining. This was unacceptable. All the power in the world, and it would be some little itty-bitty pretty ponies that would undo his life's work. His pupils shrunk as an anger unlike any before overtook his senses and filled his veins. With a wretched roar of fury, he seized his arm from Rarity, struck Pinkie right in the eye, shredded Applejack's lasso with his sharp claws, and yanked the rainbow alicorn to the ground where he finished by delivering a nasty kick to her side. Before he could continue further with his retaliation, the room trembled terribly as Spike's massive figure caved in the balcony walls. He huffed and puffed and like before, a stream of flames shot out.
Bringing the staff before him, a barrier materialized around the Storm King as the gem absorbed and dispersed the flames around. This moment lasted a full minute before Spike ceased his flames as he gulped air down. Within the smoking center, the Storm King still stood, having not sustained any damage from the attack.
"I shall conquer the world! Every bit of magic shall be mine, and no one will ever threaten my rule again!" He raised the staff high into the air above his head. "And it shall start with all of you!" Striking down once more into the divot, the rune glowed with rising power. Tendrils of energy leaked from the staff's gem before reaching out and snaring everyone in the vicinity still harboring magic. Alicorn and dragon alike were snatched up and into the air as their power was sucked away, leaving them to transmogrify back to their original selves, losing horn and wings alike and everything intimidating in Spike's case. Once the last of the magic was siphoned away, he swung the staff up and over, depositing everyone between Celestia's and Luna's figures.
"Hahaha!" The mad king cackled, "See, this is why I love being the villain!" The spear was aimed at the group of creatures, all of which were too drained to do anything more than flop helplessly on the floor. "I only have to win once!" The spear illuminated with blinding power, coalescing everything it had in store into the tip, and with a discharging blast, it was over.
...At least that was what everybody was telling themselves as they held each other tight, but the end never came, as a blast of magic impacted the Storm King's chest, sending him flying up and over onto the balcony. The staff was deposited within the center of the room without its master.
The clip-clop of hooves filled the air as a shadowy form materialized from the smoke shroud. Tempest. She spared the mane six a glance as she passed them by, santering up to the staff, wielding it within her magical grasp. "All the power in the world, in the palm of my hooves. All of it, mine, for the taking."
"Tempest... no." Twilight pleaded.
"TEMPEST!" The Storm King screeched, nostrils flaring as they stared each other down. "...I am willing to forgive this transgression... AND... restore your horn... but you must give me the staff, NOW!"
Tempest caressed the staff lovingly. "I think we both know you won't bother with small fry like me."
"The staff. Now, Tempest!" Storm King demanded, one claw extended out, the other pinned behind his back.
She turned her back to him. "Consider this my two weeks notice." Then, quick as a whiplash, she spun on her heels and caught the petri-nade thrown by the Storm King with the staff's magic. "It was never an honor, your Highness." Overcharging her shot, the petri-nade was shot back at the King at lightning speeds. He attempted to vault over the balcony rails, but the nade struck him square in the back. The last anyone saw of his figure was the petrification magic corrupting his very essence before disappearing as he fell.
Silence filled the air as Tempest turned her sights to the others. Trotting into the center of the rune, she fixed them a look as she glanced at the divot before finally settling her gaze on Psalms and Twilight in particular. Her mind ran rampant with all she had experienced the last few days, the chase, the battle, the words they shared with each other, and then it shifted to the hornless pony in the hall beyond, the Captain of the Guard, Rampart, bearing the same shame she had to endure most of her life. A consequence of her doing among countless others.
A heavy sigh escaped her throat. "...Ok... you win, Princess." Tempest flipped the staff until the gem faced the groove, "I trust you." She plunged down.
The throneroom filled with blinding light, a light that cascaded to engulf the entirety of the castle, and continued until all of the city bathed in its glow, and stretched itself far and wide until all that had been wronged was righted. All traces of petrification magic dissolved away, all the scars of battle repaired, all the shrouds of smoke and storms dissipating into the winds. Within mere moments, Canterlot was back to being the shining capital of Equestria, and of all Pony kind, as if nothing had occurred over the past few days.
The magic stolen from him snaked its way to Psalms' hide, coating his fur as it sunk itself back into his core. A rush of energy filled his veins as his horn and mane glowed with renewed vigor. A quick glance at the others presented findings similar to his own.
A gasp escaped the mares as the figures of the Princesses cracked and crumbled, releasing them from their stony cages. Each Princess sucked in a breath, equally shocked and ecstatic as they gazed upon their surroundings.
"Twilight!" Celestia exclaimed.
"Princesses!" Twilight responded as she and the other royal members collided together in a shared group hug.
"Never once did we lose faith in you, Twilight, nor in your friends either." Luna relayed as she and the others pulled away.
"Thank you, Luna, but for once, it wasn't just us six. We've made so many new friends in our travels."
"Awesome Pirates!" Rainbow chirped.
"A charming feline." Rarity chimed.
"Rowdy beasts." Applejack hollered.
"Undersea fishy friends!" Pinkie popped in.
"And two human alicorn brothers." Fluttershy softly interjected.
"Speaking of which, where are they? I desperately must offer them my sincerest gratitude for all they suffered through." Cadence asked as she surveyed around the room.
"Oh, Psalms and Thomas? Psalms is right ther-... wait where is he?" True to her words, the room lacked a certain male alicorn.
"I'm over here!" Psalms shouted as he supported the limping figure of Sunset toward the room's center. "Didn't want to leave anybody out that could make it."
"Sunset! Oh Celestia, are you alright!?" Twilight exclaimed as the injured mare was deposited before them.
"Are you kidding? We've won! We've saved the day! How could I not be ok?" She hissed as she settled herself onto her hooves. "I'll be aching for the next few days, but I'd go through it all again in a heartbeat if I must, for all of you."
Moved by her words, the girls all joined together in another group hug.
"Twilight," Celestia began, "Sunset, Spike, Psalms, all of you, what you've accomplished today deserves nothing less than our complete and total gratitude. Through hardships, perseverance, and friendship, your merry band of heroes braved the-"
Psalms held a hoof up, pausing Celestia as he started to swoon from side to side. "Sorry to interrupt, but my adrenaline rush is crashing and I think it's night-night time now." His body flopped to the side with snores filling his esophagus.
Nothing registered to the crimson alicorn as he sat in the very spot Psalms had deposited him on. Since the moment he left, Thomas did not stir once, despite the desperate fighting and battles raging around him. He did not move, he did not think, he did not blink, and he barely breathed as it was; he was little more than a sitting vegetable, and no outside stimuli were enough to spur him into motion.
*Crunch!*
That is until the Storm King crumbled into a million pieces. At the very moment of impact, Thomas's eyes and ears were upon his broken figure, drawn to it, like a shark to blood.
Ecce quattuor primi finiunt mundum
Behold, the first of four to end the world
Thomas's limbs moved on their own volition, clip-clopping him closer to the remains.
Sicut profluit tempus, sic et ceteri venient coram nobis
As time passes, so too will the others come before us
Standing before what was left of the Storm King, a pop rang out as Thomas's jaw unhinged itself, opening far wider than equinely possible. The Storm King's remains dissolved into a dark powdery essence as it was suctioned away into the alicorn's dark depths. As the last of the essence filled him, a fanged grin adorned his muzzle. It quickly disappeared as a burning sensation was afflicted along the side of his left flank, branding him with his first of four to bring about Armageddon.
An Equine skull, bleached white.
The pain was too much. His figure collapsed to the floor.
Sed nunc momentum amplectimur, nam mors petita est
But now we embrace the moment, for Death has been claimed |
In Dreams | pre | Pushing wasn't working, volume wasn't working, there had to be something else. The idea that followed was natural, and yet, Rainbow had a hard time thinking of anything more foalish. Seeing Twilight crying, however, she couldn't care. She'd dye her mane and call herself Ditzy Doo if it meant making the alicorn feel better.
Puckering up, Rainbow planted a heated kiss on Twilight's lips.
The moment she touched the alicorn, the sensation of heat overcame Dash. She wasn't sure if it was because Twilight was as warm as a drink left in the sun or if she still got "hot" from kissing the mare. Either way, it was a great feeling. If Dash wasn't so concerned with Twilight's inability to wake up, she might have savored it a bit more. Thankfully, however, Loyalty was her middle name.
Dash ended the kiss chastely, pulling back to see if anything about Twilight had changed. She was still the same lavender alicorn, lying under her star adorned covers. The wet markings of tears still marred the sides of her face.
But her eyes were open, and she was staring right up at the Dash.
"Rainbow?" Twilight whispered quietly, eyes staring upwards. Dash expected the surprise, she wasn't too worried about the haziness that came with most early mornings, but there was something else in those eyes that Rainbow couldn't let go of.
It was a void, the kind of emptiness that Dash only saw Twilight give when she had bad news.
"Yeah, it's me," Dash nodded her head as she spoke. "What's wrong Twi-whoa!" The exclamation left the pegasus as she found herself being pulled down to the alicorn.
Twilight's hooves were wrapped tightly around Rainbow, pulling at her neck and hugging her close. It buried Dash's face into the moist pillows of the princess, doubtlessly from the tears that were being shed. But while her eyes and muzzle were muffled, her ears were left perked and up.
It made the soft sobs of the alicorn only that much easier to hear.
One part of Rainbow was ready to beat her wings out of the embrace, to set herself above her marefriend and demand to know what was wrong. That would be the normal thing to do. However, this wasn't a normal situation and Twilight wasn't a normal mare.
So instead, Dash let herself be hugged, letting Twilight continue to shed her tears over the pegasus as she stroked her coat. Rainbow only adjusted herself to make it easier to breathe.
The darkness around them was a cold blanket, but it was not unwelcome. Dash was sure from the multitude of interactions with her friends that some things were better off remaining unseen. Rarity would not want to be seen in the early mornings, Applejack wouldn't be kind to anyone spying on her family private time, and Twilight, most of all, would not enjoy being watched while she was crying.
"Difficult" didn't begin to describe what the situation felt like to Rainbow. This was outside her usual norm, but that didn't mean she couldn't stand it.
"It's okay Twi," she whispered into the alicorn's ears, lightly rubbing her leg on Twilight's side. It was a difficult position to hold, but she could tell it helped; at least that's how she interrupted the increased strength in the alicorn's grip.
It was beyond odd, Dash realized, how she had come in here hoping to get Twilight off, nearly thinking that it was going to happen, only to end up comforting the princess through her tears. It was odd, no doubt, but oddities seemed to be the norm in their relationship.
"I-I'm sorry," Twilight blubbered through her still wet throat, her gripping starting to shake, deciding if it would be more appropriate to either let go or hold onto the pegasus. "I... I-I just had a...I-I don't know."
"A bad dream?" Dash didn't think it was that hard to figure out what it was. Twilight, however, wasn't so quick to judge, even things she had been in the middle of.
"No..." She whispered. "No it wasn't a bad dream. I mean, I wanted to dream. I even cast a spell on myself to make it happen. So-"
"Wait." There was something Twilight said that had to be addressed. "You wanted to dream?" She pushed herself up, the force being enough of a queue for the alicorn to release her. In the darkness, Rainbow could only hope her look of confusion was clear. "Why the hay did you want that?"
"It's..." Twilight began, but her voice quickly fell off, eyes searching for something beyond Dash. The pegasus fought the urge to look behind her. "It's a long story. I-I just... I cast a spell on myself to dream."
That settled a piece of the puzzle Dash wasn't expecting to solve.
"That's why you wouldn't wake up," she muttered to herself, letting her head drop into the alicorn's exposed belly. A quick gasp and tension of the muzzles came from Twilight, but both settled as quickly as they came. "So... are you gonna tell me about this dream?"
She felt the alicorn adjust herself, sliding over the bed with small adjustments. Dash lifted her head up, letting the alicorn move with more ease. The moment she did, Twilight began to lower herself as well. She slid down the bed, stopping only when her eyes were even with the pegasus. Rainbow blinked as Twilight stared at her.
"Dash?" The alicorn spoke her name questioningly. Rainbow wasn't sure if it was to assure herself she was awake or that Dash was real.
"Yeah?" Dash felt the alicorn slip her hooves around her, pulling her way to the pegasus's chest, stopping only where the muzzles were breaths apart.
"Why do you love me?"
Of all the questions the pegasus could have expected, that was the least likely on her list. Given this was Twilight, the mare she had dated for the better part of a year now, a princess who never quite left the curiosity phase of her foalhood, it was still something she never expected.
If she was expecting a question at all, it would have been closer to why she was in her bedroom so early or why she was so worried even, regardless of the alicorn crying. Asking why she was in love, however, was probably the farthest thing from her mind at the moment.
"You must have had one heck of a dream."
Twilight laughed lightly, letting her head fall into the crook of Dash's shoulder. Rainbow folded her wings over the alicorn, holding her mare possessively close. Twilight repeated the action in kind.
"I want to talk about it later." She whispered. "I... I want to talk about everything."
Dash blinked, unsure of what the mare was referring to. It was one thing for Twilight to be curious, more like something she could always count on the princess to be. But the statement, the openness to the comment... It had no specific context, no subject to solely focus on. That was unlike the alicorn.
Then again, she had never woken up a mare with a kiss before. If new things had to happen, better they come in pairs.
"I love you Dash." Twilight whispered to Rainbow, snuggling closer the mare. Dash only pulled her closer.
"Love you too, egghead." |
Chocolate Cake Shots, and Other Things You Discover in College | pre | There was a faint scratching at her door, a squeak of the floor boards, and then a shout.
"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!" Pinkie Pie pounced on Fluttershy's sleeping form, the cheap bedsprings of the dorm bed protested with an almighty squeak.
Fluttershy's eyes widened in horror as her mind attempted in vain to comprehend what was happening. For her part, Pinkie simply grinned and continued to bounce on the bed.
"Oooo I like your room!" Pinkie said as she flopped down next to Fluttershy, who had wrapped herself tightly in her blanket. "How come you got a single? I thought freshman never got single rooms."
"A-... anxiety...." Flutterhsy managed to choke out.
"Oh I get it, it's a mental thing yeah? I should have thought of that, people always tell me I'm not right in the head, but I could never leave Twi and AJ and the bigger room is better for parties."
Fluttershy felt here wits slowly returning. "P- Pinkie.... My door was locked..."
"I picked the lock, silly." Pinkie jumped off the bed and made her way over to Fluttershy's closet, "Hmmm... no, nope, no..."
"So...um... why did you break into my room?" Fluttershy asked still trying to hide herself beneath her covers.
"So we could get an early start. I told you I'd help you with your little RD problem, so I'm going to make sure she spends all of tonight drooling over you. Step one: no more loose sweaters." She held up one of the offending articles of clothing. "You got it, so I am going to get you to flaunt it!"
Fluttershy blushed, briefly recalling Dash's reaction to seeing her in her pajamas. "...You think it'll work?"
"Duh, she already checks you out like all the time," Pinkie said with a wink. "Hell, I check you out! You got it going on. So, new wardrobe, which means Rarity is stop number one."
"RD's roommate?" Fluttershy's confusion was apparent in her tone.
"Oh she's like a fashion genius, you didn't know? Yeah all those awesome clothes she wears, she makes them, so we can
have her whip something up for you."
"Oh okay...um Pinkie?"
"Yes oh pink-haired one?"
"Can um... can you leave while I get dressed?"
"Do I have to?" Pinkie giggled "Just kidding. Well a little bit. I'll meet you in the hall."
"So...um... RD isn't gonna be in there is she?" Fluttershy paused outside the door.
"Course she isn't, I made sure that Twilight is distracting her, apparently they both are like huge fans of this adventure-y book series. Who knew, right?"
"Oh, Twilight likes Daring Do? RD was crazy about those books back in middle school."
"Uh huh, so while they gab and trade fanfics or whatever it is they are apt to do, we will get you something slinky for tonight." Pinkie threw open the door and the pair were treated to the whining drone of Rarity's sewing machine.
Pinkie took a breath in preparation for the mighty verbal torrent she was about to unleash. "Hey-Rares-can-you-do-me-and-Fluttershy-like-a super-huge-favor-and-I will totally-owe-you-forever-see-we-need-to-get-her-something-sexy-to-wear-and-we-need-it-ready-super-soon-like-next-couple-hours-soon-please-please-please-please-please!"
Rarity's sewing machine cut out and the room was filled with a pensive silence. Rarity looked up at her two friends, blinked and replied "What?"
Pinkie Pie facepalmed, while Fluttershy cautiously stepped forward, "Um... What Pinkie was asking...was if you could make me something to wear tonight... if that's okay..."
"Hmmm..." Rarity crossed the room and gave Fluttershy and appraising look. "You know I think you might be a fabulous model for one of my creations. Let me get my tape, I'll need your measurements darling."
It was then that Pinkie Pie chimed in. "She doesn't need anything frilly or puffy, we just need something tight enough to show off her curves."
Fluttershy blushed as Rarity began to take her measurements. "... I don't know..."
"Don't worry darling, I'm sure I can throw together something that just screams 'you'." Rarity continues with her measurements, jotting them down in a little notebook as she went.
Pinkie Pie was getting antsy. How slow and meticulous did the fashionista have to be? This had turned from exciting into waiting, and Pinkie Pie hated waiting. "Soooooo how long is this going to take?"
Rarity waved her hand airily as she continued her work, "The more precise I am now the quicker this will go during construction. So Fluttershy, we've heard what Pinkie wants you to wear, what were you thinking?"
"Oh...I don't know, I normally just wear sweaters... I suppose I like how the sleeves cover my hands... it's comfy..." Fluttershy fidgeted with her overlong sleeves as she spoke.
"Uh huh..." Rarity looked her over again. "Well I can't say I had ever seen merit in ill-fitting clothing before, I suppose I could design something to mimic the effect ..." The room once again grew silent.
Pinkie sighed. More waiting. This could not stand.
"Lightbulb!" Pinkie crept over to Fluttershy, an idea of how to pass the time had presented appeared in a flash of inspiration. "Hey Fluttershy, got any sexy fantasies?" Pinkie whispered to her companion with a mischievous smile.
Fluttershy squeaked. Rarity rolled her eyes as she finished up her measurements and proceeded to start sketching in her notebook.
"I...uh...well...um..." Fluttershy stammered.
"Ah come on, you can tell dear old Pinkie Pie"
Fluttershy felt her face burn, but felt strangely compelled to say something. She had never had anyone to share these things with. The idea of sharing her fantasies with just anyone would have been insanely terrifying, but the idea of sharing them with Pinkie was strangely comforting.
"Uh... there is this one..." Fluttershy leaned forward and whispered something in Pinkie's ear.
Pinkie grinned. "Oooo kinky."
Fluttershy didn't know if her face could possibly get any redder, but she let out a little giggle all the same.
Meanwhile, Rarity continued sketching in her notebook, every now and then looking up at Fluttershy and pausing in thought. After several failed attempts, as indicated by the piles of balled up paper on the floor, Rarity finally presented her finished product to Fluttershy and Pinkie.
The two eyed the design. The finished product was remarkable, it was a sweater not unlike those she normally wore, but instead of hanging off her frame like an oversized second skin this one would hug her curves. Rather than the high neckline Fluttershy had grown accustomed to, this top had a low scooped neckline top that would allow for an ample amount of cleavage as well as expose her shoulders. And as her coup de grace, Rarity had made sure to incorporate the long sleeves that were such a comfort to the timid girl.
"Va va voom!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"It's...amazing," Fluttershy pronounced at last.
"Thank you, dear, I try," Rarity gave her a kind smile. "Be sure to wear a camisole under it, the fabric will be a bit thin."
"Thank you so much Rarity, if there is anything you ever need... Thank you..." Fluttershy averted her eyes, unable to cope with Rarity's generosity.
"It's nothing dear," Rarity said with a warm smile. "Just doing what I love. Swing by later, I'll be sure to have it ready before the get together."
"Oh and one more thing," Pinkie leaned in and whispered something in Rarity's ear.
"Hmmm, I'll see what I can do..."
Fluttershy gave Pinkie a confused look, but Pinkie roughly ushered the timid girl from the room.
RD was having a good day. At Pinkie Pie's suggestion she had spent the morning chilling with Twilight, who turned out to be as big of a "Daring Do" fan as RD herself. They had chatted all morning about favorite books, characters and theories on what the next plot twist might hold. Twilight even revealed herself to be an avid consumer of "Daring Do" fanfics , and although RD stuck to the cannon she admired her friend's dedication to the fandom.
Around lunch she had met up with Fluttershy and Pinkie who had apparently spent the morning together, she had chuckled to herself at the image of her shy friend hanging with the petite bundle of energy. This was followed by an absolutely delightful nap, and in her dreams she found herself in a delightful rendezvous with a curvy pink-haired goddess.
By the time she awoke the sun had already set. She pulled on a her tank top, her cleanest pair of jeans, and her trusty jacket
"Party Time." She said excitedly to herself.
Fluttershy admired herself in her mirror. 'Dear god... I look...hot'
She giggled to herself, blushing at her own reflection. The new top fit absolutely positively perfectly. Fluttershy made a mental note to thank Rarity profusely later tonight.
She left her room and made her way over to Pinkie's. Standing on the other side of the door to the triple she could already hear the buzz of conversation. She pushed the door open and stepped into her friends' room.
Rarity sat on Applejack's bed sipping something pink in a martini glass. Pinkie Pie sat on the futon, pouring herself her own pink martini. Applejack herself was leaning against the doorway to the balcony sipping a beer and talking with Twilight, who for her part was drinking something out of an aluminum water bottle and supplying the occasional tipsy titter.
The door closed audibly behind Fluttershy, bringing the room's attention to rest firmly on her.
"I see that the top turned out wonderfully," Rarity said with a warm smile.
"Oh yes, thank you so much Rarity," Fluttershy bounced over and gave the fashionista a hug.
"Well that there answers my question," Applejacks voice interjected from across the room. "I couldn't fer the life of me figure out where you could buy somethin' like that."
"Of course, Applejack. If it could be mistaken for an off the rack affair I'd, how would you put it, hang up my spurs?"
Applejack shot a grin Rarity's way and chuckled, "Eeyup, that'll do."
"Hey guys, why's everyone staring at Fluttershy?" The final member of their company was standing in the doorway.
Pinkie sniggered. "Oh you'll see."
Fluttershy's feet suddenly seemed to be made of lead. 'It's okay...you can do this... you want her to see you, you don't need to hide under the frumpy clothes... not from her...' She gritted her teeth, and turned around.
Fluttershy couldn't quite lift her eyes to Rainbow's face. "H-hi Dashie... do you like it?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Woah..." RD's eyes were open wide; her jaw might as well have been on the floor. "Um...yeah...that's... you look pretty Flutters."
Fluttershy gave her a kind smile, feeling warm and fuzzy from the compliment. "Thank you, Dashie."
Fluttershy could have sworn she heard Pinkie say something like: "So it begins..." |
Chocolate Cake Shots, and Other Things You Discover in College | Chapter 6: Sing Like a Bird and Dance Like a Demon | Chapter 6: Sing Like a Bird and Dance Like a Demon
The get-together was going strong, all six girls sitting around the room drinking and chatting. RD had finally been able to stuff her tongue back in her mouth and had elected to share a jug of Pinkie's world famous screwdrivers with Fluttershy. Well "elected" was sort of a misleading phrase, Pinkie had actually shoved the large container of alcoholic beverage at the chromatic-haired girl, pointed to Fluttershy and yelled, "SHARE!"
Regardless of how she came by it, the alcohol was doing its job just fine and RD felt a wonderful warm feeling settle about her insides. She cast a lopsided grin at her drinking partner, who returned the smile in kind.
"This is good, tart and stuff, doesn't make me gag or nothing," Dash said to her friend, passing her the drink.
Fluttershy bobbed her head, "Uh huh, Pinkie is really great at the...um... mixing of drinks and stuff." She giggled a bit at her own ineloquence.
RD closed her eyes for a moment, relaxing her mind. 'This must be the meaning of life,' she mused to herself, 'Alcohol, good friends... especially Fluttershy.'
Slowly a hummed tune began to float into her ears. It was beautiful yet tinged with sadness, like an old photograph of a lost friend...
"What's that song?" Rainbow asked her companion.
Fluttershy gave a bittersweet smile, "...I could sing it for you..."
Dash nodded to her, leaning in to catch every word as her timid friend began to softly intone the lyrics:
"The sky looks pissed
The wind talks back
My bones are shifting in my skin
And you my love are gone
My room seems wrong
The bed won't fit
I cannot seem to operate
And you my love are gone
So glide away on soapy heels
And promise not to promise anymore
And if you come around again
Then I will take, then I will take the chain from off the door
I'll never say I'll never love
But I don't say a lot of things
And you my love are gone
So glide away on soapy heels
And promise not to promise anymore
And if you come around again
Then I will take, then I will take the chain from off the door"
Dash noticed moisture pooling at the corners of Fluttershy's eyes. Her voice had been soft but sweet, and filled with hauntingly genuine emotion. "That was...beautiful..." RD said gently placing a hand on her friends shoulder.
Fluttershy became aware of a tear rolling down her cheek and wiped it away. "Oh... oh no, I went and made myself sad...Sorry Dashie, I didn't mean to, that song is just sort of... special."
Rainbow thought she understood, and nodded in response. "Hey it's okay, Flutters. But hey look at the two of us, back together again! So no more sad stuff. In the immortal words of William Shakespeare: 'let's get drunk.'"
"I don't think he said that Dashie," Fluttershy gave a little grin.
"Well he should have." RD grinned as she took a large pull from the jug.
Pinkie watched the two with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Phase one: complete," She whispered to herself.
Rarity, who sat closest to Pinkie, quirked an eyebrow at the frizzy-headed girl. "What was that, dear?"
Pinkie responded by pressing her finger to the fashionista's lips.
"Ugh don't do that," Rarity squealed. "I don't know where that finger has been!"
"Everythin' alright over there, girls?" Applejack asked the pair. All focus had shifted to Rarity and Pinkie Pie.
"Yeah, totally fine! Just um...flirting!" Pinkie said, giving a satisfied smirk at her own cover story. However the rest of the room was more than a little confused by this pronouncement and Rarity looked like she could strangle the little party girl. "Why's everyone looking at me like that?"
"Well," Twilight offered, "based upon previous interactions between the two of you, there has been little evidence to support your claim. Granted the overall pool of data is quite small-"
"What she's gettin' at, sugar, is that your story seems a mite unlikely is all." Applejack clarified.
"Oh you guys are just being silly, what's more likely, I have some secret master plan or I want to have hot sex with Rarity?" Pinkie said cheerily.
Rarity was opening and closing her mouth, at a loss for how exactly to express her indignation.
"Ooooookay.... So there's that." RD intoned with a bit of a titter. "Just leave a sock on the door okay Rarity?"
" I... I would n-... Never...I..." Rarity let out an almighty groan of frustration and then took a deep breath to try and center herself. After a moment she regained her composure and shot an glare at Pinkie that would have caused hell itself to freeze. "I apologize but I must decline your offer."
RD began cracking up, "Jeez Rarity, your turning down sex with Pinkie not a telemarketer."
"Oh just be quite, you." Rarity said turning her glare upon her roommate.
"Lighten up everybody it's a party!" Pinkie had rematerialized in the middle of the room and,with a grunt of effort, pushed aside the desks to clear a space in the center of the room. "and what's a party without some music and dancing!"
While RD had been on of the first to join in dancing, Fluttershy remained on the futon. She wanted desperately to join in, but how could she? She had never had much experience with parties to begin with, and she had even less with dancing. What if she made a fool of herself? What her flailing about made Dash loose interest in her?
The throbbing bass beat of the song began to fade away as the song ended. There was a momentary lull in activity and Pinkie took it as a chance to plop down next to Fluttershy.
"Hey there, why aren't you shaking your stuff on the dance floor?" Pinkie asked with a kind smile.
Fluttershy bowed her head, letting her hair cover her face. " I... I'm scared... Like usual..."
"Don't be, you don't notice me or RD or anyone else being all scared. Actually, what you should have noticed is RD looking over here every song to check if you'll come out and join all of us"
Fluttershy looked up and momentarily caught RD looking in direction. They locked eyes for all of a second before the two awkwardly broke eye contact.
"See!" Pinkie exclaimed as the next song started up." Now lets get you out there!"
Fluttershy felt herself bing pulled off the couch and flung directly in RD's direction, bumping into her friend before she could fully regain balance."S-sorry..." She said, blushing furiously.
"No problem," Dash replied a light blush about her own features. "So not much of a dancer?"
Fluttershy shook her head, eyes cast down at Rainbow's shoes.
"Hey, it's okay, pal. Not much to it really, at least not this kind of dancing. Just close your eyes and feel the music. Sway around, move your hips, whatever you feel like doing, just have fun."
Fluttershy looked up at RD and was greeted by a kind smile.
"Okay... I'll try." Fluttershy responded, unwilling to disappoint her oldest friend.
She closed her eyes as Dash had suggested and began to truly listen to the music. She felt the rhythmic beat reverberate in her body. The pulsing bass called to her, urging her body into motion. It was not the most graceful of dances, but Fluttershy began to move, her hips swaying in time with the music.
Then (likely as an act-of-Pinkie Pie) Fluttershy felt a body impact her own, and from the soft string of cursing that emanated from it, Fluttershy could tell that the body belonged to RD. Suddenly there were hands resting on her hips, beckoning her closer, a request that she was all to happy to oblige. She felt the warmth of Rainbow's lithe form as their bodies met, the music fueling their joint motions. She hesitantly placed her arms around Dash's body, her hands resting on the small of her back. Fluttershy wished that she could stay like this forever. The world had melted away there was nothing but her, Dash, and the music.
Unfortunately no song lasts forever and eventually the beat once again faded away, and the world came crashing back down around her. She became acutely aware of how close she was to her best friend. She froze. 'Oh no... This was too fast... Dash hates me now... But she did seem to be into it...but what if she was just being nice....and it felt so nice...Only one way to find out...'
Fluttershy opened her eyes and met those of her friend. In Dash's face was not the anger or revulsion that Fluttershy had feared, instead Rainbow's face held an mixture of passion and utter amazement.
"I..uh...thought you said you hadn't done that before..." A blush tinged the cheeks of the usually brash and bold girl. "You were pretty awesome right there."
"Th-thank you, Dashie." Fluttershy whispered, realizing they still hadn't broken their intimate embrace.
If they had looked away from each other's eyes they may have noticed that their four friends each watched them with a different, but similarly expectant, expression upon their faces. If they had been listening to anything other than each other's breathing, they would have heard their friends little comments...
"...that confirms that theory..."
"...come on, come on, come on...."
"...Well I'll darned..."
"..Oh, oh my..."
...they wouldn't have leaned in closer. They wouldn't have softly pressed their lips together. They wouldn't have shared the most intimate and passionate kiss that either had ever experienced.
RD felt a shiver of pleasure roll through her body at the touch of Fluttershy's lips. She pressed in closer and felt her companion shudder and let out a soft moan. Then immediately, as if the sound escaping her lips finally alerted her to what had just happened, Fluttershy pulled away and broke the contact.
"Oh no... oh no... that was me wasn't it, oh please don't hate me, I'm so sorry I just-"
"It's okay Flutters," Dash said a bit breathlessly. "Well, no, that's a lie. It was more than okay, that was really amazing."
"Y- you mean it?" Fluttershy chewed her lip nervously.
"Of course she does!" Pinkie called from across the room, "Sweet merciful Christ, it was good for us and we're over here!"
Both Rainbow and Fluttershy's faces burned crimson.
"Hey... uh... Flutters... think we can take this somewhere more... private?" RD said, unwilling to look over at quartet of her friends.
Fluttershy could only nod.
The pair stumbled into Fluttershy's room, having trouble navigating while their lips were locked together. However upon entering the room RD spied something curious over Fluttershy's shoulder.
"The hell..." She said as she broke apart their embrace.
Feeling a little scorned Fluttershy followed Rainbow's gaze to a sign that had been duct taped to her closet door
If you make it this far,
Check out what's in here, RD.
~Pinkie
Rainbow crossed the room and opened the closet door. "She can't be serious..." Rainbow retrieved an article of clothing from the closet and held it up to her body, turning to display it for Fluttershy. "She couldn't possibly think this would fit me."
Fluttershy blushed and chewed her lip. Rainbow was holding up a black corseted bustier with a black lace overlay. It would have indeed looked ridiculous on Dash's slender frame; it had clearly been constructed for someone whose measurements were a little higher in the bust and hips. A little note pinned to neckline read: Courtesy of Rarity.
Realization dawned on Fluttershy as she closed the distance between her and Dash, her pace slow and deliberate. She began to feel confidence welling up inside her, her fantasy was finally being made into reality. "It's not for you. It's for me."
"Wh- what? Why would-" RD stammered, but Fluttershy placed a finger to her lips.
"Shhhh, don't worry..." Fluttershy leaned in, letting her lips graze Dash's ear and her bust press against her lover's. While her voice retained its usual soft cadence, the words she issued were a command.
"You're going to love me." |
Chocolate Cake Shots, and Other Things You Discover in College | Epilogue: This is Sappy but It's True | Epilogue: This is Sappy but It's True
Clothing lay scattered around the room; thrown casually aside in the midst of passion. A particularly well aimed bra was dangling from a lamp, some pieces of clothing perched themselves on top of the desk, while still others littered the floor. Even the black brassier had eventually been removed and now lay at the foot of the bed.
RD was the first to stir, the warm rays of morning sun alighting on her face. She turned her head and gazed at the girl beside her. Fluttershy's chest slowly rose and fell in time with her breathing, her pink hair, though matted from the night's activities, still wreathed her head in a beautiful halo of pink. Dash was unsure if she had ever seen a sight more gorgeous or more peaceful .
With a small jerk Fluttershy too awoke and gave her childhood companion an exhausted smile.
"Morning Flutters," Dash said returning the smile.
Fluttershy just lay there, looking upon the woman she had always admired. Her strength, her loyalty, and her passion had been what drove Flutttershy's feelings for her one-time friend into a something more.
Suddenly uncertainty began to creep into Fluttershy's mind. What were they now? Were they together? Did... did she even feel the same way? This had all happened so fast, what came next? A frown began to find its way across Fluttershy's features. She fought back an urge to hide. No, no hiding, not from Rainbow.
"Hey, hey no frowning Flutters, got it?" RD cooed to her lover. She tenderly touched Fluttershy's cheek as a way of comforting her. "Not regretting last night I hope, I mean... damn, you were awesome Flutters. I'll be surprised if I can move out of this bed honestly."
"No... no not that, oh Dashie, I'd never regret that..." Fluttershy responded softly. Should she ask...? Could she?
"I just.... I mean..." Fluttershy swallowed her words. She couldn't do it, she was too afraid of what the answer might be.
Dash's face became uncharacteristically solemn for a moment, "Uh... do you not want to, uh... be together?"
Fluttershy eyes began to grow wide, "Y- you mean it... you'd even want to... be with me?"
Dash's face brightened instantly, "Of course! Are you kidding? I mean you're the most amazing person I know, you're cute and caring and well... you're Flutters!" RD lunged and caught Fluttershy in a surprise embrace that made the more timid girl's entire body blush.
"Thanks Dashie, I mean I really like you too." She managed to squeak out.
"I know, I'm pretty much amazing." Rainbow said with a smirk before planting a kiss on Fluttershy's nose. "I mean... I'm no good at the whole feelings shtick... but when I'm with you I always have more fun, you make me smile, and well... I think... I think, I always want you in my life."
Fluttershy smiled warmly, "Thank you Dashie, I want you with me too."
"Plus if last night was any indication, I'd say we're more than a bit compatible in bed." She added with a wink. "I mean seriously where did l that come from? I never knew you could be so...uh... assertive."
The timid girl resisted the urge to hide under her blankets. "Well, I um... thanks..." She managed.
Rainbow grinned, leaning and gave Fluttershy a playful nuzzle. "Well, just keep being you, 'kay Flutters?"
Fluttershy felt warmth bubble up inside her. She reached over and pulled Rainbow into a tight hug pressing the lithe girl's warm body into her own. "You're the best Dashie!"
"I know it." Rainbow let out a little chuckle and returned the cuddle. "So what now? Breakfast?"
"Sure ," Fluttershy replied with a mischievous little smirk before ducking her head under the covers.
"Hey where are you going? I thought we going to get....oh! Oh, you naughty girl..."
Several rooms away four girls were beginning to wake from what had ended up being a night of intense drinking.
Rarity rolled off the futon with an audible thud. As sleep slowly left her mind she stared up her temporary bed with a look of utter disgust. She picked herself off the floor and dusted herself off. As she bent over the Stetson that had been perched precariously on her head fell to the floor.
Twilight groaned as she rolled over in her bed. Putting a finger to her lips she issued a "shhhh" in Rarity's direction.
Applejack rubbed her temples and winced, "Wellp I think I'll be layin' of the drinks for a bit... What in tarnation even happened?" She spied her hat on the ground and snatched it up. She cast a glare at Rarity, to have her treasured possession on the head of another was sacrilege as far as AJ was concerned.
A frizzy haired head poked out from over the edge of the top bunk. "I'll tell you what happened!" Pinkies volume elicited a collective wince from the other three girls.
"Wh- what happened then, darling?" Rarity managed, her voice feeling rough in her throat.
"They all lived happily ever after, silly!" |
Elysian Fields | pre | Doesn't look like much is going on around here. He analysed the scenery around him and deduced that he was in a small courtyard in the centre of the building. The outpost was a large, stone-built square with a tower constructed on one of the corner sections. Snow was piled up thickly on the large ramparts and frosted ice glazed over the walls, giving them an empyrean luster in the bright wintry moonlight. It was mesmerising to behold. Thunder was left temporarily in awe as he looked at the scene before him, the almost divine sight detracting from the knowledge of the gruesome actions that occured within the fortress' walls.
After a few short moments, Thunder snapped out of his trance-like state and focused on the mission he had in his mind. Doesn't seem to be any other way out besides the door across the courtyard. I shouldn't have to worry for any watchponies in the tower, the darkness should provide adequate cover and I doubt anypony would be up there in this chilling weather at this time of night...
He headed towards the double doors across the courtyard, wary of any movement as he did so. He quietly drew his sword in preparation for what he hoped would be another empty room. He took a few deep breaths of the fresh air before swinging the cold wooden door open. His hopes were crushed at that point; within the dimly lit room sat Skyfrost and three other guards all playing cards at a small wooden table. Celestia help me...
The guards stopped their game of cards and looked up towards the doorway. Skyfrost was the first to recognise Thunder.
"Thunder! I don't know how you got out but you're not getting any further. Guards!" shouted the enraged Skyfrost, standing up to draw his sword. The guards followed and drew their swords too, advancing towards Thunder in unison.
More adrenaline began pumping through Thunder's body. His heart rate had shot up and his mind was completely focused. He slowly backed out into the dark courtyard, the guards following him out too. "Come on, then!" Thunder taunted as the guards started to circle around him.
"Oh Thunder, you jest. Just give up now or die an even more painful death," stated Skyfrost as he stood in the open doorway.
"Try it," replied Thunder confidently, despite being surrounded by three armed pegasi.
"Kill him," ordered Skyfrost, his trademark sadistic smile crossing his face.
Thunder stayed alert for any movement from any guard. The guard to his immediate left was the first to attack, rushing in for a surprise thrust. He was inexperienced and was obvious by his rash decision - His mistake would cost him his life. Thunder deflected the sword and countered easily, slashing the guard across the neck instantly killing him, all the while staying alert for any other guards' movements. One down, Thunder thought as the guards body collapsed to the ground.
The remaining guards stepped back a few paces to avoid a potential follow-up attack from Thunder. Thunder stepped back a few paces too, putting more distance between him and his opponents. All fell silent for a few moments as each pony eyed-up their targets for an attack.
Eventually, both of the enemy guards advanced simultaneously towards Thunder. He backed-up to keep the distance between them, but found himself nearing the large wall behind him. With nowhere left to move, the guards quickly closed the gap between Thunder and them. "Nowhere left to run..." grunted one of the guards in a low gruff voice, his eyes fixated on Thunder.
The guard was right. Thunder needed a plan immediately or he would be cut down then and there. He could see Skyfrost a short distance away simply standing there and chuckling to himself, amused by Thunder's imminent death.
The guards continued to advance closer to Thunder, closing him in on both sides. Backed up to a frozen wall, Thunder had to act fast or else it was over for him. He frantically looked around for anything he could see that may aid his escape, but to no avail - The courtyard was bare except for the piles of snow that covered it. Snow... snow...
Thunder focused hard, inhaled deeply and prepared to do what was necessary to escape the situation. He had an idea, but his confidence in it wavered with every passing moment. Now or never...
Quickly, Thunder kicked up a thick amount of snow into one of the guards' faces, temporarily obscuring their vision. The guard recoiled backwards, trying to wipe snow from his face. Seeing this, his partner charged forward for an attack, swinging his sword forcefully at Thunder. His attack was met by Thunder's sword mid swing, the two swords impacting each other sending a loud crashing sound into the air. The two struggled for a bit, grating and grinding their blades against each other's in an attempt to break the other's defence. However, due to the adrenaline coursing through Thunder's body, his will to survive and overall strength, he managed to break through the guard's block, forcefully pushing him backwards at the same time. Got you now...
Thunder slashed at the staggering guard, his blade slicing cleanly through his throat, killing him instantly. A thick spray of blood came off of Thunder's sword as it swung and splashed onto the icy wall, eventually trickling down it, as it too glimmered in the moonlight. The guard's body slumped to the ground, blood rapidly spilling out and staining the pure-white snow in the courtyard.
The other guard had just finished wiping his face of snow by the time his partner was dead. He looked over toward the motionless body of his partner slumped on the ground, then back at Thunder, hatred burning in his eyes. "You're dead," he stated bluntly as he slowly advanced towards Thunder.
Thunder looked into the distance past the guard and saw Skyfrost still standing at the doorway. His smugness had been replaced by a stern look with a hint of anger mixed in. Thunder knew that Skyfrost would not be happy for losing two of his men, but he stilled revelled in the thought that he had sufficiently embarrassed him by easily disposing of the guards.
"Stand down!" Skyfrost ordered to the final guard. The guard did as he was told and slowly retreated back towards Skyfrost, sword still drawn at the ready. "Go and wake the others. Thunder doesn't leave this building. Got it?"
The guard sheathed his sword and nodded in agreement. He then quickly ran past Skyfrost into the building and off down one of the corridors to alert the rest of the guards.
"Looks like it's just you and me now, Thunder," Skyfrost stated bluntly as he approached Thunder, unsheathing his sword as he as he did so.
Thunder moved slowly back towards the centre of the courtyard, stepping over the guard's corpse as he did so. He stuck his cold, bloody sword into the snow to speak to Skyfrost momentarily. "Not for long," he replied, his voice now devoid of any emotion. "This ends here."
* * *
Luna soared high above the raging battlefield. The two sides clashed like oncoming waves on the ground below, the front lines now skewed as certain sections pushed forward, whilst others were pushed back.
Luna looked toward the R.E.A. pegasi hovering high above the battle with her. "You need to attack swiftly to break their formation. By striking from the skies, you can catch them off guard and deal massive damage to their forces. Move swiftly and silently, otherwise you're an easy target for a barrage of artillery." Luna ordered to the couple of hundred pegasi, as they anxiously awaited their princess' words. The many pegasi flew ahead to soar above the hostile battalion, blanketing the sky above them. They flew down in large numbers, their tactic being to try and take sections of the hostile battalion by surprise. Luna herself flew down and soared just above the front lines of her battalion on the ground.
The front lines continued to clash in a giant bloodbath. Projectiles flew in both directions in massive numbers, incapacitating and killing countless unicorns on either side. One such projectile shot past Luna, grazing her face as it did so. A thin stream of blood trickled out of the minor wound that had been caused. The stinging pain that followed was the wake-up call to Luna that it was time for her to act. She was there for a reason; to help her battalion and win the fight. She looked down at the lines clashing with a steely determinism, her mind focused on the many targets in front of her. Time to do my part. This victory will be ours, for Equestria's sake, she thought to herself as her horn began to glow luminously with magic.
She soared towards the enemy hoards and unleashed a mighty blast of magical energy into their forces. The immense power hit the enemy with a small but potent explosion, sending bodies, both living and dead, flying in multiple directions across the battlefield. Blood from the bodies rained down onto the enemy combatants, saturating them and staining parts of their bodies a dark red. Let's see how they react to that, Luna thought to herself as she watched groups of unicorns recoil in horror and disgust, some screaming, as the sanguine fluid of their allies left their manes and coats sodden with gore.
Despite the repulsiveness of what had just happened, the enemy forces rushed forwards to fill the gap which was now a small crater filled with copious amounts of blood. As she had expected, many projectiles now rocketed past her as she flew about the skies, the unicorns having taken more notice from her attack. Attempting to avoid barrage of projectiles, she circled around for another attack and unleashed another powerful magical blast into the same area, causing more bodies to fly and the crater to grow in size. That's going to affect their morale pretty badly, Luna thought as she overlooked her destruction and more raining blood. She was like a slayer in the night sky, striking without warning, leaving death and destruction in her wake.
It's all going well so far. The pegasi are breaking up and distracting their forces and the unicorns are slowly pushing forwards. She looked towards the pegasi soaring above the enemy. Every now and then she would see one or two be hit and plummet to the ground lifeless, parts of feathers slowly drifting down behind them. However, if they were going to win then there would be countless deaths; it was common knowledge.
"Time to ensure our victory in this fight," Luna said to herself as she flew up higher over the torn battlefield. She looked into the distance and surveyed the area. The land was soaked in fresh blood from both sides and bodies lay scattered here and there. She turned and flew West, leaving the battalion to fight without her for a short while - The higher ranking soldiers would take charge while Luna was away temporarily. Eventually, she reached a ridge of land further along the border. As she flew over it, a separate mass of R.E.A. unicorns came into view, patiently awaiting her arrival. As she approached, they cheered in anticipation, as their time to fight had arrived.
Luna hovered above the group of roughly two-hundred unicorns, equipped in the same manner as the others back at the war-zone. "The time has come. It is time to march East and take the enemy by surprise. We must do this now, we must succeed!" Luna boomed to the ponies beneath her. They cheered again in unison and began to charge towards the battlefield, following Luna as she led the way in the dark sky above.
The mass of R.E.A. soldiers sped across the land, neither snow nor rocks slowing them down. As they drew nearer the fight, the sound of metal clashing, screams of agony and thuds grew louder. The secondary group eventually crested over the hill into sight and continued to charge towards the right flank of the hostile army. The unicorn army was now caught in the crossfire from two sides. Shouts and screams of courage and fear could be heard from the enemies as the second R.E.A. group charged forward, the relentless assault demolishing their right flank and breaking their formation.
Hundreds of projectiles now fired laterally and longitudinally into the hostile forces, forming a sort of mesh that killed whatever got in the way. Luna herself continued to fly above the battlefield, analysing it closely while still avoiding the constant projectiles that rocketed towards her. So far, so good. The second group really hit them hard; now it's a waiting game until they break ranks and completely split.
As the two separate sections of R.E.A. soldiers continued to relentlessly advance further inwards, the hostile forces' formation began to break, small clusters of unicorns splitting off here and there. Suddenly, a retreat cry could be heard from the enemy force leaders. Hearing the orders, a large majority of the unicorn battalion rapidly began to retreat back, away from the war-zone. Some were cut down as they retreated, but the R.E.A. soldiers had not been ordered to give chase; their role was only to defend the border. Only a small minority of hostile soldiers still remained, their path of retreat cut off by Luna's forces. Slowly, the remaining enemy forces began to become enclosed as the two R.E.A. ground groups acted as herders, surrounding them and bringing them all together, while the pegasi in the sky picked off any stragglers or escapees attempting to retreat with the others..
In the torrential maelstrom of fighting, the R.E.A. was slowly eating away at the enemy forces, like a beast devouring its prey. Swords clashed and projectiles flew in all directions, the body-count rapidly rising. One enemy unicorn, the last alive in their portion of the remaining front line, started to become surrounded by a swarm of R.E.A. soldiers. The soldier desperately tried to run back to the main body of their remaining battalion but it was no use. A large ball-bearing propelled by magic hurtled straight through the unicorn's skull, sending blood flying and instantly killing them. The unicorn's body fell to the ground and skidded a few inches, left to lie there as just another soon-to-be forgotten victim of war. The body would cover with snow and disappear over time. No one would know, no one would care.
Luna continued to support her soldiers from the sky, sending more magical blasts flying into the enemy forces, easily destroying anything that they hit. Bodies continued to fly, fall, dismember and even explode. Death moved swiftly over the land, reaping the hordes of the freshly deceased lives that it was continually supplied with. There was no stopping it. It was a gluttonous horror that would never cease its craving for lost lives, silently claiming its harvest as it swept across the land. An unperceivable harvester of sorrow.
The battle had been raging for some time now. The winning side was obvious from the skies and Luna could clearly see that her battalion were succeeding. Her consistent use of powerful powerful magic was starting to take its toll on her body; her energy was diminished and she felt torpid. She wouldn't be able to fight much longer, but she knew she had to fight on for the good of her soldiers and for Equestria. She circled around the skies in preparation for another magical blast, observing the piles of dead dead bodies that littered the ground as she did so. Countless soldiers from either side lay motionless in the cold snow and pools of blood. The land was stained red like a painted canvas from the blood of hundreds of soldiers, both living and dead. The losses are many, but for the sake of what is good in Equestria, we must succeed. Protecting our land and freedom; It is our call of duty...
Eventually, the last surviving hostile unicorns were now herded into one small group surrounded by Luna's forces, slowly closing in from all sides. Luna used what energy left she could muster and fired one last magical blast at the remaining enemies, slaughtering them in one final grotesque display. Despite most of the enemy soldiers retreating, the ones that remained were now dead. The fight was won, albeit just. Without Luna's help and well-planned tactics it may have been a different outcome, but as it was, the hostile forces had been partially defeated and the R.E.A. claimed another victory in the war. The large amount of surviving hostiles that escaped would live to fight another day, but until that day came, the R.E.A. had protected the border, dealing a heavy blow to the enemy forces and their morale.
Luna, along with any remaining pegasi landed in the less bloody patches of snow. Luna took a moment to rest and review the area. Roughly three hundred soldiers, pegasi and unicorns, from her battalion remained alive; not the majority, but any life spared was a good thing. Some were seriously wounded, but they would have to hold out for the moment. They would be able to receive medical attention soon, but on the battlefield it wasn't possible to treat them at that time. The skies began to rouse once again, bringing more heavy snow that slowly blanketed the bodies that lay dead in the repulsive, bloody snow.
Luna turned her attention to the surviving R.E.A. soldiers. "We have fought and won this battle. It is a great victory for us and let us rejoice knowing this," she boomed, the soldiers acknowledging her words as she spoke. A loud cheer erupted from the remaining soldiers, rejoicing in the knowledge that they had won the important battle and would live to fight another day. They could now return back to Canterlot to see their friends, family, and to prepare for the next fight.
* * *
Skyfrost swung a fierce downwards slash at Thunder. Thunder blocked the powerful attack, their swords crashing together loudly as they collided. Skyfrost followed up with another forceful swing which Thunder barely managed to parry. Seizing the opportunity, Thunder span round with his sword extended out in an effort to horrifically wound Skyfrost. Instead, his sword whistled through the feathers of one of his enemy's lustrous wings, clipping a few and sending the small pieces drifting to the ground.
"You're going to have to try harder than that, Thunder," taunted Skyfrost through his teeth, having switched positions with Thunder, his back now near the glistening, blood splattered wall.
"You bet I will," Thunder replied through his teeth as well, as he slashed abruptly upwards at his opponent. The attack caught Skyfrost off guard but he still barely managed to defend himself by thrusting his blade out. The two swords rebounded off of one-another, sending minute sparks into the air as they did so. The two exchanged many more crippling blows, each being countered as easily as the last.
Thunder was now beginning to feel exhaustion kicking in, stumbling as he continued to defend himself. He couldn't fight too much longer and he knew this well. He had to find a way to end it or to escape, the latter being the easiest option. Beads of cold sweat had formed on his brow from the intense fighting and his energy was beginning to falter. I need to get away from here. There's no way I can kill this clip-wing in my current condition.
Thunder looked for a means to end the fighting long enough for him to get away. He spotted one of the dead guards' swords and slowly backed over to it. Skyfrost followed him over, still determined to kill him then and there.
"It's over, Thunder. You're exhausted and I can clearly see that. Just give up so I can kill you. Don't make me do it the hard way," growled Skyfrost, his sadistic grin crossing one side of his mouth, exposing the hilt of his sword between his teeth.
Celestia help me. I hope this works... Thunder thought as he threw his sword to the ground a few feet away. "Fine, I give up. How am I supposed to win anyway? I'm in your territory, and your other guards will be here any minute now. Just make it quick," Thunder said as he kneeled down, looking up at Skyfrost.
Skyfrost stepped forwards and began to rotate for a powerful horizontal slash. At the same time, Thunder rotated on the ground, grabbed the dead guard's sword and continued to spin as he rose up to full height. The two combatants' swords connected with each others' body simultaneously. Skyfrost's sword sliced across Thunder's stomach, where his neck had been seconds ago. Thunder's sword swung slightly lower, slicing across Skyfrost's side as it did so, leaving a grievous laceration along his ribs and down his side. The two combatant collapsed as immense amounts of pain pulsed through their bodies. Blood spilled out of their wounds, and pooled in the snow between them. Like Yin and Yang opposites, their blood mixed; the sanguine life forces of two ponies accepting each other, while their bodies and mind would not.
Thunder and Skyfrost both lay still on the ground, breathing heavily, moaning from pain every now and then. Their minds told them to continue the fight, but their bodies resisted. After a few short moments, Thunder began to push himself up, clutching his wound as he did so. Seeing his movement, Skyfrost attempted to rise too. Thunder was the first on his feet but Skyfrost had almost risen fully too. No you don't. I'm leaving here tonight!
Thunder mustered up the last of his fighting spirit, turned, and forcefully bucked his back legs into Skyfrost's head, instantly knocking him unconscious. His body collapsed to the ground and lay still. The light breeze in the air washed over his body, his coat and feathers stirring and rustling in all directions.
"Now what do I do?" Thunder growled under his breath as his belly bled profusely. He limped over to his sword which lay in the blood stained snow, picked it up and re-sheathed it. The pain from his wound burned like fire through his belly, leaving him unable to move easily.
I need to get out of here now. Thunder stood as best he could and headed through the open doors behind him as fast as he could manage. He didn't care about the guards that were on their way, he just wanted to escape. The room he had walked into was fairly large and contained many wooden tables. There were doorways on each side which led into long stone corridors. Seeing another set of double doors across the room, he headed towards them as fast as he could, passing the table with cards on as he did so. He threw the doors open and ran through. He was immediately greeted by the cold outside again - the wide open landscape. He looked back into the building and saw a thin trail of blood on the floor behind him. Knowing he could do nothing about it, he pulled the doors closed hoping it would cover his tracks of where he went.
The outpost was built on a hill which overlooked a small village in the distance. I have no other choice but to try and find shelter and medical attention in that village. This is probably a self-imposed death sentence; I'll probably be killed on sight for not being a pegasus, but for now it's my only option...
Thunder headed off towards the village in the distance. It wasn't very far away, but he was getting weaker and weaker by the minute, making the journey tough. As he trudged slowly through the thick snow, his mind was racing with thoughts about what had happened to him within the past week. First the platoon, then the torture, and now this. I can't begin to imagine what they are thinking back at Canterlot. Are they even searching for me, or have they simply listed me as KIA for ease? I have no idea how much longer it's going to be before I can return there, but for now I need to focus on what is going on around me.
Thunder stopped for a quick break and sat in the snow. He turned and looked behind him seeing a red trail of blood leading right to him. "Damnit, that's probably going to lead them right to me," he grumbled to himself, his breathe showing in the chilling night air as he did. Disgruntled, he reached into his jacket and pulled out his beloved whisky flask. If I can't have peace, at least I can have peace of mind. He unscrewed the cap and took a small swig of the remaining nectar. Leaving a small amount left, he screwed the cap back on and placed it back into his jacket, sighing as he did. What I'd give to find some more of that around here...
Thunder stood up and surveyed the land far into the distance. Besides the small village he was headed towards, the land looked desolate and bare, much like the area near Canterlot. The war really has affected Equestria so much. And in such little time too... Ignoring his raging thoughts, he continued on towards the village which was growing closer by the minute. Each step depleted more and more of Thunder's last remaining energy, causing his body to ache and his vision to blur. Eventually, he reached the outskirts and looked around for any sign of activity. A few houses were lit by lights inside, but the majority of the village was in darkness.
The wound was taking its toll on Thunder now. Every step was a challenge due to his depleted energy. His mind began to feel hazy and clouded, almost euphoric as he stumbled forwards. I... I need to...
He collapsed into the snow just at the edge of the village. His breathing was heavy and his heart-rate rapid. Unable to muster the energy to get up, he laid there as fresh snow began to cover his body. His wound pained him as he lay on it, the blood soaking through his jacket and into the snow beneath him. The feeling was warm and relaxing, but his body was growing colder and weaker by the second. His sight was wavering and his mind was hazy, both of which left him feeling lethargic. Giving in to his body's demands, Thunder lost consciousness and went limp in the snow.
* * *
Back at the fortress Skyfrost began to stir. He groaned as he rolled onto his back to alleviate some of the pain from the gash along his side. In the distance he could hear the commotion two-dozen guards rushing around inside. "Over there!" shouted one of the distant guards as he pointed towards Skyfrost lying in the snow across the frozen courtyard.
Some of the guards rushed to aid him and to ask questions of what was going on. "Skyfrost, sir, what exactly happened?" asked one of the guards as he knelt down beside his injured leader. Skyfrost looked up at the guard and pulled his face closer to him. He choked up a small amount of blood as he tried to whisper into the guard's ear. "Search the entire area. I want him dead."
The guard looked at Skyfrost, his face contorted with confusion. "Who, sir? Who do you want dead?" He immediately regretted asking the question as Skyfrost belted him across the chin with his blood-soaked hoof. The punch dazed the guard, causing him to fall onto his haunches in the snow. Skyfrost slowly rolled over and pushed himself upright so that he was sitting too. He stared into the guard's eyes, the rage in his own penetrating the guard's mind and soul, leaving him terrified and fearful of what his leader would do next.
"Thunder. I want Thunder dead. You got it?" Skyfrost barked at the guard who was now rubbing his sore jaw. The guard winced from Skyfrost's rage and, intimidated by his leader's harsh commands, nodded and stood up. He and most of the other guards headed back inside to relay the orders to the others whilst a few guards remained to attend to Skyfrost's wounds. Skyfrost looked at the small pool of blood where his had mixed with Thunder's. I'll kill you with my bare hooves, you disgusting mule.
"Sir, we need to move inside to treat your wounds. We can't treat them out here, it's too dark and they appear to be quite serious," advised one of the guards as he pointed towards the large gash which ran across Skyfrost's ribs and down his side, trailing off just before his flank. Skyfrost slowly rose and limped towards the room where he had been happily playing cards moments earlier. He looked at the bodies of the guards that had been slain by Thunder and chuckled to himself. I would've won anyway. You always had the worst poker faces. Doesn't look like you'll be needing that money now anyway. Oh well, at least you two have it easy now. I'm sure it's not too hard being dead. Don't worry though, I'll be sure injure Thunder for both of you; it's the least I can do. He looked down at the icy blood pool as he passed it on his way inside. He grimaced at the sight of it; not because it was blood, but what it meant to him and his pride. Disgusting, just absolutely disgusting. My superior, pure pegasus blood, casually mixed with his like it is equal, and ultimately the same; it makes me feel physically sick. He spat into the blood pool and continued to limp inside, his mind fixated on finding and killing Thunder - His revolting mule-like, earth pony of a nemesis. |
Taken in Stride | pre | What have I done? |
Taken in Stride | 06. Emotion | Emotion 06
Tweeting of early mockingbirds floated up from the ground level, echoing through the area that surrounded the hotel. The Advent complex's garden roof was unusually calm today, save the breeze of the autumn wind and the sudden bursts of practice magic and their subsequent grunts coming from the blue-maned colt. He discharged another bolt of electric blue magic, directly at a can he threw up as a target, shattering in pieces and floating to the ground.
"Cobalt..." the suited stallion whispered teasingly. "If you push yourself too hard, you'll hurt yourself," he said in an antagonistic playful tone.
"Shut up," the blue colt grunted. "Once I see that man, I'm going to settle this once and for all. He's going to regret making a fool out of me." He flung a rock up into the air and expelled another blinding beam of magic to destroy it. "I know I'm not good right now, but I-"
"It's so nice out today," the stallion resumed in his un-charming carefree voice.
"Don't interrupt me!" he countered.
"It feels so good..."
"Hey! Are you even listening to me! Shut up! You always do this to me!" the colt continued, frustrated. However, he was only a whisper in the wind to the stallion.
"When the weather is this nice... It makes me want to go out... Do something."
Why did I say those things? Vinyl was laid down in her bedroom, curled up as she began to process the events of the afternoon. She sighed and slowly floated over her teacup through the moonlight and set it down next on her on the bed, reaching over to take a sip. Herbal lavender tea, the same calming effect that Emerald had introduced her to not long ago. Except, this time, it didn't calm her.
I had no idea you were so filthy! ...
Why would I say that, when it had nothing to do with me? Maybe it was because I saw myself in place of that mare. The me that everyone gave fake smiles to, with no real emotion. The most fleeting consolations for the sole purpose of trying to make their star happy... Gone. ...
"Sorry I'm late..." the deep, melodious voice whispered. He directed his voice to the intruder. "You dared point a blade at Miss Vinyl..." ...
"A kiss on the tip of the hoof is a sign of loyalty..." he whispered to her. "The reason I am here... is my loyalty to you. It is irrelevant that you are a famous icon with endless wealth or not. I told you when we first met, that I have known you for a long time. As you are the one that saved me, I owe you my undying respect. You and no one else. ...
"Is..." Emerald sighed. "Is that how you feel? To think that you've been carrying this burden this whole time, alone." Even Emerald started to tear up more than Vinyl had. His face was stained and flowing with genuine sadness and tears. ...
You and no one else... You don't know how desperately I've been wanting to meet you. And now I have failed... I shall do everything in my power to make it up to you. So please, please... Will you let me stay by your side?" ...
He sees the true me, and is kind to me from the bottom of his heart for me. For who I am. And yet... He could do something like that. With no emotion... and that scared me. All I could do was watch as I hit him with all of my distrust for others.
The melancholic song in her head came to a close as she exhaled a final sigh before her eyes fluttered close. ~
A knock at her door efficiently brought Vinyl up from her deep sleep. Without any thought, she slowly threw her blanket off of her as she walked half-lidded to open the door.
"Good morning, Vinyl." Her heart skipped a beat at the familiar greeting, but settled down after seeing the unfamiliar face. The mint green unicorn bubbled as she smiled greatly, though her excitement was quickly depleted after opening her eyes to see Vinyl.
Her mane was unkempt and frazzled practically everywhere. It had lost its usual electric flare of confidence. Her tail fared no better, limp blue strands hanging down to the floor. Her bloodshot eyes were still barely open, recoiling at even the smallest iota of a light source. She didn't have her red magical contacts on, revealing her magenta eyes that didn't blend in as much as they would have. Her white coat was seemed to be even more devoid of color than it already was . She sighed.
"What do you want..." Vinyl groaned. It wasn't a question.
"Oh my stars - what happened to you? The party is today!" Lyra yelled, echoing through the fourth floor.
"Don't worry about-"
"Come on! We have to get you fixed up!" she bursted, tugging her along through the elevator and to her room with her magic. She opened the door adorned with a minimalistic "II" and brought Vinyl in. It shared the same room design and layout as her own, except for a vanity set up where Vinyl's writing desk was placed. "Now, come on! Let's get you fixed up. Why don't I do your mane?"
"What are you talking about?" Vinyl asked, brushing Lyra's hoof off her shoulder. "I can do it myself."
Lyra recoiled, a display of genuine sadness on her face. Her eyes started to well up. "I was looking so forward to helping you..."
"Always eager to help, aren't you? Fine, if that's what you want."
"I'll be glad to!" she shouted, jumping up and darting over to Vinyl. That was fast.
Lyra showed her to the vanity, seating her as she opened a cupboard to grab some combs and some other grooming tools Vinyl couldn't identify. She looked in the mirror and examined herself, shaking away her sleep. Lyra enveloped a comb in a mint green sheath and floated it through Vinyl's mane, untangling the excess strands.
This is the first time she and I have been alone together. I hope I don't say anything rude to her. It would be a shame since she was kind enough to come down to me and help.
"Oh, stop being so tense," she told her in a comforting voice. "I just want to be friends!"
She's a nice person.
Suddenly, Lyra brought a hoof to Vinyl's left ear and played with it a little before she twitched it back, frowning. "Your ears are so cute... I love that..." she said, her voice drawing to a lust-filled whisper.
And she's a pervert.
She leaned in closer to Vinyl. "Are those bags under your eyes because of Emerald?" she asked, continuing to groom her mane to its usual state.
"Huh?" she scoffed. "He didn't mean anything to me." She was lying through her teeth. Lyra didn't seem to pick up.
"Oh! Would you want to contract with me, then?"
"I didn't plan on hiring an agent in the first place. Thanks for the offer, though." Vinyl turned around when Lyra stopped combing. She appeared to be dazed by thought.
"Still, you did enter into a contract with Emerald. I hope you two can make up soon."
Yeah. I hope so too. |
Taken in Stride | 07. Trust | Trust 07
"Aha!" Sable tweeted in her soft voice, loading her plate with various, expensive-looking foods from the table, decorated as if it were the crown piece of the party. The inauguration opening festival for the school was nothing short of amazing. All of the attendants were dressed in nothing but their most formal attire, adding to the gallant atmosphere in the room created by the only the finest, most exquisite decorations from gold-trimmed painting frames to royal red curtains, adorned by the school's logo in an intricately beautiful silver. One would easily mistake this not for a school's welcome party, but rather almost passing as a corporate business meeting of sorts. Upper echelon indeed.
With Sable completely content with her food, she took off towards a lone table in the corner, gleefully flitting along and humming a sing-song melody she had remembered from her days as a filly. Still at the table with the banquet laid out, Lyra observed the scene for herself, taking note of each of the students' interactions amongst each other; the students from Vinyl's class were strikingly familiar. Octavia was attending as well, but she was nowhere to be found. Perhaps, she figured, she decided to skip the event altogether and decide to sleep in how she usually did. Suddenly, she was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Miss Lyra."
"Oh, I wasn't expecting you here," Lyra responded curiously, cocking her head to the side ever so slightly.
"I figured I should keep watch over Miss Vinyl until her next agent arrives," Emerald continued. "Where is she?"
"She seems restless," Lyra sighed. "She keeps wandering around... Ah, there she is!" Lyra pointed her hoof across the room, spotting an uneasy Vinyl hobbling around. She stopped at the beverage table, pouring herself an unidentified drink out of one of the brushed metal flasks at the table. Lyra could only hope she wasn't drinking alcohol or anything of the sort. After pouring the drink, she pondered for a bit, seemingly staring off into nothing as her eyes shifted from the ceiling, to the floor, and back to the ceiling again, restlessly. It was hard to believe - from anyone's standpoint - that this renowned star can be anything but her past on-stage appearance; then again, it was that very appearance that was the effect of the things that haunted her and plagued her since her resignation from the scene.
A sharp-dressed stallion with a silk suit that's almost unmistakably Canterlot and a striking black tie complemented with sophisticated reading glasses made his way through the crowd to meet Vinyl. "Ah, Ms. Vinyl Scratch," the stallion prodded, waving his hoof with a gentlemanly smile. Celestia, that sounds ridiculous, Vinyl mused to herself. She turned around, not a hint of any interest or expression in her face. "I trust you've thought about your speech as a representative?" he inquired.
She smirked in her usual fashion. "Of course I have," she remarked in a tone not short of condescending. Closing her eyes with a snide grin, she continued. "I wrote it on the day you mentioned it. Anything else?" she finished with a cocky smile.
Embarrassed, the stallion slowly backed off with an innocent manner. "I-I see... Well..." the stallion paused, searching for something to say. "G-Good luck, then." His previous, gentlemanly composure was broken down, reduced to a nervous, embarrassed and innocent man only wishing her luck. She slumped down into a chair, eyes averted to the ground, regretful and sorrowful. It's true. I just can't be around anyone. Flashes of memories shared between her and Emerald made their way into her mind, even beginning with their first meeting when she moved in to the hotel. How could I hurt someone I appreciated so much... when I never even thanked him properly? Ending where they started, her final memory between them was walking out of the elevator, literally shutting the door on him and almost any chance of them being anything more than acquaintances.
An abrupt voice snapped her out of her melancholic reminiscence. "Hey, look at that," an unfamiliar voice said behind her. Vinyl picked out another voice.
"Think she's nervous?"
"Merely being loaded in money isn't enough it seems," he said with a chuckle.
"She just isn't cut out for this," the second voice agreed.
"You can see her true nature," the first mused. It's the truth.
"Her big mouth is all an act, isn't it?" Yes.
"How sad," the voice chimed with almost a mew. "She's at this glamorous party, but she's all alone." Yeah.
"Naturally," the other voice said with injected toxin. "She's a total bitch." Vinyl froze.
"The only people hanging around her are after her fame and money." Her body tensed, anger penting up from her past, from her memories, from her regrets, from her sorrow. Frustrated yet sad, angry yet regretful, furious yet sorrowful, and with the powder keg of emotion, guilt and regret ignited inside of her, Vinyl stood up from the chair, not facing the two voices. Just ready to confront them, a loud splash of water in the general direction of the voices made her freeze once more. She turned around slowly, surprised at the culprit.
A familiar gloved hoof, almost touching the wet dripping champagne glass which was levitated by a soft green aura was all Vinyl saw, yet it was all she needed to see. The two voices' heads were soaked, through and through, with confused looks on their faces. The Secret Service agent stood proud, yet apologetically, with the outstretched glass still suspended in the air.
"Wh-What was that for?" the voice in the silver suit asked, bewildered at the situation.
"Pardon me," the agent apologized. "It's just that," he paused, looking up to look the voices in the eye. "You've angered me."
Extremely and utterly confused, the voice in the blue suit stepped forward in a confrontational matter. "Huh?!" he yelled at the agent, anger in his eyes. "What the hell are you talking about? You think you can do something like that and get away with it?!"
In his typical servant-like nature, while still remaining condescending, the agent gently placed the champagne glass back on the neat table, restoring some sort of order in the situation. "I'll kneel down and beg for your forgiveness if you like." Releasing his magical grip from the glass, he continued in a melancholic tone. "But I request that you take back what you said." He continued on, not once looking up from the table with a wistful smile gracing his face. "Miss Vinyl may not always be the most socially adept of people. But she is honest, conscientious, and loyal." He looked up, turning to the voices. "She is also very, very delicate." Vinyl almost gasped at this, refusing to believe the words she just heard.
"What do you even know about her?" the agent continued, the wistful smile gone to be replaced with a questioning expression. The voice in the blue suit spoke up once more.
"Fine!" he declared, swiping a hoof through the air as if to cut something down. "I take it back!" he yelled, almost with an aura of triumph. "But I want you on your knees!" He was still soaking wet, his hair dripping water on the floor. "Right now! On your knees!" Just as the agent began to kneel down submissively, another voice cut in.
"That won't be necessary," Vinyl interrupted with her trademark smile. She lifted another glass filled with water off of the table, slowly walking towards the scene. The two voices parted as if to make way for her entry. "He is my Secret Service agent. So I take full responsibility."
"Miss Vinyl..." Emerald gasped under his voice, bewildered and stunned.
Slowly but surely, she brought the glass of water above her head, gracefully tipping the glass to its side before all of the water was dumped into her electric mane, as well as ruining the top half of the intricate gown with a single, fluid motion. With her typical smile not once leaving her face, she opened her eyes to look at the voices again. "I hope we're even now."
Just then, as the voices decided to back away from the scene, the unforgettable bell chime played through the PA system before a voice boomed though the regal ballroom. "We will now have a speech from the representative of our students," the voice announced through the whole school. "If she would kindly make her way to the stage at this time."
"Miss..." Emerald began to call out, but to no avail as she was already passing through two sets of doors, apparently unfazed by the scene which unfolded upon her just now.
I wanted emotion. I have grown up in exclusive surroundings. I know that what I ask for is a luxury. But still...
"Please wait!" Emerald called out, trailing shortly behind her through the gilded halls. He chased after again, stumbling on his way, but she continued on as if no one was there beside her. As if she were alone. ~
"Do you not understand your purpose in this god-damned industry, Vinyl? In this world?!" the voice yelled again, hazy. ~
Yes, I do. There has never been anyone who'd say something like that for me. I am the infamous, arrogant DJ, renowned across Equestria, and that is all I have ever been to those around me. I expected to live my life not understood by anyone, not noticed by anyone, all alone.
"Please wait!" he repeated, halting her merely inches away from the stage. "Do you really intend to go on stage like that?"
"I do." She didn't look back, but rather onward towards the stage. "I have no time to change and nothing to change into."
"This is all my fault," he sighed, a sincere tone of regret and guilt in his voice. He fell to the ground. "How can I ever make it up to you?"
"I understand," she said, still without looking back. "You are someone who does not, by nature, put on appearances." She looked back, as he looked up at her. "Emerald..." she whispered, happiness and gratefulness evident as could be.
"Thank you."
There is someone, even for me. Someone who wants to understand me. There is someone...
The speech had finally ended, and the two found themselves back in the gilded ballroom,alone together in a private section. "They're going to find something for you to change into," he assured.
"Sorry for that..." she whispered. "About that... And about yesterday." She barely let her voice above a whisper. "I-I'm sorry..."
Emerald gasped, quickly bringing a small cup of tea above his head and letting it fall upon him in a wave of shame.
"Wh-What are you doing?" she asked incredulously. "What will that accomplish?" she almost pleaded.
"True, it accomplishes nothing," Emerald conceded. "However... I simply had to do it."
"You really are... a total idiot." Vinyl smiled.
"This time, I am going to ask you," she continued. She held up her hoof to him, locking their eyes together. "Would you be my Secret Service agent?"
Emerald gasped. "Are you certain I am worthy?"
"Yeah," she said, looking away with feelings from guilt, to regret, to embarrassment, to joy.
"This time, you really won't be able to break your word," he pleaded.
"...Yeah."
Emerald removed the black glove from his hoof, slowly and gently, and offered it hers in a sign of bonding, a sign of friendship, and most of all, a sign of loyalty. "This time, we really won't be separated."
"Yeah," she concluded, a rare smile of friendship and trust on her face.
"Cross your heart, and hope to die?" he asked.
"Stick a needle in my eye."
Their hooves wrapped together, time seeming to come to a stop.
"I'll take the needle," he said with a hint of a laugh.
"What?!"
"So please don't kill me." |
Taken in Stride | 08. Heartbeat | Heartbeat 08
Tweeting of early mockingbirds floated up from the ground level, echoing through the area that surrounded the hotel. The Advent complex's garden roof was unusually calm today, save the breeze of the autumn wind and the sudden bursts of practice magic and their subsequent grunts coming from the blonde-maned colt. He discharged another bolt of electric blue magic, directly at a can he threw up as a target, shattering in pieces and floating to the ground.
"Cobalt..." the suited stallion whispered teasingly. "If you push yourself too hard, you'll hurt yourself," he said in an antagonistic playful tone.
"Shut up," the green colt grunted. "Once I see that man, I'm going to settle this once and for all. He's going to regret making a fool out of me." He flung a rock up into the air and expelled another blinding beam of magic to destroy it. "I know I'm not good right now, but I-"
"It's so nice out today," the stallion resumed in his un-charming carefree voice.
"Don't interrupt me!" he countered.
"It feels so good..."
"Hey! Are you even listening to me! Shut up! You always do this to me!" the colt continued, frustrated. However, he was only a whisper in the wind to the stallion.
"When the weather is this nice... It makes me want to go out and do something."
"Good morning, Miss Vinyl."
"Good morning, Emerald." The two exchanged their typical morning greetings, unchanged since even the first day of their service in each others' company. Even their voices, their rhythm in the simple sentence managed to stay identical, the act being as routine as waking up in the morning. Yet, Vinyl could never manage to look Emerald in the eye; it even proved difficult even to say his name directly to him. Their meeting quickly revived memories at the ballroom last night. ~
"This time, I am going to ask you," she continued. She held up her hoof to him, locking their eyes together. "Would you be my Secret Service agent?" ~
How embarassing, she thought, visibly blushing and cringing at the memories of that moment.
"It made me so happy yesterday," Emerald said, snapping her out of her trance, "when you asked me to enter into this contract with you." Vinyl stammered, unsure of what to say, so she let him continue. "Now I can serve you again," he remarked with a reassuring smile.
She gave a quick chuckle before responding, punctuating her persona. "I just thought it would be handy to have a bodyguard around in case something happens." Emerald appeared unfazed by the obvious lie, leading Vinyl to believe he's become accustomed to this habit.
"Yes," he agreed, acknowledging her false point. "But still, it made me very happy. However," he continued," I never imagined that taking you to school would bring much sorrow," he conceded with a wistful expression, almost on the verge of tears. "It's like a divine punishment," he crooned melodramatically. Vinyl sighed.
"It isn't just school," she told him, raising an eyebrow. "Seeing me go anywhere makes you sad."
"You're right. But I feel it makes me sadder than before." He paused, picking up her bags and holding her hoof in majestic fashion. "May I at least escort you on the way there?"
"Yeah," Vinyl said in a tight, restricted, embarrassed voice, her cheeks dyed a scarlet hue. Emerald closed his eyes and smiled, visibly overcome with joy.
"Thank you." Leading the way towards the elevator and gesturing her to come over, Emerald found himself almost nuzzling her as they were walking, and the effect it had on Vinyl was telltale.
What is this? As they were inside the elevator, she bowed her head and raised a hoof to her heart, feeling her heart beat with a deep blush, absolutely confused at the strange, unfamiliar pattern and fluttering she'd never felt before. ~
The school day passed, Vinyl managing to get through the day without any pointless groundless hostility, as, being the second day of school, it was quite lax and not laborious in the slightest. Despite this, she had decided to treat herself to a bath in the extremely well-refined bathroom - which was resemblant to an indoor pool - the complex had provided for all of its residents, as beautiful as the exterior would suggest.
The bath was unoccupied by anyone other than her at the moment, so Vinyl decided to spend a little over half an hour in the room. She faced the glass wall that also doubled as a window, staring out into the tranquil scenery of the complex's courtyard in the shroud of night. There were dim lights scattered along the cobblestone path that lead to the hotel, the light just barely reaching the surrounding abundancy of trees and the wildlife that inhabited them. Wind had blown leaves from time to time, evoking an eerie yet refreshing atmosphere in and out of the complex.
No other feeling in the world could measure up to the comfort of this. She took the time to readjust her unkempt mane and reconsider the morning's events that plagued her throughout the day. With her head thrown back in enigmatic abandon, she pondered the busy morning.
My heart rate's been weird since this morning...
Finishing her bath, she stood up and obtained a set of towels from the racks not too far from the pool-like bath. She draped a small cloth one around her head and mane, effectively drying them off before resting it around her neck, while she wore the other standard, generic pale blue robe. She sighed, stretching her limbs before lying down on a couch.
I can't seem to settle down.
As soon as she laid down, her cell phone began to vibrate, but only for a fleeting moment as she received an incoming text message. She flipped open her phone, greeted by the text "Message from: Emerald". He replied? She navigated to the message app, reading the text.
"I did nothing to deserve your thanks. Rather, I must thank you for sending me such kind e-mails. I am very grateful for your kind of treatment."
Again, she found her heart beating incredibly rapidly, figuring it would almost be audible to those around her, as well as herself. It raced and raced, showing no sign of stopping. There it goes again... Could this be what they call...
An irregular heartbeat?
Her tension eased up. With the move, it's been so hectic... I need to take care of my health.
Just then, the sound of an aluminum soda can clashing against metal brought her out of her thoughts. She looked in the direction, noticing a colt with a jade green fur coat, complemented with a blonde, frazzled mane. He turned around, noticing her as well, revealing brilliant blue eyes.
I wonder if he lives here. I've never seen him before.
"Hey, you," he called, pointing at Vinyl. "What are you looking at?" the colt asked aggressively as he walked over.
"You were looking at me first," she confessed.
"Stop staring at me. Look somewhere else."
"You first."
The colt paused, inspecting her more closely, recognizing her ever so slightly. Wait...
"You're that white-maned agent's partner, aren't you?" he asked accusingly. "Your attitude sucks."
"Huh?"
"I'm Cobalt, room one, and I'm a delinquent!" he yelled in a confident voice, raising a triumphant hoof. Vinyl laughed and smirked.
"Hah. You say that like you're proud of it," she remarked. "How kind of you to warn me." He visibly recoiled.
"I'm Vinyl Scratch," she continued, offering her hoof in a sarcastic hoofshake. "Room four."
Another person who won't take me seriously? Cobalt thought, his anger rising. "Just because I don't look as tough as an agent, doesn't mean I can't hurt you! I'm a delinquent! I'm fully capable of- ah!"
He was cut off by an arm dragging him backwards by the throat, revealing what Vinyl believed was his Secret Security agent. "Don't talk to ladies like that," he scolded playfully in a high pitched voice. The pony was dressed in the typical agent attire, exactly identical to that of Emerald's, except he had a distinguishing feature. Above his beige coat and brilliant red mane was a bandage strapped around his head, covering his right eye.
"Hellooo~," he crooned. "Nice to meet you~ Oh, who am I? I'm Joker! I'm Cobalt's Secret Service agent~" he said in a painful singsong voice.
"You're... his agent?" she asked in disbelief. [i\These agents aren't seeming very intimidating anymore; first, a shy girl who seems hungry all the time, and now a playful one acting like a clown?
The stallion, while appearing like a run-of-the-mill magician of some sort, possessed an air not unlike a sinister... well, joker. His bright red hair punctuated his brilliant smile, though she found the bandage covering his right eye very unappealing. He was by no means handsome by any standard, but rather cute in a mysterious, even sinister way. His verbal approach stayed true to none of it, however.
"I was born twenty-three years ago, with a weight of 3020 grams~ I quickly grew into a quirky boy. Virgo, blood type B. However, I see things I don't wish to see~" he admitted, ambiguous as ambiguous could be. "This is my sad story~"
"When looking to combat my distrust of humans," he continued, "I look to the east, to the west-"
Vinyl cut him off. "Wait, are you-"
He returned the favor. "Oh~! You wish to know more about me? Sorry, but I think a little mystery can be quite an enticement. How-ev-er~," Joker said, ending his playful tone and beginning a matter-of-fact one, yet still keeping an edge of playfulness around.
"I know everything about you, Vinyl Scratch. I also know what's causing your irregular heartbeat," he said, pointing towards her chest. She raised an eyebrow. "I know your past and your future~ All than can be seen and all that cannot be..." He nudged the bandage that covered his right eye.
"You're..." Vinyl began, only to be interrupted again.
His playful, joking tone resumed. "You may ask me anything about anything, so long as you win the match tomorrow~"
"Match?"
"I've come to challenge your agent to a death match," Cobalt admitted, yet still strangled under Joker's firm grip. She couldn't tell if he was serious or not, but given their demeanors, it was highly unlikely they were and he was simply overexaggerating, as he did earlier.
"That's right~!" the agent yelled, picking Cobalt up and hoisting him on his back like a baby.
Joker waved back at Vinyl as they left, an eager smile on his face. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow." |
Fallout: Equestria - Of Shadows | pre | The hollow-point bullet struck the gator's eye and blossomed on impact, shattering the lens like a mirror out of a nightmare. Gore exploded outwards and the monster let out a terrifying utterance of pain. It tried to pull its head back, but the many jagged teeth in its jaw caught on the broadcasting tower's gantries. As the radigator continued to recoil, the supports shrieked as they were bent out and snapped apart.
With its base eviscerated, the whole top of the tower swayed forwards, the weight of the many dishes and antennas succumbing to gravity. I felt the entire structure shudder as it toppled, throwing me forwards into the puny railing which snapped against my weight. I fell to the wet concrete, landing atop my bags and on my wounded side with a wet crunch that I both heard and felt. Around me, the tower crashed down in an ear-splitting cacophony, an I-beam striking the foundation beside me hard enough to crack it.
Wailing in pain but without any time to lose, I picked myself up and limped to the broadcasting station, flinging myself at the door. It swung inwards as I dropped to the ground, kicking the door shut behind me.
While I heard the radigator rage away outside, I curled up into a fetal position and held my bleeding side. The waterlogged healing bandages slid uselessly off of my stump, and I shook uncontrollably as my sopping wet mane and robes clung to my body. I tried to draw in a breath, but could only whimper in pain and fear, which gave way to a sob and then burst open the floodgates I'd been holding shut so desperately.
I wept for the souls of Die Cast and Drop Forge, for all of the Stable Dwellers who had undoubtedly been consumed by the swamps and its monsters.
I wept for Vox and Ardent, their lives taken far too early and far from home.
I wept for my family, who I would never see again.
I wept for Orange Kyanite, who would never know my true fate.
I wept for myself: a filthy, shivering, flightless, pathetic little pony with no friends, no clue, and no chance.
When I finally came about, I felt even worse than I had when I'd awoken in the Stable. I had passed out in a ball on the floor, caked in dried blood, scum, and mud. My joints were throbbing, my ribs felt painfully constricted, and there was a splitting headache coursing through my skull.
My thoughts were an endless slideshow of last night's horrors, the radigator's terrifying presence still fresh enough to send my pulse racing. After sprawling on the dusty floor for what felt like hours, wishing the Phoebe would swoop down and rescue me, I finally sat up on protesting haunches. My muscles felt like they'd been run through a grinder.
Sickly yellow morning light filtered in through the stained windows facing the collapsed remains of the radio tower. My sore eyes stung but gradually adjusted to the faint sunrays as I studied the illuminated interior of the station. Just below the windows were a wide switchboard and a dead terminal. A chair was sat before both, the padding completely disintegrated from age. A lone filing cabinet, its drawers missing, stood by the door, and faded posters of pre-war musicians lined the walls. Cobwebs gathered in the corners, drooping heavily with captured flies.
There were signs that I wasn't the first post-war pony to reside here; trash was scattered all over the floor, broken bottles of various beverages and healing potions were piled everywhere, and graffiti was scrawled across any blank surface, sometimes across the posters. I took a moment to read a few.
"I wish it would just kill me now."
"FUCK CELESTIA AND FUCK LUNA!" followed by a smaller comment, "I'd rather fuck Luna." A third responded to that one, "Seriously? What's wrong with Sunbutt?"
"Mom, Dad, I just wanted to say that you were right about everything. I'm so, so sorry."
"There's a Stable just south of here, but the door was locked."
"Moustachio rules!!!"
A line of dashes suggested somepony had lived here for thirteen days in a row.
"Brayton Rouge is all dead."
"aLl Work and nO play makES jackHaMMEr a DulL Buck." This was written multiple times, the already-poor quality fading into illegibility the farther down it went.
"Alloy, '77."
"I left some smokes on top of the cabinet. Be courteous and only take one." I checked, and sure enough, there was a half-empty pack of cigarettes resting atop the filing cabinet.
"THIS PLACE SUCKS."
The next scribbling caught my eye. "If you're lost, you're close to Buckwater. Head northeast. From one pony to another, good luck."
I reread those three sentences several times over. Buckwater. That must be a town. Whoever had written this, however many years ago, had given me a reason to keep going. Thank you.
With weak legs, I stood and stripped off my Scribe robes, which peeled off my coat in a way that made my skin crawl. The crimson fabric was now a splotchy rust color, sullied by multiple new holes and tears. I hung the robes on the edge of the filing cabinet alongside my undershirt. A stink hit me; I hadn't yet realized how awful I smelled.
Examining myself revealed just how wrecked my body now was. My side was gruesome, the stump covered in discolored half-healed scabbing. It had gone through far too much strain last night and needed to be disinfected, but there wasn't anything pure enough around that I would've trusted to wash myself with. Every leg was covered in fresh scars from running through the undergrowth, and I could feel dozens of itching bug bites. My graphite-colored mane and tail were both matted with grime, and my feathers were tarnished with muck. There was no way I would preen them before getting a bath of some kind.
I opened my saddlebags only to sigh in defeat. When I'd fallen from the tower last night, I had landed on my bags and shattered the healing potions. Only two bottles had survived, one of which I quickly downed with a grimace. Most of the other supplies were ruined by river water, including the camera, which was a crushing blow to my spirits. The voice recorder surprisingly still functioned, albeit with a little more static than it used to have.
Finally, the hardy old PipBuck was still kicking; even though the casing was coated with dried slime, it appeared otherwise undamaged. I wiped the screen off with a relatively clean corner of my undershirt and studied the STATS screen. I was still far from healthy, but I was certainly recovered enough to try and reach this nearby town.
I laid Riptide out to dry alongside anything else that had survived and sat back, rubbing my legs idly. This paltry collection was all I now possessed, so finding something to eat would be the first order of business once I set out. After that...
I had to find Buckwater.
Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk: Lead a Horse to Water, Rank 1: Despite never taking the plunge before, you've learned how to swim... or at least, how to avoid sinking.
New Quest Item Added: PipBuck 2000 - View detailed information regarding your health and location, detect radiation, manage and sort your inventory, interface with Stable-Tec technology, record or playback audio, and tune into radio frequencies. |
Fallout: Equestria - Of Shadows | Chapter 3: Guiding Light | "... And most importantly, you need to make some friends."
Once my clothes and supplies had dried out, I packed them up and cocked Riptide. Cracking open the broadcasting station's door, I peeked out, hoping I wouldn't be face-to-face with another monstrous swamp creature. The daylight better displayed the aftermath of the radigator's destructive rampage: everything above the radio tower's base had collapsed, snapping in half across the station's roof. The muddy ground was riven with canyons and prints, twisted metal shards protruding like rusted saplings, while a trail of wrecked foliage led off to the south. I thanked Celestia that I wasn't headed that way.
Stepping out of the station, I drew in a breath of damp, vaguely sweet swamp air. I activated my E.F.S. and referred to my compass, facing northeast. I anxiously hoped that Buckwater was reasonably near and welcoming of strangers; the idea of having to camp outside the settlement while a furious, half-blind radigator was still in the region wasn't a pleasant thought. I searched for my nine-millimeter pistol for at least an hour before I conceded defeat. Wherever it was, I couldn't seem to locate it; all the metal wreckage, muddy gator tracks and a tree taken out by the tower had hidden the rather diminutive weapon. I took some consolation in the fact that I at least still had Riptide on me.
Hoping to locate some long-overdue civilization, I set out in the general direction the graffiti had suggested. The daylight was comforting, helping me place my hooves, and I managed to retrace my way back to the river without issue. The tree bridge from last night was split in half and stuck haphazardly in the center of the river, still surrounded by debris that could easily hide a gator. I kept a good twenty yards between myself and the shore, with Riptide easily accessible from my saddlebag; I didn't know how far radigators could see while submerged, but I honestly didn't want to test it. The hollow-points were still ready to be emptied into any other behemoths that dared cross the path of Scribe Quillwright.
The thick swamp canopy hung low, nearly brushing the river, and as I followed the shore I found myself walking into blankets of moss draping over the branches of the ancient cypress trees. As I fought to untangle my mane from a fluffy green clump of overgrowth, my struggling shook something from the tree, which splattered against a network of roots ahead of me. Looking up, I could spot odd fruit resembling grey, shriveled apples. I picked one from a low-hanging branch and examined it, puzzled.
The PipBuck provided a description: "Wilt Apple. Infamous regional weed-fruit."
The wilt apple didn't look appetizing, but it was the first food I'd seen since leaving the Phoebe and I was absolutely starving. Bracing myself, I took a bite. The apple's skin was leathery, and the inside was mushy and bitter, but I forced myself to chew and swallow everything. Blanching, I could tell why they were infamous; the flavor was disgusting compared to a normal apple, but technically it was still a completely edible food. I'd tasted worse, but that wasn't saying much.
I forced myself to eat as much of the wilt apple as I could, knowing that I needed something to fill my stomach. I picked two more and stored them in my growing inventory, hoping I could afford to throw them away once I reached Buckwater.
It only took a few minutes for me to get bored. Turning my attention to the PipBuck, I remembered the device's built-in radio, and managed a little three-legged hop-skip while using my intact wing to gradually tune through frequencies. Frustratingly, I only received static, save for one or two brief bursts of music or voices; if the destruction of the radio tower last night had hampered the signal, it would be an awfully dull trip ahead.
I was about to give up when a distorted laugh caught my attention. Dialing carefully, I tried to tune out as much interference as I could. A weirdly accented voice began pouring from the speakers; a drawl unlike any I'd ever heard, even from the earth-poniest earth ponies I'd met. It was fast and high-pitched, barely pausing for breath.
"... An' Ah tol' 'er, y'ain't e'er gon' git tha' smell outta ye'er coat!" This was followed with an utterly ridiculous laugh, and the sound of thigh-slapping.
Oh Goddesses, this is the radio host? I groaned. One sentence and I already can't stand him... or UNDERstand him, for that matter.
"Heh... that is quite the story..." came another voice, vastly different from the first. It sounded... well, fancy, but in a unique way. "Je vous remercie, Gator Bait."
"Mah pleasure!"
The second voice cleared his throat. "Well, there you have it: Vim-Vam Dark does not make for a very good dye!" He continued to laugh, a little uneasily. "Heh heh... yes... alright... goodbye!" I heard a door slam in the studio.
"Well now," the voice sighed. "I must again apologize for the... ah... abundance of interviews recently, no? There simply has not been much news to report as of late." He paused. "But! Could it be? A new development?" There was a pause, as if the host was waiting for his listeners to cry out something. "Yes!" he shouted in triumph. "You heard it here first: an airship was spotted outside my home, flying southward! Yes! A ballon dirigeable! A flying one!"
My heart jumped. The Phoebe had been spotted by at least one pony living here!
"Who was piloting it, you ask? Sadly, I do not know. But I am sure that whoever was aboard is a newcomer to our land, so let us give them a very warm Mulisianan welcome, yes?"
Did it pass by the other way?
"Other than that, still no news, at least nothing happy. No. But! If you are passing by my home, do not be afraid to pop in and say bonjour! I am always eager to conduct an interview with anyone who has a story to tell."
I bit my lip, concerned. The radio host had seen us on the way here, but so far hadn't seen the Phoebe returning north. I desperately hoped that it was only due to Cider Vinegar steering the ship along a different route.
"And to get us back into the music, here is Big Dipper with his wonderful song, Life in Pink."
A catchy piano and trumpet ballad began to play from the PipBuck. After a minute of a strong beat, a deep, guttural, yet elegant stallion's voice poured out.
Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is life in pink
When you kiss me, heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see life in pink...
The beautiful melody echoed hauntingly through the trees, the acoustics strange thanks to the sound-dampening veils of moss surrounding me. After the first chorus, the singer was accompanied by another, a mare with a very high voice. The two complemented each other surprisingly well, the mare's sweet soprano weaving in and out with the stallion's rumbling baritone.
When you press me to your heart
I'm in a world apart
A world where roses bloom
And when you speak, angels sing from above
Everyday, words seem to turn into love songs
Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be in pink!
The songstress had begun to shout that last line a little too excitedly, but the two held the final note harmoniously. As the song came to an end, I found that my downtrodden, cautious trot had shifted into a half-prance, my head nodding to the beat.
The radio station continued to play all kinds of jazzy music, none of which I'd ever heard from any of Equestria's stations. The DJ didn't return, so I assumed he only broadcasted himself whenever there was news to be delivered or interviews to be held.
The river soon opened into a large, reedy bayou, and down the murky shore I could make out a wall surrounding an uneven collection of buildings. A few trails of smoke rose from the settlement, and a watchtower stood at one end.
"Yes yes yes!" I shouted, now fully prancing in delight. Finally, something had gone my way!
As I trotted briskly towards Buckwater, I came across the remnants of an old highway. The ancient asphalt was cracked and faded, weeds growing from every split. The road led past the entrance to Buckwater; turning off the road, a short dirt path lined with what looked like railroad ties brought me to the gate. The wall surrounding the town was a crude but functional fusion of planks, boards, corrugated metal, doors, and just about anything else that was tall, thin, and sturdy. As I neared, a guard lounging within the watchtower jerked into alertness as he saw me. Standing, the unicorn telekinetically lifted a beefy machine gun, aiming it at me.
"Who goes there?" he shouted.
I halted, switching off my radio and waving a hoof in a peaceful gesture. "Just a new visitor!" I yelled back. "Is this Buckwater?"
The guard nodded, his eyes still narrowed. "Yeah. Yeah, it is. You new 'round these parts or somethin'?"
"I am, actually."
The guard assessed me for a few moments, then lowered his gun. "Alright, head on in. Just mind yourself," he grumbled. He turned to the gate, focusing his magic. I heard a few clicks behind the wall, and then a green aura surrounded the large, grimy Sparkle~Cola billboard that served as a gate. It slid to the side and was hooked onto something behind the wall.
I nodded to him. "Thank you!" He didn't seemed concerned enough to reply, instead returning to his seat and harrumphing.
Stepping inside the worn ramparts, I took in the town of Buckwater for the first time. Four prominent structures were lined up on the center street, all of them constructed from what looked to be the same kind of wood, resting on two-foot-high stilts. Jutting from two of the buildings' roofs were towering metal smokestacks that coughed an occasional cloud of soot. The bayou itself was being utilized by farmers, who moved about with buckets on their backs, picking small purple berries from clusters of floating vines. A low-hanging net separated the cleaner water cultivated by the farmers from the rest of the marsh, which was strewn with debris and varnished with undisturbed algae.
Inland, dozens of small shacks, lean-tos, and tents separated the main buildings from the shore; a few campfires smoldered, surrounded by ponies roasting various kinds of animals on spits. On the opposite side of the main street, rows of sallow corn stalks and pens of brahmin and chickens filled the rest of the walled-off perimeter, a lone farmer tending to the crops. The wall wrapped around the entirety of Buckwater, each end gradually dipping into the bayou.
The main street in front of me was a muddy rut covered in hoofprints, trash, and puddles. On each side of the street were makeshift sidewalks constructed from warped and weathered planks, along which many townsponies and traders meandered about. I followed one of the sidewalks down the row of buildings to what looked to be a saloon, judging from the sign hanging above the door reading "Rotgut's Spirits".
Pushing open the door with a hoof, my shadow was cast into a dim, candle-lit room. Ponies of all shapes, sizes, and colors sat at tables conversing, gambling, and drinking. Several paused and turned to watch as I entered, their conversations lulling for a moment. Though I could feel eyes on my wing, I drew myself up and strode confidently to the bar, most customers returning to their activities. Plaques lining the walls displayed objects of interest, from mounted mirelurk claws to an old ship's wheel to an old banjo. Fishing nets were suspended from the ceiling, dangling lanterns and brightly colored floaters over the tables.
The bartender, a large, steel-grey earth pony wearing a stained apron and a straw boater hat, was in the middle of a presumably funny discussion with a patron sitting at the bar. I stepped up, planting my hoof on the counter, and waited. The bartender let out a final guffawing laugh, and then turned to me, his amused expression unchanged. He sneered as his eyes ran me up and down.
"What's with the getup?"
He'd likely never seen a Steel Ranger before. "Uh..." I brushed my hoof against my starched, discolored robes, but couldn't come up with a witty response. "It's comfy?"
The bartender gave me a disbelieving look. "If'n you say so. I'm Rotgut, an' I own this joint. You want somethin' t' drink?"
"Well... what's the cheapest thing here?"
Rotgut reached under the counter, lifting a jug. "Rainwater. Stuff ain't anythin' special, but it's better than nothin'." He poured a small serving into an old coffee mug. "Since I've never seen you 'round here before, you get a free sample." He pushed it to me. "Any more, I'ma need some caps."
"Th-thanks!" I peered into the cup at the slightly green water. "Also, I uh... I was wondering if there was a map I could look at or some kind of guide here."
"You lookin' to venture through the swamps?" He pointed to a table in the corner. "Best bet'd be Willow Wisp. You've got good timin', she just got back to town yesterday."
I thanked him again and worked my way through the maze of tables towards the back, taking a quick swig of rainwater. The water contained minor radiation according to the PipBuck, but not enough to be of any consequence.
I slowed as I reached the table Rotgut had pointed to. The unicorn sitting behind it looked conspicuously out of place compared to everypony else I'd seen thus far; she was clad head-to-hoof in a dark cloak, the hood pulled far over her face and a grey horn poked out of the top. A half-empty glass of ale was before her. I took a seat across the table from Willow Wisp, stowing my saddlebag under the table and trying to make eye contact with the unicorn.
"I heard you're the pony to see if I need a guide," I ventured.
The mare turned her head towards me calmly. "You heard right. And who might you be?"
Straightening, I replied, "Head Scribe Quillwright of the Steel Rangers."
Willow tilted her head slightly. "And a Steel Ranger needs my assistance because...?"
"I became separated from the rest of my unit. I need to get to the border of Equestria, but I can't make the trip on my own."
Willow scoffed. "All de way to de border? Dat's crossing more den five hundred miles of de deadliest expanse of land in all of Equestria." Her accent was yet another I'd never heard before; like a combination of earth pony drawl and the fancy talk I'd heard from the radio DJ.
I set my jaw. "I know. That's why I'm asking for your help."
With a harsh and scornful laugh, Willow shook her head. "You sure look like hell. Where'd you come from, anyway? How'd you even get dis far sout'?"
I lowered my head. "We have an airship, and took it all the way from Fillydelphia to Stable 56, which is nearby. Some... complications arose, and the others left without me."
Willow sat back, whistling. "Some friends." Gazing around the room, she commented, "I dunno. Are you sure you're up for some'ting like dis?"
"Of course. Are you?"
Willow leaned her head forward, and I could see her eyes glint. "Nopony in dis town knows dese lands better den I do. If you want my help, den it's gonna run you five hundred caps upfront."
I barely held back a groan. Five hundred? I don't even have one! Externally, however, I remained stoic. "Three hundred."
Willow shook her head again, and I could hear a faint jingle from somewhere in her cloak. "Not'ing less, no. You ain't got a clue about de type of merde dat's out dere."
I need an edge. Thinking quickly, I reached for my drink only to accidentally tip it over. The mug fell over the edge of the table, cracking on the floor and drenching the passing waitress's hooves.
"Watch it!" she shouted in irritation.
"Sorry!" I apologized, dropping beneath the table. In a flash, I withdrew the Mint-al tin from my bag and consumed one. My ears felt like they'd popped from a change in altitude, picking up even the softest noises surrounding me. The termite-eaten wood beneath my hooves sharpened in detail, and my brain felt a rush of inspiration. When I rose, placing my cup back on the table, I felt like a whole different pony.
"Three hundred when we depart, seven hundred upon safe arrival at the border; my allies will be waiting for me there." Hopefully.
My perceptive eyes could see the glint under Willow's hood widen. Quite a bit, actually. "One t'ousand total?" Her voice had a hint of incredulity; I needed to reassure.
"I'm a Head Scribe for the Rangers. A thousand is a drop in the bucket with a paygrade like mine."
"You've got a salary?"
I waved her off with a hoof. "Not all of it is caps; the wealth of technology we uncover on a daily basis would surprise you." Lowering my hoof but raising my leg, I let the candlelight gleam off of the attached bracelet. "Not every Ranger gets a PipBuck." Please don't recognize how outdated it is.
Willow paused; I was getting through. Time to play my ace.
"Plus, I can tell you're just aching to leave this dump."
Underneath the table, I had noticed one of Willow's legs bouncing with anxious energy. She wasn't one for staying still; she liked being in the wilderness or an adventure. She might be playing it cool now, of course, but it was a hunch I was willing to play off of.
The unicorn took a deep breath, leering at me beneath her hood. My heightened hearing could just barely make out a "dammit" under her breath before she sighed.
"Fine. A t'ousand, in hard caps."
"I'll count them out myself," I sussed, internally pumping my hoof in triumph.
"I expect my advance payment wit'in twenty-four hours. 'Til den, I'll be in my home at de edge of town, fixin' for de trip." Willow stood, moving next to me. "I can mark it on your PipBuck."
Once my map had been updated with her home's location, Willow looked at me. Closer, I could see that she wore what looked like a thin scarf around her mouth; paired with her hood, it was impossible to see her face.
"An' you'll wanna make some supplies for de trip, 'cause I won't be packin' for bod' of us. I'm a guide, not a foalsitter."
I nodded, just glad to have made progress. "Understood."
"See you in a day." As she left the establishment, she exchanged nods with a few patrons and with Rotgut. Willow Wisp seemed to have a reputation around here.
I returned to the bar, placing my mug on the counter with the large split down the side facing away from Rotgut. If he noticed, he didn't appear to care.
"What's the best way to earn caps around here?" I asked the bartender.
He smirked. "Willow charged a bit much, eh?" Watching me nod in response, he continued, "Well, you can swing by the general store and sell most anythin'. Maybe help the farmers with odd jobs, an' there're a few ruins to the west, includin' an ol' Ministry hub. Somepony with a PipBuck like yours might be able to find somethin' that ain't been picked clean."
Looking pleadingly at Rotgut, I prodded, "You... don't have anything that needs doing? A delivery? Something that needs fetching? Radroaches in the basement or something?"
"What? No... we ain't even got basements here!"
Oh yeah. "Uh... nevermind. Thanks for everything."
After crossing the street, trying to avoid as much of the litter, muck, and filth as possible, I trotted down the sidewalk to the general store. As I entered I spotted a purple unicorn propping his head up in boredom behind the front counter, fiddling with an abacus while he telekinetically sorted through a stack of papers. Around the room, various pre-war products, tools, and knick-knacks were propped up on desks, end tables, and shelves. Several magazine racks displayed assorted reading material, and upon a few rickety clothes racks were all manner of barding, armor, and gear.
A grizzled, armored pony leaned against one of the walls, conversing with a similarly-clad griffon. The pair turned and appraised me, their suspicion slowly morphing into amusement. I was getting really tired of these judgmental glances I was attracting around Buckwater. Either no one's seen a Steel Ranger before, or they have and I'm the sorriest-looking excuse for one they've met.
I took a few steps forward, and the store owner at the desk shouted at me in irritation.
"Hey! Wipe your hooves!"
Halting, I glanced down, realizing I'd tracked wet mud inside. Stepping back ashamedly, I dug my hooves into an old, frayed mat just inside the doorway. Once I was acceptably sanitary, I approached the storefront.
"Sorry," I murmured.
The unicorn kept a stoic face, still flipping through his stack of receipts. "Yeah. I'm Tough Sell. You new here?"
"Is it that obvious?"
He only nodded. "Well, in case you couldn't tell, this here's the only proper store in town." Gesturing over my shoulder, Tough Sell continued, "Rotgut's got the food and drink. You want anything else, you come here." I noticed with curiosity that there were several pristine sets of Stable 56 barding hanging from the wall behind the merchant, and the glass case that served as the front counter displayed neatly organized rows of "stimpaks" like I'd seen in the Stable's manufacturing floor.
"How'd you acquire all these Stable items?"
Tough Sell sighed; I figured he had to explain this to most customers that came in. Straightening, he pushed the papers and abacus to one end of the counter. "Buckwater here was founded by the Dwellers of Stable 56. My grandparents were among them; almost two hundred ponies left the Stable, and a bunch of 'em decided this spot would make for a decent settlement. The rest all went off on their own separate ways." Tapping the glass, "We've made it pretty good for being such a slimy mudhole. We're the original home of stimpaks, and we sell ours at a bargain compared to what you'll pay for 'em in Divide."
I raised a brow. "What's so special about them?"
"Say you're looting some ruins and take a bad step. You land wrong, breaking your leg; I know you pegasi have hollow bones, right? Healing potions can't repair bones, you don't have a horn or a helpful unicorn doctor nearby. Suddenly, the woods around you begin chirruping." He leaned in close, his voice dropping dramatically. "Goremoths. There's a swarm coming, but you can't move fast enough to hide. The bugs swoop down and bite your flesh with their pincers, stripping it clean from your bones and overpowering your pathetic attempts to fight them."
'Gore-moths'? This wildlife sounds delightful.
"But before you're left bleeding out on the floor, let's go back to the fall. You were cleverly prepared, and brought along a stimpak." Tough Sell slid the back of the case open, floating out one of the syringes. "You inject it into your leg, and bam; your bones fuse themselves back together immediately. No braces, no magic, just good old-fashioned science." He placed the stimpak before me, smiling. "Only fifty caps each."
"That sounds like magic to me."
With an exasperated roll of his eyes, Tough Sell groaned, "Look, I don't know exactly how they were made, alright? These are what were left over from the Stable, I didn't build them myself. Besides, these days it's better to avoid too much connection to magic. I wanna keep my horn intact."
I didn't quite know what that meant, but I admitted, "They're definitely impressive. I came here to sell, though."
Tough Sell seemed to deflate for a moment, but recovered promptly. Returning the stimpak to the display case, he exhaled. "If it has any value, I'll buy it."
Dropping my saddlebags, I sought about inside, retrieving an inkwell. "Let's see... first, here's plenty of extra ink!" I grinned, presenting it to him.
He lifted it with his magic, held it up to an attentive ear and shook it. Listening to the contents churn within, he considered for a moment. His eyes darted to a sheet of parchment on the counter, covered in sales figures. "Hm... four caps."
I was still feeling charismatic thanks to the Mint-als. "Ten."
Tough Sell nickered. "It's ink. Ain't worth the same as a half-loaded magazine."
"And you brought over a hundred years worth of ink out of the Stable?"
He shook his head. "Passing merchants always seem to have some on hoof. They've never charged more than five."
Crap. I was hoping I could pull off another slick haggle like I had with Willow Wisp, but either my bartering skills were that terrible compared to Tough Sell or the Mint-als were already wearing off. I relented, "Okay then, five."
"Didn't you hear me?" He sat the inkwell on the counter, stern eyes watching me. "I said four."
He's too good at this. "Fine."
Tough Sell placed four bottlecaps on the glass next to the inkwell with a clink.
I pulled the voice recorder from my bag. "This still works," I spoke loud and clear while holding down a button on the side. Releasing it, I hit the playback button. "This still works," croaked the recorder, the static suddenly sounding a whole lot worse now that I was trying to sell it.
"Eight caps."
"Ten. How many working recorders have you seen?"
"How many diaries do you think I keep?"
Uh... He didn't really seem the type to just ramble out all of his thoughts for somepony else to find a century later. "Nine?"
"Eiiight... caaaps," he said slowly, enunciating as if I was hard of hearing.
"Right. Eight it is."
The caps were added to the stack, and the recorder was set next to the inkwell.
Next came the camera. Tough Sell seemed impressed at its condition until I explained to him, "It's water damaged, but I know there are some valuable components inside." Before he could set down a price, I tried to take control. "Thirty caps."
The store owner laughed. A real, genuine laugh. "Thirty for that? Oh, Luna, you're a riot." Seeing my expression shift to uncomfortable humorlessness, he quieted. "You're serious."
I nodded my head.
Tough Sell narrowed his eyes. "Listen, filly. This is my store; I decide the value, and that camera isn't worth any more than fifteen to me. I'm not building M.E.W.s here."
Take it! the little pony in my head eagerly recommended.
"Deal. Sorry about jumping the gun."
Tough Sell seemed pleased. "It's fine; just do well to remember it." The camera was exchanged for caps, which had grown into a multicolored pile of twenty-seven. Not too shabby. Only two hundred and seventy-three left.
"Anything else?" my buyer asked.
I thought for a moment, but shook my head. "Nope." As I reached over the counter to scoop the caps into my saddlebag, Tough Sell's eyes lit up.
"Does that PipBuck work?"
The bottlecaps poured into my bag with a satisfying rattle. "Eeyup."
"I'll buy it for three hundred caps."
I froze. Three hundred? With that, I could fund my trip right now, and with the extra, layover in town for a night and even buy dinner!
"Why would somepony from a town of Stable descendants need a PipBuck?" I asked, trying to buy myself some time to consider the offer.
Tough Sell's expression fell into a begrudged glower. "Guess those Stable-Tec folks ran outta their budgeted bits when they constructed such a huge Stable, 'cause they only gave the supervisors PipBucks." The store owner's frustration only seemed to double. "Most o' them led a group to Mareami when the Stable cleared out. Only PipBuck left in town was inherited by Guilty Pleasure..." he trailed off, his eyes focusing past me with a jealous glare as he presumably fantasized about having one of his own.
I studied the advanced bracelet's deteriorated but sturdy frame, still guarding a two-century-old spark processor. Staring into the gently flickering screen, I could only think of Vox. It wasn't mine to sell.
"It's not for sale," I replied simply.
Tough Sell winced. "Four hundred."
That's almost half of what you promised Willow! my little pony reminded me. You'd be rich!
And I'd also be dishonoring Vox and the Scribes who had entrusted the device to our safekeeping. I wasn't about to pawn it off to the first pony who offered to buy it from me.
I poured on my best Tough Sell impression. "Nooot... fooor... saaale."
The store owner seemed taken aback. I swore he was about to offer five hundred caps, but decided better of it. He resignedly picked his newly procured items off of the counter. "Whatever. The offer still stands if you change your mind."
Thanking him for his business, I left the general store. The day was at its brightest, which was to say it was still an overcast "afternoon", with an added piss-colored tint. I could visit the farmers and see about helping them, and then perhaps find those ruins spoken of by Rotgut. I still had an entire day to gather the remainder of the caps I needed. I felt pretty optimistic, all things considered.
My Mint-al high had worn off by now, muting the vivid senses I'd been taking advantage of. I'd used Mint-als before and was used to the crash when they wore off, but still missed the ability to acutely eavesdrop on discussions across the street.
The farmers were knee-deep in the brown water, their legs covered in mud and their faces splattered with berry juice. I cantered up to one, peeking over his shoulder at the floating plant he was attending to.
"What are these?" I asked, curious.
"Tarberries," he answered, tossing a small bunch into the bucket sitting on his back. "A local speciality."
"What do you use them for?"
Finished with his current patch, the farmer moved to the next. "Well, they c'n be eaten as-is, an' go well wid' meat 'er corn. We c'n also press 'em inta juice, 'er ferment 'em inta wine. Far as Ah know, they only grow 'round these parts."
I studied the tarberry cluster. The vines spiralled outwards, with the small purple berries sprouting every few inches. Wide lilypad-like leaves grew from the bottom, giving the plant ample buoyancy, and thin roots extended into the water from the base of the leaves. The "harbor" of Buckwater was filled with several dozen patches, and therefore hundreds of berries. It was quite a prospering farm they had set up.
"Do you need any help?"
The farmer looked at me, a tarberry hanging from his mouth. Questioning in his eyes, he spit the fruit into his bucket and asked, "Help? Why're yew feelin' so generous?"
Hot shame crept into my face; he'd been expecting me to help out of the goodness of my heart. "Well, I... kinda need some caps."
"That 'splains it," he grumbled. "Ah guess yew could help pick that row there." He nodded to the line of tarberries next to his, about six patches long. "There'd be 'bout ten caps in it fer ya, Ah guess."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you! I promise I'll do a good job!"
Ten minutes later, I'd taken off my robes and rolled the sleeves of my undershirt up, leaving my saddlebags and PipBuck on dry ground. I was getting used to the feel of swamp water and mud covering my legs, which I supposed was a good thing. The tarberries took a bit of effort to pick from their vines without being crushed, and I'd already bitten three in half by accident as the generous farmer explained the work to me. They tasted amazing; I made a mental note to pick as many as I saw in the wild, despite the farmer's certainty that Buckwater was their only home.
Farming was surprisingly therapeutic, helping to take my mind off of my relentless anxiety. Another worker, an earth pony mare, was filling her own bucket next to me, and we struck up a friendly conversation as we worked. She had lived in Buckwater her whole life, as had the rest of her family, who was descended from Stable 56's Dwellers. Out of the Stable, the first few days for her grandparents had been very rough indeed. Under constant threat of creatures like radigators and goremoths, the large group had struggled across the soggy terrain, trying to find a suitable home. The radiation back then was much stronger, as well; thirty-seven ponies died the first day alone. Twelve died the next, and on the fifth, a tropical radstorm blew in which killed over forty.
Unwilling to make the long journey to either Neigh Orleans or Brayton Rouge, the group came across the bayou here, where an old steamboat had washed ashore. Almost a hundred voted to stay here and repurpose the craft, while the rest sought their own futures. The steamboat had enough wood and resources to construct most of the buildings on the town's main street, and by scavenging the Ministry hub nearby and a small township to the east, the settlers gradually built up a place they could call home, farming the abundance of tarberries growing on the bayou. Along the highway, wanderers began to stop by, and trade started up with other postwar settlements around Mulisiana. The rest, she concluded, was history.
Once I'd finished my row, I presented my harvest to the old farmer, who thanked me and rewarded me with a small pouch filled with ten bottlecaps. Two hundred and sixty-three to go.
Reequipped, I referred to the regional map on the PipBuck's DATA screen. A small marker had been placed a mile to the west, where the old Ministry of Image hub should be located. The day was far from over, and I figured I could make it there and back before dark. I didn't know what I was going to do for dinner or a bed that didn't involve caps, so maybe I could find something to take care of both in the ruins.
A bridge built by the ponies of Buckwater crossed the river just before the mouth opened into the bayou. While decently sturdy-looking, it took me several tries to work up enough courage to make it across, the entire time spent scanning the water below for any minutiae of movement. Thankfully, no radigators interrupted me this time, and I was back in the swamps again.
The trip was uneventful, the tunes from the newly-discovered radio station keeping me alert. Faint sunrays filtered through the trees and shimmering dazzlingly across the many fens covering the landscape. In an hour, I'd reached a small glade where a one-lane road led into a gated complex. The walls were crumbling with age and the gates themselves were rusted frames barely able to stand on their own, vines intertwining with the black bars. I stepped inside and observed the first remnants of pre-war society I'd seen in Mulisiana.
The drive led into a cul-de-sac that branched off into three buildings while wrapping around a tall, ancient-looking tree. Directly ahead was the tallest of the three, an elegant white structure with flowing architecture, to the left was a wider, less showy building and to the right was a pile of rubble and ruined wood. Only a few splintered supports stood as evidence that a structure had once been here; I guessed that it had been made almost entirely of wood, scavenged by Buckwater's founders. A blackened, desiccated mattress lay amidst the rubble, implying that the building was once some sort of home or quarters.
Rounding the tree, the husk of an old passenger wagon rested on the curb, its metal frame warped with rust. Next to the tree was a mound of dirt as long as me, with an old shovel nearby, the grave of someone long gone. Leaves carpeted the asphalt, crunching underhoof in a very satisfying way.
I entered the wider stone building, which was revealed to be housing a number of old printing presses. The remains of parchment and posters were dissolved into the floor, eaten away by time, weather, and insects. The room's white, purple, and blue wallpaper was peeling and stained by years of rainwater, creating a gross mixture of colors.
A nearby printer sat open, the type scattered across the floor like old teeth. Trying to read the backwards and incomplete phrases in the machine, I could only make out one legible line: "The Ministries Are Fighting For You."
Desks with typewriters sat alongside the presses, and I excitedly grabbed a nearby folder containing several relatively clean sheets of paper. An old quill, dirtied by the elements but still in usable condition, joined the papers in my saddlebags, as did a half-empty ink ribbon under a desk. I studied the presses and typewriters, prying off anything that looked to be of use, and a short while later I had several pounds of metal components that I would try selling later.
The other building was an administrative office; the front desk held an old silver bell which, amusingly, still rung after I tried it. A back room seemed looted of anything valuable, including what must have been a large desk, judging by the empty space in the center and the imprint left on the old shag carpet. I flipped over a painting resting askance in the corner, taking in the smudged oil image. A white unicorn with a styled purple mane sat alluringly in a plush chair: Rarity, Mare of the Ministry of Image.
While the painting might have fetched a good price once, it was far too worn-out to be appealing, and there was no way I'd be able to haul it back through the swamp. Leaving it, I was about to exit the room when I noticed an old terminal dumped onto its side, likely tossed off the desk. It was long-dead, but using the connector cable from the PipBuck, I was able to access the computer's hard drive. The stalwart casing had managed to protect the information it contained, and I downloaded a few messages, not expecting to find anything interesting.
"Gussy,
I heard you've had the team working overtime there, and I just wanted to check in and see if you were doing alright. It can't be easy, isolated out there with only your coworkers for company. I know you knew what you were getting into signing up, and I was hoping to learn that it's everything you expected it to be.
-M."
"It's a damn nightmare down here. The printing hasn't been much of a problem, but the cultures down here are so diverse that trying to track down all zebra-related material is almost impossible. Neigh Orleans is the worst; when you've got a harbor city as trafficked as it is, you're going to have way too many opinions to try and manage and too many books to rectify. Even two years after the zebra relocation, we still have ponies there who have no idea that Equestria's in immediate danger of all-out war. I swear, I didn't think much of Mulisiana before coming here, but I'll be more than happy to leave this humid hellhole once we exterminate those striped bastards."
"Gussy,
I'm sorry to hear that; I know Rarity's been sending you her regards, but frankly she's just as overworked as the rest of us. I've got your well-being in my prayers. BTW, I remember you mentioning a gift for her?
-M."
"I feel for her. But yeah, I've got quite the present for her, once I get back to you all in Fillydelphia. I have to keep it under wraps since I had to slip into Brayton Rouge one night to buy it, but it'll blow Rarity's mind. I can see myself getting at least two promotions for this."
Intrigued, I wondered what this gift spoken of could be, and where it had been hidden. Scouring the administrative building, I couldn't find any containers that hadn't already been cleared of their contents. I was about to concede, assuming the gift had been taken by a scavenger at some point in the two hundred years since the messages were sent, but paused while trotting past Gussy's office. There was one location I hadn't checked yet... but I hadn't had a reason to until reading the terminal's entries. Gripping the edge of the rug in my teeth, I pulled it back to reveal a metal plate in the center of the room, and beneath that I uncovered a crate protected by a nearly burned-out water ward. Inside was a well-preserved ten-millimeter pistol lying atop a gorgeous purple dress and feathered hat.
Jackpot! I cut a little celebratory dance, not caring that it was more akin to the throes of a mentally unhinged pony.
The dress was really something incredible; it was a white southern belle design with flowing, frilly edges, elegant diamond motifs and purple details running the length. The hat was similarly fancy, matching the dress flawlessly. Very carefully, I folded the dress and managed to stuff it into my saddlebags, but I would have to carry the hat separately. Or wear it! my little pony reminded me. Eh... sorry, but it just doesn't match my robes.
Exiting the administration building back out into the hub, I hummed a tune stuck in my head since this morning. I breathed in the earthy, cloying scents gently drifting through the air, which were gradually becoming familiar to my senses. Trotting down the front walk, I activated the PipBuck's lamp and started towards the gates. In a few moments, my lust for music nagged too insistently to ignore, so I paused to switch the radio on. As the clip-clop of my hooves and the crunching of leaves halted, however, my ears perked to a new noise in the distance.
It was difficult to tell if I was imagining it or not; concentrating intently, I could sense a shrill dissonance echoing through the trees ahead. The best comparison I could draw was to the cicadas I'd heard last night, but this seemed higher pitched. I neared the crumbling gates, all tunes in my head muted, and peered out as far as the PipBuck's light reached. A flapping of wings startled me, and I jumped back as a flight of bats shot past overhead. They squeaked urgently, and I watched as they scattered around the hub's tree and seamlessly regrouped around it, fluttering back into the darkness.
I sighed in relief, but as I turned back to the entrance, I noticed that the noise was still there; louder, now, and certainly not from the same direction as before. I racked my brain to ascertain what the noise could possibly be, until the little pony in my head finally recalled a relevant quote for me.
'Suddenly, you hear a chirruping in the woods around you: goremoths.'
I felt an electric shock of fear burst through my veins, causing me to start. I began backing towards the tree in the center of the hub. The sound was growing louder, approaching, and my rump was pressed back into the trunk, my eyes straining to discern the dusky environment. I spotted a group of silhouettes dart across the sky and redirect towards me; dropping the hat, I spun and started to gallop towards the admin building. I stumbled as I caught a hoof on the shovel next to the grave; thinking quickly, I picked the tool up in my mouth and sprinted for the door.
I felt large, silky soft wings brush my mane as a goremoth landed on my back, the insect chittering loudly. I screamed through my teeth, trying to shake the thing off of me, but its barbed feet had a firm grip on my robes. I rushed back inside the administration building and kicked the front doors shut just in time to hear my pursuers thunk against them at high speed.
The goremoth's wide, flat pincers bit down against my spine, pulling up and getting a... mouthful... of robe and skin alike, and with a violent tug, it tore both from me. I shrieked in agony as I felt my flesh separate, the cold feeling of exposed tissue quickly covered by a warm gush of blood, running down my sides and onto the floor. I twisted and bucked, unable to detach the insect as it then inserted its proboscis into my back, not unlike the prick of a needle, and I felt it beginning to feed.
My mind went utterly blank with horror, all thoughts other than survival pushed aside. I threw myself into the wall, cushioned by the shiveringly-soft goremoth. My weight was enough to stun it for a brief second, and its grip loosened. Thrashing, I threw the moth across the room, where it landed on the floor with a thump. It began furiously beating its blood-vessel-covered wings as it tried to right itself and escape.
I was faster, however, and charged towards it, leaping into the air and bringing my hooves down on the insect's abdomen. It crunched disgustingly, its pale guts and crimson blood squirting over the grey floor, and I blindly trampled its carcass, still in panic mode. After turning the goremoth into a fine paste, I backed up, trembling with pain and shock as tears leaked from my eyes. Sliding off my saddlebags, I retrieved a healing potion, which began to reseal my flowing wound. I was still dizzy from the amount of blood the goremoth had managed to drain from me, and sat quivering as I looked at the front door.
A single goremoth had nearly been able to kill me, and there'd been at least eight in its little flock. They were still outside somewhere, no doubt lying in wait for me to attempt an escape.
I racked my brain for options. Riptide still had four shots, and the newly-acquired ten-millimeter from the admin's office had nine. The shovel I had carried in was still just inside the doorway, where I'd dropped it. Nopony had mentioned how to combat goremoths, and I'd been too shortsighted to ask. I'd only ever seen the tiny "normal" moths from Equestria, which I'd never minded. I am never gonna see them the same way after this. Thinking of small moths did inspire an idea, however.
Moving to one of the tall windows next to the door, I peered out, trying to see past the accumulated lime and dust. It was too dark to discern much, but the goremoths certainly weren't in my direct line of sight. I quietly unlatched the window and slid it open, and then unclipped the PipBuck from my leg. With the lamp function still activated, I flung it out of the window. The brightly glowing device bounced twice on the dead lawn and rolled to a stop on the sidewalk, the screen facing towards me.
I flinched in surprise as the goremoth swarm, which had been clinging to the building's front wall in complete silence, launched itself forward and swarmed the PipBuck while emitting nightmare-inducing calls. My targets now highlighted and grouped together, I aimed the ten-millimeter pistol over the sill and emptied the magazine. The sheer amount of bullets compensated for my lackluster aim, shredding the fragile insects' wings and bodies. I managed to kill or maim all but one, which launched into the air and shot towards the open window, screeching.
Dropping the pistol, I turned and lifted the shovel. As the goremoth swooped over the sill, I swung hard. The metal spade connected with a meaty thud, launching it into the far wall like a baseball, dropping to the floor. The insect's broken wings fluttered weakly as I shut the window; the subtle irony of the image not lost on me, I proceeded to lift my shovel and beat the ever-living shit out of the goremoth.
Buckwater was still just as lively in the evening, and I made it back into Tough Sell's shop just in time to witness the pony bartering with a frail old mare who was presenting a ceramic dinner plate to him. Rather than waiting in line behind her, I investigated the magazine rack while I listened.
"... 'An lastly, this plate was my mother's, an' her mother's, an' her..." the customer's voice was quavering reverently.
"I understand." Tough Sell wheedled. "It's... quite elegant. Very floral."
"This 'ere plate survived both megaspell strikes on Neigh Orleans, an' the floods, an' the Great Storm, an' attacks from slavers, an'..."
"Yes. Very resilient."
I glanced up from a copy of Popular Moochanics to see Tough Sell turning the plate over with his magic, inspecting the condition. He looked bemused, likely ready to close up shop.
"I can't help but notice, however, there are quite a few... hairline fractures down the center..."
The mare nodded solemnly. "Yessir, this 'ere plate was in my dear granny's pack when she were attacked in Saint Mare's by slavers, she were struck by a wild pony usin' a..."
Tough Sell frowned. "Yes, well, the patterns are quite pleasing to the eye from a distance, but in daily use..." He squinted, sighting down the edge. "I can't imagine the plate being useful for anything beyond some kind of tacky wall decoration." He gingerly placed it on the counter. "Four caps."
"F-four?" The old mare looked offended. "Do ye' even know who made this?"
"I frankly don't care." I wanted to buck that smug look off Tough Sell's face so badly. "Take it or leave it."
After shaking her head in dejection, the mare finally agreed. "... Alright." I felt sorry for her as she surrendered her heirloom to the indifferent merchant. She scooped her caps into a tattered old coin purse and ambled out, leaving Tough Sell to glance over in my direction.
"Hey! I'm closing up, it's time to leave," he called.
I feigned surprise as I looked up from an article detailing Solaris Incorporated's newest robotic achievements. "Huh? Oh, I... I have some things to sell." My tail kept the hat out of view as I returned the magazine and trotted up to the counter. I placed the few random bits of printer parts on the counter, a paltry collection barely the size of a hoof.
Tough Sell smirked and opened his mouth to give a condescending appraisal before I interrupted him. "Oh, and one more thing." I pulled the dress from my saddlebags, watching in satisfaction as the stallion's jaw fell to the floor.
"Wh-where...?" he choked, incredulous.
I laid it out on the counter, resting the hat on top. "M.O.I. hub." Not even trying to hide my smug grin, I looked to him. "I think we both know how much this is worth."
"Th-three hundred caps..." Tough Sell sputtered.
I didn't even need Mint-als as I replied dryly, "Three-fifty."
The merchant paused, still shocked at my find. "... Three-forty."
"Done."
Learning even more about Mulisianan economics, I received a bag of forty caps, a mixture of red Sparkle~Cola caps and green-and-white caps with an ornate letter V engraved into the steel. Three of the caps were black with an especially intricate green V printed into the top; these special designs, as Tough Sell explained, were worth a hundred standard ones, and kept large amounts of currency manageable. I also sold the pistol which earned me a blue-and-white cap worth fifty, and got three caps for the components pulled from the printing presses. I could fund the first payment to Willow Wisp and still have a hundred and thirty left over.
I left Tough Sell's in high spirits, spying the inn that sat across the street. I planned on getting something better tasting than wilt apples at Rotgut's and then finding myself a proper bed for the night.
"Hey, honey!" I heard a sultry voice call out in my direction.
I instinctively turned, searching for the speaker. My gaze met that of an earth pony mare in a seductive dress standing outside the building next to Tough Sell's, which I only now realized was a brothel. Her sky blue mane fell across her shoulders, pleasantly complementing her pale pink coat. She leaned against the porch's railing, her head tilted and shooting me a welcoming smile.
I swallowed. "Uh... hi..."
The... mare of the night... tilted her head to the other side. "What's your name?" she asked, clearly beckoning for a conversation.
"Q-Quillwright."
"That's a pretty name." She left the porch, sauntering up to me. "I'm Guilty Pleasure, but you just call me Pleasure. You settling down for a while?" She stopped with only a yard between us, flicking her mane out of her eyes. This close, I caught a whiff her perfume; it was cheap, but the fact she had any on at all meant she smelled better than ninety-nine percent of wastelanders.
My words barely escaped in the right order. "No, actually, uh, I'm leaving. Tomorrow."
Pleasure cocked her brow. "Where to?"
"North. To Equestria."
"That's quite the journey; the swamps are dangerous, and you don't want to be directionless. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"I've hired a guide, actually."
Her smile shifted slightly; still a smile, but now a knowing one instead of an alluring one. "Willow Wisp?"
"Um... yeah. How'd you..."?
Pleasure laughed softly. "Well, it seemed a safe guess, what with her being the most reliable guide I know of in Mulisiana and being a personal friend of mine."
I felt a blush coming on at that implication. "Oh."
"She's... different." The mare's smile faded slightly. "Just a word to the wise: she's very hot-headed, but she knows the swamps better than anypony I've ever met, besides her parents."
"So... I can trust her?"
"Yes. As long as you pay her and you don't piss her off." Pleasure locked her azure eyes with mine. "Seriously. Please do not piss Willow off."
I blinked. "I-I wasn't planning on it."
"Good." Guilty Pleasure's smile returned, and she tilted her head again, her eyes tempting. "Now, would you like something to help you... relax for your big trip?" Her flanks swayed subtly, making her long tail swish.
I was visibly trembling, flustered. "N-no thanks, I'm not into mares."
Pleasure laughed, her face looking like she was listening to the naive words of a foal. "Honey, you do know we also have stallion whores?"
"No...! N-no, I'm taken!" Not to mention I probably look and smell like death under these robes.
Pleasure grinned knowingly, winking. "If you say so, honey."
Buckwater's inn consisted of one large room filled with all manner of beds, ranging from mattresses to sleeping bags to thick piles of hay. There were several others already asleep; wanderers, traders, mercenaries and anything in-between shared the same roof, under the watchful eye of the guards behind the counter. The innkeeper offered to secure my belongings in a wall of safes behind him, but I passed on it. Boarding was ten caps, and I found myself a suitable bed in the corner of the common room.
My saddlebags slid off my back and I flopped down onto the bare mattress, sighing in exhaustion. It felt like it'd been a week since I last slept in a proper bed, not two nights. Sure, the fabric smelled like grease and was only further staining my Scribe robes, but it was still softer than concrete and my weak body only cared about that detail. The poor robes in question were in tatters; after a moment's rest, I gingerly removed them, the gaping hole in the back large enough to fit my hoof through. My undershirt was in even worse condition; tomorrow morning I'd need to find nicer clothes at Tough Sell's, in addition to some extra ammunition.
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I unclipped the PipBuck and stood it on-end as an impromptu lamp, then unwrapped a skewer of radigator meat I'd purchased from Rotgut's and chewed on it. The meat was a bit stringy but with a unique and zesty spice added. Admiring the taste, I amusingly reflected on how pre-war ponies were strict vegetarians; apocalypses did wonders to expand appetites. I followed my meal with a bottle of rainwater, the radioactive liquid tickling my stomach.
No longer aching from hunger, I rolled onto my back and toyed with the PipBuck for a little while, manually inventorying everything from my bags into the list on the device's ITEMS screen. Connecting my earbloom and tuning into the radio station, I enjoyed more jazz while I pulled the other spoils from the Ministry from my bag: clean writing materials.
Now laying on my front, I withdrew the papers and set them atop their folder, then cracked open the ink ribbon and poked the quill inside. I began to recount the events of the last few days, beginning with the arrival at Stable 56. I managed to detail everything important leading up to tonight and still had several blank pages to use, so I wasn't in immediate danger of running out of materials.
A headache began creeping into my skull, so as soon as I finished writing the folder was returned to my bags. I stretched out and soon drifted off into slumber.
Footnote: Progress recorded. Level Up.
New Perk: Big Leagues - Swing for the fences! You deal 10% more melee weapon damage.
New Objective Added: Return to Equestria. |
Fallout: Equestria - Of Shadows | Chapter 4: Infection | "It's amazing how infected that the natural world and all its things can be!"
"Ye' sonuva mule! I'll bash yer Goddess-damned 'ead in, Ah swear!"
I watched nonplussed as a burly stallion, inebriated out of his wits, reared up to kick at an equally drunken pony who had been egging him on for the past half hour. His pitiful attempt came up far too short and instead pitched his face into the floor, causing his foe to snigger.
"Heheh... I think you... *hic* ...missed." He grinned, chugging his third tankard of foul-looking beer.
How can anypony in their right mind drink at this hour?
I sat at a rickety old table in Rotgut's, fighting to keep my eyes open as I hovered over my half-eaten breakfast of tarberries and radigator eggs. My mind had been swimming in a feverish haze ever since I woke with a sore body and throat. I'd initially shrugged it off as a symptom of all the stress I'd been under recently, but that had been disproven once I found that the faint morning light was sharp enough to force me to shield my eyes. There was little doubt left in my mind that some kind of sickness was growing within me. Whether it was from my dismembered wing's wound, all of the gross swamp water I'd touched, the insects that had stung me, or the horrible goremoth attack... I didn't know. There were so many potential causes, and it terrified me further that I couldn't identify the source.
The tarberries that had tasted so juicy yesterday were flavorless in my mouth; the eggs, similarly devoid of any appetizing qualities they may have once possessed, had been abandoned after one bite. Even Rotgut had questioned my haggard demeanor, genuine concern in his eyes, but I'd waved him off and reasoned that I was just tired from exploring. He didn't look convinced but had been drawn away by impatient customers.
"F-fu... fu... y'... muh..." The pony sprawled on the floor had taken a violent hit to his jaw when he'd collapsed; his slurred speech was now even more unintelligible, a tongue lolling out. His intoxicated opponent attempted to coolly rise from his seat, but immediately lost his balance and pinwheeled into the bar, prompting Rotgut to shout at him in annoyance. Fed up with all the clamor, I wrapped up the remnants of my meal and stowed them in my bags, bought two bottles of rainwater, and then headed across the street.
Inside Tough Sell's, I noticed he'd put the dress and hat on display behind the counter, using an old worn-out mannequin. He'd mentioned last night that Guilty Pleasure's mares would fight each other tooth-and-hoof over purchasing the set, providing a special form of entertainment for him.
"Do you have a doctor in town?" I asked Tough Sell, trying my best to appear hale.
Tough Sell was once again chipping away at his stack of receipts, and gave me a questioning glance. "A doctor? Whatever for?"
"Um... for doctoring?"
"Hey, if you've got something that needs fixed, I've got healing potions, a few bottles of this remarkable old tonic, and of course, our invaluable stim..."
I cut him off, not needing to hear another advertisement. "I meant for an illness."
This gained his full attention. "... Why? You aren't sick with anything, are you?" His tone was accusatory, and he subtly leaned away from me, wary.
"No, I'm just... asking for future reference."
The merchant clearly didn't believe me, but answered my question anyway. "Well, we did have one a few years ago. Loopy fellow, that one."
"... Loopy?"
Tough Sell nodded. "Loopy, ditzy, unstable; whatever word you prefer, he was never quite right in the head, and we couldn't ever figure out why. He diligently ran a small clinic out of Buckwater for a year or two, but just up and vanished one day. A real shame, too, because he was damn good at his job. Never found out what happened to him." He snorted derisively. "Rotgut's gone an' convinced himself that it was the Institute; snatched him up in the night without a trace."
"The 'Institute?' "
Tough Sell sighed. "Look, if you want conspiracy theories, ask Rotgut. He'll talk your ear off all day spouting his wild stories. Now, are you gonna buy something or not?"
I purchased a brush and a bar of soap, hoping that washing up might rejuvenate my senses. The inn had a small shower wedged between two outhouses connected to the side of the building. Inside, I doused myself with half a bottle, lathered up as best I could, and then scoured as much dirt and muck from myself as possible. The brush was forcefully tugged across my coat and caught in my tangled mane several times, but after a few minutes of struggling, my sandy beige fur began to regain some of its color.
The area around my wound was gingerly cleaned, but without disinfectant there was no way to directly clean what still remained. My single wing was rinsed off and preened, satisfactorily aerodynamic despite its missing counterpart. Filthy water ran out through the floorboards while my mane clumped together, dark beads dripping from the ends.
There was a basin and a washboard in the shower as well. I filled the basin with the rest of the bottle and attempted to clean my robes, but the hole in the back split apart down the spine as it was scoured against the board's corrugation.
"Dumb fabric..." I growled as I held them up, certain that my rudimentary mending skills were no match for this amount of damage. I certainly didn't want to throw my robes away, though, so I folded them up and crammed them alongside the rest of my belongings, hoping that somewhere down the line I could find a competent tailor. I could already tell that the bloodstains marring the undershirt were never coming out, but I spitefully scrubbed it anyway, furious to have lost a rather comfortable piece of clothing. Glaring at the permanently-discolored fabrics, I crumpled the shirt up and tossed it into the corner of the shower in frustration.
Later, I browsed Tough Sell's small clothing section, trying to determine what attire was best suited for swamp traversal. After considering a grey hoodie for awhile, my eyes were caught by the bright yellow 56's hanging on the wall.
"How much is the Stable barding?"
"Forty."
Slipping into a suit, I was surprised by how comfortable the fit was; the fabric stretched enough to keep pressure off my wound, and it breathed well, in addition to feeling resilient. I purchased it along with nine bullets for Riptide. Thirty-eight spare caps still rested in the bottom of my saddlebags, hopefully enough to cover any trip expenses for a little while.
As I left Buckwater, I ruminated on the contract I'd formed with Willow. A thousand caps was a large amount, and I couldn't be sure that I'd be able to scavenge seven hundred by the time we reached the border, however long that took. Anxiety and a low fear burned in the pit of my gut as Guilty Pleasure's warning about Willow's temper echoed in the recesses of my memory. How would the guide react if I didn't have the payment by then? Uncovering the dress yesterday was a stroke of luck the kind of which was allowed maybe once in a lifetime. I couldn't expect the wasteland to ever be that forgiving again.
And on a related note, I'd told her that my allies would be waiting for me at the border, when I didn't even know if the Phoebe was still in one piece. Regardless of its condition, we'd only brought a meager sum of caps, maybe two hundred total, having assumed we'd never need to land for anything. It could be possible to resell some of the weapons in the armory or any rations that hadn't yet been consumed, maybe Vox and Ardent's belongings...
No. No, I wasn't selling anything of theirs. I'd already turned down Tough Sell's offer for the PipBuck; why would I think like that, anyway?
You kept it because it's a PipBuck, obviously. But they no longer need their clothes, weapons, books...
I halted, looking up at the sky and collecting my thoughts. Three days in and I'm already thinking more like a scavenger than a Scribe. This train of thought had to stop now. Preserve, don't pillage. I needed a task to occupy my thoughts, so I studied the details of the regional map on the PipBuck while I walked to Willow's home.
The residence in question was a small, run-down shack with a shallow porch resting on a hillock overlooking Buckwater. Curious as to why Willow Wisp had chosen to live outside the city, I wondered once again why she'd chosen to conceal her identity within Rotgut's.
An old dog lounged at the base of the front door; I hesitated as I got nearer. I'd barely seen any of these creatures in the Equestria, and I'd been led to believe that most of them had died out. The dog raised its head and I jumped back in surprise, but it just stared at me with sad, tired eyes for a moment and then returned to its slumber. Concluding that the dog wasn't a threat, I stepped over it and knocked on the door, its panels slightly warped from age.
"Willow Wisp? It's me, Quillwright!" I called, trying to mask the hoarseness of my voice. "I've got your caps, and I'm ready for the trip."
I heard a few noises from inside, like somepony rearranging furniture. As I was about to knock again, Willow yelled from inside, "Just wait on de porch, yeah?"
There was a rickety old chair next to the dog, and I eased myself onto it, stretching my new barding. The dog looked up at me, and I stared back.
"What?" I mouthed.
The dog just blinked and lowered its head again, eyes occasionally flicking my direction.
I looked out in the direction of the town below. The fog hadn't cleared yet, so the town wasn't currently visible, but a nicer day would've afforded a pleasant tableau of the bayou and surrounding landscape. After the commotion inside finally died down, Willow cracked the door, peeking out at me. To my surprise, she was once again wearing her long black cloak, with the hood pulled over her face. "You got de caps wid ya?"
"Three hundred." I offered the three emerald caps from my saddlebag. Willow lifted them in a field of her magic, a soft golden glow, and held them up to eye level; which is to say, she floated them under her hood to study them.
"So what's with the cloak?" I asked.
Willow shook her head before disappearing back into her home. "It's... uh... comfy."
Hey. That's my line.
When she next emerged, Willow Wisp was packed with her own set of gear, including brimming saddlebags, a long double-barreled shotgun, and a worn-looking pistol holstered to her leg. I rose from my seat, and now that we were both standing, I noted that Willow was quite a bit shorter than I was; granted, I was fairly tall for a pegasus mare. "You fixed for at least a week?" she asked.
Shifting, I lied, "Yeah."
"We'll be headed nort' to Divide. Dere's some shit to trudge t'rough, but dere'll be a few stops too."
"I'll follow your lead."
Willow bent down, stroking the dog's greying fur with a hoof. "Let's go, cher."
"He your dog?"
"Family pet," Willow answered. She made a clicking call and the dog stood, droopy eyes loyally transfixed on his master. His gaze followed Willow's as she looked back at me, appraising my new outfit. "Steel Ranger yesterday, Stable Dweller today, yeah?"
I breathed in deeply, the breast of the jumpsuit stretching firmly against my fur. "Just wait 'til you see me tomorrow."
"Sure," the guide snorted. "Alright, dis way."
We started northward, Willow's dog weaving his way across a worn path down towards the bridge. After crossing it, we were back in familiar wilderness, ancient trees towering over us and marshy soil underhoof. Deviating from the path leading to the Ministry hub, Willow guided me along muddy trails that sliced through the vibrant undergrowth. The fog had begun to disperse, allowing faint sunlight to brighten the air.
Just by watching Willow Wisp, I was already beginning to learn how to safely traverse the swampy environment. There was an art in deciding where to place your hooves, spotting the telltale signs of a hidden puddle, and cautiously navigating tall grass. She was clearly experienced, and within an hour I was keeping pace with her.
We hadn't spoken since leaving, aside from Willow offering me assistance if I needed guidance over an obstacle. The oppressive concentration of trees gradually thinned out, and the morass that surrounded Buckwater had fully given way into firm soil. We entered a field where an overpass stood ahead, continuing the road that had run past town.
"So... why aren't we following the highway?" I asked, needing at least a little conversation to break the monotony of travel.
"Don't know what it's like for you up nort', but down here we've got two types'o ponies," Willow explained dryly. "Good ones who live in de settlements and mind dere own business, and bad ones who prowl de wilderness, lookin' to kill anypony dey set eyes on. Some bad types watch de roads."
"Raiders? Slavers?"
"Slavers, yes. Raiders... dat label's kinda broad. Define it."
"Marauding and murderous rapists who lack any and all morals?"
"Well, we got tribals. Lotta dem could fit dat description."
I kicked a branch out of my path. "I've heard they're cannibals."
"Eh... depends," Willow stated. "Lots o' different colors. Some are friendly, some'll fillet ya up an' eat you. Ot'ers will enslave you, a couple like to just torture you for years, and I know at least a few'll sacrifice ya to dere voodoo gods or some shit like dat."
" 'Voodoo?' "
"Tribes here deal in all kinds of black magic, yeah." Willow turned to regard me as we trotted into the shadow of the concrete overpass. "You tellin' me dere ain't none of dat in Equestria?"
I shook my head. "I don't really know, I mean... I wouldn't be surprised. I've never read about it or personally seen a unicorn use any spells like that."
"Well, voodoo's designed for non-unicorns like yourself."
I slowed my pace. "Wait... so... you're saying somepony like me could use magic?"
Willow nodded. "Mostly basic stuff like telekinesis or teleportation. It's not too unlike de PipBuck on your leg," she gestured at the device. "Dat grants anypony wid targeting and detection spells, yeah? It's just in a cleaner package."
This was news to me, and as we continued, I contemplated the implications of voodoo. Perhaps it was best that Equestria didn't have potentially destructive magic widely available to any who desired it.
The field gave way back into swampier ground, and as we neared a wide creek, we reached a network of makeshift bridges formed from lashed-together planks. They weaved across the water and around trees, floating inert atop the undisturbed creek. After Willow assured me that the waters here were too shallow for radigators, we set about following the bridges. I mentioned to my guide how I'd already encountered a giant gator my first time venturing through the swamplands.
"Dey're annoying, but dey sure taste good. Not de worst t'ing out here, t'ough."
"What do you mean?"
Willow chuckled. "Well, sure, we got gators, but we also got giant snakes, spiders, leeches, mot's, lizards, plants, everyting you could tink of. Plus de aforementioned raiders, tribals, an' skeleton machines, too. Add in pockets of radiation, tropical radstorms, an' eart'quakes, and you've got de beautiful quagmire we call Mulisiana."
We finished crossing the creek, and continued over tree roots and ground that alternated between mud and sandy grit. A diverse array of trash was scattered up and down the banks.
" 'Skeleton machines?' " I inquired as we passed a fossilized wagon axle.
Willow's voice was forming an annoyed edge from all the explaining she was having to do. "De synt's, yeah. Same shape and size as you or me, but wid glowing eyes, metal an' wires for insides, razor-sharp hooves, and advanced weapons. Ya don' wanna tangle wid dem; dey're always hostile."
I still had a mile-long list of inquiries, but figured it'd be better to refrain for a while. With little else to do than walk, I switched on the PipBuck's radio and allowed the soft music to accompany us.
A little bird told me that you love me
(That you love me)
And I believe that you do
(I believe)
This little bird told me I was fallin'
(Really fallin')
Fallin' for no-pon' but you
(No-pon' but you)
There's no use denyin', I might as well confess
Of all the colts I know, dear, I'm sure I love you best
The little bird told me we'd be happy
(Oh, so happy)
And I believe that it's true
(So true)
An hour later, Willow called for a lunch break. I was relieved; my legs were weary with exertion. I had kept up a healthy facade for as long as I could, clearing my throat to mask my coughs, but all this walking had my stomach churning. There was a warm, unpleasant tingling feeling at the base of my throat that flared painfully every time I swallowed.
The highway had doubled back across our path, and the trail led up to a resilient old passenger wagon stop. Both the small bench and awning were overgrown with vegetation and discolored with age, but I happily collapsed onto the seat with a sigh. Willow gnawed on a radigator skewer as she fed her dog a few scraps.
"You eating?" she asked me.
I shrugged and pulled a wilt apple from my pack. I studied it, my stomach blanching at how unappetizing the fruit looked.
"Dey're better if you peel dem," Willow explained. "Scrape de insides off de skin like mashed 'tatoes."
The mental picture of mashed wilt apples was enough to finally kick my gut over the proverbial edge, and I felt bile rise in my throat. Groaning, I barely managed to round the corner of the stop before I completely regurgitated this morning's meager breakfast. I could hear Willow mutter, "Dey ain't dat bad..."
Once my stomach was done heaving, I coughed a few times, shakily supporting myself against a faded, defaced advertisement for the Brayton Rouge Museum of Natural History encased on the stop's side wall. Normally this would have garnered my interest, but that was difficult when my entire head was pounding in tandem with my heartbeat. Hot tears had welled up in my eyes, rolling down my cheeks.
I can't let Willow see me like this. If she suspects I'm sick, she might think I'm trying to freeload medical assistance from her...
I spat, sniffed my running nose, wiped my eyes dry, and then returned to the bench, where I quickly shoved the wilt apple back into my saddlebag without looking at the offending fruit. Busying myself with the PipBuck, I tried to avoid the gaze that I knew Willow was laying on me.
"You alright?"
I cleared my throat. "Yep. I'm fine." My voice croaked out, barely audible, and I internally cringed at how blatant my lie was.
"T'rowing up's just part of your daily routine den, yeah?" Willow's dog moved to sniff my bile, but the guide called him back. "Ah-ah! No, Wick!" He dutifully returned to her side, looking mildly disappointed.
"I'm just... not used to the smell of wilt apples," I offered, hoping that Willow would drop the conversation.
She didn't. "'De smell's de least shitty t'ing about dem," Willow replied. She leaned forward, voice serious. "I t'ink you're lying about some'ting."
Resignedly, I shut my eyes and bit my lip. No use in digging the hole any deeper. "Okay, I'm... I'm sick."
The guide's expression was hidden as she nodded. "And when did you t'ink it'd be a good time to tell me dis?"
"Look, it just came up this morning," I explained. "I've been through a lot the past few days, and I don't exactly know how it happened. I didn't plan on telling you, since I know you weren't planning on having to help me..."
Willow cut off my ramble. "I'm not, no; I'm no medical pony. But dere's some friends of mine up de road dat might have some'ting dat could help you." She gestured down the highway. "It'll cut into de travel time, but I reckon dat continuing while you're sick wouldn't be any faster."
"Thanks," I grimaced. "I'm sorry..."
Willow's dog, Wick, perked up and peered around the woods, alert. Ignoring him, the guide stood with a sigh. "Don't matter to me; I'm not in any hurry." She helped me to my hooves. "... Just don't cough on me."
"Shit."
Willow managed to fit more dread into that single word than I thought was possible. The canopy covering the road had begun to thin out, and we had just been afforded our first clear view of the sky ahead, including a plume of dark smoke that rose into the dirty clouds above. The guide's pace quickened, and I struggled to keep up as she began to gallop, Wick running alongside her.
The highway led past a roadside diner, the burnished silver sides stained with years of exposure. A tall sign out front identified the establishment as "Quick Serve's Shakes." Ramshackle defensive walls surrounded the building, several sections reduced to smoking ashes, some still flickering as the last of the flames hungrily consumed the wood. The front gate was hanging wide open, swinging gently as a soft breeze caressed the unlatched door. Bullet holes peppered the sides of the building, and a few of the boarded-up windows had been defaced with a crude red, green, and purple insignia.
Willow's shotgun was out as she rushed to the gate, leaning inside and checking the area for any hostiles. Satisfied, she hurriedly moved to the diner's entrance and nudged the door open, Wick following closely.
"W-wait!" I wheezed, just now reaching the wall. My body throbbed with my pulse, completely out of breath. Drawing Riptide from my bag, I turned back to find that Willow had already entered the diner alone. Fearful for her safety, I poured on the coals and galloped across the cracked parking lot to the door. I passed one dead body, but didn't stop to check who or what it was.
Inside, Willow's horn had lit up into a warm golden beam, and she panned it around the darkened interior. Thin shafts of sunlight poured inside through cracked and bullet-riddled shutters, gleaming off of spent casings littering the floor. I activated the PipBuck's lamp to see that several tables had been overturned, while various clothing items, empty boxes, and kitchen utensils blanketed the tiled floor. It was hard to place a hoof anywhere without stepping on something.
Behind the front counter, Wick was snooping around the corpse of a pony. Half of his head was missing, and based on the color and lack of decay, he hadn't died more than a few hours ago. His body was slumped against the counter, and adjacent was a door leading to the kitchen, its window shattered and dangerously lined with jagged glass shards.
Willow clicked at her dog, who abandoned the body and returned to his master. The unicorn raised her weapon, inching close to the door, and softly called out, "Harvest?"
"I told ya to stay away!" came a shriek from inside the kitchen, and all three of us flinched as a shotgun blasted buckshot through the window. The shot whizzed across the diner and embedded into a booth at the far end in a fantastic puff of upholstery.
"Marigold! It's Willow Wisp!"
The screaming paused, the shrill voice now disbelieving. "W-willow? Why... I... oh, Celestia..." This was followed by heavy scraping as metal was dragged across tile. A few moments later, the door opened inwards and out stepped a quivering, wan mare who regarded us with apprehensive hope. Her carmine mane was a mess, swept out of eyes reddened with tears. Wordlessly, Marigold lunged forwards and embraced Willow, who stiffened but didn't object, her telekinetic field lowering her shotgun to the floor. At this, I stowed Riptide.
"Oh, Willow, th-they shot Harvest and took him, a-and I tried to stop them but I couldn't, and Harv told me to barricade myself in the kitchen like we'd designed it, and I did, but they dragged him away, and I could hear him screaming, but I couldn't go out and stop them, and then..." She sucked in a breath. "They tried to get in, b-but I shot him, and then they left, but they said they'd come back, and... oh..." The mare sobbed uncontrollably, while Willow patted her on the back with a consoling hoof.
"Shh..." she eased. "I'm here now, it's gonna be okay. Where did dey go?"
"I-I don't know, we'd never seen them before!" Marigold wailed. "It was horrible, their faces were... were all painted up, and they had these knives, and..."
Willow finally pried the mare off of her, a hoof still on Marigold's shoulder. "Tribals, yeah? Dey said dey were comin' back?"
Marigold nodded. "Said I was next. Oh, Willow, they're gonna kill Harvest..."
"Hey. Hey." The guide straightened as best she could, still shorter than either myself or Marigold. "I'll get him back. We just gotta..." she trailed off, looking around the ruined diner. "Damn fuckin' savages! Dis's too far."
Marigold had composed herself, and noticed me. "And who's this?" Seeing my jumpsuit, "A... Stable Dweller?" I'd left the front of the barding partially unclipped, so she was unable to see any "56" designation.
"No, I'm a Steel Ranger. Quillwright's the name," I clarified, unable to hold back a cough.
The mare didn't seem to recognize my title, so she just gave me a quick and polite smile. "Quillwright. I'm Marigold... I... I live with my husband, Harvest, on our little homestead here."
"Okay, introduction's over," Willow interrupted. "You need to get to Buckwater."
Marigold looked taken aback. "What? No, I'm not going back! Harvest needs me!"
"You're in shock, no state to fight in." Willow said, matter-of-factly. "An' we can't, 'cause Quill here's sick."
"I am not leaving my husband to be sacrificed or... or eaten by those monsters!"
"Dere's no way to know where he is!" Willow yelled. "Unless you saw him getting dragged off, we ain't trackin' dem back to any den. I'm sorry, but dere's not'ing we can do."
"If they're coming back, we can catch one. Make him talk." Marigold was defiant. "If I die trying, then so be it, but I'm not living without Harvest by my side."
"Damn it!" Willow shouted. "Mari, you..." She bit her tongue, whirled around and stormed off, clearly done trying to reason.
Marigold placed her hooves on the counter and sighed wearily as she watched Willow telekinetically shove her way through the front door, Wick slipping out behind her. "I'm sorry, you're probably a customer of hers...?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
"I don't want to involve you two," Marigold gritted her teeth. "But I can't let those animals abduct my love like this. I won't let them win."
"I understand," I reassured her. After a tick of silence, I asked, "Excuse me for asking, but... would you have any medicine I could take for a fever?"
Marigold perked up all of a sudden. "A fever? Um... yeah, just wait here a minute." She crossed the diner and began to dig through the looted containers that had been spilled all over the floor. I groaned in exhaustion, shivering slightly.
"So where are you headed?" Marigold asked me as she lifted a cabinet back onto its feet.
"Equestria," I grated.
"Is that your home?"
"Yeah." With my throat still irritated, I wasn't feeling very talkative.
The mare returned with a clear orange bottle. Twisting it open, she presented a small white pill to me. "Here's a painkiller. I'm afraid the tribals stole any other medicine we had."
I thanked her and swallowed it, wishing the pill was an instant remedy. As Marigold continued to clean the ransacked interior, I cautiously exited the diner, searching for Willow. The surroundings were still, the only sounds audible being the ambient chirping of insects and very sporadic thunder many miles away. The light had taken on an amber glow as the sun began its descent into the western horizon.
I found Willow sitting by the corpse out front. While her face was hidden, her hood was intently focused on the body. I approached, unsure of her emotional condition.
"... You alright?" I ventured timidly.
Willow didn't respond.
The tribal's body was sprawled before her, laying in a dried pool of blood that suggested his chest had been blasted with a shotgun. His coat was pale green, his face painted purple with a design that started around his eyes and then ran back and down his cheeks, ending in a crude streak. He had been clad in dark, sodden clothing, covered in small bits of moss and gossamer. A couple of flies were buzzing around his face, eager for the corpse to begin decaying.
"Look, I know you want to help, and..."
"And I would, but I'm just one mare. You've got places to be, an' Marigold needs support from de folks in Buckwater now."
I lowered my brow. "I know. What I'm saying is that we can help."
Willow turned. " 'We?' "
"You and I."
"You're sick."
"Not sick enough to try and help."
Willow shook her head. "I don't involve my customers in matters like dis for a reason. Eit'er of us gets injured, it could slow de whole trip down. I didn't pack enough medical supplies for some'ting like dis."
"You don't have to spare them for me," I responded grimly.
There was a pause. "Why do you even care about dis?"
"... Excuse me?"
Willow looked at me, her tone dismissive. "You're de first Steel Ranger I've ever seen dat wasn't just a slogan on a poster. Why do you suddenly want to help us?"
I was caught off-guard by the contempt buried in her words, but my surprise quickly morphed into indignation. "Because I too was born and raised on the surface. I'm not some Dashite from above the cloud curtain or a pony born in a cushy Stable. I joined the Rangers of my own volition, because I believe that they have an incredible capacity for good, but I'll always be a wastelander first and Steel Ranger second."
Willow was quiet, and I sorely wished I could see past her hood and know what expression she wore at that moment. I continued.
"We're a much more diverse group than you might think, in both background and beliefs. Many are too calloused to care about ordinary ponies like Harvest or Marigold, whom they'd consider a lost cause. But on the other side of the bit, there are those of us who believe that they're worth fighting for and that technology shouldn't be our sole focus."
The guide was quiet, and then sighed, "If you say so." She looked back at the corpse. "But we're still at a disadvantage."
I studied the ruined barricades around me, chewing a lip in thought. "I think we'll stand a chance if we refortify the diner," I offered. "We have the element of surprise, too."
Marigold joined us a minute later, and we discussed the possible ways to shore up the homestead's defenses. The existing walls varied in strength from untouched to disintegrated; the lock that held the front gate closed was busted into pieces, and a few shutters were badly damaged. The diner's parking lot still held two rusted wagon carcasses, both resting on cinder blocks with their wheels long since looted: the right size to patch up the two largest gaps in the wall, on the diner's front and left sides.
Willow's telekinetic strength was barely strong enough to lift either wagon, even with Marigold and myself helping to support the frames, but we successfully plugged both holes. The gate was left open to invite any attackers through without much suspicion, and we tried patching up a few shutters with random scraps of cardboard scrounged from the corners of the building. They wouldn't stop any bullets, but after this was all over, the couple wouldn't have to worry about open windows.
As the sunlight began to fade into dusk, we lit two fire barrels and positioned them on either side of the gate. From inside the diner we had a view of the entire front and side area, and while the rear of the diner was out of view, the single back door had been sealed before the war. The only way somepony could flank us was if they could slither in through the thin, elevated windows reinforced with metal grates.
Together, we were armed with Riptide, Willow's shotgun, Marigold's sawed-off and an old varmint rifle that the settler had retrieved from her storeroom. Unfortunately, the majority of ammunition that Harvest and Marigold had owned had been stolen in the first attack, so we needed to make our shots count. Willow reminded us to aim for the legs if we had any hope of taking in prisoners for questioning.
I sat in a moldy booth, my pistol on the table before me, while my sore eyes continuously scanned the diner's left wall. The lanterns within the diner had been left extinguished, the only source of light being the fire barrels and a faint twilight haze in the sky above. Willow was stationed at the front, while Marigold watched the right side, opposite me. I had the responsibility of keeping the front door clear. Every second that had passed was one of discomfort, quelling any conversation, but even now I was beginning to doubt whether or not the tribals were returning tonight.
"You think maybe they were just dissuading you from following?" I asked aside, not looking away from my post.
"I could tell by his tone..." Marigold assured me. "He was frustrated that I'd run them off."
"Regardless, dere's no point in leaving de diner vulnerable," Willow said. "Dey had one successful attack, which means dey'll be confident enough to try anot'er."
I suddenly jerked awake as I remembered my Eyes-Forward Sparkle. Booting up the PipBuck, I anxiously tapped my hoof against the table as the display swam into focus. My condition was not-so-helpfully registered as "ill", and the ammo stuffed into my Stable jumpsuit's pockets ensured that I had nine bullets available in addition to four hollow-points. There were no hostile readings as of now, but I felt infinitely more secure with the E.F.S. active.
My reignited attentiveness only lasted for ten minutes, though, and I felt my eyes begin to droop shut in exhaustion. Just as my head was nodding forward, there was an urgent "Psst!" Willow was signaling that there was movement at the gate, and sure enough, at least seven more lifesigns had been registered on my compass, all of them red.
I could see through the front of the diner just enough to watch the group hesitate at the sight of the fire barrels, clearly remembering that the wagon frames hadn't been propped up against the walls last time. A less-cautious tribal tried peeking in through the front windows, having no idea that he'd just lined up his eyes with the end of Willow's long shotgun barrels.
"Fuck off and die!" the guide shouted as she pulled the trigger.
KA-BAM!
Nice job aiming for the legs, Willow.
The sight of their ally's cranium being reduced to a cloud of crimson mist spurred the remaining tribals into action, a shotgun slug blasting apart the shutter just next to Willow. Three tribals split to my side, while one moved to the right. I rotated, trying to get a good angle on the trio as they skirted the wall, and fired Riptide as the sights centered on the figure of a unicorn. The bullet caught the side of his face and violently twisted him to the ground. One of the red marks on my compass winked out.
As I heard Marigold shout in pain behind me, my remaining two targets backed off from the wall and galloped with reckless abandon for the door. My next shot whizzed past the lead pony, who halted and turned to aim at me. I recognized the faint silhouette of a battle-saddle-mounted assault rifle just in time to scream as the shutter in front of me was shredded apart by his volley. I threw myself to the floor, chunks of wood and dust pelting me.
The entrance was bolted shut, but the assault rifle tribal unloaded half of his clip into the door's glass windows, shattering them. As he reached inside, trying to undo the lock, I stood and fired two shots, both of which hammered him in the chest and neck. He grunted, falling backwards, and emptied the rest of his rifle in front of him, aiming wildly but wide enough for one bullet to punch through my thigh. I reflexively gritted my teeth in pain and caused Riptide to fire inadvertently, almost giving me whiplash and emptying the cylinder of its final shot. I stumbled and dropped the weapon, which clattered to the floor, and watched as the second tribal drew the latch back and hooked her hoof on the outer handle.
Rushing forward, I barreled into the door before she could pull it herself; it swung out and whacked her muzzle. The tribal shouted in surprise at my preemptive attack, but my injured leg gave out and I tumbled out onto the concrete. She'd kept her balance, and growled aggressively as she advanced with a wickedly-sharp bowie knife clenched in her teeth.
My mind raced, but came up empty for solutions. Willow was busy defending the front, and Marigold sounded as if she'd been wounded. Riptide still lay inside the diner on the floor, and I had no backup weaponry on me. I raised my hooves in a feeble attempt to block my attacker's strike as she lunged at me.
Suddenly a shrieking blur collided with the tribal's side, sending her to the ground, writhing in panic. We both screamed; a goremoth had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and bit ferociously at her exposed belly. My brain already seizing at the sight, I scrambled backwards only to bump into something behind me. I turned and tried to rise, dreading that my eyes would meet some new horrible creature, but instead I found myself facing a wild-looking earth pony wielding a revolver. He was clad in a mishmash of clothing, with half a dozen saddlebags and satchels hanging from his back, a gas mask around his neck, and a bandolier slung around his shoulders. He raised a hoof and shoved me back to the ground.
"Shtay down," he grunted around his weapon, and then charged forward, completely ignoring the goremoth, which had just finished mauling its unfortunate victim. The bug, likewise, expressed no reaction that a blood-filled pony had just left his back exposed. It instead spread its wings and flitted over the top of the diner, shrilling.
Considering myself a bonafide expert on goremoths by this point, I hauled flank back inside the building to retrieve Riptide. As I lifted the pistol and whirled back to leave, I spared a glance at my allies to find them watching the booms and flashes from outside. Their weapons were lowered, Marigold clutching an injured shoulder but transfixed on the action before her. Was my mysterious savior attacking the tribals?
I limped over and peeked through the ruined shutters just in time to witness the stranger's revolver blast a fleeing pony in the back. The tribal crashed into the mud and began desperately crawling forward as the stranger nonchalantly opened his revolver's chamber, emptying the spent casings and plucking more from his bandolier. Willow swiftly realized what was about to happen, and shouted, "Wait! We need him alive!" while she spun and ran out of the diner. I helped support Marigold and chugged a healing potion as we followed.
We rounded the building to find the stranger pinning the tribal down, leaning on one hoof and holding his revolver loosely in the other. His mane was short and cream-colored, his coat a dappled brown beneath his light grey shirt, streaked with old bloodstains and smudges. He looked up at us as we neared, and my heart seized in terror as the goremoth swooped down onto his back.
"Duck!" Willow yelled, raising her shotgun.
The creature didn't attack, instead folding its wings and clinging to the tough hide barding strapped to the pony's back, as if it were a perch. Willow's weapon hovered cautiously, but she was waved off.
"Save your ammo."
Willow's head tilted in confusion, while her weapon lowered half an inch. "Dere's a goremot' on your back," she spoke slowly.
The earth pony nodded. "You're correct. Impressed you can see outta that hood well enough."
I found that I'd been holding my breath and staring at the giant moth ever since it came into view, and I let it out in a trembling laugh. "Heh heh... it's like... a... a pet...?"
"That she is," the stranger smiled. "Ain't Molly beautiful?"
"You... you named that giant blood-sucking insect 'Molly?' " My voice was teetering between laughing and screaming.
The earth pony's eyes narrowed. "I did. She's the best companion a stallion could ask for, too." The tribal he was holding down squirmed, and he leaned into his hoof, eliciting a shout of pain. "So what d'you want this wretched thing for?"
"We need to interrogate him and find out where they're coming from," Marigold spoke up. "They took my husband."
"Before dat," Willow cut in, "Who in de hoof are you?"
The stranger nodded. "Name's Cam. I'm... a medical practitioner."
Willow's shotgun clattered to the ground. "Doc? Doctor Camphor?"
I recalled Tough Sell's description of Buckwater's former doctor, and so far this pony was fitting the bill to a T. 'Ditzy' indeed; he was allowing a goremoth to sit on his back without so much as a reaction. The mere sight had sent my skin crawling and pulse racing.
"That's me... how..." the stranger's eyes alit with recognition. "Aha... how'd I ever forget that accent? Sable Glow, right?"
"Her daughter. Willow Wisp."
Doctor Camphor chuckled. "Willow... I ain't seen you since you were knee-high to a balefire fly. You earned your cutie mark yet?"
"... I have." There was a creeping sense of embarrassment in Willow's voice, likely due to my presence. "Look, Doc, it's nice to see you again, but we're in a hurry. Mari here was attacked earlier today, an' de tribals made off wid her husband, a stallion named Harvest."
The doctor nodded. "I've been keeping an eye on this tribe, and they've been abductin' ponies from the surroundin' area for the past month or so. Haven't been able to intervene myself since they've traveled in packs of at least seven or eight." Camphor glared at the tribal pinned underhoof. "Got themselves a comfy, fortified position in Saint Mare's."
Marigold groaned.
"I kill you!" the tribal screamed. His thick accent, vaguely similar to Willow Wisp's, suggested that Equestrian wasn't his first language.
Camphor looked at us, concern in his gaze. "They're new. Really new. In two months they've expanded to a size that other tribes have taken years to accomplish, and they're extremely aggressive." He dug the edge of his hoof deeper into the small of the tribal's wounded back, evoking another howl. "Spreadin' like a fuckin' sickness, these ones."
Marigold turned to Willow. "That's it then; we know where Harvest is."
"... Yeah." Willow made an exasperated shrug. "If you tink it's doable... den we can try to get him back."
Camphor returned his pistol to his mouth and then casually unloaded a bullet into the tribal's head. I flinched as gore splattered the doctor, who was unfazed. "We're headed to Saint Mare's, then." He holstered his weapon and retrieved a rag, wiping the blood splatter from his front and hooves, and then noticed that Marigold was still gripping her wound. "Looks like you need treatment 'fore we leave."
We returned to the diner, where Camphor helped Marigold to lay flat upon a desk. While he cleaned her wound, Willow assembled our supplies and organized the remaining ammunition. Wick had fled the building the moment he laid eyes on Molly; the goremoth sat calmly near Camphor while it busily rubbed its antennae with slender forelegs. With nothing for me to do, I simply huddled in a booth, legs drawn up in a vain attempt to becalm my shivering, sickness-addled body.
Even though I was surrounded by allies, I still made sure to keep a watchful eye on the oversized, carnivorous insect only a couple yards away. Able to view the idle, unaggressive Molly in better light, I took a moment to further study the goremoth's anatomy. Its folded wingspan was as wide as my shoulders, the sandy-colored wings covered in intricate networks of defined veins. The insect's body was fat and fuzzy, its small triangular head held two large, dark, glittering compound eyes, and its bristled antennae were at least a foot long. There was also a small blue tag clipped to the edge of one of its wings, differentiating it from any other goremoth encountered in the wild.
I soon coughed, which caught the attention of Camphor. "By the way," he mentioned in my direction. "I don' believe I got your name." He hovered over Marigold's shoulder with tweezers clenched between his teeth, his eyes meticulously observant.
"I'm Quillwright."
Camphor grunted in confirmation, carefully lowering the tweezers into the entry wound. Marigold had turned her head to the side, eyes shut tight and teeth digging into her lip. In only a few seconds the tweezers had emerged with a small bullet clamped in its metal jaws, which was deposited into an empty bottle with a clink. Camphor leaned back, dropping the tweezers back into a hoof. "Bit uncommon to see pegasi 'round these parts."
As the doctor cleaned his instrument and offered a healing potion to his patient, I answered, "I'm from Equestria." I coughed again, this time getting a suspicious glance from Camphor.
"You look a bit pale."
"I haven't been feeling great today," I admitted.
Camphor beckoned me over, and I hesitantly rose and made my way over to him as Marigold rejoined Willow. The doctor pulled his surgical mask over his mouth and then began circling me, looking my body up and down. "Symptoms?" he queried.
"Sore throat, tired eyes, aching joints, headache, upset stomach, chills..." I listed off, shifting uncomfortably as Camphor paused at my side. I let out an "Eep!" in surprise as he grabbed my wing and extended it to its full length.
"Pegasus... feather flu?" he muttered to himself. Raising his head, he peered over my back to see my wing stump. "You're missin' a wing."
"Grenade."
"Ah. That would do it." He returned to his diagnosis. "Hm... hay fever, maybe?" Suddenly he had pulled one of my eyelids down, and he leaned in close, studying my eyes. "Any vision or hearin' problems?"
"My ears feel a bit stuffy."
"Any diarrhea?"
"Um... no, just indigestion."
Camphor pried open my mouth and peered in at my tonsils. "Any contact with possible contaminants in the past week?"
Once he let go, I answered, "A couple."
"Oh?"
"I've fallen into and probably ingested swamp water, been bitten by insects..." I glared at Molly, who was still passively watching us. "... And was mauled by a goremoth."
Camphor backed away, brow scrunched in thought and seemingly oblivious to the jab made at his pet. "Well, it's a bit of an educated guess, but... you're in the early stages of typhoof."
"You 'guess?' No offense, but... how are you even considered a doctor?"
"Ain't the first to ask, won't be the last." Camphor smiled. "I'm self-taught. Grew up outside the Neigh Orleans ruins; there's a big ol' hospital there, and I spent months explorin' the entire place." He took off his surgical mask as he continued. "Found plenty o' pre-war medical journals. Stuff was fascinatin' to me, and I reckoned even an earth pony like me could become a doctor if I just put my mind to it." He gestured to himself. "All that studyin' means I've got about a decade more experience on the topic than most wastelanders. Not gonna lie an' say I'm perfect, but I try my damnedest."
His backstory still hadn't reassured me much, but I shrugged. "Okay... well then, how is typhoof cured?"
Camphor drew a bottle of pills from his bags and rattled it. "We can start flushing it out with plenty of clean water, but we'll need some strong antibiotics to really purge it. I've been out of them for over a year, but I think I know where we can find some."
"Saint Mare's?" I moaned in dread.
The doctor nodded solemnly. "We need to get you properly treated soon. If this sickness is left unattended for too long, you'll start developin' a rash and then it all goes downhill from there."
"Typhoof. Fantastic..." I shut my eyes, rubbing them with the heels of my hooves. As I tried to let out an exasperated sigh, the air snagged in my throat and I let out a painful, hacking cough. "I really hate swamps."
Footnote: Level Up.
Perk point banked. |
Fallout: Equestria - Of Shadows | Chapter 5: Excision | "Don't need Old World medicine to kill you."
Doctor Camphor led our group out of Harvest and Marigold's homestead once we were adequately prepared. Wick refused to tag along while Molly still rode atop Camphor, but Willow assured us that he'd find his way to us later down the line. We were back on the road, having passed a battered green sign half a mile back notifying travelers that the next exit would deliver them to Saint Mare's. It had also finally designated this strip of concrete that forged its way through the wild swamplands: Route 40.
Behind the cloud cover was a full moon, and the pale glow filtered through strongly enough to give the landscape a ghostly luminance. It was sufficient to navigate by while Willow's horn and my PipBuck's light further aided our eyes in the darkness. Around us were the same sounds I'd heard my first night; countless insects trilling and chirping, the distant calls of egrets, and the monotonous crunching of leaves and twigs beneath us.
Willow bantered with the doctor while I trotted alongside Marigold, draped in an old blanket that the doctor had lent me out of his saddlebags. It was threadbare and smelled faintly of rubbing alcohol, but it provided a sufficient ward against the cool evening breeze. The painkillers that Marigold had provided were beginning to wear off, and as they subsided the chills and aches had begun creeping back.
"I've been wondering for years, Doc... why'd you leave Buckwater?"
Camphor nodded. "I'll admit, my departure was a bit sudden. I don't know if you were old enough to remember it all, but one day a family of ghouls arrived at the town. They'd escaped from a local band of slavers, and were on the run looking for safe haven, Buckwater bein' the only real settlement 'round these parts. They begged and pleaded at the front gate to be let in." He frowned. "But they were turned away."
"I... tink I recall somet'ing like dat," Willow pondered. "And how were you connected to dis?"
"As they galloped back into the wilderness, the colt of the family kept checkin' over his shoulder at the town's wall, expecting somepony... anypony to change their mind an' let him in." He took a deep breath. "I just...couldn't sleep that night. Somethin' in Buckwater had changed since I first arrived; compassion had mutated into indifference. Coulda been the potential threat of slavers, what with everythin' that's brewed in Neigh Orleans for the last decade. Maybe it was the common fear of ghouls turnin' feral, or maybe it was just the wrong moment for their charity to be tested.
In any case, the next day I just packed up and left at nightfall. I didn't even bother lettin' anypony know since they wouldn't sympathize with my reasonin'." Camphor's face was grim as he continued. "Took me three days to catch up to the ghouls... three days too late. The slavers had recaptured 'em, killed the parents an'..." He paused, and I could see his jaw quiver slightly. "... An' the children had been beaten within an inch of death."
Willow let out a barely audible, "Oh, no..."
Camphor swallowed, clearly distraught at the recollection. "After I dealt with the slavers, I helped nurse the young ones back to health. They were good kids put through a living hell for how they looked, with some of the purest hearts I've ever encountered in my life. When we parted ways, I realized that there was an entire wasteland out here filled with ponies just like them with nobody to turn to for help. I'd been sittin' comfortably inside Buckwater's walls while others were sufferin'."
"Dat why you never came back?"
Camphor nodded again. "Started wandering the country, movin' from tribe to tribe an' aidin' all that I could. I learned which ones were friendly, which to avoid, an' a great deal about how to deal with these kinda ponies who grew up in the wilderness."
"You'll be glad to hear dat Buckwater's a little more welcoming of ghouls nowadays," Willow remarked. "But I can't say de same for goremot's."
With a wistful sigh, Camphor slowed, giving his pet a fond smile. "Figures. I usually hafta leave Molly outside settlements an' tribes. Misunderstood little critters, they are."
'Misunderstood,' my flank.
Willow voiced the question that had surely been on all of our minds since the doctor arrived. "You didn't have it back in Buckwater, so... when... how... did dis happen?" She gestured to the odd duo beside her.
"I was leavin' Tacksonville about three years back when a big ol' monsoon swept in. I ducked into some ruins for shelter an' came face-to-face with Molly here," answered Camphor. "She was soaked, her wings battered by the rain. Spooked the daylights outta me, but Molly just sat and watched me, not tryin' to attack or anythin'."
Molly seemed to flit her wings at the mention of her name.
"I've always been fascinated by insects, goremoths 'specially. I started studyin' her anatomy, an' she kept still. Eventually I got close enough to touch her, an'... I did." Camphor smiled. "Molly was totally friendly. When the storm cleared, she started followin' me, an' we've been travelin' together ever since!"
"Huh." Willow's voice was skeptical. "Dat's... some story."
The doctor gave a shrug. "You know how some ponies just have a connection to animals? I think Molly an' I understood each other the moment we met."
Willow sneered, "Next you'll be tellin' me you chat wit' her."
"I do, actually."
"You're kidding," the guide snorted.
Camphor looked offended. "I'm not! How else d'you think we became such a synchronized team? There were these creatures 'fore the war called falcons, an' they could be trained just like Molly."
"Uh-huh..." Willow nodded slowly. "So what d'ya even feed it? You don't let it... drain you, right...?"
Camphor stopped her with a wave, reaching into a saddlebag and withdrawing a vial wrapped in a protective cushion of gauze. As he unwrapped it, my PipBuck's light shone through the glass, illuminating the red fluid within. "I make full use o' my cadavers."
I blanched, and heard Marigold make a disgusted noise. Willow shook her head. "You've got a screw loose, Doc."
"Au contraire," Camphor responded. "So what've you been keepin' up to since I left, Willow? An' what's with the black cloak?"
"She says it's comfy," I muttered.
Willow scowled. "It's... I'll have to explain it to you later, Doc," she snapped. "I've mostly been busy leadin' customers to and from de Rift. Rich n' ignorant types come west from Mareami needin' somepony who knows how to get dem to LaFarrier, or some merchant needs an escort to Buckwater, or a bounty hunter's lookin' for a mark in de sticks. Now I've got a Steel Ranger wantin' to reach de northern border." She indicated at me.
"A Ranger, huh?" Camphor shot me a look, but quickly turned back to Willow, seemingly disinterested in my affiliation. "Well, I'm glad you've got a steady source of income."
"It's... fairly steady," Willow replied.
As we exited the dense foliage, the ruins of Saint Mare's lay before us, a relatively small town that was halfway reclaimed by nature. Many of the houses on the outskirts were completely overtaken by moss and vines, their wooden frames rotting and collapsed. The road leading into town was blanketed with leaves, and reeds had sprouted in the countless potholes marring the pavement. A faint glow emanated from the far side of town, discernable only due to the immense darkness that blanketed the surrounding swampland.
"Here we are..." Camphor muttered. "Slavers an' malignant tribes keep resettlin' this place like worms feastin' on a carcass."
"Wish we had a balefire bomb to wipe dis place out for good," Willow added.
Marigold anxiously rubbed her foreleg with a hoof as she asked, "So what's our plan?"
Turning to us, Camphor bit his lip. "Well..." He glanced at me quickly. "Sorry, Quillwright, but priority one is still findin' Harvest. After we free him an' anypony else they're imprisonin', we'll find a way inside the pharmacy and get you treated." He looked at Willow with a knowing glance. "But 'fore we do any of that, we need to find some place we can rendezvous if there's trouble."
We entered town cautiously, searching for a structurally sound refuge. Many roofs had caved in over time, while several buildings were inaccessible due to locked or boarded-up entrances. After finding the post office's front door to be jammed shut, Camphor took a moment to check in on me.
"How're you holding up?" he asked.
I reiterated my still-present symptoms. When the doctor acknowledged this, I figured I'd ask him a silly question that had been on my mind for a while. "Why's it called typhoof?"
"Pardon?"
"Typhoof; it doesn't have anything to do with hooves. Something like hooferia I understand, but this... the name just doesn't make any sense."
Camphor shrugged. "Beats me. I ain't the pony that came up with it."
"Well, whoever named it clearly never contracted it..." I muttered, feeling frustrated and needing something to channel it towards.
Close to the town's main street we found a well-preserved laundromat; its front door was still attached to its hinges and the front windows were coated with calcium deposits but intact. Marigold entered first, pushing the swinging door which creaked and popped on rusty hinges.
The interior was dark and chilly, the floor covered in dried mud and dust. Several washers and dryers hung open and were filled with brush and foliage, suggesting they had once served as nests of some kind. Empty bottles labelled "Vim-Vam-Pop!" were piled in front of a matching vending machine that sat open and looted across the room. Its elegant green-and-white logo with red highlights was the same one on many of the caps I'd earned from Tough Sell.
Just inside the door were flyers like I'd found within the Ministry of Image hub, below a poster taped to the wall. Its background was a harsh and jagged pattern of black-and-white stripes, overlaid by red text chiming "Help To Protect Your Home; Report The Monochrome!" There was a basket beneath offering a couple of the flyers, which were titled, "How To Root Out Zebras and Zebra Sympathizers." I stashed one quickly, my compulsion to study pre-war materials still present even through my illness.
Rows of tables were interspersed through the middle of the room, covered in pre-war barding, shirts, and dresses that had been hastily folded or strewn about in a rush. After relocating an overflowing hamper in my way, I eased myself onto a wide wooden bench against the far wall. A sigh escaped as my smarting back was relieved of its burden.
Willow and Camphor had hung around outside for a moment before they entered. As the doctor slid off three of his four saddlebags and sat them on the table before me, he spoke up. "Willow an' I have decided that it would be best if we went on ahead, while you two kept this place secured."
I objected. "No. No splitting up." That lesson had been learned in full within Stable 56.
"I didn't come all this way to just sit around uselessly," Marigold agreed. "I'm not waiting here."
Camphor seemed to have a response prepared, but Willow answered faster. "Quill is sick and you got no experience wid dis kinda ting, Mari." She hefted her shotgun with her magic, slinging it across her back. "Dis isn't a discussion."
The settler shook her head. "I'm not a foal."
"Please," Camphor sighed. "I know you want to find Harvest, but we have no idea what we'll be walking into, an' it's best if we keep quiet until then. If we don't return within an hour, then..." He paused, frowning. "Then come look for us."
Marigold glared at him, and then at Willow. Her eyes darted to the ground, where she seemed transfixed on a pile of dust bunnies. After a few moments she finally shut her eyes. "Fine. Just... hurry," she resigned.
The doctor and guide readied their weapons and departed, entrusting Camphor's unwieldy saddlebags to our care. As Willow reached the door, she took notice of the anti-zebra propaganda, slowing her pace. She briefly examined one of the flyers before she stomped her hoof atop it and dragged the paper through the pile, scattering them. Her telekinetic aura then ripped the poster from the wall quite vehemently, crumpling it into a ball and tossing it aside.
In its delirium, my fevered mind entertained an outlandish idea: is Willow a horned zebra? Do those even exist? The question of why she insisted on wearing her cloak at all times or why she lived outside of Buckwater had never left me, only growing the more I was around her. She had to be keeping her appearance secret for some reason; in fact, she didn't seem too keen on letting me know anything about her.
The thought of Willow Wisp actually being a zebra had stirred a feeling of... well, it was hard to place. Resentment? Mistrust? I wasn't fond of zebras; in fact, I didn't know a single Steel Ranger that didn't hold some sort of reservation for the race that had destroyed Equestria. Aurora Tide might have been an exception, but the stripes were universally despised by all wastelanders for ushering in the apocalypse.
Ponies hadn't been the aggressors. On the contrary; Equestria had been a thriving hub of commerce, richly diverse in races and cultures, with a loving populace known for its collective geniality; a stark contrast to the secluded and xenophobic zebra empire. Their belligerence and opposition to the ideals of ponykind were what sparked the escalating arms race that ended in balefire. Zebras had murdered the Wonderbolts. Zebras had massacred foals in Littlehorn. Zebras were the ones conducting assassination attempts, many of them successful.
While I'd never personally known a stripe, as they were so uncommon in this day and age, the idea of unknowingly taking orders from and surrendering every cap I could scrounge up to one was offensive. These thoughts swam around in my fading consciousness as I tried to stretch out on the flat bench. Marigold had taken to pacing back and forth, quietly whispering to herself as she occasionally checked the size of clothing articles she neared. Feeling relatively secure, I started drifting off to sleep. Just half an hour and I'll feel better.
I pulled the blanket up to my muzzle, trying to cover as much of myself as I could. As they rubbed against my fur, the frayed threads revived a memory long-buried in the recesses of my mind as I passed into slumber... ***
A dirty, skinny beige pegasus huddled beneath the wagon's wreckage, draped in nothing but a ratty blanket and silky shadows. Her leg trembled with pain, a twisted gash running from the base of her hoof to her knee. It had been slowly but steadily bleeding for well over an hour and she was beginning to feel light-headed.
A buffeting wind swept through the canyons of steel, glass and stone above her. Haunting moans and screeches echoed past, reminiscent of the radhogs that had nearly maimed her. She'd ran until her lungs nearly gave out, lost in the winding maze of downtown. When her leg had started to shake in pain, she'd instead taken to wing, but that wasn't helping to slow her bleeding. After scrounging a blanket out of a suitcase buried inside the wagon, she had taken some time to evaluate the situation, curling up to stay warm.
She was so utterly, unfathomably alone. She had known that the wasteland was empty, but it had proven to be so much more expansive and barren than she expected. Manehattan had stood as a potential bastion of civilization, but if there were any ponies left here, she hadn't seen a single one. After encountering those horrible mutated creatures, the city had enveloped her in its winding passages and endless displays of ruined storefronts and rubble-covered streets.
There was nopony she knew that could help her now. The realization of her isolation had hit her and filled her with terror. The pegasus couldn't stand being by herself; the only company she had was a pessimistic voice that had manifested itself in her mind, whispering forlorn thoughts. She hated it.
The sound of approaching voices caused the filly's ears to swivel around. She raised her head to see multicolored beams of light cutting a swath through the evening sky as a group passed by a few blocks away. After a very short internal debate, the pegasus lifted herself into the air and carefully moved down the street, ensuring that she remained out of view of the group of strangers. She didn't know where their allegiances lay or if they were even safe to confront, but at this point she was too desperate to be choosy.
Once the filly had caught up, she peeked around the corner of an intersection to see the group arrive at the front of an ornate, fancy-looking building. A granite welcome stone identified it as the Manehattan Public Library. Focusing her ears, the filly listened in on the ponies' discussion.
"... One outside. Defer to Missive's judgment once we're inside; this place is big, and there're more books in there than you could ever read in your lifetime."
The curiosity of the pegasus was perked. She watched with intent as a unicorn telekinetically hauled apart the double oaken entrance doors, which were practically gates. One pony remained behind, a large metallic form that panned a headlamp to and fro across the front lot. The filly watching the figure was hesitant, unsure whether the stranger could be trusted not to shoot her on sight. Her throbbing leg soon trumped her misgivings, however, and drew her limping out of cover.
The imposing figure before the filly was completely encased in burnished silvery armor. While fearsome, it also inspired a sense of security, as if a knight from one of the pegasus' storybooks had stepped out from the world of paper and ink and into hers, intent on rescuing fair maidens and slaying horrible monsters.
Having advanced from the side, the filly managed to reach the stranger without being spotted. Gathering her courage, she spoke up. "E-excuse me, Mister Knight?"
The metallic pony jumped slightly, but wasted no time in turning a battle-saddle-mounted laser rifle towards the filly. "Who the...?" The voice was feminine, scratchy and artifical through the speakers of her helmet. "Damn tribals..." She faced away, resuming her patrol for more substantial threats.
"Um..." the pegasus ventured. "Missus Knight? Can you help me?"
She was met with impassive silence.
"I'm hurt, and lost, and I need help..."
The Knight continued to ignore the pleas.
"I..." the filly wasn't sure why she didn't even seem worthy of a dismissal. "I don't know exactly how..."
"Piss off," the armored earth pony deadpanned.
The filly's ears flattened, but she was insistent. "Please, I... I don't need much, just a bandage..."
"Are you Goddess-damned deaf?" the Knight snapped, cocking her laser rifle. The weapon began to hum with a dangerous, low-pitched whine as the barrel was directed at the filly's wide-eyed face. "You've got five seconds to clear out 'fore I paint the lot with your birdbrains!"
"Key Lime!" shouted a stern voice. "What are you doing?"
Both ponies turned to see a unicorn emerge from the library's entrance. Her coat was a beryl blue, and her jet-black mane glittered with streaks of iridescence. She was dressed in simple robes, the fabric a pale yellow color with pink accents.
"This doesn't concern you, Aurora." The Knight shook her head subtly. "Civvies..." she muttered.
The unicorn's face was disapproving as she walked closer. "Lime, you know full well that dealing with wastelanders is my 'concern' ."
"Don't you have more important things to worry about right now?"
Aurora Tide's horn flashed, yanking the end of the Knight's laser rifle skyward and away from the filly's head. "Don't you have bigger targets to save those cells for?"
The Knight scowled behind her helmet. "More runaway Enclave scum, I reckon."
"She's just a filly!" Aurora retorted. "She doesn't even have her cutie mark yet!" She turned to the pegasus, leaning down to the same height. "What's your name, little one?"
"I'm... Quillwright."
Aurora echoed the answer with a warm smile. "That's a lovely name. Now why don't you come inside and let me take a look at that leg?"
Quillwright's eyes darted to the imposing Key Lime who still loomed behind Aurora, but the unicorn kept herself between the two and the attention on herself.
"Come now. It's alright." She guided the filly towards the door; Key Lime grumbled but let them pass.
The interior of the Manehattan Public Library was a sight to behold: an almost perfectly preserved bastion of pre-war knowledge and learning. Quillwright gaped as she took in the several thousand colorful book spines that surrounded her. The shelves spanned two floors, curving in an elegant, wavy layout. Thick stone pillars supported the soaring ceiling, sculpted to resemble towering oak trunks.
Beautiful gilded carvings of scenes from popular folklore hung between bookshelves. The floor was covered in a vibrant mosaic of tiles illustrating a forest floor, divided by a creek which led to a long-dried fountain, rising tall in the center of the room. Its centerpiece was a gracefully posing unicorn surrounded by swirling books, and the stone pony's horn ended in a spout which once arced a stream of water over visitors' heads into a smaller pool nearby.
It was the single most incredible scene that Quillwright had ever witnessed.
Clearing several of the ground-floor shelves were a dozen or so ponies clad in drab scarlet-colored robes resembling Aurora's garb. A few sat and sorted through the masses of reading material, quickly scanning the covers before gently setting them aside. Quillwright could see two more metallic ponies across the room, in addition to three that were more lightly armored, their heads and tails unconcealed.
Aurora guided the filly over to the fountain, where she eased the injured pegasus onto the flowing benches carved into its sides. She politely pulled the blanket off of Quillwright's back. "Now," Aurora Tide began, "Let's see what the damage is."
She gently lifted Quillwright's leg with her hoof, eyes scanning the cut. The unicorn's horn began to glow with a brilliant spectrum of colors. "Just relax." The wave of healing magic flowed over the filly's leg, encircling it and caressing it as gently as a summer breeze. ***
But instead of feeling my wound seal up, there was another sensation. Something being shifted, removed...
The memory was interrupted as my heavy and unfocused eyes fluttered open to find Marigold lifting my left foreleg. Her hooves were struggling to grip the sides of the PipBuck while she studied its form.
"What're you..." I began, before she located the release latch and hooked the edge of her hoof on it. I tried to pull away, but the earth pony mare was far stronger than I was. The device swung apart as it was unclipped from my foreleg, and the E.F.S. faded out as the spell was disabled. "M-marigold, what are you doing...?" I coughed, trying to grab her tail or do anything that might keep her from leaving.
She attached the PipBuck to her own leg, her features framed in resolve. Without saying a word, Marigold managed to reboot the PipBuck and headed towards the laundromat's front door.
"Don't... leave..." I rasped, trying to drag myself off the bench after her. The mare grabbed her saddlebags, slung them over her back, and exited the building, briskly trotting down the street. My legs proved to be shakier than I anticipated, and as I tried to rise from the bench I wobbled and toppled onto the tile floor, groaning in agony. The floor was filthy but cool against my hot, sweaty hide, and I simply laid there, shivering with sickness and too weary to return myself to the bench. I coughed, my delirious brain still trying to fathom why Marigold had just stolen the PipBuck and abandoned me.
I wasn't sure how long I was sprawled there; my consciousness drifted in and out constantly, my body feeling the worst yet. My muscles were drained, the act of quivering agonizing even as a subconscious action. Having been outstretched, my empty stomach awoke and cried out for something... anything... to fill it.
Eventually I came to as my ears picked up the sound of scratching against the glass of the front door. I was too exhausted to even turn my head as I heard the door creak open slightly. Panting and clicking approached me, and I felt hot breath on my mane. With effort, I managed to roll over and found that Wick was scenting me.
"Hey, you... you finally caught up!" I scraped out.
His wet nose moved in close to my face, dabbing my muzzle with moisture, and he whined quietly. The dog circled me, sniffing my hooves, tail, flanks, and mane, and then returned to my face and licked me. I coughed as dog breath invaded my sinuses.
"Wick, back," I couldn't help but giggle in mild delirium as the dog's sad eyes kept staring at me with unflinching interest. Wick whined again, bobbing his head.
Though I'd curled back into a fetal position, the dog sat down beside me, resting his head on my forehooves. I couldn't help but feel a little safer with a companion nearby as I began to drift off again.
When I next came to, Wick had excitedly hoisted himself to his paws, tail wagging as he made for the front. I noted that I felt a little better now; perhaps my fever had finally broken. There was the telltale creak and pop of the door opening, and I twisted; through the dim light I could see the silhouette of a unicorn. Their horn flared with golden light and spilled over my prostrate form, forcing me to shield my sensitive eyes.
"Where's Marigold?" The hurried voice belonged to Willow.
I coughed, propping myself up. "S-she took the PipBuck and... went out by herself."
Willow growled, stomping the floor with a hoof. "Of-fuckin'-course. I told him dis'd happen..." I could hear her mutter, "Mule trapped in a pony's body..." as she absentmindedly ruffled the fur of Wick's head, who had greeted her eagerly. The unicorn trotted up to me, helping me right myself.
"And where's Camphor?" I asked of her.
"He..." Willow started, but stomped again, her voice strained with rage. "We took out a few perimeter guards wid a knife and his goremot', but den..." she shook her head as she finished. "We were spotted. Few patrollin' tribals saw us and started firing; one hit de Doc in de leg, his mot' flew off into town, and... and I had to leave him, yeah?"
"Crap." Could today get any worse?
"... And now dere's a group of tribal hunters chasing me."
Please stop speaking so soon.
We moved to retrieve Camphor's saddlebags, and I groaned in surprise as I tried to heft one onto my back. How many bricks does he carry around with him? I had to give him credit; the doctor was a lot stronger than he looked. Through the front windows we could see beams of light and accompanying voices making their way down the street. Cursing, Willow spun and led us through a back hallway. We came to a heavy iron door, its engaged lock steadfast against Willow's desperate shoves. Uttering a constant stream of foul language, the guide looked to me. "D'ya know how to pick a lock?"
Memories of an old friend, Scribe Scold, briefly resurfaced. While he'd been oddly experienced at handling bobby pins, he was an invaluable asset, able to pry open most any container the Knights hauled back to the Citadel. Despite requesting him to pass his skills on to me, it wasn't something that I'd ever been able to pick up, figuratively or literally. While I could create flowing and elegant calligraphy upon parchment without magic, my teeth weren't quite dextrous enough to tinker with delicate tumblers. "Nope."
"Shittin' hell..." Willow seemed utterly overwhelmed by the situation, putting a hoof to the side of her head. "Okay, just... mais la!"
I sought about the darkened hallway for a solution, my eyes catching on a dull blue sign. "The bathroom?" I suggested.
The creak and pop of the front door caused the three of us to jump; somepony else was in the building with us now. Wick's ears were practically molded to the shape of his head, his tail as straight as a plumb-line.
"Yeah, go," Willow urged.
We slipped into the cramped restroom, which absolutely reeked of mold. I was having a hard enough time breathing with my sickness, and this oppressive atmosphere threatened to inflame my sinuses; I had to scrunch my nose and pin my nostrils shut with my hooves to stifle a building sneeze. Willow stood at the door, keeping a sliver pried open to peek through, while Wick hunkered against me fearfully. For half a minute there was nothing but silence, and then Willow drew back from the door as I saw a weak flashlight beam pass over her. There were echoing hoofsteps as somepony moved down the hallway towards us.
I could feel my pulse increase, but as I moved to position myself next to the door, Willow held me back. Unable to see her or ask what her plan was, I was pushed backwards until my rump met the crooked sink behind us. As the hooves outside slowed down, I tensed up, certain that we would have to fight our way out. The door swung open, and in the split second before the flashlight was aimed at us, I saw Willow dip her head forward and a very low thrum came from her horn. The hunter's light went dark.
The pony groaned in annoyance. I heard him take the device out of his mouth, rapping it against a hoof in an attempt to relight it. He tried for a few seconds, but quickly grew frustrated. He pulled away from the door, muttering something in another language, and let it swing shut. I heard him clip-clopping back down the hall at a more leisurely pace.
Willow let out a breath and relaxed, her horn briefly flashing; the soft burst hung around in the air like the afterglow of a lightbulb. We waited for several minutes, until the front door creaked and popped again and the voices had faded away. Creeping out of the restroom, I sighed in relief as fresher air cooled my windpipe.
"Did you and Camphor get a lay of the land?" I asked.
Willow nodded. Her voice was slower and less frantic than it had been before we hid; whatever magic she'd just utilized must have drained her reserves quite a bit. "Dere's a school on de west side. Got fortifications around it, and a tennis court outside serving as a slave pen." She led us back into the main room, still cautious of lingering tribals. "Harvest could be dere. Didn't have anyting to unlock de gate wid', short of shooting it open. Might be a key on a tribal or in de school."
Wick sniffed the floor inquisitively, presumably picking up the scent of the wild ponies who'd nearly discovered us.
"Mari didn't mention where she was headed, no?"
"Nope."
The unicorn sighed. "I don' really know where to start. We could try and get de slaves out now, or find a way inside de school and investigate..." She trailed off, and I realized that she was asking for my opinion.
I weighed the options. Without knowledge of where Harvest, Marigold, or Camphor were, there wasn't a clear best choice. The school would be filled with tribals, but the slaves could prove difficult to free without raising an alarm. In the end, I suggested, "How about we go for the slaves first?"
Willow agreed, and we left the building, cautiously making our way down the street heading west. The shops lining both sides of the path were covered by vegetation, windows busted and brick sides covered in layers of graffiti. At the first intersection, Willow looked down the street that led south back into the wilderness, and then turned to Wick.
"Go, Wick!" She clicked her tongue, pointing a hoof at the outbound path.
The dog slowly considered her indication, and then looked back to her with all the immediacy of a turtle. He made a questioning moan as his paws remained rooted to the ground.
"Go!" Willow repeated. "Get!"
More splitting up. "Are you sure we need to send him away?" I asked.
The unicorn nodded. "Dere's no way we're getting t'rough all dis wit'out a fight, and dat ain't what he's here for." She made another shooing motion. "Go!"
Wick finally obeyed, albeit with slow, downtrodden steps. His pitiful eyes kept begging Willow to let him stay, but she was undeterred. Once Wick was sulking a block away, the guide turned back to me. "Let's keep moving."
I gazed about the town as we picked our way down the street. At one intersection I could see the sizable remnants of a military convoy fallen close by, the dull green wagons somehow still standing at attention on their wooden wheels. One carried a recognizable shape, even if it was draped in a web of flowery creepers and moss, with metal plates a shiny teal from exposure: a massive sentry bot. I'd seen one before in Equestria, an active one; they were fierce enough to even make a Knight think twice about engaging.
At the end of the main street, I blinked in surprise at the establishment we paused at. Though vines spilled over the roof and veiled much of the front, I could still make out a red thermometer on the sign. A poster half-peeled from the window offering free vaccinations all but confirmed my hopes.
"Willow!" I hissed. "The pharmacy!"
The unicorn lingered to cast a look back at me. "Can dat wait 'til we get de ot'ers back?" She sounded annoyed.
A small, selfish part of me wanted to just find the medicine now and ensure that my sickness would be cured, but doubted I could actually properly identify exactly what I needed or prescribe myself a safe dose. That wasn't the main reason I wanted to duck into the building, however. "I can't keep carrying these, but we can stash them inside," I explained as I rolled my shoulders, indicating Camphor's bags. My weary muscles threatened to give out beneath the weight dangling from my sides.
Willow conceded. "Fine, but let's keep it snappy, yeah?"
The door was shoved inwards with a crack, raining splinters as the warped door was pried out of its frame. We quickly tucked the bags just inside the door, behind a chair in a waiting area; lightly hidden from the wrong eyes. Before we left, Willow's light washed over the rest of the pharmacy, and my spirits nosedived as I caught a glimpse of the barren shelves. Hopefully whatever stock was in the rear of the store hadn't been looted yet.
Back outside, we cut through a side street. Past a beaten-down chain link fence at the end were a hundred yards of open field separating us from the school, the uncut grass nearly at chin level and swaying in the wind. We snaked our way across the expanse, sufficiently out of view within the wavy shrouds of green.
The road leading to the school merged into a roundabout which had once allowed wagons to drop students off at the front doors; nowadays it was surrounded by a wall of dumpsters and overturned wagon frames with fire barrels ringing the perimeter. The gate was simple but effective: a yellow school wagon, parked sideways. A pair of guards were within, conversing with a group of hunters that had collected outside, possibly the same group that had been searching for us only minutes ago.
My attention was stolen by an effigy of a dun-colored unicorn stallion that was propped up outside the entrance. It had been stitched a red horn and wore a crown composed of twisted wire. Various offerings were piled at its base, items such as flowers or caps and smaller, assorted knick-knacks that I couldn't discern.
"You seeing this?" I asked Willow, still entranced.
The guide shook her head, impatient. "What, de idol thing?"
"Yeah... who is it supposed to be?"
"Honestly, Quill," Willow huffed. "Who gives a shit?"
... Me, whined the little pony in my head.
"Looks like they're worshiping it."
"Most o' dese tribals ain't got two brain cells to rub toget'er; dey're superstitious enough to worship anyt'in'."
We reached the wall and began to skirt it, keeping ourselves bathed in darkness and out of any eyes that might be directed our way. As we neared an open window, a painful scream, that of a mare, sounded from above us. It was muffled yet unmistakably a cry of pain, and my blood turned to ice as I imagined Marigold being tortured by the tribals.
I turned to ask Willow what we should do to find her already at the window, climbing over the sill as her shotgun floated beside her. Following, we both slipped into the dark school hallway. Stacks of cherry-red lockers greeted us, occasionally interspersed with water fountains, benches, or waste bins. A wide variety of posters were plastered across the white concrete walls. Between an advertisement for an upcoming hoofball game with the Tacksonville Timberwolves and a recruitment sign for the school newspaper was the same anti-zebra poster from the laundromat.
We headed towards the rear of the school, hoping that there would be less concentrated amounts of tribals at that end. Rounding the corner, we ducked back as we witnessed a tribal pony cantering down the center of the hall, away from us. Hugging the wall, we followed until we reached an inset stairwell. Ensuring that nopony was waiting at the top for us, we cautiously worked our way up the stairs, treading lightly to keep our hooves from echoing too loudly. At the top, we found ourselves in a candle-lit hallway.
Following the sound of Marigold, we briskly trotted down the drafty hallway. The cries of pain only grew more agonized as we approached a heavy wooden door with a short etched sign reading "BIOLOGY" attached to the front. Taking positions on either side of the entrance, I nodded after drawing Riptide, and Willow shoved the door open, her weapon quickly locking onto the pony closest to her.
Yet there was a moment of hesitation as we took in the scene before us. I expected something horrific: a blood-covered room filled with flayed and mangled corpses hanging from hooks, a chained-up Marigold being cut apart by savages, her still-beating heart pulled from between her ribs...
This wasn't any of that. Lit by several luminous lanterns, the room was surprisingly clean, the grey and white tile floor covered in various old homework assignments and science reports. Alembics and beakers were intermittently arranged atop the wide stone tables ringing the edges of the room. On the walls were smeared chalkboards and diagrams of male and female ponies of every race, along with various animals, some of which I recognized and some I couldn't identify.
At the far end of the room, a mare sweating profusely with a face twisted in pain lay on her side atop one of the tables, heaving and shouting. She was ringed by tribals, most of whom were unarmed and seemed to be eagerly observing as Doctor Camphor sat before the mare, ready to...
Wait. Camphor? The mare was in labor, and the doctor was helping birth a foal?
Everypony before us had turned to address our sudden interruption with a mix of confusion, shock and anger. The nearest tribal, her face painted with the same design seen at the diner, began to speak up when Willow's shotgun cut her off. The slug punched into the pony's chest and hurled her backwards into one of her friends. In an instant, the room exploded into chaos.
The only tribal with a firearm drew his rifle, but Riptide was able to put him down before he had a chance to aim. His rifle spun out of his magic and landed beneath a nearby desk as Willow decapitated another foe. With a war cry, one of the tribals charged me, brandishing a used-looking machete. The blade whooshed towards my head and I barely backed out of the way, trying to find room to line up a shot. My attacker growled and stabbed forwards as I hopped back; the blade's tip missed my skin by a hair's breadth, instead slicing into the edge of my barding and snagging in the fabric.
I just bought this! I punctuated that frustrated internal exclamation with two shots at close range, forcing the tribal back. As he fell to the floor, gurgling through a hole in his neck, I tried to wrest the blade out of my clothes. Next to me, Willow Wisp telekinetically lifted a heavy-looking microscope and struck a tribal full in the face with a savage thud. She tried to bring her shotgun to bear on the last tribal, but the foe reached out with her magic and gripped the weapon.
The two unicorns struggled for control over the barrel's direction for a heartbeat, but Willow forced the weapon to the floor and instead charged at the tribal, lowering her head. Both ponies locked horns, engaging in a lethal dance, each trying to twist the other to the ground.
I couldn't risk a shot lest I struck Willow, so I was forced to keep my distance as the pair shouted and snarled, their horns sparking as the opposing magical auras scraped against each other. The tribal seemed experienced at horn-to-horn dueling, and continuously feinted to the side, forcing Willow's hoofwork to be flawless to keep from tripping.
Both combatants drove each other through stools and chairs, oblivious to all but the immediate fight. Hoofmarks were scuffed into the tile floor and glass shattered as beakers and chemistry tools were knocked from tables. Just as the tribal had paused for a moment to catch her breath, Willow retaliated.
Willow's horn overloaded with magical energy and burst in a blinding flash of golden light. The tribal mare disengaged and reeled back, half-blinded by the unexpected move, and Willow charged. Her opponent never even saw her death coming as the guide ducked and drove her slender horn up through the underside of the tribal's jaw and into her skull with a sickening crunch.
Shaking with adrenaline, Willow threw the twitching corpse to the floor and turned to Doctor Camphor, who had been shielding the pregnant tribal with his body. Both were unscathed, but as he backed off of his patient, Willow's voice was accusatory.
"What... de hell... are you doing?"
Camphor returned to his prior position, surgical mask hiding his mouth's expression but brows displaying resolve. "She's been in labor for well over a day. One o' the tribals recognized me an' brought me in to help; they're convinced she's gonna birth some sort of holy child."
Willow's magic retrieved her shotgun, breaking it open and replacing the one spent shell. "Move." The unicorn's voice brooked no debate, but the doctor didn't budge.
I joined the guide, looking over my shoulder at the door we'd entered through. "Somepony had to have heard all this."
Camphor was still busy as he continued, "I know some of the ponies here; they must've been merged from other tribes. Might help explain the boom in their population..."
Willow was completely out of patience. She stormed up to Camphor and tried to pull him out of the way, but the heavier earth pony stood fast. "I'm not leaving her."
"She's a savage! I'm not letting her spawn anot'er one of dese animals!"
"The foal is innocent." Camphor had risen to his full height, towering over the unicorn.
"Fuckin' stallions and dere chivalry..." Willow growled. "... Takes a mare to shoot a mare."
There were distant shouts past the half-opened door. "Guys...?" I warned.
The pregnant mare groaned and then cried out again. Camphor instinctively gravitated closer to her but didn't dare turn his back to Willow, whose shotgun was still trying to get a bead on the tribal.
"We don't have time for dis! Marigold's missing and Harvest is still out dere somewhere!"
"I started this, and I'm finishin' it. I won't let any patient of mine come to harm, no matter who they are."
"And what d'ya tink dey'll do to you once you've finished? You've killed several of dem already!"
Camphor didn't immediately answer. "This is different," he stated, his voice containing a slight tint of uncertainty. "I'm still a doctor, first and foremost."
"And here I was, still wondering whether you'd taken the Hippocratic oath or not..." I muttered sarcastically as I fit fresh bullets into Riptide's cylinder.
"De fuck do hippos have t'do wid anyt'ing?" Willow scowled and finally gave up as she turned her attention to the door. "Oh, Luna fuck me wid..."
Another scream from the tribal cut her off as Camphor returned to his post, speaking to the mare in their language. Willow shut the door, but she could only knob-lock it; that measure wouldn't last more than a minute. "Maybe you don't care whet'er you live or die, Cam, but I do," Willow said, telekinetically overturning a few desks to create a partition in the room and shoving a few in front of the entrance. "Quill, I need you to leave. Find de slaves and get dem out."
I thought I'd made it clear before that I didn't like splitting up. "I'm not leaving you two again."
Willow whirled to face me. "We need more den us if we're standing any chance against a whole town o' dese inbred morons. Rally de ponies dey've captured and we just might make it outta here alive, yeah?"
There were kicks at the door; the tribals had arrived.
"Quillwright, go. If dey don't see you, dey won't know to look for you."
Every part of me felt wrong to abandon these two in such a dire situation, but the little pony in my mind was right. Willow's plan was solid, and in truth it was the only plan we had. I chewed my lip and hurried to the open window, poking my head out and over the sill. It was a twenty-foot drop onto concrete, but there was no other way out. I clambered out and spared one last look at Willow, who had raised her shotgun at the pregnant tribal and was decently defended behind a row of desks. Doctor Camphor was urging the mare in their language; the foal had to be close to birth.
As the door reverberated with what sounded like a hammer strike, I let go. My wing spread instinctively but only spun me around so that my front gracelessly whomped into the ground, my weak legs unable to take the impact. I avoided breaking anything or knocking myself out, so I considered my landing a success.
Above me I heard the door burst open and Willow shout, "Don't fuckin' move! I'll shoot her!" She added something else in the tribal's language, likely a repeat of the Equestrian sentence. I hesitated for a moment, but there were no gunshots; they were safe for now, but she surely couldn't keep the pregnant mare as a hostage forever.
I set out around the school's perimeter, keeping close to the wall and blending into the shadows as best I could. I halted as a fire exit door ahead opened, several ponies rushing out. Only some were dressed in the tribal robes, and none had purple facepaint. Though it was difficult to tell in the darkness, there appeared to be two foals in the evacuating group. They all headed for the fortifications at the front of the school, where there would surely be a massing group of tribals.
It would only be a matter of time before the whole town was brought down on Willow; I had to act quickly. I subconsciously reached for my foreleg to activate the E.F.S., but my hoof instead only poked the soft flesh of my leg. With a groan, my tired memory finally caught up and reminded me that the bracelet was no longer in my possession. My short time with the PipBuck had seriously spoiled me.
Once I reached the corner of the school, I could spot the slave pen across the playground. I checked to make sure the coast was clear, forcing myself to stop waiting for the E.F.S. overlay, and then darted out towards a seesaw. From there, I slunk behind a slide, and then crawled through the playground mulch over to a roundabout. Now that I could see the pen in better detail, I noticed that it seemed to be a combination of a tennis court and a cloudball court, with tall fences surrounding the perimeter of both rectangles.
A gate in the center was padlocked shut, and a few dozen silhouettes were moving about or prone within the enclosure. Three were up against this side of the fence, within earshot of the action taking place in the school. I snuck over to them, and as the figures came into view I noticed that all of them were earth ponies. A yellow stallion who stood against the fence did a double-take as I slid up close. "Who're yew?"
"A friend," I whispered. "Listen, I need to get all of you out of here."
The buck grinned. "Yer tellin' me! Yew e'er..." he trailed off, his expression falling. "Ah, shit..."
"Oi!"
I flinched as I heard somepony call out behind me. The ponies before me had all backed away, and as I turned I espied an earth stallion tribal approaching, a pistol in his mouth. Riptide was still in my saddlebag, and it would take far too much time to find it and draw before the tribal shot me dead.
The tribal's eyes were narrowed in suspicion. I noticed he wore the same dusky robes and purple facepaint most other tribals had been clad in, but an eye-catching necklace also dangled around his neck. It was crafted from thickly coiled twine, with bones, feathers, and beads along the sides and a crudely-hewn ruby secured in the center. "Qui es-tu?" he managed to ask around his weapon's grip.
I didn't know what that meant, but it likely wasn't anything good. I raised a hoof in a passive gesture, grinning. "Uh... hi...?"
"Tourne-toi!" he shouted, making a circular gesture with his pistol. Assuming he wanted me to turn around, I complied. As he neared, I could see the panicked expressions of the slaves. Here I was, perhaps the first glimmer of hope they'd seen since being abducted, about to be disarmed and thrown in with them. The tribal reached out and pulled my saddlebags off, tossing them to the side. He gestured towards the gate.
I nodded and began to turn. In a blur, I extended my wing and spun, the edge of my primary feather clipping the barrel of his pistol and knocking it from his grasp. The gun sailed through the air in a wide arc but was surrounded by a deep purple aura of magic, almost black. The telekinetic energy struggled to keep the weapon aloft, but while it dipped low, it rotated to aim at me without touching the ground. Confused, I quickly searched for the unicorn I must have overlooked.
My jaw and ears fell in unison as I realized the tribal's necklace was now floating in the air before him. His eyes were alight with violet flames, identical to the magic surrounding the pistol.
An earth pony was demonstrating telekinesis before my very eyes. I'd admittedly been a bit skeptical of Willow when she'd mentioned the existence of black magic, but here before me was hard evidence that it was real. The tribal seemed to be exerting himself to reach so far, and thanks to that I was able to snap myself out of shock quick enough to lunge at the tribal as he fired the pistol. The bullet sliced through the spot I'd just been standing in, my flank able to feel the wind following the projectile.
I headbutted him in the windpipe, lamenting for the millionth time that I wasn't a unicorn. The tribal choked as he stumbled backwards, and his magic sputtered and died. The necklace went dark and fell from the air in tandem with the pistol. I dove through the dirt, jaws clamping down on the pistol's grip as I rotated onto my back. My foe hollered and ran forward, intent on trampling me, and I fired thrice, the last shot finding its mark between his eyes. The tribal's corpse fell towards me, but I rolled out of the way to avoid his body as it landed with a thump and an accompanying cloud of dust.
I let the pistol slip from my numbing mouth as I clambered upright to face the slaves, who were watching with awe. I grinned, panting heavily. "H-hey, that... that was kinda badass!"
Several members of my impromptu audience gave quiet cheers and lightly stamped the clay court in applause. The yellow stallion seemed particularly thrilled as he pointed at the dead tribal. "He's gotta key!"
Sure enough, a quick search of the corpse rewarded me with a small ring of keys. I brought them over to the gate and in two tries the padlock was off. The gate had barely been unlatched before a stampede of ponies began to pour through it. "Wait! Please, everypony, I need to speak to you first! Just a minute!" I called over the ruckus.
Several slaves bolted straight for the wilderness as they exited the pen; I tried calling after a few, but realized it was meaningless. If they were too afraid to simply wait around in Saint Mare's, they certainly wouldn't have the will to stand and fight their former captors. Roughly forty had been held in the court, and close to thirty still hung around to listen to me, including the eager yellow buck.
"Thankee, miss, thankee!" he cried, fervently shaking my hoof.
"You're... welcome..." I struggled to say, my headache flaring up. As politely as I could, I extracted my hoof and peered around at the group before me. "Um... is anypony here named Harvest?"
The slaves looked around at each other. The yellow stallion shook his head. "Ah don't think there's a Harvest here," he mused. "A group'o us got shipped out to Goddesses-know-where back 'round noon. Hope 'e weren't wif'em."
Based on Marigold's story, that had probably occurred around the same time their homestead was assaulted. It was doubtful that Harvest would've been immediately added to a slave train without taking some time to judge his value.
"Anywho, mah name's Okra! Yers?"
"Quillwright," I answered quickly. "Okay, look. I have two, maybe three friends trapped inside the school right now. I know I just freed you, and I wish I didn't have to ask, but..." I grimaced. "I need your help to save them."
Okra looked amiable. "Well hay, least we can do tuh repay yer help is save yer friends!" Most of the group murmured agreement, but one voice spoke up over them.
"I ain't helpin' no sky-dweller!" I heard a few half-hearted agreements from the crowd.
My ears went rigid and I opened my mouth to dispute his assertion, but Okra was faster. "Howzat got anythin' tuh do wif anythin'? Quillwrigh' jus' freed us!"
"S'bout two hundred years late for 'em pegasi to start helpin'!"
Okra was growing livid. "Ah don't give half a damn if she's got wings or not. She's a pony who risked 'er life tuh free us, complete strangers to 'er!"
His outspoken opponent finally broke away from the crowd, a filthy light-blue stallion with a blonde mane. Two mares were following him anxiously. "Count me out," he scoffed. "We ain't takin' part in no suicide mission." The mares nodded vigorously.
"Slitter." Okra frowned in disgust. "Figures you'd be th' first tuh turn tail. Worst guard Ah had th' misfortune o' hirin."
"An' you're the most..." Slitter paused briefly as he sought about for an insult. It quickly became clear that he didn't have an extensive vernacular. "... Stupidest caravaneer I've ever worked for!"
I was unable to mask my annoyance as my tail brusquely flicked at the air. "You don't care about any of your fellows, do you?"
Slitter didn't even look my way, instead simply nickering as he led his pair of acolytes into the wilderness. One of them kept glancing back at us, guilt and a look of internal struggle painted across her face.
Okra turned to me. "Mah 'pologies; lotta grudges still run deep 'round 'ere. The rest of us'd be willin' tuh help, but we need sumpthin' tuh fight wif!"
I retrieved the pistol I'd dropped and presented it to him. "Here's one to start. Now, does anypony know where the tribals might have an armory?"
There was another chorus of no's, but Okra gestured towards the school. "Ah think they keep most errythin' up in the school wif 'em."
"Alright then..." I looked back towards the school, hoping against hope that Willow and Camphor were still alright. "Let's go."
As the crowd of slaves began to move, I went to retrieve my saddlebags. Stepping around the dead tribal, I caught a subtle glimmer buried in his ruffled robes. Pausing to examine him, I swept aside the dark fabric to reveal the voodoo necklace that still encircled his neck, reflecting the moonlight from above.
Even in spite of the low visibility, the ruby center seemed to captivate me, shimmering with an impossibly deep refraction. Before I knew what I was doing, I checked to see that nopony was watching and snatched it up. Tossing on my bags, I stuffed the necklace deep into my belongings and then galloped to catch up with Okra.
We reached the back of the school without encountering any tribals; it was safe to assume that they were preoccupied with the hostage situation inside. The rear entrance was less glamorous than the front, but the doors were unlocked and our little militia was able to slip inside. The dark hallway we found ourselves in ran the length of the school, both sides covered in lockers.
With Okra and myself leading the way with our pistols, we peeked into every classroom we came across. All were vacant, though most showed signs of being lived-in, with bedrolls, lanterns, and articles of clothing scattered around on the floor and desks. The tribals had kept their living quarters far tidier than I'd expected, and if I hadn't known better, I could've even believed that this school was home to a group of traders or normal wastelanders.
A few slaves equipped themselves with appropriated flashlights and lanterns to help us navigate the gloomy interior, since we had neither magic nor the PipBuck to provide any light. We didn't find any weapons, but I acquired a cord that allowed me to secure Riptide around my neck and keep it within reach.
As we reached the end of the hallway and rounded the corner, my ears perked to the sounds of aggressive shouting upstairs. Collectively hurrying forward, our group pushed through a double door and into the dark, cavernous gym. The bleachers had been pulled out, and in the center of the wooden court was a table identical to the ones in the biology room upstairs. It was relatively clean, but my dread tripled when I saw dark stains imprinted into the laminated wood beneath it. Blood, and lots of it. At least none of it is fresh.
Okra growled something behind his pistol and sprinted to the far exit. We joined him and shoved through another pair of doors to find ourselves in the school's entrance. Flanking both sides were staircases that led down to display cases filled with cobweb-laced trophies and framed photographs of students and athletes. Above hung gold and purple pennants, surrounding a large banner that exclaimed "Go Fruit Bats!" with a cutesy titular mascot in the middle of a cheer. Ahead of us were the front doors, through which well over a dozen tribals were currently backing out.
"Dat's right, assholes!" Willow spat. "Outside!"
Willow was advancing on them deliberately, about to reach the base of the stairs. In her TK field floated her shotgun and the newborn foal, still drenched in his mother's blood. He wailed and whinnied as he dangled above Willow and several feet off the hard marble floor, kicking his legs in a futile attempt to escape. I realized that Willow was using the foal as insurance; if she was attacked, her magic would falter and the resulting drop would easily kill the newborn.
Mere minutes out of the womb and the foal was already experiencing the horrors of post-apocalyptic Equus. My gut tightened at how disgusting the situation was, but my conscience reminded me that we'd all be dead or worse if not for Willow's quick thinking.
The last tribal to back out was a tall, imposing-looking unicorn with a hellhound-bladed knife floating in his red magical aura. He glared equally sharp daggers at Willow with intense but intelligent eyes. As his foreleg cleared the threshold, the sight froze me in place.
He was wearing the PipBuck.
Willow lowered her shotgun and pulled the doors shut quickly, latching them. She kept the foal hoisted far above her head as she threatened the tribals through the glass, her voice hoarse and cracking with anxiety.
"You even breat' wrong and de foal dies!"
I spooked her slightly as I called her name. She turned, beginning with, "Quill, you're..." and then took in the two dozen slaves flanking me. "Dat's... a damn good improvement." She sounded relieved, though not by much.
"Yew gottem all out?" Okra asked.
"All of dem, yeah, 'cept for dat pregnant bitch the Doc insists on helping. You find Harvest or Mari?" Willow asked me.
"No." I tilted my head questioningly, removing Riptide from my mouth so I could speak more easily. "Though I have to ask... is Harvest an earth pony or a unicorn?"
"A unicorn..." Willow began to respond, and then noticed the distinct lack of any horns behind me.
Okra looked concerned. "Yer lookin' fer a uni? Th' tribals always took 'em inta th' school 'ere." He looked back towards the other slaves. "We ne'er saw any o' 'em come back out, either..."
A rapid clattering of hooves descending the stairs echoed through the foyer and Camphor came into view, his surgical mask still on. The doctor took in myself and the slaves, and then locked his eyes on the foal.
"Alright, they're out. Hand him over," he demanded of Willow.
The guide sighed and shook her head as she floated the screaming newborn lower. Camphor withdrew a towel and wrapped the baby in it, cradling it in a foreleg while he hop-skipped back upstairs.
"Willow, that last tribal had the PipBuck," I said.
The guide went rigid. "He... he did? Shit, I didn't even see... it was yours?"
I nodded. There was no mistaking the battered and bulky old frame, flaking olive paint, and amber screen; it was the same 2000 model I'd worn out of Stable 56.
The unicorn turned back towards the entrance. "Marigold..."
We were surrounded now, with a mostly-unarmed group, a recovering tribal upstairs, and still had two missing ponies. I felt a new wave of exhaustion pass over me; in spite of everything we'd done, the situation hadn't improved much.
Okra began addressing the slaves. "We need tuh cover all th' entrances if'n we're gettin' sieged."
"Schools like this should have safety locks you can engage at every door," I chimed in. "And make sure all the windows are shut," I added, recalling our original infiltration point.
Okra nodded, and I turned my attention back to Willow, who was still transfixed on the milling group of tribals now surrounding the idol out front. "Willow, I think Harvest is still in here somewhere. If he was only taken today, he could still be alive."
"You... you tink?"
"I do, but we need to hurry." I followed her gaze, trying to choose my words carefully. "There's still no evidence that Marigold has come to any harm. Once we're all assembled, we can focus on her."
The guide gave a half-hearted nod. "Yeah."
Half of the slaves set out to locate and lock down every entrance, while the other half spread through the hallways, searching any classrooms still uninvestigated. We tagged along with them, and eventually found ourselves outside the cafeteria. Walking past the entrance, Willow halted and stared inside, catching my attention in the process.
There were several vacant pony-sized cages stacked within. They looked the right size to be dragged along by a strong buck, and marks on the floor leading to and from were evidence enough to lend credence to the idea. Tables bore stacks of chains, ropes, and collars; everything you'd need to move a group of noncomplying prisoners. Willow's light panned to and fro, and with every new clue my disturbance grew.
"Is it common for tribals to deal in slavery?" I asked quietly.
Willow sighed as she circled a cage, inspecting it. "Mulisiana's oldest form of currency..."
Living outside of the Fillydelphia nightmare had been a daily reminder of how truly well-off I'd been. "One of the slaves told me that some of their own had been shipped off earlier today. If none of them had seen unicorns leave the building, then the tribe must be saving them for something else."
"Well, where else...?" Willow's horn passed across the wall behind the food line. Behind the smudged sneeze guard her light glinted off of the shiny silver doors of the freezer.
We pried the thick door open and the guide shone a beam of light inside. Sure enough, she illuminated two unicorns who were embracing in fear. Their expressions shifted to confusion upon seeing my Stable barding, though they were still flattening themselves against the far wall. As I stepped inside the fridge, I assuaged, "Hey, it's alright, I'm here to..."
A pipe swung out from my right side, and I reared back, the weapon striking my shoulder painfully. I retreated to see an auburn-colored unicorn wielding the pipe, but Willow spoke up.
"Harvest! T'ank de Goddesses you're alive..."
The unicorn prisoner halted his attack immediately, his face brightening from grim desperation to fond recognition upon hearing her voice. "Willow! Oh, wow... you... " He grinned, though he had an air of worry around him. "You're here...?"
"Here to get you out," Willow completed.
Harvest winced as he looked at me, tossing aside his makeshift weapon. "I'm really sorry. I wouldn't have hit you if... if my nerves weren't so fried."
"Eh, what's one more bruise?" I groaned. I was just glad he hadn't landed a blow to my head; I would've been out cold.
"But if you knew I'd been taken..." Harvest gave Willow a fearful glance. "Where's Marigold?"
"She's..." She exchanged a look with me, a useless gesture thanks to her long hood. "Missing. De tribals might have captured her, yeah?"
"Oh no..." the auburn unicorn began shaking his head, running a hoof through his mane. "No, no, no... she..." His eyes lit up. "These tribals; they're cannibals of some kind!"
The blood I'd seen in the gymnasium had already hinted at this being possible, but Willow seemed to have expected it herself as she uttered, "I knew it."
"They hauled us unicorns out week after week, strung us up an' pricked our blood!" One of the mares behind Harvest spoke up, her voice raw with fear. "They'd mix it in this ritual an' then choose one of us at random, cut out their heart, an' feed it to one of their own, a pregnant unicorn!"
Those words hitched the rhythm of my heartbeat. The mare upstairs, the one Camphor had so desperately defended and cared for, had consumed pony flesh. I felt sick.
Willow was frozen for a moment before she drew her shotgun, wordlessly setting into a brisk trot back towards the entrance. I moved to keep up, Harvest following alongside. I tried to fill him in on the situation as best I could as we returned to the second floor, reaching the biology room at the end of the hall.
Willow stormed in and once again aimed her shotgun at the tribal mare, who was nursing her newborn. She and Camphor had been conversing, but the stallion immediately rose and shielded her when he caught sight of the guide. The dead tribals' bodies had all been neatly arranged in a row on one side of the room in the time since we'd been away.
"She ain't getting any mercy dis time," Willow growled maliciously. She halted just before the doctor, who looked down on her disapprovingly.
"I thought we discussed this, Willow."
The shorter pony didn't seem intimidated. "We did, yeah. And now t'ings have changed."
"How so?"
Willow inclined her head over her shoulder. "We found Harvest. Found a few unicorns, actually. Dey were all locked up in de cafeteria of all places, ready to have dere hearts cut out," she jabbed a hoof at the new mother. "... And eaten by her."
Camphor balked, "Yeah, right."
"It was all centered around her child," Harvest spoke up behind us. We turned to see him glaring at the blissfully unaware foal. "They fed her unicorn hearts hoping that it'd somehow... I dunno. Reincarnate their deity or whatever."
With a harsh scowl, Willow tried floating her shotgun to the side to aim around Camphor. The doctor managed to reach out and force the barrel downwards. "Regardless of what she's done in the past, we can't just shoot her now."
"Why not?" Willow spat. "Dey're cannibals and slave traders! Give me one reason, Cam, one fucking reason why dis tribe or anyone in it is wort' sparing!"
Deja vu of the worst kind struck as I witnessed Camphor and Willow once again at each other's throats. This wasn't going to end well either way; one would be spurred into action against the other, or they'd argue so long that they'd forget the impending threat of the siege. "Hey!" I snapped at them. "Enough!"
With a snort, Willow rotated her head to me. "Yeah? And what's de Steel Ranger got to say about de sanctity of a cannibal's life?" She addressed my title with bitter mocking.
"She..." To be honest, cannibals didn't deserve to be spared. She'd partaken in something utterly despicable, a subpony act so vile that most, like Willow, would shoot her without a second thought. My time in the Steel Rangers had constantly taught me that savages like her had no value. They had nothing to contribute to Equestria, nothing to offer that could enrich other ponies or help our race advance in any way. She took up resources and was a vehicle to ending the lives of those who might've one day provided something to the wasteland.
The survivor side of me had only a sliver of pity for her. If what Camphor had said earlier was true, she may have been from another tribe, a peaceful group, that was taken over by this one. A stallion took a liking to her, and when she became pregnant, she was forced against her wishes to take part in this sick ritual, if only for the sake of giving her foal a chance at life. If she'd ever had the opportunity, she might have escaped and never looked back.
But those were a lot of ifs. To be honest, I wanted nothing to do with this whole ordeal, but here I was, forced to play intermediary between two ponies to decide the fate of another. I just want to go home.
"... She deserves to be judged," I stammered, trying to collect my thoughts. "By the slaves. But this is neither the time nor the place." The tribal was watching us intently, fear and hatred mixed equally in her blue eyes. She couldn't understand us, but undoubtedly knew we were discussing her fate.
"Time? I'm not gonna fuckin' draw it out or anyt'in, Quill, it's just one trigger pull! Quick and painless, more den I could say for what she'd do in our stead." Willow nickered, her voice rising. "And place? We're surrounded; if we're dying here, we might as well take her wid us."
"You aren't in charge here, Willow," Camphor settled. "Back off." He placed a hoof on the unicorn's chest, trying to push her back.
"Don't... touch me...!" With a sudden movement, Willow knocked his outstretched leg away and ducked around the doctor, her shotgun whipping forwards. Camphor pounced, his hoof whacking against the barrel as the weapon discharged. The shot burst into the concrete wall only a few feet beside the tribal, who screamed in terror as she sheltered her child from the flying debris. The foal began bawling as Doctor Camphor wrestled the shotgun from Willow's grasp, breaking it open and pulling out the second shell.
"The hell's gotten into you, kid?" He shouted at her furiously, his expression a mix of disbelief and disgust. Willow shook wordlessly, but had no response. My eyes followed Camphor as he tossed the shotgun shell across the room, using the gun butt to ward the guide back to Harvest's side.
"You ain't the same filly I knew in Buckwater," he continued. I heard the flare of activating magic as Willow... wait. Willow's horn was dark as she trembled with what must've been quiet sobs, and Harvest's was similarly inactive as he watched the guide with concern.
"Restez là!"
We turned as one to see the mother shakily aiming a rifle at us; I recognized it as the one dropped by the first tribal I'd shot in the room. She'd retrieved it from beneath a nearby desk, and her magical aura flickered in her weakened state as it pointed the gun at Willow.
The color drained from Camphor's face as his patient clutched her son tightly. "Baisse ton fusil, Posey," he began cautiously. "Tu es en securite."
The tribal shook her head, white flakes of concrete drifting out from her brown mane. "Pas pres d'elle," she emphasized while jabbing the rifle's barrel towards Willow, sliding off the table and onto her wobbly legs.
Willow said something in the tribal language behind me, but paired with her unique accent and her speed I couldn't distinguish any individual words in the sentence. The mother's darkening expression and Camphor's growing unease gave me the feeling that it wasn't helping to defuse the situation.
"Nous ne voulons pas nuire à votre fils," Camphor urged as the tribal tried moving forward, intent on reaching the door behind us.
"C'est pourquoi ta amie m'a tire?" the mother shot back. She told us to move aside with a wave of her rifle; Willow stood fast and spoke another low, dangerous sentence while the rest of us backed away. The guide's dialect proved to once again be indecipherable to my ears and agitating to the mother, who briefly looked past Willow in worry as if she could see through the school's walls.
Just then a staccato of weapons fire rumbled beneath us, followed by muffled screams and shouts. We collectively glanced downwards, straining our ears to listen for indications of which side the burst had originated from... all of us besides Willow. She lit her horn and her pistol began to slide out of its holster. The mother's keen eyes caught this, and her rifle drew in close to aim. Camphor had been paying close attention, and begged something as he rushed forwards to intervene.
"No...!"
There was a loud crack and a red ribbon spurted out of Camphor's side. He exhaled violently and collapsed to the floor as Willow fell to a knee, clutching a foreleg and crying out in sudden pain. The mother's face was frozen in horror, clearly distressed that she'd shot the doctor. It quickly transformed into fury and loathing, however, when her eyes flicked back up at Willow, her intended target, who was only injured.
The guide's horn lit up, reaching for the pistol she'd dropped, but I knew she wouldn't have enough time to direct it and fire in her injured position. Harvest was unarmed, stock-still as he watched the unfolding attack. I, on the other hoof, still had Riptide hanging from my neck. The tribal and I briefly locked eyes, and I knew that one of us would be dead within the next three seconds.
The mother's magic pulled the rifle's bolt back, an empty shell springing from the breech.
I reached down and grabbed Riptide, raising the weapon.
The rifle bolt was clumsily thrust forward and locked back into place.
Aiming swiftly, I bit into the trigger and felt the hammer buck as a bullet rushed out of the pistol's muzzle, zipping across the room...
... Straight into the base of the mother's neck. She gagged, her TK weakly imploding and fizzling out, the reloaded but unfired rifle clattering to the floor. Though mortally wounded, she still had the consciousness to pull her foal close and fall backwards to cushion her collapse.
Camphor was gasping, hooves clutching his chest as a deep red blossom began saturating his thin grey shirt at an alarming rate. His eyes were shut and his teeth were gritted together, yet as Willow flew to his side, the first sentence he wheezed was, "Don't... kill... her..."
The foal was wailing, disturbed by the thundering shots that had reverberated through the classroom. Snapping out of my post-kill stupor, I carefully retrieved him, holding him steady and trying to quiet his distressed cries. Goddesses, I hope the gunshots didn't deafen him. As I backed up, the foal's mother was in full view. She convulsed on the floor with short, violent gasps as blood leaked from her neck, her eyes becoming unfocused but watching me with a desperate hatred. I felt hollow inside as I watched one last wheeze rattle out of her punctured throat before she went still, her deadened eyes forever frozen towards myself and her child.
Of every life I'd ever ended, this one hadn't felt justified. There was no sense of victory, of overcoming a great opponent; she was simply a mare who'd probably never been in a firefight herself, judging by her lack of discipline with the rifle. My gaze was drawn to the foal in my foreleg, wriggling and streaming tears down his reddening face. Had I killed his father, too? Had I just orphaned him? My stomach twisted into knots as I reconsidered every action I'd taken in the past hour.
"What do I do, Cam?" I heard Willow ask behind me, her voice straining. In a daze, I rotated to find the guide on her haunches next to the doctor, ignoring the blood that dripped from her sleeve. Harvest stood close to her, still shaken by the recent exchange.
"B-bag..." the doctor replied, still grasping at his blood-soaked shirt, trying to diagnose his own injury. "Rib snapped, twisted into... " he coughed. "Need two stimpaks. Then three p-potions, then... bandages. Lots of... bandages..."
Willow searched her saddlebags. "Uh..." Her one good hoof withdrew a poultice, and then two glass bottles half-filled with the ruby-colored regenerative fluid. Placing them around Camphor, she rooted around frantically, her horn joining the search and floating out a stimpak. "I've got one." She shook her bag in frustration. "Where in Tartarus are my bandages...?"
"My... saddlebag..." Camphor groaned. "S...surgical-grade gauze and..." A cough. "Stimpaks..."
"Which one?"
"Yellow... Ministry..."
Oh no. My voice cracked slightly as I spoke up. "Willow... the bags are still in the pharmacy."
There was a tentative pause. "Can we... do you tink we can reach dem? I don't tink dis..." The unicorn indicated her scant collection of supplies. "... Is enough."
"I'll get them," I assured her. "Try to stop the bleeding as best you can." The foal had quieted significantly, and I gently set him aside. "Both Camphor's and your own," I added.
"Quillwright," Harvest got my attention as he retrieved the tribal's dropped rifle. "I'll help."
I nodded, but longingly gazed at the healing potions Willow had conjured. My eyes were fighting to stay open, my body felt distant and numb, and my head was heavy with stuffy sinuses and a headache. Each knee had been skinned after jumping out of the window, my shoulder was bruised from Harvest's attack, and my gums were sore from firing weapons. I had a second coat of dirt and mud over my fur, mane and tail both sweaty and disheveled. Every muscle was sore from shivering, and my raw throat was dry as an Elder's sense of humor.
There was no way I could make it across town and back like this.
"I need a potion or Med-X," I rasped as Willow telekinetically applied the poultice to Camphor's wound, still holding her foreleg.
The unicorn nodded. "Go ahead."
While health potions didn't sit well on empty stomachs, my body was able to regain some of its vigor, and with that the chances of me surviving this excursion rose by a few percent. A Med-X on top would've been even better, but healing my bruises and cuts had still elicited a relieved sigh from me.
As Harvest and I headed back downstairs, the recently liberated unicorn asked, "How... how was Marigold doing the last you saw her?"
I was hesitant to detail his wife's forceful commandeering of the PipBuck. "She really wanted you back," I decided on answering.
Harvest sighed, grinding his teeth. "She's got really bad anxiety. Seeing me get taken... I can't even imagine." He raised an eyebrow. "The tribals didn't burn our house down, did they?"
"Nah, we fought them off. Even did some light renovation to the place while we were at it."
Even in the midst of our plight, Harvest had the capacity to laugh. "I'll have to see about compensating you once this is all over!"
I was tempted to make another joke, but remained silent just in case Harvest was actually serious.
As we came off the foyer staircase, an exchange of gunshots echoed down the halls. Something high-caliber was mixed in with the smaller shots.
"I bet those tribals are getting their flanks handed to 'em..." Harvest's optimism clashed with my internal hopelessness. While I prayed that the slaves had managed to arm themselves, I knew we were still outnumbered. Everything depended on their ability to hold the entrances, and if needed, to force choke points throughout the school.
Quickening our pace, we went east and came around the corner to find an emergency fire exit. Peeping through the small clouded porthole in the center, Harvest gritted his teeth. "I, uh... don't think there are any tribals this way." He double-checked his rifle, looking at me with concern. "You ready?"
"Born ready," I croaked, grabbing Riptide and checking the cylinder. Four shots.
Harvest nodded grimly, placing a hoof on the safety latch and cracking the door open. Humid air rushed inside, and when silence followed Harvest pushed it fully open, leading our escape. We had exited the school to face the center of Saint Mare's, separated by the large overgrown field. We barely had time to start towards our objective when a group of hunters trotted around the corner of the school, searching for an entrance. They halted upon spotting us, and for a moment everypony held their breath.
"Run!" Harvest shouted as he let off a shot, dropping one of the tribals. I needed no convincing, sprinting as fast as my aching limbs and inflamed lungs could carry me. Shots rang out as bullets zipped past, but I reached the field and was enveloped in the tall grass. Panicked, I clumsily tried to navigate the range, ducking low but raising my head periodically to remain on-course towards the town. The relentless arms fire behind me eventually died down but I was too frightened to check behind me for pursuers.
Exiting the grass onto a street lined with stone benches, I looked both ways in an attempt to remember where the pharmacy was relative to my position; the darkness muddled my sense of direction. As I lifted my head to search for familiar waypoints, my ears picked up rustling in the field. Praying to Celestia that Harvest would emerge, I backed onto the street, not willing to let my guard down.
"Please, please, please..." I chanted under my breath.
My wariness paid off as a hunter burst from the overgrowth, his horn lighting up and shining a beam in my face. Breathlessly, I fled into the town, cutting my way through alleyways and across streets, all the while searching for anything I could recognize in the moonlight. The tribal's foreign tone was taunting as he pursued, reverberating down the streets behind me.
Leaping a fence and down a side street, I skidded to a halt as I found myself before the massive sentry bot I'd seen earlier. With a landmark to work from, I located the main street, but I still needed to shake my tail before entering the pharmacy. There was a wildly overgrown pocket park half a block to the right. Without anywhere better to hide I dashed into the dark cluster of trees and greenery, ducking behind the widest trunk in the grove. I felt horribly exposed from all sides, unsure of where the hunter had vanished to. In the confined, gloomy jungle my only reliable senses were my ears, which were pulsing with my distracting heartbeat.
I could hear sustained gunfire from the direction of the school, battles waging between slaves and tribals. Every second longer I took was another second that Camphor was losing blood. Torn between continuing through to the other side and waiting to ensure my safety, I backed away from the trunk, readjusting my grip on Riptide. After waiting for several seconds, I turned and launched into a half-gallop just as a beam of silvery light flared on behind me.
"Je t'ai eu!"
The hunter gave a cruel laugh as something snared my rear legs and yanked me to a sudden halt, causing me to spill forwards onto my barrel and drop Riptide. As my mouth grabbed for the revolver, the tribal's magic tugged me out of range. Unable to think clearly through my feverish panic, my hooves were driven into the soil instead of trying to collect my weapon. The useless attempt to halt myself did nothing but carve a pathetic pair of furrows.
The magic gripping my rear legs hauled me in front of the unicorn. He roughly flipped me onto my back, his glowing silver horn lighting his cruel features. Leaning over me, his knees pinned me down and pressed me into the dirt. I fought to bite him, kick him, anything, but the stallion's strength and weight was overwhelming against my flagging energy. His breathing was quickened, eyes alight with either bloodlust or regular lust; it was too dark for me to distinguish. Riptide was torn from its cord and tossed into the nearby shrubbery as he leaned down.
"L'autre etait tellement plus forte..." he purred, puffing from flaring nostrils only inches from my face.
I whimpered, raising my legs for a kick, but felt magic restrain them. Ultimately I could only manage to wriggle forwards an inch or two as he raised his head, transfixed with my figure. Oh Goddesses, these are the same ponies who caught Marigold... what was she subjected to?
Dimly illuminated motion behind the hunter caught my attention. A wide tree maybe four feet away began to morph, pieces of the bark spreading outwards like a large pair of wings. They looked eerie as they were highlighted against the darkness, covered in thin red rivulets of veins and identified by a familiar blue tag. I screamed as loud as I could, thrashing fiercely. The tribal chuckled as he ran a muddy hoof down my face, tracing my features while keeping my head still.
"Oh, alors tu peux lutter apres tout!"
He froze as a distinctive vibrating chirp began behind him; his eyelids snapped wide open as he recognized the sound. He turned his head just in time to behold Molly's terrifying full wingspan before the insect launched herself from the tree trunk and landed on his withers, her pincers open wide. With a shriek, the hunter reared back, his magic abruptly dissipating in confusion. My legs came up and then shot out, connecting with his chest, and I felt a wet pop as at least one of the unicorn's ribs fractured behind my hoof.
As the hunter clumsily toppled onto his side, Molly violently ripping a chunk of tender flesh from his neck, I bolted out of the park and across the street. Galloping through a wet, narrow alleyway, I burst out onto the main street, the pharmacy still sitting inconspicuously to my right. I felt a surge of confidence carry me towards my goal. Almost there.
The interior was suffocatingly dark, and I sought about for the spot where the saddlebags had been stashed. Feeling around, my hooves found the chair and then searched behind it, pulling out a satchel. I held it up to the window, allowing the faint shafts of moonlight to reveal I'd picked up the wrong one, a gator leather bag. Returning it, I grabbed the next and inspected it.
"Pink butterflies... Peace," I murmured, reassuring myself that I really had found the correct supplies. I allowed my body a few precious moments to steel itself while I checked the bag's contents. I could see dozens of bandages packed inside, along with the protruding dials and gauges of stimpaks. Though there wasn't enough light for me to comfortably take inventory, it was certainly more than enough to fix Camphor's injury.
I slung the bag over my back and turned back to the front door. Hooking the handle, I pulled the crusty door inwards...
... And found myself face-to-face with a tribal hunter, the one wearing the PipBuck. He shoved the door the rest of the way open, his dark red magic lifting his hellhound blade high, poised to strike. I screamed, caught off-guard, and tried to rotate to kick him. His weapon was too fast; as my body spun lateral to him, the dagger plunged downwards.
The blade bullseyed Camphor's saddlebag directly through the trio of butterflies, easily running through the bandages and piercing the hide just above my cutie mark. The tip nearly reached my hip bone before the hilt was stopped by the sheer thickness of the bandage rolls. With a cry of agony, my rear hoof instinctively shot out and clipped his knee, just above the PipBuck. He grunted in pain and backed up, his magic releasing the dagger, and I fled deeper into the pharmacy.
Scampering behind a row of empty shelves, I bit into my hoof to keep from whining, tears already spilling from my eyes. The dagger was still embedded in the saddlebag but had mercifully rebounded out of the wound in my flank. My right leg was now tingling, casting fears that I might lose feeling in it. I pulled my fetlock from my mouth as I heard the hunter slam the door shut fiercely.
"Tu vas mourir pour avoir mis mon fils en danger!" he called out, seething hatred replete in his tone.
I heard a click and the golden glow of the PipBuck's screen was activated, breaking over the top of the shelves. He knows how to operate it? This unicorn couldn't be a dimwitted tribal like Willow had so dismissively cast his type as; how in Equestria could he know how to use Stable-Tec technology? He began trotting down the aisle next to me with slow and careful hooves.
Feeling around my front, I recalled that Riptide had been abandoned in the park during Molly's attack. As light pooled around the corner, spilling across the tiles and rushing towards me, I scuttled backwards and dodged into the next aisle, keeping to the shadows and to safety.
What if he has the E.F.S. active?
I needed to get out right now. My mind groped for solutions; perhaps I could lose him in the alleys, or maybe draw him into Molly...
The hunter was close to the rear of the building now. With my breath held, I continued to circle with him, nearly back at the entrance. The front door was in sight; if I moved fast enough, there was a slim but present chance that I could still escape. Knowing I could be about to die but desperate to escape, I braced myself and bolted out from the shelves, galloping for the front door.
I struck the wood, pushing with all my might, but it held fast, having been slammed shut so hard that the crooked shape had wedged itself within the frame again. It didn't yield an inch against my efforts, and I could feel my final seconds of life slip away with every weakening push I gave. I whimpered quietly as I heard slow hoof clacks behind me. Turning my head, I found the stallion smirking with cold satisfaction. It had been his plan for me to corner myself.
A hunting rifle floating beside him, he raised his foreleg. He was going to finish me off with S.A.T.S., watching gleefully as my head exploded in slow motion. His eyes narrowed in victory as his hoof held down a button to activate the targeting spell.
... But nothing happened.
His expression twitched as it dawned on him that time hadn't slowed down. The smirk twisted into a startled gape as I charged at him, having taken advantage of his arrogance to pull the dagger free, charging towards his heart. The tribal backpedaled as he fired his rifle, foregoing S.A.T.S. to ward me away.
The bullet struck the left side of my neck, slicing off a chunk of muscles. I screamed in agony, my pace faltering for a moment, but clamped down on the dagger's handle until my gums ached, still aiming for the tribal's chest.
The hunter's telekinetic field fumbled while attempting to chamber the next round. With a whinny of sudden panic, he began to rear back, hoping to fend me off with a kick. The long blade met him first, the tip plunging through his robe and hide like butter. I could feel it grind past his ribs and jab something soft within, and then the hilt thudded against his chest, keeping the blade from burrowing completely into his body.
He cried out hoarsely as my momentum carried us back and into a shelving unit. It bent inwards with a groan and toppled over, taking us along with it. I tumbled onto my side, watching as the tribal landed on his back. The buck feebly pawed at the handle of his dagger as if pulling it free would somehow save him, but in mere seconds he was stone-dead.
I panted with exertion, struggling to stand and balance while fighting the stars that burst across my vision and temporarily blinded me. I couldn't feel my flank, and the typhoof festering deep within was trying to drag me down. The desire to simply lay down and give in was immense.
You can't! If you pass out, Camphor dies! came the little pony's voice. And if he dies, you can kiss a cure goodbye!
Stumbling forwards, I tried pushing the door open again only to be met with the same resistance. Ready to let out all my boiling resentment on the belligerent door, I tried yanking it back to shake but yelped as the hinges instead obeyed and swung inwards, lavishing me with yet another layer of dust and splinters.
Bloody door isn't labeled as a pull... the little pony within groaned, just as fed up with this whole day as I was.
I loped down the street at the fastest pace I could, beads of sweat stinging my eyes and itching beneath my barding. My wing's weak attempts to boost me forwards only inflamed my sore back, and my lungs burned with exertion. My pace slowed as a thick phlegm-filled cough seized my chest. My neck fur clung to my hide, heavy and damp, as the bullet wound throbbed excruciatingly.
The saddlebag constantly tested my balance as another wave of lightheadedness washed past. My legs quivered uncontrollably, threatening to bow just a little too far with every step. I had just reached the last street, the school visible across the field, when my hoof snagged on a pothole and I keeled forwards onto the pavement.
I laid there, unable to even summon the strength to lift a foreleg. My rigid back muscles began to relax as my body shut down. Whatever hidden well of energy that had somehow kept me moving since the laundromat was now bone-dry; I had nothing left to tap into, try as I might. My vision rapidly blurred, my eyelids feeling as though they were being pulled down by an unseen force. The last thought that flashed through me was the sight of the tribal mother in the same position, clawing to intake a few final breaths as lifeblood trickled out of her neck.
I'm... I'm so sorry...
As I was overwhelmed by fatigue, I swore I felt breath on my mane.
Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk Added: Adrenaline - When you're at the end of your line, you can draw upon every ounce of strength you didn't know you had. When suffering from illness or a crippled limb, you gain +20% extra AP. |
Fallout: Equestria - Of Shadows | Chapter 6: Proxy - Part I | "I'm me! Or am I? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am."
"In every other song that I've heard lately, some fellow gets shot
And his baby an' his best friend both die with him, as likely as not
In half of the other songs some cat's cryin' or ready to die
We've lost most all of our happy ponies and I'm-a wonderin' why..."
These lyrics were the first stimuli to stir me back into the land of the living. As I struggled to open my eyes, they found it difficult as piercing sunbeams lanced in through a window behind me. I was laying atop a straw-cushioned mattress, wearing nothing but my holotags, and as I shifted I could feel bandages swathing my neck. Several of the wounds around my barrel and flank had been tended to, alongside fresh wraps encircling my wing stump.
"Let's think about livin', let's think about lovin'
Let's think about the boopin' an' the hoppin' an' the boppin' an' the lovey-lovey-dovin'
Let's forget about the whinin' and the cryin' and the shootin' and the dyin' and the fellow with the switchblade knife
Let's think about livin', let's think about life..."
The aches of sickness still permeated my joints and sapped my muscles. I shivered very slightly but it felt as though the worst of the fever had passed in the night. The bullet wound on my neck throbbed subtly, buried in healing magic, and my stomach... well, my stomach was the emptiest it had been in years.
I can't make a habit of waking up in pain.
The room I had been laid up in appeared to be a principal's office. Shelves of framed photographs lined the walls and across the room was a solid oak desk bearing a terminal, two tall trophies, and a worn but functional radio that belted out a tinny rendition of some rollicking song. Posters of fruit bats were lined up against the walls, and under one of the windows was Camphor's Ministry of Peace bag, a thin tear dividing the cluster of butterflies on the front.
Next to my bedding was a bottle of large and circular white pills, a half-filled water bottle, and a scribbled note. Squinting, I shaded the paper from the glare of the sunlight, trying to decipher the messy scratchings.
"Kwilrite:
Wen you wake up, take 2 of these rite away."
Ignoring the misspellings as best I could, I did as instructed. After clearing my throat as the large, dry pills worked their way down, I heaved myself up from a sitting position, wincing at my sore right leg. A clock behind the desk indicated that it was sometime past noon, though the second hand wasn't moving. It seemed abnormally bright outside; I moved to the window, leaning down to squint upwards at the sky above.
The clouds. They were...
Parted. Wide open, the blazingly bright sun shining down through the lightest haze of mist.
My peaceful reverie was shattered as I dove beneath the desk and slid into one of its legs. One of the trophies was knocked off and smashed against the floor while I drew in my hooves and tail, ears frantically darting to and fro. I listened searchingly for the sound of gunshots, Raptor engines, or the roar of Shadowbolt wings tearing past overhead.
They must be hunting for me! I was going to be shot, or captured, or... or shot and then captured! The Enclave would drag my flank into the sky, parading the dirty one-winged wasteland pegasus before the entire population, and then... maybe I'd be staked to a lightning rod atop stormclouds, or thrown from an edge of the curtain, or hung from the front of a Thunderhead to be eaten away by wind and weather until I was nothing more than a skeleton.
For half a minute I listened, not hearing anything out of the ordinary. That's what they want you to think! I cowered for a few more moments before I flinched as the door burst open. There was a brief moment of silence, and then hesitant clacking of hooves against the floor accompanied by speedy clicking.
"Quillwright?"
A furry shape suddenly appeared in front of the desk, startling me as it stuck its head in and started sniffing me. I relaxed upon recognizing Wick's sad face and his rather unpleasant breath. "... Willow?" I replied, doing my best to fend off the dog's tongue as he tried to lick my mane.
"Yeah?" The unicorn had halted, still out of sight. Slowly, I pushed Wick out of the way and clambered out from beneath my sanctuary. Sure enough, Willow stood just inside the threshold, once again dressed in her dark, oversized cloak. Her head tilted slightly. "You okay? Were... uh... were you under...?"
"Just, ah..." My mouth opened to explain my reaction, but changed course immediately as I recalled my reason in the first place. "The sky?" My expression was one of bewilderment.
The awkwardness amplified tenfold as the guide simply stared at me, though I could practically hear her blinking in confusion at my words. "It is a nice day out, yeah?" she began. "Best to enjoy de moments when de sun shows itself."
Willow didn't seem to understand my hint. "How is it... how's the cloud cover open without the Enclave being here?"
" 'Enclave?' "
She wasn't kidding. "The... the Grand Pegasus Enclave? The ones who sealed themselves behind the clouds on the Last Day and kept them shut ever since?"
Willow finally ended our streak of answering questions with more questions. "De clouds here ain't ever been 'sealed.' Any pegasi dat might'a once regulated de weat'er cut and run a long time ago, leaving us to get battered by rain and radstorms."
I was more than a little confused at this information, but simultaneously relieved.
"Surely you saw dem part when you were on your way sout'? I mean, you were in an airship, yeah?"
"Well... I was inside for most of the trip," I admitted. The amount of work I'd brought along to keep me occupied had relegated me to my quarters for a majority of the journey.
Willow gave a quiet sigh.
Looking to change the subject just as desperately as I actually wanted to be filled in, I quickly asked, "What happened last night?"
The unicorn beckoned me. "Best to show you." I took notice that the PipBuck was now on her arm.
"Everypony's taking a turn with it, aren't they?" I mumbled.
Willow didn't seem to understand until she saw me looking at the bracelet. "Oh..." she sounded a little embarrassed. "Yeah, it's... been easier to wear it den to carry it."
We exited the office into one of the school's empty, quiet hallways. The place felt far less oppressive when daylight shimmered across the floors. As we trotted along the rows of lockers, I couldn't help but ask Willow, "Is Camphor alright?"
"He'll live," she answered. "He's got a bit of a wheeze when he exhales now, but de supplies saved him in time."
"But... I didn't make it back!"
Willow directed me out of the same fire exit Harvest and I had taken that evening. I had to shut my eyes against the glare, only able to squint and part my eyelids very slowly to adjust. The weather was beautiful as far as post-war days went; a soft breeze whispered past as the sun warmed my fur. The temperature was mild and a thin mist floated above us, glowing in the light.
There was a collection of old picnic tables at the back of the school, at which sat about a dozen ponies having conversations and lunch. As we neared, I found myself smiling as Harvest rose to greet us. He looked battered but still upbeat, his left ear heavily bandaged. "Quillwright!" he exclaimed. "Thank Luna, we were worried you weren't ever gonna wake up!"
I groaned, massaging my neck tenderly. "Hey, Harvest! Can I...?" I indicated the various items of food on the tables.
"Oh, yeah, of course! Tribals had a little bit of farmland on the other side of the school that they'd had the slaves cultivating, plus all the food they'd stolen when they took me." Harvest floated an ear of corn to me as the three of us took a seat at the end of the table. Wick went underneath and then stuck his begging head up and out between Willow's legs, who reprimanded him and pushed him back down. Harvest's genuine smile shone as he looked me over. "I knew you were tough." He looked back at the others behind him. I expected to see Marigold, but she wasn't among them. "Thanks to you we made it."
I shook my head, "But I couldn't get the supplies to you! How... what happened?" I scrunched my brows as I recalled the last moments I could remember. "Did Wick find me?"
Harvest grinned as he called the dog, who popped out beside the stallion and received some bits of jerky. "He did, and he wasn't alone." He turned in his seat, inviting a mare sitting apart at a parallel table to join us. Her coat was a dreary blue, contrasted with her fetlocks, mane, and tail, which lightened into white at the ends. In her forelegs was the tribal foal, sleeping peacefully and swaddled in a blanket. She hesitated to move from her seat, but after further encouragement from Harvest crept to his side, avoiding eye contact. "Corona here finished the job."
For a moment I didn't understand, but as I reviewed the events of last night I recognized her face. Slitter, the slave who'd called our venture a suicide mission, had tried leaving with two other ponies, one of which was the earth mare Harvest was currently introducing. She fidgeted uncomfortably, and her quick glances at me still held some of the same guilt I'd observed when she fled with Slitter.
Willow helpfully explained, "Corona turned around and came back to town. She met Wick, who brought her to you, den she bandaged your wounds and got us de bags." She planted her hoof on the table to emphasize her next sentence. "After dat, we all finished handing dose hoof-dragging dipshits dere own flanks, since dey were a whole lot less confident wid'out a leader." After that, her voice grew softer. "We'd have lost a lot more if it weren't for de t'ree of you."
Corona looked out towards the field, where my eyes caught sight of disturbed earth. Several makeshift grave markers could be seen poking above the edge of the grass, fashioned out of metal plates that I recognized were pried from the sentry bot. My heart sank. "How many...?"
"Thirteen," Harvest answered, his smile flatlining. "Still have two recovering. Everypony else got patched up fine once Camphor was back in the game, but..." He scratched just below his bandaged ear and sighed. "Still sore as hell."
Finally, I locked eyes with Harvest and asked, "And... Marigold?"
The husband's spirit lost whatever happiness it had gained from seeing my awakening. "We..." he began, trying multiple times to pick his phrasing. "We just don't know. I... we searched the whole town twice over and haven't found her... her..." His lips began to make a "b", but couldn't finish the sentence.
"Hey..." Willow placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder.
Harvest seemed on the verge of breaking down as he looked at his friend. "How am I gonna tell Pleasure?" he whispered desperately.
"Hey." The guide's voice was firm. "She'll understand; you bot' knew de risks of living on your own."
I heard Corona's gentle voice for the first time as she soothed, "I still think your first theory's right, Harvest."
"Even..." Tears were welling up in Harvest's eyes. "Even if they took Mari away, or... to Neigh Orleans... how am I supposed to find her?
"Maybe..." Willow swallowed. "Maybe once I get Quillwright to de border, I can help you track her down?" she suggested. "I'm sure we could find somepony in Buckwater willing to help, too."
Corona stroked Harvest's back, who seemed to calm down a little. "Thanks, Willow." He sniffed loudly, wiping his snout with a fetlock. "Sorry, I just..." He swallowed and took several deep, quaking breaths. "She's just all I can think about right now..."
"Don't apologize," said Willow, firmly. "You've got every right to focus on your wife."
Harvest nodded, sniffed again, and in a few minutes was more or less back to his upbeat self, rejoining conversations elsewhere down the table. After I'd had my fill of the available food, Willow addressed me.
"C'mon. De doc wanted to see you once you were awake."
"Camphor's been sorting t'rough everyting we pulled from de pharmacy." Willow told me as we trotted down the road that cut through the grassy field. Wick had stayed behind with Harvest and Corona, playing fetch with them using leftover corn cobs.
"It was stocked after all?"
"The back room still was, since it was locked behind a cloud interface. T'anks to you we could get it open."
"But... wasn't I unconscious?"
Willow gave a quick nod. "Yeah, we, uh..." She cleared her throat in an attempt to make her next sentence sound less strange; it failed. "We carried you in and used your hoof to press de keys."
I couldn't resist a short giggle at how bizarre the scene must have looked. "Well, I'm glad I could still help somehow."
In the middle of the day, Saint Mare's felt much smaller and less maze-like. Now reflecting the light of the sun, the buildings revealed colorfully-painted walls. Despite the amount of refuse and the decayed state of the streets and structures, there was still a kind of vibrancy and life to be found in Saint Mare's: plant life was everywhere. We followed patches of moss and ivy that carpeted the road to the pocket park, the town's fount of flora which was spilling with greenery.
I foraged around inside and was able to reclaim a grimy Riptide. When I exited the grove, I found that Willow was offering the disconnected PipBuck back to me.
"Here, you oughta take dis back," she told me. It wasn't hard to tell that she would miss getting to use the bracelet, but I thanked her as I accepted it and clipped it back onto my own leg. I rebooted the PipBuck and allowed it to scan me while we continued onwards, finally returning to the pharmacy.
The front door was now propped open, so the two of us were able to enter without having to kick our way inside. Even in the light of day I felt a chill pass through me as the nightmarish encounter with the tribal hunter still haunted me. Specks of dried blood across the floor and a flattened shelving unit were stark reminders of my near-death encounter; thankfully, the tribal's body had been removed.
Willow guided me down the bare aisles to the rear, where behind a secure glass-and-steel counter we could see Camphor sitting on the floor with his back to us, sorting through all manner of labelled boxes and pill bottles. To the right was an unlocked door with a terminal and cloud interface inset next to it.
Ministry of Awesome technology wasn't particularly common outside of the Enclave, usually installed as an extra layer of security. I'd only seen one cloud interface before, connected to a bank vault the Rangers had opened hoping to collect bits for scrap metal. Same as that one, this keyboard had an odd consistency, like typing through a particularly fluffy pillow.
Within the back we found Camphor muttering to himself as he stacked medicines in orderly piles, occasionally jotting down a quick note in a well-worn journal. He looked up at us as we entered, smiling. "Quillwright! Good to see you up and about." There was a slight rasp to his voice.
"Same!" I replied. "I'm relieved we saved you in time."
The doctor gave a light chuckle, which forced him to clear his throat. "It was definitely a close one, but those stimpaks helped reset my rib and the potions patched up my lung." He placed a hoof to his chest, taking as deep a breath as he could. "It's got some sensitive new tissue that hurts somethin' awful, but it's a small price to pay for airtight lungs."
I nodded and took in the small room around me. It had been almost completely cleared out by Camphor, whose bags were overflowing with new contents. It was dusty but very clean, well-preserved since the megaspells, and-
"Yip!" Molly was clinging to the wall next to me, completely silent and still. My wing spread out reflexively and smacked Willow in the face. Apologizing profusely to the tutting unicorn, I tried to settle my nerves. This moth had saved my life twice since I met her; surely I could stop screaming like a filly every time I glimpsed her.
"Molly rescued me last night," I told Camphor, my shaky voice evening out. "I was caught by a tribal on my way here; I wouldn't have made it otherwise!"
The hint of a grin tugged at the corners of Camphor's mouth. "Good girl, Molly," he cooed to the goremoth. Her antennae wiggled in an acknowledging manner.
"How're your wounds feeling?" he asked me.
I tilted my head slowly while pulling my rear right leg up and carefully flexing it as far as the bandages allowed. While there was still a lot of soreness, I felt much better and told him as such.
Camphor nodded, then asked Willow, "She took those antibiotics I gave you?"
"Mmhmm." Willow glanced over at me. "You did take dose pills next to your bed, right?"
I assured her that I had.
Camphor picked up a small green-and-white cardboard box and offered it to Willow. "Would you please take this to Spring Bloom? That should help with her congestion."
The unicorn nodded, lifting the medicine in her magic and turning to leave. Feeling that there wasn't anything left to discuss with Camphor, I thanked him and moved to follow the guide out of the pharmacy before I was halted by the doctor's words. "Quillwright. A word, please?"
Somehow his inflection left me uneasy. I halted and turned back to Camphor, whose face had grown serious "... Yes?"
The earth pony stood, wincing a little as he straightened. He waited until Willow had left before speaking. "I do want to thank you for everythin' you've done. Without you I'd have ended up deader than a doornail an' we'd have lost a lot of good folk."
I felt relieved at his words and exhaled. "You're welcome. I was just... doing my duty."
"No, you weren't."
That small wind of relief was squashed immediately and I felt a sudden rush of uneasiness. Did I do something wrong? I was about to ask what Camphor meant when he continued.
"Willow told me you'd agreed to help her even before you knew where your cure might be." His eyes narrowed as he took one step forward. "Now, you could be an exception, but Steel Rangers have never displayed any altruism towards my... me or anyone other than their own kind."
"I'm different..."
"You've only got thirty caps in your saddlebags," Camphor interrupted, fixing me with a look of measured distrust, his voice low and severe.
My ears heated up in shame, folding down. Swallowing, I tried to offer an excuse, to explain that I'd get the rest of the caps from my allies or something similar, but nothing sounded convincing.
The doctor gave a low whinny. "If this was a ploy to win some favors, I'd say you're off to a good start."
While I had genuinely started to care about these people, my offer to help find Harvest had also been intended to get me on Willow's good side as early as possible. If I didn't have the payment by the end of the journey, I figured it would be easier to break it to her if I'd helped save her friend. I knew deep down that I wouldn't have pitched in to help if I'd had ample caps... and if I hadn't learned that a cure for typhoof might be in Saint Mare's as well.
"D-does she know?" I whispered.
Camphor raised his head slightly, clearly disappointed at my admission. "She has the decency to leave her clients' belongings undisturbed. And no, I haven't told her."
My eyes were locked on his hooves, unable to meet his gaze.
"I won't because of your actions to save us here." He drew in a breath. "But for Willow's sake and for those she cares about, you will pay her those caps. I don't care if you have to earn 'em, steal 'em, or get 'em from your Ranger friends, but you'll fulfill your end of the bargain."
I felt myself nodding. The heavy conscience I'd felt since Buckwater had tripled in the span of half a minute and stolen my voice in the process.
"I'd like to believe your group really does practice what you preach: restorin' Equus to what it once was. I have yet to see anything of the sort." He then inclined his head. "I also saw that necklace."
Is there anything he doesn't know about me now?
"You'd do best to tread lightly around black magic." With a long blink, my eyes found the strength to connect with his. The doctor's grave expression was now concerned.
"I... I will," I stammered.
Camphor nodded. "Glad to hear it." He reached into a stack of bottles next to him and handed me one. "Now, could you take this to Corona, please?"
I left the pharmacy with the bottle in my mouth, accompanying instructions for Corona, and freshly rejuvenated anxiety. Dark clouds gathered far to the southwest, but the warm sun still powered through what little cover there currently was. I began back towards the school, and it wasn't long before Wick intercepted me at the end of the street, tail wagging and looking significantly less downtrodden than normal. Behind him followed Corona, who slowed her walk when she spotted me.
The mare had the tribal foal secured around her chest by a sling. He shifted occasionally in fitful sleep, his dark brown mane swept back and out of his face. Corona looked at me apprehensively, evidently still uncomfortable around me after having fled with Slitter last night.
"Oh!" I cleared my throat, holding the bottle forwards and trying to start a conversation without sounding awkward. "I was just about to look for you; Camphor wanted me to give you this."
Corona looked at the bottle and then at me, accepting it. "Thank you," she murmured faintly. Whether her tonal volume was actually that low or if it was a result of my eardrums going through the ringer, I was still unsure. "I'm the only mare here willing to feed him..." She indicated the bottle, its label claiming that the tablets contained supplements beneficial for feeding newborns.
I smiled. "Well, I'm... uh... I'm glad you're willing to take care of him."
Corona shook her head, sweeping her bangs out of her eyes and diverting her gaze. "Still won't make up for anything..." I could just barely hear her whisper.
"Hmm?" Did I mishear her?
"I..." Corona began, lowering her head. "Celestia won't forgive me, even after this." She gnashed her teeth in anguish. "Mossflower, Okra, Cherish... they died giving their lives for others while I was saving myself." Her mouth worked slowly as she breathed laboriously. "... If I hadn't abandoned them, maybe I could've helped and... th-they might still be alive."
My gut twisted; I'd completely forgotten about Okra. Without his uniting kindness, the disorganized slaves might not have rallied behind me. If Corona had known Okra before their capture, then deserting him must have wreaked pure torture on her conscience.
If she's this torn about the situation, how must Orange Kyanite feel? A newly-promoted Paladin who lost his lover, his best friend, and his mentor in the first abroad expedition that he'd led?
"You..." I reached for something to say that wouldn't worsen her survivor's guilt or sound disingenuous. "You still came back. And that in itself is something admirable."
So why didn't Orange Kyanite come back for you?
Oh Goddesses, not this again. They were different circumstances, and I knew that.
Were they? Corona was one unarmed mare risking recapture or death. Kyanite was a power-armored Paladin with almost an entire squad of Rangers at his back.
Seeds of doubt were planting their roots as I dwelt on this. Meanwhile, Corona had turned her face up to me, tears wetting her cheeks. "But I still faltered when it mattered the most."
I looked into her grey eyes. I wasn't qualified to ease a grieving pony's soul; where could I start, what would I say? Any reassurances or promises that leapt into my head died in my throat, and I was left speechless as I swallowed and turned my attention to the foal.
Say something! Anything!
A condoling murmur escaped my lips, followed by a weak, "I know. I'm sorry."
Did Kyanite fail me?
A tear fell from Corona and landed on the foal's face. The miniscule pony awoke as he writhed in the sling, stretched out his forelegs, and gave a petite whinny. His eyelids finally parted, and I felt my heart climb into my throat at the sight.
He has his mother's eyes.
"I don't know what to call him." Corona wiped the colt's face with her fetlock. "Do you... do you think I have the right to name him?"
I shook my head slowly. "Well..." Whether or not Corona was aware that I had been the one responsible for orphaning the foal ate at me. "... You're probably the only pony here who should."
"I don't know about that, but..." A deep breath brought Corona's head back up. "I'll take him to Buckwater. M-maybe somepony there can adopt him."
"That'd be wonderful," I reassured her. "You're still doing a noble thing, taking care of the colt like this."
Those words seemed to revive Corona's spirits. Wick, who had been sitting quietly at her hooves, sensed this and rose to wag his tail and sniff the foal. "Thank you," the mare replied, giving the first smile I'd seen from her.
The sky had begun darkening to match the overcast mood that hung around most of us. Willow raised her head slightly, allowing the gradually strengthening breeze to filter beneath her hood. "Smells like rain. Hope de weat'er holds up..."
We had resolved to vacate Saint Mare's as soon as possible. While the tribe had been driven out last night and many of its members were now dead, nopony wanted to risk the possibility of vengeful hunters returning to attack us. While Willow, Wick, and I continued onwards, Camphor and Harvest would lead the survivors back to Buckwater.
"Best of luck to you, Quillwright," Harvest said as he shook my hoof. "I hope you find your way home safely."
"Thanks." I smiled and returned the gesture. "I hope you find Marigold soon."
Harvest gave a sad but warm nod. " 'Preciate that, Quill." Corona, who followed close behind him, dipped her head respectfully, her piece already spoken to me.
Most of the freed slaves insisted on thanking Willow and I personally. The unicorn guide boasted that our combined efforts had, quote, "Scared so much piss out of the mud-lovers that it could fill the length of the Rift," while I was content to graciously accept the ponies' gratitude. I had just given an old stallion my welcome, watching as he continued past to also bow to Willow, when Camphor took his place in front of me. I flinched in surprise at how quietly he'd arrived.
"Quillwright," he spoke evenly, offering his hoof.
I swallowed and placed mine against his. "Camphor." Noticing the brown-and-red folded wings covering his back, I added, "Molly."
The doctor wore a mixture of appreciation and knowing sternness. "Stay safe. I also trust that you'll keep what I said in mind...?"
There was no guessing as to what he referred to. "Of course." I could definitely sympathize with Corona's current guilt; my dishonesty with Willow couldn't continue if I hoped to keep her company.
"Excellent." Camphor reached around into one of his saddlebags. "Also," he said as he pulled something out and offered it to me, " 'Fraid I couldn't find a sheath, but you should take this."
The blade of the tribal leader's hellhound dagger gleamed in the sunlight, as long as half my foreleg. I noticed now that there was a small symbol of a claw or talon carved into the hilt. I felt a bit nervous upon seeing the weapon, still gun-shy after having been stabbed by it. "... Are you sure? You don't need it for... amputating or anything?"
Camphor laughed. "Hah! No, Quillwright, I rarely need to resort to such drastic measures. Besides, you don't have a backup weapon of any kind."
It was true; I had now been caught high and dry without Riptide multiple times. It couldn't hurt to have a knife in reserves, though the idea of plunging a blade into another pony made me queasy. "Thanks."
"Hopefully you won't need to use it again," concluded Camphor, seeming to read my thoughts. "And finally..." He held out thirty caps. "Here's your portion of what we recovered from the tribals' share. Tried to provide an even cut for everypony."
I held out a hoof to accept them, but he paused right before they fell from his frog into mine. "I would've given them to Willow, but..." Camphor tilted his head. "I'll grant you the benefit of the doubt."
Dipping my head to him deferentially, I received my allotment of caps. The doctor responded with a curt smile and then continued on to give his farewell to Willow.
The weather did not hold up.
In fact, it did just the opposite, falling on us in the form of gallons of chilly rainwater. After about an hour's trek out of Saint Mare's, a brigade of bruise-colored clouds rumbled in from the west, knitted themselves together, and blotted out the sunlight once again.
The rain was nearly blowing sideways now. I'd draped my Scribe robes over my bags and rump to keep them dry while shielding my face with my wing, but even these measures did little to defend against the downpour. My water-resistant Stable barding was still holding up, but the cuffs were starting to feel damp. Any longer in this rain and I'd be soaked to the bone.
Willow didn't appear to be faring any better, forced to hold her hood taut against the wind to keep it in place. Her black cloak was beginning to cling to her form, which was revealing itself to be quite skinny. To her credit, she forged ahead briskly and without hesitation, able to navigate the swamp even in this tempestuous atmosphere.
Wick trailed behind me, looking utterly miserable. He was hunched over with his head bowed against the weather and tail tucked in, fur drenched. Every time a thunderclap resounded, he whined and caught up to me, sticking close to my hind legs.
We struggled against the buffeting gale while branches whipped at our faces, reaching in like green-feathered limbs. The small trail we were following was dotted with rapidly growing puddles, and my hooves were now coated with mud. I'd stored the PipBuck in my bags in an attempt to keep it clean and dry.
I shouted to Willow above the noise just as a blinding flash of unseen lightning burst through the trees. "Are we there yet?"
The unicorn gave an emphasized nod that I couldn't mishear or misinterpret, and then replied, "It should be just-"
KRA-POOOW!
A bombastic peal of thunder drowned out the rest of Willow's sentence. I was able to hear her cursing out the weather afterwards, though.
Sure enough, a few minutes later the path joined a wide dirt road, which Willow turned left onto and took us another minute east. I first noticed a proud white limestone wall on the side of the road, which rose up several feet and continued unbroken until we reached a gate. Reminiscent of the Ministry of Image hub's entrance, two towering gates composed of thick wrought iron hung open. The metalworking was remarkable, boasting elegant swirls and tipped by fleurs-de-lis. 'Magnolia Grove' was engraved into the arch above, partially obscured by creepers.
Slipping inside, we were now on a wide, weather-eaten brick lane flanked by enormous oak trees, whose canopies created a leafy tunnel and partially kept out the rain. True to the estate's name, wild magnolias grew all over the ground, alongside countless other types of flora. To either side were wild fields and fens, tall grass rippling in the wind.
The road continued down to a massive antebellum mansion, partially obscured by the wild oak trees that now surrounded it. It stood three stories high, with a sloping brown gabled roof and numerous stout pillars running the length of the building's front. The stained white siding was broken up by tall shuttered windows and a pair of porches which appeared to run the length of the first two floors.
We bounded up the sweeping staircase at the front of the house, finally sheltered from the rain. We shook off whatever water we could, taking cover as Wick did the same and was left covered in frizzy fur. The wraparound porch was filled with overturned patio furniture, swings rusted off their chains, and railings nearly identical to the entrance gates. Turning, I gasped in fright as I found several shrunken heads dangling around the perimeter, swinging and spinning in the wind.
Upon closer inspection, however, they were revealed not to be voodoo trophies but the filthy, dismembered heads of brushable porcelain pony dolls. Their manes were stained black, while large and soulless eyes stared down at us eerily. I took little comfort in the fact that they were just toy heads.
Willow sniffed and then cleared her throat. "Most locals tink dis plantation's haunted, so dere shouldn't be any tribal types inside." She eyed the front door, which hung half-ajar. "But stay alert. Ot'er ponies like us who ain't superstitious might've had de same idea to hole up here," she said, drawing her shotgun. I didn't feel the need to inform her that I believed in ghosts.
I dried my hooves on a nearby doormat, fetching Riptide and the PipBuck. Once the E.F.S. had booted into view, three lifesigns sprung up on the compass, somewhere inside the mansion.
"Got 'free neutral marks," I informed Willow through my pistol as she told Wick to stay, who went and sulked beneath a chair in response.
The unicorn nodded, prodding the solid front door open with her weapon. It swung in, creaking gently, and we both waited, listening as best we could for any reaction from within. Nothing followed, so we crept inside.
The foyer was gigantic, boasting a pair of wide, sweeping oak stairways on either side. An extravagant chandelier still hung in the center above a thick rug; paintings lined the walls, and a silent grandfather clock sat squarely ahead of us. Willow had already moved into the first room to our right, but I was rooted in place, staring in equal parts fascination and dread at what hung from the room's chandelier high above.
Suspended by its neck was a skeletal mass of rusted metal and frayed wires in the vague shape of a pony. The skull, bent at a ninety-degree angle, grinned at me with fully-exposed steel teeth and dark, hollow eye sockets. The body swung like a heavy pendulum from Tartarus as the breeze blew in.
"Psst!" Willow broke me from my transfixion. She didn't seem interested in the machine, indicating that the house was still occupied by strangers. I begrudgingly fell in behind her, intent on returning to study the body at the first opportunity.
We first entered into some sort of lounge. The tall ceilings were insulated with thick cobwebs while the pastel-colored walls were stained by leaks. Piles of fallen plaster chunks, rotted wood, and peeled wallpaper littered the rough carpet, which was eaten away by time. After that was a mold-encrusted kitchen, with appliances torn open for their components and cabinets standing open filled with little more than dust.
Next was a dining room that ran half the length of the mansion's rear and contained a large, ornate dining table still draped in a tattered lace tablecloth. It was in this room that the marks on my compass flew past, near the middle of the table. I stopped and alerted Willow by whispering, "Above ush," and pointing a hoof at the ceiling. "Or below." No basements in the South, right?
The unicorn nodded and we continued around the mansion until we'd made it back to the foyer, passing through a ballroom and a guest bedroom on the way. Willow, taking the lead, ascended the first few steps of the staircase before her hoof landed on a board that squeaked like an unoiled power armor joint. She drew back quickly, casting a look back at me, then forwards. The mansion remained as eerily still as ever.
Willow pointed at me and then at the other staircase. I moved across the room and started up it myself, trying to apply as little pressure as I could while treading on the edges of my hooves. These steps turned out to be far more solid; I reached the landing without so much as a creak. Once Willow had followed the safer route, we moved as one to the door behind which stood the registered lifesigns.
Willow nudged the door open with her gun's barrel. "Shit!" I heard Willow hiss as she peeked inside. The ticks hadn't changed color, though I noticed them wiggle slightly. Willow raised her shotgun, but I jumped in front of her first.
"Willow, wait! Who'sh..." The words froze on my lips as I saw three feral ghouls crouched in the billiard room's corner, staring at Willow with deadened, glinting eyes. As soon as I was in sight, however, the marks immediately rubified and the ghouls growled ferociously, lunging to their hooves and charging at us.
"Get back!" shouted Willow, shoving me backwards and unloading a shell into the first ghoul. The flesh of its barrel was shredded as it fell aside into an overturned chair. The next shot popped the second ghoul's head like a water balloon; black ichor exploded backwards and drenched the third ghoul, who was shamble-galloping erratically.
Willow desperately began to reload her shotgun. She fumbled in her saddlebag for another shell as the screaming ghoul closed in. I shouted in panic, trying to right myself and aim in time...
... But it was too late.
The ghoul ran right past Willow, ignoring her completely and instead locking its deadened eyes on me, long trails of dark saliva falling from its mouth. Riptide sent a pair of bullets slicing through the feral's foreleg and chest, and It tumbled to the floor where it thrashed and howled, spitting like a rabid animal.
I was panting with fear as I got my hooves under me, letting Riptide fall from my mouth in surprise. "Wha- what was..."
KA-BAM!
Willow's shotgun disintegrated the ghoul's head, painting the floorboards a sickening tar color. The guide was heaving as well, her gun shakily floating in front of her as she reloaded it, muttering to herself.
After composing myself, I put away Riptide. "Willow?"
The unicorn ignored me, snapping the shotgun back together. She started walking past me, and as she neared, I could make out some of her words: "... Clear last time..."
"Willow."
She stopped. "What?"
"What was that?"
Willow just re-strapped the shotgun over her back. "Feral ghouls. You ain't got dem in Equestria?"
I stomped a hoof. "You know what I mean. That thing just ran past you like you weren't even there."
" 'Cause it saw you lying on de floor, all vulnerable."
"No, they don't do that."
Willow halted, facing me. "Well, de zombies you know are different from ours."
I took a breath. "You're a ghoul, aren't you?"
Willow froze. I thought she was going to yell at me, but after a pause she just turned, moving back towards the stairs. "You've got quite de imagination..."
"I had my E.F.S. up. They weren't hostile when you were all they could see."
Stopping again, Willow stared out over the railing at the ornate chandelier. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and pulled back her hood.
The first I saw of Willow was a fierce red mane, tousled and unkempt. As she turned to face me, she yanked down her thin scarf to reveal sooty grey fur. There was a cluster of dark freckles atop her snout, while upon her cheek and neck were radiation scars; her eyes, once ringed with golden irises, were now coated in a translucent film of cataracts. Her expression was one of frustration and self-contempt.
"Big reveal," she muttered bitterly, avoiding eye contact. "I'm a fuckin' mutant."
I'd have described Willow as a half-ghoul. The reddened welts left by radiation and glassed-over eyes were the telltale signs that the unicorn was in the earliest stages of ghoulification; she still had her normal voice and her hair, at least.
"Well," I began, not looking to upset Willow, though it appeared inevitable. "I'm sorry to learn that you're... this way, but... I'm glad we can have an eye-to-eye conversation now."
"Eye-to-eye, huh?" Willow's vision rose to connect with mine. Her eyelids drooped slightly, giving her a default expression of unamusement. "You wanna look me in the face when you tell me to fuck off?"
I blinked. "Come again?"
The guide shook her head. "You're still only a day's trek from Buckwater. You want a different guide, now's your best chance to find one." She floated the emerald caps out of her saddlebag and with visible distress let my payment fall to the floor. "Take dem," she snapped, glaring at me. She turned to the stairs, trotting down them briskly and leaving me a little confused.
She expects me to dump her now that I know what she is? Granted, it wasn't unreasonable to imagine that she'd had clients abandon her after the same revelation. I scooped the caps up in my hoof and shouted after the unicorn as she threw open the front door. "Willow, wait!"
Galloping down the staircase, I made it out onto the porch just as Willow had called Wick to her and looked prepared to depart. Her hood and scarf fluttered weakly as the storm's wind wove through the porch.
"I paid you to guide me to the border, regardless of any mutation."
Willow stopped, watching as I held my hoof forwards and offered the caps back. She gave a rumbling whicker of uncertainty, lacking any kind of bass in her small chest.
I knew that my next words would be a make-or-break for our partnership. "Look, we've risked our lives for each other already." My voice grew sincere, which was easier because for once I wasn't trying to lie to her. "I trust you."
Pursing her lips, Willow's eyes darted back and forth between my own and the currency. I could tell that she didn't just want the money; she needed it, desperately. When I nodded reassuringly, she quickly wrapped them in her golden magic.
"You're a really terrible Steel Ranger, you know dat?" she snarked as the caps returned to her bags.
My relieved sigh came out as a genuine laugh. "Hah, well... without my official robes I guess I don't know what to do."
Willow didn't outwardly react to my response but no longer looked ready to leave. The unicorn gave me one more hesitant look, as if to ensure I wasn't reconsidering, and then headed back indoors with Wick. Once she was out of earshot, I blew out a sigh and ran a hoof through my mane, heart still racing at how close I'd come to being left on my own again. |
Fallout: Equestria - Of Shadows | Chapter 7: Proxy - Part II | As the weather continued to rage unabated and my clothes still dripped with moisture, I returned indoors to change. Willow and Wick had both disappeared into the house. I thought it best to give the unicorn some time to herself before we spoke again; in the meantime, I had something new to investigate once I was out of this damp barding.
The room immediately to the left of the entrance looked to be a dusty old boudoir judging by the threadbare fainting couch and a mirror spilled onto its front. Oil lamps lined the walls and a limestone fireplace sat cold and barren against the far wall. I sat my bags and clothing aside and righted the mirror, which was relatively intact despite a few cracks running through it. It was the first decent reflective surface I'd seen since leaving the Phoebe.
The haggard mare that gazed back at me had a coat matted into a dirty hazelnut shade, the kind of ingrained filth that would take days to fully cleanse. As I slowly turned my head side-to-side, I winced at the strain on my neck muscles and at the state of my mane. A cascade of loose hairs, dandruff, water droplets, and odd swamp sheddings sprinkled out of my hair as I raked a hoof through it. Despite the impromptu grooming I still looked like a wild pony.
Leaning in close, I studied my face. My bloodshot and exhausted eyes, drained from sickness and insufficient rest, looked unfamiliar. The burns from the Stable explosion had left faint scars beneath my fur, alongside numerous nicks and cuts I'd picked up from thorny flora or the falls I'd taken. I felt some consolation since the bruise on the rear of my skull felt like it had healed and my hearing seemed to have evened out. I had to admit that when things were silent, however, I was assaulted with more ringing than seemed healthy. Ugh, please don't be an ear infection...
Now moving to my body, I shivered as I found multiple ticks had attached themselves to my legs. I pried them off with the edge of my hoof, crushing any which weren't fast enough to scuttle beneath the floorboards. I fished out some gossamer tangled in the fur of my withers and mud was flicked from the tips of my tail hairs. Checking beneath my flank's bandages, I found that the dagger wound had fully sealed, so I removed the wraps and tested my leg by flexing it back and forth. It was still sore, but I had full feeling again and could apply most of my weight to it. By Celestia's blessing, my cutie mark had avoided damage.
Done with my little refresh, I returned to the foyer. I focused on the mechanical body hanging from the chandelier, eagerly circling it. There had to be a way to safely take it down, though getting to that was difficult as I just wanted to keep gaping in captivated horror at the corpse.
The robot's skeletal frame was covered by protective plates where the flanks and scapulas would be. The plates were dirtied and uncomfortably reminiscent of the color of bleached bones, many scored by ballistic damage and blackened with gunpowder. One of the rear legs had fallen off, loose wires dangling from its hip socket like colorful tendons.
Where a flesh-and-blood pony's cutie mark would normally be located was a circular design depicting the vitruvian pony, an anatomical illustration I'd seen a couple of times in various textbooks. It depicted a perfectly-sculpted pony superimposed upon a ring, legs shown in two different positions symmetrical to its disembodied wings. Above the head floated a horn, potentially elevating the figure into an alicorn.
"What are you?" I murmured, staring at the body. It creaked in response, swaying as the wind outside picked up and I felt a weak draft sweep through the room. Some avant-garde decor, that's for sure.
I strained to haul the weight, but by wiggling it back and forth I was able to shift the wide grandfather clock across the floor and beneath the machine. The couch from the other room was slid in against that and allowed me to clamber atop the clock. Now at shoulder height with the hanging body, I stood on my hoof-tips to figure out how badly the cable noose was tangled around its neck. It looked to have been tied and knotted with magic; there was no feasible way I could undo it with my hooves or teeth, but the hellhound blade could most likely sever the cable above.
As I leaned out farther to see where the cable had been secured to the chandelier, I felt the clock beneath me tip and overbalance. Squealing, I began to plummet. My single wing spread outwards and flapped in a subconscious reflex. For a moment, it seemed the action had saved me, until I realized the air around me was glowing with magic. I stared like an idiot at Willow, who had entered the room just in time to witness my plummet begin. She slowly raised a brow as I wriggled in her telekinetic field.
"Need some help?" she asked with a tone more amused than sympathetic.
"Y-yeah, thanks," I stammered out awkwardly.
After lowering me to the floor, Willow gave a short shake of her head. "Are you sure you want to take dat ting down? Gives me bad-bad vibes..."
Willow Wisp's undressed body was scrawny, covered in patches of radiation scarring like her face and neck. As I briefly scanned her, my eyes fell upon her cutie mark: a softly glowing lantern, contrasting clearly against the soot-colored fur surrounding it. She caught me staring at her scars; I looked away quickly, but not before I noticed her ears lower and one of her forelegs rise anxiously to obscure a blemish on her chest.
I cleared my throat. "It doesn't look like it should pose any kind of threat. Probably hasn't worked in..." There actually wasn't as much rust on the machine as I'd expected, only plaguing some of the internal components that weren't built out of stainless steel. "... Several years."
"It's been here long as I can recall," Willow remarked. "At least five."
I nodded. "Well, could you help me get it down? I'd do it myself, but..." The outstretched remains of my wing finished the statement for me.
Though she seemed reluctant, Willow acquiesced. Levitating the hellhound dagger up to the noose, she was able to easily saw through the cable and caught the body as it fell. Willow milled around in the foyer, studying paintings that hung on the surrounding walls while I arranged the body on its side, the internals easily accessible for my autopsy. I was no Apothecary like Aurora Tide nor a 'medical practitioner' as Camphor put it, but I was a Scribe who had trained beneath genuine engineers.
It was a truly fascinating assembly, built upon a skeletal steel chassis which was slightly larger than the average pony. Veins of yellow, red, and blue wires wound through the ribcage and limbs, and in place of a heart was a bulky, corroded spark battery. Just below that was an empty slot, possibly for a gem or ward of some kind. The light plating on the sides was identified as fiberglass when my hoof tested the density. Brackets were built into the ribcage where weapons could be mounted, though they were now empty.
The skull was something out of a nightmare. I determined that the jaw wasn't designed to open, instead simply meant to give the overall shape a closer resemblance to a real pony. The throat held a small black box and a speaker, both wired up into the skull. There looked to be camera lenses in the eye sockets, both fogged up and partially cracked. The cranium had a severe dent in the side, as if it had been kicked or struck with a weapon. Rotating the neck, I found a port in the back of the skull which was identical to those found in Stable-Tec terminals.
Wick had joined us by now, and, after greeting me with his wet nose, became very interested in smelling the various metal components on display. Willow saw me comparing the PipBuck connector to the skull's port and spoke up.
"You tink it's safe to mess around wid a synt?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of fear. "What if it wakes up or somet'ing?"
I'd already been inclined to believe that this was a synth as previously described by Willow. It was now confirmed. Hesitating, I glanced up from my patient. "So this came from the Institute?"
Willow nodded. "Ouais. I've only ever seen a couple, and dis is de only one I've gotten to see up close."
That meant the vitruvian pony had to be the insignia of the Equestrian Institute of Technology; they had survived the end of the world.
"... Ever wondered how they work?" I inquired, indicating the exposed internals.
The half-ghoul looked suspicious. "Dey walk and dey shoot. What more is dere to know?"
"Well..." I grunted as I pried apart the ribcage. "First, here's the spark battery. It's wired to here and here... and then here's the 'hip' where the thigh actuators connect. Maybe... yeah, if you aimed a shotgun back here, you could rupture the hydraulic line and cripple a leg. And the way the plating is arranged, the spark battery could be visible from its five- or seven-o-clock. Ooh, and look! The spine isn't a rigid rail; it has two pivot joints there and there. Aw, this is so cool!"
My enthused interest in the synth's assembly seemed lost on Willow, who just hovered close and gave an, "Uh-huh," after each of my statements.
"Anyway, I think I could learn something more if I link into its head."
"Well... yeah, but... what if you turn it on?"
I didn't see how it could activate with a battery in as poor a condition as this one. "Look, it's not going to just sit up or anything. Trust me, alright?"
Willow shifted her weight as she peered warily at the mechanical corpse.. "Uh-huh... you know dis, how?"
I took a breath and leaned back. "Because I'll make double-sure, just for you." I took the hellhound blade and held the point above the spark battery, then leaned into the hilt hard and fast. The dagger easily sank into the ancient power source, generating a short pop as the metal gave way. Once I had run it all the way through and had reached the floor, I pulled the blade back out, which was now coated in glittering battery acid.
"Dat's... one way to do it," Willow Wisp commented as she chewed her tongue. "Good. Tink I'd have a heart attack if I saw a wire-vein stomping around in here."
Giving a satisfied huff, I set my weapon aside and reached for the PipBuck again, readily fitting its cable into the head's port. The bracelet hummed quietly as it accessed any information it could. All seemed to be running smoothly until the process was halted by a corrupted file warning, then another, then another, then yet more. I scowled at the dent in the synth's skull; whoever had dealt this blow had also partially damaged the hard drive within.
I shouldn't have been surprised, as damaged relics were a common enough occurrence in my field. I had lost track of how many times I'd had to give up transcribing a paper because it was too faded or water-damaged, or a unicorn Scribe had to set aside a cracked memory orb. Eventually you had to learn to be thankful for anything you could recover, even if it wasn't an ideal amount.
There were still fragments available, however, which I copied onto the PipBuck. It gave me a warm, fuzzy, and secure feeling to collect and preserve data. I reflected over how the old device now held the story of a Stable and the fractured memories of a machine...
"You okay?" came Willow's voice.
My little spell evaporated as I realized I was cradling the PipBuck like an infant. I immediately sat up straight and tried to look professional. "Mhm!" Flustered, I set the PipBuck aside. "Just... thinking." I awkwardly stared at the synth, trying to think of something to say to excuse my odd behavior.
Then, startling us both, Wick barked.
We both regarded him with confusion, trying to understand what had managed to aggravate the normally quiet and relaxed dog. He was staring unflinchingly at the vacant balcony above us, hackles raised.
"What's wrong, boy?" Willow asked softly. We both listened for sounds of another presence, but the otherworldly stillness within the mansion was unbroken. After several heartbeats, Wick trotted to the stairs and awkwardly hopped up them as quickly as his old body could manage. He loped onto the second floor and disappeared from view.
Willow retrieved her shotgun and stood at the base of the staircase. Her ears rotated to discern any sounds of trouble above the rain that kneaded the roof. Willow looked at me with an unsettled expression. "Your PipBuck saying anyting about dis?"
"Uh..." I reattached the bracelet and switched the EFS on. Only the two green indicators for Willow and Wick were registered on my compass. "No, there shouldn't be anything up there..." Willow frowned but followed her pet up to the second floor anyway.
I decided to take a break from the dissection and followed, Riptide in mouth. I stepped around the ghoul corpse at the top of the stairs and peeked into each room along the hallway. In what looked to be the master bedroom, I spied the remnants of a porcelain doll collection strewn around several shelves, the source of the macabre porch decorations. It felt several degrees cooler in the dark space and was far too eerie for my liking. Two rooms later I reunited with the dog and unicorn duo.
They were in the home's study, lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves and thick with the overpowering, intoxicating aroma of ancient paper. Wick snuffled around the carpet, which held a layer of books strewn far and wide. At my hooves was a hardback copy of "Historic Pearis: A Complete Guide." Dim light filtered inside through the wooden shutters, while Willow's horn glowed bright enough to illuminate the rest of the room.
"He probably spotted a mouse," Willow suggested as I entered. She stood with her shotgun lowered, watching her pet investigate the room, still acting a bit spooked. Her theory was plausible; my E.F.S. was tuned to only register lifeforms above a certain size, lest the compass flood with indicators for every insect, bird, and rodent above, around, or beneath the wearer.
Willow didn't act surprised when I joined Wick's eager roaming, carefully snatching up spilled tomes and establishing a neat stack next to a fancy terminal upon the room's desk. Bent pages were lovingly straightened out and covers wiped clean as I cleared the floor. As I lifted a hefty thesaurus, I was entranced by the gloriously illustrated cover which had lain hidden beneath.
A rush of excitement pushed my eyelids wide open as I took in the scene: a pegasus crouched in a battle stance and radiating badass confidence from her magnetic rose irises. She was atop a speeding train, facing down a group of slimy-looking griffons in grey-and-red uniforms as wind and snow ripped at her pith hat and brown bomber jacket. Behind the mare loomed a towering crystallic spire, glowing with blue light and flanked by the silhouette of a flying saucer.
Daring Do!
Unfortunately, my excitement drained out of my nose along with a disappointed snort as I finished studying the cover. The subtitle read, "... and the Kingdom of the Crystal Heart."
The Steel Rangers hadn't ever held fiction to quite the same regard as nonfiction material, and tasks such as completing the Daring Do saga were low on most Scribes' list of priorities. I'd had the privilege of owning Griffon's Goblet, Treasure of the Saddle Madre, Riddle of the Sphinx, and Staff of Sacanas when I was growing up, all four of which I adored and had read religiously. After enlistment, I'd tracked down over a dozen more entries in the series, including Crystal Heart. It was unanimously agreed upon by myself and two other Scribes that this entry was the weakest. That said, it was still a precious reminder of home and was undoubtedly more intellectually stimulating than the anti-zebra pamphlet could ever be.
As I transferred it into my saddlebags, I noticed Willow studying a framed photograph on the desk. The picture showed a small family of ponies standing in front of the mansion, including a unicorn father and a mother and son, both earth ponies. The son beamed brightly, his curly pastel-blue bangs obscuring his eyes as he leaned against his smiling mother's chest. The father wore a cap embossed with two stacked, stylized V's, and his hide was reddened in places as if he'd been very lightly singed all over.
When Willow looked away from the photo, she noticed me stashing the novel. "What's dat?" she asked, now staring at my bag.
"Daring Do!" I answered, taking the book back out and showing it to her. "You a fan?"
The unicorn shifted a little, shrugging. "Uh, well," She grew hesitant, avoiding my eyes and instead studying her hoof. "I'm not exactly de best wid words, no."
I felt a little awkward, unsure of how to respond to that. Sure, wastelanders were often illiterate, but I had expected Willow's education to be above the median. "Ah."
"Besides, I have more important t'ings to do den read some old story."
"Oh?" I couldn't help but scoff, incensed by her dismissal of fiction.
"Yeah, I've grown outta dem," Willow stated defensively. She huffed and rubbed her face, shooting me an exasperated grimace. "Look, do we have to talk about dis?"
While I still felt defensive of my lifelong passion, I thought it best not to get her riled up, especially since we might still be on shaky terms. "Fine." That response came out sounding slightly more bitter than I had intended, but Willow didn't outwardly react to it.
I moved on to searching the study's desk, which Wick had been smudging with his wet nose. The top drawers held some pencils for me, while the lower ones stored a variety of postcards and letters from days long past. Within the last drawer I unearthed a composition notebook with the name "Cotton Knit" scrawled across its cover in blocky and deliberate hoofwriting. I cracked the stiff cover apart to find the same font scribbled haphazardly within, barely adhering to the ruled sheets and often running off the edges entirely. It was a challenge to decipher the individual words due to their poor quality, but I could make out bits and pieces.
It appeared that Cotton Knit was a colt who lived on this plantation with his parents. He loved playing hoofball, visiting his grandparents, playing hoofball, drawing, playing hoofball, "helping" his dad farm their crops, playing... wow, he really loved hoofball. Every other page featured Cotton's artwork, often depicting stick ponies playing sports or partaking in duties around the plantation. His mansion home was also drawn frequently, and as the journal continued his skills also improved, with traits like simple shading and steadier lines making his scratchings less interpretive.
Noticing my interest in the book, Willow appeared at my near side, tilting her head to try and read as well. "And what's dis?"
"A journal from a former resident," I answered, continuing to flip through the pages. "A colt named Cotton Knit."
"Pre-war?"
"Yep, the son of a farmer who owned Magnolia Grove." As the pages turned, I caught brief peeks into the daily life of the young pony. His family frequently hosted his grandmother on weekends, where she would play board games with Cotton, bake cookies for him, and walk with him in the gardens. One moment Cotton was visiting a museum in Brayton Rouge, the next he was raving about a ride he'd taken on the new tractor his father had brought home.
At least, my eyes had read 'tractor.' In my mind, those words had translated to 'salvage.' Turning to Willow, I asked, "Is there a garage on the property somewhere?"
She stared into space for a few moments while she considered. "I... tink so?"
"Well, I want to check it out; there might be a tractor inside." I used the anti-zebra pamphlet to bookmark my place in Cotton's journal. "You wanna come with?"
"Better den just sitting around in here, sure. Let's go."
Before heading outside we hunted around the entrance for an umbrella, but unfortunately they had long since been looted. I retrieved my bags and Stable suit while Willow slipped back into her mostly-dried cloak. The rear porch was much the same as the front, though its stairs led down to a brown brick path which disappeared into the wild gardens. A few more disfigured dolls dangled around us. I could smell the distinct scent of pecan carried by the wind out of the growth ahead of us.
"Alrighty, guide pony, lead me to that garage!"
Willow's cloak once again covered her, though she no longer bothered with a scarf. She just shrugged. "Might as well take de lead yourself."
"... Isn't navigation your special talent?"
"No. Well, it's... ugh! I've never been back here, yeah? I only ever spent time in de house. Parents never said dere was anyt'ing useful out back."
I flicked my tail in mock dismissal. "Hmph! We'll see about that." I hoisted the Stable suit above me with my wing and a hoof, then started on the path closest to us.
Walls of vivid green closed in on all sides; the hedges, untamed, had continued growing until they became little more than a wild tangle of branches and leaves, so high that they almost stitched together a canopy. While disorienting, the path was still visible beneath webs of vines and infringing grass. We passed by intermittent stone benches and sculptures. At some point we passed a small pond that must have contained more algae than water, in addition to a mold-conquered fountain sculpted into a merpony.
I turned to point this out to Willow but found her lagging behind, her shotgun readied. She was tilting her head around both corners of an intersection we'd just came from. When I returned to her to ask what the problem was, she sounded on-edge.
"Okay. I was looking around and I... I swear I saw someone behind us."
I squinted at her. "What kind of 'someone?' "
"A... a zebra, I tink. I don't know." Doubt was overtaking her quickly. "Probably just my fucked-up eyes getting worse."
Looking to ease her anxiety, I checked the E.F.S. and found no new ticks on the compass. "We're alone."
The two of us continued on, albeit a little more apprehensively. Soon, my worries were forgotten and I felt like Daring Do stumbling across the remnants of some long-lost civilization when a weather-beaten mausoleum came into view. It was modestly wide, with imposing architecture constructed of stained white limestone identical to the gates at the front of the estate. Just above the entrance was carved the name "Poitou."
We were up the two steps and out of the downpour in a flash. The interior of the mausoleum was dark and cramped, but after I switched my light on I was ecstatic at the sight of more history. The tomb's centerpiece was the bust of a dour-faced, strong-jawed donkey jack, with fuzzy chops and a smooth dome. There was a bronze plaque attached to the base which was written in a language I couldn't quite decipher, though I did distinguish the name Jean-Luc Poitou.
On the surrounding walls were smaller plaques each carrying the surname Poitou. These were attached over small sealed doors arranged in rows and columns, like an elegant stone morgue, arranged by date until ending with Rene Poitou. An expired water ward was installed in the ceiling.
"And here's where de asses were all buried..." Willow observed, her lips twisted.
"Do you know what this says?" I asked her, gesturing at the bust's plate. Some words resembled Equestrian, some didn't.
"Uh... I speak Prench fine, reading it's a different story."
"... So you can't?
"I can. Just don't expect it to be pretty, yeah?" She plopped down in front of the bust, squinting at the words while tilting her head. I kept my PipBuck lamp aimed at it as she read, "Here... lay, er, lies, Jean-Luc Poitou, uh... sergeant, I tink... of her... majesty's fifth... regiment..." She slowed down on the next word. "I don't... I'm not sure about dis one."
"Liberateur. Liberator?" I suggested.
"Probably. Of de... c-colony... of Brayton Rouge, loving husband and dad." She un-slouched and shrugged. "Dere's de long and short of it, I tink."
There was a list carved into the wall above the bust of Jean-Luc which looked to be locations and dates; I did recognize a couple of the names like Brayton Rouge or Neigh Orleans, but there were others I'd never heard of such as LaFarrier or Baudetville. Above the list hung the tattered remains of what I presumed to be the flag of Mulisiana. It was purple, with an emblem in the center comprised of a white mockingbird and a golden fleur-de-lis.
"The donkeys went to war with the zebras, right?" I knew pitifully little about Mulisianan history; granted, I had always been far more interested and invested in Equestrian. Not only that, but there were few books I'd found that ever went into much detail about the region south of us, often a mere footnote during the highlights of Equestrian expansion and development.
"Eeyup, back when dey were first colonizing here. Some four centuries ago or de like."
Once I felt I had picked over everything of interest in the mausoleum, we continued traversing the gardens. I used my knife to clear us a path through a particularly dense section, after which we were delivered in front of a medium-sized wooden shack of sorts. It sagged with age but had proven its sturdiness by refusing to collapse under a thick layer of plant life. There was a garage door installed in one end of the structure that looked far more modern than the rest, relatively speaking.
Willow kept her shotgun prepared just in case we found any more ferals seeking shelter inside. At some point following the war, a colossal oak tree behind the shed had toppled over and sheared off the far corner of the roof, allowing nature to encroach into the room. Through this hole cascaded a torrent of rainwater, accompanied by many drips that found their way inside through the deteriorating ceiling. Opportunistic vines had slithered their way inside, overtaking several tool shelves and consuming the back half of the family's tractor.
At first glance the farming machine in question looked to be steam-powered, which was disappointing. I had hoped for it to use a spark engine, as I had dismantled a few of them in the past and knew which components were most useful. The vehicle was stout and sturdily built. A large exhaust protruded from the engine compartment and a plow hung from the rear, still caked in fossilized mud. As I fiddled with the grill to open the engine compartment, I noticed a small steel ornament attached to the front, which matched the double V design on the cap of Cotton Knit's father.
I flipped the cover upwards and was halted by the bewildering motor which had once turned the tractor's wheels. Neither steam nor sparks had powered it. Instead this looked to be some kind of combustion engine with multiple pistons running the length of the block.
"Does this..." I kept looking over the engine compartment, trying to glean any more information I could. "... Run on coal?"
"Nah, it's some fuel made outta wilt apples, I tink. Filling stations are scattered here and dere. You can still find some advertisements about it, too."
"Interesting..."
Leaving the engine for the moment, I concentrated on locating the tools I'd need for disassembly. Several wooden shelves and workbenches sat against the walls, containing a wide variety of small implements and construction materials such as nails and two-by-fours. One counter held a half-disassembled scooter.
I pulled a grimy socket wrench out from a milk crate with my teeth, dropping it on a nearby counter, then spat on the floor and cringed at the awful taste I'd had to suffer through. I sifted around the rest of the crate, but the sockets were nowhere to be found; clearly organization had not been the father's strong suit.
"Well, shit," I heard Willow mutter as I dug through a bin that was weighed down by a mound of nails. "Dis must've been de slave quarters..."
Done searching through that, I briefly shifted my attention to the room. Indeed, there were faded imprints on the floor where it seemed walls had once segmented the building into small rooms, like pens for livestock. The windows were very thin and nearly at ceiling height, with single wrought-iron bars dividing the middle of each.
"Huh," I commented, then hoofed open a toolbox containing nothing but screwdrivers and a lone combination wrench. My conscience clashed with my disregard for stripes; I detested slavery with every fiber of my being and wouldn't wish it upon any creature. Yet an obstinate voice deep in the back of my head, one that sounded like my grandfather, whispered that it was a lesser sin when committed against zebrakind. I grit my teeth and tried to shut it out. I'm just not as open as Willow is...
"Fucking donks..." the guide pony growled. "Dey're real pieces of shit, de lot of 'em."
... Or maybe not.
The center drawer of a cabinet I was exploring at last yielded a plastic tray holding an array of sockets. I took them to the tractor and went to work disassembling what I could of it. Any relatively clean bolts were plucked out, radiator components were detached, and I salvaged anything that looked to be composed of aluminum or platinum. Housed directly above the engine compartment was a water ward, out of juice. I still took it, in case it had some value. Even a single cap or two was worth earning.
When I had finished, the tractor was probably thirty pounds lighter. The scrap metal I'd taken was loaded into a spare milk crate while smaller pieces were dumped into a toolbox, both of which I hefted onto my back.
"Alright, let's head back."
Willow volunteered to dispose of the dead ghouls. I didn't object, and took the opportunity to return to the study. There was still a wealth of untouched material hoarded there, and I wanted to look further into the uncorrupted data I had extracted from the synth.
The family's home terminal was long-dead, but that wasn't of concern; instead, I swept the case and display aside and linked the PipBuck to the keyboard. While I had to lean in close to read the small screen, it was worth it to navigate using a comfortable, complete Equestrian alphabet. The encryption was reminiscent of Stable-Tec's but updated, something learned the hard way when the backdoor used to enter terminals failed to function.
I blinked and sat back, gnawing my hoof. I should've expected this; after all, Stable-Tec hadn't been able to patch the security flaw due to the untimely apocalypse, but an active organization such as the Institute surely would've continued developing the code. For half an hour I tried every trick I knew, but the encryption was airtight and I wasn't at all familiar with its flaws, if any. I let out a resigned scowl and lightly kicked the desk, wishing I'd spent a little more time developing my hacking skills with Vox.
"Maybe somepony else in this swamp can pry you open?" I murmured to the screen, then snorted derisively and rolled my eyes. Yeah, right. Might as well have them install SATS on the PipBuck while they're at it...
Now with the metaphorical wind stolen from beneath my wing, I lounged in the desk's chair, propping my chin up with a hoof and taking another account of the surrounding shelves. My gaze swept up and down across several dozen different spines that I had considered reading, but I already had content that needed finishing in my saddlebags first. Besides, Terminals for Dodos probably wasn't going to help me bypass the Institute's security any more easily.
To be honest, I didn't really have much interest in the anti-zebra pamphlet, but felt some degree of obligation to at least skim the contents since I'd picked it up. The first image was an illustration depicting a massive and looming hooded figure reaching a striped hoof over a crowd of fleeing ponies. The monstrous zebra's eyes glowed a malicious yellow, mirroring the flames that consumed the decimated cottages in the background. A bit cartoonish, but whatever.
The text within reiterated that zebras were unpredictable, underhoofed, and had violent tendencies; nothing surprising. A few tips cited that zebras loved to dig at the ground and rhymed excessively, particularly outside of song. Wait, I thought the rhyming was just a stereotype joke...?
The back listed contact addresses for numerous Ministry of Morale hubs in Mulisiana, as well as recommending how to tip local law enforcement and to "rally your neighbors to defend the nation." Unimpressed with the short read, I traded it for the Daring Do book. I only got one page in before I shut the cover and set it aside, far too frustrated to try and scrape up any semblance of enjoyment from the worst novel in the series.
As I tried to arrange a secure place for it in my saddlebag, a glint from within stole my attention. I knew what it was even before I gave it any closer inspection. Heart beating faster with nervous energy, I withdrew the voodoo necklace and let it hang in front of my eyes, the ruby gleaming even in the soft light of the study.
This item's presence had been nagging at me since Saint Mare's. Even though I'd been trying to avoid thinking about it, my bags felt heavier with its inclusion, and I wasn't even sure why. What had my anxiety spiking around the necklace? It was just some jewelry; whether or not it had magical properties, it didn't pose any threat. My mind weighed the clear positives of trying on the necklace against the ambiguous negatives I'd been warned about by Camphor. If there were any side effects, I could just take it off, couldn't I?
Casting a furtive look at the entrance to ensure Willow wouldn't walk in on me dressing up like a tribal, I slipped the necklace over my head, letting the ruby rest against my fluffy chest alongside my three holotags.
I felt no different than I had seconds prior. Was this what it felt like to be a unicorn? Somehow I had expected to sense some kind of energy flowing through my veins, to transform into a superpony or something. That seemed a bit foolish in retrospect, but I was desperate to feel some kind of empowerment.
Can I lift things with my mind now? Setting the Daring Do novel back on the desk, I focused intensely upon it and tried to will the cover to open. The book didn't budge even a centimeter. Screwing up my features and leaning forward, I held my breath and tensed my muscles as I gave it another shot. Still, nothing happened.
Okay... this is normal, isn't it? You can't just pick up magic instantly. Giving it a second go, I tried to push my mind forward. Telekinesis is just an extension of your body, right?
How do unicorns even do this kind of thing? The idea of lifting an object without touching it was so foreign to me that I didn't know how to begin understanding the technique. My fellow Scribes never made a show of their magic abilities; to them it was simply innate, and lifting a quill or retrieving a book from a tall shelf required neither warm-up nor particular effort.
My father had been a unicorn, so I knew I must have some magic in my blood, but I didn't even know where to start when it came to converting my mind into a tool. The concept was utterly alien to my personal understanding of physics. Eventually I felt a headache setting in from trying to think so hard. Leaning back, I supported my head in one hoof while the other lifted the necklace up.
The ruby in the center was a gorgeously reflective gemstone that looked to be filled with a haze similar to that of a memory orb. Based on the way the necklace had been used by its former owner, it seemed to act as a conduit for the innate magic all ponies possessed. Only unicorns were able to channel it into spells, since their horn was one such conduit. The other races could still apply their magic, just in different forms. For instance, being a pegasus, I had some ability to affect the weather. With this, however...
It felt as if I stared at the hypnotizing ruby for minutes.
"You," came a whisper from somewhere in the room. It was extremely soft and quick, as if murmured while inhaling.
I spun in my seat, suddenly fearing that Willow had been spying on me, but I was alone. Still uncertain, I called her name hesitantly but heard no response. Fed up with this nonsense, I took off the necklace and dropped it back into my saddlebag. Now's not the time to start hearing things...
Moving on, I alternated between examining and idly sorting the bookcases alphabetically for an hour or two before uncovering a steamer trunk in the corner of the room. It had been weighed down by a pile of cardboard boxes and looked ancient even by pre-war standards, which stood out distinctly. Two ornate latches were unlocked and the lid cracked open, promptly bathing me in the intoxicating scent of aged paper. It was overwhelmingly musty, standing out even amidst the study's already thick atmosphere. I took a few moments to simply let the comforting biblichor envelop me before I began searching for anything of interest.
The trunk was filled to the brim with documents, letters, and books, yellowed with age and all covered in Prench text. I carefully began peeling back the layers of paper, taking brief glances at the words while I stacked them neatly on the floor, trying to sort by each variety of material. Relying on my years of experience cataloguing the Steel Ranger archives, it was an effortless task.
Additionally, I took this opportunity to further study Prench writing and to develop my understanding of it as much as possible. Many proper nouns were analogous to Equestrian words in their spelling and I was able to assume the definition of many smaller words based on sentence structures. I used a spare notepad to create a list of hypothesized definitions, scribbling several pages worth.
One word that continued to spring up amidst everything else was "zebre", which wasn't hard to guess. It wasn't until I reached a heavy ledger at the very bottom before I began to see it on every single page, along with what appeared to be descriptions and colors, height and weight measurements, and attached currency values. Is this a ledger for slaves? It was thick, with several dozen pages worth of information.
Once I was close to the end of the book, a folded letter slid out from between two of the pages. It looked to have been crumpled and then smoothed back out at some point, well-compressed by the ledger. Utilizing my crude lexicon, I was able to determine many words, most notably "zebra", "mare," and "curse." I didn't have enough definitions to work out the entire message, but I had a feeling that it could be interesting, seeing as it was the only supplemental document in the ledger.
I took both with me as I came back downstairs. I found Willow lounging in the boudoir, reclined on the couch with her back to me. One of her hindlegs bounced restlessly while she read something, Wick curled up and asleep beneath her. My hoof rapped on the door frame to get the unicorn's attention. "Hey," I called.
Willow Wisp flinched and snapped upright, trying to hide whatever she'd been reading. In her haste, she accidentally spun and knocked her saddlebag off of a small end table next to the couch, spilling its contents all over the floor in front of me.
"Merde!" Willow hissed and flew to scoop everything back up, but not before I was able to identify several items. There was a chrome-plated cigarette lighter, a compact shortwave radio, some poorly bound-together rolls of bandages, and a coin purse which rattled with caps. I also spied a couple RadAway sachets and a sizeable pill organizer which contained plenty of Rad-X.
Of greater note to my eyes were a collection of smut magazines and several series of different comic books, including Sword Mares, Power Ponies, Hellbuck, Silver Stallion, and Captain Andro-
Whack!
Willow slapped a Playbuck magazine down atop the comic suddenly. I recoiled as the loud whap assaulted my ears and Captain Andromeda's cheery face was hidden by a zebra mare's nether region. Willow dragged both works towards her telekinetically, her cheeks deeply flushed.
I was at a loss for words as what to make of this action, so I just awkwardly asked, "Oh, y-you read comics?"
Trembling subtly, Willow stuffed the comic book into her saddlebags, taking care not to bend the corners. "It-it's not mine. It's my brot'er's," she stuttered, her voice betraying her embarrassment.
"The comic or that magazine?"
"De... de comic, of course! I don't read dat shit anymore!" Willow tried to explain, looking panicked as her eyes darted around the floor, guiding her magic aura as it scooped up her smaller belongings.
I had to bite my lip to stifle a laugh. "Oh, so you have a brother now?"
"I... yeah, I do! You..." the unicorn got tripped up on her words and huffed as she finished re-packing her bags. "Mais la, what'd you want, Quill?"
Clearing my throat, I retrieved the old tome and showed it to her. "Well, I think I found a ledger of some kind from the donkeys who lived here long ago, but I'm having trouble figuring some of it out. Could you help translate it?" I watched as Willow attached the clasps for her bags and double-checked them. "Or are you busy...?"
"I'll try, t'ough I'll probably butcher it." She took it in her magic and cracked it open, while over her shoulder I pointed out what sentences, passages, or pages needed translating. Same as her prior attempt at interpreting Prench writing, she spoke slowly and with hesitant enunciation.
Together we learned that this book had mostly been written by one Rene Poitou, a descendant of Jean-Luc and former owner of the plantation who had used a ledger to keep track of the slaves he both purchased and sold off. I made good use of my new notepad in assisting the translation and was delighted to learn from Willow that many of my guesses had been correct.
The going was a bit painful for the unicorn, who was clearly embarrassed by her middling reading comprehension, but I continuously assured her that I wasn't judging. Eventually I was as much helping her as she was me, and once we moved on to the letter, we had to really put our heads together to figure out many of the less-than-common phrases littered throughout.
It had been addressed to a friend of Rene's. After acquiring a pair of zebra slaves, a mother and son, the donkey had separated the two after a business partner offered a substantial amount for the son. The mother, named Zola, then cursed Rene in turn:
"May de one who... holds my... uh, let's see... chains, I tink... be chain- chained to dis land... um..." Willow paused, screwing up her features as she worked out the translation in her head. "Fff... forever?"
"So she laid a curse on him?"
"Dat's what it says. Black magic was more common back den."
I pondered that. "Ooh, so maybe Rene's ghost haunts the plantation! That explains all the rumors, right?"
Willow was unconvinced. "Just 'cause she said some ominous words doesn't mean she actually did anyting, no."
"So you don't think curses are real?" I fixed her with a questioning eye.
"I didn't say dat. Just... it's gotta be more involved den just a verbal t'reat, yeah?" She shrugged. "Most of de time curses are just excuses for tings we don't know yet. I mean, legend says wilt apples came from some zebra curse ages ago."
"But surely there's a reason why this place is avoided, right?"
"Because it's creepy as hell," Willow stated. "I've been here a couple times and never saw any ghost or not'ing." She proffered the ledger back to me. "It's just urban legends, all of it."
With a shake of my head, I disagreed, "Something's up; Wick wouldn't get riled up over nothing."
"He's just old," Willow spoke conclusively, evidently tired of conversing. I saw her gaze lingering close to her saddlebags and knew when to take a hint. Collecting the ledger, I thanked the unicorn for her help and let her be. As I cantered down the hallway, I heard the door quietly shut and lock behind me.
I had opted to spend the rest of the evening in the study between recording the events of Saint Mare's and reading a copy of Ghosts, Goblins and Ghoulish Figures. I had already absorbed it all as a filly, but now it seemed more pertinent than ever, cheesy illustrations on the cover be damned.
Many years ago a young Quillwright had accompanied her parents into a small wasteland town, dressed in a rough cloak to conceal her wings. While my parents bargained for supplies in the open-air market, my attention was stolen by a preacher who called to all passersby. He professed with an honest passion that was enrapturing, attracting a large crowd who listened intently.
He spoke of the Goddesses, of Celestia and Luna, who had ascended into the heavens, higher above us than even the Enclave. The sisters watched over everypony; they loved their children and had a better future planned for us. One day very soon, Celestia Herself would evaporate the cloud curtain with her holy sunlight and renew Equestria. We would be reunited with everypony we'd ever lost, and the world would be revitalized, a new paradise on Equus freed from the poison of war forever.
I had been whisked away by my parents before he had finished; admonished not only for straying away but for giving the 'hydra-oil salesman' the time of day. Despite their cynical words and continuous insistence that it was all rubbish, a seed had been planted. All throughout my life, I had kept that preacher's hope alive. There had to be something better for us. This world couldn't simply end with a sick, starving, cold whimper.
With my belief in an afterlife came the certainty that spirits could not only inhabit our world, but potentially become trapped here as well. The idea that a zebra slave had cursed her owner to be bound to his property was not at all absurd to me, and I felt confident that it was a mystery I could solve.
By the time it was growing dark outside, my suspicions were all but confirmed. According to the book, the sixth sense that dogs possessed meant they were able to frequently sense the paranormal. Wick's barking at an empty balcony had been uncharacteristic and I didn't buy the excuse that he was going senile.
My growling stomach eventually and reluctantly pulled my muzzle away from the pages. Downstairs I fetched my unfinished eggs and an ear of corn from Saint Mare's and brought them into the mansion's dining room, where I encountered Willow once again.
She had taken a seat in one of the few intact chairs at one end of the dining room table. Her cloak was draped over the chair's high back along with her bags. In front of Willow was a placemat of crinkled foil beneath some juicy radigator chunks, a repurposed measuring cup filled with oats, and a bottle of unidentified alcohol. Above her end of the table floated a ball of light, likely a spell of Willow's, which warmed the room with lambent radiance.
The unicorn looked up at me as I entered. I indicated the chair at my end. "Mind if I join you?" Willow's head shook, so I pulled out my seat and eased into it, wincing uncertainly at the creaky legs.
Floating out a cigarette lighter, Willow Wisp struck a flame. "I've already got a light," I told her as I indicated the PipBuck I was halfway done removing, but was shushed in response. Her horn glowed brighter as the flame flickered, as if it was nearly being blown out by a gust of wind. Then it vanished... in a way.
All incandescence from the lighter had been absorbed, just as Willow had stolen the luminescence from the tribal's flashlight in Saint Mare's. Instead, a glowing mass of light beaded up at the tip of her horn. Once it had collected into the size of a hoof it separated, hovering in the air and then lazily floating over to my end.
"I call dem bulbs; been someting I could do ever since I got my cutie mark," Willow snapped the lighter's lid shut, extinguishing its lightless flame. Her tone grew resentful. "What a 'special talent' to have..." The phosphorescent will-o'-the-wisp pulsed intermittently and bobbed gently as if it were buoyant.
"... Surely they come in handy?" I offered, then yawned.
"In dis line of work, yeah, sometimes. I can make a bulb follow somepony, keeps dem from getting lost, but..." She yawned too, rubbing her cheek idly. "At de end of de day it's no more den light magic, someting every unicorn knows."
At that we both fell into silence. The storm continued to rage away outside, furiously shaking the trees and beating against the mansion. I appreciated the chance to enjoy a peaceful, sheltered meal. Wick sat next to Willow, watching her intently. Every now and then she would levitate a chunk of radigator off of her plate and toss it to the dog, who snatched it out of the air much faster than his usual lethargic slouch implied he was capable of.
The ale helped take off some of the tension and pain that had been in control of me recently. My anxiety was worn away with each drink I took, and once I'd finished my radigator eggs I felt the need to converse more.
"So..." I cleared my throat. Willow looked up at me briefly with a hint of suspicion, then returned to her skewer of chicken and fried greens. "Um... how long have you been guiding ponies for?"
Willow made eye contact with me again as she swallowed and set her half-eaten food down. Her answer lingered for a couple breaths, but once she'd had another bite-- a soft nip of her lower lip this time-- she spoke, diffident. "I haven't really kept track of time. A couple of years, I reckon."
Sensing there was much more to the terse reply, I asked, "You seem really knowledgeable; did your parents teach you everything?"
"Mhm." Willow took a sip of ale, one of her hooves moving to idly rub her cheek.
"I heard they..." She had used the past-tense earlier. "... Were the best around."
"My ma was," Willow said. "She... her parents, dat whole side of my family... knew absolutely everyt'ing about Mulisiana. Natives who survived de megaspells, see."
"So your dad wasn't a guide?"
Willow's cloudy auric irises flitted from her plate to my eyes, then away to study the white marble mantle. "Not exactly. He, uh..." She swallowed. "He came from Buckwater. One of de Stable's descendants, yeah?" She inhaled deeply, lost in a memory of some kind. "Dad guarded ma and dere customers. He was better wid guns den directions."
I desperately wanted to know the next question I already had queued up. "Did... do either of them know about your..." Not wanting to offend Willow, I carefully finished with, "Irradiation?"
The unicorn across the table didn't immediately answer. Eventually her head nodded, scarcely at first but then picking up into a full confirmation, her eyes unfocused. "Yeah." Her hoof, still touching her face, subconsciously drifted across to rub her most severe scar. "And I ain't seen dem since."
Sensing I was trotting on thin ice, I simply inclined my head and returned my attention to my food, this time picking tarberries from a severed stem. I was caught a little off-guard when Willow's voice echoed through the dining room, just above the muffled roar of the storm. "So how about you? How long've you been a Sc..." She paused, trying to remember what my title was. "A Scrub?"
I couldn't hold back an amused snort as I corrected, "Scribe. And it's been..." I quickly tapped out the number on the table edge. "Let's see...next spring I should be going on nine years."
Willow's brows performed a "what-you-said" maneuver. "A Scribe, yeah. So what do you even do? Just... read books?"
"I do a lot of reading, yes. Though I'm usually writing at the same time," I explained. "I transcribe materials for the Steel Rangers; copying books, newspapers, blueprints, scrolls, manuals, schematics, letters, terminal entries, et cetera. My job ensures that we always have a safe backup of any documents that could come in useful for us or for future Equestria. When I'm not doing either of those, I teach the colts and fillies born into our ranks, known as Squires." My head rocked back and forth as I clarified, "That's not my official position, at least not yet, but... it's my favorite role."
"A teacher too, huh? What kinda t'ings do you teach?"
"Reading, writing, Equestrian history," I listed off. "Etiquette, if I have the time. I enjoy history the most, but I'm probably the most skilled at writing in our entire order, so that's what I usually focus on."
" 'De most skilled?' " Willow smirked a little. "You seem humble."
I was honestly surprised at how interested Willow was. She was sitting forwards, occasionally floating a small bunch of oats into her mouth, and while her hooves still anxiously covered her face often, her attention was more often than not focused in my direction. The ale must have really loosened her up, and if her clients never engaged in meaningful conversations with her, I had to wonder if Willow ever got to hear about the lives of other ponies.
"Heh, I'm not trying to brag, it's just..." I paused. Few were aware of my personal history, and even fewer still regarded me the same after learning of it. "Most ponies who live on the surface aren't ever able to receive a proper education."
"So I take it you're from de sky? Dis 'Enclave' group or whatever you were so freaked out over earlier?"
"No, I'm not. But," Here we go. "My grandparents were. Both were professors in one of the pegasi's most prestigious universities. My grandfather, however, challenged leadership too often and was generally disliked by his superiors. Eventually he and his wife were cast down to the surface as Dashites, forbidden to return.
"They adapted quite suitably. Their daughter-- my mother-- was taught a complete Enclave-level education, which in turn was passed to me." I paused for a drink. "The Rangers hadn't ever seen a wasteland-born pony as educated as I was; they actually requested for me to sign on. Been with the order ever since."
I checked Willow for her expression. She appeared to study me but had no hint of the ire that others usually felt when they heard I had ties to the Enclave. "Did your family join wid you?"
"No. Sorry, I'd just... rather not talk about it." Despite how much we'd shared about each other so far, I really didn't feel like dredging up that time of my life right now.
"Fair enough." Willow appeared intent on asking something else. "So..." She leaned over, acting as if she were looking at my flank. "Your cutie mark."
"What about it?"
"Well..." she shrugged. "What is it, for one?"
I gave a nod. "It's a phoenix feather quill."
"I t'ought dose birds were green?"
"Post-war phoenixes are, yes, due to the balefire. Before they were irradiated, they were crimson and gold like this." I shifted in my seat, allowing the bulb above me to highlight the feather which stood out against my sandy fur. "In the right lighting conditions, it almost matches my robes!"
"Huh," answered Willow. "So what does it have to do wid your job?"
I'd spent years coming up with a concise, detailed response to this sort of question, tired of being asked one too many times.
"The phoenix quill represents how the written past is reborn in my work, giving history a second wind to be witnessed and appreciated by future generations," I recited.
Willow looked amused. "How long have you been waiting for me to ask?"
Okay, maybe that explanation sounds a bit scripted.
"Would've expected a dictionary instead," she concluded with a smirk, rising from her seat. She tossed her trash into the corner of the room and stretched. "I'm gonna turn in for de night."
"Shouldn't we take shifts and watch the front door?"
The unicorn shook her head. "Nah... like I said, dis place is avoided by most. I'll lock de entrances. Keep your own bedroom door secured and a gun handy just in case, but it should be a quiet night."
Willow claimed the master bedroom since she had finished eating before me. I ended up in Cotton Knit's room. The carpet beneath my hooves was impressively preserved, though littered with flakes from the peeling sports-themed wallpaper.
Before laying down for the night, I examined the room for anything of interest. The small walk-in closet held nothing but a single boot, so encased in ancient mud that it more closely resembled a stone, and a collection of mothballs. Forget Riptide, I just need these and a slingshot! I giggled to myself as I shut the closet doors and flopped onto the once-nice bed, bedframe croaking.
Nowadays, though, the sheets had been gnawed ragged by bugs, the pillows were missing and the mattress was lumpy and uneven. I rolled about for ages, trying and continuously failing to find a comfortable position. I was used to such inconveniences; there was something else keeping me awake, and I simply couldn't place my hoof on it.
Rolling to the edge of the bed, I blindly groped along the floor until I found the PipBuck. Turning it on, I toyed around with the radio a bit as I tried to snuggle underneath the coarse sheets. I kept the volume dialled low and searched the frequencies that were available in this spot. The one station I'd been tuned to since Buckwater was only static right now, so I hoped there was something else that could ease me to sleep with some quiet jazz.
The only clear signal I found was anything but. As the tuning dial reached this station, a stiff, unnatural female voice came into focus, reciting a list of random numbers.
"Seven. One. One. Five. Seven. Three. Three. Nine. Eight. Two. One. Four. Eight. Six. Three. Nine. Four. One. Two. Nine. Three. Six. Seven. Five. Five. Five. One. Seven..."
This continued for almost a minute before it was replaced with an unsettling tune, a high-pitched, simple melody that repeated four times. The voice returned and continued reading off her list.
The hay is this? I listened for a little while longer but was getting the heebie-jeebies from the enigmatic routine. Resuming my search for something relaxing, at last I settled on a slightly staticky but audible jazz tune. Inserting my earblooms, I pulled the sheets back up around me and shut my eyes, letting the soft notes of a saxophone carry me into repose.
Breathing.
In and out.
Slow and shaky.
I groaned and raised my head an inch, confused as to why I'd been pulled out of a particularly pleasant dream involving myself and Kyanite. It was still dark outside, and the dull roar that I could still hear through my earblooms indicated that the weather hadn't changed any. What seemed odd was what I couldn't hear: music. Now there was only breathing.
... Except that the breaths were out of sync with my own respiration.
Ice water shot through my veins and I was instantly awake. I tore out my earblooms and quickly activated the PipBuck lamp, expecting some horrific creature leering over my bed, its breath rasping and putrid.
The room, however, was empty. Not only that, but I could no longer hear the foreign breathing. Still tense with fear, I pulled the sheets off of me and sat up, directing the light around the bedroom just to be sure. Steeling myself, I even peeked under the bed, thinking maybe Wick had slipped inside after I fell asleep, but only a few daddy long legs were taking refuge beneath me.
I tentatively reinserted an earbloom to hear the breathing again. Was this the DJ of the radio station? It had to be, didn't it? What else could it be? I disconnected the earbloom and set the volume to the mid-level. Then, just to be sure, I spoke up, barely above a whisper.
"Hello?"
The breathing was interrupted by a gasp and a whimper. Static then crackled through the PipBuck speakers, which transitioned into a quiet, crooning trumpet. I heard a noise in the hallway outside, and once I'd reconnected the PipBuck to my leg, Wick barked in Willow's bedroom. Hurriedly leaving, I found Willow groggily peeking her head out and around her door, a bulb floating above her head. "Did you knock?" she asked before I could prompt my own question.
"No, I just woke up."
This was like a shot of caffeine for the guide. She swore under her breath and opened her door fully, revealing to me that Wick was at the foot of her bed, hunkered down on all fours with his ears flat. Willow's magic pulled her shotgun out from under her bedsheets.
"I don't think we'll need that," I told her, stepping under the threshold.
Willow shook her head, strands of her disheveled red mane falling into her questioning eyes. "What?"
"I think," I began, as I held up the PIpBuck, whose speakers were once again filled by static instead of music, "That we're dealing with a spirit."
The half-ghoul was unamused. "Quill, you did take dose pills from Camphor, yeah?"
"I did! Look, I don't have a fever or anything..."
"Uh-huh. In dat case, you can hunt around for de Headless Horse if you want, but I'd appreciate some assistance wid dis first."
Willow walked across the room, but I still blocked her exit. Instead of moving, I held up the bracelet and its crackling speakers.
"Storm's messing wid de signal or somet'ing. Not a ghost."
There was a hiss and then the disembodied voice from before began whispering: "... -om? Somepony's in my room! Mom! Where are you...?"
Willow narrowed her eyes. "Dis isn't funny, Quill-"
Loud trumpets returned to the speakers, cutting her off. I regarded her expectantly, lowering my hoof.
"I think it's Cotton Knit."
"What, de kid who lived here?" She rolled her eyes. "You're probably just picking up some colt wid a ham radio, yeah?"
"But what if I'm not?" I retorted. "What if we are actually dealing with something paranormal? Why is that so hard to believe?"
" 'Cuz we aren't foals!" Willow finally pushed past me with her telekinesis, which felt like being forced aside by a pillow or a gust of wind. She stormed past me while calling for Wick. He refused to budge, which elicited another groan from the unicorn. "Arrgh, fine...!"
The noises outside had ceased as far as I could tell. Once I was released from Willow's magical restraint, I trailed after her as she stalked down the hall, kicking the first door she reached open. She thrust her shotgun inside, sweeping the billiard room with light from her horn, then slammed it shut. When Willow moved to the next room, I could hear her muttering something foreign under her breath, but couldn't distinguish anything specific.
"Look, I'm not trying to fool or insult you or anything," I began. "But I swear, this has to be-"
Slam!
Willow kicked the next door open so hard the doorknob embedded itself in the soft adjacent wall. She scanned the bathroom quickly before she yanked the door closed and locked it with her telekinesis. Turning toward me rigidly, Willow's eyes intensely glared at me.
I hesitated, expecting Willow Wisp to say something, but she simply shook her head as if fed up with my antics. She then brushed past as she went to investigate the rooms at the other end of the hall.
"I'm getting a colt's voice on my radio, we're hearing mysterious noises, it started in Cotton's bedroom, a zebra slave put a curse on the plantation... it all adds up!" I sighed. "Come on, Willow."
We both snapped our attention upwards as we heard a flomph against the ceiling. Following that was another period of silence, punctuated by Willow poking the wood and plaster above us with the end of her shotgun barrels. The following thunk-thunk suggested that there was open space above us.
"How'd dey get into de attic...?"
We sought around in the second floor rooms for an entrance and found one in the corner of the billiard room's ceiling. We pushed a wide pool table over beneath it, upon which Willow began trying to finagle the trapdoor open with her magic. Chips of plaster rained down on her and she coughed, but with a few pulls the door swung down and a folding ladder spilled out, which Willow narrowly dodged. We stood for a few seconds staring at the dark entrance, foreboding thunder rippling outside.
"The skeptic goes in first, right?" I squeaked with a cheeky grin.
The guide pony turned to me with a glare that could melt power armor. "Va te faire foutre," she muttered, then clambered up the ladder while she telekinetically held her shotgun close, a bulb ahead of her.
The attic was surprisingly spacious, softly lit by the will-o-the-wisp which hovered above in the center of the room. There was a single window at the far end of the room through which lightning sporadically flickered through. All around us were sagging cardboard boxes, cedar chests and a litany of random odds and ends, from bound stacks of newspapers to ornate pottery to colorful foal's toys to disassembled furniture. It was quite cool in here, and I felt what seemed to be a draft as I trotted through.
Near the end of the room was a rocking chair which held the skeleton of an earth pony, slumped in its seat with a colorful patchwork quilt covering its lap. It sat facing a window that overlooked one of the fields, a rather serene final resting place. I leaned in to appreciate the quilt's fine stitching.
"Don't bother Mamaw!" An embroidered throw pillow came hurtling out of the shadows towards me. I ducked and narrowly dodged it, while Willow swung her shotgun around to aim at the corner the projectile had come from. It was empty.
"Kid, come out!" The guide pony pleaded. Her composure was straining. "He's gotta be a ghoul, stuck in here since de megaspells..." she tried to rationalize, directed more at herself than at me.
"Cotton? Cotton Knit?" I called.
The voice responded, clearly emanating from my PipBuck, "H-how do you know my name?" It carried a hint of southern drawl.
"I..." My voice was shaking a little in a mixture of fear and excitement. The fact that I was conversing with an actual spirit was almost too exciting for me to handle. "I found your journal."
"That's n-not yours to read!"
Meanwhile, Willow's ears had flattened, her breaths quick and shaky. She continually turned to and fro, desperately searching for the source of the voice. "I've gotta be hallucinating... o-or I'm dreaming dis... shit!"
Cotton gasped at the vulgarity. "She said a bad word!"
"Oh, fuck dis!" Willow shook her head and galloped back to the trapdoor.
"Wait!" I dashed after the unicorn, but she wasn't having any of this and had scuttled down the ladder back into the billiard room in record time. I was impressed that she hadn't injured herself in the rush.
"Wh-who are you?" hissed my PipBuck. I let Willow go and turned back to the invisible colt. Trying to imagine where he might be standing, I faced that direction.
"My name is Quillwright, that was Willow, we're..."
"I don't know you! W-why are you in my house?!"
"We... uh, well, we needed a place to sleep, and thought you could help us."
"... I'm not supposed to help strangers..."
"That's good advice! But uh..." I swallowed, unsure of how to proceed. "I know your parents and I really need to speak with them. Do you know where they are?"
His voice took on a thoughtful tone. "Well, Dad's in Neigh Orleans. Grandma's asleep, and Mom always tells me to let her rest, s-so I am." A small cough. "Mom told me to go play hide and seek when some loud ponies came to our front door. I hid so well that she never found me... oh, maybe that's 'cuz I'm supposed to be the seeker!"
"... When did you start playing?"
"I..." Cotton's voice carried for several seconds as he thought. "It was a while ago. I got hurt when I was hiding and got stuck. It took me forever to get out!"
My heart sank as I realized what this likely meant. "Cotton, listen carefully, please. Where did you hide?"
The colt's ghost cheerily and obliviously replied, "I'm not gonna tell you, what if we played? You'd know the best hiding place!"
"I- you... you make a fair point," I admitted, trying to switch to a different tack. "Okay. In that case, do you see that floating ball of light?"
"Yeah! It's cool! Like a star!"
"Well, could you hold onto it? I... I don't have my glasses and it's really dark in here, so I can't see you very well."
"Sure!" Cotton made some rocket noises and mock-screamed, "Captain! We're gonna hit the sun!" I heard him grunt and then the bulb shook and dropped in altitude, as if somepony had leapt up and snatched it. He pitched his voice higher and continued on, "Hah, the force field is working! We got the sun!" I attempted to steer Cotton back on-course, but he had become engrossed in his little fantasy.
"Bring the ship around!" The bulb flew around the room, soaring up and down as he weaved a path through the clutter. He soon returned to me, halting and declaring, "Oh no! Unitron is in our way!"
I bit back a sigh. Apparently I was now the ultimate antagonist of Captain Andromeda's universe.
Cotton waited for a few seconds as if expecting me to respond, and then continued on, "Prepare the Sun Gun!" This was followed by a charging noise as the bulb shook.
I cleared my throat and used my best deep, growly voice to threaten, "I am hungry... your planet will do nicely!"
With a hushed battle cry, Cotton carried the bulb around me before holding it up and shouting, "Now's our chance! Fire!" The bulb was hurled at me, striking my chest and passing through harmlessly.
"Argh!" I groaned, clutching the wound. "How could a puny pony defeat me?"
"Good will always prevail!" Cotton announced, and I heard his tiny ethereal hooves clatter on the floor excitedly. "Bam! Boom! Straight to the moon!" He then laughed, retrieving the bulb. "So you see me now, right?" It now hovered around shoulder-height, a couple feet in front of me.
"Um, yeah, I do!" This was not how I expected communicating with the dead would be like.
Cotton's bulb sank a couple inches and I heard him sigh, his voice growing somber. "Y'know, most grown-ups don't like Captain Andromeda..."
I gave an exaggerated huff. "Well, I am certainly not 'most grown-ups!' " My brain was swirling with ideas about how to help Cotton's spirit pass on, and in that moment I had another idea. "You know who else would love to play with you? My friend Willow!"
"That cussing unicorn...?" He sounded a mite apprehensive.
"The same! She's good at hide and seek. Not only that, but," I leaned in close to the bulb as if sharing a secret. It gravitated nearer to me as I whispered, "She has Captain Andromeda comic books, including..." I paused for dramatic effect. "The 'Return of Unitron' issue!"
Cotton gasped. "Unitron comes back?!"
I beckoned him. "Only one way to find out!"
We found Willow cowering in her bedroom, her door locked. This impedance did not stop the little ghost with me, however; I watched as the bulb phased straight through the door and after that heard shrieks and howls of terror. The radio faintly crackled, "Oh hi, doggy!"
I heard the lock quickly disengage, followed by Willow Wisp bursting out. She collided into me, sending us falling to the floor in a heap. Before the unicorn could recover and continue running, I rolled atop her to pin her in place.
"Lemme go, I gotta get away from dis place...!" Willow pleaded, kicking her hooves fruitlessly as I weighed her down. Thankfully she was so out of sorts that she'd forgotten her TK could just push me off.
"Just... stop! Stop! He doesn't want to hurt you!" I insisted.
Meanwhile, Cotton had cornered Wick. The poor old dog was compacted into a shivering, whimpering ball of fur while the bulb floated close. The radio crackled with Cotton's cooing as he undoubtedly attempted to pet Wick.
With the colt's attention occupied, I turned back to Willow and whispered, "I'll need you to play hide and seek with Cotton Knit, okay?"
Willow's eyes both widened and scrunched, leading her to make an odd expression of mixed shock, confusion, and incredulity. "You what?!"
"He died while hiding somewhere in the mansion. I need you to help me find his remains so we can put him to rest properly."
"Dat's... you're... what de fuck, Quill? You want me to play games wid a dead-"
I clamped my wing over her mouth and harshly whispered, "Don't...! Don't tell Cotton he's a spirit; I don't know what he'd do, but we don't need a confused and distraught colt on our hooves. He seems to have a limited memory; in his mind it's only been a couple weeks after the megaspells..."
While I was explaining this to Willow, she made some muffled grunts, her milky gold eyes narrowed at me. When I finished and pulled my wing away, she replied, "D-dere's no way I'm getting close to dat ting. I don't want to catch a curse!"
"Look at me! He didn't harm me, I'm perfectly fine!"
Willow laughed dismissively and then thrashed below me. "You're psycho!"
I glanced back into the room to see Cotton's bulb drifting away from Wick. With only a few seconds left to convince Willow, I desperately pleaded, "I... I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"
If she took this as a challenge I wasn't sure, but Willow stopped struggling and appeared to brace herself as the bulb drew near. Once next to us, the PipBuck speakers squeaked, "Hey, are you two wrestling? Can I play too?"
To her credit, while Willow's eyes betrayed her petrifying fear, she managed to retain enough composure to eke out an intelligible, if taut, response. "W-we were just..." She shuddered and took a deep breath to continue, "H-having a friendly tussle, yeah? We're all tuckered out n-now, t'ough."
Cotton picked up on Willow's accent and replied, "Hehe, you sound like Papaw!
I backed up and helped Willow Wisp to her hooves. "Oh yeah? Uh... w-where's your papaw from?" she asked hesitantly as she dusted herself down.
"Hayven!"
"Well, hey! I-I have an aunt from dere, nice town."
"My dad says I'm smart enough to go to the Institute there when I grow up!"
"Y-you probably could..." Willow was beginning to flounder. Her tail was still making nervous back-and-forth swishes, but her voice was quavering less and less.
I took the opportunity to step in and comment to Willow, a look of knowing concern on my face, "So Cotton hasn't read Return of Unitron."
"Huh?" The guide pony took a couple seconds to catch on. "Oh... o-oh! He hasn't?" She put on a shocked expression, covering her mouth with her hoof. "Quill, d-dat's bad-bad! We gotta fix dat..."
Cotton's bulb bounced up and down in excitement as he squealed, "I wanna read it, I wanna read it!" It was easy to visualize him bouncing from side-to-side on his hooves.
"Heh... alright, calm down, kid," Willow responded, almost grinning a little. "You're starting to sound like my brot'er." Her mirth was barely noticeable, but it was present. She grabbed her bag and sat down close to Cotton.
"Does he like this story too?"
"He, uh..." Willow bit her lip fiercely, eyes darting between myself and Cotton's embodiment. "He hasn't read dis one yet. I'm... collecting Captain Andromeda comics for him to read when we meet again, yeah."
"Where is he?" Cotton's voice had grown quieter, as if he understood the unicorn's complicated expression.
Willow gazed downwards in thought and then smiled wistfully. "Busy being a loving big bro." She inhaled and lightly slapped her thighs, looking to reorient the topic as her magic carefully fetched out her comic. "Anyway, I need to know if dis is a good enough gift for him!"
She placed the Return of Unitron issue on the floor, letting Cotton study the exciting artwork that portrayed the space mare facing off against her greatest arch-nemesis. Meanwhile, I pulled out my copy of Ghosts, Goblins and Ghoulish Figures and returned to the section on spirits. The book said nothing about curses transferring between creatures; in fact, the more I read, the more I realized how little detail the author had gone into. Didn't they do any research?
As the fictional drama grew, so too did my worries mount. What if there was no way for us to help Cotton? What if he was trapped here until the end of time? Above all, why was he still here in the first place? Pinpricks of cold sweat broke out on my scalp as I considered these questions. As one of the few ponies to find Cotton Knit and certainly the only to actually speak to him since his death, I felt that I had a responsibility to resolve the situation. Somepony had to.
"Cotton, listen, please..." I interjected during a lull in the action. "Have you seen anypo- anyone else around recently? Maybe a donkey?"
The colt either considered the question for a moment or was intent on finishing the current page before he answered. "No, just that zebra lady outside."
My mind drew a blank at how casually he had dropped that statement. "Z-zebra lady...?" I repeated, sharing a confused look with Willow. "Where?"
"Yeah. She's always outside. She looks really sad, but..." Cotton's voice tightened in fear or embarrassment. "But I always hide from her."
Suddenly a puzzle piece clicked into place; the slave who had cursed Rene, surely! Did the curse force her to remain bound to the plantation too? The donkey's letter was reviewed for what must've been the hundredth time. Her name was Zola; if Cotton could see her, then with any luck they could also communicate with each other. If we could get the two to meet...
"Aw, really?" Cotton whined while the bulb shook in an aggravated fashion. " 'To be continued?!' Cliffhangers stink!" Willow agreed, and to this he eagerly appealed, "You have the next one, right?"
"Still looking for it. It's, uh, sold out everywhere. Sorry, kid," Willow sighed regretfully.
The little spirit next to her sank. "Oh... well, thanks for letting me read it. I liked it a lot!"
"I know you'll love the next one, Cotton," I reassured him, smiling. "Until then, how about we get to that hide-and-seek game? Like I said, Willow's a really, really good seeker!"
I envisioned his eyes brightening at the idea. "Oh yeah! You'll never find me!"
"Prove it, then! Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight..." I began counting down, covering my eyes with my wing.
Cotton squealed and his little hooves galloped away, leaving me to sigh in relief at Willow Wisp. "Thank you."
"Yeah, don't mention it. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd be reading comics wid a ghost."
"It's always a pleasure to broaden horizons," I said as I turned the PipBuck speakers up. "Now, we're going to have to cheat a little..."
We brought the advanced bracelet into each room, waiting for the staticky music to fade and indicate that we were close to Cotton. The attic and second floor caused no such effect, so we headed to the ground floor. As we descended the stairs, a lively jazz solo was suppressed by faint breathing.
"He must've been stuck somewhere normally inaccessible or difficult to reach," I told Willow.
We checked every inch of the foyer, below furniture and under the stairs, but there was no tangible sign of the invisible colt. As we subconsciously gave the synth a wide berth, I found myself relieved that he hadn't decided to take control of the machine to interact with us, or else I'd have been hiding with Willow and Wick behind as many locked doors as possible. Eventually I turned my attention to the floor, wary of hidden compartments beneath my hooves ever since finding the dress in the Ministry hub.
I whispered to Willow, "Kill the light," as I switched off the PipBuck lamp. We were plunged into darkness, save for traces of warm light which strained up through the floorboards at the back of the room. With my lamp back on, I carefully scrutinized the wood until I identified a thin gap which ran in a square with a circular hole at one end. I gestured to Willow, and the unicorn lit her horn, grabbing the cutout in her magic and lifting it away.
Beneath us was a crawlspace about four hoofspans deep. A network of rusted pipes ran to and fro above a pillowy layer of dust and wood chippings in addition to the carcasses of mice and insects. Right in the center where we'd opened the floor lay the small, withered skeleton of an earth pony foal, coated by much of the surrounding detritus. Cotton's will-o-the-wisp embodiment floated above and illuminated what was once his physical body, which had a rear hoof twisted at a terrible angle between two pipes, bone broken.
"Aw, how'd you find me?"
My heart climbed into my throat. I found no sight in the wasteland more heartbreaking than a dead foal. My imagination was flooded with unwanted visions of his final moments trapped down there in the dark, in pain, starving, scared, and alone; no creature deserved a fate like this, an innocent foal the least of all. I had to clamp my wing over my mouth to keep a gasp suppressed, then moved it up my face to soak the tears that soon spilled from my eyes.
Willow was similarly distressed but was resolute enough to answer, "J-just had a good clue."
Cotton huffed, "Yeah, well, I bet I could find you faster!" He seemed completely oblivious to his own remains, which made me wonder whether spirits could even recognize them.
I tried to compose myself before turning back to face him, though it was difficult to keep it together when my eyes strayed to Cotton's body. Using only my periphery to view the bulb, I said, "I-it's getting a bit late for games, now." The colt deflated, but I continued on, "Listen, we... we need to meet this zebra lady you mentioned. Can you introduce us?"
"I don't know her name..."
"Introduce as in 'bring us to her.' "
"Oh." Cotton's bulb climbed out of his hiding place, gravitating towards Willow. "I guess..."
"It's important. After that we can get you to your mom; how would you like that?"
"Yeah!" Cotton figuratively brightened. "I, um, see her around the gardens a lot."
I tilted my head, looking that way. "Can you show us, please?"
"S-sure! I haven't been outside in forever!"
It was still storming outside, though the weather appeared more violent in the darkness. At the back of the porch, Cotton's bulb rotated upwards slightly as he commented, "Mom said she put her dolls out here to scare everypony away, but it's not Nightmare Night yet..."
"Well, she did a good-good job!" Willow nodded approvingly. "Good ting I was so brave. Quill came along too." I snorted softly.
We went quiet and the moment of levity subsided. Beyond the lattice railing was nothing but darkness and churning plant life, stirred by the strong wind like green ocean waves. Zola was in there somewhere. Had Willow caught a fleeting glimpse of her earlier in the day?
"Hey Willow, could you...?" I gestured furtively at Cotton. "... Make another light, for the zebra?"
She gave half a nod. "I'll need anot'er light source, my lighter's gonna be dark for awhile now."
I raised the PipBuck, letting its lamp highlight both of us. Willow understood, using her magic to pull the backlight from the device's screen and convert it into a new bulb. It glowed with a pale amber light compared to the orange hue taken from the lighter. Cotton ooh'd and went to grab it.
"That's for the zebra lady," I informed him. "Do you see her out there?"
The colt, now personified by two orbs of light, responded sheepishly, "Sh-she's over..." He presumably pointed, the amber bulb shifting in the direction of the mausoleum.
I bit my lip before I responded, looking to muster the same reassuring tone that I'd used to keep Willow calm when introducing her to Cotton. "Can you be brave for us, Cotton? Give that little star to her and then bring her to us?"
He didn't respond, which I hoped was because he had chosen to nod instead. Both wisps of light then slowly drifted out into the storm and were lost amidst the greenery. When they returned, the amber one was trailing much more slowly and bobbing more gently than Cotton's bouncy gait. My radio crackled once they came in range, which treated my ears to the deep, exotic tones of a Prench-speaking mare. She spoke with a gentle tone, but Cotton had gone quiet.
"Could you introduce us?" I asked Willow, who was concentrating intently on the words that came from the PipBuck.
She nodded and did so, and then translated in kind when the new voice replied. Unlike converting Prench text to Equestrian speech, Willow had no difficulty working between spoken words as she played intermediary for us. "It is good to meet a soul who can hear me. Zola is my name."
A strange feeling passed over me as I realized that the first zebra I'd ever spoken to was one who had been dead for a dozen generations. "Um... hello. You... you know you've passed away?"
"Yes." She paused for several seconds. I had begun to ask my next question when she continued, "I... cannot remember when I departed de physical realm, but it was by my own accord."
I frowned. "Wait, so... you... committed suicide?"
"No. I made a pact wid a spirit of the land, and it cost me my life. A small price to pay for de greatest of recompense."
"So you bound your souls together?"
Another pause. The amber bulb lowered and the air around us seemed to drop in temperature with it. "No. De master of de plantation sold away my son. De grief and rage in my heart was so great dat... my only recourse was black magic. My soul is bound to dis place, along wid dat of any heir to dis land. Now I may control him for as long as I deem appropriate."
At last I understood. "I see. Trouble is, Rene never had foals."
She hesitated. "He... did not? Den who...?"
"This is Cotton Knit, the son of the pony who bought Magnolia Grove here, many years after Rene died." I refrained from an accusatory tone since I felt that this situation was the result of unfortunate circumstances and misunderstandings. "He's innocent of this all. I understand that you wanted to repay the pain you went through, but the curse has punished the wrong person."
"I'm innocent?" Cotton finally piped up. "What do you mean?"
Zola spoke haltingly. "Dis... was not what I intended. My stripes, if I'd known..." Through the speakers I heard her horrified realization. She then gasped something foreign, which Willow couldn't hear clearly enough.
"Can you lift the curse?"
"I... yes, I am de one holding him here, so I am de only one who can let him go."
"Curse?" Cotton's voice was straining. "Quillwright, what are you talking about? Willow...?"
I knelt down to the bulb. "Cotton, this lady, Zola, can take you to your mother. I need you to go with her."
"But..." his voice cracked. "I j-just met you and Willow. Are you coming too?"
My insides twisted, but I tried to smile for him. "Eventually."
Willow, who'd been observing with sad eyes and pursed lips, finally joined me in comforting the colt. "Hey... you'll be fine, yeah? You're a strong pony, Cotton. You need to go see your mom."
"O-okay." He inhaled. "Could... I get a hug before I go?"
We took a moment to react, then both laughed in relief. "Of course!" Willow answered for both of us. Cotton's bulb moved forwards, and I could feel the cool tingle of an ethereal foreleg encircle my neck. It felt strange yet oddly relaxing at the same time, sending a slight shiver through me.
After that, he moved to Zola's side. She spoke to Cotton softly before the radio's signal seemed to begin distorting. Music began overwhelming the zebra's words, and before they faded, I heard Cotton call goodbye to us. The radio then returned to normal and the pair of bulbs slowly drifted back to Willow. Their radiance dimmed until they were little more than dancing sparks, leaving us mortals alone in the dark.
It was silent for a long while, until I heard, "Dat was some crazy radioplay, huh?"
I turned to give the unicorn guide the most incredulous look I could. Her horn was brightening, revealing a mischievous smirk spreading across her face.
"Just kidding."
Both Willow and I "slept in" late, though neither of us appeared to have gotten much rest after the events of last night. Wick seemed to have recovered, albeit now more skittish. The storm had finally moved on and we took advantage of the early noon warmth to build a small pyre on the brick lane in front of the mansion. Few words were exchanged as we went about the task, but it was clear in Willow's eyes that we were both feeling the same mix of melancholy emotions.
Taking great care and reverence, Willow's magic carried out the remains of Cotton and his grandmother. We set them together in a final embrace, with Cotton tucked in his "mamaw's" legs. We shored their remains up with kindling gathered from inside the mansion. Willow lit the pyre, which began to burn earnestly after some encouragement.
As the flames danced, I reflected on my words to Cotton. I would find him in the afterlife, whenever I got there, and I would bring that final comic book with me. I couldn't help but smile as I watched the rising ashes carry their souls away from this wasteland and up to the Goddesses.
We made to depart Magnolia Grove not long after the funeral pyre had been reduced to smoldering ashes. I joined Willow after packing my belongings and donning my Stable barding.
"I would recommend concealing your wing," she told me as I slung my bags across my back. "Where we're going, dere may be some folks who don't exactly... like your kind, see."
"And... where exactly are we headed?"
"Divide," Willow answered. "We're gonna cross de Rift."
Footnote: Progress recorded. Level Up.
New Perk: Robotics Expert, Rank 1 - Thanks to your study of synthetic pony anatomy, you know where to aim for maximum damage. You have 15% more likelihood to score critical hits on synths.
New Perk: Dead Wave Rave - There is something wrong with your PipBuck... or with you. You have an increased chance of hearing ghosts and in special circumstances may even be able to communicate with them! Setting them to rest, however, is a whole other matter... |
Fallout: Equestria - Of Shadows | Chapter 8: Confluence - Part I | "Whatever caused our fates to intertwine would never let them unravel."
"Dat's yakshit, Quill! Absolute fucking yakshit! Don't lie to me!"
"I'm not! I'm serious, swear to Luna!"
"Yeah? I swear to Celestia dat you're wrong, den!"
"It's one hundred percent the truth. She could totally do it."
"You're making it up. Dere's no way to counter de sun gun; Daring Do gets vaporized, end of story."
"Again, if the Staff of Sacanas can control the sun, it stands to reason that it could absorb or redirect the beam."
"Okay, so how does she counter heat-seeking missiles from de gunship?"
I considered the challenge for a moment. "The Phoenix Crown granted her pyrokinesis, so she could create fireballs that'd confuse the missiles."
"Ah. And lemme guess," Willow looked nonplussed. "She can control time, too?"
"Well," I inhaled. "She could when she had the Second Sands-"
"Dat's overpowered as hell! How could anyone counter dat?" Willow cried indignantly.
"... But the hourglass was destroyed at the end of that novel, so I won't count it. Besides, you agreed that both are at their highest power level, all available weapons and relics they've collected."
The unicorn guide paused. "Sure. Hoof-to-hoof, Andromeda could whoop Daring any day."
"I wouldn't be so sure!" I contested. "You do realize she's taken on and beaten Ahuizotl multiple times, right?"
"Ahu-what? And anyway, Andromeda has cyberpony implants so she'd still be way stronger!"
"I would take speed over strength any day."
Stepping around a muddy puddle in her path, Willow groaned and tossed her head in frustration. "Ugh, fine! So maybe Daring stands a chance. I still don't tink she'd win."
"I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree."
We had spent all day trekking north from Magnolia Grove. Willow had followed a winding maze of overgrown back roads and old, unpaved highways. We crossed over Route Forty at one point, but my guide insisted that she preferred the less-travelled paths. To me it sounded as if she'd had a negative experience on one before, but I didn't inquire about it.
The weather had never worsened beyond a light spray of mist, though fog had been rolling in, gradually thickening the further the sun set. Now in the last moments of twilight, we followed one of Willow's bulbs while talking over the combined chorus of singing frogs and shrilling cicadas that had emerged. The din ruined any tune from the PipBuck's radio, so we'd resorted to chatting at an above-average volume.
Our conversations had remained sporadic and mostly consisted of short inquiries from me about Mulisiana and Divide. Somehow the topic had shifted to fiction, and with that came a debate regarding our favorite characters. Willow had displayed ample knowledge of the Captain Andromeda series. With more questioning, I had sussed out that she had compiled no less than three full volumes of comics. As a Scribe, I was both impressed by and appreciative of her efforts.
While Willow still hadn't expressed much interest in reading novels, I had hoped to sell her on the Daring Do series. When describing the sorts of adventures the pegasus explorer got up to, her numerous abilities and artifacts had captured Willow's attention and eventually led to our debate.
Wick, in rather high spirits, trotted ahead of us with a bouncy and lazy gait. I was about to ask Willow who her favorite Power Pony was when a sharp command was issued somewhere above us.
"Stop right there!"
We both froze. Willow's bulb winked out, and Wick continued for a few paces before he turned to look back at us quizzically. I managed to side-eye Willow, seeing that she too was trying to subtly glance to both sides; her hood had been down while we walked. Her warnings of dangerous creatures in the woods had resurfaced in my mind, and I considered whether it would be better to be shot in the back while running from the voice than to be taken captive. "What do we do?" I asked covertly.
The voice above us called again. "If you've got guns, drop 'em. I don't want to see any auras either."
"Do it and stay calm," Willow told me as she grabbed her shotgun with her teeth and laid it on the ground. Trusting her judgment, I placed Riptide a few feet away.
After a moment or two, I heard the soft rush of feathers against wind and a shape landed gracefully before us. A pair of quick eyes appraised us, befitting of a carnivorous predator. Feline legs assumed a bipedal stance to allow scaly, clawed hands to grasp a powerful carbine at the ready. The griffon, already difficult to fully take in thanks to the lack of sunlight, drew a flashlight and pointed the beam in our faces. "I want your names and your business."
"My name is Willow Wisp. I provide guidance and armed escort services, I've got a home in Divide, yeah? And dis is Quill, she's-"
"I want to hear it from her, not you," the griffon interrupted, turning his gaze to me. I could feel my fur bristling; I always felt on-edge around the avian kind. Whether it was due to the many brushes with hostile mercenary griffons back in Equestria over the years that had soured my opinion of them, or a deep-rooted fear in my pegasus brain that recognized this as a predator, one that had once hunted us for food in an age long past, I couldn't quite pin down the reason. Regardless, I didn't seek to aggravate him.
"Quillwright," I answered. "I'm her customer."
My answer didn't seem to fully satisfy him, but he reached down to his belt and pulled a walkie-talkie close to his beak. "Got two in C7. One claims to be a Divide resident."
The speaker crackled out a confirmation, and as the griffon put away the communicator, Willow commented, "Colder greeting den I'm used to from Divide..."
"You must not've been here recently, then."
"It's been a couple weeks, yeah."
"Nearby Cog activity to the north of us's been reported multiple times over the past week. Have to confirm you aren't with them."
Willow groaned. "So are you gonna grope my horn? Or can you see it fine from where you're standing?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
The griffon's tail flicked in annoyance. "Penitents are Cogs too."
"Yeah? Fuck Gaia," Willow shot back. The conversation ground to a halt, and I felt out of the loop. Before I could ask Willow what they were on about, another griffon landed next to our accoster. This one was covered in oily black feathers and was difficult to see in the darkness. She held a thick ledger in her claws and spoke with a raspy, boisterous tone.
"Wow, Gerhard! You caught a whole raiding party!"
The first griffon rolled his eyes and indicated towards Willow. "Just get this over with..."
"Miss Unicorn, your name and place of residence?"
Willow recited the information dryly. "Willow Wisp. I live in de Beehive."
While she scanned through her book to verify the claim, the crow-like griffon wondered aloud, "Hmm, whyever were you traveling along a back path and not Route Forty...?"
"Personal preference. It's a free country, yeah?"
That answer was met with a harsh squawk of laughter. "You're not wrong, no, but you're liable to draw suspicion, see?" She finally tapped his claw on a page and nodded to Gerhard. "Mhm, she's here. Listed as a local guide too, yes."
"No, wait, I was actually promoted to a Cog Protector yesterday," Willow sarcastically commented.
While this got another short guffaw from the crow, Gerhard glared disapprovingly. "If you were, you'd have been shot five minutes ago," he replied coldly.
"Lighten up, lighten up!" the crow chided. She retrieved a binder from her pack, which she opened and jotted in for a few moments. When she finished, she tore loose a page and handed it over to us. "Take this to the gate, hmm, and they'll allow you in with it, yes." The paper looked to have been drafted up via typewriter, with blank spaces that had been filled in by the griffon.
Since Willow remained quiet, I decided to thank the crow to ease the tension a little. She gave a short bow and then took to the air, while Gerhard gave us one last look-over and then followed her into the trees.
I heard Willow mutter "Assholes..." under her breath and we continued on, eventually finding a one-lane road that we turned onto. It was sparsely paved with bricks, many of them dislodged by the intrusive roots of trees which seemed to grow progressively taller the further we travelled.
The first detail of Divide I noticed was a glow against the clouds in the distance. When we finally did escape the trees, I couldn't help but feel impressed by the size of the city that Willow had described as the largest trading hub in Mulisiana, stretching at least a mile in either direction. Her limited vocabulary of adjectives hadn't quite done the city's appearance justice.
Its defensive wall was an encircling stack of rusty, multicolored shipping containers, stacked two stories high and topped by barbed wire and guard posts, with electric-blue lamps at regular intervals that were bright enough to sear an afterimage into my eyes if I stared at them for too long. The wall reminded me of New Appleloosa's train car wall back in Equestria, a town I hadn't set hoof in since I was a filly. The collection of glowing windows, lamps, and carried lanterns or flashlights produced a radiance that easily dwarfed Buckwater's nightly glow. This also illuminated a massive, four-legged ship-to-shore gantry crane in the center of Divide.
The Rift, as Willow had detailed to me after leaving Magnolia Grove, was a canal built in the years before the war that spanned the width of Mulisiana. It had been a great asset for bolstering trade and facilitating travel both then and now, though it was obviously in rougher shape these days. The waters were dangerously toxic, its channels mixed with the irradiated oceans at either end, not to mention being polluted by garbage, sewage, and who knew what else that was regularly dumped into it. Divide had needed to invest heavily in constructing purification machines and water talismans to supply the city's constant need for drinking water, since collecting rainwater alone couldn't meet the demand.
Crossing of the Rift involved the use of a ferry, which we would be catching a ride on. Divide had been built on both sides of the canal, incorporating the crane, a massive warehouse, and a collection of other abandoned buildings that had sat along the canal prior to the megaspells. At the top of the crane I could see numerous blinking red lights topping what I surmised to be an array of antennas.
Approaching the front gate, we joined a short line of travelers and merchants waiting to enter, moving one at a time as a guard at the entrance took their passes. By the time we had taken our place, Willow's hood was back up and I had double-checked that my wing was adequately concealed. While the griffons might have had suspicions, I had found that I could pass for a very weak earth pony among less perceptive folks.
More heavily-armed Talons were tending the walls. As I watched them moving about, my attention was drawn to the blue lamps, which I pointed out to Willow. She explained, "Dey're heavy-duty zappers, built to fry any swarms of goremot's or ot'er bugs dat get close."
"Can I get one of those on a stick?"
That coaxed a laugh out of the unicorn. We were stuck waiting in the line for a couple minutes before we were finally processed. In the intervening time, I had found multiple misspellings and punctuation errors in the sheet we were given, which I pointed out to the guard.
"Those are intentional," he stated boredly, comparing my pass against one he was carrying.
"Ah! Of course." Somehow I hadn't considered that.
The front gate was actually just a shipping container laying flat that we passed through, beefier doors at either end opened for us via telekinesis. As we stepped out into Divide, I could see that the city was still bustling with activity even at such a late hour, as creatures from all walks of life hung around glowing buildings or carried on conversations around us. I noticed that the insides of the perimeter walls had been shored up with freshly-poured concrete and wooden supports, with some construction workers still toiling away into the evening, their work areas lit by magic or lanterns. It looked as though the city was preparing for an assault, an idea reinforced by a large artillery cannon that we passed by, its long barrel pointed skyward.
The homes and businesses we trotted past had been built out of just about any material available, though the theme of shipping containers persisted as the most common. I suspected that a laden ship had been docked here when Divide's construction began, and was cannibalized for materials much like in the case of Buckwater. Closer to the wall, most structures were built out of wood or were simply large canvas tents or lean-tos. The further in we moved, the more solidly-constructed and aged the buildings became, transitioning to cinder block or brick, often supplemented with corrugated sheet metal taken from shipping containers. On several streets I spied smaller tents set up wherever space could be found, like they were refugees with no other place to rest.
However, the large warehouse we passed was certainly a pre-war structure, albeit one whose siding and roof was heavily patched-up post-war. Warm light poured from the large entrance, highlighting the many creatures who were still passing in and out, typically laden with packs and occasionally also pulling carts filled with various items. Above, the title "Waterfront Mall" had been spray-painted in huge block letters.
Willow Wisp's domicile turned out to be one of several dozen shipping containers stacked in a huge, circular honeycomb, which clued me into what the "Beehive" was. Towering and reinforced scaffolding strewn with small and colorful gem lights ran the length of each side of the complex. A few ponies and other creatures loitered outside, leaning against the railings to smoke or chat. We hiked up a mix of thick wooden ramps and cramped, rusty stairs to the third level, where Willow led me to her apartment. A notice had been taped to her front door, which she snatched down and scoffed at.
"Anot'er rent hike? T'ieving bastards..." she muttered to herself, barely audible. She stuffed the paper into her bag and then fished out some keys, casting me a quick look. "I..." she started, then paused and stared at the door. "Normally I'd ask my customers to rent dere own room in town, but... I reckon you're strapped for caps, yeah?"
I shrugged and grimaced. "Kinda."
"Well, look, I... I tink you're alright, Quill. So..." The guide telekinetically popped the lock and started shifting the noisy mechanism on the front which kept the doors latched shut. "You can crash here for de night. I can't afford to feed you or anyting, but dere's room in here for bot' of us."
Genuine gratitude filled my heart. "That's... that's very gracious of you, Willow!" My head dipped in appreciation. "Thank you."
"Sure ting. I, uh, I just need to move some stuff around first. Wait here." Willow slipped inside along with Wick just as she finished that statement, and I was left to look out over the city of Divide again, now from a higher elevation. The crane was Divide's most outstanding landmark, and it was what drew most of my attention. Lights that ran the length of its arm and up the base gleamed against the nearly-stagnant water below. I shivered as I imagined it teeming with gators that lurked just beneath the surface.
Unable to make out much detail in the dark, I kept looking out at the surrounding city. Glittering clouds of insects swarmed around the innumerable lamps surrounding Divide; there was an equal number of normal, pale yellow lamps as there were the bright blue zappers. It was then that I became aware of a few bugs that flitted around my face, which I swatted a hoof at. Before long, Willow opened her door again and invited me inside.
"Watch your hooves..." she warned me quietly as I stepped in.
Despite being situated in what amounted to a single metal corridor, Willow's apartment still managed to be one of the coziest abodes I'd seen in the Wastes. Ratty old blankets and comforters hung all around, dampening echoes and breaking up the container's harsh orange walls. Rugs of countless shapes and sizes provided a cushy carpet. A hammock, several mattresses, a dog bed holding Wick, and a legless office chair comprised the seating. There were multiple chests and cabinets pushed up against the walls, messily packed with clothing or other items.
It would've been pitch-dark inside had it not been for a barred window at the far end, through which the lights of the city streamed. Just above it, a powerful fan whirred, doing its best to keep the air inside circulated. As I slipped my bags off, Willow shut the door behind me.
"I... I haven't ever had somepony else over, so I don't know how we'll do dis, but..." she trailed off and moved to wearily drop onto a noisy mattress. "Dere's a few places to sleep, see." Wick climbed up behind her and curled up with his back against Willow while the unicorn provided more light with one of her bulbs.
I nodded, now able to see more of the room. A set of dusty shelves contained some books, but the lighting was too dim to decipher any of the spines. Further in was a large pin-up poster of a suggestively-dressed pegasus sprawled on her back. Willow followed my eyes and blushed.
"Uh, s-sorry, I tried to... clean up a little, but..."
"It's fine!" I assured her, averting my attention. "None of my business anyway, heh."
Willow had anticipated the awkward silence and had begun to tune her shortwave radio. I decided now was the time to get an answer to what had quickly become my most pressing question.
"Willow, uh, what's a Cog? Is that another synonym for synth that I've just not heard yet?"
The unicorn gave a short snort. "No." She paused to switch off the radio and set it aside, giving Wick some scratches on the back of his neck. "Dey're... well... I'm probably not de best pony to explain them; I've only seen dem from a distance, and know what my parents told me and what's common knowledge."
"Oh, well, that's alright."
Willow nodded. "Apparently dey used to be Steel Rangers, yeah?"
A confused blink was all I could manage in reply.
"Before de megaspells, dey were in Mareami, probably guarding all de factories and shipyards dere. After de war ended..." She waved a hoof in the air as she explained. "De whole group started worshipping some goddess called Gaia, turned into an earth pony cult calling demselves de Chosen of Gaia, started capturing unicorns to inhibit dere magic, and went to war wid de Institute." Willow shrugged. "Dat's de broad strokes. Now dey want control of Divide and de Rift, among ot'er tings."
I was still hung up on her earlier statement.
"I kinda figured you would know, being who you are and all dat."
"No, I..." Finally beginning to process the information, I adjusted my sitting position and shook my head. "We don't have any records about them, none that I'm aware of anyway. Our Elder never mentioned anything about more Rangers down here; maybe it was assumed that they'd perished, since there was never any communication? We would've come here sooner if we'd known, I'm sure."
"All I know for sure is dat I'm staying as far away from dem as possible," Willow said, her brows lowering. "Cogs tink dat unicorns are evil or whatever since dey have magic, and I guess in dere eyes magic is why de world was destroyed. So, to help us 'repent', we get inhibitors screwed into our horns dat prevent us from using any magic."
I winced as I imagined the pain of a procedure like that. Furthermore, I was troubled by the idea of my fellow Steel Rangers encountering these Chosen of Gaia ponies. How would a unicorn like Aurora Tide be treated? If her magic was suppressed, the world would be deprived of a remarkable healer; Kyanite wouldn't allow something like that. "So Divide is fighting these ponies?"
"Not directly, no. A force came to de gates a year or two ago, and it did not end well for de Cogs. Ever since, ponies here can't quit looking over dere withers, and now, wid dose rumors we heard about sightings, it's all probably gonna get even worse. Dere are plenty of Talons and armed citizens here, but de Cogs are supposed to have an entire army, plus dat power armor like you Rangers."
"Power armor?"
"Yep." She gave a short snort. "Remember the first time I saw a poster of a Ranger. T'ought it was a robot for de longest time..."
"Not the first time I've heard that comparison," I chuckled, then reflected on the Chosen of Gaia. "Sounds like we probably shouldn't stick around here any longer than necessary, huh?"
Willow bit her lip and lowered herself onto her side. "About dat... dere's no telling how long we may have to wait for Nort' Divide to reopen. It's already been four days since it was locked down; it could reopen tomorrow or a week from now, assuming Cogs don't actually show up." She sighed. "De Rift crossing to de west is about t'ree days travel and more expensive, and de one in Brayton Rouge is technically free, but... well, de ruins are flooded and infested with trawlers, plus we'd have to risk de Sunken Valley to get dere."
I nodded.
Willow continued, "So I feel dat..." She frowned briefly as she prepared her next sentence. "Well, I can't fulfill my end of our deal, not in a timely manner. If you're okay wid it, we can call it even and part ways here."
"Oh!" This proposal caught me off-guard. I had expected us to take a detour or lay over in town for awhile, but now I had been offered an out. My debt of seven hundred caps could be cleared, though it meant still being stranded in Mulisiana. Stranded in Mulisiana and potentially encountering Camphor again, too, my brain couldn't help but add.
"Yeah. I understand if you wanna tink on it, but... yeah."
"Well... it makes sense. Maybe that would be for the best?"
The half-ghoul looked up at me, features solemn. "In dat case, I'll be looking for a new client tomorrow. I can't really afford to sit around here, so you'll have to find someone new to help you."
"Understood." A feeling of regret quickly manifested in my conscience. Willow had been the only pony I'd met here that I could consider a friend, and I had to admit I would miss her companionship. It was highly unlikely that my next partner would have any knowledge of comics; not only that, but she struck me as a trustworthy pony, deep down.
It wasn't much longer before Willow released her bulb and we turned in for the night. We rested in the dark for maybe half an hour, while thoughts raced back and forth through my brain and prevented me from rest. Willow got up and left the apartment for five or so minutes, presumably to relieve herself. After she returned, I summoned the courage to break the silence and quietly began, "So... um... can I ask you one last question?" I was uncertain of how to broach the topic without being too forward.
"Sure, why not."
"Your brother. Why aren't you two... y'know, together?"
Willow was slow to answer, but she didn't sound as nervous as she might have been before our time spent in Magnolia Grove. "... He's taking care of someone else's debt."
I pushed a little. "What do you mean?"
"When we... when we lost Mom, Dad didn't take it well, no. We all grieved, but he... he never let it go, just blamed himself. Rigel and I healed, we moved on, but Dad just kept sinking." Willow's voice hardened. "In Mirage he tried coping wid booze and gambling. That worked so well dat debt collectors came calling."
She gave a slow, heavy sigh. "My brot'er, Rigel, he's a saint. When de collectors found out dat dey couldn't be repaid, dey t'reatened violence against us, or to enslave me, or both. And Rigel, well, he just couldn't ever lose all of his fait' in Dad. He offered to become an indentured servant in Mirage for a decade. Ten fucking years to pay back what Dad t'rew away at de tables and bars." Willow's voice was low and edged.
"He told Dad to keep me safe, to help me get the guide business back up and running. Such an optimist... maybe he t'ought de responsibility would straighten Dad out or something." Willow let out a strong exhale. "Dad could only stay sober for five days. I just couldn't take it anymore, couldn't stand him. We fought, and it was really, really bad. He left me alone with Wick, and dat's how I've lived ever since."
"You don't know where he is?"
"Nope, and I couldn't give less of a shit. I'm running de business fine all by myself, and I'll earn enough to buy Rigel's freedom wit'out his help."
"Well, I wish you the best of luck with that. It must be awful having to be away from him."
"It is," Willow agreed.
We fell silent after that, and I heard Willow roll over. Eventually I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
When I awoke the next morning, I sat up on the mattress and grabbed the PipBuck, bringing it up close to my bleary eyes to check the time. It wasn't yet noon, but I didn't want to overstay my welcome. Rising, I tried to gather my belongings and pull on the Stable barding without waking Willow.
The activity didn't stir the unicorn, but Wick did raise his head in dopey alertness when my saddlebags rattled. I made eye contact with the old dog and acknowledged him with a wiggle of my eyebrows. Wick blinked and gave a sigh that whistled quietly through his nostrils.
Conflicted on whether I should wake my former guide just to say goodbye, I eventually decided to write her a goodbye note. A paragraph into the letter, I heard Willow give a muffled groan. She stretched her slender legs under her light blanket, and when she finished, her faded eyes worked their way open. They quickly focused as she noticed that I was dressed and packed.
"Oh, you leaving, Quill?"
Hastily, I folded the note and slipped it into my bags. "Yeah, I think it's best that I get going."
Willow sat up. "Well, I gotta tell you goodbye, yeah?" She rubbed her eyes and ran a hoof through her messy red locks, turning her gaze to the window. "Watch your ass in Divide. Not saying you'll get mugged, but it's not got Buckwater's hospitality, nah."
I chuckled and thanked her. "I'll keep my eyes peeled. Is there somewhere here I could earn some caps?"
"Divide's whole t'ing is business, yeah. Dere's a ton of shops and restaurants in de mall, I'd check dere first if I were you."
At the door, I turned back to Willow Wisp. "Got it, thanks. I hope you reunite with your brother soon."
The unicorn brushed her mane back and smiled at me. "T'ank you, Quill. Be safe." With that, Willow Wisp pulled her door shut and latched it behind me, and I was once again on my own in Mulisiana.
The morning air was misty and humid as I left the Beehive. Since I still only possessed a pittance, I figured it prudent to secure some kind of job while waiting for the crossing to reopen. Preferably this dream job would be some relatively comfy position which didn't require me to delve into goremoth-infested ruins or radioactive bogs; I had neither the stamina nor ammunition.
Descending the scaffolding, I passed by several apartments with their doors left ajar. I wound up as the recipient of many squints and sidelong glances as tenants eyed me suspiciously, some moving about tasks in their home, others lounging on their "porch" area. Willow hadn't been kidding when she'd said the city was paranoid.
I wanted to take a look at the canal in the daylight, so I took the road headed deeper into town. Divide was already bustling, and I noticed more than a few Talon patrols flying overhead, many landing at the building on top of the crane. The lights above the crane that I'd seen last night were confirmed to be pulsing gemstones attached to a bristling antennae network atop the structure. On the ground, I noticed some creatures were in the process of reinforcing buildings as if they were anticipating some sort of bombardment. Did the Cogs have that sort of weaponry at their disposal?
When I finally reached the Rift, I was surprised at its scale. The sides of the canal were steep concrete slopes maybe twenty feet in height. The water was a filthy pale brown, strewn with all manner of swamp muck and trash. I looked across to the other shore, which had to be over two hundred feet away, and could see Northern Divide, which my amused inner voice wanted to refer to as "Multiply". To the left and right, the canal held what appeared to be large metal gates. Perhaps they could be closed to prevent passage, or they could have been designed to affect the water level in some way.
Two rather small boats were moored a ways down the canal on the southern shore, while one was at the northern side. I thought of hiring one of them to take me out the eastern end of the Rift and up the coast all the way to Fillydelphia, but assuming they were even offering passage, such a long voyage was undoubtedly beyond my budget. Darkly, I reflected on how I could easily cross the canal if I'd just had both wings. Not just that, you'd be able to fly all the way home. I grit my teeth in frustration and flicked a nearby pebble into the water below, watching it bounce off of a floating trash bag first.
Once I'd had my fill of studying the Rift, I decided to find the mall, since it sounded like the best chance to find employment. Regardless of where I planned to go after Divide, I would need more caps. The route there took me through a public square where a sizable crowd had gathered, buzzing with energy. Drawing nearer, I could begin to make out some of the conversations.
"Is it almost time?"
"Any minute now. Can't wait."
"Think he'll scream? Cry? Piss himself?"
"Nah, too proud."
"I had a great idea the other day... instead of hanging, we should execute them Cogs with a nail to the forehead!"
"What?"
"You know, like giving them a horn, but it's backwards! Get it?"
"That's fucked up. I mean, I don't give a shit, but that's pretty fucked."
"Hey, just one good smack with a hammer, it's over faster than the noose, huh?"
Talk of the Chosen of Gaia had me pausing. The spectacle of a public execution wasn't counted among my favorite pastimes, but if this was an opportunity to finally see and hear a Cog for myself, then I wasn't going to miss it.
Ten minutes of nervous energy carried the crowd until finally someone shouted an alert. Everyone around me came into a furor, with shouts of "Spy!" being prevalent above the general clamor. I strained my head above the crowd, but couldn't see the target of their ire until he was led up onto a platform.
Escorted none too gently by a pair of burly Talons, a middle-aged, wiry earth pony stood before the crowd with a surprisingly placid demeanor. He was clad in filthy but ornate white robes, with green and gold accents. Their overall design reminded me of the Scribe garbs that were still securely folded in my saddlebag.
A unicorn mare had also stepped onto the platform, appearing to be presiding over the proceedings. She lit her horn with a wince, and while I was too far away to see with any certainty, I assumed that she had been a victim of one of the inhibitor rings that Willow had described.
"Bark Blossom, you stand here today accused of treason," she declared, her voice amplified by magical means. "How do you plead?"
The Cog, Bark, bowed his head briefly and responded, "Not guilty. Gaia will-"
Whatever he said past that was drowned out by a wave of outrage, as creatures around me jeered and hurled insults his way. I was forced to cover my ears to keep my tinnitus in check.
"Let him speak!"
The mob settled down eventually, enough for Bark to continue. "With Gaia as my witness, I have only come to serve you, to save you, to show you a brighter future for all of Gaia's creatures!"
" 'Save us'? From what?"
"From your own destruction! You know I speak the truth; magic heralded our world's end once, and if we don't separate it from Equus permanently, the next time it will eradicate all of us!"
The unicorn-- who I took to be a magistrate of sorts-- reined in the crowd, then continued. "Very well. Can you provide an adequate explanation for why your organization has now forcibly occupied LaFerrier?"
Bark Blossom straightened up. "I'm not privy to the Synod's reasoning for their actions in LaFerrier, but it was undoubtedly with the town's betterment in mind."
Many members of the crowd objected to this, and over their heated insults, the unicorn continued, "Was the airship affiliated with the Cogs in any way?"
"No, I... I don't know anything about an airship! Maybe if you hadn't shot at them in your prejudice, you could've learned who they really were."
"Why have you been asking our citizens questions such as 'If you met Gaia tomorrow, would you be ready'?"
I didn't hear Bark's reply to this, because I was still staring blankly in shock at the previous exchange. Had the Phoebe been near Divide? The Cog's words sent a shock of fear through me. If the city had opened fire on the airship, what if somepony onboard was struck and killed, or if the Phoebe had gone down entirely and everyone was dead...?
I turned my head to see if anyone beside me would be willing to elaborate. No one was willing to or was listening to me, and I was saddened to notice an excited filly nearby, propped up on the back of her enraptured mother. I didn't stick around to witness Bark's fate. Frustrated, confused, and filled with growing anxiety over the Phoebe, I extricated myself from the crowd and set a course for the Waterfront Mall.
The warehouse in question wasn't a long trot, and as I traveled I kept passing more creatures who had either stopped in place to peer over at the ongoing trial, or were changing course from wherever they'd been originally bound to join the crowd I'd just left. Even the entrance to the mall was stuffed with ponies who were idly standing about, casting their eyes down the street and listening to the magistrate's amplified voice, faint but still audible. After some insistence, I was able to get them to shuffle apart for me, though their attention never wavered.
The interior of the Waterfront Mall was a cavernous, dimly-lit and humid hive of stalls, shipping containers, and lean-tos that housed merchants peddling a wide variety of goods and services. Most passersby were ponies, though I noticed several groups of donkeys and caught a few flashes of black-and-white stripes. Sitting in the rafters high above the herd of customers were griffon guards, surveying with their keen eyes. Over the din of hundreds of voices and different musical tunes I sensed the heavy drone of industrial fans, struggling to keep the place ventilated.
The mall was so densely packed with shops and so populated that it felt like a city of its own. When I ventured into one aisle, I found myself whisked along as if pulled down a river's current, the shoppers around me constantly surging this way and that. Reaching out a proverbial hoof to a proverbial stone in the flow, I slipped out into a shop where I could rest for a moment.
What was meant to be a chance to catch my breath instead turned into a thrilling detour as I noticed my surroundings. Within an enclosure of thin plywood walls were shelves piled tall with newspapers and magazines. I gravitated to the nearest stack of newspapers and began to leaf through them, taking in every headline that covered the page. There were so many that the shop was able to put off the faint scent of old paper, and I knew I couldn't stay here long or I would risk spending all my caps on reading material. It didn't help that they were all being sold for practically nothing!
"Hey, you gonna read it or buy it?" came the amused voice of the proprietor. She was a short donkey who leaned over the counter at me with a smirk on her face.
"Yeah, just a moment!" I rushed to collect a few more newspapers. A few interesting magazine covers earned spots in the haul that I was gradually shifting closer and closer to the counter. The owner whistled. Finally, I dropped a thick stack of papers in front of her, my face beaming with excitement. I would only have to pay eight caps for all of these.
As the jenny counted my caps, she commented, "You must eat well!"
I gave her a blank look. "Excuse me?"
"No offense or anything, miss," she corrected. "Just don't see folks stock up this much at once."
Only then did I finally notice the stacks of toilet paper on the shelves behind her, which were listed as "premium quality". At that moment, I found myself filled with equal parts embarrassment and indignation.
"Wait, you... you're implying these are just for... you're letting historical artifacts be defiled like this?!"
It was the donkey's turn to don a confused expression. "Artifacts...?"
I scoffed, looking around at all the valuable material that would soon end up dirtied and destroyed in an outhouse, a ditch, or some bushes. The idea that neither she nor her customers would have any regard for what could be learned from them... well, I had to admit that very few creatures shared my obsessions, but that was beside the point. As my gaze returned to the front, I saw a rolled up garden hose behind the counter that was labeled as an "extra-strength bidet".
"Just sell me these," I groaned. At least I could save a few from a horrendous fate.
Reentering the aisle, I counted at least a dozen shops centered around firearms and other weapons before I reached the end. The next aisle held caged animals like birds and hogs, and then a scrap metal dealer where I was able to sell off most of the tractor components I'd scavenged. Keeping my expectations low, I was not surprised when I only netted about fifty caps for the lot. The dealer wasn't interested in the expired water ward, so it returned to my significantly lightened saddlebags and I continued exploring the mall.
Turning a corner, I sidled around a pair of rotund donkeys to find a seamstress shop operating out of a wheel-less passenger wagon husk. The vehicle had been painted a soft brown, with thick burgundy curtains hanging behind the dusty windows that ran its length. I eagerly rushed through the accordion-style side door and up the narrow steps.
The interior was stuffy and was strong with the scent of closet, as floor-to-ceiling shelves on both sides were filled with rolls of fabric that spanned every possible color imaginable. Underhoof was a long, narrow carpet that led me to the seamstress herself, a very old griffin who was already occupied with armored barding that looked like it had either been peppered with bullets or been the meal of a moth horde. In true Divide fashion, a rattly fan had been installed in the rear of the wagon behind her, doing its best to create some air flow.
"Good morning," I began. "I need a set of robes mended."
The griffon clacked her beak and responded without looking up from her work. "Zat would be possible, indeed. You have robes with you?" Her accent was an uncommon one; not Prench like I had heard so often in Mulisiana, but rather an articulation that I had only heard from griffons.
I produced the Scribe robes from my saddlebags and held them in my hoof, giving them another look before the griffon was ready to accept them. The crimson fabric had not been fully restored to its proper color by my inadequate laundering job back in Buckwater, but at least it didn't smell like river water and blood anymore. Eventually the seamstress plunged her sewing needle into a pincushion and set aside the armor, taking my robes from me and closely studying them. Her brows arched when she discovered that she could easily stick her hand through the hole in the back.
"Zis is work of goremoth, is it not?"
I nodded. "Had a run-in a couple days ago."
The seamstress didn't reply, but instead rose on shaky legs and began to search her large supply for fabric that would match the robes. Eventually she found a shade of red which was nearly identical, and she gave me a rough estimate of the cost. Fifteen caps was reasonable, especially for an item so sentimental. I agreed and was told to return at the end of the day.
Back outside, I continued to wander until I found a corner of the building that had been converted into a food court. A collection of stalls and restaurants encircled numerous tables, which in turn surrounded a pallet and plywood stage in the center of it all. Performing a slow, relaxing beat was a jazz band composed mostly of unicorns, though they did possess a griffon who skillfully plucked at a guitar. While I observed, my stomach growled at the whiff of unhealthy but delectable fried foods on sale here. One sign I spied claimed "The best platter this side of the Rift!" while another announced, "Our funnel cakes rule!" I even spotted a lone vegetarian joint, which didn't seem quite as busy as its competitors.
One restaurant stood above all the rest in its size and mostly-consistent construction, titled "Castaway Gumbo and Mead." It was enclosed, with a propped-open door and windows that each looked borrowed from different houses. There was a chalkboard menu hanging near the entrance which advertised specials and offered a little bit of everything, including many varieties of its namesake. Next to the menu was a sign announcing that they were hiring, and I decided this could be a promising first application.
As I made my way towards the restaurant, I had to weave through a dense pack of creatures who were clamoring to get inside another establishment, which had a banner hung above it reading, "Free bullets with every purchase!" Once I had threaded the press, I narrowly avoided colliding with a pair of greasy-looking ponies who took immediate interest in me.
" 'Scuse me, lady," one began, eyeing me up and sidling close as I kept moving. "Are you from around here?"
"No," I answered shortly. Just ignore them and they'll go away.
The first to speak glanced over my back at his friend, then returned his attention to me. "That's fortunate! Y'see, the Cogs are about to steamroll into this place and take it over, see? We're fixin' to make scarce, and we've been looking for a fine mare such as yourself to accompany us for the trip-"
"Not interested," I cut him off and kept moving.
His voice rose in indignation. "Look, I'm tryin' to help you! You really wanna take your chances with this city?"
Nearly inside, I ignored his persistence and quickened my trot. My hecklers hesitated as I entered, though I could still hear them discussing something amongst themselves.
The interior wasn't quite what I had expected. A diner aesthetic was made apparent through the numerous brightly-colored linoleum booths lining the walls, while the center of the room held spinning stools paired with shiny, buffed tabletops that reminded me of Marigold's home. Unlike any diner I'd seen, however, there were also collections of heavy steel axes and swords hung around the walls. At times these weapons were paired with wooden shields that bore colorful designs of griffons and dragons, and in other instances they were displayed near mounted animal hides. Long, thick rugs lined the room's aisles. Behind the counter, on the opposite side of the room from the entrance, was a wooden ship's figurehead mounted to the wall, a fearsome and intricately carved sea serpent. About a half a dozen customers were seated and conversing over their food while I spotted only one waitress, a tiny mare in a short, bright pink skirt and apron.
Lounging in the booth nearest me was an eye-catching creature. He was undoubtedly the smallest griffon I'd ever seen, short and brilliantly colored, with a long and slender beak, gleaming orange headfeathers and iridescent green wings tucked against his back. As if these weren't bright enough, the griffon wore countless colorful beaded necklaces and little trinkets. He paid me no attention as he fidgeted, transfixed by a nearly-empty Sparkle~Cola bottle that he rolled around in his claws.
As I made my way to the bar at the back of the restaurant, I passed the waitress and heard her repeating, "Y-yes, the sugar costs extra," to an elderly jack who seemed both hard-of-sight and hard-of-hearing. I took a seat and tapped idly on the counter until who I assumed to be the proprietor mosied back up front. He was a very tall, powerfully built horse with thick fetlocks and a curly coat. Long blond locks of mane fell about his head, while an impressive, plaited beard hung from his chiseled jaw. While he appeared to notice my presence, he didn't hasten his leisurely pace or make pleasantries. His movements were... well, slow was a description that could've applied, but I settled on deliberate as the superior adverb.
"You'll be served in a minute," he told me, busying himself with something behind the counter.
"Actually, I was inquiring about the 'help wanted' sign out front."
He paused in his task, then nodded. "Ah, very good. Are you looking for something temporary or a more permanent position?"
"Temporary."
With a short sigh, he reached into a drawer and retrieved a clipboard. "Too bad for us, I suppose. Been tough keeping help around... all this talk of Cogs returning to Divide scared most of our workforce away, and now we only have Toffee over there." He gestured at the anxious mare, who was still attempting to complete the elderly donkey's order. "That said, she's been an accidental hit with the customers. A real shy type, cute and endearing in our regulars' eyes. Gets plenty of tips."
"I see," I commented. Hopefully I could get in on some of those extra caps as well.
"My name's Crag." His magic touched a pencil to the clipboard while he turned his eyes up at me. "Yours?"
"Quillwright."
He wrote that down, then asked, "Race?"
"Um..." I glanced down, feeling warm behind the ears. What if pegasi weren't allowed in this place? Would he throw me out? Maybe he would-
My worries were interrupted by Crag's low scoff. "Right. Just thought I'd ask." He scrawled some more, and after a couple moments turned the clipboard to face me. "This look correct?"
Crag had misspelled my name and assumed me to be an earth pony. "Uh... yep!"
"Great." He finished up jotting a few more details and then inhaled. "You can start right away. Depending on how well you fill in, we could even boost your wage a bit. Toff's still too flighty to work in the kitchen for long, so I'd appreciate you picking up that slack."
"... What do you mean by that?" Suddenly I had a creeping suspicion that this might have been a mistake.
Before Crag could respond, there was some loud laughter and some nervous whinnies, then a loud, high-pitched shout. We both looked to see Toffee being harrassed by the pair of shifty ponies who had followed me earlier. One was biting at her tail, the other laughing as he blocked her path back to the counter. The shout had emitted from the beak of the diminutive griffon I'd passed at the entrance, who was coming to the aid of the equally-small waitress.
"Back off!" he commanded, trying to shove one of the ponies so he could get between the harasser and the waitress, who was squeaking in fright as she cowered.
"Oh yeah, pipsqueak?" The larger of the two ponies smirked as the griffon approached. "Or what? You'll make me?" He gave a swift frontal kick with one leg. The avian dodged around, but before he could retaliate, a hind kick caught him in the gut. He tumbled backwards into a table, crashing to the floor near me. None of the nearby patrons looked eager to get involved, though I didn't blame them; the instigators looked heavy and hardened. Still, I helped the griffon to his paws, earning a nod of thanks from him.
"Oh, hey again, bitch!" one of the ponies snarled at me. "So we're beneath help, but a griffon ain't?" He menaced us while his friend kept harassing Toffee. "I'm sick'a seein' mares falling for you winged rats."
I looked back at Crag, expecting that a horse of his stature could easily intervene, but instead he lit his horn and telekinetically rang a bell that hung on the wall behind him thrice. The noise caught the thugs' attention, who paused momentarily to glance in annoyed confusion at Crag. When the unicorn just kept passively leaning on the counter, albeit glaring at them in severe disapproval, the ponies resumed their heckling. I heard the clatter of dishes and metal in a room behind the counter, presumably the kitchen, and then felt the floor repeatedly reverberate like someone was striking the concrete with a sledgehammer. The tremors shook the walls, and the thugs froze in place, whirling around to gape at the source.
Ducking to clear the threshold, a hefty female minotaur entered the room. Sporting muscular arms and legs, she stood nearly twice my height, not including her downward-curling horns. A stained, well-used apron was draped across her short white-and-brown piebald coat, which was covered in a tapestry of tattoos and brands. Jewelry hung from her nose, ears, and horns. The minotaur's dark eyes were laser-focused on the two offending ponies, who shrunk back in fear. Toffee was dropped to the floor, where she landed and curled up with a startled "Ee-eep!"
"We got a moo-tiny goin' on here?" the minotaur growled, her voice bassy and strident. She held a fearsome, gleaming cleaver in one hand, coated in a thin layer of blood.
The lead thug swallowed. He drew himself up with a deep breath, though I could spy his jaw muscles quiver. "It's none of your business, monster."
With a long blink, the minotaur advanced on him. "Not my business, aye? Not my business?" She reached out one of her long, sinewy arms and grabbed a handful of the pony's mane, wrenching his neck back into an awkward, uncomfortable position. "Are ya payin' any taxes to Divide to keep this business open? Nah?"
Her target gasped, writhing as he tried vainly to free himself. He seemed completely unable to fight back against an opponent so tall and overwhelmingly strong. "H-hey, you- c-can't... do this! I-I'm your c-customer!" he wheezed.
With no apparent effort required, the minotaur lifted the pony with one hand. Out of the front entrance he flew, followed by her call, "Go be the doctor's customer!" She turned her head to glare threateningly at the thug's crony, who was already stumbling madly to vacate the premises. Several patrons cheered and jeered, and a few stomped the floor approvingly at the show. The small griffon at my side made an aggressive gesture at the fleeing pony, holding up only his middle talon. Probably a griffon-specific insult of some kind.
I heard Crag clear his throat behind me. Slowly, I dragged my wide eyes away from the bipedal colossus to meet the quadrupedal colossus' impassive face. "Bertha, my wife. Don't worry, we usually don't have to throw anyone out of the establishment." The minotaur began tromping back to the kitchen, helping up Toffee on the way, lifting her as if she was weightless. The diminutive mare still looked shaken in spite of this helpful gesture, but she was soon comforted by the small griffon, who wrapped her in a gentle wing-hug.
"New customer?" asked the minotaur as she passed us.
"New hire, actually," Crag answered.
Bertha laughed, a booming chortle that was loud enough to make me wince. "A new, pretty face! Sun knows we've needed one. You'll look even better in uniform, I'm sure." With that, she returned to the kitchen as I raised a brow at Crag.
"Um... don't take this the wrong way, but why didn't you stop those ponies yourself?"
"Why'd I call Bertha?"
"Well, yeah. You were here already."
His eyes slowly drifted to one of the axes on the wall nearby. "I was raised to kill, never to subdue. Bertha has just as much strength as I do, but also self-control, which I lack." He grimaced. "We had an incident very early on and I don't wish to repeat it; troublemakers like them don't deserve death. That... and explaining a dead patron to the authorities is difficult."
I hadn't quite expected that answer, but nodded in response. "Oh." Before it could get awkward, I moved on. "Well, I'm ready to start working!"
The unicorn motioned for me to stay put as he ducked into the hall, returning shortly with two skirt and top pairs held up in his magic, closely resembling Toffee's attire. One was blue, one was red, and neither looked particularly modest.
"You get to pick the color. These are the only two we have left."
My eyes traced the skirt hems, recognizing just how skimpy they were. While I felt some trepidation knowing modesty wasn't in the job description, I also knew that if I played it right, I could certainly earn some tips, which I seriously needed. Sucking up my remaining reservations, I pointed.
"Red." |
Fallout: Equestria - Of Shadows | Chapter 9: Confluence - Part II | The only private location to change into my uniform was a small closet tucked around the corner from the kitchen. I struggled to wriggle out of my Stable barding and into the skirt, knocking over a couple brooms and tripping on a stepstool. The cherry-red outfit was barely large enough to slip over my wing, which created a suspicious lump on my side. I hoped that no one would pay enough attention to notice it, but the way I was dressed was obviously meant to draw customers' eyes. At least they would be distracted by other areas.
When I shuffled back into the kitchen, using my teeth to pull on my top and relieve pressure on my stump, Bertha seemed to notice something was off immediately. "You wearin' your saddlebag beneath that or somethin'?"
I gritted my teeth and shrugged. "No, it's just a, uh, a kink in the dress. Just got to..." No amount of adjusting the fabric or avoiding the minotaur's gaze could convince her, though.
"You're a pegasus, ain'tcha?"
My ears stood up in alert mode as I stared at her fearfully, then averted my gaze as I babbled out an objection. "N-no, I-I-"
"I can tell, I've met others before. Had one as a mate in the crow's nest, too." She pointed at my side. "That lump's your wing, though you look like you're missin' the other one." After a stream of stuttered, half-formed denials from me, Bertha signaled for me to stop. I clammed up instantly, and she finished, "I don't rightly care what ya are, just whether ya can haul your own weight, y'know?"
"Oh. I thought that..."
"That I care what your species is? Nah, why should I?" She leaned over the counter towards me. "Listen, anyone gives ya trouble for that wing, ya let me know and I'll deal with it, alright?" I nodded at this, and Bertha smiled in response. "Good. Now let's get to work; we're already runnin' behind."
The minotaur's sheer culinary skill left my jaw on the floor. Every dish was prepared with the utmost care and consideration, portions were accurately measured, and meats cooked, fried, and boiled with practiced ease. It was all I could do just to keep up, and in the end settled for retrieving tools she needed, cleaning dishes, and assisting with simpler tasks like seasoning. Bertha's signature gumbo was almost always cooking, filling the kitchen with the smell of simmering peppers, onions, shrimp, and gator meat. There were endless varieties of the soup that she received orders for, and as I took each prepared dish to Toffee, I grew hungrier and hungrier.
Bertha's abilities extended past cooking; she was also an accomplished conversationalist and storyteller, keeping me inundated with a constant flow of rumors from Divide and the surrounding area. One of the first questions I asked her was about the Rift crossing closure, which she was eager to comment on.
"I heard they've been wantin' to try some Cog preacher for espionage." She shook her head. "Don't know that he's a real spy per se, but we shouldn'tah let any of 'em in to begin with. When they wanna subjugate a whole buncha people just for havin' horns, I can't abide by that. Earth pony way, my ass."
I frowned as I brought her a fresh selection of vegetables for the next order. "He was having a public trial this morning. It wasn't really going in his favor." While Bertha took the onions, I took a pile of celery to dice.
"Figures. The council's gonna look for any reason to string one up, not that it'll solve anything." As I had expected, Bertha cut the onions without a single tear.
"The council? Do they govern Divide?"
"Aye, it's a collection of folks from both halves of the city. Getting them to agree on anything is a miracle, but stick em in a crisis and suddenly they work together so much better." She rolled her eyes. "People keep tellin' me to run for a council seat... don't want nothin' to do with politics, I always say."
"Ah. So, I heard the Cogs used to be Steel Rangers... is there any truth to that?" I ventured.
Bertha chewed her lip as she worked. "No one else I've ever met ever wore power armor, so it seems like a safe bet, aye." She wiped her brow. "No one's heavier'n a pony in one o' them tin cans, neither. Sun above, that was the toughest suplex I've ever pulled off..."
That comment left me at a loss for words as I glanced at her powerful arms, but I recovered as quickly as I could. "Um... do you know when they became like this? Anti-unicorn, I mean?"
"Been this way as long as I've known of 'em. I came to Mulisiana..." she trailed off briefly and tilted her head back and forth in thought. Every movement of her head created light jingling due to the many pieces of jewelry that hung from her horns. "Eight years ago? So at least that long."
"Oh, so you aren't from around here?"
"Nah, New Pegas born and bred."
I felt a rush of excitement at that name. "Oh, a fellow Equestrian! I was born outside of Manehattan, lived close to Filly for a good decade too."
"An east-coaster!" Bertha grinned. "Yeah, I grew up in the Pegas slums. Fell in with a gang when I was still a calf, and later that gang moved out to sea. We raided ships and villages up an' down the coastline, explored the islands out west, fought with other crews like Craggy's. Made it to Neigh Orleans eventually, awakened my culinary passion durin' my stay at Mirage, and to keep cuttin' that long story shorter, sailed up the canal to settle here with Craggy."
"Wait, wait, wait. You were a pirate?" I neighed.
"Aye. I was young, poor, and stupid, just the muscle followin' my friends wherever they went. Eventually I grew up and grew a spine. See, those friends didn't turn out to be as friendly as I thought." She took a nearby carving knife and began working on a slab of gator meat. The action drew me to study her arms again, noting just how decorated even a single bicep was. I saw the tattoos of bovine, pony, and griffon skulls, of ship wheels and the spiraling tentacles of a stylized octopus. "Hmm, we were talkin' about Cogs, weren't we?"
"Um..." I mentally backtracked through a minute of our conversation. "Yeah."
My questions continued to be answered to the best of Bertha's abilities. To the Chosen of Gaia, the abbreviation "Cog" was seen as an insult. Unicorns who dared to remove an inhibitor ring from their horns and were caught again by the Cogs were subject to severe punishment, up to and including death. The cult's whole operation was based out of Mareami, a pre-war city close to the eastern mouth of the Rift. This location had long concerned Divide, as the Cogs could attempt to blockade the canal, tax those who passed through, or even launch a naval assault from that position, though none of those scenarios had yet occurred.
Eventually I decided to let Bertha in on the secret that I was a Steel Ranger Scribe. I expected a significant reaction one way or the other, but what I was met with instead surprised me: a simple nod. When I hesitantly asked if she was okay knowing that about me, she replied, "Aye. Why, you think I'd throw ya out?"
"... Maybe? I don't know how you feel about the Steel Rangers. Based on the general opinion I've observed of the Cogs, well, I assumed there'd be more than just a nod."
"Well, y'see, you ain't really been actin' like a Ranger. Need to stick your snout higher in the air." Bertha snarked.
First Willow had criticized me as a poor Steel Ranger, now Bertha. Was I really that unlike my peers? Nonetheless, I allowed the insinuation to slide, and detailed to her what had led myself and the expedition to Mulisiana in the first place. She had winced when she heard how my wing had been lost, and vaguely knew of Stable 56 through its connection to Buckwater, where tarberries were imported to Divide from.
"So you were sent to raid a Stable."
"No, we... we were just ensuring it was being put to good use. If not, well, we'd be able to."
Bertha sighed. "Quilly, I may have once been a pirate, but I don't try'n justify what I did nowadays, 'cause it was wrong. The thing is, I wasn't born a pirate." She then tilted her head, jewelry tinkling as her eyes narrowed at me. "You weren't born a Ranger, were you?" She didn't speak accusingly, but instead knowingly.
I shook my head, admitting that she was on the right track.
"See, I turned pirate because I was bored of bein' nothin' more than a petty thief and a bruiser in those New Pegas back alleys. I followed my mates and thought life on the high seas would give me the purpose I wanted. Instead, I found myself in the same role, still just a pawn and still chasin' the same higher callin'. I didn't find it 'til I met Crag and started a life here, servin' people and providin' work to those who need it, even to Steel Rangers." She gestured at me. "So why did you join 'em?"
"Well, I..." I knew the answer, the real answer. "I... thought they could help me save my family." My jaw clenched tight as I explained. "But they couldn't... wouldn't. After that, I stayed because... well, I've always sought knowledge. They're the only group in Equestria that really cares about the world before."
"The way I see it, any group who was founded on helpin' people has failed when they ain't done that for more than a century." Bertha told me, her tone serious. "Listen, I'm not accusin' you of bein' like the rest. But the Rangers ain't got the best image in the eyes of us 'tribals'. Ya know that, even if ya won't admit it."
She was right; fear was a common response from civilians who saw us. It was something I hadn't seen much in recent years due to the decreasing time I spent out in the field. I knew it all the same, however, because I had been in those very horseshoes the first time I'd encountered the Steel Rangers in Manehattan's public library. For every Aurora Tide, there were two or three Key Limes.
"I'm sorry to be the one tellin' ya this, but they used ya just like my mates used me. Ya think you'd be left behind like this if they really cared?"
Once again, I saw the moment where things went wrong in Stable 56, only from Orange Kyanite's point of view. He did care about me, I knew he did. If Aurora Tide had been critically injured, I didn't blame him for evacuating her. Kyanite had trusted Ardent and Vox greatly, and surely he thought I was in secure hooves with them. Still... after getting Aurora Tide out, why didn't Kyanite return for us?
And if Stable 56 had still been occupied, I knew that Orange Kyanite wouldn't have approved of us using violence against them, so long as the dwellers weren't hostile. But then, those ponies would've been expelled, forced out into a deadly, treacherous world that would've torn them to shreds. Wasn't that tantamount to a death sentence?
Bertha had let her question hang between us. I conceded that she had made some good points, and then continued the story.
"Chasin' after your crew..." Bertha mused. "Sounds like they're the airship Divide went into a tizzy over. Most of those folks are convinced it was a Cog spy craft or bomber, something like that."
"I've been hoping someone could tell me exactly what happened," I replied. "I heard that it was shot at?"
"Shot down."
I inhaled. "Oh, Celestia..."
Realizing I was on the verge of panicking, Bertha quickly added, "Well, safely shot down, if that's a phrase. I was boilin' some water when we'd heard folks shouting about some flyin' boat outside." She jerked a thumb at the emergency exit door behind her. "We came outside to see what the hell them ponies were screaming about, and saw it alright. Some ship strapped to a balloon, floating way up high. Too high to see who was flying it, but it wasn't long before Divide lashed out."
Bertha paused to send her finger through the air like a projectile. "There was a boom, and the artillery they built to shoot through Cog power armor was sendin' a round way up at the ship." She used her other hand to represent the Phoebe, and her finger sailed past it. "They missed the first shot, by quite a bit. Second one flew high, so did the third. By this point, your ship had realized it wasn't welcome here and had turned away, tryin' to rise." She sent another finger towards her hand, which hit it near the upper deck.
"Next shot hit. I couldn't tell much from where we were standin', but a pony with binoculars was in earshot and givin' the details." The next finger she fired at the Phoebe was high, but stopped just above it. "Then the artillery hit the balloon. Next thing we knew, they were goin' down, though slowed by magic. Whoever was behind the wheel managed to turn the ship towards the Rift, and it seems they actually managed to land it in the canal, headed east towards Brayton Rouge. The Talons were on 'em like sharks to a shipwreck, but got driven off by a whole swarm o' bullets."
I felt dizzy as I took this all in, dozens of emotions swirling around in my mind. I was filled with relief that the ship had landed safely, no doubt thanks to Cider Vinegar's talented piloting skills. There was also fear that the first shot from the artillery could've been fatal to somepony on board, and foreboding at the idea of my allies also being trapped here in Mulisiana with me. If Aurora Tide had indeed been injured in Stable 56, perhaps Kyanite had been seeking a place to find medical treatment for her. Divide had ruined that chance, and I didn't even know if the Apothecary was still alive at this point.
On top of that, this meant nopony back in Equestria would know our plight. I felt overwhelmed with uncertainty, not feeling that I knew the best course of action from here. Obviously I still needed to catch up to the Phoebe, and now I had a better idea of where it was headed, but I was still just one mare. Could I hire a Talon to help me follow the Rift to wherever the airship --or, just ship, now-- was headed? That would undoubtedly be an expensive ask, and if the mercenaries had already tussled with the expedition, I didn't expect them to be very willing to help in any way. In fact, if they connected me to the ship... I didn't want to end up like Bark Blossom.
The idea of rehiring Willow Wisp crossed into my mind and lingered. We were already well-acquainted, and she knew her way around Mulisiana as well as anypony I'd met so far. I wasn't sure how much she'd charge for however long it took to chase down a sailing ship now, or if it was even a request that made sense... and she might have been hired by someone else by now.
I chewed on my lip, staring at the burnished steel of the counter in deep consideration as I asked Bertha, "Is the radio on the city's crane open to the public?" Maybe it was possible to contact the Citadel to request assistance or orders.
"It was. At least, it still is, but it's highly regulated by the Talons now. Teensy's kept me up to date on it, they don't want any Cogs usin' the radio to leak intel or whatever."
"Teensy?"
"Y'know, that itty-bitty griffon out there."
"Oh. That's an unconventional name for a griffon."
Bertha smirked. "That's 'cause it ain't his real name. Nobody can pronounce it, not even Toffee, and they're datin'! Took to callin' him Teensy instead, and it stuck. He doesn't seem to mind it."
"Ah. So he's a Talon?"
"He is. Came from a local village; you may've noticed he looks a bit different compared to his mates up in your neck of the woods." I certainly had noticed, and Bertha continued, "Anyway, he does shifts on radio duty, which, yes, includes coordinatin' with the main Talon company back in Equestria."
Back in Equestria! Now that phrase had me hopeful. With signal range like that, I could certainly get back in contact with the Citadel. Hell, I might even be able to reach Manehattan or Bucklyn Cross! I asked Bertha if that meant I could use the radio, and she replied, "Don't worry, we'll talk to him about it tonight."
Sometime later, I became aware that Toffee had inched her way inside, only indicated when she cleared her throat behind me, her eyes nervously daring between mine and Bertha's gazes. She held a notebook in her mouth, which was covered in orders. How long the tiny mare had been waiting to get our attention, I wasn't sure.
"Ah, Toffee's gonna take her lunch now," Bertha remarked, indicating my fellow coworker. "You mind waitressing for a while, Quillwright?"
To my surprise, I found that I made for quite the adept waitress. Orders were easy enough to jot down, and my memory was resilient enough to allow me to recall a dozen names and table statuses as I moved about. While the job was certainly a departure from Scribe work, I didn't feel too out of place recording and recalling information in a different environment. The skirt did its job, too; the tips began rolling quickly.
After half an hour of waiting on tables, managing refills and bringing orders in and out of the kitchen, I had already fallen into rote procedure. This was broken when I found myself taking an order from a table that included a familiar grey-horned, black-clad and hooded unicorn. She sat across from a pair of ponies, who looked to be a mother and son. The two had been speaking quietly when I approached, and ceased abruptly once I was in earshot.
"Uh, hi, Quill! Fancy seeing you here..." Willow Wisp's voice carried an awkward hint, but she had the luxury of hiding beneath her cloak. On the other hoof, here I was dressed in a silly petite dress, any discomfort of my own clearly visible to all.
"Small world," I agreed. "Would you like to order anything?"
Willow cleared her throat. "Yeah! Yeah. Um, I'll have de gator gumbo wid extra onions. And also some tarberry punch."
The pair opposite her ordered two small spicy salads with fried carrots. The mother seemed very antsy, with nervous eyes that darted between me, Willow, and behind me to the other patrons. Just as soon as I had turned away to bring the orders to Bertha, I heard the mother hiss at Willow, "You know I can't agree to that." When I brought their order back, the mother was shooting eye-daggers at Willow, who sat and uncomfortably rubbed her hooves together. While I found myself wanting to strike up a conversation with Willow, I knew that I had more customers to attend to and she still seemed busy with her own clients.
Ten minutes later, I noticed Willow Wisp was now alone in the booth, idly stirring the remains of her gumbo with a telekinetically-held spoon. Before I could come to collect her dishes and ask how business was going, the unicorn slipped out of the Castaway. When I came to clean her table, I found she had left me a generous tip.
Eventually Toffee relieved me, which I was grateful for. I'd developed a ravenous hunger being so close to the numerous meals I couldn't try, and accepted a bowl of Bertha's signature gumbo once I returned to the kitchen. While Crag's home-brewed mead was very tempting, I didn't think it wise to risk intoxication while on the job. Taking a seat at a card table squeezed into the kitchen's corner, I found that Bertha and Crag were sitting down to take a short lunch break as well. Their bulks barely fit, but somehow they managed.
I swirled the soup's contents. Bertha had used a type of seafood in this dish called "shrimp", which I had read about once or twice but never tasted. Before I took a spoonful of the gumbo, Bertha warned me, "You can handle hot food, right?"
"Sure!" I scoffed. "I've had curry."
Bertha guffawed, "Oh, right, Equestrian heat. Sun above, Quilly, you're in for a surprise!"
Sure that she was simply exaggerating, I delivered the gumbo payload to my tastebuds. At first the taste was manageable; delicious, even! But true to Bertha's word, it didn't take long for the heat to dial up, and my eyes went wide. Once I was able to swallow the soup, my mouth opened wide to allow rapid breaths, a vain attempt to cool my tongue. The minotaur got a particular kick out of my reaction.
Over time I acclimated to the flavor, and in fact came to enjoy the burn. It was far beyond the dull warmth of the curry our Steel Ranger chef had once attempted to cook for us. From what I remembered, they had been wartime MREs we had scavenged from a military compound, accented with any spices the chef could sprinkle in afterwards. It had been a fun, different taste back then, but now I realized just how much it paled in comparison to cooking like Bertha's.
When we were close to being finished with our food, I thought it the opportune time to ask Bertha another question which had been gestating since our first meeting. "Say, Bertha. You mention the sun a lot; are you referring to Celestia?"
"What? Pff, of course not. Why would I be? The Sun's the Sun, it does what it wants."
"But Celestia guides it...?"
"Advises? Maybe. Guides? Quilly, if Celestia was the one controllin' the Sun and she died, why do we still have days and nights?"
This point had come up when questioning my own faith in the Goddesses, and I had come to what I felt was the obvious answer many years ago. "Well, her spirit controls it now. She and Luna both ascended to divinity, and from the heavens continue to fulfill their duties."
"And how did they ascend?"
"They... well, they died?"
"And then?"
A little frustrated, I answered, "They were alicorns. They were born with the powers to control celestial bodies, and that part of their souls transcended even the megaspells." I shook my head. "So what, do you think the sun just... thinks for itself instead?" I tried not to scoff.
"I dunno what the Sun thinks. Honestly, it'd be rude of me to speak for it."
This whole idea was silly. "You think the moon and stars are alive too?"
Bertha nodded sagely. "In a matter of speaking, aye."
I sighed. "So, Bertha believes in the sun." Turning to her husband, I asked, "What do you believe in, Crag? The same as her?"
"Valhorsia, a warrior's afterlife," the unicorn answered briefly. "Why?"
"I'm just, I don't know... trying to comprehend how you two ended up together... I think?"
"Should've asked." Bertha got up to grab herself another bowl of rice. "Not like we're hiding."
"What Bertha means to say is that we were the sole survivors of our respective crews." Crag explained as he poured more mead into his tankard. "While we were foes once, here, in this strange new world, we have no reason to be. Strangers in a stranger land, you could say."
"Alright. Valhorsia. But what happens to, you know, non-warriors?"
"They stay forever in the coldest depths of the afterlife." Crag answered without hesitation. "Unable to feel the warmth of another being for all eternity."
I gulped. I'd heard the notion of hell before, but wasn't it a bit... harsh? There was nothing comparable when believing in the Goddesses. Furthermore, if Crag didn't fight anymore, wouldn't he end up there too? Noticing the shift in my mood, Crag smiled.
"I have a question for you. What is a warrior, Quillwright?"
I blinked. Wasn't it obvious? "A fighter, a soldier. Someone who engages in battle and warfare."
"That's it?"
I noticed Bertha was biting back a grin, but I paid her no mind.
"Well, yes? I mean, if you want the proper definition-"
"So, do you think that anyone who is unwilling or unable to even raise a weapon or a spell would end up in Helheim?" Crag interjected. "I thought so too, for the longest time, before Bertha and I ended up here. It's... not that simple." He took a swig of mead, his voice now replaced by Bertha's.
"A warrior is defined by their spirit, their willingness to go out of the way to prove themselves and their beliefs, even those of pacifists. To prove to the world that the pegasi, or zebras, or minotaurs, or whoever else aren't evil. Or that knowledge should be saved and multiplied, or that the Steel Rangers aren't all bad." Finishing that, Bertha gave me a toothy grin.
Crag simply added, "Valhorsia doesn't seem that distant now, does it?"
Later, once the amount of orders had eased up, Toffee and I once again traded duties. I was eager to earn more tips, and the work proved easy enough.
"Waitress!" My ears directed me to the speaker, a donkey who I'd served previously, shaking an empty glass at me. This was the first time he'd asked for a refill; he'd ordered water, unlike the other jacks at his table, most of whom had chosen mead. I retrieved the water pitcher and brought it over to his table, giving the group another look. Each jack was on the older side, many with grizzled and unkempt faces, their beady eyes all watching as I approached.
Though I couldn't speak with the handle in my mouth, I tried to give the donkey a polite smile as I tipped the pitcher, filling his foggy glass. The donkey didn't return the pleasantries; in fact, his eyes were focused intently on my side, where my wing was conspicuously hidden. Speeding up the pour just a little, I topped him off and gave the briefest curtsy that I could manage as I turned to leave him be. Before I could make my exit, however, he stopped me with a firm hoof.
"Tell me," he began, voice low and accusatory. "That some sorta deformity?" His focus made no mistake as to what he was referring to. "I just love to tip the radiation-disabled." That last adjective's inflection was injected with boiling venom.
Shaking my head, I once again attempted to disengage.
"Oh? It ain't?" His hoof was stubbornly firm on my withers. "So it's a wing?"
I tensed at that, and blinked quickly, trying to look away as I continued shaking no. Even avoiding his gaze, his friends instead fixed me with hate and disgust.
"Cloud-fucker." The jack's voice was a lot louder now. "Where've you and your kind been all these years, huh?" His words were drawing the attention of other patrons, and I felt my face flush, my ears and tail tucking in.
"I don't know..." I tried to say around the pitcher handle, but it came out as a mumble. Though my words failed, I did manage to squirm out of his grasp, hurriedly retreating to the kitchen.
He called after me, "Come back here!" and I heard him slam the table in fury, which caused me to jump in fright. Crag opened his mouth to say something, but I just rushed past him.
Bertha knew that something was wrong the moment she saw me; whether she'd been able to hear the donkey's shouts, I wasn't sure. My face and body language had told her everything she needed to know.
"You okay, hon?" the minotaur asked me as I shakily placed the pitcher in the sink to refill it. "Someone givin' you shit?"
Before I could reply, her answer entered the kitchen. The furious donkey was glaring at me darkly, breathing through flared nostrils, then looked at Bertha. "You know you're working with a pegasus?" he asked her accusingly.
The minotaur returned his expression twofold, her knuckles going white around her cleaver. "Aye, what of it?"
It was then that I also took note of Crag, who was standing in the threshold behind the jack. His typically chill demeanor was rapidly thawing, and a dangerous look in his eyes told me that he was ready to strike at a moment's notice should his wife be put in any danger.
"Just unbelievable..." the donkey fumed. "As if Divide didn't have enough ponies, now we got ourselves one of the feathered fuckers."
"Ain't nothin' wrong with ponies."
"Easy for you to say, cow, when you're getting rutted by one."
Though Crag looked almost murderous, Bertha took the insult in stride with stern features. "The donkeys ain't in any position to throw stones."
"Where was her kind when the super radstorm eight seasons ago hit us?" The jack's voice nearly cracked with contained pain and rage. "I lost my wife and daughter to that storm! Whole damned town was washed away. Our homes, family, friends..."
"Ya can't blame one pegasus for what her ancestors did."
"I can and I will." He stabbed a worn hoof at me, and I felt my hackles rise as his eyes narrowed coldly. "We let you ponies into Mulisiana because you promised to control the storms. You promised to keep us safe from the zebras. You said we'd be smarter thanks to your Institute, and more cultured with your Ministries. Nothing but fucking lies."
The room was silent.
"All of Divide's gonna hear about her," the jack threatened, pointing at me. "Nobody'll stand for this."
"Go ahead. If that'd stop 'em from comin', I didn't want their patronage anyway," Bertha shot back.
The donkey turned to leave, starting and uttering a gasped curse as he finally saw the hulking Crag behind him. While Bertha's husband escorted the jack out of their restaurant, I tried to return to work, placing the water pitcher into the sink. There was only a dull ringing in my ears until Bertha snapped me out of it by patting me on the withers. I stumbled, and she tried to lighten her touch.
"Quillwright. You okay?"
I bit my lip, swallowed, and answered, "Y-yeah."
Bertha blinked and tilted her head a little, studying me. "Don't look like it."
"I'm... I'm sorry. For causing a scene."
"Ah-ah." The minotaur cut me off with a frown. "That wasn't your fault, it was his. He can't blame ya for what's happened in the past."
Having wings had once made me proud. They had set me apart in the Steel Rangers, given me something unique to prove I could keep up with the unicorns I worked with. There were those among the ranks who disliked pegasi, of course, but they had never objected when I was able to contribute so much. Over time, they focused less on my wings and more on who I was as a pony.
Now... my appendage felt somehow wrong. Perhaps it was the uselessness of having only a single wing, or the ire that it drew from others. I stared at the floor as I considered it.
"He blamed me for losing his family and his home..."
"He blamed all pegasi for that." Bertha resumed cooking as she spoke. "An' a lot of miserable creatures in Mulisiana do. They wanna return to the pre-war way of livin', when they didn't have to worry about hurricanes. I think they've just forgotten how to live with mother nature."
So the donkey considered pegasi to be negligent. "I've... never really seen untamed weather like this before. It's nothing but clouds and rain in Equestria."
Bertha snorted. "And he's complainin' about a tropical storm that we get maybe once a decade. What, does he expect a single pegasus could clear the sky all by her lonesome? Gimme a break."
As we neared closing time, we prepared our own dinner. Toffee and Teensy joined myself, Bertha, and Crag as we ate out in the main room, filling a booth. Crag had pulled over a chair so he could sit at the end, while I found myself wedged into the vinyl seat alongside Bertha. We made small talk over our meals until I finally asked Bertha, "How did you and Crag meet?"
Bertha answered with a question of her own. "You know the Dead Sea?"
"Uh... it doesn't ring a bell," I admitted.
"I'm the one who killed it."
I paused for a moment. If it were any other creature, I would've promptly laughed at the joke. From a minotaur like her, however... I was almost inclined to believe it.
A couple heartbeats passed before the minotaur guffawed. "Just pullin' your reins. It's got a lot of other names, though: the Glowin' Sea? The Lunar Ocean? The Expanse? Heard of any of those?"
I had indeed heard of the Lunar Ocean, because that was the name recorded on most Equestrian maps. Now aware of the body of water Bertha was referring to, I informed her as such and let her continue.
"Those waters were where I cut my teeth. Strangest, deadliest, yet most beautiful part of the world you could lay eyes on," she said, almost wistfully. "Sun only knows how many megaspells fell into that sea, from both sides. Did some mighty weird things; on the darkest of nights, the sea lights up with a greenish glow. Some creatures I've sailed with even say they can hear ghostly singin' when them lights appear."
The line between fact and exaggeration or embellishment was always a bit fuzzy when it came to Bertha and her many tales, she effortlessly enraptured the rest of us with her storytelling.
"Anyway, the Dead Sea stretches all the way from Mulisiana to the griffon lands up north. It's vast, and mine was far from the only pirate crew prowlin' its waters. I think the first time I ran into Craggy was when one of my ship's cannons split his ship's topsail." At my look of surprise, Bertha gave a devilish grin. "Aye, we were enemies once... rivals, even! My ship, the Kyra, had fought with his, the Snowegg, a couple times, either just for the sake of shootin' each other or over a vessel we were both tryin' to raid. One fateful day, we engaged for the last time."
"'Snowegg'? What kind of name is that?" I giggled.
Crag leaned over in his seat to stretch his neck. "I was the sole pony among a crew of griffons."
"Buncha crazy gulls," Bertha teased. "We went at each other for hours. Then, when both ships were so full o' holes they looked like floatin' colanders, the beast arrived." Her eyes narrowed. "A kraken."
The minotaur was clearly enjoying my expressions of disbelief. "A... a giant squid attacked you?"
"Aye. It pulled the Snowegg underwater in minutes. The Kyra was quite a bit larger, so it latched onto the side of the hull and started reachin' for those of us on deck, pullin' creatures from both crews into the water even while we were still fightin'. Soon, it was just myself and Crag remainin', neither able to best the other, so we joined against our common foe."
Crag nodded his head in confirmation.
"After we severed half its tentacles..." Bertha began gesturing dramatically with her hands. "The kraken let go of the Kira and went mad, thrashin' around like a hurricane! Took out our sails, nearly smashed the ship in two. But then..." She made a show of raising one muscular arm like she was hefting something heavy. "I picked up the anchor," she described as squinted one eye, looking past me as if she could see her foe once again, "And I threw it deep into that oversized squid's back." She made the appropriate motion, and then slapped the table with a triumphant laugh, which sent several of our meals flying. Toffee's face was the picture of shell-shock, even after a quick apology from the minotaur.
"I wrapped the chain around my arm," Bertha resumed after we'd cleaned up most of the mess, "And steered the kraken back to shore. It beached itself and pulled us onto shore with it." She grinned more triumphantly than I thought was possible to express. "Crag here froze as much meat as we could cut from it, and we found our way to Neigh Orleans from there." She sat back and nodded at her husband. "Probably could'a opened a calamari restaurant with all that squid."
Crag smiled and inclined his head leisurely. "It was all very exciting."
"You know, I outran a giant radigator a few days ago," I couldn't help but boast. As Bertha regaled us with more of her stories and told of the creatures she'd both seen and battled, I wanted to add in some of my own accomplishments. "It had to have been fifty feet long, at least."
This lit up Bertha's eyes. "Ah, you're met Gnashy! He's the stuff of legends down south. You should be proud you outran him!"
"I escaped it using a radio tower. Which, uh... it managed to bring down."
It was Teensy's turn to speak up. "Wait. You're saying a radigator destroyed a radio tower? Where was that?"
"About six miles southwest of Buckwater, I think?"
The griffon frowned. At least, it looked like such an expression to me, as much as a creature with a beak could mimic. "That would explain a lot of issues we've been having lately. The broadcasts from towns on the southern coast are really fuzzy now."
Bertha and I met eyes briefly, and the minotaur beat me to the question. "Say, Teensy. Quilly's got some mates she needs to get in touch with up in Equestria. Could you be so kind as to help facilitate that?"
"Like...?" Teensy scrunched his brows and his headfeathers ruffled a little. "She wants to use the Talon radio?"
"I do," I answered. "Just for a few minutes. I'm not a Cog, I promise. I just need... three minutes?"
Teensy clicked his beak in a conflicted gesture. He gave Toffee a look, his marefriend simply replying with a timid shrug. After that, he noticed the expectant look that Bertha was giving him. "I, uh... well, maybe I could let you in for a couple minutes." The small griffon took a very deep breath for his size. "But I'd say we need to go in really late. The fewer Talons there to question it, the easier it'll be for both of us."
An hour later, we had finished our dinner and cleaned up most of the restaurant, preparing to fully close it down. I returned my red skirt to the closet, then got back into my Stable suit. Taking my saddlebags, I felt a surge of accomplishment as I tossed in the caps I'd earned as tips, totaling a whopping forty-eight. Back in the kitchen, I found Bertha wiping away the last of the day's mess on the main counter. As she threw the rag into the garbage, she regarded me with a smile. "Hoy, Quilly. On your way out?"
"I am. It's... it's been great working here, honestly," I told her. "I never imagined I'd ever work with a minotaur."
"Not so bad, was it?" Bertha handed me my salary for the day, a hundred and fifty caps. "Hopefully we gave you some ideas to think about."
"You did." Truthfully, she'd given me more than just caps; she'd provided a trove of stories and several new considerations about my role and my future.
"And Quilly, 'fore ya go." She nodded at me. "You're strong for a pony, not just in body but in heart. Don't worry, because if anyone can save your crew, it's you."
My spirit swelled at the compliment. "Thanks, Bertha. That really, seriously means a lot." Admittedly, I didn't share the same level of confidence that she did, but it still felt good to hear.
"And if by chance you ever find yourself back in Divide... say, after you save your friends," Bertha winked. "Be sure to stop by the Castaway again. Come Cogs or synths or storms, we'll still be cookin', even for Steel Rangers."
I met up with Teensy and Toffee outside of Castaway. The two were chatting, and as I approached, I heard the griffon tell his partner that he'd see her at home. The mare pecked him on his cheek, then gave me one last shy smile before she departed. I informed Teensy of the repaired robes I needed to retrieve, and he followed me as I returned to the seamstress's shop. The mall was significantly quieter at this hour, with only a few shoppers still milling about, looking for last-minute purchases. Many shops had closed already.
Thankfully, the seamstress was not among them. The elderly griffon presented me with a gloriously-restored set of Scribe robes, with the patched area almost indistinguishable from the original fabric. I thanked her profusely and hugged the valued garments tight. As much as I wanted to put them on now, I was still wary of how they might look to Divide's people in light of the Cogs' fashion sense, at least when it came to their preachers. This thought also prevented me from offering to sell her the Stable barding then and there, even though I wanted to. The caps it could earn me wouldn't be worth the risk of a visible wing or suspicious robes.
Leaving the mall, Teensy led me toward the center of the town's halves. He didn't speak much, at least not until we neared the base of the crane. "So, uh, listen. I'm not exactly supposed to let you use the radio, not without the right paperwork. It's a recent thing, with the way everything's been, you know..." He looked up at the top of the tower. "So just let me do the talking, alright?"
"I appreciate you doing this for me."
"It's fine. Bertha asked, and I owe her enough to help out whenever she'd like me to."
"You two have a history?"
Teensy used a wing to adjust his head feathers as he informed me, "When I left my village and came to Divide looking for work, I got turned away from the Talons because of my size. Bertha and Crag hired me as a server, and from there they helped me hook up with Toff. Bertha knew I had an interest in the Talons and electronics, and she was able to get me a radio operator position."
"That's kind of her," I commented. "She's got connections with the Talons?"
"She's got influence all over Divide. I'm sure you noticed, but she's a big personality. Lots of connections, lots of friends, and yeah, that extends to even the Talons."
The lower frame of the crane had been enclosed and constructed into an armory, illuminated by dim windows and sporadic gem lights. Along the back of the structure was a series of stairs. They were the narrow and flimsy kind that reminded me of fire escapes, and similarly, the stairs terminated in a platform fifteen feet above the ground. An attached collapsible ladder was the only visible way to reach the stairs without wings. There was also a barbed-wire fence that encircled the crane's base; it was clear that this was all viewed as adequate security, since the Cogs had neither magic nor flight. Unfortunately, I no longer had the latter ability, and Teensy reminded me as such.
"I don't have the key to unlock the gate, so we'll have to get you over the fence somehow. After that, I can drop the ladder for you."
"You Talons never use the stairs, do you?"
The griffon scratched his beak. "Can't say we do. Used to have proper stairs up before the Cogs started breathing down our necks."
We had a brief debate on the best way to cross the fence. We settled on trying tandem flight; Teensy was too small to carry me over all by himself, but with the help of my single wing, it was possible. When I spread my appendage, I realized just how weak it felt now that I was no longer flying. I made a mental note to start exercising my wing in the future.
I tightened my saddlebags as tight as I could manage, and then Teensy took hold of the left side. I backed up for a running start, and then galloped at the fence while we pumped our wings in sync. Kicking off the ground, we were able to lift into the air on a shaky, upwards trajectory. Teensy groaned as I tucked in my legs, and we rose just high enough to clear the fence, though I painfully brushed the top of the barbed wire coils. Once we were over, our strength gave out and we tumbled to the concrete in a heap.
Out of breath, sore, but past the fence, I waited as Teensy flew up to the ladder and quietly dropped it down to me. Laboriously, I hooked my fetlocks around the rungs and pulled myself up slowly. Life was so much easier when I could fly on my own.
Once we had climbed the stairs to the upper balcony, our efforts were rewarded with a bird's-eye view of Divide. It was truly sprawling, and I could see much of the city's northern half from here as well, which looked to be very close in size. We kept moving, passing a windsock which fluttered lazily in the breeze. Protruding past the base of the railing were a number of makeshift perches where griffons could drop from to begin an easy glide. On the far corner stood a flagpole with a fluttering black flag emblazoned with the Talon emblem. Seeing it now, I realized that this was likely the symbol carved into my dagger.
Close to the edge, I felt my heart thump enthusiastically at the reminder of true flight. However, my short thrill of excitement was replaced by one of fear as I felt my wing stump wiggle. At this height, a fall would render me little more than a pulverized pegasus pancake on the pavement below.
The main communications room was very dark at this hour, only lit by a few candles, terminals, and the blinking lights of radio equipment. As soon as we entered, my nose was assaulted by the concentrated scent of griffon dander, interspersed with metal and chemical smells. I spied only one avian present at the moment, who was dozing behind a desk, a headset crookedly clinging to her head. Teensy led me over and prodded the other griffon into consciousness.
"Hey, uh, Gail?"
"Mmm-huh?" She awoke with a squawk.
Teensy looked at me briefly, then back to the other Talon. "Got a... civvie here that needs the radio for a minute."
Gail blinked hard, then rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. "Oh. She's been cleared for it?"
"It's a request from Bertha," Teensy answered pointedly.
At this, Gail stared at Teensy for a few seconds, then turned her eyes to me for the first time. "Oh, Bertha...?" She rubbed her beak, then stood. "Well, uh, alright then." She looked over her shoulder at the rest of the room, still mostly shrouded in darkness. "Gerhard's still got a stick up his tailfeathers about Bertha and her 'special privileges'."
"We'll try to be quick," Teensy said, addressing both Gail and myself. He leaned over the desk to check the radio equipment briefly. There were charts filled with numbers covering the desktop, though it was too dark to make out anything specific. "Go ahead, Quillwright."
I sat down hesitantly, now also peering around apprehensively. When Teensy had finished making a couple adjustments, he handed me a headset and a microphone. This was followed by a quick tutorial on how to adjust the signal and fine-tune the connection should I encounter any interference. When I was certain I understood all the basics, I fit the headset over my ears and began searching for the frequency that the Steel Ranger Citadel could be reached on.
Scanning the radio waves took me longer than was comfortable. I hadn't operated a radio like this one in quite some time, as any communications the Steel Rangers needed to make were handled by a different branch of Scribes in the Citadel, those more inclined to the engineering side of preservation. There were times when I had needed to ask other chapters for information regarding a subject I was researching or for intel that might help an upcoming expedition, but those had been few and often far between, especially since moving into the Citadel.
"... -know that all of Equestria appreciates the work you are doing. As our great city rebuilds, we will push on towards a brighter future for our children, our grandchildren, and generations far removed. Their lives will be enriched by this incred- ..." My jaw clenched tight at the words; hearing Red Eye's propaganda was a surefire method to ruin my day. My mind flickered back to the image of Fillydelphia's imposing walls, which towered over the Citadel, close enough that we could make out the patrolling slavers.
Early on in my career among the Steel Rangers, I had entertained violent fantasies about what our organization could do to those monsters. Power armor was an impenetrable, unstoppable force, and surely we would soon storm into the hellhole and deliver justice to the slavers. When I had proposed the idea to fellow Rangers, however, they expressed little to no interest in such an endeavor. Sure, most didn't approve of Red Eye or of slavery, but eventually I had to accept a harsh realization.
For all our technology, of all our bravado and our carefully crafted image of power and authority, the Steel Rangers were no match for an army the size of Red Eye's, nor for a city as vast, entrenched, and defended as Fillydelphia. And so for years, those soaring walls had taunted me. There was nothing I could do against them, no way to topple them and no way to save my family...
My mental tangent was disrupted by the honk of a tuba and the trill of harmonicas as music filled the headphones. The Red Eye propaganda had concluded while I was lost in thoughts, and now that unbearable marching music was playing. Now in a foul mood, my hoof sent the dial back out into the radio waves to continue searching. Eventually I found myself in the middle of a transmission that included some familiar phrases.
"-...To clean, and if possible, restore. They should prove useful, over."
"I look forward to reviewing them, over."
I recognized that second voice: Scribe Pine, who had been one of my first transcription partners in the Citadel! Quickly, I activated my microphone and interrupted their conversation.
"Break, break, break! This is Nimbus Tango Five, I've got an emergency message for Sierra Delta Four, repeat, an emergency message for Sierra Delta Four! Do you copy, over?"
"Roger. Sierra Delta Four is away, over."
Pluck my feathers. "Copy... um, is Hotel Bronco Two around? Over." Thankfully, I still remembered the callsign for Head Scribe Citrus, since Elder Melonseed was reportedly indisposed.
"Affirmative. Stand by, over."
Whoever had been on the other side of Scribe Pine's casual conversation before I cut in awkwardly said, "I'll call back later, out." The silence that followed lasted a few minutes, during which I heard the pair of griffons behind me chatting idly.
"Have you heard there's supposed to be a pegasus in Divide?" Gail mentioned. I felt my wing pull in a little closer beneath my barding.
Teensy cleared his throat, which sounded like a short and throaty whistle through his beak. "Yep, pretty crazy."
When Head Scribe Citrus's voice crackled into the headset, I nearly jumped out of my hide. "Come in, Nimbus Tango Five." I acknowledged her, and she followed with, "Go ahead, over."
I swallowed, trying to relay the disaster that had been the past week while on an unsecured frequency, possibly monitored or recorded by the Talons. "The -- I don't have much time -- the mission's gone south. Target was empty but caused two KIAs. The bird departed without me, then grounded somewhere. Over."
The news took Citrus aback; at least, I assumed so judging by the long pause between my 'over' and her reply. "Acknowledged. Is the target still salvageable, over?"
"Affirmative, over."
"Is the jewelry still in your possession? Over."
My eyes flicked down to the PipBuck on my foreleg. "Affirmative. I have it, over."
"Return home with the jewelry immediately. Over."
But what about the rest of the expedition? "Negative. My..." I took a steadying breath. "I'm grounded too. Over."
I heard the faintest hint of a groan on the other end. "Acknowledged. Can you return another way? Over."
Behind me, I felt Teensy tap me on the withers with a talon and whisper, "Try and hurry it up, Quillwright." He sounded tense.
"Negative. I've been traveling on hoof since I left the target." Gnawing my lip anxiously, I followed up with, "And what about the others? Over."
"Tracking them alone and in your condition is far too high a risk for you to take," Head Scribe Citrus answered. "I believe Sierra Delta Four and Whiskey Foxtrot Six would come to the same assessment." I doubted Elder Melonseed would be so quick to dismiss the rest of the expedition. On the other hoof, Star Paladin Blueberry Sabre, to whom the second callsign belonged, would've agreed with Citrus' harsh command wholeheartedly. "Your discretion is trusted, Nimbus. As the acting Head Scribe, you will assume leadership if Jubilee Zulu One is unable to. Over."
If Orange Kyanite is unable to. "A-affirmative. Um, and one more thing..." I was about to try and ask whether the Head Scribe had any knowledge of the Mareami contingent of Steel Rangers when Teensy interrupted me.
"We have to go now, Quillwright." There was a fearful urgency in his voice, which jolted me into action.
With one more press of the microphone, I ended the transmission with, "Out." I then stood and tore off the headset, which Gail was already taking from me and returning to her seat. I began towards the door, but Teensy shook his head and directed me to take cover beneath a nearby desk instead. I swiftly did as he asked, squeezing my body into the uncomfortably cramped but sufficiently dark space.
Seconds later, I heard the door to the outside open, then a gruff voice. "Hey, Pip, what're you doing up here at this hour? You're not on duty." How many different synonyms for small is Teensy referred to by?
The griffon in question replied, "Just came to say bonjour to Gail." As if he'd already decided that that was a poor excuse, Teensy added, "Say, we were just talking about how there's supposed to be a pegasus in town."
"Fascinating. You know the rules." The speaker sounded familiar, and I had a creeping feeling that it belonged to Gerhard, the first Talon to accost Willow and I before we'd arrived in Divide.
"Yeah. I'll, uh, just go, then."
When Teensy had exited the room, Gerhard told Gail, "I need you to get ahold of Bluebeak in Prancecola for me, we have another contract for him before he comes back."
While the griffonness began the call, I dared a quick peek above the edge of the desk, my ears kept flat. Sure enough, the imposing Gerhard stood just behind Gail. I needed to escape; not only would Gerhard recognize me, but I had potentially incriminating robes in my bags.
I waited until Gail had surrendered her seat and headset to Gerhard, then scuttled across the floor to the exit. By some stroke of luck, I was able to escape, noting that Gail had watched me leave with an unreadable expression. Teensy was waiting for me on the balcony outside, leaning against the railing. His feathers fluffed in relief when he saw me.
"Oh, good, you're out," he addressed me. "That could've gone south really fast. You get everything you needed done?"
To be honest, the call hadn't changed anything. We certainly weren't getting any backup from Equestria; without another airship, sending a force by ground would take too long and be too dangerous. Head Scribe Citrus thought it best that I should save myself and not risk my life to save the rest of the expedition, but there was no way I could abandon my allies like that. I had sworn an oath to the Steel Rangers, and that oath called me to protect, not to flee. I had to find them, to find Kyanite; he would know what to do.
"It was enough."
We descended the tower, and once we had reached the end of the stairs, we used our tandem flight technique to clumsily soar over the fence. I managed to stick the landing this time, my wing hanging languidly at my side with exhaustion.
I repeatedly thanked Teensy for his help, and he waved them all away with a, "Don't mention it."
The Beehive was my next destination. Willow Wisp's apartment wasn't difficult to locate, thanks to how brightly its orange paint stood out from its neighbors. As I arrived, I raised a hoof to knock on Willow's door, but hesitated.
I had already taken advantage of her and her hospitality before. To do it again, to wake her up and intrude on her own home... it didn't feel right. I did, however, need to catch her as soon as she left her apartment tomorrow, since I didn't know if she was leaving town or still looking for a customer. I sat down at her doorstep, using my saddlebags as a lumpy pillow and keeping the hellhound dagger within reach.
To stay awake as long as possible, I turned to the Pipbuck, inserting an earbloom. There were still a number of logs from Stable 56 that I hadn't listened to yet, so I inserted an earbloom and resumed listening to Overmare Sprocket as she detailed the early days of the shelter's operation. To keep my eyes open and busy, I scanned over some of the magazines I'd bought in the mall.
"... Tenacity and the other engineers have concluded that the teleportation chambers cannot connect to the original destination. The first reports we received, the ones from Equestria that sent us onto the Stable to begin with, were of Canterlot being attacked. As much as it pains me to think, the capitol is probably nothing more than dust now, and that means the receivers in the Ministry of Peace are a no-go.
"It's a shame. Those kids are bright, EIT alumni all. Most of them even helped with the original teleporters, so if anyone could fix ours, they'd be the ponies for the job. Tenacity had some funny stories about how the prototypes could go wrong, but also some terrifying ones. Early tests showed that the teleporters would sometimes only move half of an object; thankfully, they hadn't graduated to living test subjects yet.
"But also, sometimes an item would vanish in the chamber and simply never reappear. She... implied that the Institute did eventually figure this one out, but she kindly refused to elaborate when I pressed her on it. On one hoof, I understand that it's classified wartime information, but... the war is over now, so what's the harm?
"Still, Tenacity and the other engineers are trying to rework the connection so that we can get these products out into Mulisiana via the receivers in EIT's science hall, so they can save those on the surface. I... I hope we still have a country left to save. My folks in Mareami should be safe, since I earned them both tickets into the Stable there. Still... Celestia, I just hope we can leave soon."
The shriek of scraping metal roused me from my slumber as I heard Willow calling to Wick. Groggily, I raised my head, blinking up at the unicorn guide who was stopped and staring at me, curled up on her doorstep. From this angle, I could see her confused and surprised face beneath her hood.
"Uh.... Quill?"
I struggled up and straightened my clothes, then my mane. "Yeah, um, hi, Willow!" I said as I pulled out my earbloom and stuffed my magazines into my bags.
"What're...?"
Deciding to cut right to the chase, I blurted, "I'd like to hire you again."
Willow paused, then asked, "Y-you would?"
I nodded. "I would. Are you, uh...?"
Looking down at Wick, Willow finished for me, "Leaving? Yeah. I found a new customer yesterday, see." She turned her attention up to me. "I wouldn't mind helping you again, but de t'ing is dat de customer needs a guide in de Sunken Valley."
"Well, I need to go to Brayton Rouge now. That's through the Valley, isn't it?"
"It is..." Willow confirmed apprehensively. "... But it's not like what we've been going t'rough up 'til now, no. Really treacherous." She gave Wick a pat on the head. "I'm about to leave Wick wid a pet sitter here in Divide; I'm not gonna bring him into a place like de Valley."
I reached into my saddlebags and produced a green VimVam cap. "Here's a hundred. I can pay you this now, and provide an extra gun while you're traveling."
Willow stared at the cap briefly, then looked up at me. "I'll have to ask my customer if dat's okay. If it were just me, I'd gladly have you along, yeah."
The 'pet sitter' that Willow had referred to turned out to be Divide's local veterinarian. A few ponies ran the business, including a unicorn mare who greeted Willow warmly and by name. "Oh, hiya Willow! Here to give Wicky a check-up?" She crouched down to greet my guide's dog, who was wagging his tail feverishly, clearly happy to meet this pony.
"Hey, River Lily. I'm afraid not, no. I'm taking a client into de Sunken Valley, so I need to leave him here for de time being."
The interior of their shop was lined by cages filled with all manner of pets, from cats and dogs to birds and even small de-fanged gators. Outside, there had also been a larger pen where I spotted a tortoise ambling about. One of the veterinarians was placing a kitten back into its cage, having been holding the feline by the scruff of its neck. The tired pony's face was covered in tiny battle scars.
"Oh, we'd be happy to have him! Who's a good boy~?" River Lily cooed as she stroked Wick's head, the dog having fallen into a pleasurable trance. When she'd finished, it was Willow's turn to give her pet some love. She wrapped Wick in a tight hug and kissed his head.
"Be good, cher," she soothed. "I'll be back for you." Wick eagerly licked her face in reply.
Once the visit to the veterinarian had concluded, we headed to Divide's main gate. There were a few caravans and milling creatures gathered on both sides of the wall, and as we exited the city, Willow led me past a small crowd and to an individual who stood apart from the rest. My unicorn friend addressed the creature before I had a chance to see who it was.
"Hey, uh, I have anot'er customer dat's gonna tag along, if dat's alright?" The pony she addressed turned to appraise us, and I froze. He wasn't a pony at all!
An aged zebra stood before us, the stripes of his fur faded from the passage of time. Despite his age, he still looked powerfully built. His silvering mohawk parted lazily at his bangs, falling over piercing turquoise eyes. He wore a patched jean jacket, with a pair of wire-frame spectacles hanging from the collar. Around his withers were two necklaces, one with a dark, ward-like jewel in the center, the other with a pinkish-purple feather. He also wore a battle saddle, with bags strapped to the left side and a long weapon on the right, hidden underneath a tattered plaid blanket.
"She's a good shot," Willow added, as if she felt she needed to justify my presence. "It's good to have backup in de Valley, yeah?"
"Agreed," the zebra responded. His dulcet voice carried the distinct, clear accent of Equestrian. I felt his eyes as he quickly assessed me, then locked with my own gaze. Though he sounded hesitant, he followed with, "... I suppose it would be alright."
Willow gave the dirt a short stomp of approval. "Dat's a relief."
Still watching me, the zebra's lips pulled into a small smile. He extended a hoof to me. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, miss. My name's Zero."
Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk: Down South Cookin', Rank 1 - Your experiences working in Bertha's kitchen have imbued you with new culinary knowledge. You now have access to regional recipes when cooking. |
Fallout: Equestria - Of Shadows | Chapter 10: Out of Sight | "Now, I'm not normally one to discourage an adventurous spirit, but certain... events have convinced me of the value of forewarning."
"How do you spell that? Z-i-r-o? Z-e-e-r-o? Z-i-e-r-e-a-u?"
That was the question that immediately sprung to mind and nearly escaped my lips. However, a sudden nervousness stole my voice. In spite of my hesitation, the zebra still held his hoof out to me in greeting.
Why not greet him back? I swallowed back the uneasiness and bumped his hoof with mine. He nodded, then addressed Willow. "So, Miss Wisp," he began. "How about we get started?"
"Don't wanna waste any daylight while we got it, yeah," the unicorn agreed, her hooded face briefly turning towards the morning sky. "Gonna be dark enough in de Valley as-is."
Just like that, we departed from Divide, traveling back down the heavily-beaten road that led to Route Forty. Willow took the lead as we cantered, Zero close behind her. I trailed both of them a short ways, stealing glances at the old zebra and his weapon while my mind worked.
Some small, paranoid voice inside my head insisted that his name was in fact the number zero, but what kind of name was that? It clearly couldn't be his real one... unless he was formerly enslaved or simply had parents with a cruel sense of humor. And if he was conducting business with pseudonyms, what did he have to hide? Who did he work for? The rifle that hung from his battle saddle not only looked advanced, but he kept it covered as if trying to keep it a secret. He's not from the Institute, is he?
These musings were shoved around by a voice that sounded quite similar to Bertha's. Why should I immediately jump to negative assumptions? Yes, he was a zebra. If he were a pony, would I be so suspicious of him, or go as far as to think he could be an Institute spy? The college was founded by ponies, so that would be an even more likely scenario, if still probably untrue.
Still, this was the post-apocalypse and a land still largely mysterious to me. Some caution around strangers was warranted, wasn't it? Seeking to put both voices to rest, I settled on the middle road. I wouldn't assume the worst of Zero, but I would still keep an eye on him. Hopefully he would earn his trust soon.
It didn't take long for us to arrive at Route Forty. The wide strip of pavement was cracked and pitted from the many decades of exposure and never-ending hoof traffic, but provided a relatively safe path for creatures to follow through Mulisiana. We turned and headed east down the highway, entering new and uncharted territory for me. Over time, the trees began to grow more densely, and a light mist settled over our surroundings. We passed a large brown metal sign that read "Marepas National Forest: 6".
"Say, Willow," I called ahead, then sped up to a trot. Zero watched as I passed him, then came up on the other side of our guide. "You haven't described the Sunken Valley to me yet. What's it like?"
The unicorn shook her hooded head. "Dere's a reason why I left Wick behind... several, really. De Valley's covered in trees and fog, often so t'ick dat you can't hardly see a pony's lengt' ahead. Den dere's flaming geysers, sinkholes, quicksand, radiation, and plenty of bad-bad bugs out to eat you."
I felt my ears droop slightly.
"Unusually large rats, too," Zero chimed in, smirking slightly.
"I don't tink dey exist, no."
What's he talking about? "Are there any ponies or other creatures living in the Valley?" I inquired. "Any towns or the like?"
"Nah. Brayton Rouge is technically on de edge, but nobody's lived there in a long time. As for staying in de valley itself, well..." Willow looked up briefly, though I got the sense that her unseen eyes flicked to our zebra companion. "It's de kind of place you live if you want to be left alone, yeah."
True to Willow Wisp's word, the fog did not take long to manifest. Route Forty assumed a gradual downward grade as we continued, and as the fog and trees thickened, lamps that matched Divide's began to line the road. They were considerably smaller and many were in disrepair, either fallen over or flickering as the crackling gemstones spun at inconsistent speeds. Willow noticed me checking them out.
"A few decades ago, Divide tried to fund de construction of a safe passage t'rough de Valley. Problem was dat folks had a hard time overcoming fears and superstitions, so most still preferred to take de long way around," she informed me. "When Brayton Rouge was abandoned, Divide lost de main reason to maintain any roads in here. Dere's still some lamps left, but not very many, no."
We were now stepping around puddles in the road, and the pavement was already displaying its disintegration the deeper into the forest we traveled. Defaced road signs gave us occasional updates on our distance from the official entrance to the national forest. The temperature was falling as the fog enveloped us in its cool embrace, and my ears soon popped from the change in air pressure.
"So, uh... how long do you think we'll be in the Valley?" I asked.
"Well... we're...?" Willow glanced at Zero, who whickered.
"I need Miss Wisp's help finding a particular building. Once we've located it, the two of you can go on your way."
"You won't need a guide back to your... uh, friends?"
"I shouldn't, no."
Willow nodded. "Alright den." To me, "Brayton Rouge is maybe a fifteen-hour trot away from Divide, if de trip is smoot'. I reckon dat it won't be too far away from where Zero's looking to end up."
Passenger wagons, chariots, and motorwagons dotted the road as well. The further we had traveled from Divide, the less scavenged the vehicle carcasses had been. By the time we reached the forest's official entrance, they were almost untouched. There had been a pile-up of vehicles around both sides of a small gatehouse, with one motorwagon having crashed into the corner of the building and collapsing most of it. A passenger wagon was parked on the shoulder just before the gate, its side decorated with graffiti.
There was a large, rustic welcome sign in front of the gatehouse, reading "Marepas: Where Magic Was Born." While the others took a look at the sign and the ruins, I investigated the passenger wagon. Names of those who had been lost in the Valley had been listed beneath the windows. Prayers to Celestia and other deities surrounded the victim's names, along with some crude jokes which had been scratched through. As I circled the vehicle to the front door, I peered up through the windows, which alternated between filthily opaque and broken.
Cramped stairs led me to the interior, a long aisle stretching out before me filled with a dozen rows of seats. A few suitcases and bags were scattered here and there, but as I opened and rifled around in each one, I found that most were already looted. Some seats had been removed, and I found makeshift mattresses in their places.
A suitcase's interior pocket rewarded me with a Mulisiana visitor's guide. Unfolding it, I was greeted by a large, full-color map of the region, along with lists of attractions and landmarks deemed interesting enough to grab the attention of tourists. Now this is a great find!
"You done in dere yet, Quill?" I heard Willow call from outside.
Folding up the map, I shouted back, "Yeah, be right there!" As the papers went into my own bags, the commotion seemed to have stirred up another noise from somewhere inside the wagon. It was a low, vibrating sound, almost like insect wings. My fearful mind right away thought of goremoths, but that didn't seem to make any sense; their wings were quiet and fragile, not able to flap so fast as to hum like this.
The noise echoed across the floor. Crouching down, I peeked underneath the seats on the right side. Everything looked clear, so I switched to check the left. Green, glittering eyes met mine, and then a furious buzz arose as the creature climbed atop the seat it had been resting beneath and then took to the air. It looked like a bloatsprite, only its mouth was horribly stretched, half as long as a foreleg and tapered into a sharp, needle-like point.
I screamed in panic and stumbled backwards. Riptide is somewhere in my saddlebag! I had just glimpsed it when putting the map away, why hadn't I thought to grab it?
"Quill!" came Willow's voice, but I was too busy scooting my way down the aisle on my rump to reply. The pointy bloatsprite zipped towards me, and I had only seconds to spare before I raised my saddlebag as a shield. The needle mouth punctured the bag, the wickedly-sharp point halting only inches away from my breast. The sprite tried to pull back with an angry beat of its wings. I threw my saddlebag down the aisle, taking the creature with it. While it struggled to chase after me, I scrambled out of the wagon, joining Willow and a concerned-looking Zero.
"B-bloatsprite," I panted, shivering with fear and disgust. "In th-the wag-"
"Aw, shit!" Willow yelled, her horn lighting up to draw her shotgun. I turned to see that the sprite had freed itself and had zipped out through one of the shattered windows, its tiny body charging at us like a spear. Just like a spear, however, it lost to gun, as Willow blew it apart with a well-aimed shot. Bits of insect gore splattered onto the pavement in front of us.
"Bloodsprite," Willow spat. Whether she was correcting me or simply cursing their name, it was hard to say. As the unicorn opened her shotgun to replace the spent shell, I noticed Zero was reaching down to grab a blanket with his mouth. Realizing this was the same plaid one that had covered his weapon, I caught a glimpse of just what was attached to his battle saddle before he concealed it again.
The rifle was a bulky and complex mix of exposed rails, coils, and wires, giving me the sense that it was a prototype weapon of some kind. I couldn't ascertain any more specifics before it was shrouded by the blanket, and Zero furtively cast his eyes to Willow and then to me. We made eye contact, and I looked away quickly.
Willow was oblivious to any of this. "Almost as bad as goremot's," she muttered as she kicked a pebble at the remains of the bloodsprite. "Dey'll suck you dry in seconds if dey get dat needle-mout' in you."
"Excellent," I groaned. "I haven't lost enough blood yet..."
When I retrieved my saddlebags from the passenger wagon, I checked inside to assess the damage done by the bloodsprite. Fortunately, the thick stack of reading material I'd purchased in Divide had absorbed the blow and saved my hide. Unfortunately, the center of every page was now missing a chunk, so reading them would be a bit more difficult.
I need a holster, I thought. Looking down at my forelegs, I also reflected, And to make more use of my E.F.S.
As we passed the gatehouse and into the national forest, Willow halted and extended a hoof to Zero. "Hey, can I see dat brochure again?"
The front of the brochure in question displayed the image of a bright, colorful theme park. The title read, "Wonders await in VimVam Land!" When Willow unfolded the paper, a map of the park was revealed, complete with roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, slides, and what looked suspiciously like a fancy Stable entrance in the center of it all.
"Check the back," Zero informed her.
Willow refolded the brochure and flipped it over. A compressed map of the region pointed to the park's address, while directions below listed a nearby hotel, only a few miles away from a town called Martingale. Our guide tapped the name with her hoof. "Okay, yeah, I know de way dere. Once we arrive, it shouldn't be much trouble to reach de hotel."
Zero nodded. "We're right behind you."
Willow formed a bulb from her lighter, then allowed the wisp to forge a path through the building fog that shrouded the road ahead of us. "Stick close."
Being proactive for once, I switched on my E.F.S. and kept it activated as we traveled. The compass indicated that we were heading eastward, and I spotted the occasional red blip appear for a moment and then vanish. The fog was growing so thick that neither I nor whatever the spell was detecting could see each other. We thankfully hadn't crossed paths with anything yet, but it was still unnerving knowing that we were in hostile, untamed territory.
By this point the roadside lamps were a true rarity. While the sun was still able to add a bit of ambient light to the Valley, most of our vision was afforded by Willow's bulb, my PipBuck's screen, and a flashlight mounted to Zero's battle saddle. Our guide's red mane was otherwise the brightest part of our group, I reflected with some amusement.
"Ow!" I hissed as I clipped my hoof on an uneven chunk of road. The pavement beneath us was almost completely worn away now, shattered by weather and conquered by the undergrowth. Zero checked back at me.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine," I huffed. Shaking my sore hoof, I fell back in behind him, my eyes once again drifting to the concealed weapon he was carrying. Part of me desperately wanted to ask if I could take a look at it. Maybe when Zero fell asleep, I could sneak a peek...
"So have you ever been to Brayton Rouge before, if you don't mind me asking?" Zero asked.
It took me a few moments to recognize that the question was directed at me. I looked back up at the zebra, who had a brow raised.
"Uh..." I cleared my throat. "No, I haven't." I kept my gaze fixed ahead, now watching Willow's bulb as it cut through the misty air.
"Hm. Well, it's sad to say, but you aren't going to see the city in its prime. I visited before it was ruined... place was just beautiful. The cathedral alone was worth seeing; still is, to an extent."
Willow chimed in, "What'd de donkeys even worship so much to build a church dat big?"
I had certainly wondered that the first time I'd heard of a cathedral. Pre-war spirituality was a topic I didn't fully understand. Ponies had held a reverence for Celestia even before her ascension, but actual religion was a practice that seemed mostly left up to the zebras. Now I knew that minotaurs worshipped the sun and northern creatures believed in a warrior's afterlife, but I hadn't thought to ask Bertha or Crag whether those religions had existed before the megaspells or not.
"From what I understand, the donkeys have a pantheon of saints that they revere," our striped companion tried his best to answer. "The cathedral's lined by stained-glass windows that honor each, but I can't say I know much beyond that."
"Fat lotta good dem saints did 'em," Willow sneered.
Soon our guide brought us to a halt on the bank of a river. I couldn't determine the size of the river for all the fog that obscured my vision, but the waters did stir with a gentle current. Willow's bulb was glowing as bright as it could, illuminating a shoddy wooden platform on the shore, with a pulley system above it that sent a cable out across the water.
"We have to take a ferry?" I groaned, my stomach already knotting. Mulisianan rivers were already a terrifying image, and now one with the extra hindrance of fog was like the perfect nightmare.
Willow lit her horn, using it to rotate a crank on the platform. Rusted gears squealed as they turned, moving the cable. "Used to be an old wooden bridge here, den it got washed away in a flood, so... yeah. Ferry."
When the boat in question finally came into view, it failed to assuage my fears. The ferry was covered in ivy, and when it clunked against the platform, a shower of rust and condensation fell from its railings. Willow tested the floor with a hoof, and when she didn't fall through, put her full trust in the ferry and stepped on. Zero followed her lead, and after some hesitation, I joined them. It wasn't cramped, but I still felt uncomfortable as Willow brought us back out over the water.
"Is it possible to get seasick on a river?" I asked Willow half-seriously as the unicorn took up a long stick with her telekinesis, which had been resting in a small pile of similar implements. She stood at the front of the ferry, looking for any floating obstacles that would need to be pushed out of the way.
"Uh... you get seasick just from de motion of water, yeah? So I don't see why not," Willow answered, before double-taking at me as I sat and languished in the center of the craft. "Wait, you're not gonna be sick, no?"
My response was just to sigh and bury my face, shivering a little as I heard the sloshing of water only feet below the deck.
Zero took over on the crank, allowing Willow to concentrate fully on warding away obstructions. She evidently missed a few, as I would periodically hear and feel the thunk of a log bumping into the ferry followed by Willow's curses. Our trip across the river lasted several minutes, until finally there was a clunk that rocked the ferry in a different way. I looked up to see that we had reached the end of the cable, attached to a pole which leaned crookedly towards us.
"Where's the shore?" Zero asked as I stood on quivering legs. Indeed, when we joined Willow at the front of the ferry, we found the platform was askew, while more water stretched before us.
"Dis... dis is it." Taking her stick, Willow planted it into the murky swirls next to the platform. The shaft sunk... and sunk. When it was almost fully submerged, Willow pulled it back out. Mud coated the stick almost up to the halfway mark. "Fucking hell, it's flooded."
I bit my lip. "Is it safe to disembark, or...?"
"Uh..." Willow slowly spun the stick in midair, her tone conflicted. "I mean, technically yes. De ground does rise up ahead, so we wouldn't be going de rest of de way to Martingale in water or anyt'ing."
"But?" Zero asked.
"But wid recent flooding like dis, dere's gonna be quicksand all over de place. I can navigate it, it's just gonna be slow going."
"Is that our only option?" the zebra prompted again.
Willow looked downstream. "We... we could detach de ferry and take it down de river, hope dat we find drier ground. T'ing is, I don't wanna be dat asshole who destroyed de ferry for anyone else who comes t'rough in de future, not just including myself." She then indicated the way we came. "Den of course we could always go back and look for anot'er ferry, but I don't remember where de ot'ers are and we'd be losing a lot of valuable daylight."
"I vote we get off here," I stated. Zero nodded his agreement.
Psyching herself up, Willow led us onto the platform. It creaked and bounced a little, but held. Our unicorn guide then retrieved a bundled rope from her saddlebags, which she gave to Zero. "Hopefully we won't need it, but you should hold onto dis." She then turned her body away from him, looked back over her withers and flicked her tail. "Now, Mister Zero, hold my tail."
"Uh..." The zebra scrunched his eyebrows.
"Dis is serious!" Willow growled. "Look, I-I wouldn't just ask you to do someting like dis for fun. Single-file, we'll be less likely to take a wrong step." She took a shaky breath. "And if I do fall in, I need you two to be ready to pull me out. Don't wanna be stuck for very long, else I'll catch hypo... hyper... uh, y'know. Freeze."
Zero took a deep breath, then reached his head forward and lightly bit onto Willow's tail. One of her hindlegs twitched, but she kept her composure.
"Okay, Quill, now you take Zero's."
I saw the old zebra in question side-eye me. Looking at his long, brush-like tail, I shifted in place uncomfortably. "I... uh..."
Willow shook her head and nickered, "Ugh, Quill, eit'er you hold his or he holds yours."
Reluctantly, I moved behind Zero and took up the zebra's tail in my mouth. His body carried the scent of a campfire, and I was frustrated that I was enjoying the pleasant scent in such an awkward way. Seeing that our little train was finally assembled, Willow used her stick to test the area immediately in front of us. I noticed different levels of resistance as she stabbed, and after multiple tests, she finally took her first cautious step into the water.
She gave it some time, ensuring that the ground somewhere beneath was supporting her, before her second leg went in. The brown water reached her knee. While the PipBuck had proven itself waterproof already, I didn't want to risk it further or have to clean the device again, so it was placed into my saddlebag before I also took a dip. The water was chilly and the soil beneath was a doughy texture.
We moved through the marsh very slowly, Willow constantly testing with her stick while Zero and I followed her path as closely as we were able to. On occasion I felt one of my hooves sink a little deeper into the quaggy ground than I was comfortable with, and as I wobbled my wing would subconsciously extend and retract as needed to maintain balance. My companions also stumbled occasionally as they too discovered submerged pocks. A couple of times, Willow was forced to stop completely as she poked with her stick, then turned us to a slightly new angle.
This took us a considerable amount of time, my eyes eventually feeling dizzy due to the gently undulating stripes in front of me. Willow proved her skills by keeping us mostly dry, and at last the waters receded to fetlock-level. It was here that she called a break. My legs were terribly sore from the combined effort of walking through water and trying to maintain balance for so long. I dropped Zero's tail, spitting out a few loose strands of hair.
"Sorry, ma'am," the zebra apologized to me as he released Willow's tail. "Glad we're almost out of here."
Our guide was breathing heavily as she rested a shoulder against her stick. "Martingale shouldn't be more den half an hour or so nort'east. Still need to be cautious, but I t'ink we're past de worst."
I noticed that grass was now beginning to poke above the water. Small clusters of tarberries were also spread around, and had recently tempted a radhog to its demise. The animal lay half-submerged within the muck, and what flesh was exposed to the air had been left shriveled and exsanguinated, as dozens of tiny wounds in its back indicated that it had been feasted upon by bloodsprites while incapacitated. Whether the hog had been dead or alive when it was drained, I couldn't say.
This detail urged me to retrieve my PipBuck, reattaching it and booting up the E.F.S. The compass was mostly empty, save for one or two marks which vanished soon after they registered. I let Willow know and she nodded. "Zero, you any good wid whatever you have on dat battle saddle?"
"I am."
"Glad to hear it, 'cause we may need it ready. Bugs are still around in places like dis, and if we meet any..."
"Got it."
My hooves were frigid by now, but the thought of finally reaching dry land soon gave me a much-needed burst of energy. We reassembled our train and forged ahead again. The going was as smooth as it had been until I noticed one, then two, then three red marks appear on the compass ahead of us. They darted back and forth rapidly, then shot to the side. I turned my head forward to inform Willow and noticed that there were six new marks ahead of us, all moving just as erratically.
Dropping Zero's tail, I called, "Willow, lots of hostiles ahead!" We all halted and listened intently. There were distant high-pitched sounds, muffled by the fog, though they were growing louder.
"Get low to de ground," our unicorn guide commanded. "Swarm."
We crouched down, our barrels just above the now inch-deep water. I drew Riptide, checking to ensure it was loaded, and then looked up just in time to see Zero unveil his weapon again. The idea of it being a magical energy weapon was now certain, though I wasn't sure whether there were crystals housed beneath its brushed steel barrel. Sadly, I didn't have the time to admire it.
I could now discern the noises that surrounded us more clearly, identifying the chirping screeches of goremoths. I shivered with dread. Willow had now set her stick aside, trading it for her shotgun.
Out of the fog, a pair of large, delicate wings shot over Willow's head, brushing against her hood lightly. The goremoth seemed to pay us no mind as it also passed over Zero and myself. Another of the insects followed, then another. Then, chaos exploded over our heads as a dozen bloodsprites and just as many goremoths escaped the wall of fog, both groups locked in fierce combat above us. The fog stirred into swirling vortexes above us from the many beating wings.
A particular pair of battling bugs, spinning as they bit and clawed at the other, careened over us. I watched as the bloodsprite fell from the grapple, landing on Willow's neck. While it was confused and didn't seem to immediately recognize where it now lay, the pony beneath thought that a lethal insect was just about to bite her. With a whinny of shock and panic, Willow threw her head back and bucked. The action was successful in flinging the bloodsprite off, where it landed in the muck.
However, it also caused Willow to lose her footing. Three of her legs plunged down with a deep sucking noise, and she gasped as she sunk in the quicksand. Zero immediately stood and primed his rifle, setting the coils beneath the barrel to vibrate and crackle with arcing blue magic. A trigger bit flipped up for him, which he took and fired off a shot into the body of a goremoth. The insect was vaporized, the only remains left being a few wing scraps that fluttered down over Willow.
Willow Wisp was now half-submerged in the mire, with only one foreleg free. The quicksand was halfway above her barrel and just above where her cutie mark would be. Her voice rose quickly as she panted, "Fuck! Fuck, dat's cold!" She shivered as her cloak was rapidly soaked by the wet muck. Her saddlebags had flattened on top of the quicksand and she quickly wrapped them in telekinesis to keep them safe and dry.
I raised Riptide and squeezed off a shot of my own, the bullet flying wide of the bloodsprite which was my intended target. There were probably ten insects still visible around and above us, though my E.F.S compass definitely listed more out in the fog.
Zero's rifle hummed and then cracked, sending a bright blue projectile searing through another goremoth. We both continued firing until Zero's rifle clicked. He rotated the weapon forward and down, then ejected some kind of cartridge from the side. "Willow, are you alright?" Zero shouted urgently as he retrieved another to reload. "What do we do?"
"Oh..." Willow groaned as she telekinetically pulled her hood down, any desire to hide her appearance from Zero forgotten. "I shouldn't sink any more, just keep shooting de bugs!" Her horn flared, and her bulb, still floating ahead of us, intensified in kind. This drew the attention of the goremoth faction, who converged on the new light source.
Zero loaded another cartridge and locked the rifle back into position. As he took aim, a bloodsprite hurtled over me and landed on the zebra's back, its needle mouth stabbing into his back at a low angle. He screamed and writhed as the sprite's wings beat excitedly.
"Duck!" I shouted around Riptide, taking aim.
Through the pain and rapid blood loss, Zero heard me. His head went down. I squinted and bit into the trigger. The bloodsprite popped, showering the zebra's stripes in dark gore. Grunting, he aimed again and fired his rifle, shredding apart multiple goremoths who were attacking the bulb.
I found that Riptide was now empty, and I changed out the spent magazine for a new one. Willow had grabbed onto her shotgun and was using it to keep the last few insects away from her. Within twenty seconds, the last bloodsprite that we could see was obliterated by Zero's rifle. The distant screeching of goremoths faded into the fog and was replaced by silence once more, broken only by our heavy breathing and the chattering of Willow's teeth.
"Mais la," Willow inhaled. Her tangled mane hung in her eyes, and unable to reach it with her hooves, she resorted to her weakening magic to brush it out of the way.
Zero grit his teeth. Taking the rope bundle, he stiffly trotted closer to Willow. "You okay, Miss Wisp?"
"B-b-been better..." she replied. "F-first time I've fallen int-to quicksand."
The rope was wrapped around Willow's free foreleg, and Zero attempted to pull her up and out. The zebra had little purchase on the soft ground, and his movement unsettled the ground beneath his front hooves, causing his legs to sink slightly.
"Wait," Willow stopped him. "I n-need to add m-m-magic to it..."
I collected the dropped quicksand-poking stick, then joined Zero. Only then did I notice that the bloodsprite's decapitated head and needle-mouth were still protruding from his back, blood dribbling from the frayed neck.
"Hold up, you've still got, uh, bug stuck in you."
"I do?"
Zero grimaced as I carefully extracted the needle-mouth. I tossed it on top of the first bloodsprite which was still trying to escape the quicksand, and it buzzed angrily as it was pelted by one of its own. Zero took up the rope and heaved, while I fell in behind to add my weight to the effort. Willow turned her telekinesis on herself, wrapping her body in a soft golden glow. As weak as it was due to her previous exertion, it still made pulling her up easier.
Hauling her towards us, however, proved a much more difficult task, and before Willow finally made it back to more solid ground, the rest of her body and much of her head had been splattered by the quicksand, which clung like mud. The unicorn finally emerged, trembling, and then collapsed to her knees in exhaustion as her magic imploded. Zero and I were at her side, helping shed the sodden cloak that was glued to her.
Zero didn't flinch when Willow's radiation scars were revealed beneath her clothes. He took the blanket which had once covered his weapon and wrapped our guide in it, not caring that the fabric was being deeply stained by the quicksand which still dripped from Willow's fur. She used a corner of the blanket to wipe her face clean, and looked up at us as she shivered.
"W-we n-need to m-move," she breathed. "M-make a f-f-fire somewhere t-to warm up..."
Zero gazed around. "Can you guide us the rest of the way out?"
"I c-can, yeah.."
Retrieving her stick, Willow stood again, pulling the blanket tight around her small frame. Before we continued, Zero insisted that he hold onto Willow via the rope, which he tied around her barrel. Then, slowly, we resumed our traversal of the marsh. Within a couple minutes, we had found the shattered remains of the highway. Now back on a solid surface, I felt like I could kiss the pavement.
"Thank Celestia!" I praised, clopping my hooves on the road.
"You're w-welcome..." Willow muttered, dropping to her knees. "M-Martingale shouldn't b-be much further."
The majority of our daylight had vanished by the time we reached our destination. Martingale revealed itself slowly, emerging from the fog building by building. The town was eerily quiet, and I imagined the town in its pre-war state could've been described as sleepy. Forests already had a way of dampening the bustling sounds of civilization, and the omnipresent fog only deepened the stillness. The clip-clop of our hooves, the rustle of saddlebags, and Willow's chilled curses were the only noises that echoed in the street, which hopefully meant we wouldn't encounter any cannibalistic tribals here.
Willow was shivering quite violently by this point. Concerned she may be experiencing hypothermia, I commented, "Let's just use the first decently intact house we find."
The others agreed heartily. Zero led us to a nearby townhouse, choosing one of the entrances and kicking it inside when it failed to open normally. The interior was musty but structurally sound. As a bonus, it had a fireplace and was fully furnished. Zero took his rifle to check the other rooms for dangers while Willow dropped onto the couch. She placed her saddlebags on the floor and fished out her lighter.
"C-can you get a f-fire going?" she asked me.
I peered into the hearth. Ashes and dust were all that were inside, so I turned back to the room and looked about for adequate firewood and kindling. The shelves of a collapsed bookcase became the former. Noticing the railing that lined the staircase in the corner of the room, I used the hellhound blade to saw out some of the uprights, which were converted into the latter.
Willow had dropped her lighter, choosing to instead curl up on the couch. I fumbled with it; griffon inventions were not easy to use without magic, and my hooves struggled to hold the small device. Finally, I held it in my mouth while I flicked the flame into being, then held it against the kindling as I tried to coax a fire into existence. The lacquered wood burned well, and soon we had a decent fire going.
Sitting up and cocooned in Zero's blanket, Willow scooched close to the fire once it was underway and held out her forehooves, feeling the heat. "Dat's better..." she sighed in relief. Her shivers began to slow, and soon she was steady.
"Zero, how's your back?" I asked.
The zebra was studying his pamphlet by the front door. He flexed his spine a little, wincing but shaking his head. "Tolerable. I'll take care of it later; there's a VimVam station in town, I want to go check it out and see if I can bring us back some fuel."
"But... we have plenty of kindling?" I pointed out, confused.
"This stuff burns for a long time, and insects hate the thick smoke it puts off. Don't want anything crawling down the chimney."
"Oh, well," I glanced at the fire, then to Willow, then back to Zero. "I... could come with you, just in case." And so I can make sure you aren't contacting the Institute or anything.
Zero looked a bit surprised by my offer, but accepted. "Sure, another pair of hooves would be nice."
"I'll hold down de fort," Willow sighed, rubbing her forehooves together.
Before we left, Zero informed Willow that he had found some towels in an upstairs bathroom that she could use to dry off. Once outside, we turned and headed into town, continuing on the road we'd entered on. Our lights were kept low and forward. Even though I wasn't alone, I felt a creeping paranoia from all the persistent black fog that followed behind us.
"Nice shooting back there, by the way," Zero complimented.
I dipped my head briefly and replied, "Thanks, you too." Sensing that this was my best opportunity, I finally turned and asked, "Your... uh, that rifle of yours. What is it?" My teeth clenched in regret as I waited for an answer, feeling that I was asking for an answer he wasn't willing to provide.
"Oh, this?" He tried to rotate his body enough to give me a better view of the gun. "It's a gauss rifle. Shoots accelerated crystal-tipped ferromagnetic rounds that explode on impact."
Had I not been so self-conscious around Zero, I would've been drooling. "That's... very interesting to know, thanks!"
"Sure. You're a weapons enthusiast?"
"More of a technology enthusiast, I'd say."
Zero nodded. "It's the only one of its kind." His lips pursed a little, and he amended, "... That I know of, anyway."
Yeah, that's not suspicious.
As we cantered down the street, I noticed the ground beneath start to gradually take a downward angle, until we both halted as the road simply fell away before us. An enormous sinkhole took up the center of an intersection, its yawning chasm plunging into darkness. I panned my light down inside, reflecting off broken pipes that poked out beneath us like roots over the maw. It seemed that much of the fog was either rising from the sinkhole or was floating down into it.
How deep into Equus the hole went was anyone's guess, but I felt my hooves tingle at the thought of falling in. How far would I plummet before I finally hit something? As we stood at the rim, Zero kicked a pebble into the darkness. We waited to hear the echo from the bottom. After a minute of silence, we gave up and moved on, skirting around the edge.
The lengths of two streets were searched and another large sinkhole avoided before we finally discovered the fueling station. A large sign on the edge of the road depicted the VimVam logo I had seen so many times now: two V's stacked atop each other, this version with old, burnt-out bulbs inside the letters. Below were fuel prices listed in bits per gallon. Based on my limited knowledge of how bits and caps compared in both value and in regards to inflation, they looked to be ludicrously overpriced.
After the sign, we encountered two rows of pumps. The tall green contraptions had long tubes that extended from the sides, one of which was still inserted into a motorwagon parked beside it. Zero pulled it out, inspecting the nozzle and giving a lever at its base an experimental click. Nothing happened.
"Pump's dried out." He returned the nozzle to a hook on the pump, then knelt down to look underneath the wagon. "Let's see if I can detach the tank, there might be some inside..."
"So what exactly is this fuel?" I asked him. "I've seen drinks all around Mulisiana called VimVam, did they fill motorwagons with it too?" The idea was equally absurd and concerning.
"Technically, yes." Zero had shed his battle saddle and climbed fully underneath the vehicle now. He rapped his hoof on something attached to the undercarriage, creating a heavy thump-thump noise. "There we go..."
I waited for him to explain more, but it seemed he was preoccupied with rocking the motorwagon, his hooves grasping the tank on both sides. "What do you mean?" I pried.
"Ah, well, you've seen wilt apples before, haven't you?" Another clunk. "This company found a way to make them tolerable as a drink. Towards the end of the war, they also managed to engineer a biofuel out of them, too."
Apple fuel? "This stuff could've helped end the war... we wouldn't need the zebras' coal anymore." I knew that some crazy alternate energy sources had been experimented with in Equestria, but I'd never heard of Mulisiana's endeavors.
Zero grunted. "Again, it came around real late... too late. By that time, the war was being fought over way more than just coal."
He had a point. After Littlehorn, the conflict between Equestria and Zebrica had taken a decidedly personal spin for most involved. By the end of the war, both sides seemed bent on simply destroying the other, convinced that reason or negotiation was foregone. The zebras believed wholeheartedly that Luna was still Nightmare Moon; if Equestria had switched to powering their trains and motorwagons with apples, it wouldn't have stopped the balefire.
"Now all it's good for is keeping the Cogs' power armor moving," Zero continued. "Which means it's good for nothing." He scooted out from under the wagon, his hooves smudged with grease and his mane peppered with flecks of rust.
"... So you're telling me that Cog power armor runs on apple juice?" I scoffed. Only then did I recall the brilliant mare who had created the Steel Ranger's power armor, and realized that she would probably approve highly of an apple-based biofuel.
"That's one way to phrase it." The old zebra slowly stood again, taking up his battle saddle. "I need a wrench to get the tank out. Gonna take a look inside, feel free to come with." I thought of my hellhound dagger, but I felt hesitant to lend it to Zero.
The station's exterior was quite extravagant, with curving metal buttresses and large glass walls that were heavily stained by the elements. A green-and-white color scheme ran throughout the place, even down to the slick emerald floor inside. Above was a ceiling with multiple skylights, streaked by rain and a ward against the clouds of fog that rested on top of the building.
Multiple aisles formed by looted shelves were spread across the room. Assorted products were scattered across the floor, along with empty VimVam bottles or candy wrappers. Zero began trotting down the aisles while I went to the front counter. There were racks of knick-knacks and souvenirs abound, as well as --to my excitement-- brochures! I grabbed one, studying it briefly. The front depicted a pair of beige unicorn stallions, both aged and grinning. One had a well-groomed red moustache that matched his and his partner's manes, and the two wore matching pinstripe suits and boater hats.
A quick peek inside told me a brief history of VimVam, along with pictures and a cheap plastic membership card. The whole thing was slipped into my saddlebag for later review, and Zero soon returned to the entrance holding a combination wrench in his mouth, looking satisfied.
Back outside, the stallion was able to unbolt the fuel tank from beneath the motorwagon. Once it was separated and sat near the pump, Zero opened a short valve and peered inside. I too checked, seeing a shallow amount of liquid rippling within. Not only that, but I got a whiff of the biofuel, which had me coughing and blanching. The stench was like rank apple whiskey, far more potent than any alcohol that I'd ever smelled.
Zero didn't seem as bothered. Reaching into his saddlebag, he pulled out a device and placed it on the ground before him as he booted it up. For a moment I didn't recognize what he was using, but when it clicked in my mind, I couldn't suppress a gasp.
I thought I'd been stuck with an antique; Zero was carrying an original PipBuck model! Unlike mine, the 1000 hadn't yet been miniaturized to be wearable. Instead, it was closer to the result of squashing a terminal into a flat, tablet-like form, complete with a screen and full keyboard. Large vacuum tubes and what looked like a camera were somehow incorporated into the sides. Zero extended an antenna from the top, causing the screen to flicker on and display a topographic view of Mulisiana covered in grid lines. Wait, is that a full-color display?
Noticing that I was watching curiously, Zero gestured at the station behind us. "Making a note of this place, planning on coming back later to destroy any other fuel I can find," he explained. "Don't want the Cogs getting their hooves on any of it."
I nodded. While I had been interested in what he was doing, I'd been more intrigued simply by where and how he'd acquired such a relic of the pre-war world. Before I could ask, Zero had powered off his PipBuck and returned it to his bags, then hiked the fuel tank onto his back.
"Come on, don't want Miss Wisp to get lonely."
After pouring some of the biofuel into the fireplace, I backed off with a snort as thick black smoke billowed up from the combusting liquid. It thinned out a little after a couple minutes, but would end up leaving that foul apple scent hanging in the air for over an hour. Zero was also correct in its longevity; the flames burned strong for as long as I had enough makeshift firewood to feed into the hearth.
I parked myself on a loveseat next to the couch, which I pulled up closer to the fire. Zero excused himself into the kitchen. Groaning, I stretched my sore muscles.
"I miss Wick," Willow sighed longingly.
"Me too."
With a smirk, Willow looked over at me. "You and Zero getting along?"
"He's... alright," I admitted. "I still have some reservations, but he seems nice enough."
"Reservations?"
"You know... the gun? Where on Equus did he find something like that? Plus, I just found out that he's got an original PipBuck; those weren't common even in their heyday. And... I don't know, there's just something different about him."
Willow raised a brow. "Maybe he's just a collector of rare t'ings, who knows? I've had clients dat brought along weird-weird stuff." When she saw my own questioning expression, she elaborated, "One mare had dis gun wid a leaf blower or whatever built into it, yeah? She'd drop junk into it and boom, she'd splat a radroach wid a stapler or a coffee mug. You ever seen one of dose?"
"Can't say I have, no." I didn't really feel like that was a fair comparison to Zero and his rifle, but I didn't vocalize my objection.
We sat watching the fire for a bit longer. The reverie was soon disrupted by a great clatter from the kitchen, causing us both to start. I heard Zero grunt, and Willow gave me a concerned look.
"Zero, you good?" I called.
The zebra exhaled and responded, "Just knocked some things over. Gah..."
"T'ink Gramps pulled somet'ing?" Willow joked. Rolling my eyes, I went to check on him.
I found Zero attempting to wrap a bandage around his barrel. Such a maneuver was difficult to perform by hoof, and he'd only managed two or three wraps around his back wound by the time I had arrived. A set of pans had fallen to the floor, and as I entered Zero was placing them back on the counter.
"Hope I didn't scare you two," he said. "My tail has a mind of its own sometimes."
Noticing the pile of gauze on the floor, I offered, "It's fine; need some help?"
It was Zero's turn to hesitate after a question. "I would be much obliged, yes. Thank you."
Bandaging only took a minute with my assistance, and his injury was successfully swathed in weak healing magic. The bloodsprite had left a nasty scar and taken some of Zero's blood, but thankfully it hadn't pierced any vital organs or otherwise dealt critical or permanent harm.
"I appreciate it, Miss Quillwright."
"Don't mention it." Now's my chance! "I do have one more question for you, if you don't mind..."
"Oh?"
"How do you spell your name?"
We took turns using the fireplace to warm up our dinners. As Zero slow-roasted a pair of skewered carrots he'd packed, I visited the upstairs bathroom. On the floor inside was the tarnished towel Willow had used to clean up earlier. Setting the PipBuck next to the sink with its screen lit, I dug around in a closet behind the shower and found a washcloth that I used to wipe down my hooves. I undressed and laid out the Stable suit to assess whether the stains from the marsh could be washed out or not. They seemed manageable, but now I had an excuse to finally don my Scribe robes again.
I pulled the folded garments from my saddlebags, hearing a clink as I did so. After shaking out the robes, I discovered that the voodoo necklace had fallen out of the bag. Its jewel twinkled in the pale amber light of the PipBuck, and I kept my eye on the jewelry as I pulled on my robes. Once I was dressed again, I picked up the necklace and turned it over in my hooves.
The magic contained within didn't seem to be open to me, but when I had put it around my neck in Magnolia Grove, that had opened the door to meeting Cotton Knit, hadn't it? A town like Martingale surely had its share of ghosts, and maybe even this home contained a spectral resident...
The radio was tuned to static and the necklace slipped on. I nervously stared into the mirror, my face lit from below in a spooky way. Expecting to hear a whisper, I cautiously perked my ears and asked, "Hello?"
Silence. I held my breath.
A murmur.
My hackles raised in electric excitement. Oh my Goddesses, am I becoming a medium?
A muffled laugh. Downstairs.
The thrill that had quickly built up dispersed through a disappointed snort. Resignedly, I shook my head. What, did I expect contacting those beyond the veil to be an on-demand ability? The PipBuck went onto my leg, and I cantered to the door. As I was passing through the threshold, a noise came from behind me, somewhere in the pitch-black and still bathroom. It was faint, so slight that I might not have heard it in any other condition. A light inhale, one that came from just behind my ears.
"... Run."
I nearly fell down the stairs as I made a hasty retreat from the second floor. Willow and Zero halted their conversation to regard me with confusion.
"You good?" Zero asked. His eyes narrowed slightly when they flicked down to my robes, but it was a brief flash before he was back to normal.
Still attempting to catch my breath, I quickly glanced between the darkness at the top step and my companions. When nothing came chasing me, I started to calm down a bit. "Mhm, just a little spooked out, heh..."
Willow sniffed and tossed her mane. "Don't worry, we'll protect you," she assured, laying the sarcasm on thick.
I returned to the loveseat, now trembling more than Willow. Once I had some leftovers cooked up and consumed, I found a sense of ease again. Zero had since drifted off in his chair. Willow burrowed into the couch and stared into the fireplace. Before I recorded the day's events, I retrieved the brochure and read it by firelight.
The VimVam Story Begins...
Our wonderful corporation was founded by two of the most nonpareil ponies ever to live: the brothers Flim and Flam Skim. Both Mulisiana natives born in our very own LaFerrier, the colts demonstrated a knack for creativity and efficiency from an early age, going on to enroll in the Equestrian Institute of Technology. They nearly achieved valedictorian statuses, had they not been so hard at work designing the very first steam engine, a pivotal invention in Equus' industrial revolution.
The Skim Brothers used this remarkable power source to build the very first motorwagons. Having just created a brand new industry, these two masterminds then moved on to a venture near and dear to their hearts since foalhood: beverageering. With a state-of-the-art steam vehicle that could not only drive itself but also squeeze cider at an incredible rate, the Skim Brothers completed a successful tour in Equestria before returning home. Though the machine sustained damage during the trip due to high demand, this did not deter our clever founders.
Already thinking two steps ahead, they then focused on harnessing Mulisiana's most common fruit, the wilt apple, to create a drink that could rival the best that Equestria had to offer. For anypony else, this task would have been monumental. For Flim and Flam, it was simply another contribution to society. With a unique blend of artificial flavors and additives, the newly blended "VimVam" quickly became a Mulisiana sensation. The classic apple formula was soon joined by a wide variety of other flavors, eclipsing Sparkle~Cola in sheer quantity and proving the more popular product "down south."
The VimVam Story Continues...
Even today, the VimVam Corporation is at the forefront of invention. Wilt apples not only refresh your body, but now power your vehicles as our patented biofuel. State-of-the-art amusement park VimVam Land is influencing a new generation of colts and fillies to become the most nonpareil creatures they can be. And soon, VimVam will unveil a product which will rock the world of physical wellbeing.
In the immortal words of our founders: "Make the purchase of a lifetime!"
Footnote: Progress recorded. Level Up.
New Perk: Exterminator, Rank 1 - Swat those pesky bugs! You deal 15% more damage against mutated insects and sprites. You now also have a chance to find useful spoils on their corpses. |
Fallout: Equestria - Of Shadows | Chapter 11: Emergence - Part I | "Living in willful ignorance is an ugly thing, but Gaia often speaks loudest in the wild places of Her creation."
As the shimmering healing magic closed around Quillwright's foreleg, it fused into one bright band of white light. The young pegasus sighed with relief as her wound was sealed. The spell then softly dissipated, leaving nothing but the faintest of scars to indicate that an injury had been present.
Smiling, Aurora Tide draped the blanket back over her patient and nodded. "Good as new. Now, Quillwright, might I ask why you came to us? Where are your family or friends?"
"They're..." Quillwright's mouth hung slightly open as she scrunched her brow. An expression of fear crossed her face before being replaced with guilt. "They've been taken by slavers. F-from Fillydelphia..."
"Oh, poor filly," Aurora breathed. "I'm so sorry."
At this, Quillwright shook her head, her back straightening with energy. "B-but that's why I found you! I need your help!" Driven by resolve, she stood from the bench. "It only happened a couple hours ago, we can still rescue them!"
Aurora paused, her eyes quickly scanning the surrounding room. The Manehattan Public Library was currently being turned upside-down by Scribes, who had only just begun the grueling work of sorting through the thousands upon thousands of books stored within. "I... I wish we could help you, dear, I really do. But the decision isn't mine to make."
"But your... your posters say you're here to help us! That Steel Rangers always do the right thing!"
The commotion seemed to draw the attention of one of the Scribes, who trotted over. "Something amiss, Aurora?" he asked, indicating the indignant pegasus filly.
"Not at all, Sheaf. Quillwright and I are just having a discussion." She tilted her head. "Do you or Missive need me for something?"
Sheaf waved her off with a hoof. "Not unless you have a spell to sort every book in here into alphabetical by title, no. They're sorted by categories and then author last names."
"You're looking for a book?" Quillwright chimed in. "What is it?"
Sheaf glanced at the filly with amusement. "We are, and it's nothing you need to be concerned about, tribal."
Looking at Aurora Tide, Quillwright asked, "What if I was to help you first?"
Turning, Aurora Tide raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"
"If I helped you find this book, would you help me save my parents?"
"It... it doesn't work that way in our order, I'm afraid. You'd need to be one of us to propose such a mission, and after that gain approval from numerous ponies far above my station."
"Not to mention you'd need to be literate," Sheaf sneered quietly. Aurora shot him a disapproving look.
Quillwright seemed to think on this, then cast her eyes across the many towering bookcases that lined the walls.
Once Sheaf had rejoined his comrades, Aurora Tide frowned. "I'm sorry, Quillwright. I wish I could help you, really, but..."
"What's the book you're trying to find?"
"Perplexing Pony Plagues. A month ago one of our expeditions in the wasteland came down with an unfamiliar illness, one which has only worsened over time. We haven't found any successful treatments yet, but we've seen references to this book in the past so we came here to locate a copy." Aurora shook her head. "The Scribes have been begging for a proper exploration and catalog of anything and everything useful in the library, so they've finally gotten their wish today."
A commotion arose from the far end of the room, beyond an open doorway. A scream, several shouts, and the crackling zap of laser fire interrupted everyone's work. Several Scribes and armored ponies went to investigate, but a pair of young Steel Rangers rushed out from the doorway to meet them first. One was clearly distressed while the other was still shouting, "What'd I tell you?!"
"Ghouls!" the other shakily exclaimed to a Knight who was arriving. "I-I had to defend myself-!"
"Yeah, except you missed your first shot and started a fire, idiot!"
Those words sent a wave of silent shock across all who were in earshot. Dark smoke began creeping out of the doorway, rolling up the wall and collecting across the ceiling. At this, everypony launched into action, desperate to extinguish the fire and to keep it from spreading into the main room.
Aurora Tide turned to Quillwright and addressed her, "You need to get outside, now!"
As she reached to pull the young pegasus towards the exit, however, Quillwright backed up. "No, I can still help!"
"Absolutely not!" The Apothecary made another grab, but Quillwright took to the air and was out of physical and magical reach in moments. Jostled by evacuating Steel Rangers, Aurora called once more for Quillwright but it was no use.
Ascending to the second floor of the library, Quillwright noticed wisps of smoke drifting around the bookcases, seeping up from somewhere below. There were only minutes before the building would be completely engulfed by fire, so she needed to act quickly. Her eyes were already beginning to sting, and a cough rattled up from my lungs... ***
"Akh akh!" I shook awake as I coughed violently. Black smoke washed across the ceiling, and I sat up in alarm, my wing whipping itself up in front of my mouth in an attempt to filter the smoke. My nostrils were assaulted by a combined scent of burnt apples and a strangely sweet odor that I was unfamiliar with.
Willow was parked in front of the fireplace, cringing backwards and choking as dark clouds of smoke roiled around her. She cursed and lit her horn, clearly trying to extinguish the fire somehow. When she heard me stirring, she looked my way and called an apology. "Sorry, Quill, just trying to put dis out..." This sentence was cut off by another painful-looking cough.
I struggled up and out of the loveseat, approaching with my feathery filter still extended over my mouth. "How'd you...?" I began, before I nearly hacked up a lung from inhaling the smoke.
"Fuck!" Willow was having a difficult time as well, and as she fanned her hooves in front of her to ward off the toxic fumes, she finally gave up. "Let's... ack, let's get outside!"
We caught our breath after retreating to the street. The morning air was much clearer, still filled by fog but now lit up by the early sun. Tears streaked down Willow's face as she blinked furiously, shaking soot from her mane and magically straightening her clothes. Black smoke was escaping from the front door, and I turned to Willow with concern.
"Uh, Zero isn't still in there, is he?"
"Nah, he..." Willow coughed again. "He left a while before you woke up, said some'ting about dat place you got de fuel from last night." I noticed the unicorn was still shivering.
"How're you feeling?" I asked while patting my robes to knock off clouds of collected ashes.
Willow swallowed with a grimace and cleared her throat. "Not much better, no. Still got de frissons." Her voice was weaker than usual, left hoarse from coughing. "I might actually be sick."
"... It's not typhoof, I hope?"
"Too early to say, I t'ink."
After the apartment had aired out some more, Willow telekinetically gathered a clump of mud from a nearby flowerbed. "I dumped some water on de fire first," she explained as the moist earth rotated in her golden field of magic. "Didn't work out so well, no."
We held our breath and ventured back inside, where Willow used the mud to smother the smoking remnants of the fireplace. We collected our saddlebags, and I attached the PipBuck to my leg, the E.F.S. display flickering on in my periphery.
Exiting back onto the street, Willow peered at me to ask, "By de way, you guys didn't happen to see a pharmacy in town last night, did you?"
"I didn't notice any," I informed her. "We can look on the way to find Zero, though."
"Dat would be nice." She smirked, then added, "If we can't find one, a comic shop would make me feel better, too."
We studied every faded sign and peered through grimy windows, but this street was devoid of healthcare establishments. The morning sunlight was enough to provide a more complete picture of Martingale. The homes and businesses here were once colorful, their wooden frames painted in a wide selection of pastel hues. Mulisianan flags hung from many of the houses, accompanied by purple, white, and gold bunting banners underneath windows and along porch railings. Much of the greenery that had been planted in front yards or in pots and planters were spilling forth into the road or devouring the buildings closest to their roots.
I managed to lead us through town and back to the filling station. Once there, we found that Zero hadn't yet managed to burn any of the biofuel, though he had mostly disassembled one of the pumps. He sat near to it, studying the components before taking some tools back to the main device.
"Howdy, Miss Wisp," Zero called as we approached. "Feeling any better?" He gave me a nod of acknowledgement, which I reciprocated.
Willow shook her head, wincing at the motion. "Looked around for a pharmacy, haven't found one."
"I'll help search," the old zebra offered. "Don't have everything I need to start a fire below anyway."
As Zero stood and packed away his tools, Willow commented, "Already went t'rough dis once wid Quill." She elbowed me and muttered, "Camphor'd be nice to run into out here, yeah?"
I was saved from having to respond to that by Zero, who asked, "Who?" He was squinting at Willow with one ear perked up.
"Camphor, he's dis weird-weird doctor wid a pet goremot'. Helped us out a couple days ago when Quill came down wid typhoof."
"I know him. So that's the name he's going by these days," Zero snorted, looking away. "Glad to hear he's still alive, at least."
"Wait, you've met?" Willow sounded surprised.
"He was part of our tribe many years ago. We didn't see eye-to-eye on much, and, well," Zero gestured back and forth with his hoof. "One thing led to another, he left. Last I heard, he was settled in Buckwater."
"Huh. He left when I was still a filly, now he just helps different tribes around dere."
"I see." Zero frowned. "Well, Miss Wisp, it's only right that I repay your help. Once we reach the hotel, I'll put a call out for my tribe. If you don't mind waiting on them, we have skilled healers who can treat your illness."
"I don't know if I'll have a choice," Willow admitted.
We explored the rest of Martingale for almost an hour, but came up empty time and again. The amount of sinkholes peppered throughout town only continued to rise, many having pulled buildings apart or left only a few walls and supports as evidence that a structure had been present at all. I began to fear that the local doctor or pharmacy had been above one of the chasms as it opened beneath, taking all the medicine to... wherever sinkholes went. I brought this idea up to the others.
"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised," Willow muttered. As we trotted past a sinkhole, she paused to spit over the edge. "One day I'd like to see what's really down dere."
"In Caverns of Calamity, Daring Do falls down a sinkhole to find that it leads to a network of underground caves, filled with glowing crystals and wild thestrals," I informed her. Zero looked as if he had no clue what I was talking about.
Willow laughed, which brought on a short coughing fit. "Still not gonna get me to read it, Quill."
I shrugged, smiling. "You'd like it."
Once we were certain that we had searched all of Martingale and come up empty, we got back on the road. After yesterday's ordeals, we had silently agreed to forgo hiding anything anymore. Zero no longer attempted to conceal his rifle while I kept my wing exposed and E.F.S. activated. Willow, similarly, didn't bother to put up her hood, and her shotgun was stored within easy magical reach as she led the way.
Not long into our trip, I took some time to exercise my wing. First, I extended the appendage as far as I could, spreading every individual feather. Slowly, I rotated my whole wing at its base, rolling in a clockwise motion, then reversed it. After that I pulled the wing back in, then repeated the whole procedure. This went on for half an hour, and by the time I finished my back and wing muscles were sore. Hopefully the next tandem flight I took would be somewhat easier if I made these stretches a regular activity.
Our pace noticeably slowed as time wore on. Willow slouched more and more, trembling visibly at times and coughing constantly. When questioned about taking a rest, she brushed our concerns aside with assurances that we needed to keep moving, that any time spent idling in the Valley would only increase the potential hazards from wildlife and the environment.
The fog was as thick as ever, only permitting ten or so feet of hazy vision before terminating in an opaque swirl of gray. Willow's bulb ahead of us ensured that we wouldn't stumble into a creek or down a sinkhole as it floated low over the concrete. At some point, we found that the road was becoming heavily populated with motorwagons, chariots, and carriages. First, the vehicles were stopped at reasonable distances apart, but as we cantered along the line they grew closer and closer until they were crumpled and broken from stacking collisions.
All of these crashes culminated at a three-way intersection, where a large passenger wagon was the focal point amidst a twisted pile of wood and steel. Along its sides was green-and-white painted branding for VimVam, and it had been pulling out of the road that intersected into Route Forty when it was struck by... one of the myriad wrecked motorwagons. I wondered if the fog that surrounded us now had played a role in the crash.
At both corners of the intersection were bright, flashy signs that beckoned readers to "Turn here for VimVam Land!" Creepers embraced the signage, mostly obscuring the image of the unicorns I'd seen on the brochure.
"Anything worth seeing that-a-ways?" I asked Willow.
The unicorn didn't pause to look. "It's like a jungle, almost, wid massive plants and beaucoup bugs. Folks used to harvest leaves and roots from in dere for potions, but after Brayton Rouge was abandoned and after de Valley flooded, it wasn't seen as wort' de trip anymore."
Zero dissuaded my curiosity. "Few return from paying it a visit."
"You think the Cogs would want to control it, if they want the biofuel VimVam made?"
"I'm sure they'd love to, but as you know..." he said, indicating our guide pony. "... The Valley's not the easiest place to navigate. That being said, if there's even a drop of fuel in there, I'll find it and destroy it all."
Another half hour of following the remains of Route Forty brought us to a welcome sight: a roadside sign informing us that the Maritrot Inn & Suites was just ahead. This put a much-needed burst of strength into our step, though Willow's speed was still considerably sluggish and halted periodically by coughing fits.
We crossed over a fractured and weed-infested parking lot, and as the midday sun filtered down through the layers of mist, we at last caught sight of Zero's prize. The hotel loomed above us, an edifice of stone that stretched high enough into the fog to vanish like it was soaring into clouds. Though dark stains of moss and grime striped the walls, the structure looked very much intact, at least as far as I could see. I counted two and a half rows of windows before it was obscured, so I couldn't tell how many total floors the hotel consisted of.
Outside was a circular drive with a number of vehicles parked along it, including a passenger wagon identical to the wrecked one outside of VimVam Land. I wasn't eager to look inside, still mentally scarred by my first encounter with a bloodsprite. Stepping around it and towards the entrance, we observed that the front doors were hanging wide open, with leaves, dirt, and debris scattered inside and out.
The lobby was a wide, low-ceilinged room with a marble floor. Across the tarnished surface were criss-crossing muddy tracks, consisting of an even mix of hoofprints and pawprints. What was curious was how all were arranged in single-file, and that the paws had to have been the size of my head. The hoofprints were the size of a minotaur's, at least judging from what I recalled of Bertha. I turned to ask Willow what she made of this, only to find her staring at the tracks in horror.
"Chimera," was what she whispered.
The three of us immediately went into alert mode, weapons drawn and ready. Even Willow, despite her weakened state, looked tense and ready for a fight. I did a quick three-sixty to find no red ticks on my E.F.S. compass. After relaying this to the others, Zero shook his head.
"I want to check the rooms anyway, just in case," he told us.
Willow observed, "Dese tracks could be old, it's hard to say for sure. I don't t'ink de chimera's still here." She coughed as quietly as she could.
"You two can stay here if you'd like," Zero said as he began following the tracks to the front desk.
Following him with Riptide at the ready, I spoke, "I'll come too!" Willow, meanwhile, was all too happy to sit tight in the lobby, parking herself on a worn-out couch.
Moving as a unit, Zero and I passed reception and then a pair of elevators. The interior decor was fancy but not ritzy, a tasteful blend of wall-mounted landscape paintings, marble and tile floors, and ornate rugs. Despite sitting unoccupied for almost two centuries, I could envision the hotel being a comfortable place to live.
The muddy prints were beginning to fade as we reached the end of the first hall, and now we found ourselves at an intersection with lines of rooms on either side. After switching on our personal light sources, we wordlessly coordinated our way over to the nearest door, which hung slightly ajar. Zero took point, his gauss rifle whirring quietly with energy as he crept inside with caution.
Inside the dimly lit room we found no chimera, nor any other hostile creature. The furniture was the standard affair, consisting of a queen-sized bed, a table, and two chairs. There was an empty closet and a small bathroom, all devoid of any sign of occupation. The next several rooms we investigated were nearly identical in furnishing and condition, though one had a few random articles of pre-war clothing scattered across the bed, floor, and an open suitcase.
Looping our way back past the intersection, we uncovered a room that was clearly ravaged by large, razor-sharp claws. The carpet had been shredded, while the bed was knocked apart, the sheets and mattress both askew atop the frame. I noticed that adhered to the sides of the doorframe and scattered along the floor were loose strands of orange fur. Zero grimaced as he looked upon the scene.
"Miss Wisp's right," he sighed, eyes fixed on the long and jagged rips in the carpet. "One's been in the area, at least."
I took Riptide out of my mouth to ask, "Have you ever fought a chimera before?"
The zebra shook his head. "I thought they'd recently gone extinct, to be honest. You would hear about a sighting or even a mauling once in a blue moon, but it was very rare. Last couple of years were totally absent of chimera reports; it's just that they aren't the most dangerous things in the swamps anymore."
Back in the hall, we followed it until we found another split, this time leading to a kitchen and an indoor pool. The former room was searched first and found to be stripped mostly bare of any useful ingredients or preserved foods. There were two dust-covered cans of Cajun rice and beans partly hidden underneath one of the counters, piles of empty cardboard boxes, and a few glass bottles of VimVam that had broken on the floor ages ago.
Meanwhile, the pool room was vast and echoed every noise. The walls and ceiling were composed primarily out of glass, covered in moisture from the current of fog that gently flowed over and around. The temperature inside was a few degrees warmer, I noticed. The pool was mostly empty, with only a few puddles of dirty water collected at the bottom.
Before moving up to the second floor, we checked in on Willow. The poor unicorn was curled up on the couch, her body shaking and eyes clenched shut. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and as we approached, she was seized by another coughing fit. Aware that she was mere yards away from the front doors, we coaxed her out of the couch and led her into one of the first-floor rooms, where she eagerly burrowed into the bedsheets.
"We'll have someone along to help you soon," Zero reassured her.
The next few floors of the hotel were searched at a faster pace than before, all of them empty. Occasionally a few personal items would be left behind, but it seemed as if the hotel had been abandoned in a rush. There were no signs of a chimera having ascended the hotel, which I put down at least partly to the narrowness of the staircases and prevalence of shut doors.
At the end of the top floor, Zero found the roof access door and nodded towards it. "I'll get in touch with my tribe, should have a good signal from up here." His choice of words implied that he wanted to make the call privately, so I obliged and started descending the building. As I traversed the darkened stairwell all alone, my mind worked continuously, unable to shake the suspicion that had surrounded Zero since we first met.
What kind of tribe was the zebra a part of that required a hotel to live in, let alone setting up a home in such an inhospitable region of Mulisiana? My idea of the Institute seemed incompatible with his behavior and intentions thus far, but still...
Once back in the lobby, I dragged the couch into the center of the room and turned it to face the front door and windows. Plopping onto it, I retrieved Riptide and laid it on the arm of the couch, within easy reach should a threat approach. Staring into the wall of fog that obscured the parking lot, I wondered where that chimera could be now.
Zero joined me a couple minutes later. He took a chair and positioned it next to my seat, joining me on watch. His battle saddle was undone and he set the weapon down at his hooves.
"My tribe should be here tomorrow," he told me.
"Got it."
We sat for quite a while in silence. Zero's attention gradually drifted over to me, and finally he mentioned something that I suspected he'd been considering since last night.
"Curious outfit you've picked out," he mused.
I shifted in my seat. "It's not a Cog robe," I assured him. "I know they wear ones like this, but I'm not associated with them."
"I know. It's just not common to see Steel Ranger uniforms this far south of Equestria."
My brows pinched as I glanced at him, our eyes connecting. I didn't know whether to reply to what he was implying, but he continued regardless.
"Now, a flightless pegasus wouldn't be able to make such a journey on her own, so you either found those robes somewhere here in Mulisiana, lost your wing recently, or you arrived here another way." He leaned back, tilting his head a little as his eyes moved to study the ceiling. "Coincidentally, I heard that Divide had a recent encounter with an airship, one that was shot down and might very well be in Brayton Rouge by now, assuming they've made it down the Rift safely."
Was Zero now trying to dissect me? He'd always regarded me with what could be described generously as curiosity and cynically as suspicion. The robes had been a definite tip-off to him that there was more to my story than he originally expected, something beyond what his careful gaze had deduced just outside of Divide's walls, when I was wearing...
"Of course, you wore Stable 56 barding when we first met. You could've bought it from Divide, but they're also sold in Buckwater. You and Willow have met Camphor, who's always had a fondness for that neck of the woods. Now, what could a Steel Ranger want with a backwater village that's long since run dry of the stimpaks that once made them a trading hub? It sure ain't the tarberries."
Does he know?
"Miss Quillwright, did you enter Stable 56?"
My answer was not immediate. I thought through every moment we'd been together so far, and my original suspicion and fear of his association with the Institute resurfaced. I didn't know why he would hire a unicorn like Willow to find a forgotten old hotel in the middle of a flooded forest, but he acted like he knew something more about Fifty-Six. My own memories of the fourth floor drifted back as I stared vacantly out into the fog.
The locked door, the Ministry of Wartime Technology connection, the death of Vox and Ardent, the low hum that pulsed through that room like the Stable was a living thing. The armored unicorn, my near-death experience and frankly miraculous survival. The Stable allowing me to leave mostly unscathed, while driving my allies out with lethal efficiency. The PipBuck on my leg that had allowed us entrance while preventing the former residents re-entry. Overmare Sprocket's mention of the Institute's alumni working in the Stable. All these fragments danced about in my brain, teasing me about connections that I simply couldn't establish.
"We did."
Silence followed for what must have been minutes after my admission. My stomach felt like it was twisting itself into knots, fear and anxiety clawing into my thoughts.
When Zero next spoke, it was in a low and almost gentle tone that indicated he knew I was confused and conflicted. "Alright. I appreciate the honesty."
I looked at the old zebra, my breaths shallow. "What's behind the door?"
He did not turn to face me, attention fixed towards the hotel entrance. Despite avoiding my gaze, I noticed his ears twitch ever so subtly in recognition when I mentioned the door. Zero's face was resolute when he answered, "I would tell you if I knew."
A familiar sense of distrust flooded through me and any good will that Zero had built with me up until now evaporated. He was lying, no doubt about it. Trying to keep my cool, I grit my teeth and fired back, "Who are you, really?"
Zero kept looking forward, only blinking a few times, before he responded, "I've been truthful with you, Quillwright." He sighed quietly. "When my tribe arrives, we'll try to answer anything you want to know."
I scoffed. "Your 'tribe', right. You're with the Institute, aren't you?" My eyes flicked to the gauss rifle. "Where else would you get something like that?"
"It was stolen from the Institute, yes, but they're not our allies."
Uh-huh. I could see it now: a horizon of glowing synthetic eyes slicing through the fog, marching upon the hotel to claim it for... something. Admittedly, Zero's interest in the building was the one thing I couldn't square with my paranoia. Was there something of value here that I couldn't see, like a Stable hidden underneath? Wouldn't the Institute have the means to locate it, given their immense magical and technological means? Assuming Zero really was a member of some kind of tribe, what was the purpose of venturing so far out into the Sunken Valley to claim this place? I considered what Willow had said before we left Divide.
"So are you hiding from them?"
Zero gave one nod. "From them and the Cogs. Both are at a disadvantage here."
Hiding from the Chosen of Gaia, that I could believe; power armor would sink like a boulder in quicksand.
"What do any of them want with your tribe?"
"Much of our tribe consists of society's outcasts, as well as defectors from the aforementioned factions. We call ourselves the New Hayvenites. We want to establish a safe community, and this hotel is the first major step for us; it could become our New Havyen."
This was my own chance to go for the proverbial throat. "You're ex-Institute."
This elicited a short, terse smile of confirmation from Zero. "I am," he stated.
Though I had been suspecting it for some time, it still got my heart racing to know I was finally confronting someone who had a connection to this mysterious group that I'd heard of so much but ultimately knew so little about. I swallowed as a rush of questions congregated in my mind, all desperately racing to escape first.
"Is it true? Synths, ponies being replaced by the Institute, all that?"
Zero nodded. "Yes. Not as commonly as people fear, though."
"How can you create a machine so convincing?"
"They're almost entirely organic, that's how. It's... a very complicated process that took many, many years for them to get down to a science."
"How long have they been creating synths? And why?"
Holding up a hoof, Zero replied, "Listen, Quillwright... I know you have a lot of questions. They'll be answered in due time, just not right now."
I gestured around at the empty lobby. "Why not? We don't have anything better to do." Furrowing my brow, I added, "And I'd really prefer to know why you've been so evasive."
"Look, there's someone else in the tribe who can explain everything far better than I could. You'll get your answers, just save them until tomorrow, alright?"
Though I was frustrated, I grit my teeth and conceded. The quiet following our revelatory conversation was several layers of uncomfortable as we stared out the front windows as if it was business as usual. Since Zero didn't reach for his PipBuck, I took it upon myself to switch on some music. The radio signal was faint but intact enough to carry a tune, which serenaded us for the rest of the night.
"Up and at 'em, Quillwright. They're here."
I jerked awake as I heard Zero's voice. Alarmed that I'd fallen asleep while on watch, I instinctively grabbed for Riptide. Now armed and standing, I finally had the chance to survey the surroundings and take in exactly who the zebra was referring to: a single young mare who had materialized out of the sunlit fog and was approaching the front doors. Zero let her in; noticing he had left his rifle on the floor and looked relaxed, I put Riptide back on the couch. The newcomer trotted with a bounce in her step more spirited than anyone I'd seen in Mulisiana, trailing wisps of fog as she entered the hotel.
The mare was an unfamiliar crossbreed of some kind, possessing white legs and a fluffy light brown coat, with the black stripes of a zebra swirling up from her hooves and around her whole body. Her ears clued me in to the other half of her parentage, however: tall and rigid, white inside with black ear tips -- the same variety I had seen sported by donkeys. Her blonde mane was done up in a braided mohawk, and heavy saddlebags were worn over her back along with a wooden quarterstaff, secured through the straps. One end of it was tipped with metal, over top of wires that snaked out and down the shaft.
"Hey, Zee," she addressed Zero, who nodded and turned his attention to the outside. The mare's bright and wide brown eyes then took me in quickly and she broke out into a grin. "Hi!" she chirped, meeting me halfway. and extending an eager hoof towards me. "My name's Mikaella, but Mika is fine too."
"Uh, hey," I replied, a little surprised at how forward she was. "I'm Quillwright, Quill for short."
"Oh, like the writing kind?"
"Yep." When Mikaella's brows rose in a clear request for me to elaborate, I explained, "When I was a filly I used to turn any feathers I shed into quills. My parents thought it was funny, and the name stuck."
Mikaella's short spell of confusion brightened up quickly as she nodded. "Ah, I see! I never would've guessed, hehee-haw!" As the giggle-snort escaped her, amusement turned to embarrassment just as fast. She scrunched up her face, cheeks flushing slightly. "Ignore that, please and thanks."
"Didn't have too much trouble reaching us, I take it?" I heard Zero's voice from behind Mikaella. She moved to my side and turned to watch as Zero entered with something that gave me a genuine fright.
What was once a synthetic chassis identical to the model hanging in Magnolia Grove was now walking on its own, limbs rigidly imitating the gait of a living pony. I was horrified by how it was decorated; leathery radigator hide was bound around the legs, while a matted gray pelt cloak was fastened over its body. A gator skull was affixed to the head, eye sockets illuminated by an ethereal blue glow. It was vaguely facing Zero's direction when an otherworldly voice crackled out of its voicebox. "Nothing worth a bullet."
Mikaella took immediate notice of my reaction and placed a reassuring hoof on my withers. "Hey, don't worry, Quill! Haywire's with us."
Two ex-Institute members of the tribe and counting... and who came up with that name?
"Is it... reprogrammed?" I stuttered with no small amount of effort, still shocked by its appearance and, in turn, everyone else's nonchalance.
The machine, hearing my question, rotated its head to look at me. The servos in the neck whirred and clicked as they came to a halt, and the ghostly, flickering radigator eyesockets somehow felt like they were assessing me. "We are here by request. This vessel is no longer under control of its former puppeteers." That voice sent a chill down my spine.
"Haywire's a spirit we summoned and bound to a synthetic body," Zero clarified. "You aren't in danger from it, at least not physically."
"Our name is Corbeau," the machine corrected, somehow managing to sound irritated even through the crude vox module. "You creatures truly have no consideration for Our titles. We do not find nicknames endearing."
"Well, if someone hadn't played coy about their real name for so long, they wouldn't have needed a nickname now, would they?" Zero said pointedly.
Haywire looked at me. "See? See what kind of disrespect We have to suffer through here, Pegasus? Alas. We shall now retrieve the others." The synth adjusted the shotgun and rifle attached to either side of its frame, and then with a series of whirs and clunks, it did an about-face and dramatically flourished its cloak, cantering into the fog. It brushed past a motley group of Zero's tribe, who were just now unhooking themselves from wagons or setting down barrels or heavy saddlebags that needed to be hauled into the hotel. Zero went to give them a helping hoof, while Mikaella turned to me.
"So I heard you have a sick unicorn?"
Before we reached her room, I explained that Willow was a half-ghoul and that her current illness wasn't radiation-based. Mikaella nodded in understanding and allowed me to knock before we entered. Not receiving a reply, I called out close to the door, "Willow, it's Quill and someone here to help." I heard a faint groan on the other side, so we stepped in. Making my way through the dim room, I cracked open the blinds to let in some light, though not enough to hurt Willow's eyes. There was an acrid smell that lingered in the air, now visually identifiable.
It appeared that at some point during the night Willow had needed to suddenly vomit, and while she had attempted to aim for the floor, the far edge of the bed had been stained. As we neared the unicorn, she slowly turned herself over to face us. Her normally-disarrayed mane was somehow now even messier, slick with sweat from her brow. Her voice, clearly shot, croaked, "Hey Quill, I'm still feeling miserable, yeah." Her eyes tried to focus on Mikaella next, causing her to squint in bewilderment. "Gardes don, Zero's gotten a lot prettier!"
Mikaella's ears wiggled in amusement, and she didn't show any sign of revulsion at the sight of radiation scarring. "I'm Mika, not Zero. You're Willow Wisp?" She received a glacial nod in reply as she slid off her saddlebags. "That's a lovely name!"
"You've got a lovely mane too," Willow grinned deliriously. Is she flirting on purpose?
Mikaella giggled at that and grabbed some items from her bags, including a handmade washcloth and some bottled water. "I'm here to help you, can you tell me what you've been feeling lately? Nausea, chills, itching, soreness, coughing, vertigo, that sorta stuff?"
"Uh..." Willow coughed. "All of de above, except itching and... what was de last one? Ver...?"
Before I could both pronounce and define vertigo, Mikaella explained, "Are you feeling dizzy, like the room is spinning?"
"Ugh, yeah."
"Poor thing." Taking the cloth, Mikaella wet it and wiped Willow's chin clean of some specks of bile, then folded the cloth in half and placed it across the unicorn's forehead. "Just take it easy, don't strain your throat by speaking."
"Mmm."
Mikaella's face was grim when she turned to inform me, "The high temperature, the nausea and chills, coughing and throwing up; that's most likely swamp fever she got from a bite."
I thought back across our trip through the Valley. "But she wasn't stung by any bloodsprites...?"
"It's caught from smaller bugs. I think her fall into the quicksand lowered her internal temperature enough for the sickness to finally get a hoof-hold."
Okay, so the small bugs can be just as scary as the giant ones. "It's treatable, right?"
The zonkey rubbed the back of one forehoof. "It is, but I don't know the cure; I'm still learning medicine from Xura, my mentor. She or one of the healers that'll be here soon would know. All I can do right now is ease the pain." Mikaella picked out three pill bottles from her saddlebag and gave Willow a selection. "Those should help you feel better."
"T'ank you," Willow rasped.
Mikaella smiled and gave a quick, short bow. "My pleasure! I'll check on you again later."
"Don't take too long, cher." That was definitely on purpose. Mikaella reacted with a soft laugh and shake of her head. Despite the dim lighting, I thought I saw her blushing.
Returning to the hallway, I was about to see what Zero was up to when Mikaella stopped me. "Hey, Quillwright, wanna help me pick out my room?" Her eyes twinkled as she gestured to the stairs. "Somewhere with a nice view." She then paused, her features grimacing a bit as she realized, "Well, a nice elevated view of the fog, hehe!"
Shrugging, I agreed. There wasn't much else for me to do right now, so an opportunity to ask the zonkey some questions piqued my interest. Mikaella, however, beat me to the punch as we entered the stairwell.
"Is Willow Wisp a friend of yours?" she asked.
Despite sharing a few contentious moments, I confidently answered in the affirmative.
"So are you just helping her, way out here in the Valley?"
"I hired her to take me to Brayton Rouge, actually."
"Oh, I see! She knows her way around the area?"
"She really does; I'd be lost without her help. Or, more likely, I'd be gator food."
Mikaella raised her brows. "I know how that feels... being lost, that is. I spent most of my life cooped up, and out here in the real world I still get turned around so easily. There's just so much... everything!" She considered her next words for a moment as she opened the door leading to the second floor. As she looked to roll the thought around in her head, her ears tilted from side to side. "So many places to go. The world's supposed to be so massive, and I've barely seen any of it!"
"There's not much of it left worth seeing," I stated, coming off more pessimistic than I had intended. Seeing Mikaella's ears droop a bit in disappointment, I tried to bring the topic back around to her. "Where did you grow up so confined?"
"You didn't see this?" As we meandered down the hallway, Mikaella turned her body so I could see her left flank. Indeed, I hadn't noticed a distinctive brand that was seared into her hide, resembling a stylized flowing wave. My blank stare prompted her to smile tersely. "Probably a good thing that it's not familiar to you. I used to belong to Mirage."
I recalled that Bertha had mentioned Mirage before, a location on the west coast of the region. "Mirage. That's a city, right?"
We had stopped in the hallway. Choosing a door at random, Mikaella had begun to open it when she gave me a curious look in response to my question. "Okay, so you definitely aren't from around here." I shook my head. "It's a city inside the Neigh Orleans ruins, mhm. It was a cruise ship during the war, got washed ashore, and then became a pleasure city. It's almost as big as Divide!"
It was then that the first night spent in Divide came back to me, and I remembered how I'd first heard of Mirage. "Willow Wisp's brother is indentured there."
Mikaella stopped halfway under the threshold. She glanced back at me with surprise in her eyes, which quickly morphed into pity. "Oh. Oh, that poor colt..."
Once again I had brought down the zonkey's bright mood. "... You should probably talk to Willow about it when she's feeling better."
"I will."
The room Mikaella had decided to investigate was identical to all the other rooms I'd peeked into. There was a single window that, in another time, would've overlooked the parking lot. The furnishings were simple, including a bed, desk, chair, and a narrow closet. The walls were an unremarkable off-white color, while a single painting hung across from the bed, depicting an idyllic coastline and a lighthouse. Mikaella threw open the window blinds to fill the space with hazy outdoor light. "Wow, I love it!" she approved.
I couldn't see what had raised her spirits back up so quickly, but now knowing that she'd been property at one time, the ownership of a room must have been exciting. Mikaella hung her saddlebags inside the closet, propped her quarterstaff against the wall, and then leapt onto the bed, bouncing as the mattress squeaked beneath her and a cloud of dust was launched into the air. As she settled into the soft sheets, she sighed in delight.
"Seems... clean?" I offered. In truth it was quite dusty, but that seemed a small price to pay in exchange for no visible blood, mold, or insects.
"Clean and full of free space!" Mikaella sat up, looking around at the walls. Struck with inspiration, she pulled a small, battered metal sign out of her bags, an advertisement for VimVam featuring the ornate logo superimposed over a sparkling bottle of their cider. The sign was placed against each wall, on the side of the closet, propped up atop the desk, and on the inside of the front door. Anywhere she put it, Mikaella couldn't seem to decide where it would look best.
"Well, I can figure it out later!" She left the sign on the desk, and then turned to me with a smile. "Hey, since I answered you... where are you from?" She quickly added, "Also, I like your clothes; I've never seen ones like those before!"
Smoothing out the front of my robes and ruffling my wing slightly, I answered, "Thanks. I'm a Steel Ranger Scribe from Equestria." I was more comfortable sharing my story now, and my conscience seemed totally fine trusting a half-zebra with it. "I came here in an airship with a team to find a Stable. We were attacked, and that's when this happened." My ruined wing stump was extended. "I was left behind, and now I'm hoping to catch up with them in Brayton Rouge. Willow Wisp has been my guide through Mulisiana so far."
Mikaella's eyes were wide and her ears perked up as she listened. Even after the brief summary of my plight, she had a multitude of queries that I addressed, providing more specifics about the people and places I'd met and visited, the scrapes I'd been in, and about my allies. She was also enthralled by my descriptions of Equestria, prodding as far as she could about the cities and creatures that existed in the north. She had no prior knowledge of the Steel Rangers, though she quickly connected them to the Chosen of Gaia as soon as power armor was mentioned.
I likely would have been answering questions for the rest of the day had our discussion not been brought to a halt by the arrival of Zero and numerous tribals. He seemed to have been giving them a tour of the hotel, and as he peeked in he saw some of Mikaella's belongings placed around the room. "Claim yourself a room already, Mika?" Zero asked.
"I did, it's perfect."
Zero smiled in amusement. "Excellent. Listen, could you help us get some folks' stuff carried in and upstairs?"
Mikaella eagerly trotted from the room, while the tribals continued on down the hall. With nothing else to do, I volunteered to assist Mikaella, but Zero halted me at the door.
"Quillwright, before that..." He reached into one of his jacket pockets and pulled out a necklace, which he held out to me. It was woven around a small black stone just like the one he was wearing, cut in a slightly different shape. "You need to put this on."
If he was expecting me to object, he was correct. "Why?"
"It's a ward. The Institute has scrying stones hidden all over Mulisiana, and this necklace will make you practically invisible to their sight."
I stared at the necklace, which didn't seem suspicious at all. "What interest would the Institute have in me?"
Zero gave one humorless chuckle. "Honestly, Quill, consider it. You set a single hoof inside Stable 56, you're immediately going to become a pony of interest to them."
I squinted. "But not enough to be snatched up?"
"Firstly, you wouldn't have any memory of it if you were. Secondly, the Institute is incredibly cautious; they don't take any action that could be even remotely seen as unnecessary or as a risk to their organization." He set his jaw. "And those reasons aside, I ask that you wear it if you want to rest in the hotel with our tribe tonight."
Reluctantly, I accepted the scrying ward and secured it around my neck. Just like the voodoo necklace, I couldn't feel any energy emanating from the stone. It probably never works that way, but who knows. Zero thanked me for complying, and with that we followed after Mikaella.
The carts that the New Hayvenites parked in front of the hotel were loaded with crates, luggage, barrels and sacks of all manner of items, from food to weapons to clothing. Close to thirty tribals had arrived with Mika, and they ranged far and wide in age and species. An elderly griffon shorter than Teensy, a pair of young donkey twins, and a zebra ghoul were among them, all of whom thanked me as I helped them haul their personal effects indoors. The older and the less-able tribals were housed in spare first-floor rooms, while those who were physically fit were content to travel to the floors above to find their own accommodations.
A few of the new arrivals took up work in the kitchens right away to cook us an early dinner, which came together primarily in the form of steaming pots of jambalaya, a recipe I'd learned when working with Bertha. Food was ready by the time we had gotten everyone moved inside. Tables were pulled together to form rows within the dining room, and I found myself seated across from Zero as we ate.
The jambalaya consisted of rice, vegetables, and what tasted like diced gator meat. Like many other local dishes I'd tried, it was quite spicy, though not nearly close to the heat level of Bertha's gumbo. As the flavors settled in my mouth, I concluded that it was my favorite Mulisianan specialty yet.
"I left Willow Wisp a bowl," Mikaella informed us as she dropped wearily into a seat next to me, her own serving clutched in her hooves. After taking a couple bites, her ears flattened and she growled in clear frustration. "Ugh, I wish I knew how to cure her properly!"
"One thing at a time, Mika," Zero admonished. "You're still learning stick-fighting from Xura, aren't you? Once you're adept with your staff, you can focus on learning alchemy and botany."
Mikaella propped her head up with one hoof while she stared intently into her half-eaten dinner. "I'm good enough with it. You didn't see me take out those synths in the Trash Heap, I was as good as Xura!"
"I saw enough of your wounds to know you aren't on her level yet." Seeing the zonkey's mood darken at his words, Zero shook his head and elaborated, "You can't rush these things, Mikaella. If you'd have missed a strike or sprained an ankle and fallen, you would've been killed without hesitation."
"But I didn't and I wasn't!"
Based on the tone each was using, this was clearly not the first time this argument had arisen between them. I was stuck uncomfortably staring into my empty bowl to stay out of the fight, though I chanced a brief glance at the two, who were glaring at each other.
"That's not an excuse," Zero stated. "That staff of yours is not worth taking any risks over."
That upset Mikaella greatly. " 'That staff' is the first real thing I've been able to actually create and own in my life!"
Sighing, Zero rubbed his temples. "I know, Mika. But you're a New Hayvenite, and that means I'm responsible for keeping you safe."
"I'm not a filly, Zee. I can look after myself," Mikaella huffed. "You'll have to accept that sooner or later." She stood from the table, taking her bowl. "I'll be in my room."
Once the zonkey had departed, Zero gave an exhausted groan. "I'm sorry you had to suffer through that, Quillwright." I didn't know how to respond, so I pursed my lips and idly flicked through screens on the PipBuck until Zero moved to another table.
I listened as he and the other New Hayvenites discussed the hotel and their future plans for it. The first order of business was properly furnishing and restructuring some of the rooms, primarily to establish a dedicated clinic. Next up would be outer defenses, though what materials should be used for a surrounding wall couldn't be agreed on. Third was the matter of where and how crops would be planted. The hotel pool was proposed as a plot for tarberries, and the method required to destroy the concrete parking lot in order to plant rows of corn, soybeans, and wheat was debated. I also heard VimVam Land mentioned in those same talks; it seemed the tribe was interested in harvesting many of the plants native to the park for their own use.
Zero described the VimVam filling station in Martingale and plans were arranged to soon visit it and destroy its cache of biofuel. Lastly, there were also questions and proposals on how to reduce or remove the fog surrounding the hotel. I heard mention of both fans from Divide and wards as potential solutions, though a consensus couldn't be reached as half of the tribe had yet to arrive.
Mikaella had shut herself inside her room, leaving only to check on Willow Wisp. Soon, I too retired into an empty hotel room to record what I'd learned of the Institute and catch up on some Daring Do. The light though my window faded and as evening set in, I switched on the PipBuck lamp to read by. Soft radio music was the only sound in my domain for some time, until Zero knocked at the door. Answering it, I was asked to come downstairs.
As we descended the stairs, I became aware of the murmuring of voices below, louder than dinner had been. Entering the lobby, it was clear that the rest of the New Hayvenites had finally arrived. What must have been close to sixty creatures were spread throughout the room, though a dense and particularly vocal group was congregating around where I had moved the couch yesterday. Close to them stood Haywire, who was splattered with blood and bits of insect, including a tattered goremoth wing that had been pasted to its flank with ichor. The machine entity was thoroughly cleaning itself with a magical aura the same color as the glow from its eye sockets.
Catching glimpses through the crowd, I saw that there was a pony or donkey that had been laid out on the couch, their body splashed with dark blood. Numerous healers were attending to the victim, including a lithe zebra mare who was calling for fresh bandages. Mikaella hovered very close to her, observing and offering help. I didn't realize I had stopped following Zero to gawk at the scene until he called my name and snapped me out of my trance.
We trotted across the lobby and into a small conference room. Several creatures were present and speaking inside, but wrapped up their conversations as Zero and I entered. One remained, however: a pony mare with a soft pink coat and a mane that was a swirl of violet, rose, and gold, interspersed with silver streaks. Her age must have been close to Zero's.
"Ah, you must be Quillwright." She spoke with a gentle and matronly tone, one that matched her maturing features. Once we were closer, I took in more of her appearance. She was clad in silky black robes, radigator tooth earrings hung from her ears, and numerous decorated necklaces rested against her chest, including a scrying ward and a red jewel that looked very reminiscent of the one in my voodoo necklace. Yet one detail above all rooted me to the spot: a pair of wings were folded at her sides, with feathers the same shade as the one worn around Zero's neck.
"I am," I responded, barely able to pull my eyes away from her wings. "And you are...?"
"It's good to meet you, dear." The pegasus mare's face broke into an easy smile. "My name is Cadance. I'm the former Director of the Institute." |
Aye-Aye's Bizarre Adventure: Part 3: Summer Boogaloo | pre | "STAND PROUD, TWILIGHT SPARKLE!", he told her...While holding a glowing index claw up.
"..." Twilight stared at first, but- ...Then she unconsciously realized, she was standing on her back hooves and legs...Alone. And, oddly, not feeling pain while doing it.
"There we go. Now, mimic my pose, Twilight Sparkle." Spike held out his right palm, with it open, horizontally flat. His other arm was held up, palm facing toward her.
...Twilight blinked, but attempted to do so. However, without palms-
"Just mimic the hand locations," He told her...
...She managed to do so.
He proceeded to open the gap between his legs a bit. ...For Balance's sake, you fucking pervs.
She did the same with her back legs. "H-how am I even-?"
"Shhhhh, Hamon allows the body to contort in many strange ways. ...But, that's for another time."
"...If you say so. So, what n-?"
"DODGE!"
SMACK! ...He slapped her on the face. She was oddly still standing, but, as she realized something, she started to-
"NO! Never make yourself open to Pinkie like that, unless you're sure its wise..."
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, sense-"
"NO! Don't call me that either...It doesn't fit right now. Mr. Spikipelli works for now~"
She stared at him.
"...No, I don't have what Pinkie has, trust me. Anyway, come at me!"
The now balanced mare rushed at him, and-!
SMACK!
...She was on the ground.
"...Thought I told you not to do that, Twi. Seriously, if you just focus the hamon in your legs-"
"Spike...What's the point of this?"
"...The point? The point is, to not use your stand all the time. You may think using your stand in such situations, such as when others have their stands out, is wise to do every single time- ...But, you'd be mistaken, especially in certain cases?"
"Like Wall Eyes?"
"! ...Y-yeah, like Wall Eyes...Miss Doo's stand. Don't know why it manifests like that, but-"
"...It feels like its evolved, actually."
"Wonderful, peachy. Now, focus the hamon in your legs."
"...Spike, come o-"
"I SAID 'FOCUS', TWILIGHT!"
He suddenly moved for a kick to her head
And, so the training from Hell commenced...
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO STAND ON A WALL OF WATER, USING MY HOOVES, CLINGING TO IT, WITHOUT MOVING, FOR FOUR HOURS?!" The mulberry mare screamed.
"Concentration, mostly, Twilight...Focus. Hamon is oddly good when it comes to liquids and other fluids."
"...What sort of-"
"GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER, TWILIGHT! ...All of them. Well..." He squinted a bit. "Most normal ones. Still not sure if Ink is normal, though-"
"It is. ...I think." She stared a bit at the ceiling, as she clinged to the pillar that had come out of the river, using her hooves, that were glowing with hamon energy. ...She still wasn't sure how he did that, though.
"Well...Either way, you'll be like that for at least three hours, and forty-five minutes. Listen, I'm gonna exit the book, and I'll check on you soon."
"...How are you going to- SPIKE?!"
He vanished! How the hell-?!
She sighed. "Well, this is just great..."
Three hours and 45 minutes later...
Spike was back. "Twilight, glad to see you're still holding u-"
"MY LEGS ARE NUMB! I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I'M STILL DOING THIS!"
"...Well, that should be enough for now. Nightmares aren't that tough at this stage."
"YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS LIKE ITS A GA- ...Wait, what? What do you mean 'Nightmares'?"
"...Don't you remember? Earlier? When you looked in Predictions and Prophecies...That the mare in the moon was coming back."
"Oh! Right...With all this craziness involving stands today, I nearly forgot. ...By the way, I really do need to find out what was going on earlier. With the dripping water."
"Ehhhhhh...Who knows? Hamon users and Stand users have all sorts of crazy things going on. HELL, there's even this one thing calle-"
"Don't tell me, Spike, please."
"...Spin."
"Wait, what? ...What's it like?"
"It involves tossing spheres at other people-ARTIFICIAL ONES-and using the rotational powers to supernatural effect."
"Hmmmm...So, could I learn tha-?"
"Maybe...But, learning both Hamon and Spin can be a bit...tasking," he admitted. "Certainly taken its toll on me."
"...But, Spike, you're just a baby dra-"
"UH-UH! You even suggested earlier that it was a Groundhog type day, and, I admitted it! ...I mean...Groundhog-ish."
"...What do you mean 'Groundhogish'?"
He sighed. "Lets just say, its much longer, and more complicated, than one regular Equestria rotation spin."
"...But, I thought the day and nigh-"
"TWILIGHT! NOT EVERYTHING THE PRINCESS TEACHES YOU APPLIES ALL THE TIME! ...Though, maybe redemption is something you should at least try more, sometimes..." ...He murmured something about 'the statues'.
"...What does that even-?"
"FOCUS! Now...Detach yourself."
She rolled her eyes, but did as he said, slowly sliding down toward the river below, and-
"Not like that...All at once."
"...SPIKE, THAT IS A TEN METER DROP! I-"
"Have survived worse, trust me..."
"..." She just sighed, did her trust fall, and- Wow, Spike actually caught her.
"See? Now we don't even have to waste any time with it~ ...Still need to work on your martial arts, but, eh, I guess they can wait. Besides...I think its time anyway. Wow, I'm good at my timing."
"Ehhhhhh...That's tomorrow."
"W-wait, what?! ...Man, I must be bad at time sometimes."
"I thought you just said-?"
"Eh, I don't know anymore...So, about the elements-"
"...That could be complicated, especially with whatever Pinkie's under."
"Yeaaahhhhh...Well, like I said, should help you face any Nightmares that pop up tonight. Pinkie, though? ...Yeah, I'm still not sure."
"...Right." She sighed. "Well, we better hope we can figure out what's actually going on tonight."
As the two arrived in Town Hall, Twilight looked around a bit. "...What's going on? Shouldn't the mayor be here, or something?"
"...I've got a bad feeling about thi-"
"Oh, Twilight!" A certain white unicorn ran over to the two. "And- ...Spike, why are you wearing that ridiculous get up? Your fin's sticking right out the back of your ha-"
"I-it's fine, Rarity, don't worry about it..." The baby dragon was blushing.
"Well...If you say so...Oh! AJ!" Rarity waved at a certain orange earth pony in the room. "AJ, OVER HERE!"
The orange earth mare begrudgingly trotted over. "Morning, Rarity. ...Twilight." The mare seemed to be begrudgingly acknowledging her for some reason.
"H-hey, Applejack! ...So, what happened at your place earlier. What was-?"
"Oh, that? Nothin'." ...AJ, while managing to do her best deadpan expression could not fully hide that there was something going on with her.
"...Listen, I'm only just learning about stands, but-"
"Skip it, Twi...I don't expect this summer'll be any different."
"Bullshit...", Rarity murmured.
"...'Scuse me, Rariteh?", AJ asked
"I took the liberty of making sure various things would be different this year...Darling~" With that, Rarity trotted off.
"..." AJ had a freaked out look on her face. "S-she- Real kidder, huh, that Rarity~? Listen, Miss Sparkle, lets-"
"Stop it..." Twilight told her, a stern frown on her face. "I know things can't keep going on...At least, not the way they are now. Stop pretending, AJ."
"...Okay, ya'll want me ta stop pretendin', Twilight? Let me get one thing through yer thick skull. Yer family an' mine ain't- Well, we ain't-"
"We have no similarities, yes. ...I am aware, AJ."
"...G-good." For some reason, AJ just looked more panicked than ever. "S-so, uh, stop comin' round our-"
"Fine...I hope Apple Bloom brings you all the joy in the world."
"! ...OKAY, NOW THAT JUST AIN'T FAIR!" AJ gritted her teeth. "You have some nerve-!"
"Claiming you edited the photoes...?"
"T-THAT WASN'T ME! THAT WASN'T- N-no no no no!" The cream spots started returning on AJ...But, she simply started to take calming breaths, doing her best to ignore it, and-
"That can't work all the time, AJ...And, while its happening, you- ...Do tho-?"
"Yeaaaahhh, ma freckles stay...all the time..." she grumbled.
"That's not a bad thing."
"IS SO!" AJ's eyes had a fury in them. "A-ah'm so fuckin' done wit' whatever tha hell this is, Ah jus' wanna git on wit' mah life, and-"
"You can't always rush away from your problems, AJ...", Twilight told her, staying at her a bit.
"Well...Better than beatin' people up, an' vengin' against them all tha time, like Pinkie's coltfriend does."
"...H-her coltfriend?" Wellllllll, this was certainly the first time Twilight was hearing about this...At least, in this universe.
"Yeah, kinda obnoxious, wears a shirt that says 'jerk', goes around beatin' and prankin' ponies, an- Ahhhhh swear, I wanna grab him by his stupid neck, and-"
"...And then what? How do we-?"
"We don't, Twilight. ...Until he runs outta mojo."
"The boyfri-?"
"Him too maybe, but...That's not what I mean...I've got a naggin' fear...an', I ain't a fan o' puppeteers."
"...!" Twilight suddenly started looking around. "I-is someone pulling at the strings?!"
"Potentially two someones...someponies? Nah, someones works better for now...But, one of them is jus' a stand."
"! B-back up, what?! There's someone-!"
"Not yet, Twilight...Mebbe not at all, least fer us. ...Two many o' 'those' kinda stands around 'ere, anyway."
"...What do you mean, 'those' kind of stands?"
"Come on, Twi! You may not have seem 'em wit' or as stands! But- ...Feels like we're all gettin' crushed beneath this pressure. Heh, P-possibly juiced even~"
"A-AJ, you can't-"
"Shut it, Twi...Just enjoy the celebration...Probably jus' gonna- THAT'S CAD-! RAINBOW!" The orange mare was hissing at Rainbow Dash...who had Surprise out. "ONE TIME MEANS BAD LUCK! TWO TIMES MEANS- ...Something. BUT THREE TIMES?! THREE TIMES, ACCORDIN' TA BLOOM?!"
"H-hey, don't look at me! She wasn't supposed to-!"
"Greetings, subjects of Equestria...", the pink alicorn on the balcony said, voice sounding somewhat monotonous. "As you know, my Aunt Celestia still keeps this thing going, in the hopes that we'll find a way to truly bring Equestria to its finest glory...Well...I have news for you!" Cadence suddenly hissed. "THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!" Suddenly, Cadence's body started erupting into light.
"! She's-!" AJ's eyes wide as plates, she started backing up a bit. "H-how did she-?! ...Green Fairy," she mumbled, eyes filled with both anger and depression.
Twilight looked at AJ, blinking. "W-what? What does it-?"
"Its simple, Twi...", Spike murmured. "Green Fairy, can- ! W-what's going on?! I can't-!"
"MONOLOGUE MY POWERS TO YOUR FRIEND?!", Cadence-or whoever she was now-screeched. "OF COURSE NOT! WHY WOULD I BE STUPID ENOUGH TO LET THAT HAPPEN?! NOW, PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR-!"
...She stopped, as suddenly, a glass of wine was splashed onto her. Still, some of her aura was still there, causing her to growl.
"I hope you're not too mad, Cadence..." There was a glint in Twilight's eyes. "I can't let you make a fool of yourself this time. You're going to say, 'WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, I-?!'"
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, I-?! ...?!?! HOW DID YOU-!"
"I can read you like a book, Cadence~ I know you wouldn't do something like this yourself, unless someone...WAS FORCING YOU! THE FORCE BEHIND GREEN FAIRY, FOR EXAMPLE! Well...I'M GOING TO LIBERATE YOU!" Her hooves glowed with hamon energy, her magic glowed with magic energy-!
...Then suddenly, an odd, paper-like, rainbow-colored, flutter(butterfly)-winged mare, with glowing pink eyes, and a brilliant dress, that looked like it was made of paper, erupted from Twilight, who actually looked kind of shocked.
"READING RAINBOW, AT YOUR SERVICE, MISS SPARKLE!" It flew right at Cadence.
"HA! YOU THINK YOUR READING RAINBOW CAN-! ...C-can-"
She stopped, once she noticed RR's hooves glowing a certain way. She started to freak out.
"N-no! NO! YOU CAN'T! YOU WON'T! I-!"
Reading Rainbow started punching her, all the while yelling, "KAERU KAERU KAERU KAERU, KAERU KAERU, KAERUUU-!"
She grabbed Cadence's wings, causing the pink alicorn to flinch.
"N-no, you wouldn't dare! You wouldn't-!"
She just yanked on them real hard to the sides, causing Cadence to turn into a giant book for a few seconds-!
...And then two certain other mares were ejected, at the same time. One, a certain dark-coated, cat-eyed, bat-winged alicorn, with deep cerulean eyes, and a purple mist like mane, plus that armor she wore.
The second? Well...She was *the* changeling queen basically.
Yep...Reading Rainbow had somehow gotten them both out of Cadence. ...Although-
Nightmare stood up, glaring right at Chrysalis. "'Lets both put our new origins in Cadence', you said! 'Nothing will go wrong', you said!"
"G-green Fairy can't stabilize, unless the event does! ...Especially-" Queen Chrysalis got shifty eyes. "If this was Rainbow's do- OH MY TIAMAT!" She pointed an accusatory hoof at Surprise, growling. "HOW MANY TIMES HAS SHE BEEN OUT?!"
"I DON'T KNOW! I KEEP TELLING PONIES, I DON'T ALWAYS HAVE CONTROL OVER WHO-!"
"Well, boss...", Surprise murmured, "Maybe you should start honing yer skills again, huh...?"
"..." The blue pegasus just grumbled. "People need to stop blaming for this shit..."
Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "Well, for whatever reason, this happened, so, Nightmare, its your turn to-" ...Her eyes widened, as Nightmare Moon's mane started pulling in one of Chrysalis' holed legs. "W-what are you-?"
"Shut up, I wanna test something...'Oh, my beloved subjects, its been so long since I-' ..." She stopped, suddenly glaring at the Changeling Queen. "Is that why I...Don't sound as attractive or seductive anymore? Because, some mmmmmmbitch of an mmmmmmbug, stole away allll of my sultriness?!"
"W-well, I would have argued I improved it...At first. Whatever occured after that, I take no responsibility for. I am a changeling after all, and I-" Her eyes went wide as plates, her mouth dry as hell, the center of her eyes taking on more of a dark greenish hue. Terror entered her, as Nightmare Moon's mane, turned mawed. "N-no! NO, YOU WOULDN'T! YOU-!"
The rest of her words went unsaid, as the mist-like mane easily slurped her up...Nightmare Moon even made a belching sound. "AHhhhh, that hit the spot~ Well, Chryssy, looks like 'Nightmare Night' enjoys you just fine~ ...Who knows, maybe Green Fairy can even make my projections a bit more...real~"
"...We're boned," Rainbow Dash told them with a murmur. "Just remember the old code words...'This is just a dream...only a nightmare.' She can't-"
...Suddenly, Pinkie came into the foreview, without clothes on. "Well...I CERTAINLY CAN'T HAVE THESE TWO DARK QUEENLY MISCREANTS, TRESPASSING UPON MINE DOMAIN! PINKAMIO CERTAINLY CANNOT EITHER! HAVE AT THEE! RASHOMON ROSHOMON!" ...Pinkie started discodancing.
Nightmare stared...Until she realized, that the disco ball had fully appeared. "NO!" Her eyes went fully wide. "IT WAS EMBARRASSING LAST TIME! PLEASE, DO NOT-!"
...Suddenly, it seemed like different versions of the night were happening.
One? ...Zecora told everyone else, a spooky story, as they waited for the royal sisters.
Two? The Luna there turned out to be Queen Chrysalis.
Three? ...Nightmare Moon was part changeling.
Four, Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis had teamed up!
...But, as they got to five-
It reverted back.
"N-no, no, no! RASHOMON! COME ON, RASHOMON, ROSHOMON!", Pinkie screamed up at the Disco Ball. "You can do it! I have faith in you! I-"
There was a large, loud thud next to Pinkie. Nightmare stared at her, with a grin.
"Well, guess I'll- URCK!" Suddenly, Reading Rainbow fell upon her with hooves.
"KAERU, KAERU...KAERUKAERUKAERUKAERUKAERU! KAAAAEEEEEEEEEE-" She slammed her hoof down upon Nightmare's horn. "RUUUUUUUUU!"
"AUGH! YOU INSIPID LITTLE-!" The mane moved after Reading Rainbow, but- ...Twilight's stand was simply too fast. The mane couldn't get there, at the same time RR was there. "...That Brat's imbued her with Hamon energy! Damnit! If this keeps up, I'll-! ...Suddenly, I'm forgetting NN's other power." She grinned. "Right~ Time to- ...Can I-" She tried turning to mist, but- "CHRYSALIS! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GO ON A DIET?! YOU DON'T NEED THIS MUCH LOVE! RRRRGGGHHHHHH! ...Oh, well." She looked around, grinning. "Bingo~"
"EVERYONE VACATE THE PREMIS-! ...-es." Sadly, before Pinkie could finish that word, Nightmare had gotten Derpy next.
"Mmmmmmm...My personality feels so odd like this...But-" She grinned. "Lets see here~ BEGINNING NIGHTMARIFICATION~!" Her mane started changing and growing.
"NOT SO FAST!" Reading Rainbow moved at her again. "KAE-! OOF!"
Suddenly, the rainbow-colored stand got slammed into, by a black shape, with light cyan eyes, and light, translucent green membrane wings.
"HA! You think only stands can hurt other stands these days~? ...Maybe. Or maybe you're full of it," the changeling drone said, narrowing their eyes down at Reading Rainbow. "Either way, Green Hunger never abandons it Queen...Even if that Queen is technically going to be Nightmare Moon now," the drone said, with a begrudging respect.
"Heh, that's right, my new subject~ And, all will be welcome under my night sky~ I only use my nightmares, because I have to...Because, fear is the best way to get control~" Her mane continued to grow. "Aha! My newest children are almost ready! I feel like a proud mother already~ Now, how to- OOF!" She grunted, a tooth flying from her maw, as a certain clawed hand, punched he across the face.
"Leave. Them. Alone..." Spike told her, with intimidating tone...Sadly, his knees were shaking.
"...You're adorable, Spike." The Dark Alicorn merely nuzzled him back, grinning. "I'm not even going to be mad about the tooth~ I'm sure somepony can just make me a new one~ ...Orrrr-" She sighed, a portion of her tail disappearing, and a new tooth regrowing. "There we go~"
"S-she's way too OP this time...", Rainbow murmured, eyes wide. "I-I better unsummon Surpri-"
"NO!" Twilight went, eyes suddenly glinting again. "I've got this...YOU!" She pointed at the changeling drone, her horn glowing. "Explain to me the power of Green Hunger-! ...While not hurting anyone here, as you do so!"
...The drone blinked, before turning around. "Very well. Green Hunger-"
"IDIOT!", Nightmare yelled, sounding more like Chrysalis. "DON'T TELL HER YOUR POWERS!"
"...B-but, my queen," The drone's went dry. "I-I mean, this power! How do you expect me to-! ...Huh. VERY WELL! I FULLY SUBMIT, MY MIND, BODY, AND SOU-"
...Twilight fainted.
"! ...How did you know that would work?", Nightmare Moon asked
"Simple: I didn't hurt her...I simply caused her to faint...And, now, since she's unconscious, I will tell everyone how- ...N-NO!" The drone was quaking. "IT WAS A FEINT! IT WAS A NECESSARY FEINT! HOW IS SHE-?!"
Twilight barely stood up, groaning. Her horn sparked, but- "...Do it. But, I just want your explanation, not the other things."
"TWILIGHT!", Rarity shrieked. "YOU IDIOT! YOU COULD HAVE JUST RELEASED HIM! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE-?!"
"Gladly~" The drone told Twilight, marching up to her. "First of our powers...We absorb emotions from other ponies. Secondly, we can shapeshift, make ourselves look like anyone, or anything else. Thirdly..." He grinned. "We make holes in reality~ Not 'Oh lets end all existence holes', just...Focused, intentional continuity holes in history, that our queen can fill in~"
"...Good, now-"
Twilight didn't get much farther, before he suddenly bit into her right front leg.
"!" She screamed! And, it was not only bonechilling, it was-! IT WAS HORRIFYING! S-she- She-!
"Enough," Nightmare told him. "You've kept her busy long enough..." Her mane spat out both Chrysalis and Derpy, Nightmarifying both. Derpy wore golden armor, had sharper wings, and bat eyes, and Chrysalis had green armor, and her eyes looked somewhat more buglike...At least slightly. "Now...Green Fairy."
"!" Chrysalis stood to her hooves. "Y-yes, my queen?"
"...Fill in whatever your little...Locust fool took away."
Chrysalis blinked, but nodded, and-
"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" Rarity screamed, moving forward, and-!
Chrysalis rolled her eyes, before suddenly her horn glowed, and multiple beams hit other ponies(Except for the mane six).
"...W-wha-?", Rarity barely got out, before the various ponies suddenly turned into changelings.
"Theeeerrrreeeee we go~ Don't worry...I'm sure Queen Moon will-"
"KAERU KAERU KAERU KAERU, KAERU!", RR screamed...While only punching affected ponies with her left hoof.
"DO IT FASTER, CHRYSALIS!"
"F-fine..." Chrysalis trotted over to Twilight.
Rarity summoned Truly Outrageous-
...Only for NMM to suddenly be in her way, Nightmare Night splitting from her head, and changing into a fiery blue kirin like being. "Go on...I dare you."
Chrysalis reached Twilight, put a hoof on her head-Twilight was oddly not moving, for some reason-and- "...Ah, its just all the images of her mother. My Queen, what should we-?"
"Replace images of Velvet with my own...Hopefully, reality will fill it in well enough."
"As you command...Now-" Her horn started glowing. "Lets-"
"FIESTA WARUDO!"
...Nightmare Moon looked annoyed as the mariachi band started playing, while Chrysalis looked scared.
"M-my queen, we should really-"
"No...Just put Velvet back in," She commanded. "But...I'm not sure thats only hole you can fill in~ After all, this is...Ponyville. You can change her history up, however you-" Suddenly, she was screaming loudly, as five sporks were in her noggin. Oddly enough, she was not bleeding. "PINKAMIO, YOU UTTER FOA- GAH!" And, now she had them in her left front leg as well. "...Heh. Hehehehehhe~ Do you really think those two are the only ones I've captured? You're missing poor little Lulu as well~"
"IT DOESN'T-! ...I-I mean, Luna matters, of course, but- Twilight- ...Just put the pictures of her mother back."
"OH! YOU THINK WE REMEMBER VELVET THAT WELL?!", Chrysalis asked, loudly, before cackling. "I'm sorry, all those blows to my head from her 'Tea Reading' stand, must be making me forget...No. Maybe if you get lucky, she'll leave here, and find out for herself. But, for now? I'm afraid..." She grinned. "You're her mother, Pinkie Pie~"
"...N-no no no! That's too weird!"
"OH! SO, YOU'LL LET HER FADE THEN~"
"F-FADE?! B-but, I-"
"Twilight Sparkle has never truly embraced friendship, Pinkie Pie...Maybe she's realized lessons at times, but, how sure are you that she can be changed at this time? No...You're the one so happy to see her. You're the one so 'aware' at times. Do it~ Tell me to do it, or I let her fade."
"...Fine, do it...Probably won't make sense, when we-"
"Pinkie...As long as Dash keeps summoning your...Ancient lookalike, you can't be exactly sure how anything will go anymore~ Anyway-" She beams Twilight. "Done. Sure will be interesting...To see if it can fix her...your true stand. I mean...Am I really supposed to believe, that Rashomon Roshomon is just a disco ball~?"
"...I-I-"
"Goodbye, Pinkie Pie. Come on, my Queen, lets go!"
Nightmare growled. "FINE! Lets go, Ditzy Doo..." The three of them proceeded to exit the town hall.
"...Ohhhhhh boy," Rainbow Dash muttered. "Sure hope- ..." She stared, as the ponies who had been turned into changelings, started exiting the library. "...Wow, they really were not up for a full fight tonight, were they?"
"Is anyone ever up for a fight, with Green Fairy, and Green Hunger, Rainbow Dash...?", Rarity asked in a murmur. "We're lucky they didn't try to drain us dry...Could be Derpy- I mean, Ditzy's good natured personality, that prevented such a thing."
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and, I keep telling you, Green Hunger cannot-"
"Save it, Rainbow Dash...Twilight, are you-?"
"Better than ever...", Twilight mumbled
"..." Spike kind of stared, looking a bit guilty. "T-twilight, Velvet, I-"
"I know the name...I remember what she was like to a degree...Its just...I can't imagine her fully anymore..."
"..." Rarity sighed. "Pinkie...Until we have the three of them under control, I assume you'll try not to cause too much trouble?"
"I-I'm probably just gonna be focusing on healing Twilight..." Pinkie mumbled to her.
"...For what reasons?", Rarity asked.
"C-cause I feel guilty...?"
"...Why? It was Twilight's naivete that-"
"BECAUSE, I JUST DO, RARITY!", The pink pony screamed back, eyes all wet, Pinkie making sobbing noises. "I-if I had helped before Cadence could have started monologueing, I- ...!" She twitched a bit, as a taller pink pony put her hoof on Pinkie's shoulder blade.
"Don't worry, Pinkie..." Cadence murmured. "We'll get her back fully...With Ruby Ray and I on the team, you can count on it."
"...FOR THE LOVE OF TIAMAT, SURPRISE!" Wow, Rainbow had only just then managed to unsummon her stand... |
Aye-Aye's Bizarre Adventure: Part 3: Summer Boogaloo | Tumultuous Training | "Okay, Spike, come on!", The blue pegasus grumbled, as she stood infront of the river near Spike. "I know my own Hamon training is kind of rusty, but-"
"'But' nothing, Rainbow Dash," Spike growled. "Twilight was injured, and, if you could summon a version of your stand other than 'Surprise'-"
"I KEEP TELLING YOU, 'Never Gonna Give You Up' is broken!"
"...The stand, or the pony?"
Rainbow blinked. "I-I don't-"
"Yeah, I bet you don't." He sighed. "Look, we're lucky she hasn't started up 'Project Eternal Night' yet, but, thats only because she still fears Pinkie Pie...And, with 'Party World', or whatever its called, she's likely not going to make a direct move anytime soon...Thankfully, that gives us time. You know, people have told me 'Oh, Spike, Hamon isn't connected to stands! You must be confused~' Yeah? Well, then someone explain Reading Rainbow."
"...I-I mean, its a pretty powerful stand-"
"Not what I'm talking about...She increased its normal maximum output, by at least three degrees, if not more."
"But, we haven't even seen Reading Rainbow befo-!"
"Haven't we? ...Rarity admitted to me earlier, that she somehow knew the stand's name, but, couldn't remember its form. Not sure I completely buy it...But, I'm not going to needle her about it too much yet. Either way, I don't know if Reading Rainbow is that powerful, without the Hamon imbuement."
"...It was kinda cool, how it just- ...Turned Cadence into a book, then ejected out Nightmare and Chrysalis."
"Right...But, Twilight's currently at novice level. She somehow knew to eject two different foreign entities-was probably obvious to her, should have been obvious to us-but...She didn't think to refill them. I have a bad feeling its only a matter of time until Cadence turns on us."
"...W-wait, you're saying-"
"She may gotten out the main parts of the entities...But, it can't be guaranteed that Cadence won't still turn. Twilight might have just halted the transformation at best. ...But, I can only imagine what'll happen, with parts of both still in her. They may not even realize she's still vulnerable."
"...Good." She sighed. "Alright, fine, I'll get to training my Hamon."
"Glad to hear it~ ...But, we're gonna be doing something a bit different with yours'."
"..." She blinked a bit. "W-what do you mean?"
"Rainbow, you may have fooled everyone into thinking you can only summon pegasi ancestors- ...But, I know better now. I remember better now. You've only been using Surprise...Because, you think she's the only one who can alter fate."
"T-THAT'S-! ...Look, I may have a subconscious thing with Twilight going on, but-"
"But nothing. Rainbow...Levitate the water."
"...H-heh, you're not serious, right?"
Spike's eyes were just kind of unimpressed looking. "Rainbow, what's weather?"
"! ...I-I mean, clouds, sun, lightni-"
"No, thats what a meteorologist defines as weather. Keep in mind, though, they also have to keep track of things like pollen counts."
"...Why *do* they call it meteorology? Shouldn't they call i-?"
"Focus, Rainbow. Now...Levitate the water. It can be however you want...As long as it involves your wings, and Hamon."
"...Heh. Alright, then, Spike-" She grinned at this, her wings flaring up with the odd energy, as she looked at the river. "PREPARE TO EAT RAIN!" Jumping up, she glided straight over the river, dipping her wings into the river at times, before landing on the other bank, turning around and grinning. "HA! You all wet under the ears, Spi-~? ...Woah." The parts of the river she had touched, had risen into one foot tall walls of water...And, were kind of mostly staying in position, with the parts above slowly starting to trickle back down into drops. "How di-?"
"Heh, cool, right~? Honestly, not surprised this is the first form it took...I mean...Pegasus magic does seem to include stabilizing weather elements, sooo...Yeah. This is actually a pretty good start~ Now...You just need to put your hooves on water, and-"
"Nuh uh, that is a air only trick, and you know it, Spike...Earth Ponies, and Unicorns, would not be happy if they sa-"
"Stop paying attention to the neighsayers, Rainbow. Unicorns would probably just turn it into a case study-...with potentially disastrous results, unless kept in check-and, Earth Ponies? ...Ehhhhh."
"'Ehhhhh'? What do you mean, 'Ehhhhh''? Spike-!"
"Rainbow...Earth Pony magic is based around nature. If any one of them were as brave and smart as you, they would have figured out this connection by now."
"...I-I mean, that's mostly plant-based."
"Yes, and, current pony society, is mostly a triarchal species..."
"...I think I get it, but, I'm not sure I follo-"
"Rrrrgghhhhh...Okay, Pegasi control the weather, Earth Ponies control nature, and, Unicorns-for the most part-control 'direct' magic. They keep each other in check, as do Celestia and Luna each other, with the Sun and Moon. ...Sometimes. Anyways, think about-"
"What's Dragon Magic like?"
"..." He just grumbled at that. "Its complicated sometimes...Not sure I want to remind you about it too much."
"...And, hierarch-?"
"...Dragon Lord. Torch. That's his name, Torch."
"Pfft- ..."
"You thought better about-"
"I don't know, Spike...Do Rainbows Da-?"
"YOU'RE RIGHT, ENOUGH TALKING ABOUT NAMES AND MAGIC, LETS GET TA TRAINING!"
"Remember, be calm, Applejack. Fluttershy and I are both here for you."
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Ya'll know Ah'm probably one o' tha most talented hamon users in Equestria, right?"
"...Yes?" Rarity's momentary look of uncertainty, actually seemed to imply that she didn't know exactly how skilled AJ was at the moment.
"Ah mean, Ah used ta be considered tha strongest damn pony in all o' Equestria, by those who really knew me~"
"...Yeeeesssss, Applejack, but, Pinkie seemed to think her sister Maud was stronger than you."
"...Ah'll admit," AJ grumbled, "Maud's strange approach to hamon gathering, does seem...kinda effective at times."
Rarity snorted incredulously. "Only 'kinda', huh?"
"Well...Thing is, doesn't seem like she has a whole lot of reason to use it most o' the time."
"Well, Applejack, Maud's different like that...She takes her time, forming her own thoughts, rarely letting reality effect her much-"
"If Maud was there, we wouldn't even be having this problem...", Fluttershy spoke up, looking concerned for Twilight's well being.
"Yeah...Ah know, Twilight's kinda messed up, we really need ta-"
"Applejack," Rarity spoke up, "You shouldn't-"
"Don' tell me what ta do, Rarity..."
"...Oh. I see how it is." The unicorn had a genuinely hurt look on her face...which was slowly being replaced by a silent anger and disappointment. "Very well, I'll leave your Hamon training to Fluttershy."
"! ...N-now, see here, Rarity, A-ah wasn't that mad, ya'll kin-"
"No, Applejack, its fine, Fluttershy's one of the best."
"A-ah know that! ..." The Earth pony looked a bit distressed, as cream-colored spots started appearing on her again. "A-ah'm just sayin', h-her trainin' style ain't realleh my thi-"
"Do you have something you wish to say to me, Applejack?", Rarity asked, a silent venomous, yet warning tone to her voice. Clearly, the unicorn was angry about something more than what had just happened.
"...M-maybe." Applejack calmly looked in the direction of the barn...Her barn. The Apple Family barn. So many secrets that had happened inside this barn in particular. "C-can ya'll at least-?'
"Another time..." Rarity started trotting away, head held high. It was almost as if she was daring Applejack to judge her a certain way.
"...Fine," Applejack grumbled, sighing heavily. "Fluttershy, lets get this trainin' goi- ...Are ya'll tryin' ta emotion jam me already?"
"N-noooo...?", Fluttershy told her, in an unconvincing manner, sweating somewhat...Buttttt, that was indeed TGR out at the moment.
"Fluttershy, seriously? ..." She sighed, her cream spots starting to disappear again. "Fine, lets git this goin'..."
The yellow pegasus nodded. "Alright, first, summon out 'Golden Delicious Friday'."
"...R-really? That one? Ah thought-"
"I mean...Its one of your more unorthodox ones, but-"
"..." She sighed. "Right...If I can get her under control, what can't Ah do? Alright, then..." She concentrated the hamon energy in her hooves, before suddenly a Golden colored earth mare shot out of her body, levitating. Said Earth Mare stand, was slightly chubby looking, but also had rings around her body, like she was part carrot. Also, she had odd roundish, hair...that was also golden. Her eyes, though, were a bright orange...Although, there were also these odd markings on her, that looked kind of brownish, but, with cinnamon swirls. "GDR, how ya feel-?"
"I'M GREAT! DOING GREAT, REAL GREAT! INFACT, I'M SOOOOOOOO GREAT, THAT I DON'T WANT TO MURDER YOUR SISTER FOR CONSTANTLY CHANGING OUR RECIPES!" ...Something was off. Her tone suggested she was furious, but, it was also hard to tell if she was being completely serious, or facetious.
"...Riiiiigghhhhtttt. Listen, Ah jus' need ya'll to-"
"WHAT FOR?! EVERYONE LOOOOOVEEESSS PINKIE'S 'RASHOMON ROSHOMON'!"
"...Okay, ya'll calm down, jus- ...Fluttershy, what exactly do ya'll-?"
"Use your combined spirit to start healing each other," Fluttershy told her.
"...Why?"
"Applejack...She's part of your will. You can't just keep neglecting her like this."
"...Then, explain why ya'll don't just-"
"That's my problem, Applejack...Not yours'."
The Earth Mare just sighed again, for the umpteenth time. "Fine...Alright, GDF, lets get to wor-"
"Not just yet." Fluttershy giggled. "Your brother and I will be setting up the obstacle course first~" The pegasus adorably trotted off to go find a certain, big, red strong stallion.
"...Well, this can only end well," AJ murmured.
As Rarity walked along the road through Ponyville, she couldn't help but sigh. "...Maybe I shouldn't have been so rough on her. I can only imagine the tough time she's having of it right now." She chuckled slightly. "Then again, with the type of training Fluttershy and Big Mac likely have in store for her, maybe it 'll be good for her...As long as they take it easy. If it were me, I likely would have made her face all her problems then and there..."
"I'm sure you would have, Rarity...", a somewhat snobbish male voice from nearby said.
"?! WHOSE THERE?! I'm not afraid to-! ...Oh. Its just you, Hoity."
The fancy gray unicon stallion merely lowered his purple-lensed, gold-rimmed glasses with his hoof, somehow ever so gently, and glared at her. "Now, is that any sort of respect you're showing for a former teacher...?"
"HA! I would hardly call you a teacher! Listen, Hoity, you may be a good judge of clothing, but-"
"I'm a terrible stand user...Is that what really you want to say to m-?"
"...You're a terrible person. Your stand is...Complex."
"And, yet, my mastery of the ability makes things so much more simple...You, on the other hand, are not an officially trained psychologist, as far as I am aware."
"Well, you're not a physics teacher either!"
He merely smirked. "Aren't I~? Listen, Rarity, you and your friends wanted to put Ponyville on the map, right...? So, you should be grateful, because I put it on the map~"
"WE WERE ALREADY ON THE MAP!"
"Yes...And, how often are smaller towns forgotten by time, Rarity...?"
"! ...I-I don't know what you mean..."
"Your defeat of Nightmare Moon was one thing...And, an impressive accomplishment, to be sure. But...She was likely only meant to be a harbinger, whatever did originally happen."
"A MERE HARBINGER?! YOU ARE-"
"Yes, go on, say it..."
"...You're not the devil, but, neither is she."
"Exactly. And, now, Luna won't have to worry about being stuck in the moon for a thousand years more~"
"...And, how is Manehatten doing?"
"You need not concern yourself with that for the moment...But-" He turned around, and flashed her a Dio-esque glare, mouth shut. "If you ever do find the mysterious 'equestrian' known as 'Time Turner'...Well, I would pay you handsomely~"
"I...I do not know his current whereabouts. His stand-"
"Right...Blue Chameleon...Still, I have this odd feeling even if you did know, you wouldn't tell me. Ah, well, I'll find him one day~"
"You can't keep blaming him for that! Your little manuever in Manehatten attracted creatures even I could barely comprehend!"
"The Daleks? Merely tin pot tyrants, literally~ All I would have had to do, would be make them see into the abyss...But, noooooooo." He snarled. "That blasted tourist had to destroy them himself, and take all their parts with him! ...Not that I care all that much~ Either way...You and your friends are training, aren't you?"
"H-how did you-?"
"I have my methods...Perhaps you would enjoy some training against 'Putting on the Ritz'~?"
"No thank you...You're a real beast when it comes to stand combat, and, I couldn't put Truly through that sort of thing again."
"Well-" He shrugged. "I tried...Don't come to Manehattan, Rarity. You're unwanted by the local fashion community..." He started to walk away.
"...And, you've let your stand's powers corrupt you," She murmured in response, with his back turned. "Unwanted by the fashion community indeed...You've changed, Hoity," she said, a sadness creeping into her voice. "You used to be so optimistic for the future."
The other stopped. "...Necessity is the mother of invention, Rarity. You should know this better than anyone, Rarity..." He continued on.
"...You know, I wouldn't mind some Hamon refreshers myself. Its odd that you yourself seem to know the techniques, but...I may need what you know." She could barely believe what she was saying. Her, saying this to Hoity Toity of all ponies...What was even happening? Was Surprise out again, or-?
"...Well, I think we could both use certain refreshers," he told her, before turning around, walking up to her, standing on both back legs- ...And leaving his midsection open. "Go for it, Rarity. ...Just keep in mind-" There was a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I have friends in this town..." |
Aye-Aye's Bizarre Adventure: Part 3: Summer Boogaloo | Facing Clockwork Orange | "Ah tip mah hat ta ya, govna~" The odd AU version of AJ laughed, grinning as she approached Hoity Toity, her alternate stand, Clockwork Orange, having awakened, right in the middle of Manehattan. She was wearing an odd bowler hat, combined with what someone in england would consider a hoodlum outfit. "It ain't everyone who kin draw me out, but, ya somethin' special alright~"
Clockwork Orange floated right near the alternate AJ...it was odd, in that's entire torso, was basically a giant watch, with the legs, neck, and tail attached. It had no mouth, its eyes were blue, with strange horizontal stripes. It was a strange, golden color. Its gender was unidentifiable...
"So, Mistah Toity, before I go 'head an' knock ya blocks off, please, tell me...How did this city become so gravitay based?"
"..." The stallion sighed. "Stands are so much more complicated than you know...You put willpower in a single source, and, its almost like it has a mind of its own."
ClockworkJack snickered. "Yeah, thats what willpowah does, ya bloodeh twat. Hope ya ain' been slackin' off on ya self defence~"
"...Miss Applejack, would you please-? !" He yelped a bit, as he felt a pain in one of his back legs...the upperback of his left hind leg to be specific.
"Come 'gain? ...Ahhhhhh, Ah git it now." She grinned. "Were ya hopin' ta find tha source o' 'Tha World'? Gotta say, I don' even recall how mah fine 'quaintance, tha dear Pinkay Pie, managed to screw up her job so bad, that Ah o' all people was actually brought here. ...Unless-" She grinned. "The Author gettin' desperate? Or, is he merely stallin' for time~?"
"..." Hoity growled a bit, merely standing straight now. "I do enjoy it when people come here, but, thanks to various events, I don't know quite what to do now."
"Well-" She chuckles. "I kin definitely do some...Interestin' things wit' time~" Suddenly, Clockwork Orange started...to put pressure on the time in that specific area, in a five meter radius. "DOOOOO YAAAA GIIIIITTTTTTT IIIIITTTTTTTTT NOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW~?" She asked, voice sounding deep, before the effect stopped. "Now...What ta do wit' ya'll? ...AH KNOW~!" She grinned, as a piece of energy started to form around Clockwork Orange's front left hoof, glowing iridescently...Before it tossed the ball right at Hoity's legs.
"!" He gasped. "Y-you- How did you-?"
"Shove it...jus' summon ya goshdang stand already."
"..." He narrowed his eyes. "Very well..." Concentrating his will energies, via his mind, Putting on the Ritz appeared above him, coming out through his back. It was an odd one...For one, it seemed to be mostly made of clothes, supposedly, at least appearance-wise. Top hat, arrow collar, high class pinstripe, odd yellow-rimmed steampunk goggles with orange lenses, and, of course, a cane with a diamond on top...Usually stands didn't have canes.
"...Hmmmmmm. Very unusual...A pony stand with that kinda appearance? Why, Mista Toity...Ya really do know how ta be fashionable, even in a situation like this~"
He narrowed his eyes a bit. "I know the move you'll try this time...You can't beat me that way this fight..."
"HA! We'll see~" She had her stand prepare the same move, and- "...A space stand," She realized, humming a bit. "Or a graviteh one...considerin' how many people git drawn ta ya stand's pressure, ah'm surprised ya'll aren't completely magnetized."
He just grinned a bit. "Its mostly toward...other pressure stands~"
"...Ah'll be. Course, its more of a time pressure stand...Or somethin'." She grumbled a bit. "Clockwork? Undo the bubble. ...Clockwork, don't ya'll dare play du-" She grunted, as she suddenly got kicked right in one of the legs, then-
"Do it," Hoity commanded. PotR pointed the tip of its cane right at Clockwork Orange, and proceeded to fire a gravity ball at one of its arrows.
"!" CO started to resist a bit, but, all of a sudden, it went limp.
"...My own stand startin' ta turn independant," CW!AJ muttered. "How even...?"
"I'd suggest Kaeru type stand magic might be afoot...", Hoity murmured. "That, or something else is going on."
"...How's ya AJ doin'?" She asked, actually sounding concerned.
He just sighed. "Racist Barn..."
"...That bad?"
"Maybe...?"
"...Hmmmm. Honestly, I'd o' thunk Puttin' on tha Ritz woulda been one o' those shiny ass metallic lookin' stands, but- Huh. Well...Toity. How's 'bout we uncovah tha secrets o' those...well, tin can people? Tha knights, not tha daleks."
He just grinned. "Not without Reading Rainbow, I think~"
She sighed. "Fine...Ya'll better be able ta stabilize Clockwork Orange, if needed."
"Shouldn't be too hard. ...Your stand would probably git bored on its own, you know."
"...Ah'm not too sure 'bout that, but- Then 'gain, probably woulda figured a way ta become Tha World wit' this pow- ...Really? Thats the direction we're go-?"
"Possibly...Do you even realize its power at times?"
"...Ya right. Fine, then. Now...How in Tartarus did ya even git 'ere so fast?"
He grinned. "I walked, with a little extra pep in my step~"
"...A hop, skip, and a jump?", she asked. "But, only Pinkie kin-"
"You'd be surprised..." He snickered a bit.
"..Rrrgghh, fine! Lets do it..."
"Hmmm...As long as you keep Clockwork Orange out."
She grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Fine. ...Shit, now yer makin' me wond-"
"Cockn-"
"Its Trotneigh, ya bloodeh- Ah mean...fair nuff." She rolled her eyes, using hamon pressure in her hooves to force Clockwork Orange to cease the pressure bubble on Hoity's legs.
...It only took an hour to reach Ponyville, between their two stands. |
Aye-Aye's Bizarre Adventure: Part 3: Summer Boogaloo | Alice of Oz | "..." Twilight sighed. "Pinkie? How is a Bunny Rabbit like a Lion?"
Pinkie grumbled a bit...before snickering. "Well, ya see, Twilight, if the lion's cowardly-~"
"...THOSE TWO?! TOGETHER?! That's impossible...The protagonists-"
"Wear practically similar dresses, Twi...One's Trottish, the other is- ...Twistish?"
"...How the hell will memorizing both make me a better-?"
"Noooooo, Twi~ Its about enjoying life again~ ...But, seriously, haven't you ever wanted to be a filly again?"
"...I-It would be nice to have friends..."
"Perfect~! Now...You're running late, for a very important date, but, suddenly, you get a prediction that there will be a disaster! What do you do?!"
"W-well, I-"
"Prepare for the inevitable...Just kidding~ But, seriously, Twi, what do you- ..." She blinked, as Twi was already making sure there was space for both of them in the bathroom. "...Huh. Good instincts. ...Yeah, right, we both know that Velvet woulda-~"
"Pinkie? You're not my-"
"I COULD BE! Ever think o' that?"
"..." She sniffled, a tear going down her face. "Y-you're right, I should've-"
"Naaahhhhhh, don't worry~ ...Now. For a rather complicated manuever. Twilight? What does Science define a miracle as?"
"...Well, the more pessimistic sort will tell you, you can't make something out of nothing, so-"
"HA! Science, who needs it~?"
"...I'm not sure I foll-"
"Twi...As long as energy exists, you can produce more of it."
"...But, doesn't that defy-?"
"Ahahah! None of that. Now...Twi? Have you ever thought it possibly to perceive books as...minds? Other realities?"
"...! WHERE IS HE?! WHERE-?!"
"Twilight? No. ...Though, that would explain some things...", she murmurs. "If Styg- ...Nah. We're not even close to ready for that yet~ NOW! What to do... Hmmm. Okay, so...I might be forced to do it this time. BOOK WARUDO!" She hums, somehow...standing up on two legs in a ballerina position. Somehow, she pulls out both 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', and places them both on the floor. Then, as Pinkie channels her hamon energy through her lower legs, Twilight is suddenly lifted up by a small emerald tornado, that pulls her into the middle...
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP, FLUTTERJACK!"
"...What the-? W-wait, my name isn't-"
"Silly Flutterjack, there's no time for that~" ...The odd white lion cub, with bunny ears, wearing a red coat, with a yellow buttoned coatshirt, a golden monocle on his left eye, hums a bit, as he pulls out a golden watch. "We need to make it! To the coronation!"
"THE CORONATION?! B-but, I'm not nearly ready! Besides, even if I was- ...I'm sorry, I don't-"
"Kimb- ..." It was like he was suddenly stuck right in place. ...Then- "...Sorry about that! The chap who usually-"
TWILIGHT IS SPONTANEOUSLY EJECTED! She oofs as she crashes on her back. "Pinkie, what the-?!"
"I FORGOT ABOUT THE KIMBA AND SANS GLITCH!"
"...THE WHAT?!"
"I-it's nothing, Twi~ ...Seriously, Twi, you're better off not knowing. ..." She started murmuring something about 'How does he keep finding where people are...? Damn Megalovania...'
"...Pinkie, are you-?"
"Nevermind! We...need to start with...Oz? ...Grrrrrr," It felt hard to do this...Maybe it was paranoia on her part, but, still- "...Hmmmmmm. There once was a Patchwork girl so fair, a beautiful light blue was her hair-"
Suddenly, Angel bunny came in through the door!
"...Somethin' ya need, Angel?", Pinkie asked, trying not to sound too annoyed. Also, the twister was gone. ...For the moment.
...HOW WAS A RABBIT SWEATING BUCKETS?!
"...Lucifer's Angel? At a time like this? Geez...Is Dash still summoning Surprise? Where is Fluttershy?! Don't tell me the others are-!"
Angel just shrugged, still looking nervous as heck.
"..." Pinkie sighed. "Well...Apparently, Book world has activated a new plot twist...One I can't even blame on Surprise. ..." She stared right at Angel Bunny. "Don't tell me...Cadence? Your stand only activates, when someone's going through some pretty extreme turmoil...Or, at least, that one usually only activates in that type of instance."
Angel said nothing...being a bunny, and all.
"...Damnit, Fluttershy. Alright, Twi...Let me handle this. I'll likely need Rashomon. ...Buuutttt, then again, if this is about Prismia, then- ...That'll be complicated."
"...Piiiiiinkie, what are you not-?"
"S-she may or may not be...Part changeling. Prismia, that is."
"...So, Chrys-?"
"Don't wanna talk about it. If need be, I'll use the power of The World...Or just Fiesta World."
"...Is there much of a difference?"
"One can make party stuff."
"Ah. Yeah, that explains the difference."
"Right. ...Well, I guess I should-"
Suddenly, AJ-or some sort of lookalike?-appeared infront of them...her attire made her look like a trottinghamish hoodlum. "Oi, ya still havin' problems around 'ere?"
Twilight blinked. "...AJ? How did you get in here?"
"No time ta talk, an enemy stand's on tha loose, right? We saw tha carnage on our way 'ere."
Hoity was outside, panting a bit. "W-who even has a stand like that?!"
"..." Pinkie just shakes her head, sighing. "Does it really matter? We've got to figure out a way to take that thing out."
"Take it out?" Hoity looked incredulous. "How?! Bonded with her, think of the damage its doing!"
"I already am...Twilight? I know you've been through so much recently, but- Can you help with this, please...?"
"..." Twilight just sort of sighed. "Guess I could give it my all..." |
Shot down | pre | "Oh my... my name is... Fluttershy..." Fluttershy wasn't acting as shy as she normally is, she was also turning a tint of red which was easy to see through her yellow coat.
As David continued to talk with Fluttershy, he noticed she kept getting closer to him... very close. Through luck he was lucky somepony else came over to talk to him, saving him from what ever Fluttershy was doing. After talking with this pony named Grass Sweeper, David noticed someone was missing.
'Where's Rainbow Dash? I would've expected her to be one of the first to talk with me, and honestly I was excited to talk with her, being my favorite of the mane six after all.' David began wondering, not noticing Twilight walking up to him.
"Hey David, are you enjoying the party?" Twilight asked with a warm smile
"Uh, ya the party is awesome!" David said with a surprised but happy tone.
"David, is something wrong?" Twilight asked with a look of concern
"Huh? Oh nah nothing, I'm fine. I was just thinking of some things."
"Hm, alright. Well come on, the pa-" *BOOM* The room fell silent as everyone heard a massive explosion outside
Everyone inside Twilight's library ran outside to find the source of the sound, what David and the others found was unbelievable. Not far from Ponyville, they could see smoke and fire rising into the night sky, at sight of this David ran back inside and threw on his second button up shirt and grabbed his combat knife then continued to run back out the door and towards the source of the chaos. As David was running through Ponyville, he was joined by Twilight.
"What do you think caused this!?" Twilight yelled to David as they were running
"I don't know, but we're about to find out!" David yelled in reply as they closed in on the source.
Once they cleared the trees and bushes they came upon a small field, what David spotted... he could not believe.
There was a piece of rubble burning in the field inside a crater with a trail leading up to it, it had the body of a jet, yet no one was inside the cockpit.
"What is that?" Twilight asked with a confused and slightly fearful look on her face
"It's called an F-15... how the-" David cut himself off as he spotted the logo on the side of the cockpit, a viper.
'What the hell, he was shot down back on earth!' David began shooting questions in his head
[Music]Right click open new tab
*thump* *thump* *thump*
David spun around to meet the source of this sound only to receive a swift blunt force to the right side of his head, knocking him to the ground with great force. David smashed into the ground face first.
"Gah!" David yelled out in pain, rolling over to meet his attacker he spotted a black figure wearing a flight helmet delivering a swift kick to the side of Twilight's head knocking her unconscious.
"Oh fuck no!" David yelled as he rose to his feet.
When his attacker turned around to face him, David spotted something very off with his eyes, through the goggles of the flight helmet, David could see his eyes were glowing green and red. David also spotted the name tag on his shoulder.
"Drake!?" David yelled in shock
His attacker only flinched at the name, he began charging at David to which David holstered his knife, not wanting to harm Drake.
"Drake, don't fucking do this!"
His attacker ignored the comment, leaping at David while pulling his right arm back for a head on strike.
'Shit, alright have it your way.' And with this, David completed a combat roll to the right to avoid Drake's attack.
As David got onto his feet he charged at Drake, jumping into the air he pulled his legs in then thrusted them both back out at the right time to deliver a blow to Drake's back, knocking him face first to the ground. David quickly returned to his feet facing Drake as he began to stand up, at this moment David noticed a green glint off in the distance in the woods, quickly after spotting the glint he saw what looked like a green plasma fly through the air hitting him in his chest, successfully knocking him onto his back.
"FUCK!" David yelled in pain as he could hear an audible *sssssssss* sound coming from his chest.
David's vision was blurred as he spotted a human figure alongside what looked like a tall mutated pony marching towards him.
'Chrysalis...' David hissed in his head
David could only prop himself up with his elbows because of the immense pain in his chest. As the two figures got within two feet of him, he heard a massive explosion from the sky above, all three figures looked up to spot the source of the interruption only to spot the color spectrum shooting off in all directions with a trail leading from the middle, the trail in the middle closed in on Chrysalis, slamming into Chrysalis launching a massive cloud of smoke into the air and knocking Drake to the side. After what looked like a missile strike, David spotted several blurred figures appear from above the tree line.
*SSSSSS*
The pain in David's chest increased, his vision becoming more blurred and slowly began to fade to black and all sounds slowly becoming even more quiet. Right before everything cut to black, David heard a female voice call out his name in desperation and fear.
*Silence* |
Shot down | Cleansed | Time: Unknown
"Where am I?" David asked as he looked around him, he couldn't see anything except for a cyan mist surrounding his feet.
He was in a black void, just like when he first arrived.
"Hello! Anyone there?" David yelled out hoping to hear a reply.
"I am here David." A female voice spoke from behind him.
David whipped around to spot the source of the voice, only to find Princess Luna sitting only a few feet away from him.
"Come, take a seat." Luna requested in a kind voice.
David walked towards her and sat down with his feet crossed.
"Princess Luna, I'm very pleased to see you but I must know, where am I?"
"Likewise David, you are in a coma. You have been in this condition for two weeks."
David's jaw dropped upon hearing this
'Two weeks...' David was in shock from how long he has been out.
"Yes, two weeks." Luna answered his thought.
"You can hear my thoughts?" David looked up to her in surprise.
Luna chuckled, "No David, I just knew you would think it."
"Okay, well... what happened? After I got hit by that shot of plasma from Chrysalis, all I can remember is some massive explosion, a few figures appearing above the tree line, and that's it." David asked, wanting to know how everything went down.
"Well David, first I want you to know that you and everyone are safe. You are currently being held in Ponyville's hospital with some professionals from Canterlot on changeling magic. Now, here is what happened after you black out..."
Field near Ponyville
"David!" Twilight yelled as she woke from her unconscious state.
Twilight had spotted the massive explosion that everyone knows as, the Sonic Rainboom.
'Rainbow Dash?' Twilight began to wonder as she rose to her hooves. That's when she spotted several changelings appear from above the treeline, on the opposite side she spotted trails of smoke and lightning appear zooming across the sky towards the changelings.
All ten changelings looked towards the objects just in time to get smacked out of the sky. As the objects came to a hover, Twilight was able to make out their uniforms. It was the Wonderbolts. The changelings recovered quickly before they hit the ground, only one crashed head first ending it's life. The nine changelings shot back up towards the three Wonderbolts, two split of towards one of them, the Wonderbolt completed a mid air back flip to dodge one of the changelings, while half way through the flip he brought his rear hooves out and successfully landed a hit on the second changelings neck, knocking him out. The other changeling came back in only to receive three swift punches to the chest and head, to finish him off, the Wonderbolt charged into it's stomach at full force emitting a loud crack.
Twilight looked away from what was going on in the sky and looked back towards where David lay, next to him was Princess Luna, her horn was glowing and the green plasma on his chest was slowly dissipating into a green mist. Not too far was Celestia, currently firing some kind of blue magic onto the other human, the green tint to his eyes slowly dissipated and his eyes were returning to normal, the whole time his body slowly calmed down from trying to resist. Only a few feet away, she spotted a cyan blur alongside five night guards chasing down Chrysalis as she flew off into the forest, after she was out of sight, they returned and the cyan pony shot off into the night sky while the five night guards returned to Luna as she picked David up with her magic and teleported, most likely to the hospital, while Celestia picked up the other human and teleported as well. Twilight looked back towards the Wonderbolts and saw them chasing three changelings towards the forest. Twilight decided to head to the hospital to see how David was doing.
David's dream
"So... a battle continued to rage on after I was knocked out from that plasma..." David asked
"Yes, after that there have been no major events except trying to keep you alive." Luna answered
"But... why? Why would you all fight so much to keep me alive when all I am is just an alien?"
Luna didn't answer. She looked at David with a proud look that told him that she knew something he didn't.
"All in due time David... all in due time." Luna spoke as her form began to fade
David watched her as she dissipated into a black and blue mist, he felt himself slowly begin to warp, he could feel something pulling him out of this dream world in which he currently resides.
Ponyville hospital
David slowly cracked his eyes open, he saw a lot of white.
"I didn't die did I?" David openly asked with a weak chuckle
*SMACK*
"AGH, son of a-" David yelled out but was cut off by something covering his mouth
"Asshole, you are not to die before me!" A male voice spoke in an irritated but relieved tone
David's eyes shot open wide as he recognized the voice, looking over to the source, he was extremely surprised at who he saw.
"Drake!?" David yelled out as he looked at his old friend
Drake smiled as he saw how excited David was
"Yep, it's me buddy."
David jumped forward in his bed and gave his friend a hug strong enough to crush a bear.
Pulling back, David asked Drake a question that popped into his head.
"Drake? How the FUCK did you survive that crash!? I saw your jet on fire along the coast!" David asked as he gave his friend as he gave him a serious stare good enough to scare death himself
"Heh, I was lucky enough to eject out, my radio had been destroyed so I wasn't able to contact you. After you disappeared we launched an attack on them only two days later, we destroyed their base, but something odd happened on the return. There was this extremely thick fog that came in, my wing was hit by a bolt of lightning, how it didn't do more damage than it did, I have no clue. As I was descending upon the ocean, I clipped a part of this Rainbow that caused some weird effect to absorb my jet, after it dissipated I crashed into some small weird close by to this town. Shortly after escaped the burning inferno, I was attacked by these weird black and green alien ponies or something. The big one shot me with some weird green laser, after that I don't remember much. I woke up to see Celestia, I remember you telling me about her from the show you used to watch, let's just say it took them five days to calm me down. I'm still in quite the amount of disbelief that we ended up in Equestria." Drake explained as best he could of what has happened.
"Ah yes, after convincing Celestia that I wasn't a threat to her, she told me that you were here as well. She assumed you and I were related since we are both humans and have the same hair color, heh heh. Well, she sent me here to Ponyville under the supervision of this pony named Twilight Sparkle. She introduced me to her friends, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and who else? Ah yes, Pinkie Pie. Pinkie threw me some, 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. Weird thing is, there is some weird green pony who keeps stalking me... anyway, after meeting everyone I was lucky enough to get a job here. My job is a new one that the Princess created for me, I work on aircraft. She showed me to the wrecks of both jets and let me salvage what I could. Rainbow Dash has been asking me tons of questions about them, funny thing is, she keeps asking me questions about you... ah yes, also the Princess had also done some weird memory spell on me to view my life thus far, let's just say, they are creating electronics now because of the knowledge she got from me, she was able to use my memories, to hook into others from our world. She knows more about our world now than I ever did, she learned about my love for T.Vs and such and some how, I don't know how, she created copies of our movies, games, electronics and such with some weird formation spell. She said she would only do this once for both you and I because... she said there was something special about us two, I don't know... but ya, that's what has happened so far."
David just stared at Drake with several emotions showing, he asked the main question that came to mind though.
"Rainbow Dash was asking you questions about me? I haven't seen her once so far, why did she meet you but avoid me?" David asked with a worried looking, he was worried she didn't like him, even though she was his favorite of the mane six, so thanks to that thought, he was even more worried now.
"You know, I didn't give it much thought... I don't kn-" Drake was cut off as a nurse trotted into the room, she was white with a pink mane, she had a red cross as her cutie mark and wore her mane in a bun with a small white cap on her head.
"Sorry Drake, visiting hours are over, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave for now." She explained to Drake with a warm smile
"It's alright Redheart, alright David... I'll see you tomorrow." And with that Drake stood up and waved to David as he walked out the door.
David looked over to the nurse as she trotted up next to him
"Hello David, I'm nurse Redheart. I came in to check up on you, it's good to see you're awake, after being out cold for two weeks. Now then, you were hit by a plasma spell by Queen Chrysalis, Princess Luna was able to cleanse anything she put on you, you had a broken rib which was fixed with magic, you were lucky it didn't pierce on organs. It was also thanks to your friend Drake, that Princess Celestia was able to get all the medical knowledge of your kind so we could fix everything. Alright, you need your rest, that was a coma you were in, not real sleep so your body needs rest, if you remain in good condition, then we should be able to get you out of the hospital within a week."
David practically jumped with joy are hearing about how soon he could get out of the hospital. That was when he also realized that Nurse Redheart was right, he was very tired.
"Ya, I suppose I'm tired heh." David spoke tiredly
With a smile, Nurse redheart nodded to David and trotted out of the room, she brought in some food before David fell asleep and let him eat, after consuming his rather bland meal, he fell asleep, but not without thinking of something that was nagging at his mind now.
'Why is Rainbow Dash avoiding me?' With that, David drifted off, into the world of slumber. |
Pick an Apple in a Thorn Bush | pre | She then added, "You know, you should call more often. Business at Sugarcube Corner can be so bo-o-o-o-o-ring!"
"I'm sorry. I'll try to call more. Um, Pinkie, can I ask you something?"
"Sure! Anything you want!" On her side of the line, I could hear her crunching on her afternoon snack.
"Can you decorate for the bonfire this year?"
"Yes! I'll decorate! That's my specialty. I lo-o-o-o-o-o-ve parties! Call me Pinkie 'Party' Pie! Ooh, that's a really cool name. You should call me Pinkie 'Party' Pie! But that might be a mouthful to say. How about Pinkie Party? Or Party Pie! Or Parkie. No, that doesn't make sense. You know what? Just stick to Pinkie." She giggled.
'Pinkie' always had more energy and excitement than any pony in Ponyville. Maybe even in all of Equestria.
"That's great Pinkie. I'm so glad you can help! Can you come over now? Decoration--"
"Yes! I'll be over as soon as possible!" Pinkie didn't even let me finish my sentence.
"Before you come, you should invite somepony to come with you to the bonfire. A 'date' or a friend." I said.
"Okey dokey lokey! I know the perfect stallion!" Then Pinkie hung up.
I wonder if Pinkie has a stallion-friend. Wouldn't she tell me? We're friends. Maybe she's hiding it from us. Or it could just be a friend that's just a stallion.
"One last pony..." I dialed again. Rarity was the last one to call, because she didn't really need to do anything. By now, after four calls, my phone had gone warm. Its cold metal was now warm and sticky. My hooves were clammy. They're only clammy when I'm nervous or worried.
"Hello?" Rarity, yawned.
"Hi, Rarity. Did I wake you?" I asked. I forgot she sometimes takes naps whenever she finishes a dress she's been working on for weeks.
"Oh, Fluttershy, darling! You did wake me up, but that's alright. I'm glad you did. I was meant to wake up anyways. I need to prepare myself for your bonfire, tonight. I need to pack my inflatable tent. You never know what things lurk in the night."
"Wouldn't that take out the point of the bonfire sleepover? To sleep under the new spring stars?"
"My safety matters more to me. I could be mugged! Or a Diamond Dog could take me again! Oh, no! I don't think Spike would help me again! That would be horrible! No rescue. Stuck with hooligans for the rest of my life! Oh! They can't have my diamonds. No!" Rarity started to get lost in her memory of her devastating kidnap she had a few months ago. Spike ended up saving her. Well, helping us save her.
"Rarity, calm down. I'm pretty sure Diamond Dogs don't live in my backyard. But I guess, whatever makes you comfortable. As long as you come. Oh and Rarity?"
"Yes?"
"Make sure you bring someone. This year everypony is bringing a friend or date. You know, to make it more fun."
"Oh. But of course. Let's see, I should have someone who'd be willing to be my plus one..." she trailed off, possibly looking through a contact book. I could hear "hmm.." and "Oh, no. Not them...".
"I'll leave you to it then. Bye, Rarity."
"Oh, Darling! Who are you bringing?" She suddenly asked.
"M-me?"
"Who else?"
"Uh, I haven't actually thought about it..." My mind searched for names. Nothing appeared. I wish I had a contact book like Rarity. It would be easier. "But I know I'll have to bring somepony."
"Alright, dear. Ta-ta" Then, Rarity hung up.
Everypony that's going needs to bring somepony. Who am I taking?
"This is enough to fuel the night." I said to myself, looking over the mountain of sticks, branches, and wood I have collected. I got them from the outskirts of the Everfree forest, too afraid to actually go in.
"Pinkie should have been here by now." I muttered, looking at the sun. It was near to setting. The guests would be arriving soon and no decorations have been put up. This might start off in the wrong direction.
"Dunna" whispered a voice. I ignored it thinking it was the wind. It was blowing pretty hard today. I wonder if the fire will go out from it?
"Dunna" it repeated. I turned to look behind me, but found nothing. I shrugged it off once more.
"Dunna, Dunna, Dunna, Dunna, Dunna! Roar!" A pink mare jumped from behind the door and closer to me.
"Eep!" I squealed, falling back on my tail. Pinkie giggled at her success in scaring me.
"Sorry about that. I've just been in a 'pranky' mood lately!" She smiled, and lent me a hoof. She pulled me off of the dirty ground. I patted off the dirt balls and leaves that stuck to my flank.
"It's alright, Pinkie. I'm so glad you came. I was starting to think you weren't going to." She smiled.
"Why wouldn't I? I always keep my word." I smiled back.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" She yelled running around my cottage in a flash.
For a moment, it was quiet. I stared into the empty space where she disappeared off to. A second later, she wheeled in a rusty, squeaky, red, wagon, filled with blue and silver, colored streamers (probably symbolizing the stars), party hats, and various entertaining items.
"Oh, Pinkie. You brought a lot!" I said in excitement, rummaging through her things. She came prepared.
"Well, there's a lot of ponies coming over! We doubled the fun!" She squealed.
"Pinkie? Where are you?" A voice yelled in front of my home.
"Ooh! Speaking of doubling the fun! Pokey! Over here!" She yelled back. Pinkie turned back to me. "I hope you don't mind, but I invited my date over early to help! His name is Pokey Pierce. He's sharper than all the other stallions. Hehe." She laughed at her own pun.
The stallion, Pokey, came through my back door, and made his way towards us. His coat was blue and a calmer tone than Pinkie's dazzling pink. He was a unicorn too, while Pinkie was an earth pony.
"Is this Buttercry?" he asked.
"No, silly. Her name is Fluttershy!" She replied, playfully slapping the side of his hoof. He laughed.
"Forgive me, Fluttershy. Pinkie talks fast sometimes." he directed to me.
"It's okay." I quietly said.
"We should get started with the decoratin' before everypony comes!" Pinkie said bouncing away from us, grabbing a hold of the streamers with her mouth. She pulled away the blue streamer with attached silver and gold stars from the wagon, dragging them toward her spot by a tree. "Vere fould I puff thesh?" Pinkie indistinctly said.
"Uh, the bonfire is over here in the center of the trees. I think it would look very nice if you hung the streamers in the branches so it looks like the trees caught the stars."
Pinkie stared at the trees, trying to imagine it.
"Yeah. I see it." She mumbled. "Pokey, do you think you can help me? These are w-a-a-a-a-y too high for me!"
"Of course." He said trotting over to her. He used the white magic from his horn to hang it up.
"To the left. Now to the right a little. A little more. Just a little more. No! That's too much! Now hang that piece over... Perfect!" she instructed.
"I'll be over here." I mumbled, fixing the logs to sit on. They were a little heavy, but easy to move in the squishy dirt. I moved them around the unlit bonfire (or should I say the pile of sticks).
Six logs. Great. Everypony can sit with their dates. Or friends. Speaking of dates, maybe I should call mine... It's getting pretty late. Maybe he won't even be able to make it.
"Um, is this Milky way?" I almost whispered through my phone.
"No, this is his sister." A filly answered in a cute, dainty, voice.
"Oh, i-is he there?"
"Yeah! Lemme go get him! Hey Milky!" She shouted. I pulled the phone a little away from my ear, in pain.
I looked out into the backyard, nervous. Pinkie and Pokey were chatting happily with Applejack and Twilight who had just arrived. Applejack brought twice as many wagons of food than Pinkie Pie.
"Fluttershy!" Somepony brightly greeted me. I recognized the voice to be Milky's. He's the only stallion I know to have a Scottish-like accent.
"Oh hey Milky Way." I replied.
"What's up?"
"I called because I wanted to see if you were free tonight. I know it's short notice but--"
"Yeah, I'm not doing anything. Have anything planned?" He interrupted.
"Well, I'm having a bonfire in half an hour and everypony's bringing somepony. I was wondering i-if maybe you want to come?" I caught myself twirling my hair.
"You mean like a date?" he asked after a moment.
"N-no! I mean yes. Uh, you see, it doesn't-- it's not like--" I stammered. Am I making this harder on myself?
"Yes. Fluttershy, I'll go on a date with you." W-what? Not an actually date, right?!
"Wait, Mil--" Before I could finish my sentence, he hung up.
I think I just set myself up. What just happened?
My brain tried to process how this could've happened. One of my friends is going on a date with me?
I intentionally wanted him to come just as my friend, my pal, my amigo, my comrade. But now, this has turned to an actual date?
I paced back and forth across my wooden floor. It's fine, Fluttershy. Nothing serious. Maybe he meant he'll just be coming. Yeah. That's it.
"Fluttershy, honey. You look--and I say this with kindness in my heart-- a mess!" Rarity screamed in horror approaching me from the front door.
She brought with her a suitcase. Wait no, it was two, or maybe three? She tried to pat down my mane, which I just noticed was out of hoof. I've been worrying about today that I didn't even take a chance to actually look at myself!
"This is not going to work. We need to get you fixed up."
"But Rarity, this is a casual thing. Nothing special." I protested. She began to push me with her white hooves towards my bathroom.
"No matter! A mare shouldn't be galloping around with this kind of appearance!" She gently shoved me inside. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but it is the truth!" She grabbed a comb from one of her suitcases that she brought with her, and harshly combed my pink bird's nest. I closed my eyes in pain.
"Ow," I'd mutter.
"Beauty hurts, darling." She would say back. And after what felt like hours of torture, she finally finished. I looked into the mirror and was surprised to see how much of a difference a manestyle would do somepony. It was a messy up-do, but it was gorgeous.
"Thank you, Rarity." I told her.
"It was my pleasure." She replied.
"Now, I hear that Applejack made the food?" She excitedly said moving out of the bathroom and towards the bonfire.
I followed behind, but stopped when I heard a knock on my wooden door. Who could it be?
It might be Rainbowdash. She's late as usual., I thought coming closer to the door. I lost my breath at the sight of a stallion waiting on my doorstep.
He smiled, big and bright, as soon as I opened the door, with a fresh, red, rose, hanging by his mouth.
He took this serious. The date. I remember worrying and not wanting it to be an "actual" date, but now all that went away with the pounding of my heart.
"Oh... My..." |
Pick an Apple in a Thorn Bush | Chapter Five: Together | I can't move, I thought to myself. I didn't know how to respond to this. It happened too quick. I tried to rewind in my head how this happened. He misheard me?
It was no use trying to search for an answer in my jumbled-up mind. I couldn't come up with anything. I just stood there, by my door with a slightly shocked expression. Oh, Milky...
"What's the hold up?" Shouted a voice from behind him. Milky stepped aside, not taking his eyes off of me. I glanced where he stood before. Rainbow dash glided in, followed by the little, orange, filly, Scootaloo in her recognizable scooter. She carried a woven basket in her mouth, covered with a plaid patterned, cloth.
"Oh, hello, Rainbow dash. Hello, Scootaloo." I greeted them. "Please, come in." By the time I finished saying this, they were already on their way to my backyard door. Behind it, I could see Pinkie playing with Pokey, Rarity making small talk with some handsome stallion, Applejack showed up with a mare I've never seen before, and Twilight, who was sitting peacefully on a log observing the whole scene with Spike.
"Fluttershy?" Milky's voice brought my attention back to the living room of my home.
"Yes?" I answered lightly, looking back at him. He took a step towards me, and extended his neck.
"This is for you." He smiled, bringing the rose closer to me.
"Thank you." I hesitated. I stretched my own neck, and opened my mouth to receive the flower. The stem was long, so I grabbed the part furthest away from his mouth. I hated picking roses with my mouth, I always get scratched with one of its thorn's.
Luckily, there were none on this one. He let go of it after a second I grabbed onto the end. I heard a muffled voice come from outside my front door. No, wait.. There were two voices. One was higher toned than the other one. Their voices became more distinct when they came closer.
Then Big Mac came into my view as soon as I stepped back from Milky, holding his rose in my mouth. Our eyes met for a second. He looked surprised, but he remained quiet. I looked over to his right to his date and I felt my heart drop out of my chest.
The pink mare, Ms. Cheerilee, stood happily next to him. "Hello, Fluttershy! It's been a while." She said through a warming smile. My mouth couldn't function right. I tried to say something but all I saw were my parents, my childhood, my foster home, the teasing, and all the thorns in my life. Immediate sadness washed over me, but I didn't let it show. Not in front of Big Mac. I can't let him see me like this. I swallowed back all the memories and greeted her.
"It has, hasn't it? A really long time." I hope they understood me. I realized I still had the rose in my mouth. I walked over to my kitchen counter and placed it down by my sink. "Um, come in. Everypony's outside. We're ready to start the fire." I nodded at the opened door on the far side of the room.
"Great!" She said, walking out with her warming smile. Big Mac followed her, glancing back at me and giving a polite smile.
"Should we go too, 'Shy?" Milky asked me. I nodded, starting to walk. He slowly trotted closely by me, starting up some small talk. "So how've you been?" He asked with a smile.
"A little busy," I replied stepping through the framed door. The outside weather finally hit me. It was still a bit chilly, but not as much as last year. Last spring bonfire was almost cancelled because of the cold. "with all the critters waking up, my plate's full trying to keep up with them. In the end, it's all worth it, seeing their furry faces again."
Milky chuckled. "That's nice to hear. I'm glad they're awake. I know how lonely you get down here in the winter." He nudged me, "I wanted to come visit you but I didn't have the time, you know? I've been busy lately trying to get a job at our old school. The one we used to go to together, remember?" I looked back at him with a smile.
"Yes, I remember. We had fun, didn't we?"
"Indeed," He replied. We reached the six logs, which most were already occupied by the guests, chatting away loudly. Milky sat down in his seat next to mine.
"Would you excuse me for just a moment?" I asked him, staying standing up. He nodded with a smile. I faced the whole group of mares and stallions. Everypony was here, scattered around the small, dark, scene. "Uh, hello!" I attempted to yell out. My yellow wings opened and hovered me above where I stood before, to attract some attention on myself. It seemed like no one heard me but Milky. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Welcome! Please, have a seat." I rubbed my hooves together when I realized that nopony heard me. What else did you expect, Shy? Nopony ever listens. "Er.. We can.. get started if.." I trailed off, as I slowly sit back down to my seat. "Or not," I muttered, sadly admitting defeat. They weren't going to hear me over the noise.
"Hey!" A deep voice yelled from the side of the crowd. All the other ones quickly silenced to a mumble. I looked over their heads, along with everypony else, to find that Big Mac was the one to outburst. The green apples he calls eyes, stared back at me. "Go 'head, Fluttershy." He added, nodding towards me. He sat down on the log waiting for what I had to say next. Ms. Cheerilee sat down as well, looking over at me.
"T-Thank you, Big Mac." I said standing back up. He smiled slightly at me. "Thank you all for showing up," I directed towards the crowd. "Um, we're going to go ahead and start with the bonfire already." I glanced over at Twilight writing down notes. This year's bonfire needs to be amazing, since this is her first. It needs to be something memorable.
"Twilight? Can you please start the fire for me?" I asked her. She looked up from her scroll, confused for a second.
"Oh!" She exclaimed, handing Spike her note and quill. "It would be my pleasure." She smiled as she came closer to the mountain of sticks placed in the center in front of the guests. She told me earlier when she arrived to my cottage, about a fire spell she practiced a while before. I don't really remember what it was called, but it's name was ancient.
Twilight stepped back and took a breath. Her horn glowed purple and a few seconds later, a fire blazed from the wood. It's heat and light radiated around us. Soon after, everypony lightly gasped in awe at the towering fire. It sounded like they were enjoying it so far.
"Thank you very much, Twilight." I said looking back over to her.
"You're welcome." She replied satisfied with herself. She sat back down, to watch with the others what was coming next.
"Shall we move on?" I asked the group. Everypony nodded along with: "Mhmm!" and "Yeah!". I was so glad to hear the enthusiasm in their voices. So far so good..., I thought, smiling to myself.
"Uh, Rainbow?" I softly called to her. She was laying on the log on her back, taking up all the space and forcing Scootaloo to sit on the grass before her. It didn't look like she mind that Rainbow was hogging the log. Her smile said everything. I could tell she enjoyed just being there in her company. It reminded me of how Milky was when he was a little colt.
Tap, Tap, Tap. I nervously looked out my cracked window of my foster home. It was the end of the first day of a new grade at school. It was terrifying. I had to meet so many new ponies, not to mention talk to them! I was so horrible with socializing as a filly. I couldn't even say my name without hiding my face behind my hooves.
I moved the curtains from the window, to reveal one of my peers from that day. He was squinting his golden eyes to try to look through my window. It took him a few moments to see me through his black, curly, mane, shielding his eyes. When he did, he flashed a big smile at me. A few of his foal teeth were missing.
"You're Muttershy, right?", his muffled voice rang. I gently opened my window a little, to hear him better. Giving him a confused look, I cocked my head to the side. "You're Muttershy.. right?" He repeated.
"Uh... I-It's Flutters-shy." I mumbled, looking down at my hooves.
"Huh?"
"F-Fluttershy.." I tried to squeeze out. Instead of saying my name, a small squeak managed to slip out.
"Ah.. I'll just call you 'Shy." He said with a small grin after a few moments of silence. He probably gave up in what I was trying to say. The colt then added, "I'm Milky Way! Nice meeting you!" He came closer to my window, peering into my room. I stepped back a few feet, startled. Why was he there? What did he want? I tried to say something close to "Please, go.", but my lips were sewn shut. His on the other hand, were wide open.
"Your rooms so neat! Do you clean it by yourself or does your mom do it? My room's always dirty. I like it that way though! It's easier to see what's where. My mom doesn't think so," He rambled on. "Ooh!" He barged into my room after he spotted my small, silver, box, laying on my bed. "What's this?" He asked me, poking the lid. It softly "dinged". "What's in it?" He picked it up with his hooves, and started to shake it around. Little noises came from inside the box.
"No! Stop!" I squealed, trotting over and snatching the box from him. "You'll break it!" His carelessness set me free from my speechless-spell. I knelt down and gently slid the decorative, silver, box, under my bed.
"What is it?" He quietly repeated, peeking into the hiding place. I didn't answer him right away. I was too busy praying that whatever inside of it, was okay.
"Well..?" He pushed on, as I stood back up.
"I-It was my parents." I said barely above a whisper.
"What's in it?"
"I don't know." I admitted.
"What do you mean you don't know? Haven't you opened it?" He asked me confused.
"No. Not yet." This silver box was found in the weather place where my parents worked. The police had given it to me the day after I found out my parents were missing. I never opened it because I didn't feel like it was my time to. It was a crazy gut feeling that would have probably sounded insane if I tried to explain it to him.
I heard heavy hoof steps come down the stairs from outside my room. I recognized it as Tate's.
"Milky, you have to go." I whispered to him.
"What? Why?" he loudly said.
"Shh!" I covered his mouth. Tate's steps stops for a second, as if he was listening for something. "You can't be here. I'm sorry. You have to go." I sighed. I tried to push him over to my window, but he wouldn't budge. He was strong for such a little colt.
"Fluttershy?" Tate's voice rumbled from the hallway. "Who are you talking to?" His tone of voice wasn't very pleasing. He sounded very angry and tired. Knowing what would come next, I stared at Milky with wide eyes.
"Go," I mouthed.
He stubbornly shook his head, and whispered, "I'm not leaving yet. I still wanted to ask you something."
"Fluttershy... Answer me!" Tate practically yelled. He had a really bad temper. His hoof steps stomped louder as he made his way to my room.
"Please," I begged him. He looked into my eyes and I could tell in his, that he was convinced.
"Okay. I'll tell you tomorrow in class." He opened his white wings and looked back at me. "Bye 'Shy." He whispered, flying through the window. I immediately pulled the drapes back over as if nothing happened. I remember thinking how weird it was that, first of all, he knew where I lived, and second of all, he had to come over to say something he could've said during school.
Tate came into my room soon after I thought this. Long story short, I was accused of trying to run from home after he found my window unlocked and open. My punishment? A small "lesson" was taught.
The next morning I arrived to school with the "lesson" still imprinted on my left cheek. Milky was the first to greet me at my desk in the far corner of the classroom. Our teacher was just arriving, so everypony was just hanging around the classroom until the bell rang.
"'Morning 'Shy!" He smiled at me. "What happened yesterday? Who was that?" Milky immediately began to question me. I wasn't even seated yet!
"Milky, what did you need to ask me?" I softly asked, completely ignoring him. I was a little rude, but I was so confused. Why did he have to come to my home to tell me? He couldn't have waited?
"Is there something wrong with your wings?" He frankly asked.
"W-What?" He moved over to my side and began to touch my wings. He gently tried to open them.
"You never fly, why? Your mom never taught you? Or are you one of those ponies that can't use them?" I clenched my wings close to my body, and tensed up a little. "I see you at recess sitting by yourself when Rainbow Dash isn't with you. You're always just on the cloud, while everypony else if playing in the air. Why?"
"I'm.. I'm scared to fly." I admitted, looking at my hooves in shame. After mom and dad went missing, I gave up on flying. Even though I was making good progress, I didn't have anypony there anymore to catch me if I fell.
"Really? I thought it was because of something else. It's not that hard, really! I can even teach you. That's how easy it is. It's just like walking." He shined a toothy smile. "Wait..." Milky's smile erased and formed into a frown instead. "What happened to you?" He craned his neck around to see the side of my marked face. "Are you okay?"
"Uh, I'm fine." I moved my head away so he doesn't see the mark Tate had left. That day, I checked in the mirror before I went to school. I didn't think it looked that noticeable. It was just a small red streak, nothing big.
"You sure? What happened?" I didn't want him to worry about me. Why did he care? He just met me.
Before I could answer anything, the school bell rang and the teacher stood from her desk. For this grade, we had a different teacher than Ms. Cheerilee. I couldn't remember her name, but I do remember that she was very old and sweet, not to mention patient.
"Come to your seats little fillies! It's time for class!" She shouted. Everypony scattered around quickly, dodging each other to get to their desks. Except Milky.
"Whoever did this, Fluttershy," He started. "I'll protect you from them." I was surprised he knew my name. It was not long ago that he called me 'Muttershy'.
"But--"
"No buts! It's a promise!" Milky grinned at me before he hurried on to his desk in front of the classroom and sat down.
After that day, we were inseparable. Every time I looked past my shoulder, he was close by, which I didn't mind at all. Even though Rainbow Dash is a good friend of mine, she didn't understand me as well as he did at the time. We've become great friends ever since.
"Who start's?" Rainbow asked the competitors. The first hour of the bonfire, we played games. It was hide-and-seek (which most of the ponies complained were for little fillies), then a three-legged race, and finally an interesting game of truth-or-dare-hat-edition (which was all Rainbow's idea). I held her responsible over the game part of the bonfire. It seemed like everypony was enjoying them.
"I'll spin first!" Pinkie volunteered. She reached out to the glass bottle that laid on top of a rock on the grass, and spun it heavily. "We-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!!" She gleefully shouted watching it go around and around. After a moment, it landed on Rarity.
"Moi?" The white mare anxiously asked.
"Yes! You gotta pick a paper from the hat!" Pinkie grinned at her.
"Oh, alright." Rarity reached into the black top hat that Pinkie Pie had passed to her, filled with pre-written dares and truths that everypony wrote earlier. After a moment of rustling, she pulled out a small, folded, piece of paper. "Do 'Chubby Bunny'." She read out loud.
"Ooh!" The guests moaned.
"I will do no such thing!" she whined.
"You have to! It's the dare. The penalty of skippin' out on us, is a walk through the Everfree Forest!" Rainbow chimed in. Various gasps came from the mention of the forest.
"Here you go, Rare!" Pinkie squealed, handing over one of the marshmallow bags by the fire. She grabbed the bag hesitantly with a worried look plastered on her face.
"I can't pick another?" No pony answered her so she opened the bag slowly. Rarity looked to her side where her stallion friend was and sighed under her breath. She grabbed the first white, squishy, square, and squeezed it. "Here it goes.." Everypony watched intently, especially Rainbow. As Rarity ate the first one, the crowd started to count.
"Chubby bunny," she said clearly.
"One," They all chanted. She squeezed in another one.
"Chubby bunny," Rarity repeated.
"Two," She grabbed a third and pushed it in.
"Chubby bunny," her voice started to muffle a little more.
"Three," they continued in unison. It wasn't long until Rarity reached twelve.
"Come on, you can do it!" Rainbow shouted.
"Mm mmm mm!" No one could understand Rarity with all the gooey marshmallows in her mouth. The most recent one, slightly stood out. She shook her head as Rainbow flew closer with another marshmallow. "Mmm mm!" Rarity started to kick her hooves to move her back from her.
"I wouldn' push it if I were ya'. She don't look like she candle handle another one." said Applejack.
"Please. If she can have thousands of clothes pins in her mouth, I think she can take--" Rainbow was interrupted mid-sentence by Rarity's sudden escape. She quickly ran over to the trash bag I had left out earlier, and started to spit out everything from her mouth.
"I guess not." muttered Rainbow after Rarity walked back over to the group.
"Ugh, I do not want to eat another one of those disgusting candy things ever again in my life!" She muttered. We all lightly laughed.
"Okay, Rarity, it's your turn to spin." Twilight said.
"Can somepony do it for me, please? I need to go freshen up. I will be right back." replied Rarity trotting over to my cottage.
"Ooh! I call it!" Rainbow shouted, nose diving to the bottle. She spun it with all her strength. It went around for almost a minute until it finally slowed down and landed on poor, little, Scootaloo. "Alright, squirt, looks like its all you now."
Scootaloo jumped from her spot on the grass and towards the top hat by Pinkie.
"What's the dumbest thing you've ever done?" She read. Scootaloo looked into the sky trying to remember something.
"I think it was when I went over to help Pinkie make a cake, and I put a lot of baking soda thinking it'll make the cake bigger. The cake ended up exploding." She confessed.
"Hee hee! I remember that!" giggled pinkie and the rest of the crowd.
The game was going great, and everypony was having a great time.. until it was my turn.
"What's it say, Fluttershy?" asked Applejack after I didn't read my dare out loud.
"I-I-It says to..." I tried to read it, but I was too embarrassed to. Pokey, to my right, leaned over and read it for me.
"Kiss whoever the bottle lands on." He loudly announced.
"O-o-o-o-o-o-o-h!" The guests gasped.
"You're gonna have to spin!" Spike said.
"Either that, or the Everfree!" added Rainbow.
"B-B-But, can't I bend the rules.. just a little?" I asked, hoping for a way out of this. I wondered who put that in the hat as a dare. It could have been Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash, to keep things interesting, but then again, it could have been anypony really.
"I guess so. You are hosting the party after all, darling." Rarity said.
"A peck on the cheek will do!" Pinkie added. I finally reached over, and spun the glass bottle, accepting my dare. It was less pressure now that my task was modified a bit, but it still wasn't a walk in the park. Watching it go around and around, I braced myself for who it'll land on.
Please don't land on Big Mac.. I silently prayed. This is just too embarrassing. Why did I have to get this dare? The bottle slowed down. It's mouth pointed on Pokey for a second, but was moved slightly to my left by the wind that just happened to pass by.
"Looks like Milky's the lucky stallion!" Applejack laughed. I started to cough out of surprise. The bright side was that it didn't land on Big Mac after all. Speaking of Big Mac.. where is he? He wasn't in his seat by Ms. Cheerilee (who looked a little bored of the game to be honest). She only had two turns and didn't really get dares.
I turned to look at Milky, sheepishly smiling at me. It's just a little kiss. It doesn't mean anything, 'Shy! I tried to persuade myself. Just do it.
I could feel everypony's eyes staring down at us, waiting.
"We're waiting..!" teased Spike with a mischievous smile. Milky tilted his head a little to his left, exposing his white cheek. I felt my face begin to heat up a little as I moved closer to him. I guessed the reason that everypony was so eager for this to happen was because of the fact that I'm the only pony left of the six to not have dated or kissed anypony. The first was Rainbow Dash, second was Applejack, third was Pinkie Pie, fourth was Rarity, and last was Twilight.
My lips were inches away from Milky's cheek, when a collaboration of the clinking of plates, glasses, and a thud, scared us all into looking to the side of my home. Everypony laughed at the sight of Big Mac laying on the table that looked to have been thrown on the ground.
"Oops," he said, trying to get up from the spilled punch and cupcakes. He had frosting smeared across his face, some of Applejack's fritters in his mane, and punch dripping off the sides of him.
"Oh, are you okay?" I asked him, quickly flying over to the scene.
"Eeyup," Big Mac replied with a grin.
"I'll get you something to clean yourself up with." I dashed into the house, leaving behind me the group chatting to themselves.
"--And the young mare was never found. Rumour has it that she still roams around these very woods, looking for her next victim.." Pokey said with an evil smile. "The end."
The captive audience didn't move after his final words. I was a little spooked. I could tell the others were too, by the way they looked over at each other.
"Doesn't he tell the best stories?" Yelled Pinkie, jumping out of her seat and startling everypony.
"It wasn't as scary as Dash's." He replied looking over at Rainbow, who held onto Scootaloo, with wide, bulging, eyes.
"Oh, Rarity dear," exclaimed Rarity's date, standing up. "it is getting late. I must leave." He looked over to us saying, "Thank you very much for tonight. Please excuse me." He made his way from us, and towards my cottage to leave.
"Please, wait. I will walk you out." Rarity trotted over to him. "Good-bye!" She shouted to us halfway across the yard.
"I think we've gotta go too, Applejack. Granny Smith's gonna have a cow if we show up too late." Applejack's cousin told her.
"Thanks for remindin' me, Red!" Applejack called after her. She introduced us earlier to Red Gala, one of Applejack's cousins that came to visit. "I'll see ya'll later!" She hollered.
"Bye! Thank you for coming!" I yelled back. Rainbow stretched her hooves on her log.
"When are we gonna hit the hay, 'Shy?" She asked mid-yawn. "It's about to be one in the morning." She looked down at Scootaloo, who was fast asleep on the grass by her hooves.
"Oh, my! It's getting late. I'll go get the blankets." I quickly counted the ponies left: Rainbow, Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, Scootaloo, Pokey, Ms. Cheerilee, Big Mac, and Milky. Oh, and one dragon. I went inside to fetch eleven blankets and pillows, sitting in my hallway closet.
When I came back, I handed each guest a blanket. "You can choose wherever you'd like to sleep." I announced as they laid it down. Rainbow couldn't decide where to put hers. She'd lay it down, pick it back up, walk ten feet away, and repeat. Each time she did, Scootaloo-- who had woken up-- followed her with her own blanket.
When everypony was finally settled down, Twilight took out the fire for me.
"Goodnight, everypony!" Rarity yelled from the top window of her inflatable, purple, tent. She snapped on her purple sleeping mask, and turned back in her tent.
"Goodnight!" We all called back. Everypony slept close to each other in fear of Pokey's and Dash's scary tale coming true.
For half an hour, there were whispers and little voices snickering at each other. It was only after Milky talked about all the constellations in the sky, when everypony finally fall asleep. Well.. everypony except me. I stayed up, laying on my back to watch the stars shine some more.
"I wonder if you've made it Mom and Dad." I said under my breath. "Do you miss me? Because I miss you both very much." The two biggest stars, twinkled and spun around a little, spreading around their pearly-white glow. I know it's useless to talk to balls of gas, but it's comforting to think that my parents are safe somewhere up there and not close to death in the middle of nowhere. "I love you, don't ever forget that."
"'Shy?" I gasped, quickly sitting up. Was that...? I glanced to a shadowy figure close by to my left.
"Hello?" I whispered to it.
"Sorry. Did I wake ya'?" The low voice asked. I could tell this was Big Mac by his southern accent.
"Oh, no. Not at all." He came over to my side, carefully stepping around sleeping Spike and Scootaloo.
"May I?" He asked as soon as he got to my blanket.
"Sure," I whispered to him. He sat down close next to me. A little too close for comfort, if you ask me. "You couldn't sleep?"
"Nope," He replied, looking up at the starry sky.
"I couldn't either." I looked at him. There was just enough moonlight to show most of his face, and all of his emerald-colored eyes.
"Fluttershy?" He looked back down at me, so suddenly.
"Oh," I quickly stared back down at my hooves. "Uh, yes?"
"Are you and Milky Way... together?"
"By together, do you mean dating?" I peeked back up at him. He was still staring down at me.
"Eeyup."
"No, w-we're just really good friends." I said smiling at him. "Why would you think we're 'together'?"
"I dunno. I just thought so with him givin ya' the rose and googly eyes all night."
"Oh, really? I didn't notice." I lied a little. He was a bit out of character tonight, handing over that rose. Milky can be very friendly but this was a new level.
"Ya know, if ya pulled your mane back more ya'd be able to notice more. You've got beautiful eyes." I sensed my cheeks heat up soon after his remark. Beautiful eyes? He thinks I have beautiful eyes? There isn't anything so 'beautiful' about them. They're just a regular, old, pair, of cyan eyes. That's so kind of him to think that, though.
"T-Thank you," I said barely above a whisper. How else would I respond to such a surprising compliment?
Other than the sound of crickets chirping and toads croaking into the night sky, we sat in silence, staring into each others eyes and grasping the moment we had with just the two of us. My stomach was filled instantly with swarms of butterflies, like it always does whenever I'm around him.
"Big Mac," I whispered. "I'd, uh, like to go to bed, if you don't mind." I managed to pull away from his intense stare. For some reason, I was too afraid to look any longer.
"Of course," He softly said, standing up from his spot on my green blanket. "'Night, Fluttershy."
"Goodnight, Big Mac." I replied. He smiled at me once more, before heading back silently to his own place.
I lay myself down on my side and closed my eyes. Even though he was gone, I could still hear his deep, easing, southern, voice, ringing gently in my ear.
Sweet dreams, my apple-green eyed stallion. |
Pick an Apple in a Thorn Bush | Chapter Six: Bruised | The first few days after the bonfire were very relaxing, despite the fact that I was left with cleaning duty. It didn't take long, so I shouldn't be complaining. All it took was to pick up a few, crushed, plastic cups, bring in the pillows and blankets, and take down the decoration Pinkie brought. Half an hour and I was finished with it all.
The only problem was how to spend the rest of my days. It was only noon and I had already done my chores. I cleaned the cottage, fed the chickens, cleaned their coop, massaged the bear, groomed Angel, did the laundry, taught the newborns a thing or two on survival, and sung a lullaby to the sleeping owls.
It's usually the first day of Spring that the animals need help. Afterwards, they can handle it on their own. I've done all I can this week, leaving me with a very restful day.
I could do what I want, now that it looks like the creatures don't need my help, I thought to myself, sprawled across my small, green, couch. What could I do? I looked over to my left to find my white, bunny, eating his special-made salad. He caught my glance, and gave me a small smile. Maybe my friends won't mind in hanging out. On that thought, I stood up from my soft place on the couch, and grabbed my telephone from the kitchen.
"This is Twilight Sparkle speaking, how may I help you?" answered a voice in distress.
"Oh, Twilight, it's Fluttershy. How are you?" I started.
"A little busy. Sorry to be rude, but did you need anything? I'm performing a dangerous experiment at the moment and can't really talk on the phone." I could hear soft clinking of what I assumed to be test tubes and beakers filled with one of her new solutions, on her side of the line.
"I'm very sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to ask if--" I was quickly cut off by an earth shattering boom and ear piercing static.
"Spike!" An angry Twilight yelled soon after. Something must have happened to her telephone because the quality was affected, causing her to sound a little muffled. "What part of 'do not touch' did you not understand?"
"Gee, sorry Twi'. I didn't mean for that to happen." answered the poor, little, dragon. "I just wanted to help."
"Fluttershy, are you still there?" Twilight grunted.
"Yes. Is everything alright? Are you okay?" I leaned in on the green arm of the couch, squeezing the telephone closer to my ear in hopes of being able to hear over the sharp static ringing on the call.
"Of course. We're doing fine, just a little burn and... uh... a hole on my wooden floor. I'll have to call you later, 'Shy. I need to clean this up and hope to Celestia Spike doesn't blow up the library."
"Oh, alright. Goodbye Twi'--" Before I could end my sentence, the phone was hung up, leaving me with a ringing ear.
Of course Twilight was going to be busy, I thought dialing Pinkie Pie's cell-phone number.
At least one of them have to be free, right?
I was wrong. All five of them were busy. Twilight was cleaning up her broken, wooden, floors, Pinkie was out on a date with Pokey, Applejack was catching up with the apple-bucking she missed for coming to the bonfire, Rarity was trying to make a new clothing line for stallions (she actually invited me over to give an opinion. I gently declined her offer in fear of her making me try on the clothes and model for her), and Rainbow didn't answer at all.
Maybe a little time to myself wouldn't be that bad? I could always just walk around Ponyville, maybe pass by the lake to see how the newly hatched ducks are. After a moment of silence, I decided on making my way through the small town to just clear my mind and relax a little.
I flew over to my restroom to clean myself up a bit and make sure I look okay to be out. In the mirror, I saw the normal, yellow, mare, I see everyday.
"Ya know, if ya pulled your mane back more ya'd be able to notice more. You've got beautiful eyes.", a voice rung in my head as I looked at my plain, pink, mane.
I guess I could always go for a change.., I thought to myself, grabbing the only hair tie in my whole home. I gathered all my mane and tied it neatly together in one, curly, ponytail. After the while it took me to do that, I stood there to look at the new style. It wasn't bad, but it felt so unnatural. Having most of my neck exposed, sent chills down my spine every second I felt a small wind blow.
I brought with me a bag of bits just in case I wanted to treat myself with something from Sugarcube Corner. Around this time, the Cakes make a Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness cake to celebrate a successful winter. Unfortunately, they only last for about two days since it's a yearly slice of heaven. I'll make sure to stop by there today too, I thought opening my wooden door.
The scene was so different compared to a few weeks ago. Back then, the cold blast of winter's wind would keep me from flying at a normal speed. Thank goodness the weather's changed. I was starting to get tired over the amount of melted snow in my living room I had to clean up.
I took in a refreshing breath of the sweet, spring, air, as I fluttered through the sun's warming, golden, rays.. I could smell the comforting scent of clean laundry hanging on a line, and the sound of the school's bell, alerting the foals the beginning of their recess, as I drew near to Ponyville. The beautiful day made me sort of glad that my friends were too busy for me. I could go about the day just to myself and my thoughts. Giving my wings a break, I set myself down and trotted along the towns gravel road, absorbing the pleasant crunch that sounded from beneath my hooves every step I took.
The soothing sound, unfortunately, started to become quieter as I walked closer to the noisy town. There was an oddly high amount of ponies walking around that day, talking, and pulling creaky, old, carts. I could barely see the road in front of me as I was strolling around. It was a good thing that I remembered the town so well or else I would've never found my way through the crowd. If I just head straight I can make it to the lake. It was hard to listen to my own thoughts through all the booming chatter.
"Excuse me," I said trying to get through a brightly, colored, group of mares, standing in the middle of all the chaos.
"--I won't be able to make it today. I've gotta see somepony. Maybe tomorrow?" One of them yelled at the other.
"What about next week? Tomorrow I--"
"Pardon me," I tried again, this time tapping one of them.
"Excuse me, but we're talking here." The first one snapped at me, giving me a nasty stare.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to--" I started to explain but was then pushed by somepony behind me. The strong force caused me to fall down right beside the mares, landing on my left wing. I felt a sudden, sharp, pain, on my left side. As I tried to move, I could hear shouts somewhere near me.
"Hey, watch out!" I looked up to see an overflowing cart of apples, rolling quickly towards me, through an opening the crowd of ponies were creating as they were trying to get away from the scene. I was paralyzed at how fast the cart was uncontrollably moving. In a few seconds it had moved from the top of a hill to a couple of feet away from me.
At the last minute, the giant cart pulled back, missing my muzzle by a few inches. For a split second, I thought I was safe. The sudden halt of the cart, sent the fruit it carried, flying to me, proving me wrong.
A few moments had passed and I was buried in ruby-red, apples, from head to hoof. The fruit muffled all the voices surrounding me to silent whispers.
The surprisingly heavy pressure of the apples, kept me down, and prevented me from moving. I tried to yell for help but that didn't help either. I began to hyperventilate after trying numerous times.
I felt as if I was in there forever, and that I'd never get out. I began to feel light headed and claustrophobic. It was starting to get harder to breathe when I felt the apple pile settling down on my chest.
Help me please! Somepony! I can't-- I can't move! Please!
Just when I felt myself slipping away, I saw a thin beam of light stretch wider and wider from a hole somewhere above me. The sudden flash of light blinded me as the apples were pushed away. I couldn't see the face of my rescuer too clearly. The only thing I could make out was the fact that it was a stallion.
Right before I fainted, I felt somepony pick my bruised body up from the pile.
I muttered something inaudible using my last bit of energy to squint my eyes and focus on my rescuer.
"Fluttershy..." their voice trailed off as my vision dimmed and my body strength weakened. All the small noises silenced and the sun's once warming glow, turned into a dark curtain.
Then, I blacked out.
"Ya' sure she's fine? She's been sleepin' for a while now." asked a mare voice.
"'Course! Can't ya see her breathin'?" replied an older mare. "Look here! She's wakin'."
I rubbed my eyes with my bruised hooves, and opened my eyes to a happy, green, wrinkly, face. At first she startled me, but then I figured out who it was.
"Mornin', sleepy head!" Granny Smith greeted me with a toothy smile.
"Oh, hello Granny Smith." I tiredly said. "Hello Applejack." I quickly sat up, and regretted it right after. I forgot about my injuries, but was quickly reminded by the shots of pain that ran through my whole body. "Ow," I grunted with closed eyes.
I glanced beneath me and around to find myself in one of the rooms I've never been in before, in the Apple's home. The wooden room we were in was very clean and had a giant, green, bed, big enough to fit a whole family of bears in. It had a few dressers in and a few drawings hung up on one of the walls, clearly drawn by a foal. There were some of what I assumed was Applebloom, Applejack, and Big Mac. Then there was one with an unfamiliar mare and stallion with hearts around them.
"Don't worry 'bout yer' bag, 'Shy. It's over here if ya' need it." Applejack nodded her head to the corner by the drawings, where my bag sat. "How're ya' feelin'?" She asked.
"I'm doing fine, thank you." I lied. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"Well, ya' were knocked out when we got to ya'. I don't really know what happened, but maybe if ya' asked Big Mac, he'll tell ya'."
"Big Mac?" I asked.
"Yeah, he's the one that brought ya' here, sugarcube." answered Granny Smith.
"Oh. Where is he now?"
"He's makin' supper in the kitchen. It's a good thang ya' woke up, he just finished!" Applejack stood from a chair beside the bed and looked at me.
"Ya' hungry, 'Shy? We always have an extra plate at the table!" she smiled.
"Oh, no thank you, Applejack. I'll just go home. You all have done so much for me already, I wouldn't want to ask for anything else."
"Fluttershy, I insist. Ya' look a li'l sick, maybe some food in ya stomach will help. Come on." She grabbed my hoof tightly. "Ooh, sorry 'Shy!" She quickly apologized after seeing the pain in my face. Applejack took off my blanket with her other hoof so she could help me up. Before I could move, i was able to see how injured I really was.
I had a lot of blue and purple bruises around my chest and hooves and a few, small, scratches, here and there. I tried to extend my wings to see if they had some too, but immediately shut them as I felt a wall of pain fall on me. I clenched my teeth, to hold back a scream, and instead grunted.
I glanced back at them, to see that they were improperly wrapped with a big, white, band, tied onto my body instead of itself. The band was so wide, that it covered about two thirds of my body.
"Oh, my," I mumbled. Going up the stairs, was the sound of tiny hooves stomping down on the wooden steps. Soon, a yellow, Applebloom, popped into the room.
"Hey! Big Mac said to-- Woah! What happened to ya', Fluttershy?!" She yelled, trotting over to me. "Yer all blue!"
"Hi, Apple Bloom." I smiled at her the best I could through the pain I was getting from her gently touching the spots.
"Apple Bloom! Will ya' get yer hooves off her?! She's hurtin' right now. Ya' just can't go 'round touchin' ponies." protested Applejack. "What'dya need?"
"Oh," she said after a moment of staring at my bruises. "Uh, Big Mac said to go downstairs to eat."
"Okay, we'll be down in a minute." AJ replied. She turned to me and asked, "Will ya' be stayin' after all, 'Shy?"
"If you don't mind, I'd like to." I smiled. She smiled back at me and guided me down. Granny Smith walked behind us, while we slowly descended to the first floor. After what felt like days, we finally made it down.
Apple Bloom was the first to sit at the table, in front of an empty plate. Big Mac came from the kitchen carrying a big bowl of apple salad, and a full plate of celery and carrots. When we arrived at the table, Granny Smith and Applejack sat down.
"Thank you," I said to them both. I raised my hoof slowly to pull my chair back as painless as possible, but stopped when I saw Big Mac pull it for me. I looked at him in the eye and smiled. He smiled back at me, then walked to his seat.
I noticed something different. I didn't have my pink hair dangling in front of me, to block my view. I felt different and not like myself at all. I felt somewhat confident.
"Whad'ya think o' the food, Fluttershy?" Granny Smith asked me after we had all finished with supper. Apple Bloom stood up quickly and collected the plates and cups. She threw them all on her head in one single tower, ready to collapse. She slowly walked to the kitchen, balancing the wobbly, kitchenware, tower.
"Oh, it was delicious," I said watching a wide-eyed Apple Bloom. "But, I'm kind of surprised, there wasn't as much apple in the dishes as usual."
"Oh, that! Well--" Granny was cut short by the sudden crash of breaking plates and cups in the kitchen floor. After a moment of silence, a tiny "oops" slipped out from Apple Bloom. Big Mac sighed in her direction and got up.
"I got it," he said, excusing himself from the table and walking to the kitchen.
"What was I sayin'?" Granny Smith asked with a confused look bringing us back to our conversation.
"About the food?" I answered.
"Oh! Well, Big Mac said somethin' 'bout dedicatin' this dinner for ya'. That's why he made foods he thought ya' liked."
"Really?" I looked over at the kitchen door, where I can see Big Mac and Apple Bloom cleaning the mess together.
"Yep! He felt so bad 'bout what happened to ya'." Applejack added. "He wanted to make it up to ya'."
"That's so sweet." I commented.
"Speakin' of sweet, I should probably make mah night tea before I go to bed." Granny Smith said, getting up from her seat and walking slowly to the kitchen.
Did she say bed? "Oh, no! What time is it?" I asked. I forgot all about poor Angel. He's probably starving, waiting for me. How long have I been gone?
"It's close to bein' eleven." Applejack answered, looking at the the apple-shaped clock they had above their heads on one of the walls. I gently pushed myself from the table and tried to get up.
"It's late. If you don't mind, I'll be going now." I told them. "Thank you for everything."
"Ya' sure, ya' wanna go home? Ya' can sleep in mah room tonight. It's kinda too late to be walkin' around." She offered me.
"No, thank you. I don't want to be a bother. Plus, I have Angel waiting for me at home." I smiled at her.
"Okay, well lemme get yer bag for ya'." The orange mare said, climbing up the stairs, soon after. I slowly limped over to the door, and waited anxiously for Applejack to return. I need to get home. Oh, Angel, I'm so sorry to keep you waiting.
"Fluttershy?" Big Mac walked over to me from the kitchen. "Do ya' mind if I come?" he asked me.
"Oh, you don't have to Big Mac. I'll be fine." He stared at me with a worried look as if he didn't believe me. It hurts to walk, but I can eventually make it home. I just have to brave it out for today.
"Here it is!" Applejack silently made her way to us with my bag moments later. "Be safe!" She said, outstretching my bag to me. Before I could even raise my own hoof to grab it, Big Mac swooped it out of her hoof and threw it on his back.
"I'll take it," he said opening their wooden door. "See ya in a few, sis." He looked at Applejack, then back at me, signaling me to go through first.
"Thanks again, Applejack." I told her before I walked out.
"No problem, sugar cube."
The sky was a peaceful shade of dark blue, and covered in white, twinkling, specks, softly lighting up the town. One thing I loved about Ponyville, were the nights. Every night was unbelievably beautiful. Night time in Cloudsdale was great too, but all the lights from some of the factories, and some races that dragged into the night would scare it away. On the rare occasions where the sky was clear, Milky would come over to my home, and we'd just lay close by outside to watch for hours.
"Fluttershy," Big Mac's voice gently rumbled, bringing my attention back to the present. "Why doncha climb on?"
"I'm sorry?" I asked confused. I glanced at him to see Big Mac kneeling down and looking up at me.
"Yer too hurt to walk anymore. It'll be much better for ya if I carry ya."
"No, it's fine. I'm feeling better." I smiled through gritted teeth.
"Please, 'Shy." He's right. I thought, hesitantly grabbing his back to climb on. I don't know how much longer I could've gone walking like this. I pushed myself up, until I was seated with both my back hooves dangling off one side of him.
"Thank you, Big Mac." I told him.
"Eeyup." He said, slowly standing back up.
Oh, this is embarrassing, being carried like this. What if I'm too heavy for him?, I thought feeling a small blush creep. I look down at his back. He looks pretty strong. I shouldn't be too heavy. With every step he took, his muscles would move rhythmically down his back.
"Big Mac?" He hummed to note that he was listening. "How long have you been bucking apples?" I curiously asked.
"Most of mah life."
"Oh." That's probably why he's so fit. Bucking apples for so many years, must have gotten easy for him.
"What about ya and yer critters? How long did ya have with 'em?" He asked looking back at me craning his neck.
"Uh, I guess since I was a filly."
"Ya must love 'em."
"Oh, very much." I smiled, just thinking about them. They've given me so much joy and things to look forward to in life. For a while, I could only be myself around them. They showed me who I really was, and I'm very thankful.
Big Mac walked around a small pond close to my home, filled with croaking frogs sitting on their lily pads. It was close to silent, compared to the town. The only other noises there were, were the chirps of the grasshoppers and 'hoo's' from the owls waking up. I could see my cottage from the hill we were standing on. A three minute walk, and I'd soon be back home.
"It's so quiet." Big Mac mumbled.
"It always is." I said just above a whisper.
"Ya live alone?" he quietly asked.
"I have Angel, he's my rabbit."
"Do ya have anypony living with ya?"
"No, it's just us two."
"Hmm." Then, we walked in silence. I felt him tense up a little before he asked gently, "What about yer parents?"
"My parents? My parents are..." Should I tell him? I don't really want to talk about it. The only other pony that knows about my situation with my parents other than Miss Cheerilee and Rainbow Dash, is Milky. They've been kind enough to steer conversations away from parents whenever we're together, because they know it still hurts me. After all these years, it still does. Having them taken away from my life so quickly and without warning, has left me so fragile.
"'Shy, I'm sorry. Forget what I said." He said facing straight ahead after a moment of silence.
"It's okay. My parents are... gone." I explained everything to him, slowly, piece by piece. I didn't want to tell him too much, but I couldn't help it. Once I started, I couldn't stop. That was the only time I ever spoke to anyone about them like that. I kept in all those horrible years of mourning and sadness until that night. In the beginning, I didn't think I could go through with telling him, but by the end of it, I was smiling, telling him all about the goofy things my dad did to cheer me up. Sometimes he'd tell me an embarrassing story when he was a colt, or make silly faces. I told Big Mac about my mother too. He was so easy to talk to.
"Thank you," I grunted, climbing off of him, and standing on my doorstep.
"Don't thank me. If it weren't for me, ya wouldn't be like this." He said looking over my injuries.
"What do you mean?" He sheepishly looked down, and rubbed one of his hooves.
"The cart that ran ya over, was mine." He stared back at me. "It just ran from me, I didn't mean to--"
"It's okay," I smiled at him. His face was pink from embarrassment. I have to admit, it's adorable to see him with a blush. He smiled back at me.
"Goodnight, Big Mac." I told him, limping into my home.
"'Night, 'Shy." He quietly said, still pink. I closed my door and glanced over at my couch where Angel sat impatiently.
"Oh, Angel! I'm so sorry. You must be starving." He hopped over quickly to me. For a second, I thought he would punch me in anger, but instead he hugged my hoof and looked up at me with a worried look. He must have saw my injuries.
"I"m fine, Angel." I grinned and gently petted the top of his white head. "I'll get you something, okay?" He smiled at me and followed me into the kitchen, where I made him a small salad.
After I set his plate down, I went straight to bed. My eyes were so heavy, I almost fell asleep on my way to my room.
I woke up to a furry paw tapping my face. Angel had woken me up, which was a surprise to me. It was too early for him to be wide awake. He squeaked at me to get up. He said something about an 'emergency'. Angel squeaked so fast I could barely understand him.
"Okay, I'm coming." I tiredly said. I moved my hoof one inch, and I groaned from feeling so sore. My whole body felt so heavy, it was a trouble to even sit up. Angel was hopping around my room, running in and out of my doorway in a hurry. He was pointing down the hallway and squeaking 'emergency'.
"Yes, yes, Angel. I'll be there." I set a hoof down on my wood floor, then slowly, another one, until I was standing up properly. "Okay, what is it?" I tried to catch up to Angel, who was zooming down the hallway, but it was so hard to when it took so much energy to move one hoof. "Angel, slow down please." I calmly told him, as he turned into the living room.
When I finally made it to the living room I found a big, red, stallion, waiting on the rug in the middle of the room with two bags. |
The Model Caretaker | pre | "I see. Have you thought about trying to correct the record?"
"No. I'm past that now, and I doubt that such a request would go anywhere anyway."
Luna, deciding that it would be best to leave it at that, remained silent.
"By the way, what's in the bag?" Fleur asked, noting that it was almost as big as Luna's head.
"Gumdrops," Luna said tilting the bag towards Fleur, "would you like some?"
"No thank you, but I must admit, I never thought you would be a sweet tooth," Fleur admitted.
Luna popped a few of the candies into her mouth before saying, "We have our weaknesses. 'Tia's is pastries, and mine is candies."
"Does Princess Cadance have one?"
"Beauty products," Luna said.
"Something she and I have in common, I guess."
"So you are trying to look like my sister then?"
"Trying to look like...huh?" Fleur asked, thinking she had misheard the princess.
"You look like 'Tia did before she became a goddess. Just lighten your eyes a few shades, dye the streak of white in your mane pink, and change your cutie mark and you would look just like her. Actually that gives me a great idea for a prank."
"Does this prank end with me being executed?"
"Do not worry, I know 'Tia would not punish you for pretending to be her for a bit for the sake of harmless fun. If you do not mind coming to Canterlot for a day, I could fill you in on all the details on Saturday," Luna said.
"I'll consider it. By the way, shouldn't you be checking on disaster preparedness, instead of following some random pony to the library?"
"I am also here to get to know the citizenry if you will recall. Also, note please item two," Luna said as she took out and unrolled a long scroll.
"Check on Twilight Sparkle's mental health and take necessary precautions to avoid a repeat of the 'Smartypants incident.' I don't get it. What was the 'Smartypants incident'?"
"I do not have all the details but she apparently enchanted an old doll with a 'want it, need it' spell and caused a riot over it in an attempt to create a friendship report for my sister. 'Tia was not pleased."
"Wait. So Twilight really is Princess Celestia's student?" Fleur asked.
"Indeed she is."
"And is she really a bearer of an element of harmony?"
"Yes, along with, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie."
Fleur was too surprised by the revelation that she was friends with three of the six greatest heroes of Equestria to respond, which Luna seemed not at all bothered by. When the unicorn felt a force a force gently trying to override her hold on her books, which she assumed was Luna. She let the force take over and watched as the princess took the books and looked at the blurbs on the back.
Luna, slightly surprised that all of the books, despite all being romance novels, each had a completely different theme, gave them back to Fleur and asked, "Why did you pick those novels in particular?"
"I wasn't being particularly picky about what I read. I just wanted a way to pass the time on the train," Fleur half-lied. She was also trying to make sure that there wasn't a uniting theme somepony could pick up on and use to make assumptions about her aside from "reads romance novels," though she had thrown in a stallion on stallion novel just to muddle things a bit.
"I see. I must ask, though, how long of a train ride is it to Prance?"
"18 hours, which is why I was in the sleeper car," Fleur said, seeing that they were only a minute's walk from the library and she might be able to just drop off her books and worm her way away from the apparently very social Princess of The Night.
Meanwhile, in her cottage, Fluttershy was restlessly pacing about the living room wondering what to do about Luna coming by the next day. The princess still scared her a lot, but she could deal with that, if she wasn't around for too long. However, Luna was probably going to be around for hours judging how prepared the city was for something aggressive and/or hungry coming out of the Everfree Forest, and, seeing as Fluttershy was one of the first lines of defense, Luna would probably need to do an extensive interview with her about said preparations, which suited Fluttershy not at all well.
Because of all this, Fluttershy was almost looking forward to returning Jacques to Fleur, despite having a sneaking suspicion that the tall unicorn wanted her to come over for other reasons than just returning the cat. They had corresponded by mail while Fleur was in Prance, and the exchange had made her consider Fleur a friend, but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted a relationship with the other mare. Not while she remained unsure of her own sexuality.
She briefly wondered why it was so hard to identify exactly where she was sexually. She guessed that it was partly the fact that during her time at Flight camp many students were bullied by students and teachers alike if they were perceived as being gay. Since she didn't want to draw any more attention of that sort to herself, she thought she might have suppressed anything to do with homosexuality, and only now was it resurfacing. However, since she barely remembered her time at flight camp, and what she did remember (aside from the memories of meeting Rainbow and getting her cutie mark) made her think she didn't want to remember the rest, she had no way of knowing if this was the truth or a giant pile of horseapples.
Breaking her out of her troubled thoughts was a knock on the door. When she opened it she found a yellow earth pony filly with a red mane and tail standing on her doorstep. "Hi, Fluttershy."
"Oh, hi Apple Bloom. What brings you here?"
"Applejack asked me to come get you. Some varmints have invaded the apple fields again and we need your help to drive them out."
Fluttershy was relieved when she heard this. This sort of thing happened a few times a year, and never took more than an hour or two a day for about a week to fix, meaning she could keep herself busy for a while and still have time to get Jacques back to Fleur's place on time. She said, "Of course. Just give me one second and we'll be on our way."
"Alright."
As Fluttershy worked her way through de-bunnifying Sweet Apple Acres, Fleur had been bribed into staying with the princess who had a slight reputation for being hotblooded, and, it was rumored, tried to cancel Nightmare Night forever due to a personal affront towards her.
Of course, Fleur was now wondering whether that pony and the pony that Fleur was actually dealing with were the same one. Having been offered a large meal of salad and soup, she decided to stay a while. When we pick up with them, Luna and Twilight have just finished a discussion about whether Twilight's mental health actually needed checking, to the satisfaction of neither pony, and now silence hung over the table.
Fleur broke the lull by asking Twilight, "So, what is it like to live with a baby dragon?"
"Spike's great to have around once you get past his laziness and eating habits, and he's quite handy, but he has caused a few issues here and there."
"Like his greed-induced growth?" Luna asked.
"You heard about that?"
"Of course. It is not every day that a greedy dragon rampages through Ponyville, after all."
Fleur had also heard about it, but didn't quite believe that something so bizarre could actually happen. Now that it had been confirmed by the roommate of the dragon who had apparently gone on the rampage (roommate simply being the word she settled on to describe their relationship), she now wondered how many of the other wild events that had supposedly happened in Ponyville were true. She wasn't going to ask about that right now, however, preferring to sate other aspects of her curiosity. "And yet, despite that, Spike seems fine," she said.
"Spike reverted back to his baby self when he saw he was holding Rarity in his tail, and Fluttershy and Rainbow saved them from falling to their deaths," Twilight explained.
Fleur asked the obvious question. "Why was the realization that he was holding Rarity cause him to transform back?"
"Simple, he has a crush on her."
Ignoring the fact that a simple crush wasn't quite enough elaboration on why Spike transformed back when he realized he who was holding, Fleur asked, "Wait, a dragon has a crush on a pony?"
"Yeah. It doesn't seem any more unusual than a mare having one on an another mare half her age, if you ask me," Twilight said.
"If you are referring to me, Twilight Sparkle, I'll have you know that I am only 24 years old."
Fleur was annoyed when she said that, but the look that came over Twilight's face when she heard this was almost too much for the white unicorn. Doing her best to keep herself from laughing, she took a long sip of her tea and awaited the purple unicorn's response.
"Oh. Sorry. It's just you're so tall, I thought that..."
"Don't worry about it. I'm just tired of everypony assuming I'm in my thirties or forties. So, who spilled the beans?"
"Rainbow said Rarity told her something to that effect."
Unseen by either unicorn was that Luna's horn had ignited and the door to the kitchen was moving about when she asked, "So who do you have a... what is it a crush?"
"Yeah. Basically a romantic attraction that isn't quite love," Twilight explained.
"So who do you have a...crush on?"
"...Fluttershy." Fleur had temporarily forgotten that Luna was present when she was dealing with Twilight's insinuation that she was older than she was, and was now resigned to any punishment that the princess might issue for wanting to fillyfool with an element bearer.
If Luna was at all bothered by the idea of two mares being romantically involved, she wasn't showing it. She asked, "Does she know?"
"I think she figured it out after I made some rather, ah, inappropriate remarks about a part of her anatomy when I thought she was out of earshot."
"And how do you know she heard you?" Twilight asked.
Fleur described the encounter in as little detail as possible while still giving them an idea of what happened, as she did agree never to speak of that incident again, even though she knew that Rarity had already broken that agreement.
Before either other pony could comment on this, however, a loud crash could be heard from the kitchen doorway. All three ponies turned to look, seeing Spike soaking wet and with a bucket on his head. "Luna!" he said, sounding distinctly displeased at the now laughing princess. Twilight and Fleur both couldn't help but giggle at the prank that Luna had pulled on the hapless dragon.
"What? Did you really expect me not to do something after your little stunt during my last visit?"
"But that was six months ago!"
"What is six months for a pony who has lived for twelve hundred years? Regardless, I must have some fun while I am here, no matter how serious the visit," Luna said.
"And the princess has a funny side. Okay, this is not what I had expected out of my day," Fleur said, speaking before thinking again.
"Well, I can't be serious all the time. It would drive me insane!"
"So, on the subject of sanity, how did you stay sane while you were trapped in the moon?" Twilight asked.
"Ah, I was only conscious a few hours every couple years, I believe as a safeguard against that. Still it was not very easy to endure, I must admit." Twilight and Fleur gave no response, Twilight because she was now planning to ask a question of Celestia, and Fleur now processing the idea that Luna really did spend 1,000 years in the moon.
Spike, taking advantage of the break in conversation as he dried himself off, now asked, "Anyway, what do you three want to drink?"
Fleur, snapping out of her confused reverie briefly considered asking for red wine, but realized that Twilight probably wouldn't have any with a baby dragon in the house, so she let the other two make their choices first to get an idea of what Twilight did have.
"Apple juice, please," Luna said.
"Tea for me," Twilight said.
Fleur decided to follow Twilight's lead, and picked tea as well, though she wondered why Luna would pick something like apple juice. Slowly, she realized that the longer she spent with Luna, the more she found that her assumptions about the princess were way off.
Lunch went by with no more soaked dragons or anything of the sort, though a few tales of Twilight's adventures were told, and soon Fleur was home, finishing her unpacking then relaxing for a while, having no more commitments for the day other than Fluttershy coming by with Jacques. She counted out 28 bits and put them in a bag, knowing full well that Fluttershy was only charging her 14. This was, in part, because her divorce settlement had left her a reasonably rich mare, which is how she owned her house outright, and could plan on opening a Prench restaurant down the line. However, her attraction to Fluttershy didn't hurt either.
Relaxing did leave her bored and fidgety after a while however, causing her mind to inevitably wander back to the yellow mare coming by soon. She considered what a relationship with her might be like, and thought of various activities they could pursue together. This did have the effect of making her realize how the size difference between them could affect things. Certain activities were going to be impractical to pursue, and others like hugging and dancing could be a bit problematic. There were other activities, however, that probably wouldn't be too difficult, though there was only one that Fleur thought the size difference would make easier: pony-back rides.
She suddenly found herself imagining Fluttershy straddling her back like a foal would do their parent during a pony-back ride, and yelling, "Onwards my steed!" Shaking that bizarre and disturbing image from her head, she stood up and headed for the kitchen, wanting to try the wine Bordeaux had given her.
As she moved to the kitchen, she glanced at the clock and realized that Fluttershy would be arriving any minute. She pulled out a wine glass, popped the cork on one of the dozen bottles she managed to talk her sister out of, and poured herself a tall glass. As she moved back to the living room to relax with her wine, a knock came at the door. "Coming!" she said, setting the wine glass on the coffee table.
She opened the door to reveal Fluttershy with a basket in her mouth. The same basket, in fact, that Fluttershy typically used to take Opal back to the boutique. She said, "Oh, come in, Fluttershy," she said, standing aside to let the shorter mare in.
Fluttershy walked in and deposited the basket on the floor, and not five seconds later a short haired tuxedo cat jumped out of the basket and looked around.
Fleur asked,"Were you a good boy, Jacques? Were you?" to which the cat started purring in response.
"He was very well behaved. Didn't cause a single problem," Fluttershy said with a smile.
Fleur then turned to Fluttershy and said, "Thank you for taking care of Jacques for me, though I should admit that I also asked you to come over because I wanted to tell you how I feel, but, since I realized that words haven't been my strong suit as of late, I've decided a more direct approach would be better."
Even as Fleur moved towards her, Fluttershy knew what was coming, but her curiosity about what it would be like kept her from stopping it outright, and her trepidation kept her from hurrying it along.
Fleur noticed the conflicted look on Fluttershy's face, but decided to press on, putting a hoof under Fluttershy's chin and maneuvering her face to face her own, before pressing her lips against Fluttershy's in a tender kiss. Holding the kiss as long as she dared, she savored every sensation, and noticed with silent glee that, while the pegasus wasn't kissing back, she also wasn't pulling away either.
When Fleur did break the kiss, it was with a loving smile on her face, and, just under the surface, both hope and nervousness. She watched Fluttershy's face as it slowly transitioned from the conflicted state from before to an expression of confusion and nervousness. After several long seconds, the yellow mare asked, "why me?"
Fleur took it as a good sign that Fluttershy hadn't rejected her outright but wasn't prepared to let her guard down. Keeping the loving smile on her face, she asked, "why not?"
"Well, you're a beautiful high class mare and I'm just some country pon-"
"Fluttershy, really. First, as far as I'm concerned you easily rival me in terms of looks, and secondly, I'm not all that high class anymore, in case you couldn't tell," she said, gesturing to her somewhat modest accommodations.
"I guess."
"And thirdly, how could I turn down such a nice pony? I mean you gave me Jacques for free even though I had blatantly, if accidentally, insulted your special talent, and thoroughly embarrassed both of us, and never seemed to charge Rarity for grooming Opal."
Fluttershy said nothing more, but the nervousness etching her face stayed put, even as the confusion evaporated.
Fleur noticed this but decided to stick to her plan, thinking it wouldn't to any harm. She asked, "So, how about a date?"
Fluttershy didn't answer, and, in fact, had basically shut down in response to the question. In fact, if one were to walk into the room right at this moment, and was told that she was a statue, one would almost believe it, if not for the slowly unfurling wings. Wings that had been unfurling since their lips met no more than a minute before.
Fleur, who was still paying attention to every detail and every move from Fluttershy, saw this and made a quick decision. "You know what, while you think about that, I'll go get your bits for you," she said, quickly turning around and heading for the kitchen.
Right when Fleur left her sight, Fluttershy looked around the room. For what she didn't know, but she needed to find something. Soon, her eyes fell on the glass of red wine Fleur had left on the coffee table and she quickly rushed over and drank the whole thing down in a few quick gulps.
It wasn't quickly enough, however, to keep Fleur from seeing this little spectacle. Rather than get angry, however, she simply asked, "I came on a bit too fast for you?" while moving the gift she had intended to give the other mare back to the counter.
Gasping a bit after chugging down the beverage, she said, "Yeah."
"Okay, I'll tell you what. Think about my offer for a date tonight, and come by tomorrow with your decision. Also, bring your saddlebags. I'll have a little gift for you," Fleur said, depositing the bag of bits in Fluttershy's basket.
"Okay."
Princess Luna was spending the night taking care of her inspection duties, and, at the moment, looking over a curved cliff-side road that had no guardrail. Silently cursing whoever thought that was a good idea, she made some notes while scanning the dreams of the ponies of Ponyville, finding a few troubled sleepers, including that white unicorn she had met earlier in the day. Curious, she entered said pony's dream.
Quickly transforming into her mist-like state upon arrival into Fleur de Lis' dream, Luna pressed herself against the ceiling and took stock of her surroundings. She was in a hallway behind the mare in question and surrounded by plush carpets and lavish fixtures. Despite this, a sense of dread permeated the atmosphere as Fleur walked forward, her gaze never wavering from the door in front of her.
As Luna followed the unicorn, she started hearing voices moaning and cooing with obvious pleasure. She thought why would she dread walking in on two ponies having sex so much?
When Fleur reached the door, she opened it, revealing a stallion and a mare in bed, obviously having sex. She recoiled with shock, before yelling Fancypants' name and something in a language Luna didn't recognize, though she assumed it was Prench. Apparently Fancypants had no trouble understanding her, however, as he said, "Listen, I can explain!"
More Prench yelling followed, along with few bolts of magical energy directed at the two lovebirds, before the world dissolved into chaos.
When it reformed, the unicorn found herself being insulted and berated by a number of obviously high class ponies who were steadily closing in on her. When they reached her, everything dissolved to black, and Luna was brought back to reality, the dreamer having awoken. Luna, now a bit shaken up, made a mental note to ask Cadance how best to approach this particular dreamer's issue.
The next morning, around nine, the door to the Carousel Boutique opened and shut, causing Rarity to start welcoming whoever had entered into her shop before seeing who it was. "Oh, hi Fluttershy."
"Hi. I just stopped by to drop off a gift Fleur wanted me to give you when I went by her house," Fluttershy said, before pulling out two bottles of wine, while leaving two more in her bag.
"Oh, give her my thanks, will you? And thank you for bringing-wait. What were you doing at Fleur's place?"
"Um, she asked me on a date last night, then, when I couldn't give an answer, said to get back to her today with my decision."
"And what did you tell her?" Rarity asked, her anticipation rising.
"That I would go." |
The Model Caretaker | Dresses and dates | Fluttershy was finishing moving the last of the rabbits from the latest hidey-hole they had found in Sweet Apple Acres. She knew she would be coming back tomorrow to continue the job, but for now she had other things to focus on, like her date tonight.
Applejack came by with some apple juice for the pegasus and asked, "About done?"
"Almost. Just moving these last few. What time is it?"
"About four thirty"
"Oh, good," Fluttershy said.
"What time is your date with Fleur?"
"Six, but I want to be early." She left unmentioned the fact that that she needed to get her dress on and her bits together before she left.
"While we're on the subject, I meant to ask, are you sure about this date?" Applejack asked.
"What do you mean?"
"It's just that you two are...never mind."
"We're what?" Fluttershy asked.
Applejack sighed and decided to be blunt about it. "It's just that she's so much older than you. Don't you think you should go out with someone who's a bit younger?"
"She's only 24."
"Oh, She is?" Applejack said, obviously embarrassed
"Yes, and she gets rather annoyed when ponies think she's older," Fluttershy said before gently coaxing the last rabbit into leaving.
"Anyway, same time tomorrow?" Applejack asked, handing over a few bits for Fluttershy's service.
"Of course. I'll see you then," Fluttershy said.
"And have fun on your date tonight."
"I'll try."
At this point, a blue figure emerged from one of the trees and flew off after Fluttershy, leaving a blanket and pillow behind. Stopping next to the yellow pegasus, the figure asked, "Wait, you got a date with that unicorn from the train station? And it's tonight?
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me? I thought I was your best friend!"
"I thought you would be mad," Fluttershy told Rainbow Dash.
"Why would I be mad? Because she turned me down?"
"Well, yes."
"Oh, come on. You know I would never let something like that get to me. Also why didn't you tell me you were into mares?" Rainbow asked.
"You never told me you were either."
"I didn't?"
"No," Fluttershy said bluntly.
"Oh, heh, I guess I didn't. Anyway, where are you taking her?"
"It's a secret," Fluttershy said, wanting to keep Rainbow from watching her date with Fleur.
"Oh, I see how it is," Rainbow said, "Could you at least tell me how it goes?"
"Sure. Just come by my cottage tomorrow."
"Will do, and have fun tonight."
"I'll try," Fluttershy said.
Fleur, in the meanwhile was busy finding ways passing the time until the date, which, for a formerly high class fashionista like her, meant shopping was very high on the agenda.
As she looked over a selection of jewelry, she heard somepony say her name. When she turned to look at the source, she found herself face to face with an unhappy looking Princess Luna and immediately assumed that the alicorn was angry at her. "Y-yes, your highness?"
"I would like to have a word with you. In private," Luna said.
"What about?"
"You shall see."
"Does this have anything to do with your anger?" Fleur asked.
"No. My frustration has nothing to do with this," Luna said, reassuring her.
"Um, how does taking this to my home sound?"
"That would be perfect."
As they walked to Fleur's home, the unicorn asked, "So what's made you so grumpy?"
"You know of the Ponyville Dam, I presume?" Luna asked.
"Yes. Small dam blocking off the Ponyville river. Why?"
"It has developed a large crack, for what is apparently the third time in two years. Also, there are no plans for a long term repair or replacement of said dam," Luna said.
"Wow."
"And, to make matters worse, there are currently no evacuation plans or early warning systems in case the dam does break. And seeing as the lead engineer is the most incompetent worker I have ever met, I do not think she will have any such plans ready for submission before I leave for Canterlot."
"You're joking. No evacuation plans?" Fleur asked, shocked.
"None whatsoever. It is amazing how incompetently emergency preparedness has been managed here in Ponyville. Wading through the mess has made me desire a stiff drink."
"That's comforting."
"Fortunately for the town, I have put a spell on the dam that should keep it from deteriorating further for at least a year. Unfortunately, I do not think that will be long enough," Luna said.
"Can we talk about something else, now? I've heard enough about our non-existent disaster planning for one day."
"Honestly, so have I."
"Anyway, welcome to my humble home," Fleur said as she unlocked her front door.
Luna stepped through the doorway after Fleur and looked around. Jacques cautiously approached and sniffed the princess' hoof, unsure of what to make of this new visitor. When the alicorn did nothing in response to his presence, he got bored and hitched a ride on his warm owner's back, purring contentedly. Luna watched wordlessly as the unicorn went into her kitchen and pulled something from the icebox.
"Would you like some wine? I have plenty," Fleur called from the kitchen.
"Please."
As Fleur walked out of the kitchen with two wine glasses Luna asked, "Why is your cat riding you?"
"I think Jacques is just cold and rather affectionate. Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"
Before speaking, Luna took her glass of wine and drained half of it in one gulp, much to Fleur's annoyance. To her, good wine, such as the wine she had given Luna should be sipped and savored, not guzzled down. Once the wine had calmed her down a bit, the princess said, "I have watched your dreams these past days, and they are plagued by nightmares."
"Wait, you can look into my dreams?" Fleur asked, feeling slightly violated.
"Indeed I can. It is an ability that comes with being the guardian of the night, and a method to ensure my subjects' sleep remains peaceful. If their sleep is not peaceful, then I intervene to help make it so."
"And what have I done to warrant your attention?"
"I do pay special attention to those who are close to the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, since if they are worried about something happening with their friends, it could negatively influence the effectiveness of the elements," Luna explained.
"That makes sense I guess," Fleur admitted, "but I assume you can't just go directly to everypony who's had a few bad nights, so what do you do when you can't meet with them directly?"
"I can appear within their dreams, if necessary. However, I prefer to meet in person, if possible, as a dream based appearance can backfire and cause further issues."
"Oh, I see. Anyway, what did you see in my dreams?" Fleur asked, not completely convinced that Luna wasn't lying towards some end.
Luna described the nightmares she encountered in Fleur's mind, which made the unicorn go wide-eyed in amazement. "So you can see my dreams!"
"That is what I said. However, since I am not well versed in the realms of romance, I asked for Princess Cadance's advice in helping you solve the underlying issue causing your nightmares and allow you to return to restful sleep."
"And she said?" Fleur asked, amazed by the fact that royalty had taken such an interest in her.
Luna pulled a letter from under her wing and hoofed it to Fleur, who read it with great interest, but found herself disappointed by its contents. "Basic, vague, and open-ended, I should have known," she snorted in frustration.
Luna ignored her frustrated outburst, not really having any other options for helping her at the moment. Instead she said, "by the way, I believe I saw the stallion you were having nightmares about at Rarity's shop."
"Yes, I saw him there as well. I meant to have a chat with Rarity today, but I have no desire to speak with him again."
At this point, a knock came from the door, which Fleur magically opened, revealing a monocled white stallion with a blue mane. "Fancypants, what are you doing here?" the house's owner asked, annoyance dripping from every word as she resisted the urge to hurt him.
"Rarity told me to come here and apologize to you for something before she would give me the dress I ordered for my sister."
"Yes, I believe you know what she wants you to apologize for. Now be a good boy and tell Princess Luna exactly what it is."
Fancy now noticed the third pony present in the room, and saw just how unhappy she was with him. "Ah, yes. She believes I had an affair with a mare by the name of Pink Pearls and outed you to protect my reputation."
"And what parts of this are not true? She has had vivid dreams about discovering you in bed with a pink mare, then seeming to be cast out of Canterlot, which I have seen with my own eyes," Luna said.
"How have you seen these dreams?"
"I am the princess of the night, and dreams are among my realms. Your former wife's sleep has been troubled these past nights, and I entered her dreams to find out why. That is when I encountered these nightmares."
Fancy, realizing the jig was up, said, "Okay, you caught me. Just understand that I did it to protect my philanthropic efforts. I wish I hadn't had to, but it was the only way for me to keep helping ponies in need."
Fleur responded with, " Viola Heartstrings' affair didn't set her back for too long, as I recall."
"Who?" Luna asked.
"She's a famous classical musician, and friendly rival of Octavia. A few years back her husband caught her having an affair and went public with it. Her reputation was badly damaged among all segments of society, but she recovered and is almost as popular now as she was before the affair. Also, I believe that this is despite the fact that she has a lesbian niece who lives here in Ponyville."
Fancypants just stood there unable to say a single word to the two unhappy mares in front of him. He knew that he had no justification for throwing his former wife under the carriage at this point, and, regardless, he was not exactly comfortable around the royal pony who had graced Fleur with her presence for reasons unknown to him.
After a few seconds of waiting for a response, a sly grin formed on Fleur's lips as she said, "I see you have no defense left for you actions."
"No. I don't. I'm sorry Fleur, I threw you under the carriage to save my own flank, when I should have handled things better."
"Thank you for apologizing. Now, please leave and don't let me see your face ever again."
Fancypants didn't put up any resistance to this request, turning around and leaving without so much as a word.
"That was harsh," Luna said.
"Maybe, but seeing him fills me with anger. Best to keep him out of my sights," Fleur said as she checked the clock. "Oh, I should get ready for tonight."
"Your date with Fluttershy?"
"You know?" Fleur said, nervousness lacing her voice
"It is the talk of the town. Well, along with my arrival," Luna explained, having calmed down greatly from her initial arrival, though her wine was completely drained at this point, whereas Fleur had only drank a quarter of hers.
Fleur took a sip of her wine before saying, in a desperate attempt to change the subject, "speaking of your arrival, when was friendly Luna replaced with grumpy Luna? I miss her."
"I like to relax, but when I am performing my non-dream based duties I feel it is best to do so with as serious a mindset as possible, both for the sake of professionalism and to ensure I do not miss any details. Also, dealing with that idiot mare of an engineer has left me in a less than agreeable mood."
"Ah."
"Regardless, I wanted to ask you about this date."
Fleur took a long sip of her wine to calm her nerves before speaking. Talking to royalty about her date with a pony of the same sex was not what the Prench mare considered a relaxing activity. She then asked, "So what do you want to know?"
"Well, first I should mention that I am simply curious about your reasons, and have no wish to condemn you for your decision, so you can stop being nervous any time now."
Fleur responded by trying to calm herself, to no avail, which bugged Luna, but she plowed on.
"On that note, I would first ask you how you managed to get her to agree to this."
"Ah, I may have made a few lucky faux pas in getting her to agree. Looking back, being so, ah, forward was probably not a good idea, and yet here we are," Fleur said, thinking about how amazed she was how well kissing the shy pegasus apparently worked in getting a date with her.
"Faux pas?"
"Prench for false step. It means I messed up."
"I see," Luna said. "My next question is: why did you want to go on a date with her?"
"Ah, well, she is a kind and beautiful pony, though some of her animals scare me."
"I see. Anything else?"
"Erm...her helping save Equestria several times didn't hurt, and the fact that I'm sure she'll be loyal to the end if it does work out was a pretty big factor, mainly because of what Fancypants did to me."
"Is that all?" Luna asked, apparently quite satisfied with her answer.
"Yes," Fleur said looking at the clock again, "And I really should start getting ready now."
"What time is your date at?"
"Six, but I'm expecting her to come early," Fleur said.
"Okay. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to hear about it tomorrow."
"If you want to, come by the Carousel boutique tomorrow at noon, since I'll be there telling Rarity about it anyway. Maybe then you can also tell me about this prank you're planning for your sister."
Luna had nearly forgotten about that, but didn't show it. "Of course, I will have the details tomorrow. Regardless, I hope you have a nice night," she said as she slipped out the front door.
"I hope so too," Fleur said, not caring that Luna couldn't hear her.
She headed to her bedroom, where she had laid out her dress in anticipation for tonight, and noticed a dark stain on it. She brought the dress up to her snout and sniffed it, immediately realizing that Jacques had peed on it. She turned to her rider and said, "Jacques, I'm ashamed of you." When he gave her an inquisitive look, she pointed to the stain on her dress and said, "I was going to wear this to my date with Fluttershy tonight, but you ruined it!"
Jacques hung his head in shame, trying for pity points, but Fleur was having none of it. She grabbed him in her magic and said, "Since you ruined the dress I was going to wear tonight, you get to spend the night outside. And Fluttershy is going to hear about this."
The cat was now in a state of absolute dread. He tried to squirm out of his master's magical grip, but to no avail. Eventually he gave up and went limp, at which point Fleur opened the back door and deposited the cat on her patio, closing it behind him.
Five minutes after Luna left Fleur's home, on the outskirts of Ponyville, Fluttershy was trying to deal with a frustrating issue regarding the dress Rarity had made for her.
Now, before we continue, a quick word on pegasus anatomy and clothing is warranted. Pegasi, as you no doubt realize, have wings, and said wings generally sit on the outside of whatever they happen to be wearing. Now, the thing is, to get a piece of clothing over a pegasus' wings, said wings must be pointed at an upward angle, so that they can be put through the wing holes. When you consider the pegasus anatomy, it becomes obvious that this is extremely difficult to do while positioning the clothes in the right spot without help. Various designers have come up with solutions to allow a pegasus to put on his or he own clothes without outside help, such as, say in the case of a bathrobe, cutting it so that you can use velcro to get your wings through the holes without having to point them skyward, then seal it up behind the wing.
The problem was, in her excitement for making a dress for tonight's date, Rarity forgot to implement such a solution in Fluttershy's dress, meaning she was now trying to get it on with the help of her animals, and having absolutely no success.
"Oh, try moving it a bit up and to the right. No, that didn't work, maybe a little back. No?" She had been trying to get her dress for half an hour now and her wing muscles were getting very sore from holding her wings erect like that.
Wondering whether or not it was worth all this trouble, she told her animals to set the dress aside for the moment, so she could rest her wings and went about getting everything else ready for the big night. She was still nervous and somewhat self-conscious about going out with another mare, especially one who was a whole head taller than her and who had once assumed she took care of monsters, but had decided to make the best of it. After all, what could one date hurt?
She first went about counting out her bits, thirty five in all, thanks to Fleur's overpaying her. Hoping that dinner wouldn't cost more than that, she went to her vanity and brushed out her mane and tail while testing her wings to see if they were ready for another attempt to put on the dress. Deciding that a few more minutes wouldn't hurt, she looked up at the clock and saw she had about 20 minutes before she would have to leave. Happy about this, she made a quick round of her house, making sure the animals had their dinner and thinking about tonight.
Once this was done, round two of Fluttershy v. Dress, the fight of the night, got underway. She called over her a few of her birds to help and stuck her wings up again. Once again, however, the effort was in vain. The biggest problem was the holes were only just big enough for her wings to go through, meaning that if they were more than a bit off, said wings weren't going through. Not helping was the fact that small birds aren't the most precise beings in Equestria, especially when carrying a load weighing about as much as them combined. There were other animals who were better equipped to help out, of course, but they weren't at her cottage at the moment, and she wasn't going to go find them just so they could put a dress on her.
Eventually she ran out of time. Laying the dress on the bed again, she grabbed her bits and, having nowhere else to put them, tucked them under her wing, before heading out the door into the very chilly evening air, hoping she wasn't going to make a foal of herself tonight.
Fleur was now somewhat nervous, because she expected Fluttershy to come by for their date dressed to the nines, and here she was, quite naked thanks to Jacques' bladder. This, annoyingly, exaggerated her ever present need to fidget and move about. It did comfort her slightly that she was only going to embarrass herself rather than have Fluttershy join in on the mild humiliation, but she still didn't enjoy the idea of making a bit of a foal of herself again.
To try to calm herself, she went over the advice Rarity had given her after she heard about the date, which amounted to not getting touchy-feely with Fluttershy and not posing and drawing attention while with her, both things she rather enjoyed doing while with Fancypants, but both things that Fluttershy would likely be uncomfortable with. This didn't help calm her however, so she went with posing for an invisible audience to relax and pass the time.
Eventually, there was a knock at the front door. She opened it to reveal Fluttershy, also not wearing a dress. Fleur didn't comment on this yet, instead saying, "Hello, Fluttershy. Just give me one second and we can be on our way."
Fluttershy nodded in acquiescence and stood in the doorway. When Fleur turned around, the pegasus noticed that the unicorn's cat wasn't in his usual spot on her back. She asked, "Where's Jacques?"
"He's out back, as punishment for wetting my dress."
"Oh my. That's terrible."
"Speaking of dresses, I would have thought Rarity had made one for you tonight," Fleur said.
"Oh, uh, I couldn't get it on."
"Why not?"
Fluttershy quickly explained the problem of wings and dresses to Fleur, who was a bit surprised and embarrassed. When she was a model, all unicorns and most earth ponies put on their own clothes unless they were particularly elaborate, but pegasi always had assistants dressing them. She had assumed that this was some weird racist holdover from a less understanding time, and had never considered the possibility that that was the most practical (and, sometimes, only practical) way for them to actually get clothes on.
Feeling a bit silly about this, she grabbed her own bits, assuming that Fluttershy, who she understood generally had money issues, would expect her to pay for tonight's dinner, and unaware that she had set aside a goodly amount of bits for tonight as well. Putting her bits away, and coincidentally leaving Fluttershy unaware that she had them with her, she said, "Well, let's be off."
On the way to the restaurant, Fleur noticed Fluttershy seemed a bit self-conscious, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Then why are you so nervous?"
Fluttershy took a few seconds to screw up her courage before admitting, "I'm kinda nervous about dating another mare."
Fleur didn't have an immediate response to this. She had suspected that Fluttershy, who had come out as bisexual only a few days prior, might not be entirely at ease with this revelation just yet. However, being a bit too optimistic, she hadn't counted on this affecting their date in any way.
After a second of thought, and very briefly considering breaking one of the cardinal rules of unicorn magic by casting a calming spell on Fluttershy without asking, Fleur tried to reassure the pegasus by saying, "I know the feeling. My own coming out nearly caused me a nervous breakdown after the fact."
"Really? What happened?"
"Well, it's a long story for another time. Suffice it to say, I don't think we're going to encounter any issues from any Ponyvillians, simply because we're together, a luxury I lacked when the younger, more hormone-addled me came out in one of the more conservative parts of Prance."
"Unless they think you're in your thirties of forties again," Fluttershy pointed out, still feeling self-conscious about being with Fleur, though the unicorn's words, along with her lovely Prench accent, were starting to have a calming effect on her.
"Yes, I had forgotten about that little issue. Thank you for reminding me," Fleur said, sounding slightly annoyed. Whether it was at the fact that many ponies thought she was much older than she actually was or that Fluttershy had reminded her of such that annoyed the Prench mare, Fluttershy didn't know, but, if only for the sake of keeping her hopes up, she assumed the former. At this point they were getting close to the restaurant Fluttershy had reserved for them, and the pegasus picked up the pace a bit, trying to get there early.
Fleur wordlessly followed suit, noticing that the pegasus had relaxed somewhat, but was still not quite where she would like her to be emotionally. She had one overriding goal for tonight: get Fluttershy to give her one big, happy smile, and she knew the first step towards that end was to get Fluttershy to relax.
When the restaurant came into view, it took some effort on the part of the unicorn not to chuckle at the name: The Alimentaire Cheval.
She also noticed that, while the restaurant was classy enough that wearing a fancy dress wouldn't be out of place, it wasn't so posh that going without clothes would be considered a faux pas either.
Fluttershy turned to look at Fleur, offering a small smile in response to Fleur's big friendly one, before leading her to the front of the restaurant where they met the maitre d', a white unicorn stallion with a black mane, mustache, and tail and a bowtie as his cutie mark. He said with an impeccable Prench accent that matched Fleur's perfectly, "Welcome to the Alimentaire Cheval. How may I serve you ladies this fine night?"
"We have a reservation for two, at six. Should be under Fluttershy," Fluttershy said.
After taking a second to find the reservation he said, "Ah yes, right this way please." The two mares followed the maitre d' to a small booth on one side of the restaurant, where they sat down and received their menus, Fleur positioning herself to look smaller and less imposing than she actually was, thinking it couldn't hurt. "Now, what may I get you two for drinks?" he asked.
Fleur looked over the drinks list, and said, "I would like some red wine."
"Certainly. Any specific vintage, madame?"
"No thank you, and it's mademoiselle, s'il vous plait."
"Sorry, mademoiselle."
"That's okay."
The waiter then turned to Fluttershy, who said, "I'll have the apple cider." Certainly not a very Prench drink, but, seeing as it was a local favorite, nopony was going to say anything.
"Certainly. I shall be right back with your drinks."
"Mademoiselle?" a confused Fluttershy asked, as soon as the waiter disappeared.
"The proper term for an unmarried mare in Prance. Married mares are referred to as madams and unmarried as mademoiselles."
"Oh."
"Maybe I should teach you Prench someday. It is a beautiful language," Fleur suggested.
"Maybe," Fluttershy said vaguely, looking over the menu. She was happy to see that the food and drink, while a bit pricey, wasn't unreasonably expensive, and all of it sounded so good. Despite this, she was able to make her decision just in time for the waiter to return, though she let Fleur order first.
"Have you made your decision?" The waiter asked.
"Yes, I will have the ratatouille," Fleur said.
"Very good, and you, mademoiselle?"
"The tomato lily soup, please," Fluttershy said.
"Excellent, I will return with your food shortly," the waiter said, taking the menus. As he left again, Fleur said, "This is a lovely restaurant, even if the name of it does mean 'the horse food'."
"It does?"
"Oui, though I'm sure it sounds much classier to those who don't speak Prench."
"Oh, my. I wish I knew that before," Fluttershy said, and Fleur now realized that, just like her, the pegasus felt like she was the one who would have to work to convince the other mare to go along with the relationship. Of course, Fleur had been the pursuer all along, which made her wonder why Fluttershy would think she had to impress her.
"Don't worry about it. It's just funny is all."
A silence descended over the table, which Fleur took advantage of to take in her surroundings. She saw that throughout the restaurant there were couples of all varieties. Most were stallions with mares, but there was a smattering of couples consisting solely of stallions or mares, and any pony race combination you could think of was represented outside of anything x alicorn. Also, coming from somewhere in the restaurant, there was a beautiful, haunting tune being played on a harp. The overall atmosphere of the restaurant, aside from the mild, yet continuous awkwardness at her own table (which was more the fault of the unicorn at said table than anything), was a very pleasant one, and as Fleur looked around, a small smile formed on her lips. Her reverie was only broken when Fluttershy asked, "Is the name really that funny?"
"Oh, no. I was actually appreciating the pleasant atmosphere of this place. I can see why you chose it."
"Actually, Rarity suggested it. I've never been here before."
"You haven't?" Fleur asked, honestly surprised. She would have thought that Fluttershy would have at least scouted out the place beforehand.
"No, I only stopped in once to make the reservation."
"Even so, it's a very lovely restaurant, even if the name is a bit silly."
Fluttershy didn't respond, but the self-conscious little smile emerging on her face did tell Fleur that she was getting somewhere.
At this point, their food was served. Fleur looked on, hungrily as her vegetable stew was placed in front of her, while Fluttershy showed more restraint, but was obviously ready to eat as well.
Not long after, Fleur was chewing on a piece of eggplant while watching Fluttershy eat her soup. The soup was a fairly large one, which she guessed had something to do with the size of the flower petals (she was partly correct, the restaurant was also known for serving large portions), annd was happy to see the other mare was somewhat more relaxed than when she had arrived at her home earlier in the evening, but frustrated by the fact that she still seemed somewhat self-conscious. She thought, in Prench, Patience, Fleur. Patience. Don't do anything foalish.
Fluttershy, meanwhile, was a bit more focused on her food than her date at the moment. She had always loved lilies, but they were rather expensive in Ponyville, and because she had to set aside a lot of bits for all the food, medicine and various other supplies she used to take care of her animals, this meant that they were a rare treat for her, usually reserved for birthdays and holidays, and an opportunity like this was not to be passed up. She savored each mouthful for several seconds, making her date very curious.
"How's the soup?" Fleur asked.
"Delicious."
"You mind if I try some?"
Fluttershy pushed the bowl a bit towards Fleur as affirmation, and the unicorn, for the first time since grabbing her bits, used her magic, though only to take a spoonful of the soup. "Yes, that is quite good."
A short silence descended over the table which Fluttershy used to eat a few more spoonfuls of soup, before asking, "What's it like in Prance?"
"Where I come from, it's quite lovely, but, as with every country, there are areas that are best avoided, including parts of Pearis. Also, the fashions are just as beautiful as those you find in Canterlot, and the countryside more beautiful than anywhere I have ever been."
"Sounds like you love your home country."
"I do, and I miss it sometimes, but I love Equestria almost as much, and since I have so many of my roots planted here now I see no reason to go back," Fleur said. "By the way, you never told me about your life in Couldsdale."
"...I don't like to talk about it," Fluttershy said, sounding rather sullen.
Brilliant, Fleur. What a great subject to bring up, the unicorn thought, realizing she had made a faux pas, though in her defense, she had little idea that Fluttershy didn't like to talk about her life in the clouds. Backpedaling a bit, she said, "I understand. Forget I asked."
"That's okay," Fluttershy said. A few seconds later, she asked, "How do you like living in Ponyville?"
"I like it. Maybe not as fashionable as Canterlot, or Pearis, but, at the same time, the atmosphere isn't rife with pretentiousness either, and the most adorable pegasus I've ever met lives here." Fleur said, using thinly veiled flattery to try to make up for bringing up Cloudsdale.
It did help, though not quite as much as she would have hoped. When Fluttershy asked, "Do you really mean that?" her voice had lost most of its sullenness, but hints of old pain remained.
Fleur gave a reassuring smile and said, "Absolutely."
This was more than enough to get Fluttershy out of her funk. Now in a slightly elated state, and slightly buzzed from the cider, Fluttershy gave a small smile and said, "Thank you. That means a lot coming from a lovely unicorn like you."
Fleur managed to suppress the urge to squee in a very unladylike manner at hearing this, instead settling for making her smile a bit larger and happier as she speared an onion with her fork. Yes, she thinks I'm lovely! Maybe this will work out after all!, she thought.
Fluttershy, meanwhile, was thinking, how did I let that slip out? You and your big mouth, Fluttershy., then she got a look at Fleur's reaction, and thought, Well, at least she seemed to like hearing me say that. Taking a long drink of her cider and hoping she didn't end up drunk, she considered her next move. Even though she thought things were going very well, she was still nervous (though doing an uncharacteristically good job of hiding it). Even so, because the date was going so well, she decided it couldn't hurt to try being a bit more bold than just calling Fleur lovely.
Taking a second to collect herself, Fluttershy quickly decided to build off her last statement. Drawing on her courage, she said, "It still seems amazing to me that somepony like you would want to go out with somepony like me, though."
Fleur shook her head in amazement, saying, "C'mon Fluttershy. I think I said this before but I honestly had far less reason to expect any opportunity for romance with you than the other way around, because of some of my insensitive remarks. And I've never been the snooty pie in the sky type, even if I do revel in my beauty and expensive tastes a bit."
The memory of Fleur's insensitive remarks stung a bit, but never reached Fluttershy's face, instead another small smile crossed said face, which helped to mask her continued, if slight, nervousness. She took another long drink of cider, emptying the glass, and, since she didn't want to risk getting drunk, chose to leave it empty. She then said, "We all make mistakes."
Fleur opinion of the other mare, already quite high, improved another notch when she heard this. Silently joking to herself that she was probably talking to a changeling pretending to be the yellow pegasus, she finished the last of her wine then continued chatting with Fluttershy about this and that for the rest of their dinner.
When the waiter came with their bill, Fleur was a bit disappointed, as the date was coming to a close and she hadn't gotten that big, happy smile she wanted. Without looking at Fluttershy she pulled out her bit bag with her teeth and looked across the table to see Fluttershy now had her own bit bag in her mouth.
The absurdity of the situation, mixed with the embarrassment both of them felt for thinking that the other pony expected them to pay and the comical looks on each others' faces (with the bit bags still in their mouths serving to heighten the effect), was too much for either of them, and they both burst out in a fit of giggles.
Fluttershy recovered first, but the comedy of the situation kept the big, dopey grin on her face, which Fleur loved seeing. She set the bits on the table and asked, "Why did you bring your bits? I thought when you asked me to set this up, you would have had me pay."
"Well, the thing is," Fleur said, between continued fits of giggling, "I thought that, since I was the richer mare, you would have expected me to pay." He r giggling redoubled from the absurdity, before she said, "I think next time, I'll pay so we don't end up embarrassing ourselves like this again. Not that it wasn't funny."
Shaking her head at the overall silliness, Fluttershy took this as a cue that she would be paying tonight, and grabbed the bill. Fleur was tempted to stop her and pay herself, but decided not to intervene unless the yellow mare didn't have enough bits. Fortunately, the bill was only thirty bits, with a three bit tip, meaning Fluttershy wasn't about to embarrass herself by coming up short, so she emptied her bit bag on the table, and put two bits back in.
The two of them walked out of the restaurant and found themselves looking at a light blanket of snow. Fleur asked, "Was it supposed to snow today?"
"I dunno, I didn't check the weather."
"Neither did I. Well, it's not the first time we made foals of ourselves tonight," Fleur pointed out, getting another chuckle from Fluttershy, "anyway, we should do this again soon, don't you think?"
"Of course," Fluttershy said, having found herself hoping for a second date, "When at?"
"I'll talk to Luna, and see if we can't set something up in Canterlot when she goes back. If not, does Thursday night sound good? I'll be happy to make the arrangements."
"That sounds perfect." |
The Model Caretaker | Not quite to plan | "Are you sure this is going to work?" Fleur de Lis, made to look like a wingless, jewelry-less Princess Celestia asked as she and Princess Luna approached Canterlot castle.
"I see no reason why it should not. You look just like my sister before she became a goddess," Luna said.
Yes, and I learned on Sunday that there are contests for the best Celestia look-alike. Not that you need to know that yet, Fleur thought, before saying aloud, "If you say so. Also, my date with Fluttershy at the Caracolant a Cheval is still on right?"
"Yes, I will make the arrangements later. They should not raise a fuss about this being on short notice, seeing as I am royalty."
"Okay, good," Fleur said.
"And you will stay for breakfast tomorrow, right?"
"Of course. It's not every day you get invited to eat breakfast with royalty, after all."
At this point they were about to enter the castle gates, making Luna more glad than ever that unicorns and alicorns didn't actually have the oft rumored ability to communicate with each other via their magic, lest Fleur's cover be blown.
She signaled Fleur to keep quiet until the right moment, then entered the front gates with the white unicorn. When one of the guards moved to stop Fleur, Luna said, "She is with me."
"Understood."
Walking into the mostly empty throne room, where Celestia was wrapping up day court, Luna and Fleur approached and waited for Celestia to finish with a pony who was requesting funds to repair a road that had washed out near his home. Since, at this point, they were just finalizing the costs of materials they had no reason to expect this to be a long wait. Fleur was working hard to keep a straight face, afraid she might do something to blow her "cover" and miss out on watching Luna humiliate herself, while the dark alicorn was looking over all the paperwork she had done on Ponyville disaster preparedness, or lack thereof.
After a few minutes of back and forth about the cost of gravel, Celestia was ready for them. Luna approached the throne where she would be sitting in a few hours for night court and let Celestia speak first.
"Ah, it is good to see you again, Lulu. How went your trip to Ponyville?" the white alicorn asked, making Fleur use all her willpower to keep from even cracking a smile at the nickname Celestia gave her sister.
"It was not the easy, pleasant trip that I expected, I will admit, and we will need to follow up on just about everything down the line, but there is another small matter I wish to discuss." Fleur, at this point, was tempted to use her magic to keep her jaw shut to keep down the urge to laugh.
"Does it have anything to do with this Celestia look-alike?" Celestia asked gesturing towards Fleur.
"Yes. I found her walking around Ponyville, and thought I should bring her to you. She has refused to speak thus far." Fleur's entire being at the moment was being poured into not laughing.
Celestia shook her head with an amused smile on her face. "Either this is some poorly thought out prank on your part, or you stumbled upon one of my endless professional imitators and didn't realize it. Either way you really need to get out more, Lulu." She then removed Fleur's colored contact lenses and cutie mark stickers, while casting a spell to remove the hair dye. Seeing Fleur's mane was pretty much unchanged, she tugged on it, thinking it was a wig.
"Ow! That's my mane!" Fleur complained.
"Oh, sorry about that. Regardless, I would like to know who you are and what this is about."
"Wait, before we continue, are there really ponies who pretend to look like you for a living?" Luna asked.
"Yes. There are even contests to determine the best imitators. I actually entered one a while back, disguised as a pegasus. Placed fifth as I recall. Now if you could answer my question," Celestia said, sounding as serene as ever.
Fleur really wanted to ask how Celestia herself could place fifth in a Celestia look-alike contest, but decided that answering a royal's question came first. "Well, to answer your first question my name is Fleur de Lis.
"Ah, yes. You recently divorced Fancypants, did you not?"
"Yes, and I would prefer not to be reminded of that all the time."
Celestia ignored this, waiting for further information on her question.
"Anyway, as to what is going on, Princess Luna suggested the prank idea to me the day she arrived in Ponyville, after noticing how much I looked like you. Before then I had no idea that there were professional Celestia imitators, but when I learned of them, I decided to go along with it anyway, since I thought I could get her to get me and Fluttershy a reservation at the Caracolant a Cheval tonight."
"Did you agree to this, Lulu?"
"Yes, after I offered them dinner with us instead so I could have a chat with Fluttershy, but she insisted on having dinner at the restaurant."
"I see. Any other agreements I should know about?"
"A night in a royal suite and breakfast with us tomorrow morning?" Luna said.
"On what grounds?"
"On the grounds that Fluttershy has helped save Equestria more than once?"
"I think I can agree to that though their dinner will be on your tab, Luna." Luna didn't seem fazed by this, probably because she was a rich mare even before her banishment, and her bits had been collecting interest for one thousand years. "By the way, where is Fluttershy?" Celestia asked
"Probably in the market, helping Rarity pick materials for her nature themed fashion line," Fleur offered.
"And does she know about all of this?"
"Yes."
"I see. And why do you want to go to the Caracolant a Cheval?" Celestia asked.
"I want to go on a date with Fluttershy at the fanciest restaurant in Canterlot. And troll some snobs, but mostly the date."
"I see, and now I'm curious about how long you two have been together."
"Our first date was last Saturday, and this will be our second," Fleur said, hoping that Celestia wasn't about to bring some sort of hell on her head.
"And how did that first date go?"
"Once Fluttershy was comfortable with the fact that she was on a date with another mare, it went quite well."
"I see." Celestia then turned to one of her guards and said, "Please go down to the marketplace and find Fluttershy, I would speak with her about something."
Fleur watched as the guard left in earnest, worried about what was about to happen. This, combined with being within a few feet of both rulers of Equestria and royal guards who stood ready to execute any order the princesses saw fit to give, caused her to start fidgeting again.
Both princesses noticed this, but Luna said nothing, since she was still chewing her humble pie. Celestia, on the other hoof, had to ask, "Is something wrong, Fleur de Lis?"
"I'm a bit nervous because I don't know what this is about or whether I'm going to be thrown in the dungeons or not."
"Why would I do that? I was just hoping that, since Fluttershy is in town, she could take care of Philomena while she goes through her rebirth."
"Her what now?" Fleur asked, her mind going to rather unpleasant places.
"Philomena is a phoenix, and dies and is reborn every few years. She showing signs that it's about that time again, and I have some trade meetings coming up, so I can't take care of her myself while this happens."
"Oh. So how often does she need to be reborn?"
"Once every two or three years, though she is always the same bird when she comes back."
Shortly thereafter, the royal guard had brought Fluttershy and, for some reason, Rarity with a large number of shopping bags to the throne room. Rarity, who had been in on the prank, was the first to speak. "Fleur, why do you look like...yourself?"
"Because trying to trick an immortal goddess apparently doesn't work as well as I'd hoped. Now if she didn't pull my mane, I might have had fond memories about this anyway."
"Well, I hadn't realized that you had the exact same color mane as my younger self, and thought it was part of the prank. Again, my apologies."
Luna was standing silently and stoically, still smarting a bit from her prank blowing up in her face. Fleur noticing this, asked, "Is everything okay, Luna?"
"So this is what humble pie tastes like," Luna said, finally metaphorically swallowing her slice.
Celestia smiled, making a mental note to watch for anything Luna might try to make up for her failure to embarrass her.
"Should we move our stuff to the suite," Fluttershy asked.
"In a second. Before I forget, Fluttershy, do you mind watching Philomena for me? She's about to go through her rebirth, and I'm going to be too busy to watch her."
"You want me to take her back to Ponyville?"
"Please," Celestia said.
"I can do that. You want me to bring her back to Canterlot when you're ready?"
"No, I'll come by Ponyville to pick her up. You should only need to take care of her for a week or so."
"Okay," Fluttershy said.
"And one more thing. Is it true that you went on a date with this unicorn last week?"
"Yes. And Luna was supposed to get us a reservation at a fancy restaurant tonight."
"Not so much a reservation as a walk in," Luna clarified.
"Thank you, that is all I wished to know."
"So, can we unpack? We really should get ready for dinner tonight," Fleur asked.
"Yes. Lulu, since this was your idea, can you take them to the suite they'll be staying in?"
"Of course."
"Wait," Rarity said, "Let me go get their luggage first."
"How about this? You know where the tower suite is, right Rarity?" Luna asked.
"Yeah. That's where they'll be staying?"
"Yes, assuming it is not taken," Luna said.
"It's not. Don't worry," Celestia said.
A few minutes later, they had arrived at he tower suite and Luna said, "When you two are ready to head out for dinner, come find me. I should be in or near the throne room," before turning and leaving. The two looked around the room, Fleur enjoying being back in a place filled with luxury and opulence, and Fluttershy simply marveling at the beauty of the room. Of course, shortly thereafter, a bit of awkwardness ensued as they noticed that there was only one bed.
Now they had considered this possibility, and thought about having one of them stay with Rarity, but neither of them was willing to pass up a chance to stay in a royal suite. Realizing that they were going to have to share the bed (and neither of them was ready to do the dirty deed yet), they quickly came to an agreement: they would share the bed, but if anypony started with any shenanigans, she would sleep on the floor, and if both them started, one of them would lock herself in the bathroom so they wouldn't do anything they would regret, body aches be damned.
Soon thereafter, Fluttershy took a trip to the toilet, while Fleur looked about the room. With white and black marble floors, blue blankets and silk sheets on the bed, and purple walls, the place was beautiful, and big. In fact, the bed was big enough for three, which Fleur was thankful for, especially with her tall frame and habit of tossing about in her sleep.
When Fluttershy left the bathroom, Fleur entered and took care of her own business, taking some time to admire the opulence of the bathroom once she was done with her business. When she heard Rarity coming in with their luggage, she quickly returned to the main room to meet her fellow unicorn.
"Thanks again for getting all of our stuff, Rarity," she said.
"No problem. What time are you going to dinner?"
"When we go meet Luna. She said she'd wait for us in the throne room, though I think she can wait an hour or so for us to get ready."
"Do you want any help?" Rarity offered.
"No, I think I can help Fluttershy get her dress on, but I must thank you again for making me a new one on such short notice, even if I have the scars to prove it," Fleur said, glancing at her flank.
"It's not my fault you squirm so much."
"But it is your fault that you get so stabby with that needle."
Rarity simply rolled her eyes and said, "If you need my help, you know where I'm staying." .
"Of course," Fleur said as she watched Rarity walk out the front door. She then turned to Fluttershy and said, "Shall we see if we can't get that dress on you?"
"Okay," Fluttershy said in a neutral tone, before pulling the dress out of its bag.
"You're going to have to talk me through this, since I've never put clothes on another pony, let alone a pegasus."
Fluttershy lifted her wings up to the proper angle and explained what to do, and Fleur had the pegasus in her dress with very little fuss, though Fluttershy was quick to point out that Fleur was going to have to take it off for her. The pegasus then headed into the bathroom to get made up, while Fleur got her own dress on. As she did this, she realized that she hadn't taken any time to actually see how Fluttershy's dress looked. Well, she would get the chance when she was all made up.
Fleur looked at her dress after she put it on. Said dress could only be described as very, very extravagantly Prench, almost to the point of being aristocratic, with royal blues and white highlights throughout and fleur-de-lis dotting various points. And this was after she asked Rarity to tone it way down from its original design, which looked like a dress that could have been worn by a member of the long dead Prench royal family. Still, she liked it enough that she wasn't going to complain about its excessive regality.
When Fluttershy exited the bathroom, Fleur entered with her makeup kit in tow. Fluttershy didn't pay attention to Fleur's dress, and hadn't yet seen it, so, when she realized this, she was a bit annoyed with herself. All she knew was, knowing Rarity, it was probably somewhat extravagant and Prench. After Fleur closed the door, Fluttershy pulled out and put on her leggings, another part of her nature themed dress (and one she could put on herself), which was essentially a stylistic update from her Grand Galloping Gala dress. Having nothing else to do while waiting, she checked her wings to see if they needed any preening. After tugging a few rogue feathers back into place, she waited the last few minutes it took Fleur to get all made up by staring at the bathroom door and thinking about the date.
She remembered that Fleur had said that the Canterlot elite had little respect for anypony who was attracted to members of the same gender, and they were going into a place where they were guaranteed to be surrounded by members of said elite. Despite the fact that their date was being set up by one of the rulers of Equestria (and on her tab, no less), Fluttershy couldn't help but worry about the reactions they would get from the other diners, especially if Fleur decided to draw attention to them in an attempt to troll the elite. She decided to discuss this with the unicorn once she was out of the bathroom.
Once Fleur was out of the bathroom, they took a second to admire each other's dresses, which both obviously liked the other's, though neither said anything. They then quickly exited the room and, on the way down the long staircase, Fluttershy explained her concern.
"Well, unfortunately, we're going to be drawing a lot of attention to ourselves simply because we're a same sex couple eating at the fanciest restaurant in Equestria. It's not something you see everyday," Fleur explained.
"Eep!"
"I wouldn't worry too much, though. The worst we should have to worry about is annoyed looks and a few whispered insults. They know better than to be direct with their hatred, especially when something they don't like is happening with the blessing of a princess."
This didn't do much to reassure Fluttershy, who was still nervous about the whole thing, but she decided to hide that fact for the moment, not wanting to be the one to ruin Fleur's plans for a fun night.
When they met with Luna, she made a strange request of the two ponies. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to join you two for dinner tonight."
"Why?" Fleur asked.
"As 'Tia said, I could stand to get out more, and I would never miss an opportunity to make the nobility look silly."
"Well, if Fluttershy doesn't mind..."
Fleur and Luna then turned their attention to Fluttershy, who really hated being the center of attention like this. She said, in a nervous voice, "Okay."
Fleur noticed the pegasus' nervous reaction and said, "Fluttershy, she doesn't have to come along if you don't want her to."
"No, I don't mind. It's just that she just makes me a bit nervous."
"If you say so," Fleur said.
As they left, Luna said, "I have a question about these upper class ponies, Fleur de Lis."
"I'm listening."
"How much do they respect 'Tia and I?"
"That's half the fun of getting you involved. They respect you utterly, and if you were to be seen endorsing something they utterly hate, well, if I'm honest, I'm not sure what they would do. We'll find out tonight, though," Fleur said, relishing the idea.
"That gives me an idea, if you want to hear it."
"Still listening."
Luna explained her idea to her two companions, who both agreed to it, though Fluttershy didn't seem completely thrilled with it.
When they reached the restaurant, Luna approached the maitre d' and said, "I would like a table for three, please."
"Sorry, but we do not take walk ins."
"Not even when one of the walk ins is Princess Luna?" Fleur interjected.
This caused the maitre d' to look up and when saw who he was speaking to, he looked thoroughly embarrassed, saying, "Oh, my apologies, madame. Right this way."
"Thank you, my good sir," Luna said.
They were led to what was known as the alicorn table where only princesses and their guests were allowed to sit. Next to the table stood a giant, very gaudy statue of Princess Celestia and, on the other side a spot where, when it was finished, an equally large, equally gaudy statue of Luna would stand. The table was in the center of the room, putting the three diners in full view of everyone in the restaurant. This was a setup Fleur hadn't counted on, but one which made her attempts to troll the other diners that little bit easier. They sat down in the circular booth with Fleur sitting between Luna and Fluttershy
"Now, what would you ladies like to drink?"
"We would love a bottle of Chateau 987, if you have any available," Fleur said, before the other two could speak.
"Certainly, I will return with it shortly."
Luna looked at Fleur. "Chateau 987?"
"A very good, very expensive red wine. I didn't think they had any, actually, since only a few hundred bottles ever left Prance."
"Well, then we shall have to enjoy it, won't we."
"Yes we will," Fleur said, before turning to Fluttershy. "So, how do you like this place?"
"I love it. It's so...posh."
"I'm glad to hear you say that. I was afraid I might've gone overboard."
"Oh no, it's lovely, although I don't think we're going to be able to get more upscale than this," Fluttershy admitted.
"No, that's true. Not that I mind less extravagant dates."
At this point, the waiter returned with the bottle of wine Fleur had requested and uncorked it for the trio. "Thank you monsieur," Fleur said.
"My pleasure. Now, are you ready to order?"
The three of them placed their orders, and, when the waiter left, Luna, referencing the plan she came up with earlier, asked in a whisper, "So when do you want to do it?"
"How about after dinner, but before dessert. If I'm right, that's when it will be busiest, and, honestly, if we're going to do this, I want this to be the talk of the town."
"I like your thinking, Fleur de Lis."
Fleur simply smiled and poured their wine.
Fluttershy, on the other hand was a bit nervous about their whole plan, which had drifted back to the forefront of her mind. To distract herself from said thoughts, she focused the meal she ordered, a rose and lily salad, described as being made with only the finest ingredients which, considering where they were eating, was quite believable.
"Fluttershy," Fleur said, breaking the pegasus' reverie after several minutes.
"Yes?" Fluttershy asked, taking a second to properly return to reality.
"Food's here."
"Oh," Fluttershy said, slightly embarrassed.
"The rose and Lily salad?" The waiter asked.
"That's mine."
"The flower, vegetable stew?"
"That would be mine," Fleur said.
"And the onion daisy soup?
"That is mine," Luna said.
The waiter placed the last dish in front of the princess of the night said, "please enjoy your meal," before leaving. Fluttershy noticed that, to her annoyance, the meals were on the small side for whatever reason.
As soon as the waiter had disappeared into the crowd of diners, Fleur said, "I think I've seen your dress somewhere before, Fluttershy. I just don't remember where."
"I wore one almost like it to the Grand Galloping Gala two years ago."
"Wait, wasn't that the one where somepony somehow knocked down the pillars in the ballroom?"
"Yes, and the one with the animal stampede," Fluttershy said.
"I had heard about that but I was still on the modeling circuit, so I was forced to miss it. Probably for the best"
"Probably," Fluttershy said.
"And, since I was sleeping, I seem to have missed out on all the fun," Luna said
"Celestia never told you what happened?" Fleur asked.
"I never asked. I probably should when I get back."
"It's quite the story," Fluttershy said, avoiding mentioning her involvement in the animal stampede.
"I'm sure."
Wanting to change the subject and try to get a cheap laugh out of Luna, Fluttershy asked Fleur, "By the way, how many times did Rarity poke you with her needle when she made you that dress?"
Realizing what the pegasus was up to, Fleur said with a smile, "More than I care to count, if I'm honest."
"Wait, I thought Rarity was an excellent dressmaker. Why would she poke you with her needle?" Luna asked.
"She is an excellent dressmaker most of the time, but for some reason, when that needle gets near my flank, all bets are off. Fortunately, this time she managed to avoid stitching the dress onto said flank, though I still got a few new scars from the whole ordeal."
Luna, already chuckling a bit at the mental image, said, "She actually stitched a dress onto you?"
"Yes. While trying to add some embroidery, she managed to put some stitches through both the dress and my flank. She says it's because I moved into the needle, but I think she did it on purpose."
"Well, considering how much you were complaining when I came by," Fluttershy said, obviously enjoying this conversation and forgetting that she was surrounded by ponies who didn't hold a lot of respect for her.
"Okay, I may have brought it on myself a bit," Fleur admitted, "That's still no reason to jam a needle through my flank."
"Rarity apparently disagreed," Luna said.
Fleur simply shook her head and took another sip of her wine. When she answered Fluttershy's question, she hadn't counted on embarrassing herself like that, though she knew that it was her fault for bringing up the whole "Stitched to my flank" incident.
The three of them ate silently for the next few minutes, Luna obviously still amused about the story of the making of Fleur's dresses. Fleur, on the other hoof was chuckling at herself for bringing up her stitched flank. Lastly, Fluttershy was quietly hoping Fleur wasn't angry at her for bringing up the needle prodding incidents, though still amused by how they went.
Fluttershy finished her food first, and waited patiently for the others to do so. The other two noticed this and wondered if they should keep eating or save room for dessert, and speed things up. They looked to see what the other would do, then the smell of Fleur's stew made her realize just how much she was enjoying it, and she went back to eating, to Fluttershy's temporary relief. The pegasus took another sip of her wine and watched the other two, trying to think of a way to restart the conversation. Nothing came to mind, however, leaving her at the mercy of the eating speed of her marefriend and the princess of the night.
Their plan involved something Fluttershy wasn't completely comfortable with, and in front of ponies who wouldn't enjoy seeing it, but she had agreed to it, and she wasn't going to back out now. To distract herself from this, she thought about how their relationship had evolved. Not a month and a half ago, she had thought that Fleur would never go out with a country pony like her regardless of whether she was interested in mares or not. Two weeks after that she was sure that she had no romantic interest in mares, despite Fleur having an interest in her and, a week later, Rarity suggested they go on a date, which she yelled down, being secretly confused about her sexuality. Despite all these bumps in the road, they were now together, having their second date in the fanciest restaurant in Equestria with a princess, and her tab, in tow.
Soon thereafter, the other two were finished with their meal and the waiter came by with the dessert menu. This time it was Luna ordering for the three of them, picking a large chocolate cake.
When the waiter disappeared into the kitchen, with their empty plates, it was time for the plan to go forward. Fleur and Fluttershy scooted right next to each other, so that their sides were touching, wrapped their forelegs around each other and gave each other a great big kiss, in full view of all of the other diners, causing quite the stir.
Many ponies simply stared at the two, slack jawed, while others looked back and forth between them and Luna, expecting her to stop them, or at least be in some way offended. However, contrary to their expectations, she just sat and watched, obviously not taking the slightest issue with their blatant display of love.
Fluttershy couldn't help but feel the stares being directed at them, but was too focused on the kiss to care at the moment. Fleur, on the other hand, was reveling in both aspects. The kiss was just as wonderful as she had expected it to be and all the attention focused on them simply made the spotlight-loving pony enjoy the moment that much more.
After what couldn't have been more than fifteen seconds, they broke the kiss, yet still held each other close with loving smiles on their faces, both of them having genuinely enjoyed the moment. This was as far as it was going to go, but it was more than far enough to create a large paradigm shift, though of what sort nopony would know for at least a few days. A second or two later, though, reality breached the pegasus' mind and she scooted from Fleur's side and tried to make herself invisible.
Luna was the first to speak after they broke the kiss, saying, "It is very nice to see that you two are so happy together, though maybe you shouldn't be so blatant about it next time. I mean, you have drawn quite the audience."
Fleur, looking around with a smile that said, "what? You have a problem with me kissing another mare?" said, "Maybe you're right, but, since if one of us had been a stallion it would have earned little more than a few looks, I see little reason why this should be seen as anything stranger than that."
At this point, the plan was starting to derail from Luna's perspective, though Fleur, who wanted to take a bit more of an aggressive approach to this, thought it was all going according to plan. Still, the next thing the alicorn said served to get her to back off some.
"Well, maybe, but is that really worth getting us thrown out over? I promised 'Tia I would bring her some cake, and I would not see us thrown out before they have it ready for us."
"Okay, point taken. Still, I do think they're being a bit prudish about this."
A few seconds later, a stallion from a nearby table approached Luna and asked, "Is there nothing wrong with the fact that two mares just kissed right in front of you?"
"I see nothing wrong with it, no, and I am certain my sister would agree with me on that."
Mumbles broke out through the restaurant, and it was obvious nopony was quite sure what to make of Princess Luna's statements in support of same sex relationships, or Celestia's apparent, unspoken support for the same. Within seconds the atmosphere shifted from disturbed to very confused
Fleur, a smile on her face, whispered to the other two, "That went better than planned. I almost wish I could stick around for a few days to see what comes of this."
"I will send you a letter when I hear what has become of this," Luna whispered back.
"Please do."
The waiter brought their cake a few moments later, and, unlike their meal, it was fairly big. They sliced off three large pieces, and dug right in, with Fluttershy, who wanted to leave as soon as possible after the big kiss, eating with the most gusto. Fleur on the other hoof, went with a much more ladylike approach, eating small bites and taking a bit of time to chew. This was mostly to remind the surrounding ponies that just because she was with another mare didn't mean she wasn't a lady, though indirectly messing with Fluttershy a bit for bringing up the needle and her flank didn't hurt, even if she had helped bring that on herself by bringing up certain details.
Soon they were done with their meals and ready to head out. Luna said to send her the bill, and she would pay it as soon as she received it. The three chatted a bit on the way back to the castle, before Luna broke off from the group to prepare for night court, expecting to hear at least a few diners complaining about what had happened at the Caracolant a Cheval.
Fluttershy and Fleur de lis headed up to their suite, smiling at how things went (with a touch of relief also showing on Fluttershy's face, now that she was well and truly out of the fire). Since it was only seven, they had a few hours before even early riser Fluttershy was to go to bed. When they reached their suite, Fleur helped take Fluttershy's dress off her and let the pegasus go into the bathroom to wash her makeup off. She took her own dress off, laying it out on the bed, and headed back out, not bothering with her makeup, since it was like a second skin to her. They had agreed to do their own thing at this point, with Fleur visiting Rarity at her hotel, and Fluttershy spending some time with the animals in the castle garden, before they came back around eight thirty, since their breakfast with the princesses was at seven thirty the next morning.
Fluttershy came out of the bathroom, and headed out the door herself, going straight to the garden where she had chased the animals from (and into the ballroom) during the Gala two years before. Fortunately, she had only been banned from the Gala for that stunt, allowing her to come and go from he garden as she pleased the rest of the year by virtue of being a hero. Unlike the Gala, and like the garden party the year before, the animals flocked to her, leaving her enjoying herself for the next hour and a half.
Fleur, meanwhile, was traveling to Rarity's hotel room. The hotel wasn't particularly high end, especially when compared to the suite that the taller unicorn was sharing with Fluttershy, but it was still quite nice. She knocked on the door to Rarity's room, calling out, "Rarity, it's me, Fleur."
A few seconds later Rarity opened the door, asking, "So how did it go?"
"It's quite the tale, but I would say it went over very well."
"What do you mean it's quite the tale?"
"Well, first off, Luna talked us into letting her come along, then came up with this brilliant plan to troll the other diners, who were certain to be among the very elites who shunned me previously."
"What did she propose?"
"That Fluttershy and I share long kiss in the middle of the restaurant. This went over as well as you might expect, though I don't regret doing it."
"How did you walk out alive?"
"Okay, it wasn't that bad, but we did attract a number of completely blindsided stares from ponies who had never seen anything approaching a gay relationship. I admit, I found it hilarious."
"I can see why you might find it funny, but, if I'm honest, I never took you for a gadfly."
Fleur smiled at this implication, but said nothing. Rarity filled the silence by asking, "So how much trouble did Fluttershy's dress give you?"
"Because she talked me through it, none whatsoever. Next time we go somewhere that fancy, though, please try to remember she can't exactly dress herself without some measure to get her wings in their holes."
"Oh no, I've learned my lesson. It was a bit silly of me to not do that I admit. By the way, how about the rest of your date?"
Fleur told Rarity everything that happened during their date, with Rarity offering commentary at points, and when she finished, Rarity asked, "So, are you planning on having a third date?"
"Of course, though it won't be nearly this fancy or attention grabbing if I have anything to say about it. Also, I still have a little bit of wine from our dinner, if you want it. I've had enough alcohol for one night."
"Sure, let me get a glass."
Fleur then produced a clean glass from the restaurant, which was one of those establishments that let customers keep their glassware.
"Oh, thanks. By the way, what kind of wine is this?"
"Chateau 987, a one thousand bit a bottle, very fine red wine, and you know how much I love my red wine."
"Of course. What else should I have expected from you drinking on a princess' tab?" Rarity said.
"Could have been worse. I can think of ten more expensive wines off the top of my head."
As Rarity enjoyed her wine, she and Fleur discussed their plans for the next couple of days bfore Fleur left saying she needed to get to bed early enough for tomorrow's breakfast.
When she arrived at the suite Luna had set them up with, she saw the bathroom door closed, and heard the shower running. She debated showering in the morning, but the fact that her face was still all made up put a stopper to that plan. She pulled over a cushion and sat on it, waiting for her turn in the shower.
A few minutes later, Fluttershy stepped out of the shower and climbed into bed, ignoring Fleur, who entered behind her. The unicorn took the time to wash her body and face, dried off, and joined Fluttershy in bed.
The unicorn, on a whim, decided to see if she could get away with something, since it wasn't inherently sexual. She scooted closer to the pegasus, wrapped her forelegs around her chest, and pressed herself against Fluttershy's back. Before doing anything with her head, she waited to see if Fluttershy would try to squirm out from under her grip. When she didn't, the tall mare lay her head on top of Fluttershy's own and started drifting off.
Fluttershy, for her part, didn't mind the physical closeness, especially after the long (if enjoyable) day and with a pony she had grown to like as much as Fleur de Lis. As soon as Fleur settled down, the pegasus also found herself drifting off into the land of sweet dreams. |
The Benefits of Music | pre | "Your music has no spirit. You think you play with your heart, but all we hear is a bunch of notes being randomly played." she critized.
Quarter never had a critic like that before. Especially from another musician. All of his 'supposed-to-be-friends' never actually heard him play. He used to play with an old guitar in his room the songs he liked until he finally managed to perfect them. This critique was something that reeeaaaally hurt him, but he wasn't going to let his pride as a musician being ripped just like that. He was planning on fighting back.
"OCTAVIA! Why would you say something like that?" complained Vinyl, looking at her friend with discomfort, "The kid did it very well!"
"I'm just saying the truth." she defended herself. "Actually, I can't still understand why do you people like so much the noise." The comment didn't just cause Vinyl to get upset with her, but it also managed to switch on Quarter's fighitng spirit.
"Huh, so you didn't like it?" he replied, looking at her with annoyance, "Okay then. Let me try something different. Another song. I'll prove you my music is not trash!" he dared to Octavia. Vinyl wanted to argue, but after what she said, this couldn't go unattended. Octavia was unaffected by his comment.
"Okay. I'll give one more try. Don't worry, you won't change anything." she replied, standing firm to her convictions as a classical musician.
"Oh great, she doesn't like my music. I'll give her something new, something she hasn't heard before! Just... try to keep it cool, Quarter..." he thought to himself as he played the next song on the stereo.
A small silence filled the room as the last chords echoes subsided. Quarter knew he nailed that song perfectly and he was proud of it. However, Octavia wasn't as pleased as he was. Instead, she was complaining to the song. She seemed to enjoyed relaxing music apparently, since she was covering her ears from the music he was playing a few minutes ago.
Quarter was sweating a bit after playing another fairly long solo. He recovered his energy and spoke. "So, what do you think of that?"
"My statement stands still." she confirmed and kept her eyes closed.
"WHAT?"
"This music doesn't move me at all. Unless you have something better to show me, you better stop." Quarter was frustrated that Octavia didn't budge at all, well except for covering her ears. "Which I believe it would be the case, am I wrong?"
Quarter was against a wall now. He threw at her some of his best covers and solos he has done before. If he tried to pull another solo on his own just like he did before, it would end in the same result.
"Darn it! Why is she so stuborn!? If there was a way to involve her.... something other than sitting there listening... AJA!" he thought as an idea came to his mind. It was risky, but other than proving another genre was trash, he wouldn't give up without a fight.
"Fine, you asked for it. Octavia," he called, which took her attention, and pointed at her like if he was planning on having a music battle. "I challenge you to a music battle!"
Now that was just crazy. He could seem like he was desperate, but deep down inside him resided a powerful will to protect the things he loves and one of those things would be the music he has dedicated to.
"Are you serious? You DO realize the difference in experience we both have, right?" stated Octavia, trying to avoid a fight.
"I know the differences, but that is not going to stop me from beating you!" he said. On the outside, he was daring a very experienced musician and on the inside, he was like this. "Oh Celestia, Oh Celestia, Oh Celestia! I am out of mind!? This is crazy! Now I can't back down!"
Quarter actually thought it twice and decided to do the challenge, "....Okay, what I did was stupid, but I can do this. C'mon! Pull yourself together!"
Meanwhile they were having a heated conversation, Vinyl once again dropped her jaws, barely touching the floor. She thought he was desperate, but somehow she felt like it was the right thing to do(?). "I hope you know what are you doing..." she hoped as she saw her roommate get up from the sofa.
"Okay then. I'll gladly accept your challenge. Prepare to feel the strength of a true musician." This battle was no longer to prove another genre wasn't a bad thing, it suddenly turned into a battle where the pride of each musician was on the line. Whoever wins this battle is crushing immensely another musician's pride. There was no going back and Quarter asked Octavia one more thing.
"Octavia." he called, "Do you play the piano by any chance?"
"..... Yes, I do play the piano as well.". Well, there goes another secret Vinyl didn't know about her roommate, "It's one of my most preferable instruments besides the chelo. Why do you ask?"
"Use it please. I saw one before and I request you to use it for this battle." Octavia wasn't sure if this was a trap, but she wouldn't back down a challenge despiet being a fine lady and everything.
"Okay. You win. I'll use the piano." She approached a nearby door, almost like a closet and pulled it open to reveal a piano inside. How did it fit and how did it got there? No idea. But it was there. Vinyl was amazed as you are. Not because of the piano, she saw it before and questioned to herself why it was there in the first place.
The reason why she was surprised was because Octavia finally opened the closet that she hides from her roommate all the time. She was leaping with joy in her mind after knowing so much new stuff from her roommate.
She sat on the piano's chair and pulled a sheet of notes on top if the piano's cover. She gently placed it on the front panel and prepared for her battle against Quarter, whose determination was admirable, but foolish. Octavia finally got ready and spoke.
"Are you ready, amateur? Let me show you what music really is!" she said, increasing the volume of her voice.
"I was born ready! Bring it on!" he replied. "AAAAAANNNNDDDDD GO!!!!"
The show was over. Vinyl was looking in amaze to the performance she just witnessed. She, as a musician herself, has saw a lot of music battle. She even has battled his friend and rival Neon Lights. But never has she seen her roommate and best friend have a music battle against anyone, especially against a guy with quite a talent for music, despite being a rookie.
Octavia and Quarter were resting from the battle they just had minutes ago. With a significant panting, tired from the battle, they kept staring at the stage floor. None were moving, almost like if they were waiting for something to happen.
A considerable falling sound was the next thing to be heard. Quarter had just fell to his knees. With this incident, it was clear who won the battle in the end. The battle was something more than just a challenge by now. It was duel to prove something and to keep their musician's pride. Octavia defeated Quarter and crushed his musician pride along with it.
She composed herself after hearing Quarter fall to his knees and spoke to him, still giving him her back.
"It seems that I have won." she confirmed closing her eyes, "Your feeble attempt to beat me has achieved nothing but sadness to your heart. If you really wish to beat me, you need to wake up and face the REAL world of music!"
He didn't answer back. Quarter seemed to be completely of the world, probably thinking of his first defeat and his pride as a musician being ripped away just like that. He gave his best and yet he lost. The guitarist didn't seem to be budging at all. Octavia glimpsed at him and looked away. Vinyl just didn't know what to say or do.
Octavia got up from her chair and proceeded to put away the piano. As she hid the piano, Vinyl was still looking at Quarter, looking at the floor holding his precious guitar, Nixus. She wanted to help him, but there was nothing that could help a musician after losing its pride. That was something everyone had to recover in their own way. Perhaps he knew this, but it still completely shocked him losing. Vinyl bit her lower lips and felt a bit powerless to this.
Octavia finally hid the piano and headed to her room. After a couple of minutes, she was holding a peculiar box, in shape of a chelo. She moved to the door and just when she was about to leave, Octavia stopped and spoke to Vinyl.
"Vinyl, I have an appointment with some royal people. I'll be back by night, okay?" she said as she looked at Quarter. She sighed and turned to the door once more. The grey mare left the house and everything went into a completely silence. A silence so overwhelming that it could break anyone's mind if they remained for too long, well at least they would be mad.
Quarter suddenly moved, just a bit. He slowly turned to see Nixus on hand, giving it a deep stare. He returned to his original position and got up.
Vinyl wanted to comfort him, but it wouldn't help anyways. She just saw how Quarter started walking towards the door without saying a word and left, leaving the door opened. Vinyl remained silent and looked at the stage.
This experience may be harsh, but he was going to face it one way or another. Sometimes, the life we choose to walk on try to teach us that everything isn't daisies and pretty flowers. We must accept that fact and move on. She thought it was the right thing to do, but the price may have been too high. No, it was something that needed to be done. An amateur finally realizes the world he is living in and the way of living the hard way.
".....I hope he is okay..." she said as she walked to the door and closed it.
Vinyl just had lunch half an hour agop. Octavia was out in a performance, so she took the train. When leaving she said the same thing again. Same instructions, different day. It was normal day, just like any other. The gentle breeze flew through the window as the heat made its way towards everyone's home.
Vinyl has also done some performances as well, since the house wasn't going to depend on one girl after all. Her performances were still popular as ever and the beats never seemed to get dull.
If there is one thing she loves the most is her music. Of course, that's something every musician experience. Who was worrying her was none other than his new friend who arrived a week ago. It was Quarter.
Quarter has kept a low profile after the battle and a few people managed to see him a few times. Vinyl was one of those.
Wherever he was, if Vinyl had a chance to talk to him, she wouldn't. She simply didn't have the enough courage to talk to him. It was too awkward for her. So did Quarter thought. They haven't spoken for quite a while and things didn't seem to be doing good for Quarter, at least that's what it looked like.
The magneta eyed girl was biting a piece of chocolate and she proceeded to enter the living room. She was gladly enjoying her snack until a knock was heard coming from the door. She didn't expect any guests, so she slowly walked towards the door in order to open it. What she saw was something she never thought she'd see. Someone awfully familiar. A male wearing a black hood on top of his head.
"Hi there Vinyl. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?" said the guy with his face covered.
"Uhh, yeah. It's been a while... um.... nice to see you!" she expressed.
"Likewise." said the male, "How have you been doing? I've heard you got some performances lately."
Vinyl could tell he wasn't at his best, so she decided to interrogate him. "Yeah, I have. And you?"
"Nah, I've been working with Pinkie in the Sugarcube Corner. The pay isn't the best, but the desserts are delicious!"
"'That I didn't expect.'. And where have you been living?"
"On a nearby hotel to Ponyville. It takes a 20 minute walk to get there." he explained, "Also, that's one of the reasons I'm here...", Vinyl knew something was going on. She might have a clue of what he may be here for.
"You...still have that room rent?", Vinyl's suspicions were correct.
"Yes, why?" she asked knowing what was about to happen.
"Would you.... mind if I give it a try? I want to give it a shot..." said the guy as he removed his hood, revealing his identity. It was none other than Quarter. Things were going to be complicated from here on out...
Vinyl scratched the back of her head and sighed. "Sure, go ahead man!'Oh man. This is going to be a long day....'"
NEXT TIME, ON "THE BENEFITS OF MUSIC"
CUTENESS...
"I'm sorry, but I was desperate. Now can you please accept it? Please?"
"No"
"Pretty please?"
"Still no"
"With sugar on top of it?"
"No, no, no!"
"Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssseeeeeeeeee???" pleaded Quarter.
"My point stands firm! If you try to convince me one more time, I'll buck the life out of you!"
BETRAYAL!
"Oh yeah... I forgot to tell you that, didn't I?" replied Vinyl, placing her hands on her chin while thinking.
"Quite true" said Quarter while nodding in an awkward way, "Don't worry, I'll tell you later what it felt like,"
"Felt wha- OH! REALLY?" yelled back Vinyl, barely holding back her excitement, "WHEN?"
"Never."
MYSTERY....
"What am I doing on the floor?"
AND A RANDOM COMEDY BEFORE YOU WERE EVEN BORN
"Yakety Sax.... Aha!", she pushed the button play and looked outside, as she looked at Quarter running away from a furious Octavia, "Ha! This is pure gold!"
TO BE CONTINUED |
The Benefits of Music | Notice me, Senpai! | The radiant sunlight pierced the room as for a group of ponies where each one of them were sitting on a different couch in the living room. A black maned mare was sitting on the big sofa as she kept her eyes closed and emaned a low grumbling. By the looks of it, she seemed annoyed, angry if possible. Perhaps it was because of a certain stallion looking at her with his arms crossed, striking a confident pose a he kept the stare. The last, but not least pony, whose dual blueish mane was pointing everywhere, had a worriedn expression on her face, unsure of what she could do in such a situation, not that it hasn't been the only one, but still, part of her wanted to support both parties. A breaking voice was heard soon after.
"I still can't believe you have the courage to ask such thing after our encounter. Quite..... daring if I must say so" said Octavia who seemed to hold an irritated tone towards the green stallion.
"My request still stands. So, are you going to accept it, or not?" dared Quarter who seemed to have a\ new and yet dangertous confidence on his side.
"I don''t think I would do such thing. Not after the disrespect you showed towards me back there" pointed the grey mare as she rubbed her hand in her forehead.
"I'm sorry, but I was desperate. Now can you please accept it? Please?"
"No"
"Pretty please?"
"Still no"
"With sugar on top of it?"
"No, no, no!"
"Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssseeeeeeeeee???" pleaded Quarter.
"My point stands firm! If you try to convince me one more time, I'll buck the life out of you!"
A long silence was followed with a deep stare from Octavia to Quarter. He didn't say a thing and looked back as well. After a good long minute, Octavia sighs in relief.
"Thank you, I thought you were going to-"
"PLEASE.", with that said Quarter ran away from the house, not looking back. Vinyl was confused by this and let out an 'Eh?'. Soon after she knew why did he ran away like that. A furious Octavia followed him in a rush, cursing him some.... things. Vinyl was taken back by this and simply looked at the door where both Octavia and Quarter ran through. She didn't know whether to laugh about the moment or to feel pity about Quarter.
Why? Octavia may be a redefined lady, with her manners intouchable and a very composed status quo, but if you, somehow, managed to, and I mean, SOMEHOW, managed to make her angry, pray that your legs don't trip or fail at any moment. With luck, she will throw you her reinforced chelo on top of you, knocking you out and letting you go. If not.... well, I wish you good luck. Just like Vinyl did for Quarter. Poor kid.
You have been wondering how did this got into a chasing scene, right? Why? You wanna know why? Here is why....
After a long exhausting afternoon of playing classical music non-stop at a Manehattan wedding, Octavia returns home, expecting to drop her things along the way and fall into a nice, well-deserved rest. Oh, and count the amount of bits she earned that day. It was nice bargain she earned that day and she planned to take account of how many bits she is earning with each performance, to keep a steady and balanced income. What? Just because she is a lady, doesn't mean she can't enjoy the good things about life.
She unlocked the door to the house she and Vinyl shared and walked slowly towards her room. She was about to reach for the door of her room, when out of nowhere a familar figure poppped up in front of her, yelling 'OCTAVIA!' along the way. Octavia, using her instincts, pulled out Oblivion and used it to defend herself from whatever showed up.
A electric field could be seen around the indvidual as it performed several poses and stepped back, crashing into Octavia's room door. The impact caused the door to open in an instant and the electric field could still be seen.
Octavia, exhausted from all the work she did that day, took a closer look to the... what it seemed to be a man... and recognized the figure.
"Quarter!? What is the matter with you!?" said Octavia, shocked to her not-so-friend reacting to the electricity flowing through his blood and veins.
"Damn... I knew it was gonna be a bad idea...." said Vinyl who moved from a shadow. Octavia simply looked in surprise at her friend for allowing her to do such foolish thing, "But he insisted. The kid has guts, I tell you,". Vinyl looked at Octavia and she saw a concerned expression from her.
"What?" was her only response from the stare.
"How could you let him do that?" complained Octavia as sh pointed to his partner the issue involved.
"Do what?"
"The scaring thing! You know how defensive I can get!" exclaimed Octavia as her roommate placed her hand on her chin, thinking.
"Oh yeah... you do tend to get defensive... Oh well!"
"What do you mean by 'oh well'?" yelled in an angered tone towards her white coated friend, "I used Oblivion on him! Again!"
"Yeah! I know! He has to tell me how it feels like!"
"Oh Vinyl, you never change...." whispered Octavia to herself as she planted a facepalm to her face.
"What was that?"
"N-Nothing!" replied Octavia, trying to avoid the issue, "How about we wait for him to wake up?"
"Sure" agreed Viinyl as she shrugged in a carefree way. They both proceeded to sat in a nreaby sofa, waiting for Quarter to stop bouncing. In a few more moments, Vinyl had a box of popcorn and was laughing at the show Quarter was doing. Octavia just sighed and kept waiting...
After a while, the man finally stopped recoiling to the volt's effect and he got up from the floor, looking around, dazed from the counterattack he recieved from her grey coated 'roommate'. He shook his body effects and focused to the blurry figure next to him. With a certain determination, Quarter recognized the figure and noticed it was Octavia. She smiled once she noticed Wuarter was growing back to his senses.
"Okayyyy.... Octavia smiling at me for no aparent reason.... how high did I get this time?" he thought as he continued to stare back.
"Oh thank Celestia, you are okay," said Octavia with a worried expression. She smiled again and Quarter couldn't help it but to blush at her concern that she was showing towards him. Octavia saw the blush and thought it was a fever he had, as an aftermath for Oblivion's power.
"Oh, you are turning red! You must have a fever from the shock," said Octavia as she placed her forehead on Quarter's. He was completely taken back by this and remained still, for he didn't know to react at her actions, "Hmm... no fever. Maybe it's another thing...Could it be a-"
"HEYWOULDYOULOOKATTHAT? I'MFINE!" said Quarter in a rush as he got up from the floor in a blink of an eye. Octavia looked puzzled by his actions, raising an eyebrow in the process. Quarter dusted off some dirt on his shirt and turned around to see Vinyl hearing music with her Beat Headphones. He walked towards her and removed the headphones with force. Vinyl, surprised by this, complained about it. Quarter simply stared at her.
"You know, you could have told me the Oblivion counterattack form Octavia" said Quarter in a rather relaxed tone.
"Oh yeah... I forgot to tell you that, didn't I?" replied Vinyl, placing her hands on her chin while thinking.
"Quite true" said Quarter while nodding in an awkward way, "Don't worry, I'll tell you later what it felt like,"
"Felt wha- OH! REALLY?" yelled back Vinyl, barely holding back her excitement, "WHEN?"
"Never."
"Aw, cmon!" complained Vinyl throwing her arms in the air.
"That is what you get for not telling me" explained Quarter as he walked towards Octavia, still affected by the shock.
"Pft, whatever."
Quarter snickered as he drew closer to Octavia. The moment he got next to her, not only did she felt uncomfortable, but also felt curiousity about Quarter's surprise arrival. She was about to speak when somepony beat her to it.
"Octavia, now that I have your attention, can I ask something?" asked Quarter.
"Um, sure..." replied Octavia, wondering what was his business.
"Please, don't freak out, okay?", Quarter's statement simply made her curiosity grow larger and larger, thinking whether to brace herself or ignore it. She nodded and Quarter closed his eyes, almost like if he was preparing for something important, which must be the case if he had to go through a high-voltage attack.
"Octavia...", the suspense was slowly growing, "could you... please..."
As the seconds went by, Octavia began to feel more uneasy as time flowed, "W-What?"
"Would you... please...", he stopped for a couple of seconds, filling his guts for the request. He tried his best to make it sound normal, but it was more than a simple request, so he striggled to say it already. Octavia, fazed by his struggle, raised an eyebrow. After finally gathering enough courage, he spoke up, "BE MY TEACHER?"
The whole room went into a dead silence. Any kind of sudden movement could kill the moment. Merely moments away, Quarter bowed to Octavia trying to looked convinced of his request.
"Please Octavia, be my teacher!"
Both Octavia and Vinyl had the jaws hanging in the air after hearing the kid ask for such thing. They had experienced these kinds moments before with their teachers, but never had they recieved a request from someone else to teach them about music. Awkwardly enough, the grey mare composed herself and looked down to the bowing guitarist.
"No,"
".........Eh?" was his only answer.
"I won't accept your request. I simply can't."
"W-Why?"
"I don't have the time to deal with this. I barely have time for my performances that I simply can't take a disciple with me," she gave Quarter the cold, back-stabbing back and stood still, "Besides, you have Vinyl. She can teach you"
Vinyl felt honored that her roommate recommended her as the appropiate teacher for this case, even if she was being forcefully shoved into the conversation. Vinyl was going to say something, but a certain individual who had the bad habit of interrupting other mares before they could talk spoke first. "No, I won't."
"Excuse me?" was Octavia's response. Vinyl had the expression on her face.
"Excuse me Vinyl if I hurt your feelings, but I want you, Octavia, to teach me. I know the basics of flexible music, but I'm still ignorant to some more delicate genres, making you the perfect-", Quarter had a taste of his own medicine as a hand interrupted Quarter's phrase, being startled by the sudden act
"I don't care about that. If you can't accept the fact that I won't take you as a disciple, then you better leave," Octavia went to the sofa and sat down, "Stop wasting time and take Vinyl as you teacher,"
"You know what? No. I'm staying as long as it is needed for you to take me as your disciple," then Quarter went to the nearest sofa where he sat as well and stared towards Octavia, "And that is that."
The two mares felt that this wasn't going to end that easily. So, Vinyl did what the other ponies did as well and sat down. Time went by its own....
So, that is how things got into that situation. Vinyl thought for a minute what to do next and suddenly a mischievious idea came to her mind. She proceeded to grab her headphones and adjust them, for she was going to hear music, obviously. But she had another thing in mind. Vinyl looked closely at the device at searched for an specific song.
"Yakety Sax.... Aha!", she pushed the button play and looked outside, as she looked at Quarter running away from a furious Octavia, "Ha! This is pure gold!"
"There goes the town's market places. Also the tables. Don't forget about the kid in mid-air,"
"Okay, Quarter made good use of his wings................... Wait, how did she do that!?"
"Run Quarter, Run!"
"Oh boy, she is really pissed. May Celestia have mercy on you, Quarter"
"Oh would you look at that! The chase is over!"
After a nice (also hilarious) chase the running duo finally stop chasing one to another and proceeded to get back home. Octavia was still unaware of Quarter's moving and by the time the got back, she looked both in anger and curiosity at her prey. She wanted to ask, but she just wanted to go home.
When they both were going to arrive, Octavia looked at Quarter one more time and spoke.
"Quarter," said the grey, tired mare, "don't you have to go home?"
"Huh?" she caught off guard the green coated pegasus, "Oh, you mean home? That is where I'm heading!"
"But... you are going towards my home..."
"And that means..." he suggested. Octavia thought it carefully and came to the conclusion she didn't want to know about.
"It means....", she sighed and looked down, "You are our new roommate... right?"
"Atta boy! We will get along just fine!" he said as a wide smile showed on his face, causing Octavia to stop feeling a tad unamused by the truth.
"Well, it's Quarter we are talking about," she thought while showing a small grin towards the smiling pegasus, "I'm sure it can't be that bad."
The male pony went ahead and opened the door, only to remain still at the halfway of the entrance. Octavia, confused by why did he that, peeked over Quarter's shoulder to see what had stopped the pegasus. She simply showed an annoyance expression, for she saw Vinyl laying on the floor, drooling.
"Octavia..."
"Yes, Quarter?"
"How often does this happen?"
"About 3 or 4 times..... a week"
"Figures....", he slowly walked silently as he proceeded to avoid contact with white coated pony on the floor.
Once they get to the other side without waking up the lazy pony, Octavia awkwardly waves goodbye as she sees her new roommate getting comfortable in what used to be the guest room. She proceedes ignore that ignore that thought and finally get some long rest.
The mare finds herself in her room with several posters of legendary classical performances that classic music has done over the centuries. She inhales and exhales at a steady pace as she finally relaxes from a long day of surprises. Octavia walks to her bed and lays down gently on top of it. She finally starts to relax and falls to asleep.... or that would be the case if it weren't for Quarter's request. As a musician, Octavia knows the feeling of being rejected to something you desire, plenty of times. Not only in performances, but with some talented people she has met over the few years. It's not something that can be easily swallowed just like that.
Instead of sleeping, Octavia, against the odds, gets up and walks towards Quarter's room. Once she got there, the black maned mare leans on the door, and calls out for Quarter, hoping to hear his new roommate is still awake.
"Quarter, are you awake?" she calls out.
"Octavia?" says a familiar voice form the other side, "Umm... yeah, I'm awake. Hold on, let me get the door..."
The door slowly opens and a green pegasus shows up in the other side. Octavia gulps and stares into Quarter who was wondering what her chaser from earlier desired.
"What is it?" asked Quarter witrh some doubts in his mind. Octavia closes her eyes for a moment and sighes.
"I.... have been thinking about your request... and..." said the mare as she stopped, looking to the left, trying to avoid direct vision with him, "I... have decided....". Quarter had a clue of what was going on and knew exactly what was going on. So, instead of deducing her attempt to accept and interrupt her, he plays along.
"I have decided to teach you the ways of the classic, if that's okay with you." she stated. Quarter smiled and went into a hug. Octavia was surprised by this, but returned the hug as well.
"Thanks Octavia!" he said, "I won't let you down! I promise!". Tone's phrase made, somehow, some effect on Octacia as she smiled, feeling confident that Quarter wouldn't let her down. With such high spirited attitude, it was hard to think otherwise. Quarter let go of Octavia and smiled once more.
"Thanks again! Have a good night, Senpai!" said Quarter while waving along. Octavia moved away from the door and heard the door close behind her. After another event, she finally feels completely relaxed, but something else was deep inside Octavia that night. Another feeling she had forgotten not so long ago.
"What... is this feeling?" she said to herself, "It's different...". She remembered the phrase Quarter said before parting ways, something about Senpai....
"Huh, so this is how it feels to be the teacher.... but this feeling.... is more than that...." she placed her hands on her chest, while heading to her room, "why do I feel.... attracted? No... that can't be...". Octavia decided to ignore that 'Feeling' and call it a day. She had suffered enough events to be dealing with more. She lays on her room once more and shuts her eyes. It has been a long day and the mare could feel the aftermath of them. With a rested mind, she goes into a deep sleep...
A familiar figure was groaning in the middle of the room as the night stood high. The figure, more known as Vinyl Scratch, had just woke up. And.... here comes the typical question.
"What am I doing on the floor?"
NEXT TIME, ON "THE BENEFITS OF MUSIC"
TROUBLE!
"Boys! This is the place! We have to make sure he comes back, whether he likes it or not. Go talk to the mayor and set up a meeting" said the individual as the pegasi behing did as told. The subject showed a smile and laughed diabolically.
NINJA SNEAKING!
Quarter froze in place. He knew exactly what she wanted and he wasn't going to let her get away with it. He carefully tried to sneak his wayout of the place with being noticed, but a monotone voice was heard again.
MORONS!
"Oh, maybe they will!", Quarter looked down at the audience and noticed Octavia and Vinyl were still there. Both mares saw his stare and showed a unamused look. He nerviously smiled and shrugged along with arms.
AND SHIT THAT IT'S COMPLETELY WRONG....
"I've told you a million times that it's completely WRONG!" yelled Quarter at her sister. She was still tasting the fluids of her brother. Everyone had a shocked yet disgusted face, as well as Octavia. Vinyl simply shrugged in a 'I have seen worse' mode. The band, on the hand, seemed jealous of their..... intimate act. Lightning stopped her self licking and looked at her brother once more.
TO BE CONTINUED |
The Benefits of Music | The Master... | "Ahh, it's so nice to wake like this in the morning...", said a familiar voice as it got up from bed, "Surely this is going to be a nice day".
I beg to differ
BOOM!
"Gah!" yelled Quarter as he rolled over his bed, falling to the floor with a loud THUD. The loud noise ceased as it echoed from the outside. The pegasus remained on the floor, mumbling some incomprehensible words.
"Well, well. Look at that," he thought as he continued his intimate moment with the floor, "I think we should hang out more, ground. After all, I'm always falling for you". Quarter got up and positioned himself in a sit up position and rubbed his template slowly, "Who the heck did that? It's only..." he checked his clock next to his bed that had somehow survived the fall as well, "....9 a.m... Wait a moment..."
Quarter narrowed his eyes as he remembered something important.
"OH NO!" he yelled, standing up grabbing his head in despair, "I completely forgot! Octavia's class! I'm late!". The green pegasus ran towards the closet and pulled a white t-shirt, some black jeans, a pair of sneakers and a dark jacket as he quickly changed clothes. With that done, he headed towards the bathroom, which was a complete mess after a lamentable incident that involved a soap and lots and lots of pain... followed with an awkward moment with his roommates that checked up on him. Quarter kept the memory for a little longer and shuddered about what happened next.
"Now that's something I don't want to remember" he mumbled as he was brushing his teeth in a hurry. He spat the now used toothpaste from his mouth to the sink. He drank a bit water after that and spat it out as well. Quarter proceeded to open the bathroom's drawer and sprayed some colonge on him. After taking care of the hygiene issue, he ran out the door and slammed it behind. He just hoped he could make in time, "Wings, don't fail me now! .......Why do I feel like I forgot something?"
Octavia silently tapped his hand on her arm repeatedly as she had her arms crossed. She held a mocked look even though she had her eyes closed. The other ponies in the room were randomly looking around as they waited for something or.... someone to come by. A few yawns now and then could be heard and the room remained silent for a few minutes. Soon after, a slamming door surprised everyone (except Octavia) and they looked to the source of an upcoming, panting pegasus.
"I'm here!" he yelled, catching his breath all the while, "Sorry I'm late!"
"You are an hour and a half late, to be precise," said Octavia breaking her somewhat long silence, "Do you have a excuse for this?"
Quarter gulped, thinking of an excuse to say. He came up short and sighed, "No, Octavia. I don't have any excuses..."
Octavia simply snorted and opened her lavender eyes, staring piercefully at him, "I thought so. I hope this doesn't repeat.... am I clear?"
"Yes, Octavia...." he said as he lowered his head trying to ignore the stare from everypony in the room.
"Glad to know. The guild doesn't tolerate this kinds of things, so it's for your own good to keep that in your mind.", Quarter nodded. "Well then, now we are all gathered here, let's start our meeting, shall we?". Octavia turned away from the audience, giving them her back and pointed towards a chalkboard with some musical notes and a tempo on it, "Let's begin today with rhythm, okay?"
The grey mare pointed the chalkboard with a long stick, looking at the crowd in front of her, "First rule of music, everything needs to have a tempo. A rhythm to be more precise. If the music is just a bunch of random notes-"
"Why do I get the feeling she is talking about somepony we both know?" Quarter thought, still looking at her roommate across the room.
"-That doesn't have any rhythm, it's hardly music. That's why we are practicing today a few rhythm exercises to sharpen your timing skills.". A few whispers could be heard as she finished her statement, "Am I clear?"
"Yes ma'am!" said the crowd as they raised their voice.
"Please, call me Octavia." she cleared.
"Yes Octavia!"
"That's better" she whispered as she led the ponies into another room. Quarter was the last one to leave before stopping at the door. He frowned a bit, unaware of what at the other side of the door.
"When I asked Octavia to teach me, I didn't meant this....", a familiar scent reminded him of a certain day....
"All right! Let's do this!" said an inspired Quarter imitating a few boxing punches and jabs, "So, when do we begin?"
"Tomorrow, at 7:30 a.m., at the Guild's building,"
"And that place is?" he asked, ignorant to the mare's directions.
"It's just a semibig building with a musical note on top of it," said Vinyl as she bumped into the conversation, "Not that it makes more interesting or attractive anyway..."
"You are just jealous," stated Octavia.
"Bite me,"
Octavia paid no attention to her insult and simply giggled. She turned to Quarter who was listening with attention to the whole conversation, "Well, I suppose that leaves the way they are. I expect you to arrive there in a couple of hours,"
"Wait, won't you lead me there?" he asked with a bit of concern of his tone.
"What? Are you some kind of colt requiring to be guided by somepony else? I'm pretty sure you will find your way around,"
"Aww... Not even I small hint?" said Quarter, trying to look as adorable as possible.
"No."
"Pwease?" his pupils expanded even more. Octavia stared at him for a few more seconds, and a questionable look appeared on her face.
Seeing how big can Quarter's pupils could expand, she thought if they could pop if they grew a few more inches. A friend of hers had a similar experience. Poor fella, the pony was never the same ever since then. Perhaps because the doctors made Octavia's friend wear an eye-patch on the right eye. Also, the doctors swore never to eat veggieballs again. Don't ask why. "Arrg, mate".
A small sigh escaped Octavia's lips as she placed a hand on her forehead. "Don't make me use Oblivion on you again"
"Pfft! Who needs hints anyways? BYEBYE!"
In a blink of an eye, he was gone.
"Hmph. Serves him right." said Octavia, crossing her arms in the process. Vinyl, who was watching from the sofa, glared a sharp look at her friend. The grey mare noticed this and shot back a confused stare, "What?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing. Just that I was thinking that what you did was exactly what your grandma would have wanted you to do, that's all,"
Octavia couldn't help it but to look away in shame at her statement. "It's not really my fault. That old mare wanted nothing but trouble. After her denial at my request, who wouldn't be upset with her? And to top it all, my own mother backing her up. How could they...."
"Well, in any case, I gotta meet up with him," the standing mare began towards the door and as soon as she took hold of the door handle, she turned towards her rather lazy roommate, "Are you sure you don't want to give other genres a try, Vinyl?"
She didn't return the gaze, but she did return something, oh yes she did. She simply gave her the bird and a low groan, "Dubstep for life, biatch!"
Octavia closed her eyes and sighed, "Heh, suit yourself... whorse..."
Silence reigned inside the house as Vinyl was left to her thoughts. Having nothing better to do, she got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen, searching for something to fill her small hunger. Once near the fridge, she didn't hesitate and took her time to reach for the fridge's handle. Just before the mare grabbed the handle, she noticed a small note written on the face of the fridge's door.
"Hmm? What's this? I haven't seen this before..." Vinyl thought, curiosity plauging her mind.
Taking a better look at it, she grinned mischieviously and ran to the door, ignoring any previous ideas. What was written on that note? Celestia knows. But it can't be good.
"............................."
"Huh, Octavia was right. It wasn't that hard to find!"
"Ummm, Quarter?", Quarter's ears perked at the new voice and turned to it. He spotted a light-grey mare with both eyes aiming at different directions (Which made him wonder which eye was looking at him) fidgeting in her spot. He inmediately developed a smile on his lips and called her out.
"Hey, Derpy! What's up?" he asked with a reclutant tone behind it.
"Um, it's Ditzy, but that doesn't matter. What are you doing?" she asked.
"Excuse me?"
"I said, what are you doing?"
"Um.... I'm standing right next to the Music Guild?"
"Quarter, this is the Rhythm Guild."
"....Eh? But this one has a musical note on top of it!" he said while pointed at the very distinguished sign on top on the
Derpy pointed to the opposite direction and let out a small giggle.
"Silly! The Music Guild lies inside that building over there!"
If it weren't for goofy face he was making right now, he would have swore fate was playing around with him. Which it was. Keep your mouth shut.
A red building was standing out by it's unique musical note on top of it. Corchete, ma'am. Several banners with different symbols stood out from the roof to the ground, almost touching it. The windows had a rather different style and the were placed two by two. Other than that, the building semmed like a normal one. If you lived in Manehattan, that is.
"Okay, how could I possibly MISS that!? It's clearly right in front of me!", thought Quarter, suddenly placing his hand on his chin, "Okay, now I'm beggining to wonder since when that was built. It's practically three stories tall! .... Could use a little remodeling, though."
"Oh thanks Derpy!" he said. Derpy Ditzy walked away mumbling something about "My name is Ditzy..."
"HEEYYAAAH!"
"Huh?"
A rather large shadow was bypassing a little ahead of Quarter as he observated the guild's HQ, shrinking bit by bit as it slowly approached Quarter's position. "It's gonna be one of these days, huh...", cursing his bad luck, he slowly turned around and looked up at the incoming object from the air. Groaning internally, he braced himself for whatever was coming. Aaaaaaaannnnddd...... it crashed. Poor face.
Quarter's body was dragged several feet away from his position as he clinged to the object that hit him. Yup, one of these days.
"Gah! What the hay...?" his eyes hazing from one place to another, he focused on the object above him in this very moments. Taking a better view of the thing, he noticed it was not a inanimated object, oh no siree, it was a pony. A very familiar pony.
"Sup, dude?"
"Hey.... Vinyl,"
"Bad time?"
"Not really. But I have one question though, WHY IN TARTARUS WOULD YOU FALL ON ME AT CELESTIA'S KNOWS SPEED!?" he yelled, hoping to get a rational answer from her part. Too bad life doesn't work that way.
"Ummm, dramatic entrance?" she replied, showing an apologetic smile in return. Quarter sighed and shook his head... well, he tried to, he simply didn't care anymore.
"Sure... anyways, do you need something? You know, other than crashing towards me?"
"... actually, there is something I'd like to ask you,"
"Oh really?"
"Don't join the guild,"
If there was ever a time where someone went completely numb by something they told them, this would one of those times. Of course, Quarter wasn't the exception.
"Huh!? Why would I do that!?" said Quarter, giving Vinyl a really confused stare. Vinyl's eyes darted nowhere as she focused on the stallion below her.
"Cuz'," she folded her arms, looking away for a brief second, "You are cool the way you are. I don't wanna see you become like one them,"
Quarter's cheeks heated, seeing how a friend cared about him that way. Sure, he had his share of friends before, but no one has ever asked him to stay the way he is. Flattered as he was, something had to be done. It either had to be listen to one of his roommates or-
"I would gladly think of it," said Quarter, placing his arms behind his neck, "but WOULD PLEASE GET OFF OF ME?"
Vinyl kept staring, almost as she was thinking what to do. "Nah, you are comfy right now," she ignored any warnings and rested her body on top of him. The young pegasus was burning with passion as his roommate layed on top of him. The mare shuffled a little and rested her head on his chest, "Besides, I won't leave without an answer. Your choice dude,"
The male musician was about to lay down and enjoy the warmth his roommate was giving, but very strange feelings sprouted to his mind. The ponies around.
Glacing around his environment, he noticed a lot of ponies were staring at him and Vinyl with several expression, including confusion, jealousy, or non-caring. He didn't liked the attention as much as others when doing something other playing music, so, being as gentle as possible, he shoved Vinyl's butt to one of his sides and got up. Much to Vinyl's dismay and dumbfolded situation, she looked at Quarter who so carefully decided to shove her aside.
"Hey, what's the matter with you?" she asked while standing up, with a hint of irritation in her voice, "I asked for something nicely like anypony would have done and you shoved me away? Cruel, dude. That's not cool,"
"I haven't answered yet, Vinyl. Don't jump to conclusions yet," he replied, shaking the dust off his clothes, "I just wanted to get up,"
Vinyl raised an eyebrow at his selfishness, but shook it off with her head, "So, what do you plan on doing? Are you gonna-"
"I'll join the guild,"
"...... eh?"
"You heard me," he repeated, hanging his stuff over his shoulders, "I plan on becoming one the greatest alternative musicians on Equestria. If I can't handle a small guild, I couldn't possibly handle the whole fame. Sorry Vinyl, but my answer is the same as before. I'll join the guild, and that is that,"
Giving Vinyl his back, he scoffed her attempts to stray him, only earning a dissapointed look from Vinyl. "You are making a mistake Tone. I won't be the one who told you so. Good luck dude, you'll need it,"
As the unicorn left the scene, Quarter couldn't help it but feel awful for what he did. But somethings are meant to be done. This is one of those things. With his mind clear, he stepped inside the building.
Once inside the place, the decorations shoned like anything he had ever seen before, making him go blind for short amopnt of spare time. From to the beginning of the hallway to its end, a lot of trophies and doors leading to rooms of the sort could be easily seen. Other than that, it was shiny. Real shiny.
"Holy cow, this is awesome! .... and a bit blinding,"
"I'm glad you liked it," said a voice from behind Quarter. Expecting to see Octavia, he turned around to praise such place. The downside, was that Octavia wasn't behind him. Another mare with a voice just like hers was standing in front of her.
Taking a good glance at her, he noticed a slighty grown unicorn. Her most obvious features were the light purple coat and her gorgeous amber eyes. Her hair was a golden bobcut hair style and she was wearing a fancy suit, a dress if he had to guess. The dress was guided through the interesting curves the mare provided. It had a gold tone just like her hair and a even more golden and darker tone on various parts of the dress. Needless to say, she was a beauty.
"Hello, who may you be?" Yup, she has the exact same voice as Octavia. Well, sorta.
"Uhhhh... I... uh..." Quarter noticed his drooling and slapped himself a couple of times to regain himself, "Um, hi! I'm Quarter Tone, but my friends call me Quarter,"
"Hello to you Quarter, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said, bowing a little. Talking about education! "My name is Sapphire Circlet. Welcome to the Music Guild, where we focus solemnly on exploiting the many talents of many young ponies and bring out their best potential. If it is not trouble, may I ask what are you doing here on this lovely day?"
"Me? I, well... Octavia told me that-" His phrase was suddenly interrupted as the mare placed a hand on his lips.
"Octavia? As in, the Octavia Melody?" she asked. Quarter nodded and the mare bursted a little cheer, "It's so lovely to see that my fine cousin has finally brought a coltfriend with her!"
"You are her cousin? Well, she actually- Wait a moment, what? I'm not-"
"It's really relieving to see that she turned out just fine and brought such a wonderful stallion with us! And a very tasty one too," Sapphire said, licking her lips.
Quarter's cheeks bursted into flames once more as the fancy pony in front of him was praising him, "W-well, I'm really not that-"
"Instead of that dirty, music-lacking, two-toned haired mare of hers," So much for first impressions. Doing a little research, the pegasus figured out she was refering to Vinyl nonetheless. Instead of letting his emotions get the best of him, he suppressed the urge to talk back at the comment. A different approaching is all he thought he needed to keep the situation under control.
"Wait, you mean Vinyl?" he asked, faking a surprised tone in his voice.
"So her name was Vinyl... well, it is easy to forget names like hers when they aren't that big of a deal," That's it. Time to fight fire with fire.
"Please, do not refer Vinyl as dirty or music-lacking, if you may," he replied, placing a hand on his hip and leaned to his left, "She isn't that bad when you get to know her. And she is NOT music-lacking,"
"Oh really? All those wubs, as she likes to call it, are not musical notes. They are just random sounds,"
".... Aja, yeah right. Well, I don't know about you, but I like those random sounds," he stated. Sapphire gasped out in shock as if she just witnessed her makeup draining with the rain.
"Oh my! How can you like such thing?" Circlet said, with her hand hovering in front of her mouth, "That is not music! Why would you.... Ahh, I see,"
Quarter raised an eyebrow as the mare showed a devious smile, "What do you mean by that?"
"It is obvious that Octavia brought you here to remove that awful taste of yours," she replied. Quarter couldn't stand this mare. First insulting his friends and now assuming illogical things? This mare needs a lesson or two.
"Hey, she didn't bring me here to-"
"Hi there Quarter!" a new voice called out, approaching the two of them. Taking a better look, it was plain obvious. Octavia. "Oh, I see that you met my dear cousin, Sapphire,"
"Yeah, she is a real charm," he replied. Octavia thought she sensed a hint of sarcasm, but shook it off.
"Well, I certainly had the pleasure to meet such fine stallion like him," she said, licking her lips once again. Only this time, Quarter wasn't unfazed by her good looks, "I can see why you fell to his hooves, dear cousin,"
Octavia's cheeks flustered just like Quarter's did. Waving her arms in front of her, she began babbling incoherent things. Inmediately, she finally managed to speak normal and plain Equus, "H-Hold on just a second, he is not- I mean, he isn't- we don't-"
"Shush, Octavia," she interrupted, dismissing her actions with a waving hand, "I know you haven't been lucky with stallions lately and you must be very nervous to have one again, but I can perfectly understand the two of you. Oh, the adventures you'll share! A knight in shining armor with her lovely mare, cruising in the beautiful strings of music! Oh, I can see it now!"
Octavia, as speechless as she was for the mean time, decided to take a good look at Quarter. What surprised her the most was that Quarter wasn't fazed by Sapphire's tale. Not at all, he was focused on Sapphire and a frown could be seen. Wondering why was he frowing, the grey mare kept her stare at him.
"There, you see? You are hypnotized by his good looks! Just look at you staring at him like that!" said Sapphire. Quarter, interested by her most recent comment, turned around to see such thing. Which surprised him of course. The grey mare didn't took long enough to realize what was she doing.
Two things happened in that moment. One, she blushed like she has never blushed before. And two, she looked away with her hands on her face. Her cousin thought of the situation as priceless. The pegasus, on the other hand, stared with incredulity at his roommate.
"I knew you had a thing for stallions! You had me worried there Octy,"
"Worried about what?" aksed Quarter, curious by most part.
"Well, since she always hangs out with that..."
"Vinyl,"
"Right, her, we were beginning to think she was a... fillyfooler as they would say in school,"
Quarter stared dumbfolded at Sapphire, "But what does that have to do with you being worried? There is nothing wrong with being attracted to the same gender,"
"I'm worried because I couldn't allow the Melody family to have a stain on its history," she stated, without a single worry in her thoughts. Quarter didn't know what to think of this. Just how much is there to know about the Melody's?
"But any family has its differences. There isn't a single family without a stain on history, you know such thing is impossible, right?" he said as a matter-of-fact. Sapphire scoffed at this and shook her head.
"Then it is pretty obvious you haven't known the Melody family then," she replied, extending a hand. "This family has been perfect ever since our grand-grand-grand mother was born; I doubt we have a stain on our history,"
Octavia, meanwhile, was cooling off from the heat of the moment until she could finally have the courage to look at Tone, which was having a heated debate by the looks of it. She knew something had to be done, otherwise...
"Now, let me get this clear. You can't-" the pegasus was shortcutted as a grey hand was placed on his lips.
"Now, now, Quarter.... I didn't brought you here to argue," she said, showing a sheepish expression.
"She is right, let this argument behind, shall we?" Sapphire backed up, swatting a blink of an eye towards him. Quarter listened to better judgement and agreed. Still, that didn't ignore the fact that Sapphire was in his 'Bitches never to get involved with' list.
"... Fine," he replied, moving Octavia's hand away from him, "Let's get this over with, please?"
"Of course, Quarter, my coltfriend. Let's go," the grey mare added, leaving a very confused pegasus looking at her. Sapphire let out a small squee at this display and giggled like a little kid. Taking hold of the stallion's hand, she merely pulled him away as they left Sapphire's sight. Quarter looked back during the running and witnessed how was Sapphire winking and giving air-kisses at him. Well, it is certainly a bitch he never was to get involved with.
"Tata~, handsome," she managed to say, loud enough for him to hear.
Hiding behind a wall, Octavia forcefully slammed him against the wall and leaned towards the door they just came from. Quarter had enough of this and decided to speak up.
"Octavia, what do you think you are doing?"
"Hiding," she replied. The pegasus facepalmed and groaned at the same time.
"I know that. What I want to know is why you are," he said, raising a hand and lifting finger by finger each time he pointed out something, "one, slamming me against a wall; two, calling me coltfriend out of nowhere; and three, hiding from Sapphire, which I don't mind, but still,"
"Because," she said, returning to her original position and looking at the pegasus in the eyes, "if we didn't get out of there, we would have been in a plate with nothing else than trouble on it. Trust me, I love my cousin, but she can be a pain if you are not careful,"
"Oh, yeah, she is real trouble alright," he whispered.
"What?"
"Nothing!" he said. With an awkward glee pasted on his face, Octavia ignored her suspitions and carried on.
"Well, now that she is gone, care to take a good look at the guild?" Quarter nodded and Octavia smiled, "Good, I need a break anyways..."
Other than that, everything went just fine. Well, except that Quarter found out Octavia had a class of her own. What a way to surprise someone.
The whole incident became a whole mess.
"But that story can wait for another time. Right now, a music exercise is about to begin...." Thought Quarter as he headed to the music room, "I wonder if we are gonna practice eletric music, cuz my guitar is blow their minds! ...... Hold on..."
Quarter looked around and found nothing.
"NIIIIIXUUUUUSSSS!!!!" |
An Ancient Threat | pre | Numerous candles provide the only illumination in the otherwise dark room. The room looks as if it is crumbling; broken structures and walls littered the snow-covered interior. A single pony, shrouded in a hooded cloak and his feature hidden in the darkness, waits patiently for his "guest" to arrive.
The sound of a door creaking open draws his attention, and from the door emerges two more hooded ponies, dragging a third between them. Unlike the others, the one being dragged had no cloak and his features were visible in the dim light. He was a green unicorn, although his horn had been broken off. He was covered in various cuts and bruises and was bleeding profusely. Tears of blood poured out through the socket that once held his left eye.
"Wake him," the pony commanded. The unicorn that held the left side of the prisoner turned his horn towards the prisoner and sent an electric shock into his body. The pony writhed and screamed in pain as he regained consciousness, sparks of electricity dancing around his form.
"The last scion of the Sentinels. How disappointing. Your ancestors would be ashamed of you, being so lax in your duty. I can end the pain, if you but tell us where it is."
The prisoner remained silent, staring at the floor and groaning in pain. The lead pony turned to the two that were holding him.
"Take the other eye." One of the cloaked ponies immediately began to dig his hoof into the unicorn's right eye. Amid the screams of pain, the prisoner was able to shout the words they wanted to hear.
"WAIT! WAIT! I'LL TALK! I'LL TELL YOU!"
The lead pony smiled and waved for them to cease. He leaned in close, excited anticipation clear on his face.
After a moment of catching his breath and letting the pain subside to a bearable level, the broken unicorn looked up.
"It's in Mt. Vehoovius. But good luck getting past all the enchantments and traps. You'll never get your hooves on it."
"Enchantments and traps are of no concern, and you have outlived you usefulness." He drew a dagger from his cloak and slid it slowly across the prisoner's throat. After a grotesque gurgling noise and a few seconds of twitching, the prisoner was still. They dropped him to the floor and a pool of blood began to form around his head. The leader looked to his comrades. "The master will be very pleased."
"I am indeed." The rasping voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. It echoed off the walls and sent chills up their spines. "Finally, after all these years, my power is within my grasp. But there is a disturbance."
"More patrolling guards, my lord?"
"No, these are different. They are destined for Nova Domus. These ponies carry someone familiar among them."
"What are you orders master?"
"Slaughter them." |
An Ancient Threat | Battle in the Blizzard | Searing-cold wind buffeted against the cloaks of the travelers. They shielded their eyes from the oppressive wind and shivered despite their best efforts to stay warm. Rainbow Dash flapped her wings as hard as she could, but she was moving just as slow as the rest of her friends as they waded through the snow. Pinkie was the only one who seemed to not mind, as she bounced through the snow, sinking all the way to her chest before springing back up into the air.
"How does she keep so upbeat in such miserable weather?" Tacitus wondered as he continued to shiver, the cloak Cadence had given him only helping so much. His nose was beginning to go numb. He hated that feeling. Using his magic, he brought his scarf up so that it covered his muzzle and tightened it. "Thanks mom," he thought as feeling began to return to his muzzle. His hat slightly helped to keep him warm as well, the area it covered being cozy compared to the rest of his body.
A sudden feeling of warmth and a bright green light caused Tacitus to look behind him. Small streams of fire escaped Spike's mouth with every breath he took. He stood in the center of the group so that everyone could feel the warmth of his fire.
"Good thinking Spike," said Twilight.
"Yeah," Pinkie added. "Now we're all nice and cozy."
"If only you could melt all this awful snow," added Rarity. "Or if this dreadful storm could subside. This wind is bad for my mane, and the cold snow is ruining my hooficure. Not to mention my new cloak is getting dragged through this filth."
Tacitus leaned close to Applejack. "Does she always whine like this?" he whispered.
Apparently he didn't whisper quietly enough. "Excuse me," Rarity said indignantly, "but I am not whining, I am complaining. There is a difference. This is whining," she took a deep breath, and began to speak in her whining voice. "Are we there yet? My hooves hurt. This saddlebag is heavy. Why is this taking so long?!"
The girls and Spike began to laugh and Tacitus smiled as he rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry Rarity," he said before looking back at Applejack. "Does she always complain like this?"
Applejack giggled. "Yup."
This caused another round of laughter, even from Rarity. Tacitus laughed with them before he heard a strange voice.
"Find it," the voice said.
"Huh?" Tacitus looked around but saw nothing.
"You have to find it." It sounded as if the wind itself were carrying the voice.
"Find what?" Tacitus asked to no one.
"Tacitus," Twilight asked, "are you alright?"
"Don't you hear it?" Tacitus asked them.
"Hear what?" responded Fluttershy.
Tacitus listened for a moment for the voice to speak again, but all he heard was the howling of the wind. "Nothing...I guess. It must have just been the wind. Come on, we're nearly there."
Tacitus continued to lead them forward through the blizzard, a large mountain shadowing them, until the old stone ruins built into the mountain range were just visible in the distance. That wasn't all they saw.
Standing on a low hill were five ponies cloaked in black. Their faces were hidden under the hoods of their cloaks and they stood perfectly still in the freezing cold, watching Tacitus and his friends approach.
They all stopped when they saw the hooded figures, unsure of how to respond, until Twilight stepped forward.
"Excuse me," she called. "We're here on a mission on behalf of Princess Celestia of Equestria. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends. Who are you and what are you doing here?"
The one that stood in the center of the unknown group spoke. "We come bearing the word of our master. That word is: begone."
The strangers lit up their horns, revealing themselves to be unicorns. A loud rumbling echoed through storm, the world seemed to shake beneath their hooves. They looked and saw with horror a sheet of snow and rock rushing down the mountain and directly towards them at incredible speed.
Tacitus turned to where the strangers had stood, but found that they had disappeared. He turned back to the avalanche that threatened to crush them. The avalanche was mere inches from them when he turned his gaze away from the spot where the strangers appeared. There was no way they could outrun it, no way for them to all escape. Tacitus stood frozen as the snow fell upon them. He closed his eyes and waited for the end.
But the end didn't come. He heard the snow crash into him, but he didn't feel anything. He was still breathing and he didn't feel as though he were covered in anything. Through the darkness of his closed eyes, he could see a faint pink light. He opened his eyes and saw a barrier of the same pink color separating him from the snow and stone. He looked around and saw his friends were in the barrier with him and Twilight's horn was glowing brightly.
"Quick thinkin' there Twi!" Applejack said. "I reckon you just saved our lives."
"How positively rude!" Rarity exclaimed. "What kind of ruffians treat strangers like that?"
Twilight spoke up. "I'm guessing the same kind that are behind whatever's going on at Nova Domus. Come on, we need to go after them." Her horn glowed more intensely, causing the dome she erected to glow brighter as well. Just as the light became blinding, her magic exploded outwards, melting the snow that surrounded them and setting them free. Once they were in the open air, they began to run towards the ruins. As he ran with them, Tacitus was internally kicking himself.
"What the hay was I doing back there?! I could have put up that barrier, I could have saved us, but instead I just...froze up. If it weren't for Twilight...we'd all be dead." Tacitus continued to grow more and more frustrated with himself. "Why am I even here? They clearly could have been guided here by the guards, so what good am I?"
He looked over to his friends. Celestia had agreed that he should go with them, and they had wanted him to go. Twilight had even refused the military guide in favor of him. So why did he feel so useless? So helpless?
It wasn't long before they were in the ruins themselves, surrounded on all sides by the crumbling fortress. But there was no sign of their assailants.
Once again, Twilight took charge. "Everypony start looking around for clues, but don't wander too far." They followed her instructions and began searching, looking for anything that might lead to the whereabouts of their attackers or anything else of importance.
The first time Tacitus had been here, when he'd first discovered Nova Domus, he'd been ecstatic. The ruins were peaceful and teeming with lost knowledge. Now, the ruins felt different. They felt threatening and...tainted somehow. As he sifted through the familiar, yet now unfamiliar, structure, his hoof knocked against something that felt as though it were made of metal. He looked down and saw something poking out of the snow. He used his magic to push aside the snow to reveal the object. He wished he hadn't.
Laying there was the still-helmeted head of a Crystal Empire guard. Its eyes stared in blank shock, and clotted blood covered the area where the neck was severed from the body. Tacitus looked at it in horror for a moment before retching violently in the snow. Steam rose up as the warm puke connected with the cold snow. The others seemed to hear him.
"Tacitus what's wrong? Did you find something?" It was Twilight who called. She and the others soon came to where he stood, staring into the distance.
"You alright there partner? Yer lookin' mighty pale."
"And what in Equestria made you-" Rarity saw the head. "OH SWEET CELESTIA!"
The others now looked and saw the grisly sight. Pinkie looked like she was about to join Tacitus is losing their lunch, Fluttershy had her eyes sealed tight and pretended not to see, and the others simply had the shocked stare that Tacitus now had. A collective shiver ran up their spines.
A strange, unnatural wind blew through the ruins. Snow was blown away to reveal more bodies of more guards. Some had gaping holes in their chests, or deep lacerations across their barrels; all were dismembered in one form or another.
As they looked in horror at the mangled bodies strewn across the ground, the source of that unnatural wind revealed itself. Appearing to emerge from the stones themselves, the cloaked ponies that they had encountered before, along with five more so that they totaled ten in number, revealed themselves. Their horns were glowing from spell they cast.
"Take a good look. You'll be joining them." One of the unicorns charged his horn and sent a blast towards the group. It missed but succeeded in splitting them up. Their assailants fell upon them.
After jumping clear of the blast, Tacitus began to search around for his friends, trying to make sure they were safe. He heard a familiar scream and turned to see Spike getting chased by a unicorn that was shooting magical blasts at him. Spike turned and breathed a jet of flame at his attacker, only for the unicorn to block it with a conjured shield. While the unicorn was distracted, Tacitus shot a beam at his side and knocked him away.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he ran up to Spike.
"Yeah, I'm goo-" Another unicorn suddenly teleported next to Tacitus, a sword held in his magic and ready to take his head off. Spike quickly shot a gout of flame at the unicorn, this time striking true and leaving him charred and unconscious.
"I think that makes us even," Spike said with a satisfied smile.
Tacitus wasn't listening. He was frantically scanning the area for the rest of his friends. A series of grunts drew his attention upward, where he saw Rainbow Dash being chased by two pegasi.
"Spike, find somewhere to hide and stay down."
"But I-" But Tacitus was already rushing away towards the remains of a destroyed tower.
In the air Rainbow continued to bob and weave, avoiding the arrows the pegasi shot at her. After gaining enough distance, she made an abrupt U-turn in the air and sped straight towards one of the pegasi. She slammed into him at break-neck speed and sent him hurtling towards the ground. She was about to repeat the process on the other pegasus, but with a flash of dark blue light, Tacitus appeared above the cloaked pegasus and shot him with a blast of magic before dive bombing him into the ground.
Rainbow gasped at the sight and flew down to the crash site. Tacitus was slowly rising, his face scrunched in pain.
"Whoa dude, are you alright? That was one heck of a drop."
"I'm fine." Tacitus winced as he put weight on his right hind leg, but he ignored it and took off once more. As he moved through ruins, he seemed oblivious to the magical blasts and arrows that flew past his head, only narrowly dodging and blocking them. All that mattered to him was that he find where his friends were. His eyes were frantic as they scanned the battlefield for them, finally resting on the sight of Pinkie and Applejack facing down a unicorn and an earth pony.
Applejack rushed at the earth pony and quickly spun around, bucking him hard in the chest. She continued to punch and kick at the hooded pony and had him on the defensive. Applejack was about throw another punch, but Tacitus teleported between her and the pony and blasted him point-blank.
"You...alright...Applejack?" The strain of rushing all over the place was getting to him. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead despite the cold.The pain in his leg was getting worse, but he still ignored it.
"Yeah, Ah'm fine. And Ah'm pretty sure Ah had the situation under control. But thank ya anyway, Ah guess."
The unicorn turned his attention to Tacitus and Applejack, his horn charging a powerful spell. Tacitus positioned himself between Applejack and their attacker, ready to put up a shield. However, the unicorn was soon blasted into a rock by a stream of confetti, balloons, and other party supplies. Tacitus looked over and saw Pinkie standing behind a large blue cannon with pink wheels that had flower designs on them. Smoke was rising from the barrel.
"Pinkie, what the heck is that thing?" Tacitus asked.
"I never go anywhere without my party cannon silly! Now, WHO ELSE WANTS SOME?!" A crazed look overtook Pinkie's face as she began to fire randomly in all directions, hitting a few more of their attackers.
With that done, Tacitus resumed his search for the others. He saw Twilight locked in a duel with another unicorn, and was about to help, when he heard another scream. He looked for the source and saw Fluttershy buck an earth pony in the face before running away, the earth pony and a pegasus hot on her heels.
"I'm coming Fluttershy!" Tacitus shouted as he ran towards her. He didn't make it far before he was struck in the side by a magical blast. He heard someone shout his name, but he didn't know who. He ignored it and kept running towards Fluttershy. Another blast hit him and he stumbled, but he continued to limp forward. A third blast hit him, and this time he couldn't remain standing.
He collapsed on the ground and saw Fluttershy trapped, the earth pony and the pegasus closing in. He sent a blast from his horn and managed to knock out the earth pony. He continued to crawl forward. He couldn't feel his right hind leg, and he could see blood in the snow.
A pair of unfamiliar hooves landed in front of him, and he could see the glow of an unfamiliar aura above his head. He looked up and saw a hooded unicorn charging up the spell that would end him. Tacitus tried to draw on his magic, but he was exhausted, spent. Fear overtook him as he waited for the blow.
A streak of rainbow suddenly slammed into unicorn looming over him. Tacitus heard a smash like something hitting stone hard, followed by the sound of hooves meeting flesh.
"Don't. You. Touch. My. Friend!" Tacitus could hear Rainbow speak as each blow landed on his would-be killer.
He turned his attention back toward Fluttershy, who was still facing down the pegasus. Tacitus tried to resume his crawl towards her, but found he didn't have the strength to move. He was too weak to even call out to her. He could only watch as she slowly backed into a wall.
Out of nowhere, Rarity emerged and struck the pegasus with a martial arts kick, leaving him out cold in the snow.
"Normally, as a lady, I protest violence. But nopony, and I mean nopony, lays a hoof on Fluttershy!"
Tacitus looked at the scene with relief. She was safe. He only hoped the others were too. His vision began to blur, but he could see his friends rushing over to him. They were all there. They were all safe.
"Thank Celestia," he thought. "They're all okay." Tacitus could see their lips moving. Were they talking to him? He didn't know. All he could hear were muffled noises. He could feel something wet and warm forming a pool beneath him. His vision continued to cloud, and everything started to go dark. The dark edges of his eyes were closing in. He heard one voice call to him before the darkness engulfed his vision.
"Find it." |
An Ancient Threat | Meeting the Enemy | "Find it. Find it. You have to find it."
Over and over, the voice spoke those words. It was all Tacitus could hear as he sat alone in the darkness. It was driving him mad.
"Find what?!" he shouted. "For Luna's sake, what do you want me to find?!"
"Find it."
"Great. Of all the voices that I could have in my head, I got the one that's terrible at conversation."
"Find it."
"Shut it!"
Strangely enough, that seemed to work. All was silent. The voice no longer called out, and Tacitus was truly alone.
"Wow, I actually miss him now. If this is death, I'm really disappointed."
That's when it hit him. Was he dead? Was this it? Would he simply be stuck here, alone, for eternity? The thought sent shivers through his body. As he had lost consciousness, his one comforting thought was that he would see his parents again. Being alone in the dark, his heart began to fill with despair. He missed his friends. He wanted to see them again and tell them how much he loved them. He didn't want to be alone again.
Just as the first tears of despair began to fall, a warm feeling began to spread through his body. Through the darkness, a bright light began to shine. He felt as if he was being lifted up and the light grew brighter, turning a very familiar shade of dark pink.
"Find it." ***
Tacitus saw darkness again, but this was different. He could hear other voices; incoherent, but familiar. He could feel cold snow beneath him, but his body was surprisingly warm. His hearing slowly returned and he could make out what the voices were saying.
"Oh please be okay." It was the sweet voice of Fluttershy
"Come on partner. You gotta get up." Applejack.
He slowly began to pry his eyes open. At first, everything was blurry, but after a few blinks, his vision became clearer. He could see the hooves of six ponies, and the small legs of a dragon, standing close to him. The closest were a pair of purple hooves, and Tacitus could see the unmistakable light of Twilight's magic above him.
He groaned as he craned his neck to look up at them. They looked at him with great concern, but upon seeing his movement a look of incredible relief spread through them.
"Hey guys," he said weakly. He was immediately seized by his friends as they enveloped him in a group hug. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Still sore guys!"
They quickly released and Tacitus realized that his entire body ached. He attempted to stand, only for his right hind leg to give out from underneath him. Luckily, Twilight caught him before he fell.
He looked at Twilight as he began to panic. "I can't feel my leg. What's wrong with it?"
Twilight lifted him up and supported his body as he attempted to stand on three legs. "Among the other injuries, your leg was fractured. I knitted the bone, but it caused your leg to go numb. It should be wearing off soon."
Tacitus tried to move his leg and felt some feeling start to return. He cautiously lowered the appendage and found that the numbness was indeed beginning to disappear. Soon enough, he was standing unassisted on his own four hooves.
"I didn't know you were such a skilled healer Twilight. Thank you." He looked at her with admiration and unspeakable gratitude. Twice now, she had saved his life. Why couldn't he do the same for her?
"I've been studying healing magic for a while now. It's a good thing too. If I hadn't gotten to you in time...WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" She exploded at him.
Tacitus was taken aback by the outburst. "I...I..."
"Why were you running around the place like a pony with a death wish?! The girls told me what happened, how you were throwing yourself at those ponies! Why didn't you defend yourself? Don't you have any concern for your own safety? Do you have any idea how worried we all were? You almost died Tacitus! You were getting hit and it looked like you didn't even care!"
"I-I'm sorry...I just..."
"Is this about proving yourself? About showing that you're a hero?"
"No...I mean...yes, but only..."
Now Rainbow joined in. "Look, I know about wanting to show off and be a hero, but that doesn't mean you should do a suicide dive. That's just reckless."
"That's not why I did what I did!" he shouted to make himself heard. "Yes, I want to show that I can help, that I can be a hero like the rest of you. But that's not why I acted like I did." He looked down at the ground, unable to meet their eyes.
"You have to understand, I wasn't able to save my parents. I wasn't able to protect them" He looked up at them. "But I will do everything in my power to protect you guys. I refuse to let anything happen to any of you."
"Tacitus," Twilight said softly, "you don't need to put that burden on yourself. We all look out for each other. That's what friends do."
"I know Twilight. But even still, if I can do something to keep you from getting hurt, I will. I will keep you all safe, no matter the cost."
"Tacitus-"
"Please Twilight. This is something I have to do. I won't sit back and watch the ones I love die. Not again."
Twilight sighed. "Alright. Can you at least promise to be more careful in the future? We don't want to lose you either."
"I promise to be more careful. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." He gave her a reassuring smile as he did the motions. Inside, he knew he was lying somewhat. If him dying meant they would be safe, he would accept it. Gladly.
This seemed to satisfy Twilight and the others, who smiled back at him and moved into a gentler group hug, glad that their friend was okay. He was glad he was with them again. That he wasn't alone.
The sound of a groan caused them to pull away from the hug. The groan seemed to originate from one of the ponies that had attacked them. Tacitus looked and saw them strewn about the ruins. He had almost completely forgotten about them.
Twilight's horn began to glow. "I'd better restrain them before they come to." Multiple beams shot out from her horn towards the knocked-out ponies. Magical restraints binded all of their hooves, as well as the wings of the pegasi, and a bubble encased the horns of the unicorns.
Tacitus whistled loudly. "I've got to learn that spell."
"That's perfect Twi," said Applejack. "Now we can question 'em and see what the hay is goin' on around here."
Just as they began to move towards the first pony, all of their prisoners were violently lifted into the air. They were all wide awake and gasping for air, as if they were being choked. Their eyes bulged out of their head and they began to turn red.
"Pathetic weaklings!" A raspy voice echoed through the ruins. It seemed to come from everywhere at once and sent a chill up their spines. Tacitus couldn't quite explain it, but the voice...hurt. It grated on his ears and his head began to throb.
"What use are you if you can't even dispose of worms like these?"
"Master...please..." A sickening crunch was heard as his and his companions' necks were snapped. They fell to the ground, their heads at unnatural angles.
Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy all screamed and hid their eyes from the sight. Tacitus looked up from the scene and saw another cloaked figure standing atop a tower in the central building. The figure seemed to melt into the stone roof, disappearing from sight.
He quickly shook his friends out of their shocked states. "Come on, he's in there."
He led them to the structure, its ancient wooden door looming in front of them. They quickly burst through and began running down the wide hallway. They followed the path until they entered a large room that appeared to once have been the great hall.
As they entered the hall, they spotted the hooded pony standing on a balcony overlooking the room, his back to them.
"Stop right there!" Twilight shouted at him.
Suddenly, a wall of flame shot up in front of them, halting their advance. The flames reached to the ceiling and burned with a heat far greater than ordinary fire. A similar wall of flame appeared behind them, cutting off any chance of retreat.
As they frantically searched for a way out, they heard an unfamiliar voice speak. "You have no authority to command me princess." The flames shrank just enough to reveal the pony standing on the balcony. He removed his hood, revealing himself to be a white earth pony with a deep brown mane. "I answer only to my master."
"Who is your master?" Twilight demanded. "Is he responsible for poisoning the river?"
"Be silent," he responded. "My master-" His eyes fell on Tacitus for the first time, and his eyes turned the color of blood and his pupils became snake-like slits. "YOU?!" His voice had changed. It was that raspy voice that brought pain to those that heard it. The voice they heard before.
The pony grabbed his head and his face contorted in pain. Something began to emerge from his forehead. It wasn't long before they saw that it was a horn. It was curved and sharpened to a point, and it radiated with a sickly green light. The girls and Spike stared at it in disbelief, looking like they had seen a ghost.
"HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY BE ALIVE?! I SAW YOU DIE MYSELF ALL THOSE MILLENIA AGO! HOW COULD-" He stopped as he seemed to look closer at Tacitus. He chuckled to himself. "Forgive me, but you look remarkably like someone I knew from long ago. Still, despite that, there is still something familiar about you." He rubbed his chin and stared at Tacitus curiously. "What is your name boy?"
"It's Tacitus. Now why don't you tell us who you are."
"Tacitus? Hmmmm. So familiar. Perhaps Pranceius knows."
"I-It can't be," Twilight stammered. "S-Sombra?"
The stranger looked at her. "Sombra? Ah, you mean the Tyrant of the Crystal Empire. Yes, I remember him. It seems he came across some of my writings, specifically the ones dealing with crystal magic. It's such a shame he was destroyed. He would have made a powerful servant." He turned his attention back to the group. "No, I am not Sombra. I am far greater than him. I am-"
"Oh, oh, oh!" Pinkie was bouncing and her hoof was waving in the air. "I know who he is!"
All her friends looked to her. "You do?" they all said together. The stranger raised an eyebrow and curiously waited for her to continue.
Pinkie took a deep breath before she began to sing.
He's an evil enchanter
He says evil banter
And he mixes up potions in an evil decanter.
And then what will he do?
He'll cast an evil spell on you
And he'll put you in cages like a big evil zoo
Soooo watch out!
Her friends gave her a deadpanned look. "Really?" Rainbow asked.
"What? It's a work in progress."
The stranger began to chuckle again. "Amusing. It's a shame the pink one has to die as well. She would make a good court fool."
"Hey!" Rainbow shouted. "You're not killing anyone buster!"
She rocketed off at full speed, flying over the flames and heading directly at the stranger. Just as she got within a few feet, she appeared to slam into some invisible barrier. A telekinetic blast sent her hurtling back towards her friends. Only Twilight's magical grasp kept her from flying into the wall of fire behind them.
Rarity ran to her side. "Are you alright Rainbow Dash?"
Rainbow's eyes rolled around in her head for a moment before they settled. "Yeah, I'm good. Ow." She rubbed a lump that had formed on her forehead.
"Tsk. Tsk," the stranger mocked. "Now, let's be civil. Young Tacitus asked me a question and I aim to answer it." He held himself tall and proud. "I am the most powerful sorcerer in history. I am the darkness that haunts the nightmares of demons. I am the rightful ruler of the Empire and I am the soon-to-be ruler of this world. I. AM. IMPERIUS!"
A collective gasp escaped from the mouths of Tacitus and his friends as they stared in disbelief.
"W-Wait," Spike stammered. "Wasn't Imperius the pony Tacitus told us about earlier? The one that conquered the Roamen Empire?"
"But that's not possible," Tacitus said. "That was thousands of years ago. And Aeneighus destroyed him."
Imperius growled in anger, causing the wall of flame to rise and the ground to shake. "Damn that Aeneighus! He took from me what was mine by right of strength! But he only delayed the inevitable. It's true that he destroyed my physical body, but my spirit, my power lived on. I inhabited the body of my most loyal servant, but I was too weak to communicate with him or manifest myself. For millennia I languished as a parasite, my spirit moving from generation to generation until finally I came to inhabit Pranceius here. Now, enough of my strength has returned to where I could make my presence known and Pranceius has served me faithfully since. Soon, I will regain my body and my full power, and I will rule over this world like I should have been for all these years."
"That's not gonna happen Imperius!" Twilight called. "We're taking you down!"
Twilight's horn lit up and a beam of magic shot from it. The beam struck Imperius, and his hooves and horn became bound in magic.
"Argh! Blasted alicorn magic!" A wicked smile replaced the look of anger on Imperius's face. "But your power hasn't fully developed has it? You're still too weak!"
Now Imperius's horn began to glow, a black aura enveloping it. The binds holding him shattered and a blinding light filled the room. Tacitus and his companions had to turn and shield their eyes from the intense light. Out of the corner of his eye, Tacitus saw something rocketing towards them. It was a pulsating ball of magical energy covered in sparks of black electricity.
It was heading directly towards Twilight.
"Twilight!" he called, his horn beginning to glow as he prepared to teleport in front of Twilight.
He wasn't fast enough.
The ball struck Twilight in the chest and sent her reeling back. It was only after she was struck did the blinding light finally dissipate.
Finally able to see, her friends saw Twilight unconscious on the ground, covered in blood.
"Twilight!" they all shouted as they ran towards her.
Spike held Twilight's hoof in his hand and was shaking her gently. "Twilight? Twilight! Come on Twilight, wake up." Tears flooded down his cheeks when she didn't respond.
Tacitus was the only one who was not beside her. He was frozen where he stood, his horn still preparing the teleportation spell. He felt as if an arrow made of pure ice had pierced his heart. He wanted to scream, but it felt like he was being choked, the scream trapped in his throat. He just stared at Twilight with eyes the size of pinpricks.
"Well," Imperius's voice broke the silence, "as much as I'd like to take my time and kill the rest of you, there's someplace I need to be. I've waited thousands of years to return to my body, so I'm a little impatient. However, I will make sure you won't leave here alive."
His horn glowed once more and the floor on which Tacitus and his friends stood turned as black as night. Tendrils of darkness appeared from the darkened floor and wrapped around them, pulling them down into the floor. They began to sink into it as if it were quicksand.
"A slow death is always the most satisfying. You'll eventually freeze to death down there. Or perhaps you'll starve to death first. I wonder if you'll start to eat each other. Oh, I wish I could see that. It's been so long since I enjoyed that kind of entertainment. But, as I said, the key to my return is waiting for me and I hate to keep it waiting any longer. Farewell."
Imperius seemed to engulf himself in shadows before he disappeared completely, leaving not a trace of his presence.
The others screamed and called for help as they sank into the darkness, but Tacitus remained silent. He continued to silently stare at the unmoving form of Twilight until the darkness overtook his vision. ***
Outside the ruins, as the blizzard continued to rage, a ball of swirling shadows appeared on a snow-covered tower. As the shadows receded, the form of Imperius became visible. He had a quizzical look and was tapping his chin with his hoof.
"Tacitus? Why does he seem so familiar? Praceius, do you have any knowledge of that boy and why I seem to know him?" He was silent as he listened to the response of the servant whose body he shared. "Really? Interesting. Very Interesting." |
An Ancient Threat | Found It | Applejack continued to sink, unable to breathe through the tar-like substance. She thrashed and kicked, but to no avail. Just as she felt as though she were about to pass out, she suddenly found herself free of the blackness, falling through open air. She took in a long gasp of breath before landing hard on cold stone. She lay there for a moment, catching her breath.
Her eyes suddenly snapped open as she remembered. Twilight.
She quickly turned and saw her friends sprawled out after landing on the ground. They were slowly rising as they all seemed to share in Applejack's realization. It took only a moment for them to find Twilight close to where the rest of them landed.
She lay unconscious on the ground. Blood flowed freely from open lacerations and bruises were already forming on her body. Spike was clinging tightly to her as tears flowed from his eyes, Twilight's blood staining his scales.
They quickly came to her side. Her breathing was ragged and labored, but at least she was breathing. Rainbow Dash started to shake Twilight's unconscious form.
"Come on Twilight! Wake up! Please."
"Rainbow Dash, that's not helping," said Rarity.
"Well why don't you do something then?!" Rainbow shouted in response. "Use your magic or something."
"I can't! My magic is only good for finding gems and making dresses! Only Twilight is good enough at magic to perform healing spells." She looked to Twilight, then quickly turned away as her mascara began to run.
Applejack had a thought. "Wait, Tacitus is good at magic; almost as good as Twilight. He can heal her." Then she noticed. Tacitus wasn't among the group that was now circled around Twilight. "Hold on, where is he?"
The sound of mumbling caused her to turn around. Tacitus sat on his haunches, his back to the rest of them, far from where the others stood. She walked toward him, and his mumblings became clearer.
"I failed. I failed. I couldn't protect her."
"Tacitus? Sugarcube? Are you alright?" She walked around him so that she could see his face and looked him in the eye.
He looked right through her. His eyes were wide open and his pupils had shrunk to the size of pinpricks. He seemed completely oblivious to her presence as he continued to mumble to himself.
"I failed. I wasn't fast enough. All my fault. I couldn't save her."
Applejack grabbed Tacitus and shook him gently.
"Tacitus." When he didn't respond, she shook him harder. "Tacitus!"
"I failed. I failed."
She finally slapped him. "Snap out of it!"
Tacitus shook his head and his eyes returned to normal. He looked at Applejack. The eyes acknowledged her presence but they seemed...dead, empty.
"Tacitus, Ah need ya to calm down. Twilight is hurt and needs yer help. Can ya do any healing spells?"
Tacitus blinked a few times, trying to rearrange his scrambled brain. "Yeah. My dad taught me some healing magic when I was younger. I could...I could try to..."
His eyes had wandered and had landed on the unmoving form of Twilight. His pupils began to shrink and he started to hyperventilate. Only the firm but reassuring hoof of Applejack kept him from lapsing back into delirium.
"Ya need to focus Tacitus. She needs you, and ya can't afford to lose it."
Tacitus nodded and Applejack released him from her grip. He made his way over to Twilight. Spike had released his embrace on her, but he still held firmly to her hoof. His purple scales were blotched with red, but he didn't seem to notice or care. He may not have even noticed Rarity's hoof wrapped around him. His focus was completely on Twilight.
As Tacitus approached her, Spike looked up at him.
"Please help her Tacitus. Please don't let her die."
"I-I will. I promise." He'd said those same words to Shining Armor. He'd already broken one promise, would he break another?
Pushing that thought out of his mind, Tacitus charged his magic. His horn glowed with his dark blue aura as he focused on the magic his father had taught him so long ago. He lowered his head so that his horn was just above Twilight's barrel. The blue aura surrounded her body.
"Come on. Come on," Tacitus groaned through clenched teeth. Despite the cold, sweat dotted his head. His body was shaking with the strain of attempting to heal all of her injuries.
The blood that had pooled around Twilight and had stained her coat began to move, retreating back into the wounds. After her blood was restored, the wounds themselves began to close and the bruises disappeared.
Tacitus continued to hold the spell, straining for at least ten minutes before he was unable to continue any longer. He dropped the spell and gasped for breath, exhaustion clear on his features.
It looked to be a success. All of Twilight's injuries were gone and she looked no worse for the wear. However, she had yet to wake up and her breathing had not changed.
The girls were elated. Smiles and sighs of relief filled the cave.
Rarity nuzzled Spike's cheek. "See Spikey-wikey? Twilight's going to be just fine."
"Way to go Tacitus! Woohoo!" Rainbow and Pinkie cheered.
But no exclamations of joy, no look of pride or relief was present in Tacitus. He was silent, and his eyes were still dead and empty. Applejack noticed this and motioned to the side to speak privately.
"What's wrong?"
Tacitus looked down. He couldn't bear to look her in the eye. "I was able to heal the visible wounds. They really weren't as bad as they seemed just rudimentary cuts and bruises. But...I saw through the spell that there was a lot of internal damage. The damage is too extensive and the magical strength required to treat it is beyond my abilities."
Applejack's face dropped. "So...does that mean she's going to..." She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence.
"I don't know. All we can do is wait. And hope."
Tears in her eyes, Applejack went to tell the others of this. Tacitus didn't hear her or their reactions. All he could hear were Twilight's rattling breaths. Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, he began to weep. ***
A small fire blazed in the center of the cave. They had managed to find a few scraps of lumber scattered about, and Spike had been able to set it alight. It was not much, but it kept the cold at bay. For now, at least.
Twilight's still unconscious body laid close to the fire, her friends circled around her to share in the fire's warmth and to share their body heat. The only one missing from the group was Rainbow Dash, who had gone to investigate further into the cave. Tacitus hoped she would be back soon.
As if on cue, Rainbow glided back into the view as the glow of the fire illuminated her form. She didn't look too happy with what she found.
"There are twelve different paths up ahead, and each of those leads to twelve more paths," she said in dismay. "This place is built like a maze."
"We're in the tunnels the rebels built underneath Nova Domus," Tacitus said. "They designed them to be like a labyrinth so that they couldn't be followed in the event they were attacked and had to evacuate. No doubt there are booby traps and enchantments spread throughout the tunnels as well. The only ones who knew the way out were the rebels." A chuckle devoid of humor escaped him. "Not much of a chance we'll be able to ask them."
"Gee, thanks for the history lesson Professor," Rainbow spat the title as if it were poison. "Way to boost morale. Big help you've been so far." She added the last part quietly, but Tacitus caught it. It cut into him like a knife.
"That's enough you two!" Applejack snapped. "We don't need this right now."
Rainbow just grunted and quickly turned away, but not quickly enough for Tacitus not to see the tears pooling in her eyes. Nor was she successful in her attempt to keep her body from shaking.
The sound of sniffles drew Tacitus's attention away from Rainbow. The choked sobs came from Fluttershy, who was lying on the ground with her hooves covering her eyes.
"I don't want to be here anymore," she sobbed. "I want to go home." Pinkie stood next to her and stroked her mane in an attempt to comfort her. Pinkie's own mane had gone flat, and her color seemed to dull and darken. She had hardly said a word since they had been trapped down here, and the bounce in both her mane and her step was completely absent.
Tacitus turned his gaze back to Twilight. Spike had not left her side for a single moment. He still held firmly onto her hoof, and Rarity in turn held him closely to her as she gently stroked his head.
Finally, he turned his gaze to Applejack. She had been trying so hard to remain strong and confident for the rest of them, but she was beginning to break down like the rest of them. Tacitus could see it in her eyes. With each moment that passed by, she was losing hope. Twilight had yet to wake and the knowledge that her injuries were serious and untreatable hit her as hard as it did the others. In addition, they only had enough food and water to last them a few days. Add that to the fact that they were trapped in a labyrinth with no knowledge of how to get out, and the situation looked bleak to say the least. Hardly surprising that her composure was slowly ebbing away.
All in all, they were a downright miserable group to behold. The confidence with which they had set out on their journey was gone. They were cold, they were lost, and one of their closest friends was on Death's door. What hope was left for them?
Applejack let out an exhausted sigh. "We should all try to get some sleep. We'll...figure something out in the morning."
Tacitus knew she had no idea what they were going to do. He didn't know either; none of them did. Maybe Twilight would know what to do. If only they could ask her.
However, sleep was indeed the best thing they could think to do. Nothing else could be done for the time being. But how long could that last? How long would the fire burn and keep the cold at bay? Lumber was limited; in fact there was no more to speak of. And with Twilight in her current state, they could not move through the tunnels. Even if they could, they would never find their way through and would more than likely fall prey to the traps that lied in wait. The situation wasn't bleak; it was hopeless.
Soon enough, they gathered close together around the fire and drifted into restless sleep. All except Tacitus.
Despite the protests and the insistence that he join them, Tacitus had opted to sleep separately from the group just at the edge of the glow of the fire. He didn't feel he deserved their company or their warmth.
As he lay awake, Rainbows words kept echoing through his mind. They hurt because he knew they were true.
What good had he been on this journey? He had frozen like a scared foal in the face of an avalanche he could have stopped. He was too weak to protect his friends and himself and ended up helpless and in need of rescuing. He had failed to stop Twilight, the pony who had twice saved his life, from getting hurt. And now, when she needed him most, when the others looked to him to save her, he could do nothing. Was this what his life was destined to be? Had fate condemned him to constantly watch helplessly as the ones closest to him were taken away?
Why couldn't he save anyone? Why couldn't he do anything? Why couldn't he protect the ones he loved?
Despite these thoughts and so many others filling his head, he could only deny sleep for so long. His eyes grew heavy, and he eventually joined the others in submitting to restless sleep. ***
"Find it. You have to find it."
"Oh great. You again. Look, I'm really not in the mood to listen to a broken record. Just leave me alone."
"You're so close. Just a little further."
"Well, that's new. Glad to see you're branching out on your dialogue, but you still haven't told me what I'm supposed to find."
"Follow the compass."
"What? What compass?" Tacitus was starting to get annoyed. He was surprised the voice was finally saying more than just 'find it,' but it was still so infuriatingly cryptic.
"Wake up Tacitus, and find it."
"Huh?" ***
Tacitus's eyes shot open as he awoke from the dream. It was a dream wasn't it? Ever since he first heard the voice, Tacitus thought it was just a figment of his imagination or was brought on by stress. Now he began to fear for his sanity.
It was at this moment of contemplating the soundness of his mental faculties that he noticed that a light brighter than the shrinking fire filled the cave. The light was coming from his horn.
"Well...that's unusual."
His horn had not done this since he was a foal, when he first discovered his special talent. Now, after all these years, his horn glowed of its own accord once more.
"'Follow the compass.' Is this what the voice meant?"
Tacitus looked to his friends. They were still fast asleep, undisturbed by his horn's unusual glow. After a moment's hesitation, Tacitus raised himself up and set off deeper into the cave.
It wasn't long before he came to the part in the cave that branched off into multiple different directions.
"Where now?"
Tacitus walked up to each of the different paths, watching to see which one caused his horn to glow the brightest. He eventually chose the third one on the right and pushed deeper into the tunnels. He continued to do this with every crossroads he came to, looking to the intensity of his horn's glow to guide him just as he did in the desert all those years ago.
As he walked, unsettling thoughts entered his mind. "Where the hay is this taking me? How am I going to find my way back once I find...whatever it is I'm supposed to find? Why am I even doing this? I'm putting my trust in a mysterious voice in my head and following my horn to Celestia-knows where."
Despite these thoughts, he kept moving forward, kept following the "compass" as he was told to. Maybe it was curiosity that drove him forward. Maybe it was the desire to see the artifact that the horn was leading him to. Or maybe it was a hope that whatever the voice was leading him to would somehow help him and his friends. Regardless of the reason, he kept moving.
Tacitus didn't know how long he wandered through the caves. It could have been minutes or hours. But eventually, he saw where the horn was leading him.
To a dead end.
His horn ceased to glow. Tacitus looked desperately for something, anything, to be there. But there was nothing. Only a wall of ice. This had all been for nothing, and now his only method of navigation was lost to him.
He collapsed on the ground, shocked that all his efforts had been wasted. He tried to remember the path he had taken to get here. Fear crept into his heart as he realized he couldn't recall.
But just as this fear gripped his stomach, the bright glow returned. It did not emanate from his horn, but from the wall of ice. Or rather from something inside the ice.
A bright golden light shined behind the ice, and once it had died down, Tacitus saw that the ice had gone from opaque to completely transparent. It now looked to be made of glass instead of ice.
Inside the clear ice, Tacitus could see something imbedded within it. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was sword. A Roamen gladius to be precise.
"What in the hay...I guess it's not weird to see a Roamen sword in Roamen ruins, but this feels...strange. I need to examine it."
Tacitus charged his horn and set about blasting through the ice. After a few moments, the sword was almost free of the ice. Panting with the effort it took to get this far, Tacitus reached out with his hoof to grab the sword and wrench it free of its frosty prison. As he reached for it, the sword glowed bright.
His hoof touched the scabbard, and all went black. ***
"Ohhh...My head. Note to self: don't pick up strange glowing objects."
Tacitus rubbed his sore head and looked at his surroundings. He was no longer in the cave. He didn't really know where he was. Everything was dark. It looked as if he were in the same place he was in when he had nearly died.
"Hello Tacitus."
Tacitus jumped at the sudden, yet familiar voice. He whipped around and saw a pony standing before him in full armor. The pony's voice matched the voice that had been speaking to him, and the pony looked remarkably similar to Tacitus. In fact, aside from the golden eyes and military style of his mane, he was the spitting image of Tacitus.
Not knowing his intention, Tacitus took a defensive stance. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The pony sighed. "How sad that the son of my sons does not know me. Has my family truly forgotten its legacy?"
Tacitus looked closer at the pony. His armor, his face. Just like the statue...
"Aeneighus?"
The pony smiled. "So you do know me."
"Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean your family? I'm related to you?"
"Indeed. You are blood of my blood, my descendant and heir. I have called to you and led you here so that I may give you your birthright: this sword, so that it can aid you in your journey."
Tacitus had so many questions. He went with the first one that could escape his lips. "Why is the sword so important that you needed to bring me all the way here?"
"This sword was forged by Emperor Solarus and Empress Noctus." A pained look appeared on Aeneighus's face when he said their names. "It was enchanted to magnify the magical power of its user. It can also only be wielded by myself and my bloodline, which is why you were able to find it."
"But, I don't understand. How are you here? How am I talking to you? You died thousands of years ago in the battle against Imperius."
"I prepared for every possible outcome for that battle. Thanks to my spy network, I knew that Imperius might be able to survive his physical death and reform himself. We learned that he needed his armor in order recreate his body. I created an elite unit called the Sentinels, who after the battle would take his armor and either destroy it or seal it away and guard it.
"But I still feared for the safety of the future, and of the possibility of Imperius returning. So, as I lay dying, I cast a spell where I transferred my magical power and a part of my conciousness into the sword. It would then lay dormant until Imperius returned, and I would call to my descendant to take the sword and finish what I started."
Tacitus was amazed. "All these spells. I've never heard of spells like these. How can such magic be possible?"
"Much knowledge was lost when the Empire fell. I fear that it will remain lost. But perhaps that is for the best."
Tacitus could not disagree more. "Are you kidding? No knowledge should be lost. Think of the amazing things that can be accomplished with magic as powerful as that. Maybe you could-"
"No Tacitus. For a number of reasons. Understand that my time was one of constant warfare, which bred magics and weapons of unbelievably destructive power, and warriors equally as powerful. That power is best left buried, this sword included. But I fear that the peace that your time has been blessed with may also be its downfall. Not one among you could hope to stand against any of the warriors of my time. Especially not Imperius. I also fear that the Sentinels have been wiped out, years of peace causing them to falter and grow lax in their watch. But with this sword, you may have a chance."
"'May have a chance'? That doesn't sound very reassuring."
"This sword is imbued with all of my power and amplifies your own tenfold. In Imperius's current state, I'm confident that it will destroy him. But if he should regain his body...I don't know if it will be enough."
This was too much. "Aeneighus...I don't think I can do this. I'm not like you. I'm not a warrior." Tacitus thought back to his mediocre performance against the minions of Imperius. "I'm just...too weak."
Aeneighus gave him a kind smile. "When you touched the sword, I entered your mind and saw all of your memories, your entire life. I know you Tacitus, and I believe that you have the potential to be more powerful than I ever was. You just have to use the power that I couldn't"
"What power?"
Before Aeneighus could answer, his body became translucent, fading in and out like a flickering candle. He was beginning to disappear.
"The spell that binds me here is beginning to fade. I don't have much time left. Listen Tacitus: you must make for Mount Vehoovius. That is where the armor is hidden and where Imperius is going."
"But how do I get there?"
"I will impart you with the knowledge of how to reach it, and how to find your way through these tunnels."
Aeneighus touched his hoof to Tacitus's forehead. Tacitus's vision was suddenly flooded with images. He saw the network of tunnels as if he were seeing them from above. He saw where the traps were, the dead ends, the loops. He saw a path that led through all of them to the other side. His vision changed. He saw snow and frozen trees rocketing past him as if he were traveling at the speed of sound. His vision rested of the image of a great mountain, smoke spewing from its top.
Tacitus blinked and his vision returned to normal. Aeneighus was just barely visible, his features becoming more and more obscured as the seconds passed.
"I can do no more Tacitus. The rest is up to you."
"Aeneighus wait! I still have so many questions! How can I do this without you?! How can I stop something you couldn't?!"
Aeneighus gave him another kind smile. "You are my descendant, heir to a great bloodline. But more than that, I have seen your mind and your heart. I have faith in you. Goodbye Tacitus."
With that, Aeneighus was gone. The last traces of him had faded into the dark, and Tacitus was alone. ***
"Aeneighus!" Tacitus shouted as his eyes shot open. He quickly looked around and saw he was back in the cave. "Was it just a dream?"
Tacitus felt something heavy in his hooves. He looked down and saw the sword clenched in his grasp, still giving off a faint glow. He could feel its power.
It wasn't a dream. ***
Tacitus came barreling back into the part of the cave where his friends rested, the knowledge of the tunnel system Aeneighus had given him making finding his way back easy.
As he came into view, he saw that all of them were awake. Except for Twilight.
Applejack saw him rushing towards them. "Tacitus! Where've you been? And where'd you get that sword?"
"I'll explain later! Let me get to Twilight!" He rushed over to Twilight, using his magic to pull the sword from its scabbard. Rainbow saw this and, with terror in her eyes, flew at Tacitus and tackled him to the ground.
"Have you gone nuts?!" she exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Get off me Rainbow! I'm trying to help her!"
"By cutting her open?!"
"No! Please, just trust me. You know I would never hurt her. Just give me a chance."
Rainbow looked over to Applejack, who after a moment's consideration gave her a nod. Somewhat reluctantly, Rainbow removed herself from Tacitus and allowed him to walk over to Twilight.
Twilight's breathing was even more labored than before. She was barely hanging on. Spike was still at her side, holding her hoof. He looked at Tacitus with apprehension, but did not say anything.
Tacitus's horn began to glow, the blade glowing with the same dark blue aura. He lowered the tip of the blade so that it almost touched her skin. Her body began to radiate with his aura.
"Please work. Please work," Tacitus pleaded to himself as he worked. He noticed that he didn't exert nearly as much effort as he did before. With the sword, this felt almost...easy. He just hoped he wasn't too late.
Tacitus released the spell. He had done everything he could. He hoped it would be enough. Seconds felt like hours as he waited, each moment passing causing him to lose hope.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, her breathing returned to normal. Twilight's eyes slowly opened.
She let out a long yawn. "Tacitus? What-"
She didn't get a chance to finish. Tacitus wrapped his arms tightly around her as tears fell from his eyes. "You're okay. Thank the gods. You're okay."
Soon, the others joined Tacitus in embracing their friend, immense relief overtaking the gloom they had felt just moments before.
Twilight pulled away just enough to where she could be heard. "Guys, what happened? Where are we?"
After a quick account of what had transpired in the ruins and the description of their current location, Twilight looked at her friends with worry.
"So we're trapped here?"
"No," said Tacitus, drawing their attention to him. "I know where we have to go." |
An Ancient Threat | Revelations | Multi-colored lights pierced the veil of darkness that enveloped the tunnels. Lights of pink and of blue, both light and dark, illuminated the path ahead of the group. At the head of this group, Tacitus strode forward confidently, his horn glowing brightest as he lead the way through the labyrinth.
They had been traversing the tunnels for some time now, following Tacitus as he took them from one turn to the next with seemingly no hesitation. He had told them of his conversation with Aeneighus and what he had learned from him, which included the knowledge of the path to the exit. Now, it was only a matter of time before they were free of this accursed place.
"We're almost there," said Tacitus. "Just a little further."
Something caught their eye. Just up ahead, a bright light was shining at the end of the tunnel.
"There it is!" Rainbow shouted excitedly. She immediately took off full speed in the direction of the light.
"Dash wait!" Tacitus called. Rainbow quickly came to a screeching halt, but not quickly enough.
Just below her, something in appearance akin to a rune to began to glow. The sound of stones shifting was heard, and not a second afterwards, spears shot out from the walls directly at Rainbow.
Dash felt something come over her, and she was violently pulled away just before the spears impaled her, landing hard on the ground in front of the rest of the group.
"You alright there Dash?" Applejack asked as she helped her back up.
"Yeah. I'm good."
"Mighty good thing Tacitus pulled ya out in time. Otherwise you mighta ended up lookin' like Swiss cheese."
"No kidding." Rainbow looked to Tacitus. "Thanks by the way."
"No problem. But you need to be more careful and stay close from now on."
"But I saw the exit! It was right..." Rainbow looked to where she had been headed, and saw that there was no light shining like there had been. Behind the mass of spears was just a dead end. "But how...?"
"This place is enchanted and filled with booby traps," Tacitus reminded her. "It was an illusion meant to draw pursuers into a trap. Like I said, you need to stay close."
They continued on, the lesson being taken to heart as the group moved in tighter and closer to Tacitus. Tacitus himself made a point of sticking close to Twilight in particular, whom he was still worried about after her near-death experience.
As if justifying his action, Twilight stumbled. Tacitus reacted quickly and caught her, supporting her as she lifted herself back up.
"You're still pretty weak," Tacitus told her. "Maybe we should stop and rest."
"No, it's alright," Twilight protested. "I can keep going."
Twilight seemed to stand taller than she had before and strode forward with greater confidence. That's one thing that Tacitus really admired about her. She was so strong and kept pushing forward no matter what obstacles stood in her path.
"So strong," Tacitus thought. He began to wonder...
"Twilight, I want you to try something."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Tacitus unsheathed the sword from the scabbard that was strapped to his back. He held it in his magical grasp and presented it to Twilight.
"I want you to have the sword Twilight," said Tacitus. "You're more powerful than me when it comes to magic, so the sword will be more useful if you use it instead of me."
"But Tacitus, didn't Aeneighus-"
"Just try Twilight. Maybe he was wrong."
Twilight slowly nodded, charging her horn and enveloping the sword with her aura, mixing it with Tacitus's. Tacitus released his grip on the sword, and it dropped like a ton of rocks, the sound of the impact echoing throughout the caves.
Twilight struggled and sweated as she attempted to lift the sword, but it would not budge. Panting, Twilight released her grip on the sword.
"Let me give it a try," said Rainbow as she wrapped her hooves around the hilt and tried to lift, only for the sword to remain stationary.
"Lemme help," said Applejack as she took hold of the blade in an attempt to assist Rainbow, but it was futile. No matter how hard they tried, they could not lift the sword.
"Um, I don't think it's going to move," said Fluttershy.
Applejack and Rainbow released their grips on the sword, exhausted by the effort. The sword had not moved an inch.
"That darn thing weighs a ton," Applejack complained.
Tacitus set his horn alight and lifted the sword effortlessly, swinging it back and forth and finding it no heavier than a quill.
He gave a disappointed sigh and sheathed the sword. "I guess Aeneighus was right. I'm the only one who can use it. Thanks for trying anyway guys. Come on, let's keep moving."
They continued on, Tacitus absentmindedly guiding them as he became lost in his thoughts. He was afraid that Aeneighus had not been mistaken when he said that only his bloodline, in other words Tacitus, could wield the sword. He hoped that if Twilight could use it, it would boost her power far beyond anything he was capable of. But, unfortunately, it was impossible. He was stuck with the sword.
Then another thought struck his mind. This sword gave him incredible power. Just holding it, he could feel the enormous amount of magical energy it contained. When he held it, he felt as if the energy of the sun itself was in his grasp. With this power, he could do incredible things. He could finally keep the promises he made. He finally had the power to protect his friends.
This thought brought a small smile to his face. He wouldn't be helpless anymore. He would face the danger, not them. He would use this power to stand between them and the darkness. The smile faded. This power, and the burden it carried, was his to bear. He hoped they would understand what he was about to ask them to do.
As the smile faded, as he thought on what he had to do, he was somehow aware that they were almost at the end. They were almost free.
He finally began to actually look where he was going, and at the end of the tunnel was a bright light, illuminating the darkness far better than the glow of their horns.
"Another illusion?" Rainbow asked.
"Not this time," Tacitus said happily. "That's the exit for sure."
Tacitus quickened his pace as he approached the exit, the smell of fresh air and the howling of wind telling him of how close freedom was. The others soon joined him, eventually galloping at full speed towards freedom.
They were blinded momentarily by the sudden brightness of daylight, and their hooves finally left the cold stone and touched snow. Once their eyes had adjusted, they could see the wide field of snow, the mountain range stretching for miles on either side of them.
Their cheers of excitement echoed through the mountains. They jumped up and down and embraced one another, joyful that they had escaped that horrid place.
Only Tacitus was still. He shifted his hat nervously as he tried to think of how to say what was on his mind. As they settled down, the others seemed to notice his discomfort and moved closer to him.
"Are you alright darling?" Rarity asked. "Why aren't you celebrating with the rest of us?"
The others looked at him, waiting for his answer. He took a deep breath before he spoke.
"This is where we part ways." Tacitus ignored their shocked stares and kept going. "There should be a pass back through to the other side of the mountains a few miles west of here. You can use that to get back to the Crystal Empire. It was the path the Three Tribes used to get into Equestria."
Spike was the first to respond. "You're telling us to leave? But why? Why now?"
"The only reason I'm asking you now is because this was the only way out of the tunnels. If there was an exit on the other side, I would have taken you there so you could all go home, but this was the only one."
"You're not seriously suggesting we just go home are you?" Rainbow asked. "What about Imperius? We need to stop him!"
"I have to stop him," Tacitus corrected her. "I have the sword, so Imperius is my responsibility. There's no need for you all to put yourselves in danger."
"You really think we're just gunna up and abandon you ta face that maniac on your own?" Applejack asked him. "No way sugar cube. That ain't happenin'."
The others nodded their heads in agreement. Tacitus looked to Twilight.
"Twilight, please. You know what he's capable of. You almost got killed. I'm just trying to protect you. Don't make me put my friends in harm's way."
Understanding and sympathy on Twilight's face, she gave him a somber shake of her head.
"I'm sorry Tacitus, but we're not leaving. I know you want to protect us, but you have to learn to trust that we are capable of protecting ourselves and let us help you."
Tacitus's heart was in his stomach. He looked desperately to each of them, silently pleading for them to reconsider. His gaze fell on Fluttershy, who was looking at the ground and shifting nervously.
"Fluttershy, you said in the caves that you wanted to go home. This is your chance. Please." Tacitus held to a desperate hope that, if she left, the others might follow.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the company looked to Fluttershy, wondering what her answer would be.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Fluttershy gave her response.
"N-No. Friends don't abandon friends. I-I'm not leaving."
Most of her friends greeted her with warm, proud smiles, while Tacitus's face dropped. Not even Fluttershy would listen to him.
"Isn't there anything I can say to convince you?" They all shook their heads, and he gave a disappointed, weary sigh. "Fine...let's just go."
Twilight wrapped a hoof around him.
"We know your heart is in the right place Tacitus, but we made a promise that we would never abandon you, and we're going to keep that promise."
She and the others gave him the warm smiles that he loved to see, and this brought him some comfort. He smiled back at them.
"Come on then. Let's get going."
He had relented, and they would all journey together. He loved them for not wanting to leave him, but deep down he wished more than anything that they would. ***
A lone figure marched through the harsh wind and snow, his cloak billowing and flapping violently behind him. He struggled to march against the strong wind and the deep snow. A scowl was present on his face as he took in his surroundings.
"These were once green fields," Imperius said. "The mighty walled citadels of the Empire dotted this land like beacons of power and order." The scowl intensified. "Now it's nothing but a frozen tundra. A wasteland unfit for my rule." A frightening howl drew his attention skyward, so that he looked directly at the ghostly Windigos galloping through the storm clouds. "This is their empire now."
"But you'll have a new land to rule master," the voice of Pranceius spoke from within his mind. "A new Empire for a new age. An empire where I'll finally have power. Where I'll finally be somepony."
"Indeed you will, my faithful servant. You will have a place in the Empire of great importance, as reward for your service and loyalty."
A tingling in the back of his head made Imperius stop cold in his tracks, a look of surprise frozen on his face. He could sense Tacitus.
"He survived? He found a way out of that labyrinthine deathtrap?" A wicked smile replaced the flabbergasted look. "This boy just keeps getting more and more interesting. How about one more obstacle to see what he's made of."
His corrupted horn glowed sickly black, the surrounding snow and ice cracking beneath his hooves and black light shining through the fissures. After a moment, Imperius seemed to find what he was looking for.
"They'll do nicely," he said as he intensified his power, struggling somewhat as he cast the spell. After the trap had been set, he released the spell with a gasp of breath, weariness clear on his face.
"Damn your weak earth pony body Pranceius! This is hardly a fraction of what I could do. But I suppose it's not your fault, and the trap should be a sufficient test for the boy." He turned his gaze to the distance, in the direction where Nova Domus stood. "Come find me Tacitus. Survive this, and earn your reward."
"Reward master? What kind of reward?"
"The best kind of reward, dear Pranceius. Knowledge. Information. And if I am correct, this reward should make him an even more entertaining individual."
Anticipation filled him and the wicked grin grew wider as he contemplated the events to come. He silently hoped that Tacitus would survive. He wanted to see how the "reward" would change him. ***
Stinging wind blew against Tacitus's face as he struggled to push his way through the snow. The cold was almost unbearable. His body shivered violently in an attempt to keep itself warm. The others were fairing no better, as even Pinkie's usual bouncing movements were slowed and labored as she fought against the cold and snow.
"A coffee," Tacitus said to himself. "My kingdom for a coffee."
"Or some hot chocolate," Spike added from his position atop Twilight. The snow had become so deep that the young dragon could no longer walk, and had to hop onto the back of his friend. He had resumed using his fire breath to try to keep himself and the others warm, but it was not nearly as effective as it had been before.
"This weather ain't natural," said Applejack as a particularly fierce wind blew past them.
"Indeed it isn't. Look!" cried Rarity over the howl of the wind.
The group looked up to where she pointed, and realized it was not the wind that had howled. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold passed through them all as they saw the Windigos circling above them, their cries turning their hearts to ice.
Despite sharing their fear, Twilight attempted to encourage the others.
"Don't worry," she said, "they won't bother us so long as we stick together."
"Let's keep moving then," said Tacitus. "We can't be too far now."
The group soldiered onward, weariness beginning to show its effects in their slow strides and tired faces. They had traveled all day the previous day, and then had stopped to eat and rest for a few hours before continuing on their journey. They could see the mountain in the distance. They were so close now.
Something below Tacitus's hooves began to glow bright. The snow in the surrounding area scattered as if blown away by an unnatural wind. The ice below the snow cracked and broke apart, a thick black aura pouring through gaps and swirling about the company.
Something burst out of the snow, the sheer force of which hurled them backwards. They landed hard on the snow, some of them sinking several feet into it.
Shaking their heads to regain their senses after being tossed, the group to their horror beheld five great wolves and an enormous bear standing before them. They were a gory sight to behold, for they only had patches of skin still attached to their bodies. Some areas were devoid of skin, exposing the torn and rotting muscle tissue beneath, while others were merely bone with no skin or muscle to speak of.
The abominations roared in challenge of the group, and began to lick their lips in anticipation for their first meal of their second lives.
The girls and Spike prepared to meet them, ready to defend themselves against the new threat. Before they could move, they found themselves surrounded in a very familiar blue aura that formed itself into a bubble. They were lifted high off the ground and became suspended in mid-air, far out of reach of the grisly pack.
They looked below and saw Tacitus, his sword unsheathed and glowing bright, standing alone against the creatures. They began to beat against the bubble, and Twilight attempted to dispel it, but to no avail.
"Tacitus!" Twilight called. "Let us out of here right now!"
"I've got this," he called back to her. "You all just stay where it's safe."
Tacitus crouched low, his muscles tense and ready to spring. He had never fought with a weapon before, but he had spent most of their resting period the previous day practicing with the sword. Now it was time to see if it had paid off.
Tacitus made the first move. He channeled his energy through his horn as he had done countless times before, but now the sword glowed bright along with his horn. A beam of energy much stronger than anything Tacitus had unleashed before erupted from the tip of the blade, the recoil causing him to stumble back a few steps.
The beam struck the ground where the undead beasts stood, the resulting explosion failing to destroy any of them, but did succeed in separating them.
"Still need to work on the aim and recoil," Tacitus said aloud as he readjusted himself. He saw the creatures rushing at him, their rotten teeth barred and their maws filled with sickly green bile. "Right, worry about that later."
Tacitus took aim at one of the wolves, sending another beam straight at it. This one struck true and shattered the wolf to pieces.
His small victory was short-lived. The rest of the pack was fast and soon they were upon him. They slashed at him with bloody claws and snapped at him, hoping to crush his neck in their jaws.
Tacitus was on the retreat, teleporting out of the way, only to find another wolf waiting to strike at him. He was getting desperate, he hardly had time to cast spells before one wolf or another was inches from his face. He saw they were trying to circle him while leading him toward the bear. He had to do something quick.
A wolf leaped at him, trying to deliver a final blow. In a desperate move, Tacitus swung the sword at the airborne wolf. The sword cleaved through the wolf's neck, severing its head and sending the body careening into another wolf.
That attack broke the momentum of the pack and gave Tacitus an opening. He teleported as quickly as he could, getting some distance between him and the monsters. He saw the headless wolf and the wolf it had crashed into begin to recover and attempt to rise. Tacitus had an idea.
"Please work," he silently pleaded as he readied the spell and raised the sword. He stabbed the sword into the ground, causing a fissure in the earth that headed straight towards the two wolves. The ground opened up beneath them and swallowed them. Tacitus then closed the fissure, crushing the wolves trapped in the ground.
"Nice. Check that off the list of spells I've always wanted to do."
Tacitus had little time to congratulate himself. The bear was charging at him from one side, while another wolf sped toward him from the other.
He waited patiently, not moving an inch from where he stood. Seeing this, his friends shouted at him with renewed zeal, calling for him to move. But he continued to simply stand there, the two beasts nearly upon him. The wolf pounced; the bear raised its paw to strike down at him.
Just before their strikes connected, Tacitus teleported. Instead of striking Tacitus, the bear struck the wolf, shattering it and crushing its bones to dust.
Some distance away, Tacitus allowed himself a cocky smile. The bear had its back to him, and he was readying the sword to fire another blast at it and end this.
The smile dropped when he heard the menacing growl come from behind him. He could smell its foul breath, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He had miscounted. There was one wolf left.
He whipped his head around to see the undead creature charging at him, its jaws open and ready to taste flesh for the first time in centuries.
In his shock, Tacitus absentmindedly swung the sword, the blade still charged with magical energy. The unintentional slash sent, not a beam, but a curved blade of energy from the sword directly at the charging wolf.
The energy headed towards the wolf's open jaw, cutting through it like a hot knife through butter and leaving the creature horizontally bisected. The areas where the energy had connected glowed red hot, as if a blade of magma had cut through it.
"Huh," said Tacitus as he studied the results of the spell, "that's new."
Tacitus was so distracted by the discovery, he failed to notice the bear approaching from behind. The bear snuck as quietly as it could, it's teeth barred and bile dripping from its mouth.
His friends, still in the protective bubble he placed them in, desperately tried to get his attention. They shouted as loud as they could, but the magical bubble muffled their cries.
Twilight cast a spell to amplify her voice, and shouted in a volume that made the royal Canterlot voice seem a mere whisper.
"TACITUS! BEHIND YOU!"
Alarmed, Tacitus did a quick about-face. He looked and saw the bear's gnarled paw swiping, head right towards his head.
Reacting as quickly as he could, Tacitus dodged just enough to keep the attack from killing him, but the claws still made contact. They drew across his cheek, leaving a scar dripping blood.
Ignoring the small injury, Tacitus charged the sword once again. He filled the blade with energy before slashing the air several times, sending numerous blades of energy hurtling towards the undead bear.
The energy slashes cut the bear to pieces, it's chopped up remains falling to the ground and lying still.
Tacitus didn't let his guard down. He cautiously searched each of the creatures to make sure they were truly dead. Once he was satisfied, he relaxed and set about lowering the bubble he had placed his friends in back to the ground before dispelling it.
"Well," said Tacitus as he sheathed the sword, "that certainly-"
"What's the matter with you?!" Applejack shouted at him.
"Yeah!" rainbow added. "What's the big deal trapping us and fighting on your own?"
Tacitus had suspected they might react like this. "There was no need for any of you to put yourselves in danger. I had the situation under control, so I didn't need your help."
"Oh really?" Rarity asked, just as angry as Rainbow and AJ. "If we hadn't warned you, you would have ended up with a lot worse than just a scar."
Rarity pointed to the ugly scar on his face. Blood still flowed from the fresh wound, but it seemed Tacitus had completely forgotten about it. He used the sword's power to perform a healing spell, causing the scar and all traces of it to disappear completely.
"This is nothing," protested Tacitus, ignoring the fact that he may well have lost his head were it not for their warning. "The point is, this sword makes it my responsibility to face these threats, not yours."
"Ah can't believe you!" Applejack hollered. "You still don't trust us! After everything we've been through, you still think being alone is better than letting others help you."
"Trust has nothing to do with it!" Tacitus shot back, starting to get aggravated. "I just want you all to be safe. If anything, this attack proves that I was right and that this mission is too dangerous. So I'm not asking this time, I'm telling you: go home."
"Who died and put you in charge?" Rainbow asked incredulously.
"Twilight almost!" Tacitus shouted, anger rising inside of him. "I'm done letting you all put yourselves in danger for something that isn't your responsibility! I told you before, I have the sword and the power, so it is my duty to stop Imperius. This is not your fight and this is not a discussion. Go home. Now!"
"Please don't fight," Fluttershy squeaked just loud enough to be heard.
"Yeah, come on guys," Spike agreed. "You need to calm down."
The fight hurting their friendship was not the only thing that worried Spike. Windigos, attracted by the fighting, were beginning to congregate around them. The air grew colder and the wind blew fiercer, but the bickering ponies seemed not to notice.
"This is our fight," Applejack argued. "Imperius is a threat to all of us, and we're goin' to help you stop him whether you like it or not. We're not leavin', so you'd better just get used to it!"
Tacitus was seething. He spoke through gritted teeth. "Go. Home. Now."
Rainbow pushed her face right up against his. "Make us."
They stared each other down, pressing harder against each other to make the other back down. Tacitus was about ready to take her up on her suggestion and find a way to force them to go home. They were so caught up in their fighting, they didn't even notice the ice forming around their hooves.
"Enough!" Twilight shouted, breaking the intense silence and the Windigo's ice both. "This isn't the time to be fighting and it isn't the time to be separating! No one is going home and we are all going to stop Imperius together. No more discussions, no more arguing, no more fighting."
Tacitus was about to protest, but Twilight held up a hoof. "That's a royal order." The tone of her voice left no room for discussion, and the look on her face chilled him more than any Windigo could.
She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Let's keep moving. We still have a ways to go."
They did as she said and moved on, but they moved in a huff. Tacitus was furious at the stubbornness of his friends, just as they were furious at his stubbornness. He walked silently with a frown on his face. The others, aside from Pinkie, Spike, and Fluttershy, did the same.
The next hour was filled with this angry silence. Pinkie had tried to lighten the mood, but her friends refused to be cheered up, the stress and cold getting the best of them.
Unable to pull her friends out of their stupor didn't mean Pinkie herself allowed them to get her down. She found ways to keep her spirits up, and hoped her good mood would rub off on them.
After the blizzard had died down somewhat, Pinkie started taking up catching snowflakes on her tongue. She darted to and fro, savoring each snowflake and swearing that each had a unique flavor. She claimed every flavor to be delicious, until the last flake touched her tongue.
"Blech!" she exclaimed, spitting violently to get the taste out of her mouth. "That snowflake was disgusting! That didn't taste like snow at all."
It was then that she noticed that the snow falling around her was an unusual color. Instead of pure white, it was gray. She looked down and saw that the snow beneath her was the same color.
The others had also noticed the change, seeing the grey snow stretch almost endlessly in front of them.
"How odd," said Rarity. "Why is the snow such a strange color?"
"Because it's not snow," said Tacitus, his voice hollow. "It's ash."
The others looked to the huge mountain looming before them, and saw the cloud of smoke and ash rising from its top. After all these millennia, Vehoovius still rained ash down upon the land.
They walked through the valley of ashes, choking coughs echoing as the still warm flakes blew into their faces. A sense of uneasiness and dread filled them with each step they took. This place seemed wrong to them, as if Death itself resided there.
They weren't entirely wrong.
It was when Tacitus saw the tops of stone structures and building, all that remained of a city long gone, that the realization hit him. There was no doubt where they were now.
"Welcome to Ponypeii," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "Or at least what's left of it."
Tacitus loved ancient ruins. They were his passion. They were filled with history and knowledge. He was overjoyed whenever he discovered an artifact or an abandoned city. He now stood atop the remains of a grand city lost for thousands of years, filled with artifacts and treasures of priceless historical value. By all accounts, this place should have brought him overwhelming excitement. But it didn't.
Tacitus felt no love at the sight of this place, nor joy. The excitement that filled him whenever he found a place of historical significance was nowhere to be found.
This was no great tomb or temple, where the dead were buried and honored. This was no city that was swept away by natural cause or the decays of time.
This was the site of a massacre. An entire city and all its inhabitants snuffed out by a mad emperor who wanted to make an example of them. All the tomes and artifacts buried beneath could do nothing to erase the taint of this place. How many ponies lay buried under a ton of volcanic ash? How many ghosts cried out in terror and pain beneath his hooves?
The sight of what appeared to be two petrified hooves sticking up from the ash and clasping each other caused Tacitus to shudder. Was his mind playing tricks on him, a rock or statue seeming to be more than it really was? It didn't matter. The image of two ponies embracing one another as they were smothered by ash was ingrained in his mind.
"Let's get out of here," said Tacitus, desperate to leave the horrid place. "Imperius must be close by." The sound of that vile name caused anger to rise inside of him. He was the one responsible for this desolation, and countless other horrors. He had almost caused the death of one of his closest friends. Tacitus, by nature very calm and forgiving, began to know what hate felt like.
They drew closer to the fiery mountain. They could see a red glow emanating from its top, streams of magma still flowing from its peak.
A noise like shifting rock grabbed their attention. They picked up their pace, heading towards the source of the commotion. Tacitus unsheathed his sword, readying himself to face what he suspected to encounter. The others did likewise, preparing themselves in their own way to meet the threat.
It wasn't long before they caught sight of him. There stood Imperius, his horn was aglow and a doorway was beginning to appear in the side of the mountain. It continued to slowly open for him until it was large enough for a pony to walk through. He was about to step through when he heard the ponies approach.
"Hold it!" yelled Tacitus as he made his way to the front of the group, positioning himself between Imperius and his friends.
"So, you made it," Imperius said with a grin on his face. "It certainly took you long enough."
Twilight stepped forward. "Surrender yourself peacefully Imperius. We're taking you to Canterlot to answer for your crimes."
Imperius raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised to see her. "I sensed that young Tacitus had survived, but I'm honestly surprised to see you alive after my spell hit you. It seems the years have caused my talent for killing alicorns to become a bit rusty." A savage grin overcame his face, and his horn glowed black. "Let's remedy that, shall we?"
Imperius sent a blast at energy at Twilight. As quick as lightning, Tacitus leapt in front of her and swung his sword. He batted the blast away, sending it off harmlessly into the distance.
"What?!" Imperius shouted in shock. He sent more blasts, this time aimed at Tacitus. Tacitus batted each of them away before sending a blast of his own at Imperius.
Imperius dodged the blast, but was surprised at the power behind it. The boy was different from the last time they met. Imperius didn't have time to think much on it. Tacitus sent numerous energy slashes at him, forcing Imperius to go on the defensive.
Imperius was growing increasingly frustrated. The battle wasn't going his way. How could he be losing to a weakling like this?
Suddenly, Imperius realized he had lost sight of Tacitus. The stallion was nowhere to be seen. Imperius decided to switch up tactics and target his friends, maybe use one as a shield.
His plan was never put into action.
Tacitus teleported directly in front of him, sending a shockwave that sent Imperius flying into the side of the mountain. He slammed into the stone hard, and before he could move, Tacitus put the blade of his sword against his throat.
"What is going on?" Imperius thought to himself. "The blade is keeping me from performing spells. What kind of sword is that?"
Imperius took a good look at the sword, realization donning in his eyes. After a moment of shock, Imperius let out hysterical laughter.
"The Sword of Aeneighus!" he said between laughs. "So you are of his bloodline! You are just full of surprises."
Imperius looked at Tacitus, his face serious and his eyes burning.
"Oh, now why are you so upset?" Imperius asked in mock concern. "Is this because I left you and your friends to freeze to death, or is it because of the skeletons? Gack!"
Tacitus pressed the blade harder against his throat. "Don't push me," he said in a low voice. "I'm in a foul mood."
Imperius smiled. "Good."
Twilight and the others walked closer. "Calm down Tacitus. We still need him."
Tacitus reluctantly eased the blade back somewhat, but still kept it close to his throat. What would he do if he tried anything though? Would he kill him? Tacitus had never killed anypony before. Timberwolves and undead monsters were one thing, but this was a living pony.
And yet, part of Tacitus actually wanted to do it. After what he's done, both in the past and in the present, shouldn't he deserve death? Even now, Tacitus could feel his anger rising just looking at him, his smug grin taunting Tacitus. His disregard for the lives he took, his attempts to murder him and his friends, his complete lack of remorse; it infuriated Tacitus. But could he kill him?
"Uh, Twi," Applejack said, "how exactly are we gonna get him to Canterlot? We ain't exactly got a cage or somethin'."
"We'll figure something out," responded Twilight. "We have to get him back for questioning."
"But why wait?" Imperius's rasping voice grated against their ears. "You have me at your mercy right now, so why not question me here? I'll gladly answer any questions you have. Surviving as you have, you've certainly earned that courtesy." A vile grin spread across his face. "Besides, those poor sick ponies are running out of time. Just imagine how many of those unfortunate souls will die during the time it takes to get me back to the capital. You need a cure as quickly as possible."
Tacitus and his friends looked at each other, conferring in silent deliberation. No matter what they thought though, Twilight had the final say. She nodded slowly.
"Fine," she said. "We'll question him here."
"Start talking buddy," Rainbow said in the most menacing way she could manage.
The grin never left Imperius's face as he talked. "Gladly. Why not start with the question you asked back at Nova Domus, about me being the source of the poisoned river. I am indeed responsible. I...persuaded...a talented apothecary to create a toxin imbued with dark magic. I need not explain its effects to you, for you have seen them for yourself.
"The reason for it is that I wanted to weaken the population of Equestria so that my armies could sweep in virtually unopposed. However, judging by the strength you all posses, it might not even have been necessary. It seems peace will be your undoing. However, the poison still has a use. I consider the poison to be a mercy. Those that are infected should consider themselves lucky."
Tacitus pressed his sword hard against his throat. "Lucky!" he shouted. "Do you have any idea the suffering you've caused them?! Do have any idea of the pain that poison brings?!"
"It's still a mercy. They have never seen the ravages of war. Weeks of suffering in a bed is preferable to slaughter my army will reek in one day." Something glinted in Imperius eyes, like he was excited for something. "But more on that later. Why don't I move on to the big picture, the ultimate goal I have in mind?"
"Let me guess," said Rainbow. "You want to take over the world. You're not exactly the most original villain in history."
Despite the insult, Imperius continued to smile. "You're only half right child. I do intend to be the ruler of this world, but I have been a ruler before. I have learned from my mistakes and I will not repeat them. I will never allow another rebellion.
"The natural order is that the strong rule the weak, thus order and peace will be established. However, no matter how much power I have or what I do to inspire fear, there will always be those that will fight against me. This will always be so long as free will is allowed to exist. Thus I must eliminate free will. To do that," the smile grew wider, "I must eliminate all life."
Shock. Horror. Disgust. Anger. All of these and more flooded through them as they heard his plan.
"You're insane," said Tacitus. "If you wipe out life, you'll be the emperor of nothing."
"Ah, but you forget boy. You forget what my specialty in the field of magic is."
"Necromancy," Tacitus whispered, kicking himself for forgetting.
"Correct. Once I've purged the world of life, I will simply raise them from the dead. The perfect subjects: loyal, obedient, and no thoughts of rebellion. I shall rule an empire of the dead, and the world shall be as it should."
"You really are insane," said Tacitus, anger continuing to boil inside of him from listening to his schemes.
"What about a cure?" Twilight demanded. "What is the cure for the poison?"
"In good time," said Imperius. "First I have something especially for young Tacitus here."
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Oh come now Tacitus. You seem a smart boy, surely you've made the connection? Then again, perhaps you not knowing will make telling you all the more fun."
"Talk sense!"
"Very well. A toxin such as the one I used is unique, never seen before. When I first created it, its affects were unknown to me. So, I needed to test it before mass producing it and introducing it into the water. While there were numerous subjects here to choose from, I wanted my subjects to be special.
"I wanted subjects from Canterlot, so that I could show that I could strike at the heart of your nation and so that the ponies of Equestria got a small taste of what was to come. I randomly chose two ponies to infect with the poison and observe its affect on them. Can you guess who they were Tacitus? They were very close to you."
Tacitus mouth was agape as horrible realization spread across his features. Tacitus knew he'd seen the effects of that poison before. There was no doubt now. The poison that was killing the ponies had killed...
"My parents..."
"That's right Tacitus. They were the lucky chosen. That's how I knew you. Through Pranceius's eyes I saw the toxin eat away at them, saw it give them unending nightmares and excruciating pain. And I saw you stand by them the entire time, foolishly hoping they would recover. Needless to say, I was very satisfied with the results. I'm even happier now that I know that I killed Aeneighus's descendents. Strange how fate works."
Imperius looked closely at Tacitus. Pure shock was all that could be seen, his eyes seeming to stare straight through him. He hardly seemed to be breathing.
"How did it feel Tacitus? How did it feel to see your beloved parents suffer and die while you sat helplessly doing nothing? And how does it feel now, standing face to face with the one responsible for their deaths? Are you angry? Do you want revenge?" Tacitus still stood in silent shock. Imperius's face turned into one of disappointed disgust. "Pitiful. Too much of a weakling to avenge the ones you loved. Or perhaps you didn't love them at all. Maybe I did you a favor in killing those worthless pieces of trash."
That broke him.
Tacitus eyes were wild and burned with fury. His blood boiled and his body shook with pure rage. Hatred, murderous in its intent, filled him for the first time in his life.
"ARGH!" he screamed in fury as he raised his sword high above his head. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
This was what Imperius was waiting for. With the blade removed from his throat, he was free to cast spells. He teleported away just before the blade struck him. It instead struck the mountain, taking a huge chunk of rock out of it.
Tacitus searched wildly for Imperius, the ash beneath him clearing and the ground cracking from the intensity of his enhanced power. As soon as he saw his target, he sent blast after furious blast at the source of his hate.
Anger made him sloppy however, and Imperius dodged or blocked each one before teleporting into the doorway he had opened in the mountain. He sent a blast into the mountainside, causing rocks to fall and begin to black the entrance.
"One last piece of information before I leave," called Imperius over the rumble of the stone. "The apothecary who helped me create the poison still lives, but not for much longer. Seems he took a bit of his own medicine. He resides in a hut five miles east of here, and he is the only one who knows the cure. So either chase after me, or find the cure. Your choice."
With that, and with the grin still on his face, Imperius ran into the mountain, disappearing into the darkness.
The entrance was almost completely sealed. They had to make a choice.
For Tacitus, there was no choice.
He dove for the entrance, running as fast as his rage-fueled state could push him.
"Tacitus wait!" Twilight called desperately. She and the others ran after him, trying to stop him.
They weren't fast enough.
Tacitus jumped through the last remaining opening, just before the falling boulders sealed the entrance.
"IMPERIUS!" Tacitus shouted the name with all of his hatred behind it.
The call echoed through the mountain as Tacitus chased him through the darkness. It was all he heard.
He couldn't hear, or perhaps he chose not to hear, the desperate calls of his friends behind the sealed entrance.
The call for revenge was all he heard. |
An Ancient Threat | Failure | The girls clawed at the sealed doorway, trying desperately to move the heavy stones. They strained and pulled, but the boulders were slow to move. It would take time to clear the entrance. Time they didn't have.
"Girls," spoke Twilight solemnly, "we can't keep this up. We have to find that apothecary and the cure."
"Are you serious?!" Rainbow shouted. "We can't just leave Tacitus!"
"The poor dear is trapped in there with that horrid fiend," said Rarity as she continued to dig through the rock, ignoring her chipped and dirty hooves. "We can't abandon him."
Pinkie was blasting at the rocks with her party cannon, but made little progress. "Tacitus is all alone with that big meanie. We have to help him."
"But we may not have much time," Twilight responded. "We need to find the cure before it's too late."
"How do we even know Imperius was telling the truth?" inquired Spike. "He could have been lying about the apotha-thingy to get us to not follow him."
"He does seem like the type who would be a liar," spoke Fluttershy.
"But if there is even a chance he was telling the truth, then we have to try. Those ponies will die without a cure, and this is our only lead."
"I'm with Twi on this one," said Applejack. "As much as I hate to leave Tacitus alone, this might be our only chance of getting' a cure."
They all looked to one another, internally fighting with themselves over what they had to do. None of them wanted to do it, but they all knew they had to.
"The sooner we find the cure, the sooner we can get back and help Tacitus," Twilight tried to assure them. They still didn't like the idea of leaving their friend, but they slowly stopped digging and turned to follow Twilight as she headed east, to where the supposed apothecary resided.
Twilight took one last glance back at the sealed passage, a sharp pain in her heart. "Please be safe Tacitus. Just hold on, we'll be back." ***
Adrenaline pumped through Tacitus's veins as he ran through the dark tunnel, the glow of his sword lighting the way as he pursued his target.
His lungs burned, his legs ached, his whole body was telling him to slow down, to rest. But he would never rest, not until he tore Imperius apart.
As he ran, his scarf caught onto a jagged rack. Tacitus felt the material tug, and came to a stop as quickly as he could. He gingerly removed the beloved scarf from the rock and examined it closely, relief flooding through him when he saw that it was undamaged. He stared at the scarf for a moment, before clutching it tightly in his shaking hoof.
"I wouldn't be wearing this, or the hat, if it weren't for him!" Tacitus thought. "If it wasn't for Imperius, they would both still be..."
He jaw was clenched so tight it threatened to crack his teeth, anger burned like fire in his stomach. Never in his life had Tacitus felt such intense hatred, nor had he ever had such murderous thoughts. Tacitus wanted to kill him. He wanted to make him suffer, to watch him squirm and writhe in pain like he had forced his parents to. He wanted revenge.
"I will kill you Imperius!" Tacitus shouted, his call echoing through the darkness. "Do you hear me?!"
Tacitus ran on, the only response to meet his ears being rasping laughter. ***
Imperius heard Tacitus's call, but only cackled in response. Tacitus's reaction had been everything he had hoped it would be. Few things brought him greater pleasure than breaking somepony. This was a good start, but he wasn't anywhere near finished breaking Tacitus yet.
"Master," spoke the voice of Pranceius, "why did you tell them about the apothecary? What if they discover the cure?"
"I am confident that he will be dead long before they find him."
"And if he is not? If they find him before the poison takes him, what then?"
"It matters not. Enough of them have already been infected to where any resistance they put up will be pitiful at best. Besides, they will die in the end either way, either by the toxin or by the sword. Once my powers are restored, no force on this earth will be able to stop me."
Imperius halted his advance. Even in this weakened state, he could sense the ancient magics before him. He could feel the traps and enchantments that had laid dormant for millennia. Most importantly, he could feel his armor, its dark power radiating through the stone. It was calling to him.
"These traps are nothing to you master. They should be simple enough to disable."
"True, but I have a better idea. Let's leave them for young Tacitus to stumble into." His vile grin spread wider as his horn began to glow. "And maybe I'll leave a few surprises of my own." ***
Twilight didn't know how long they had been searching. They had traveled five miles east, or at least she hoped they had, but so far had found nothing. The wind and snow made everything difficult, including navigation, so she could only hope she was correct in her calculations.
They had fanned out in groups of two, with the exception of Twilight herself who flew alone in search of any sign of the alleged apothecary.
Doubt and fear crept into her heart as she continued to find no sign of any living thing. Had she made the right decision? Was Imperius lying? Even if he wasn't, what if the pony they were looking for was already dead, or had no cure?
Guilt weighed heavily on her heart as well. She had made the decision to leave Tacitus to chase after what might be a fruitless endeavor. She prayed that he was okay. The fact that he was alone with that monster was not the only thing that worried her. His reaction, his anger, had shocked her and the others. She caught a glimpse of his eyes before he dashed into the mountain after Imperius. They were filled with a blind rage that she had never seen in anyone before. It had terrified her.
"Please just stay alive until we get back," she pleaded. "Please be okay."
Just as she finished her pleading, something below her caught her eye. At first she took it as simply another rock jutting out form the snow, but then she saw a faint glow emanating from it. She landed next to it, and saw that it was a small stone building, candles burning dimly inside.
Twilight sent up a magical flare into the sky, alerting the others to her position. It wasn't long before the girls and Spike had joined her outside the cottage. Although cottage was strong word. The building looked more like a pile of stones haphazardly formed into the shape of a house. It was amazing it hadn't collapsed in on itself.
"Ya think this is it?" asked Applejack. "Think this is where we'll find the cure?"
"I hope so," responded Twilight as she moved toward the door of rotting wood. It opened with a loud creak, revealing an interior not much more pleasing to look at than its exterior. Most of the space was occupied by what looked like alchemical equipment. Flasks, jars, vials, and all sorts of herbs and potions littered the floor. The only furniture was a desk where piles of paper with notes scrawled on them and more potions resided, and a ragged bed of straw.
On that bed of straw, moaning quietly under a thin blanket, was an earth pony. His coat, at least what was left of it, was the color of rust. Whatever mane he might have had was gone, its remnants strewed about the area where his head rested. He looked emaciated, his breath came in rasping gasps, and his sclera was pitch black. The poison had indeed taken hold of him.
The girls rushed to his side, but as soon as they came close, he began to thrash and scream. He batted at them as much as his weakened arms could allow, trying desperately to keep them away.
"Go away!" he shouted. "Please, no more torture, no more nightmares! Just let me die and end my torment!"
They backed away as he continued to weakly flail his arms, unsure of how to proceed. Only Fluttershy kept going toward him, cautiously approaching the writhing pony.
He tried to bat her away, even landing a blow on her, but the arm was so weak she may as well have been hit by a pillow. The pony screamed louder, shouting at her to go away.
"Shhh, it's alright," she said kindly. "We're not here to hurt you. We're here to help."
She sat next to him and gently put her hoof to his head. She stroked his head slowly, humming a soothing tune as she did so. His thrashing and screaming subsided, and even his breathing seemed to improve. Fluttershy's mere presence seemed to lessen his pain. There was a reason she was the Element of Kindness.
"What fresh horror is this that disguises itself in such a fair form?" He spoke with the voice of a pony that had given up all hope. "Please, don't offer me comfort only to make the coming pain worse. Vision, spirit, demon; whatever you are, I beg you to end this sick game. Please show some small measure of mercy, and let me die."
"We're not visions," Fluttershy said in her soothing voice. "We're real and we want to help."
The rest of the group slowly approached them, careful not to frighten him. He looked at them with cautious eyes, and began to shift uncomfortably beneath his retched blanket. However, Fluttershy's hoof at his cheek seemed to relax him, and he let them near without a fuss.
"I suppose it doesn't matter if you are real or not. Whatever comfort you give is welcome, even if it is only temporary."
Twilight approached. "What is your name?" she asked. "Are you an apothecary?"
He stared at the ceiling, as if he was straining to remember. "My name? It has been so long since I heard it. It was taken from me when i was in the darkness. For so long, I have only been called Slave. It is the only name I know. But yes, I am an apothecary by trade. I made potions, meant to heal. Then, I was forced to make this vile poison."
"Other ponies have been infected with the poison," Twilight continued. "Is there a cure?"
A groan of pain, more from the heart than from any physical pain, escaped his lips.
"Then I am a murderer. How many suffer now because of my creation." He looked to the girls, their faces the only kind ones he had seen in Celestia- knows how long. A glimmer of hope seemed to shine in those miserable eyes. "But perhaps there is time to correct my mistake, and save others from this fate.
"When that...monster...had no more use of me, he forced the toxin down my throat and left me to die. But I was determined to find a cure. As the poison slowly spread through my body, I poured into research and experimentation to find the antidote. I was able to find it, but by that time the venom had already done its work. I was too weak to move.
"On the shore of a frozen lake not far from here is a flower called Solarus's Sun. Ancient and powerful magic resides in it, and has allowed it to survive in this harsh environment. How ironic, that the cure was so close but became forever beyond my reach. You must take this flower and boil it into a tea. That is the cure."
The pony coughed violently, blood spewing from his mouth and splattering against the wall. All the pain seemed to come rushing back at him at once. He wailed in torment and writhed on the straw bed. Fluttershy clung tightly to him and spoke comforting words as he struggled through the pain.
His writhing lessened some, but the pain was still clear in his wide eyes and gasping breaths. He shuddered before looking at Fluttershy, her eyes still looking at him with compassion. He could see her concern for him, her desperate desire to help him. He knew he wasn't long for this world, but she and her friends had helped more than they could possibly know.
A strained smile spread across his face. "Thank you for your kindness and for giving me hope that others will not die because of my work."
He began to convulse, blood flowing from his mouth, nose, and even his eyes. His chest heaved, his eyes widened, and a horrible gurgling noise escaped from him.
The rest of the girls averted their eyes, unable to watch the macabre sight. But Fluttershy did not look away. She held him close and stroked his head until he shuddered and was still. ***
They buried him behind the cottage. Fluttershy and Applejack had stayed behind to dig the grave and bury the apothecary while the others went in search of the frozen lake and the flower that would serve as a cure.
It wasn't hard putting him in the ground, his body being so thin and light. They wanted to say a few words, but none came to mind. They had only known him for a few short minutes. They really knew nothing of him save his wretched suffering under the toxin.
They didn't even know his name. But they would remember what he did in his last moments. Countless lives would be saved because of him. All they have to do is find this flower, and they will be saved.
Saved from the poison, at least. There was still Imperius to worry about.
As Fluttershy and Applejack dug the grave, the search for the Solarus's Sun was already underway. The hardest part was finding the lake, as its frozen surface had been buried beneath a sheet of snow. They had actually passed by it without even realizing it was there, until Rainbow noticed a beam of sunlight reflect across a bit of bare ice.
Some clearing away of the snow indeed revealed a large lake of ice, and on the far shore was a single flower. It was shaped like a sun, and in fact looked remarkably similar to Celestia's cutie mark. It shined with a golden glow, and it was surrounded, not by snow, but fresh green grass, as if its aura kept away the cold and allowed life to flourish.
"That's it?" Applejack asked as Twilight showed her the flower. They had plucked it and returned to the cottage to inform Fluttershy and Applejack of their find. "One flower? How is one flower gonna make enough tea to cure everypony?"
"One flower is all we need," Twilight assured her. "I can use a duplication spell to make as much as we need." She placed the flower in a small wooden box before storing it carefully into her saddlebag.
A sound of rumbling assaulted their ears. "Uh, guys," said Spike, "I think we may have a problem." He pointed to Vehoovius looming in the distance, even more smoke spewing from its top and the unmistakable glow of magma visible even from where they stood. Something wasn't right.
"We need to get back and help Tacitus. Fast." Twilight tried desperately to think of a faster way to get back to the mountain.
"Hey," said Rainbow, "I've got an idea. It's crazy, but I think it'll work."
"Let's hear it then," said Applejack.
"Okay, so, I'm faster than all of you guys. I can get back to the mountain in almost no time."
"Rainbow," said Rarity reproachfully, "this is hardly the time for boasting."
"Hold on, I'm not finished yet! Anyway, I think I know how I can get all of us there really fast. Twilight, do you remember that spell you cast when we fought Discord? The one where you put all of us in a bubble to keep him from turning all of us into jerks again?"
"Yeah. Where are you going with this?"
"Do that spell again. Make sure all of us are in the bubble."
Twilight did as she was asked and cast they spell. All seven of them were floating inside of the raspberry colored sphere.
"Alright, I cast it. Now what?"
"Now," rainbow responded, "you hang on hope this dumb idea works."
"Oh! Oh!" Pinkie exclaimed excitedly. "I know what she's going to do! This is gunna be fun!"
And with that, Rainbow launched herself forward, pushing against the edge of the bubble and propelling them forward as fast as she could go. The others were thrown backwards, screaming in fear, or excitement in Pinkie's case, as they rocketed through the snow-covered landscape.
In less than half the time it took them to get to the cottage, they were already fastly approaching the mountainside. Too fast actually. They were about to crash into it.
"Uh oh," said Pinkie
"Rainbow! Slow down!" Twilight shouted.
"I can't! I stopped pushing it, but it just keeps going!"
"Then fly in the other direction and try to slow it down!"
Rainbow flung herself at the other side of the bubble and began to fly against it. She could feel it slowing down slightly, but it was still far too fast. They could see the collapsed entry way mere feet away. They braced themselves for impact as they slammed hard into the stone.
Dust and rocks were flung into the air on impact, stones lay strewn across the ground as the girls and Spike slowly began to rise.
"Is everypony alright?" Twilight asked as she gingerly rubbed her sore head.
"Ah think so," Applejack called back as she dusted off her hat. "Rainbow, we ain't ever gunna do that again."
"Awww," Pinkie complained. "I thought it was fun."
Another rumble from the mountain, much more violent than the last, shook the ground beneath them. More magma and smoke erupted from the mountaintop.
"Something's wrong," said Twilight worriedly. We need to move now."
Fortune seemed to smile on them. Their impact had cleared most of the stone that blocked the entrance, and the shaking mountain had removed whatever else remained to block their way into the mountain. They surged into the doorway, delving into the mountain. ***
Tacitus jumped back as another spike shot up from the floor, nearly impaling him. How many traps was that now? Twenty? Thirty? He'd lost count. Almost every step he took seemed to spring to life some new machine designed to end his. Only through the sword's power and sheer luck was he able to avoid death.
"Aeneighus told me how to avoid the traps in Nova Domus, would it have been so hard for him to show me how to avoid these?!" Tacitus thought angrily as darts shot past his head.
He was panting now, the effort of chasing after Imperius and avoiding these infernal devices wearing on him. He was tired, thirsty, and hot. As he went further into the mountain, the heat became more and more unbearable. He began to see small streams of lava drip from the stone walls.
He ignored his weariness. He wouldn't allow himself to collapse in exhaustion, not until blood had been paid with blood. His fury, his bloodlust, drove him forward, deeper into the sweltering tunnels of the mountain.
Strangely enough, no more traps assaulted him. His advance was undisturbed and unchallenged. It gave him a bad feeling, like something much worse than traps laid ahead.
The whispers he heard confirmed this fear. He could hear them coming from all around him, from the walls and the darkness that was ahead of him. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but they were incessant and unsettling. The whispers crawled over him like creeping insects. Then they stopped, only to return a moment later. He could understand them now.
"Failure."
"Weakling."
"Pathetic worm."
"Failure."
They repeated over and over, at first in unfamiliar voices. Then, the voices changed. These were much more familiar to Tacitus.
"You're nothin' but a failure, a pathetic nobody," said the voice of Applejack.
"Why would I be friends with a loser like you?" added the voice of Rainbow.
"You don't deserve our friendship." Fluttershy.
"You don't deserve any friends at all." Spike.
"Shut up," Tacitus growled. "I know this isn't real."
"Did you really think we'd ever like you? You really are stupid." Pinkie.
"Why would we ever be nice to someone like you? You were just an easy target, somepony we could use and throw away when we were done." Rarity.
Tacitus swung at the air, trying to dispel whatever had come over him. "Get out of my head!"
"You're useless, a spineless coward who has to be saved like a helpless foal. You were too weak to protect me, so what good are you? You are nothing and you will always be nothing." Twilight.
"I said get out!"
The voices stopped, and the room became dark. No more was there a glow of magma streams illuminating the carved halls. Even his horns glow failed to pierce the dark veil. Then another voice, or rather two voices, called out.
"Tacitus."
A chill ran up his spine as he recognized the voices. He turned, and with a look of horror on his face beheld two figures horribly familiar to him. There, the only thing he could see in the darkness, were his parents. They appeared as they had just before they died, their bodies emaciated and their coats ragged and patchy. The scleras of their eyes were black as coal, and blood flowed from them freely like crimson tears.
"No," Tacitus shook his head in denial. "You're not here. This isn't real."
The horrid figures of his parents spoke as one. "Why did you let this happen to us Tacitus? Why didn't you save us?"
"You're not real. You're not real!" Tacitus clenched his eyes shut. He couldn't look at them.
"You could have helped us, but you didn't. Why? Why did you let us die?"
Tears seeped from his tightly-shut eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"You failed us Tacitus, and now you even fail to avenge us."
"No!" he shouted. "I will avenge you, I will make him pay for what he did to you! I promise."
"No," they responded, "you will fail. And you will fail to protect your friends just like you failed to protect us."
Tacitus shut his eyes tighter and put his hooves to his ears. "Stop it."
"You cannot save them. You cannot save anyone."
"Stop it!"
"They will die, and their blood will be on your hooves. Just as our blood is on your hooves."
Tacitus could feel something warm and wet on his hooves. He looked at them and shrieked as he saw that they were covered in blood. He tried to wipe them off, but nothing would remove the stain.
"Everyone and everything will die, and it will be because you failed. You're a failure son, and the world will suffer because of it."
"ENOUGH!" Tacitus shouted. The sword reacted to his emotions and let out a blast of magic. The forms of his parents, as well as the surrounding darkness, shattered like glass. Tacitus was back in the mountain, panting heavily with terrified eyes as he beheld a pool of magma mere centimeters away. How far had he walked under the spell, and what would have happened if he hadn't broken free when he did?
His legs were shaking, and he had broken out into a cold sweat. He slowly looked down at his hooves, and breathed a shaking sigh of relief as he saw no blood. A sudden violent shake within the mountain broke him from his stupor, and almost sent him tumbling into the magma pool.
He steadied himself before a sick, twisting knot formed in his stomach. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Tacitus used the sword's magic to raise stone platform to cross the river of flame and, with the haunting words of the illusions still echoing in his head, pushed forward into an open rotunda. ***
He was so close now. Every step brought Imperius closer to his restoration. Even the mountain could feel how close he was. As he grew ever closer to his lost armor, the mountain shook and spat fire in response. He could only imagine the glorious eruption of flame and stone that would accompany his return to power.
He entered a large rotunda, and that's where he saw it. Resting atop a raised pedestal was his armor. He rushed up to it and inspected it thoroughly. The ravages of time had done little to it. It still shined as if it were polished yesterday, no sign of rust, and even the spikes on the shoulder guards were still sharp to the touch. He could feel power ebbing from the armor.
"Finally," he breathed, "after all these countless millennia, I finally have it."
"This is it master. The moment we've been waiting for."
"Yes Pranceius. This is it." He took hold of the armor and spoke in an ancient, dead language. "Recurrunt, qui fuit. Redde rationem, ita ut regnum suum!"
"Imperius!" A shout came from the entrance. He turned and saw the familiar form of Tacitus galloping into the rotunda.
The armor glowed bright in Imperius's hooves. He could feel the power resonating through him, electrifying his arms and spreading through his veins. He gave a maniacal cackle as the power intensified and began to burn his hooves.
"You're too late, far too late! My return to power begins now!" A black aura, crackling with electricity, surrounded Imperius. He shouted in painful triumph as magic shot through his body, morphing and distorting it.
"Oh no you don't," Tacitus said as he shot a blast at Imperius. The blast just bounced harmlessly off. He sent another blast, and then another, but nothing worked. "Why won't you just die?!"
"Tacitus!" He turned and saw his friends quickly approaching. How had they gotten here?
"Argh!" The cry came from Imperius. He was writhing within the barrier as his body continued to morph. "Master," spoke the voice of Pranceius, "what's happening? You promised I would serve you in the new world."
"And you will, loyal Pranceius. You will serve me by providing me with my new body. In a way, you will serve me even beyond your death."
"No! No, this isn't what I wanted! Argh!"
The aura grew darker, becoming a sphere of pure blackness. Tacitus, charging his sword, took aim at the sphere. He built up the energy in the blade until he felt he could hold it no longer
"This is for my parents, you bastard!" He shot the beam. It struck the sphere and a massive explosion erupted from the point of impact. The blast sent Tacitus and the others flying backward, and they landed hard on the stone floor.
Tacitus raised himself and rubbed his sore shoulder. Dust was everywhere, but he could not see the magic sphere or Imperius. He allowed himself a victorious smile, pride and savage joy swelling within him.
And then he heard the laughter, and his heart sank.
It wasn't the raspy, grating laughter he heard before. It was deep and booming, echoing through the mountain. It resonated with strength and authority.
The dust cleared and he saw a stallion, almost as tall as Celestia herself and much more strongly built, standing before him.
His coat was the pale grey of a corpse, and he wore a set of black armor in the style of the Roaman Empire. His mane was a sickly pale green, and it seemed to be made of flame instead of hair. The mark on his flank was of a sword piercing a broken crown, his pupils had serpent-like slits, the sclera was black, and a green haze came from the edges of his blood red eyes. Two horns, curved and sharpened, and glowing the same pale green as his mane, protruded from his head.
"Poor Pranceius," he said in his new, booming voice. "He really was a faithful servant, but it couldn't be helped. You can't create a new body from nothing after all. Something must serve as a base for the reconstruction." He looked to the group of ponies, as if just now acknowledging their presence. He looked at them how one might look at an ant, and flashed a smile to reveal a mouth full of sharpened fangs. "You should consider yourselves lucky. You are the first to witness me in all my majesty. Bow to your Emperor and despair."
Tacitus was the first to respond. All of the fury came rushing back when he saw that arrogant, vile face. Steam seemed to erupt from his nostrils as he glared daggers at Imperius, his vision turning red.
"Die, damn you!" he shouted as he raised his sword and fired. Imperius just batted it away with flick of his hoof. Tacitus fired again, only for Imperius to become like shadow, the beam passing harmlessly through him.
Before he could fire again, the floor beneath Tacitus turned black and a spike of pure darkness shot up from the floor aimed directly at his throat. The spike stopped just short of killing him, the point digging into his throat and causing blood to trickle down his neck.
Imperius moved like smoke, teleporting himself so that his face was mere inches from Tacitus. "I could kill you right now, crush you like the insect you are. But I have something much better in mind. I want you to see the full extent of your failure. I want you to walk among the burning ruins of your home. I want you to see the corpses of the ones who trusted you with their lives. Then, once you've gone mad with grief and beg me to let you join them in death, will I grant you that mercy."
He moved away from Tacitus and levitated up to the ceiling. The ground beneath their hooves began to shake, and they could hear the mountain erupting.
"Witness my glorious return and the desolation that I will leave in my path!" He wrapped himself in darkness and exploded through the top of the mountain, sending chunks of rock flying through the air as he went to prepare for his domination of the earth. ***
Imperius landed on the snow-covered ground, a cruel and excited smile on his face. His horns glowed black and the ice beneath him began to crack and shake.
"You have rested long enough. Now is the time to rise and do my bidding!"
For miles around, the snow and ice exploded outward, and from the gaping chasm beneath came legions of undead abominations. Ponies, griffons, minotaurs, even dragons and various other creatures emerged from the cold ground and were given new life. Their bodies were a patchwork of exposed bones and muscles, some more so than others. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers now covered the land, all of them standing in tight formation and facing their master.
One of them, a pony whose face was only half-covered by skin and who wore the armor of a Roaman officer, approached Imperius.
"Ah, General Decimus," said Imperius. "It is good to see you again."
Decimus saluted. "It is good to be back and serving you once more my liege. What are your orders?"
Imperius's horns glowed once more, causing several large swirling portals to appear before the massive army.
"Order the troops to march. The conquest and purge of this world begins now." |
Through the soul of friendship | pre | "Hey where's Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asked only now noticing the missing pink mare. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 9 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by ShieldStar 9
Reed left the room and walked away from the stallion without being rude. He mentally patted him-self on the back. Just before an unreasonable anger over took him, he broke in to a run and flew down the hall. He followed the path out of the castle he learned that morning. He slammed through the doors to the trailing field. Earning him-self a few looks, he didn't care. Turning he ran to the outside wall and began to run the perimeter other it. He poured all his anger and pain in to his speed and was soon sprinting. Storm clouds moved in, actually pegusi were moving them for a planned rain storm, and the sun was covered. The dim light matched his mood. His anger burn out finally and was replaced by pain and sadness. Reed poured this in to his speed as well and kept going. Tears welled up in his eye and his vison was obscured. He put his head down and ran ever harder. Warm summer rain fell from the clouds and Reed was soon soaked. He kept running. Lighting flashed and thunder rumbled, Reed still ran. Finally Reed's leg gave out and he fell to his knees. The memory of what happen to his friend flashed through his mind. He lifted his face to the sky and bellowed His pain and grief to the Clouds above, Tear mix with rain running down his face. -
Twilight the first to find Pinkie, She was standing at the open doors leading to the Training field it was raining. Her mane was flat and she was watching someone. Twilight sent a message to her friend with a flash of magic that she had found Pinkie.
"Pinkie?" Twilight ask tentatively. Pinkie ignored her and just kept watching who ever she was watching. Twilight move to try and see who she was looking at, trying to understand why her friend looked so sad. There was a cry of Pain and Great sadness, and Pinkie Ran out in to the rain. Twilight moved to the Open door, to see where Pinkie went.
Pinkie was galloping to a figure by one of the exterior walls. The thing looked defeated, but that was all Twilight could tell. The Canterlot pegasi had really out did themselves on the storm. Lightning flashed and Twilight cot a glimpse of a soaked Pinkie hugging the downed figure.
"Um, Twilight we can't find Reed, I check him room, but he wasn't there."
Twilight glanced at FlutterShy, she look worried, like one of the animals she care for had gone missing.
Twilight looked out into the rain, where pinkie was hugging a downed figure. Twilight looked closer and with another flash of lightning she was able to figure out who Pinkie was hugging.
"I think I know where he is."
"Really where?" FlutterShy sounded relieve. Twilight pointed with a hoof to the pair in the rain. FlutterShy moved to look where Twilight was pointing.
"Oh my." Pinkie was still hugging the now estimated form of Reed. "What do we do?"
"I don't know." Just then everypony else showed up. ---
Reed felt a pair of hooves wrap around him. A head rested on his shoulder. Wet fur pressing against his neck. Wet mane tickled his face.
"It'll be okay Reed, everyone needs a good cry and hug to make things okay." Reed recognized the Marie's voice even though it was a lot more serious, the was still a hint of muted merriment.
"Pinkie-... It was my fault."
"How could it have been?"
"Because, I..." |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 10 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by ShieldStar 10
"Because, I lit the fire."
*Three years ago.
Reed was so happy to be finally be out camping. James and he had been planning this for a while and they were finally able to after a long summer of work and family fun. It was the last week before school started and James would be transferring to a different high school.
"Hey man it's now or never right?"
James had asked Reed.
"Right." And they had left.
Hiking up to a camping sight already picked out. A good clearing next to the edge of a cliff.
Sunset was close when they arrived and Reed volunteered to build a fire for the night.
"D-do we r-really need a fire?" James ask.
"Hey it gets cold up here after dark."
"But we have sleeping bags."
"Gets colder."
"Fine, but no messing with me." So Reed built the fire a nice size big enough to keep them warm but small enough as to not start a forest fire.
After a few hours James seemed a little calmer. Gazing up at the stars a marshmallow cooking over the fire.
The fire popped and crackled, and the night was peaceful. Reed notices James marshmallow was on fire.
"Hey man your on fire."
Reed stated calmly. James freaked.
He jumped up and ran away from the fire dropped to the ground and began to roll frantically.
"Whoa dude stop I mention your marshmallow!" James continued to roll getting closer to the cliff.
"Hey man stop!" Reed jumped up to stop his friend. James got closer to the edge. Reed jumped on him and tried to stop his rolling. James through him off and rolled closer to the cliff babbling about fire.
"NO STOP!" Reed lunged for James trying to grab some part of him. He only managed to grab air as James rolled over the cliff.
*Now
"He rolled off and it was because I used careless words." Reed said horsily.
"But he didn't tell you that he was terrified of fire." Pinkie said now sitting to Reeds left a hoof on the human's back. There was silence between the two for a long while, as the rain slowly stopped.
"Okay Pinkie you win." Reed said sounding relieved and defeated. They stood and walked to their friends that waited at the palace doors.
"I have been told many times that it wasn't my fault, but guess I just needed to hear it from an outside friend."
"Of course we're outside silly!" Pinkie side gaining some of her bounce back, once the moment had pasted. "Why would we be inside?"
Pinkie gasped, "Unless this is really a super duper Si-fi story in which we are in a fake world!" She paused and thought about the idea, "Nah, that's just silly."
They had reached the doors by then and the two sopping wet friends meet their concerned companions at the doors.
"Is everything alright?" Princess Celestia asked. Pinkie looked to Reed.
"Yes and no. You could say that things are getting better."
"How mysterious." The white unicorn said, "I dear say I would like to know more."
"As would we all, I think." Twilight said now curious.
"Agreed, we shall plan a time for tomorrow night." Celestia decreed. A quick glace and grin was shared between Princess Luna and Reed.
"Shall we finish lunch?" The lunar princess inquired. A murmur of agreement rose from the group and they returned to the dining hall.
The rest of the day was uneventful. After lunch the princesses went back to their duties and the other six mares went to run some errands and other activities. Reed went back to his hospital room and drew his symbol and detailed the full meaning of it.
Drained, Reed lay on the bed and fell asleep.
Else where in Equestria, the darkness prepared to move. It had a long journey ahead of it. And it's unsuspecting host was waiting for it. And thanks to its minions, it knew right where to find the waiting host. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 11 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfiction by ShieldStar 11
Reed woke from the nightmare with a jolt. He was covered in sweat and the dream still lingered in him mild. ^
A wall of darkness move accost the land in front of him like a great sand storm. Tendrils of darkness reach out and pulled the mass along. Shadow Nightmares weaved in and out of the darkness. Suddenly he was in a village and the wall of shadows charged in in to the streets. A voice like a rock slide boomed in evil laugher and giggled with the voice of the young and the sound of scraping metal dragged on the gravel of the street.
"You will be my own," a figure emerged from the darkness, twisted and gruesome. A pair of glowing eyes fix on Reed and boar in to his soul. The figure was humanoid, hands of bone broken and jagged, and a rib cage similarly twisted. The shadows weaved and shifted showing and hiding parts of the mangled body. The figure raised a hand and pointed at Reed. "You will be their dearth." Reed looked at his feet, there broken and beaten were all his friends. Old and new, young and old, human and pony. Reed fell to his knees, "Nooooo!" he looked up and the face of darkness filled is view. ^
There was a knocking on the door causing Reed to jump again.
"All right in ther'?" Reed got to his feet shakily, and went to open the door. "Thought Ah' heard all cry out." Reed cracked the door open, a pony with an orange coat and blonde mane and tail stood there a concerned look on her face. "All weren't still sleepin'?" Reed open the door a little more.
"Um, yeah. Everything okay? Um..." he recognized her from lunch yesterday, 'what was her name?' after his confection to Pinkie Twilight had introduce him to the rest of her friends. "Was it Applejack?"
"That's right partner. Pinkie asked me to check on all, y'all look like you been sick. Y'all okay?"
"Um, I, uh..." he look and the farmponie's concerned gaze. "I-I, no I am not okay, but nothing a little jog won't fix. Uh, let me get ready." Reed left the door partly open and went to get ready.
"Get ready? Aren't ya' ready now?"
"Humans are different than ponies, there are a few thing do to wake up and prepare for the day." He called from farther in the room.
"Like wha'?" Applejack said skeptical.
"Um, just a few personal things." AJ stopped, she was about to push the door open.
"Ah' take your work fur' it." She sat back and waited for reed to get ready. The guard on duty offered no conversation, choosing to continue to act like a statue.
Thankfully Reed don't take long and was soon ready. "Ready?"
"Yep, wha'd y'all mean by a jog?"
"I'll show you." They made their way down to the training fields and Reed went to the track, there were no guard today so Reed had the track to himself.
"Is a jog some kin' of combat routine?" Reed looked at her.
"No, just some running." The sun had been up for an hour or two and Reed felt ready to start the day. He took out his iPod and pick a playlist. He stretched and got into a starting position. Music started hard and fast and he took off. He sprinted down the stretch of track thinking about the dream. In the center of the track was an obstacle course to simulate hand to hand or hoof to hoof combat. Reed glanced at it and then back to the track. The music picked up and he picked up his pace pushing himself to keep pace with the music. He hit the turn hard and fast, he leaned towards the center and kept going. He was thinking so hard about the dream he didn't notice the rock in his path. He stepped on it and it rolled. He stumbled in to the field and towards the center of the track. He had so much momentum that he crashed in to the combat simulation part of the obstacle course. The course came to life.
Reed was stopped by heavy bag smashing into him. It spun him around and he got his bearings. He ducked, dodged, weaved, and jumped anything and everything to keep from being touched by the whirlwind of simulated combat. He glanced the guard and Applejack standing just on the outside, concerned looks on their faces. The image of Applejack's broken body burst into his mind. 'No.' The combat machine started to change, the hard limbs and heavy sacks became swiping claws and pouncing foes. 'No.' he continued to weave, jump, duck and dodge. Darkness shrouded the outside world, and a pair of Glowing eyes floated around him.
"'you will be their death.'"
"NO! I WILL PROTECT THEM!" the sword swung at him, he ducked under the arm and ripped the sword away from The Darkness. He attacked the horde of shadows, braking limbs, cut enemies for the air, until a circle of destruction was all that was left. Shadows faded, bone turned to splintered wood and down terrors turned to spilled sacks of sand.
Reed blinked, the sun glistened of his sweaty skin. His music slowed and stopped. Reed look around at the destruction dazed. He look at what had been a sword, now it was little more than scrap. Where had he gotten it? Then he remembered Applejack and the guard. He looked around to find them outside the combat ring looking stunted.
"Whoa there partner, let's put down the sword and get a drink of water."
"Wha-" Reed felt tired and then he felt nothing and saw only blackness. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 12 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by ShieldStar 12
Reed woke to the sound of hushed voices and the sight of his room's ceiling.
"Let's go through this one more time. You and Reed went to the training field for Reed's morning jog." Reed shifted to a bit to see who was talking. At the end of the bed all of his new friend stood, minus the Princesses and Early Dawn, deep in discussion.
"Yep, But before we left somethin' had been eaten at 'im. Somethin' he don't want me knowin'. So Ah let 'im be. Once we'all got to the track, he begun running. Then what ever 't-was eaten at 'im caused 'im to trip, were he then stumbled into the combat circle." Applejack answered Twilight.
"I think we all understand that darling. However were I get confused is the part after." Rarity interjected.
"Um, I think Reed's awake now." They all turned at Fluttershy's statement. Reed sat up.
"What time is it?" he ask rubbing his sore arm.
"It is just before sunset." Twilight stepped forward, "are you okay? Can you tell us what happened?"
"Ah told all Twi', He demolished the Combat Circle then gone and blacked out." Reed sighed, rubbing his temples.
"There is a lot to tell." There was a knock on the door before Reed could continue. A guard stepped in.
"The Princesses have requested that Reed be reminded of their appointment at sundown. You are all invited. It is also noted that if Reed is unable to come, due to earlier events the appointment is to be instead held at sunrise. That is all." The guard said all this standing at attention, she then looked at Reed expectantly.
"Thank you, could you return a message?" She nodded, "Please tell them that I plan on being there." She nodded again and was about to leave, "Uh, question, where is the meeting taking place?"
"The meeting is to be held in the Princesses Study."
"Thank you." And with that the guard left.
"I guess we should let you get ready." Twilight said sounded a little disappointed.
"Yeah, I'll be quick, so we can eat before the meeting." There was a general agreement and the Mares left.
Reed quickly cleaned up, gathered the papers detailing his symbol, and found the mares waiting for him, they all left to eat. After eating the sun was starting to set and they quickly went to the study, Twilight leading the way. When they arrived at the door Twilight knocked.
"Enter." A faint voice called.
Reed opened the door, slowly to find the room empty. He stepped in and the ponies followed. Through the windows the sun was setting and the moon roes into the sky and stars began to wink. Once the sun was laid to rest and the moon had risen the Princesses came in through an open balcony door.
"Good evening everyone. Shall we begin?" Celestia greeted them warmly. There was a general consent and Celestia floated cushions out for them to sit on, while Luna lit the fireplace.
"Before we discuss thou's symbol, there is a more pressing matter. Reed we wish to discuss of earlier this day. When thou stumbled into the combat ring's most advanced practice circle and proceeded to demolish it. While I do not condemn the act, it does raise questions of where thou learn such combat and what caused thou's outburst at the time." Luna took her seat after say this and look expectantly at Reed. The other mares sat in a circle, starting with Celestia the order went: Celestia, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, Reed, and Luna.
"Well, I am not sure where I learn to fight like that. I have sparred with a wooden sword and have learned how to defend and punch, but..."
"Y-all fought like you'd been in battle for years and like you'd knew a hay a lot more than wha' all 'tis sayin'." Applejack added when Reed hesitated.
"And the cause?" Twilight asked.
"A-a dream, then a vision."
"Can you describe the Vision and Dream?" Celestia gently prompted.
Reed Cleared his throat, "The visio-, "his voice broke. Swallowing he tried again, but as the vision returned and became clear his throat closed and tears welled in his eye. He shook his head, fighting back the tears and trying to gain control of his emotions.
"No matter, there is another way for all here to see." Luna soothed. "With thou's permission, we would relive the past through your mind and memories." Reed took a deep breath and nodded. "Then we shall Begin." Luna's horn Glowed and tendrils of magic reach towards Reed. When they touch his temples and forehead, Luna casts a projecting spell in to the center of the circle. They watched from through Reed's eyes, and Reed relived the nightmare in greater and more terrible detail.
Once more a wall of darkness moved accost the land in front of him like a great sand storm. Once again tendrils of darkness reach out and pulled the mass along. Shadow Nightmares weaved in and out of the darkness. Reed noticed something new, the Shadow Nightmares chased ponies and every so often attacked and pounce a ponies turn them to shadow. Their scream full of terror and pain. Reed felt a shiver of sharp pain run down his back, but was transfixed by what was in front of him.
The dream switched perspectives suddenly, once again he was in a village and the wall of shadows charged in to the streets. A voice like a rock slide boomed in evil laugher and giggled with the voice of the young; the sound of scraping metal dragged on the gravel of the street. This time Reed smelled blood, ash and the sharp smell of cold bodies.
"You will be my own," a figure emerged from the darkness, twisted and gruesome. A pair of glowing eyes fix on Reed and board in to him. The figure was humanoid, hands of bone broken and jagged, and a rib cage similarly twisted. The shadows weaved and shifted showing and hiding parts of the mangled body. The figure raised a hand and pointed at Reed. "You will be their dearth." Reed looked at his feet, there broken and beaten were all his friends. Old and new, young and old, human and pony. Reed fell to his knees, "Nooooo!" he looked up and the face of darkness filled is view. "You cannot save them." The Dream ended abruptly when a sword of crimson plunged towards Reeds perspective.
The spell ended when the nightmare did, with a sizzle and pop. All were quiet, no one moved. Reed looked around, Luna and Celestia were looking at each other speaking with their eyes. Twilight was processing what she had just seen, pinkie pie's mane had flattened and she stared wide eyed at were the nightmare had been projected. Fluttershy was hiding behind Rarity who look like she might be sick. Applejack was petting her mane looking pale and Rainbow Dash was backed into a corner white as a sheet, even her mane seemed paler.
Reed looked back at Celestia and Luna who had seemed to agree on something. Their horns began to glow and there was flash of light. Everything return to the way it was before Luna had Projected the nightmare, and so was everyone else waiting expectantly to see the terror lock away in Reed.
"Can you describe the Vision and Dream?" Celestia gently prompted again, 'play along' she said in Reed's mind. Not sure what just happen Reed began again and repeated what was said only moment before.
Again Reed Cleared his throat, "The visio-, "his voice broke again this time on purpose. Swallowing he tried again, but as the vision returned once more and became clear his throat closed and tears welled in his eye again. Even thought he had just seen it before him, in a way the terror he felt was worse this time. He shook his head, fighting back the tears and trying to gain control of his emotions, again, the detail were now forever burned in his mind, the broken bones and twisted limbs, and the dark red stain. This time he couldn't hold back a few tears, and his heart felt like it might burst.
"No matter, there is another way for all here to see." Luna soothed again. "With thou's permission, we would relive the past through your mind and memories." Reed took a deep breath and nodded again, but he wanted to scream, No, and run away as far and as fast as he could. "Then we shall Begin." Luna's horn Glowed and tendrils of magic reach towards Reed. When they touch his temples and forehead, and there was a long pause. Luna scrunch her face in fake concentration. Then her magic dispelled. "We are sorry, but the Dream is locked away too deep for me to access. Thou must have had a truly terrible nightmare to have had your subconscious lock it away." Luna looked at Reed meaningfully, and said telepathically, 'we will discuss it once they have left.'
Relieved that he didn't have to relive it again. Reed continued to play along, "Oh, ok. Now that you mention it I can't remember what the dream was about."
"And the vision? Wha' y'all remember about that?"
"I-I don't know, what I do remember is fear and then I'm not sure."
"Fear can do some strange things. Even warp reality to make you think someone you care for is in mortal paroral." Celestia nodded and she said this.
There was a short pause of silence, before Luna broke it by asking, "Doth thou have the symbol and its meaning?"
Reed jumped a little then stammered, "I-I do, uh, yes here." He turned to the papers he had brought with him. Reed hands the papers to Luan and Celestia. Celestia and casts a spell on the paper with the picture and the image is displayed floating in the middle.
"I will start from the top and work down. The flame cupped by the crescent moon. The first part of the symbol, the flame means Hope, passion, will, creativity, and anger. The flame also represents a double heart, or a double purpose. One for all to see and the other hidden within the colors of the flame. Orange meaning the bright happy feelings, and still cautious. Red for heritage, luck, power, and prosperity.
The upward facing Crescent moon. While the crescent moon has a few meanings, and even fewer in the upward position. I have come up with a few of my own meanings. The upward position makes a bowl, to hold something. The doubles as the Meaning of offering (as the flame Symbolize the Double heart the Crescent in this way is offering heart or Core/soul.) The crescent moon is a sigh of wonder, Hope, power, and protection. The Coloring of the upward facing crescent moon the silver blue, both connected to water. This silvery blue is the color of ice and the moon on a clear night. Silver is often the color of the moon and while silver does have meaning, here it is a ward against evil. The pale blue is a mix between White and Blue. White meaning life and purity. Blue here means Wisdom and truth. Mix them together and you get pure wisdom, and life's truth. Also the white has the effect of bleaching the truth as well as fading it. Meaning the truth can either be harsh and clear or faded to a half truth or as close to a lie as truth can get.
The Six Blue line make two objects, a Book and Shield. The Blue as I talked about with the moon means wisdom and intelligence Plus Much more. Refer back to the Crescent moon and the meaning of Blue for more details. A book for me means intelligence and knowledge or well learned. The insides of the book are blank to represents how much more I have to learn and the eagerness to learn. The Shield is the desire to Help and Protect. Empty-ness of the shield represents the opportunities to help and the ability to help anyone, adaptability. The meaning for being the main part of the symbol is that it is my number one goal to protect and learn from all. Also the size of the shield maters because this means how important it is to protect others from harm but to still give truth. This also means the idea of a big heart, or a lot of compassion.
The Three yellow stars represent wonder. Yellow represents: power, authority, the intellect and intuition, goodness, light, life, truth, immortality, endurance, cowardice, and treachery. That said the color Yellow has been a big part of my life. There have been times when I have shown all of yellow's meaning, however distasteful. The three small stars represent of how little I consider yellow's meaning to be in my life. While the star shines bright show how much the color is a part of my life. I only figured this out after I had finish the symbol. Funny how the subconscious works. The stars also represent the potential for greatness, (like for anyone there is). The Meaning of there being three is for multiple paths, or talents. Another reason for there to be three is the idea of magic, that shimmer, which translates to the act of inventive, adventurous, and being spontaneous.
So that is what my symbol means. Did you have any questions?"
When Reed had finished his presentation, he was surprised to find only a few in the group look bored, namely Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.
"Fascinating, and you came you with this all by your-self?" Twilight asked.
"Well, Yes. There is a book of symbol and there meanings back home but the symbol is all my creation." Twilight looked more excited and then Crestfallen.
"When you say back home do you mean back in your world?"
"I do, sadly otherwise I would let you borrow it." Twilight sighs. And there is a round of light hearted laughter. Then a thought entered Reeds head.
"Um, Princesses is there any way I could buy some cotton cloth, or a way I could work for the material?" Luna and Celestia looked at him curious. "The reason is ask is because.... Well where I come from Humans wear clothes because we don't have fur. And well I didn't really pack a lot of clothes when I left home and wound up here. So if there was a way I could get some cotton material and some needle and thread I would be able to make some more clothes from just that." Celestia nodded thinking.
"Hmm, well I am sure we have some material laying around the palace, as for payment though, hmm...Luna what do you think?"
"I see no reason thou should pay with currency, perhaps thou could apply thine's skills in training of the guards? However there is one thing thou could do."
"Of course, what did you have in mind?"
"Keep us informed of your dreams and nightmares. While we are the keeper of the dream realm, thou's mind could be damaged if we were to enter it not knowing how thou's differs from that of a pony's." Luna looked pointed at Reed and he understood, there was something in the nightmare that had worried the Princesses. But from the reaction of the other mares, to out-right share the nightmare was bad and could cause panic and trauma.
"Yes, of course."
"Good, as for the training of the guard... we are not sure. We will discuss it with sister and decide in three moons."
"Luna, you are using the old speech again." Celestia pointed out.
"Sorry." There was pause, and Luna giggled and everyone joined in.
After the giggling had subsided Celestia spoke. "Well my little ponies I must rest and judging by the tired eyes I see so do most of you." At this Fluttershy yawned and quietly excused herself a raised hoof and a small blush. The other mares got to their hooves and said their good nights.
"Reed aren't you coming?" Twilight asked noticing Reed hadn't moved.
"You go ahead Twilight I have one more question for the princesses, about the kind of training I would help with, that is if I were to help train the guards."
"Oh okay, good night then." And with that Twilight left and closed the door, she felt that something else was going on but couldn't put her hoof on it. It bothered her all the way back to her room she shared with her friends. As she lay down to sleep Twilight made a mental note to review the meeting and try and figure out what she had missed.
Meanwhile back in the study Luna, Reed and Celestia were in deep conversation.
"But if it is not a subconscious dream then what did I see?" Luna had pulled up a still projection of the Darkness from Reed's dream and was studying it as they spoke.
"Perhaps a premonition or viewing of possible events? Luna have you seen predictions like this before?"
"Like this? No, but is have seen predictions in dreams."
"So what's the difference with my Dream?"
"Power, detail, sound, sent, in short everything. In a pony's dreams a prediction is rare. When I does accrue they are vague and contain more of impressions. As with yours it is as if we are living it."
"Luna are you saying Reed's Dreams are as clear as this room we stand in?"
"In a way, keep in mind that this," she gesture to the projection, "Is all I have seen. If all your dreams are this real I can't say."
"I can, I have in a way a hyper-developed imagination and have, as long as I can remember, had vague dreams until the point just before I wake up. Then it becomes a second life." There was a long silence as Luna thought on this. Reed took the chance to really look around the study. It was pretty big, a balcony with tall windows, a desk in front of the windows and a desk across from the tall windows. A fireplace took up most of the wall facing the door. In either side of the door was a tall book self, full of books. In the center of the room was a large circular rug depicting the sun and moon in balance, a large number of cushions sat in one corner and a pile of logs in the opposite corner. The walls and ceiling were colored a deep blue with gold filigree the fireplace was white marble and the doors and any other wood was a warm chestnut. The floor was carpeted in a plush maroon with flecks of forest green.
"We, I will have to study more on this matter. Reed as before please keep me and my sister updated on any more Premonitions you have."
"Of course Princess."
"Then for now get some rest we can discuss training and clothe tomorrow. I must get my own rest and Luna has night court."
"Yes of course, Goodnight Princess Celestia, Goodnight Princess Luna."
When Reed got back to his room, someone was waiting for him.
"Hey, I am your guard for the night. My name is Star Lance." |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 13 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by ShieldStar 13
Star Lance was a unicorn, her coat is a soft gold and her mane and tail are a light purple with a stripe of an equally light blue. Reed notice that her armor was different that the pervious guards. The armor was light and breathable but covered more that the royal guards' armor did. It almost looked like a pony wetsuit woven with black and silver metal.
"More exactly I am your appointed Dream guard for the next few nights." Reed opened the door and went inside.
"And what exactly is a Dream guard? I thought Princess Luna said she couldn't enter my dreams because of the unfamiliarity of my mind."
"She did, that is why she assigned me, to monitor you dreams. If you are to have a vision of the darkness again I am to view it and wake you if your health becomes at risk."
"Ah, how are you going to view the dream if you can't enter my dreams?"
"I will be using the same projection spell Princess Luna used." Star Lance entered the room after a respectable time for Reed to get ready to sleep.
"How do you know all this?"
"Princess Luna informed me after you had left the Princesses' study. I then teleported here to you room to meet you before you slept."
"Teleportation must come in handy."
"Sometimes but it takes a lot out of a unicorn."
"Really? Interesting, I wouldn't have thought it, but now that you say so it makes sense."
"How so?"
"In order to move from-. It's really science-y and would take all night to explain fully. In short it takes a lot of energy to undo yourself and redo yourself in another place through time." Reed said as he climbed on to the bed.
"Close, very close, but as you said it would take time to explain and rest is needed."
"Heh, no argument here. Goodnight Star Lance"
Reed lay there for a moment, "Star lance, would you mind thinking of a one word name, a climate, and a type of weather?"
"Umm, ok. May I ask why?"
"It's a way I fall asleep."
"Ok, uh, Oak, an old forest, and a thunderstorm."
"Hmm, ok." Reed closed his eyes and immersed himself in to his own world. Star Lance case her spell and projected Reed's dreams in a corner. Then she laid down by the window and watched his world unfold. ~~
At first Star Lance saw only disjointed images and heard bits of sounds from the spell that let her experience the dream. Then a scene blurred together, and a forest took shape. Star watch Reed play out a story in his mind's eye. Saw a human different than Reed take form then the switch to the perspective of the human.
"~once upon a time there was a boy named Oak. Oak was lost in the forest of tears....~" Reed's voice narrated the story as Oak wondered as attack, wounded, survived, found a town of griffons, healed, was driven out, ran, fell, found dragon, and then the scene started to repeat. As Reed drifted off to sleep. Star marveled at the detail of everything. The dialog, the sounds, the colors, all of it seemed so real. Star felt as if she were watching through an open window. There were some differences in the dragons and griffons than from the ones she knew but then the dreams started.
The since Reed had created faded and was replaced with a cave reed was climbing through and waterfall and fell down the cliff into the river. He resurfaced and was swimming in flowers. Equations of momentum and logic reasoning twisted and swirled in loops. Ideas of problems and solutions flowed as quickly and the river Reed had fallen in. Then shadow like mist swirled in, creating figures clawing at Reed pulling at him. The since changed to the room they were now in a swirling mass looming over Reed in a corner the shadow moving and twisting. Reed sat bolt upright with a cry of alarm.
"Reed what's wrong? What was that thing?" Reed sat perfectly still, staring at the corner where the figure was. Star Lance looked at the dark corner, there was nothing.
"Star... can you get a light?" Star Lance lit her horn with a spell and filled the room with a warm light of periwinkle. Reed stares hard at the corner and blinks once. Taking a deep breathe Reed exhales and a feeling of calm washes over Star. "The down side of hyper-active-imagination is nightmares are just as real as the good stories."
"What was that?"
"I never know the shadows move wrong, thing aren't suppose -"
"No, not the nightmare, I saw that. The thing you did after, the projection of peace."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"When you took a breath and exhaled it felt like a comfort or peace spell. But you don't have magic."
"Hum... we'll have to ask the princesses about it, tomorrow." And with that Reed lay back down and star saw a kinder story unfold, no narration just a scene of fields a river, a forest, and a mountains in the distance. Star watch the peaceful scene change as Reed drifted off to sleep. She thought she heard a kind of chat repeated over and over, it would change now and then, like somepony or someone reading through a list of poems. She could only make out a few words, but one was repeated over and over. Solus. Solus. Solus. Solus. Then towards the dawn there was a shift, a swirling like the shadows, and everything sharped and became a vision. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 14 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfiction by ShieldStar 14
Star watched the vision and recorded it in detail in a gem made for such a purpose.
The chants were gone, only the wind and other ambiance existed in the vision for sound. A battle, a chase, a search for her, a shape looming, reaching for her.
"Little pony little pony it's not nice to spy on others. I will devour you and your light. But first for you." The shadowy shape turned to a figure of Reed. Darkness leaking from the spell reaching for his real body. Star cut the spell and jumped on Reed.
"WHAAAAA!" Reed cried out doubling over, "I'm up! I'm up!"
"Sorry the... darkness? Was reaching for you. I had to wake you up." Star apologized, getting off of Reed.
"The vision?"
"Yes, somehow it reached through the spell, spoke to me and went after you." Reed looked worried.
"What did it say to you?" Star shuttered
"That it would devour my light and me along with it."
"Your light!" alarmed Reed got out of the bed, "turn around, quick, I have to check something."
"Check what? What's wrong?" star turned on the spot, trying to get a look at her own back.
"Stop, stop, you won't be able to see it without at least two mirrors. What I am looking for is a mark at the base of the neck" as star stopped, Reed kneeled down and gently moved her mane away from her neck. There just above her armor was an ashy mark. "Star I need you to be very still."
"Is there a mark?" Star asked worried.
"No there isn't but I need to protect you from one appearing, hold still. I have to get something from my bag." Reed knew he lied but right now if Star Lance was to live he had to keep her calm. Opening his bag Reed fished out two smaller bags. That contained mint leaves in one and maple leaves in the other. Going back to Star he knelt again, taking one mint leaf out he offered it to Star. "Here suck on this, but don't swallow it." Star picked it up with her magic and placed it in her mouth. Reed took a maple leaf out and placed it over the ashen mark, then laid his hand over the leaf. "Sha-que, sha-que, ink-a rue-sec fen say. Dor-rin th-ean!"(Darkness darkness come on to me. Burn In light!) There was a smell of burning maple leaves and a soft glow. Reed took his hand away and pull the leaf off star's neck. The mark was gone, transferred to the leaf. "Okay you should be protected from the darkness."
"What did you do?" star asked taking the mint leaf out.
"Nothing, you had to just suck on the mint leaf for a bit and you are safe." Reed took the mint leaf and placed it over the mark on the maple there was a flicker of red and the leaves sealed the mark. Star turned around looking confused.
"Really that's it? A mint leaf keeps the darkness away?"
"Yep, if you remember the taste of the mint leaf, and then imagine what light would taste like."
"They're the same!" Star said in awe. "How did you figure this out? I thought this was the first time you dealt with the darkness."
"Well, this kind of darkness it is, but when I was little I was terrified of the dark, and my Grandma told me what I just told you. So now when I am scare of the dark I just think about the taste of mint and light."
"Huh."
"Yeah," there was a pause, "shouldn't we report the vision to the princesses?"
"Oh, yes. I will wait for you out side." When star had left, Reed took the sealed leaves and put them in a carved box. He knew he had to lie to Star Lance for her own safety, that didn't mean that it felt right, in fact he wished he could tell her the truth, but he also knew the consequences if he did. He readied himself for the day quickly, picked up the box, put in his pocket and meet Star in the hall. "Oh, good. I notified the princesses of the vision, they asked to meet as soon as you were ready."
"Good, where are we meeting them?"
"In the study, come on." With that Star trotted towards the study, Reed in tow. ~
"Thank for your report Guardian Star Lance." Princess Luna looked down fondly at Star Lance, "You are relieved of you duty, get some rest. You will need it for tonight's shift."
"Thank you Princess." Star Lance bowed and left the study. After arriving at the study Star Lance had reported the night's events and delivered the record gem.
Once Star had left Princess Celestia turned to Reed, "what all happened? You look concerned."
Reed sigh before he confessed, "I have not been truly honest. When I first had the first dream vision I thought it little more than the regular visions. The darkness has always hunted me but now that I have come to where I suspect the Darkness lives its power is much stronger. As I said before I have only been attack in my dreams and have been given nightmares, but now the darkness can manifest its self through the dreams. I have always been able to an extant see bits of the future, but I never remembered them. When a certain event happened I gained the power to see more and started to remember bits of what I saw."
"What do you mean 'A Certain Event'?"
"There was an event in my world when I was Story Making, the way I go to sleep. Anyway there was a bright flash of light at first, but then more flashes came. Some were colored, most were just light. It was late at night and I was the only one up at the time, I went to my window and multiple flashes of light struck me. When I woke up the next morning, nothing I noticed changed. Slowly over time I learned that I had some form of power and began to teach my self how to control it, or tap into it, as it can have a mind of its own, but there are circumstances that have to be met for me to lose control over it."
"Okay, so is it similar to a unicorns magic?"
"A little? I don't know much about unicorn magic. My magic, I guess you could call it that, is not really direct. With enough emotion and will I can project and influence the world around me. All that he knows now is from experience. As far as I know no other human has this power normally."
"Influence in what way? And what do you mean by project?" Luna asked.
"Project, as in project my will in to something, and occasionally someone, but that is a lot harder to do. Influence is the same but less physical and more physical at the same time. Ugh this is hard explain, may I show you?" the princesses nodded, and Reed relaxed, closed his eyes and focused. Breathing in he raised his arms to his chest, arms crossed. He then exhaled sweeping his arms out smoothly palms up. The Princesses saw a barely visible wave of energy expand from Reed. When it touched them the feeling of contentment and peace washed over them. The sisters turned to each other grinning, Reed then took the carved box from his pocket. "This is the other part of my power." Reed opened the box to show them the sealed leaves. "These are all enchanted, I think that is the right word. The box contains any negative energy and cycles it back in to the sealing leaves. The mint leaf and the maple leaf have both been enchanted, the mint caused total focus on the leaf and leaves those who suck on it unable to remember what happened during the time they sucked on the leaf. The maple leaf has many uses, but depends on the enchantments placed on it. From a sealing trap, to a shield, however all uses for the maple leaf are defensive. Right now the leaves are sealing the darkness that touched Star Lance when it manifested out of the dream. This is why Star didn't notice the spell I cast to remove it." The Princess's looked at each other then back at Reed.
"That is a lot to take in, is there a way to protect the darkness?"
"There is Princess Luna-"
"That is good, how do we protect ourselves?" Celestia gave her sister a reproachful look. "We are sorry for interrupting you, please continue."
"No worries, there is a way I can shield you from The Darkness. However, the spell is very hard to cast-"the doors to the study banged open and a figure of a pony shrouded in shadow stood there. The darkness pooled on the ground rolling like liquid smoke.
"Now, Now, Now, look what I have found." the figure slow walked in, "twinkle, twinkle, little star how I long to devour you light." Reed turned to the figure, "Oooo, glimmer little candle, I will snuff you, and-"
"Sec Ren Fa Rey Sen De Doge Sayg Sev En-Gu. Osh La-Ka Sen Kay Do. Ren Kay-Cow. Dor-rum Skay!" (To I Call You froth from shell and false face. Bring away froth in air. I in-take. Burning void!) Reed cried out, an orb of spinning light collected in Reed's hands. The Darkness flew from the figure and into the light the sound of rapidly evaporating water screaming from the contact, as the Darkness was burn into nothing. Reed collapsed to the floor hands smoking, as blood dripped from his nose. He looked up to see the figure of Twilight Sparkle lying unconscious on the floor. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 15 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfiction by ShieldStar 15
The night before)
Twilight left the study with her friends making her way back to her room. But something bothered her some little nagging twitch at the edge of her memory. She thought back on the meeting they had with Reed. This creature from another world, a world living alone side her own. There had been magical theory on such things but nothing ever recorded, at least from what she knew. But there was something else that bothered her, Reed's body language and the way he spoke. As if repeating things already said, acting to play a part to spare other's great danger.
"Girls I catch up with you later, there's something if forgot I had to look up in the library. I won't be long." And without waiting for a response she ran off to the library to get some answers.
Present day)
Twilight lay in one of the palace's hospital beds, as and Magical doctors ran test after test. So far they were baffled as to what had happened and why Twilight Sparkle would not wake up. Meanwhile back in the princess's' study, Reed was being heavily questioned.
"What did you do?!" "How did this happen?!" "What is wrong with her?!" "She was fine last night what happened?!" Celestia's questions rained down on him like firestorm.
"Thou hath better start talking." Luna said in the coldest night wind.
"WAIT! Please I don't know all the answers, but I did save her from a fate worse than death. Right now she is healing, when the darkness attacks and latches on to a host. Is feeds not only on the body but on every part of the being, most heavily on the spirit and life energy. Depending on how long and darkness has been joined with the host depends on if they can be saved. Luckily with Twilight the darkness hadn't been joined too long to cause any lasting damage, but in order to keep her free and alive I need to be with her! Otherwise there is nothing stopping the darkness from moving back in. Right now she is healing yes, but when healing this kind of damage everything if focused on the healing as before there was a war for her life and the darkness was being fended off. Now she is utterly defenseless against any and all attacks. Have me at sword point if you wish but if you want her to live I need to be there."
"Very well I shall watch you myself."
"Quickly then, I must set up wards and help to speed the healing."
The night before)
Twilight Sparkle sat in the library pouring over volumes of spells, body language and vision, glimpse of posable futures. So far Twilight had only figure out that the body language she'd see indicated that, Reed, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, were very worried, and they were hiding something from her and her friends.
"But that doesn't make sense, why would they be acting that way. The Princesses are stressed daily, but I've never seen them like this. And Reed, well, maybe he was just nervous." Twilight closed the book, "that's probably it, I mean it seems logical that a creature from an entire different world meeting with eight other creatures that all know each other... He was just feeling overwhelmed, and based on my analysis so far Human's seem to have higher emotional and reasoning capacity in place of magic." Twilight was about to get up to put all the books back and leave when, "But they were all fairly fine with worry levels normal... then they were all freaked out. Like somepony and flicked a switch. What did I miss..." Twilight snatched a spell volume up and started wheeling through the pages with her magic. "That's it I missed something, or something happened and the Princesses hide it from us..." Twilight stopped, "But why would they need to hide something, unless..." Twilight looked at the page she had stopped on, a spell for detecting and or removing memory spells. "It was something truly terrible." She Knew this spell Celestia had her learn it incase somepony cast an amnesia spell on her as a prank. Though crime was rare, pranks going too far was not unheard of. "If it was so bad then I shouldn't remove the spell they cast. But..." Twilight's curiosity chewed on her brain. "If I look and it is that bad them I can just cast the memory lock again. It couldn't hurt Right?"
Reed stood over Twilight's hospital bed hands splayed above her. His gaze lost in focus of complex magic. Celestia watched closely for any signs of danger from Reed, Twilight was like a filly to her, she'd seen her grow up and become a mare. Reed twitched pulling Celestia back to reality, she looked from Twilight to Reed and was alarmed by the effects she saw. Twilight who was shaded from the darkness, was now glowing with color. While Reed seemed to whither, his hair color faded in and out with each heartbeat. His skin became patched with bruises and somewhat transparent. Shadow lifted off of twilight and dance about him, tendrils of energy flowed like water from his hands. Twilight let out a contented sigh, and Reed moved his hands to either side of her head. The energy pooled around his hands like gloves as he gently laid his hands on the sides of her head. There was a pulse of light and the energy dispelled from his hands, Reed stepped back and a little light lifted from twilight's horn hovered above her then pulsed and faded away. Reed's eyes closed and he leaned against the wall before sinking to the floor. The shadow still dance about him and his hair was only streaked with red now being mostly silver, he looked like a skeleton draped in clothe. Celestia moved to him but motioned her back.
"I... Need... Light... and... time..." he tried to get up and managed to kneel, "Stay... till she... wakes... but... don't... wake her." He slowly stood. "Which... way... to... Garden...s...?"
"I'll have someone show you to them." Celestia summoned a guard to show Reed to the Gardens. "Help him to the gardens, and stay with him until he is better."
"Yes Princess." The Guard moved to help Reed.
"Wait..." the Guard stopped, "You... most... Not... touch... Darkness."
"Why?" Celestia and the Guard asked.
"Become... this..." and he gestured to himself. The guard backed up a bit.
"Right then if you will follow me."
Twilight sat at the table so horrified to the point of the inability to do anything. When she was finally jarred into action by the clock tolling midnight all but one of her candles had gone out. She looked down at the spell book, "I shouldn't have done that. I-I need to-"
"Do what my dear little pony? As I see it, it is far too late to even scream." And with that said the candle went out. Twilight spun around lighting her horn but it was too late, the Darkness had already swooped in and soon her light spell flickered and was swallowed, as was the rest of her.
The last and only thing she was aware of was a word being chanted over and over.
Solus Solus Solus Solus Solus Solus ...
Reed was sitting in the Palace Gardens, as soon as he had gotten outside into natural sunlight he had felt better. The shadows and slowly burned away and color returned to him. The guard had gotten closer on the way and Reed shooed him back, "I Just look... Better. Darkness... tricky... not safe... yet."
The Guard had backed up as the continued to the gardens, where reed was now. He sat eyes closed, to any who watched he look as if he were just sitting. But what they couldn't see was the wisps if shadow lifting from him, as Reed soaked up light and energy from his surroundings. Not enough to be harmful, but enough to slowly purge the shadows and refill his stores of magic. Reed knew it wasn't truly magic, but it was quicker to just say it was. Besides magic was such a loose term that it could be applied to almost anything that defied explanation. If he had to describe his power it felt more like manipulation of the world around him, like sculpting with him will.
Reed experienced the gardens, he listened to the birds and the fountain, he felt the wind, the sun, and the soft vibrations of the ground, and He smelled the fresh air, the flowers, and the dirt. He did all this just sitting, soaking it all in. he breathed deeply then sighed, he was restored better than before he had healed twilight. Reed opened his eyes to find an audience before him. A few guards, Twilight's friends, a few palace staff and Princess Luna, all sat around the gardens facing him.
"That was Beautiful!" Fluttershy whispered, there were nods of agreement.
"Where ever did you learn to do that?" Rarity asked in awe. Reed had no idea what they were talking about, all he had done was open his mind to everything in the garden. 'Oh that.' Reed realized that he had dropped all his walls and that meant his wards too.
"When I, recharge, my powers leak out and cause things like that to happen."
"Wow Awesome." Rainbow whispered. What they had exactly seen Reed would never know, but from what few people had seen/ heard and told him he could make a fair guess.
"So many Colors so peacefully flowing." Rarity sighed
"And that music so," Applejack commented.
"Wonderful," Pinkie smiled and peace.
"Beautiful," The Princess added.
"Peaceful." A Guard spoke up. Reed had heard it all before, but this time those who had been around knew the source was him.
"What do you call this experience?" Princess Luna inquired.
"It's never had a name, but Windspeak has been whispered."
It's perfect." A guard came up and bowed to the princess.
"Princess Celestia Requests all of your presence." He said to Reed, Princess Luna, and Twilight's Friends. "Twilight Sparkle has awoken." |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 16 | Through the soul of friendship
Fan Fiction by ShieldStar 16
Twilight Sparkle felt, great. She looked her around and found that she was in the medical wing of the palace. 'Why am I here?' She noticed Princess Celestia staring out the window, she looked, odd.
"Princess?" Twilight asked, her throat a little dry. Celestia slowly turned to look at her. Her Face was terror, from the side Celestia's face looked normal, but when she face Twilight.
"Yes, MY little pony?" Twilight wanted to scream. "What's WRONG Twilight?" as Celestia stepped closer Twilight did scream. Celestia only smiled, long sharp teeth glinting, skin cracking and flaking before twilight's eyes. Thick Black blood started to trickle then poured from the thing's eyes and mouth. "My Dear faithful student? What is so so sssssooooooo, wrong?" her voice flexed in pitch as she spoke, first monstrously deep, then foalishly high.
Solus Solus Solus solus. The word repeated over and over, echoing from nowhere. Twilight threw herself away from the thing that had once been her princess and teacher, or at least she tried. Clawed hands grabbed her and pull her back to the bed, holding her forcing her to watch the thing slowly, so very slowly step towards her. The eyes were pools of black, but for a prick of light the color of hot metal. The horn had crumbled and the ears had become no more than holes. The skin had decaid to the smallest of torn remnants leaving the muscles exposed and dripping black. The wings had fallen off leaving arms ending in razor sharp spines. "Heh heh heh heh," it panted, "such nice-."
It never finished, a searing aura smashed into it. Grabbed it and stuffed it in on its self, it screamed so loud that it felt like Twilight's ear drums were being use in a march.The aura seemingly pulled a sword from nowhere and slash the vile creature, each cut causing it to become non-corporeal. The thing roared and lunged at the bright aura, and bit it hard on the shoulder, "At Last your MIIINE!!!" With a sharp grunt the aura cut the thing's head off, and brushed the shadow off its self. Then the aura spoke, but Twilight couldn't understand anything said, to her is sounded like music, beautiful, warm, colorful, kind, comforting and complicated.Then the aura raised its hand and the thing was burned away in a cold light. The aura turned and faced Twilight.
"Thak sen solus, dow dee forthrum."
And Twilight awoke.
Reed ran after the guard, as he led them back to Twilight's room. They slowed as they arrived and reed slowly opened the door. Twilight was panting and writhing trying to throw herself off the bed, Princess Celestia's magic was preventing this though, as she tried to calm the panicked pony.
"Forthrum sec dow, dec doo sen solus faw!" Twilight stopped and relaxed a little, "Princess please release your magic." Celestia complied and Twilight relaxed a little more. "Thec thow Forthrum?" Twilight nodded and Reed moved to her, "Astown," Twilight lay back and closed her eyes. Reed placed his hands on her forehead and chest, "Hows-hesh, thec-in dow-gen." there was a pulse of light and Reed removed his hands. "Twilight? How do you feel?" Reed asked slowly, kneeling next to the bed.
"What is Solus?" she asked. Reed flinched slightly at the question.
"It's a powerful, dangerous, thing."
"Why did I keep hearing it?"
"I'm not sure."
Twilight sighed, "Is it over?"
"Yes." Twilight opened her eyes and looked around the room, Reed looked too. Princess Celestia stood by the window looking scared, while the other's stood by the door looking dumfounded.
"Hello everypony, I'm so glad you're here. I missed you."
Princess Luna moved to her sister, and laid a wing over her back. "We are also glad that you are better, Twilight Sparkle."
"I'm confused." Fluttershy said laying down and covering her head with her fore hooves.The others just nodded.
"What in the hay happened to y'all?" Twilight cringed at AJ's question and the memories she had unlocked the previous night.
"She learned something she shouldn't have." Reed answered, the friends just looked at each other. Reed sighed, "She searched for a thing called Solus."
"Um, what is it, if you don't mind, that is." Fluttershy asked from her place on the floor.
"I do mind," Reed said gruffly, then checked his tone. "But I will tell you, so you don't go looking for it on your own. It is safer this way. Solus, is best described in a poem, but the poem only covers the kindest of lairs. Let that be a warning to all not to dig any deeper." Reed sat and indicated the others should do the same.
"Whoshla," then he began.
___(poem by Nicholas VanDerSchouw)___
"Solus
What are these beings,
Whose midst I stand?
They look like me,
But are as empty as sand.
I look in their face,
But see not a soul.
I look at her lace,
And know not what she stole.
What is a friend, a person I know?
But what makes them different than the rest,
Whose midst I stand.
Who is a family, the ones I know?
What makes a person of gentle hand?
What is a lover, the one I know the best?
Finished in life and here I stand,
Alone in the world,
Amidst the shifting sand." They sat quietly for a while. Twilight gave a shudder. The other glanced at her with worry.
"But what does it mean?" Rainbow asked.
"It means that to be solus is to be soul less, to have no love." Twilight said in a trembling voice.
"That's right, but Solus its self is much more and much worse. For your safety PLEASE do not pursue further knowledge. Solus is a living thing and just by looking for it-"
"It will find you and... and ... and." But twilight couldn't finish, so great was her terror.
"And devour every aspect of you, slowly killing you. You see Solus was once a kind loving being, but over time, the darkness it fought consumed it. Over millions of years Solus was alone and now, well it is the evilest thing I have meet." Reed finished. There was a silence for a while as all in the room tried to contemplate such a being. Twilight shivered a little at the memory of the thing she had seen when she had first awoken.
"Twili-, My student, are you sure you are okay?" Princess Celestia ask taking a hesitant step forward.
"Oh Celestia it was so scary!" Twilight cried. The Princess closed the distance and hugged her.
At the far reaches of Equestria an Unnaturally Dark storm front roiled and red lightning cracked the sky, "Mine mine mine at last!" Solus Thundered. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 17 | Through the soul of friendship
By ShieldStar
Chapter 17
The world shook and quaked. Flashes of crimson rent the sky. The pegasi who could slow the storm did, while others did their best to aid in the evacuation. Mayor Breezy Skies was one of these pegasi, "This way eveypony, move quickly but don't rush!" she shouted above the howling wind. One of the nearby buildings exploded as something flew into it. Ponies screamed and began to run. Breezy Skies flew over to what had once been the local bakery. "Gust what's going on up there? Why are you down here?" Guster groaned shaking frosting off his feathers.
"Breezy, why aren't these Ponies evacuated already?"
"I'm trying but most of them are convinced that it is safer to stay inside."
"By Sombra's horn! We got to move! It's all we can do to stop those funnels touching down! I'll get them to move!" Guster rushed off leaving Breezy Skies where she hovered. Two minutes later a throng of ponies was rushing to her for directions.
"Go toward the mountains they can shield us from the twisters!" she called again and again. The wind howled and the ruddy red light flashed again and again.
"MINE AT LAST! MINE!" A Deep dark disembodied voice said with greed. Then shadows fell from the clouds, landing with boney crunches the Shadows rose and began to chase the fleeing town's ponies. The whether team streaked down scooping up foals and carrying them to safety. Guster flew back to Breezy Skies, "What are those things?!" She asked.
"I don't know but the town is lost, team Zeta couldn't stop one of the funnels from touching down! City hall is gone! Breeze you have got to get these ponies high tailing it out of here!" Breezy nodded grimly, she knew it was a dirty trick, but it may be the only thing to save them now. Filling her lungs she screamed, "CHANGELING INVASION!" the crowd screamed in terror and the herd of ponies stampeded, mares scooped up their foals, stallions with combat training moved to the outside to better protect the young and weak. "GUSTER!" Breezy called, "WE'RE LEAVING, GET YOUR FLIERS DOWN AND COVER US FROM ABOVE!" Guster, nodded sharply and soon all the pegasi formed up. The town of Whitetail Woods was soon empty, except for the shadowy forms of nightmarish wolves that prowled the streets.
It had been two days since Twilight's incident with the entity called Solus. Reed had begun training a small group of guards at the Princess's request. As result of Solus's possession of Twilight, Reed had started the next day, instead of the three nights first agreed upon. Reed woke up early every morning since then and led the group on a run around the inside of the palace walls. The Group consisted of a total of nine ponies, three of each pony race. At first the guards had been skeptical that Reed could out run them let alone out last them. Among the group was the guards Reed had raced earlier, his name was Quick Steel. When Reed had first started one guard had asked, "Why Should we listen to you? I don't even know what you are." Reed had heard a few murmurs of agreement.
"What I am doesn't really matter, if you must know I am a human." They looked at him blankly, "See doesn't matter. As for why? Because there is something evil coming for me and the princesses asked me to train a few guards. That way when it gets here there will be a few who can protect Canterlot and aid in evacuation."
"If it's after you why don't you just leave?"
"Good point, because This Evil wants everything nice, good and happy, consumed or destroyed. And I am only a means to that end. So even if I did leave, it would eventually find me and 'get me.' Then it would come back for all you and Canterlot." After that they did as he ask, if a little grudgingly at first.
Reed had soon proven to them that he could out pace them and in the days since they had follow his directions without hesitation. However there were more than plenty of questions, when Reed started to teach them what he knew about combat and other momentum based activities.
"Instead of meeting force with force simply deflect the force."
"What do you mean?" a guard named Steadfast asked.
"Be like water, here, charge me." The guard charged him and when the guard was about to crash into him Reed dropped low, turned to the side a bit and shoved the guard. The Guard careened off to the side before he stumbled and fell. "That is what I mean, redirect your opponent's energy away from you, flow with the attack, then you can strike them when they are unbalanced."
"That's not very fair."
"No it isn't, but the evil won't be fair either. In addition you have the power to stop them without serious harm." Similar scenarios followed, and more questions were asked as the guards learned the different types of combat. Over the next few days Reed taught them as best he could, how to subdue another without injury, incapacitate, and with great care, showed them how to injure.
"If this evil is coming to kill all that is good, why aren't you showing us how to kill?" Quick Steel asked one day after a sparring session.Reed waited for the others to finish before answering Quick Steel's question.
"Because of three main reasons, one to show you could be fatal, because I don't know how to translate these human fighting styles into pony fighting styles, and three in a way I already have shown you." the group look at him with a mixture of confusion and understanding.
"What do you mean, you have already shown us?" Steadfast asked.
"I mean if you take what I have already shown you and amplify your movements and aim to strike mortal blows you already know how to fight to kill, but please refrain from doing this unless absolutely necessary." The group nodded, and Reed sent them back to practice with their partners. Reed knew these guards were military, and that they all had training. But he felt responsible, because of what he was teaching was alien to them, at least the styles were. He didn't want them to accidentally use to much force and end up killing someone they were trying to subdue.
Reed had them stop around mid-afternoon and most of the guards sat, almost collapsing to the ground. He had them go to the cafeteria where they got water, and at Reed's direction, sat at a table away from the other guards not on duty. Reed sat with them, "Okay now that's it's been a few days, and you all have a good idea of the styles of I have shown you.Here's the next part that I can teach you." For the rest of the day Reed asked them about how they would handle different situations, then gave his answer. As the days went by the princesses had been able to have a tailor come by and look a set of Reed's clothes, since then the tailor had made Reed three more sets of clothes. Reed offered to pay him once but he had declined, saying, "The princesses ask me of all ponies, the word of that alone has earned me much business. And thanks to you I could even start making clothes for other countries, and other races. No, I must be thanking you for this glorious opportunity!" Reed still felt that he owed the tailor, so when he wasn't looking Reed slipped a luck charm with real magic, with a note into one of the tailor's clothe bags.
A new schedule was set up for Reed and his guards in training. In the morning they would run, then spar till noon. After a quick lunch reed would then talk, quiz, have them do puzzles on strategy, and to analyze all angles, view every option, and perhaps most important, how to, and practice resisting Solus's influence.Reed did this by giving them impossible seniors, and adding twists at the last moment. This often left the guards frustrated, but Reed could see the progress. A few days ago he had stumped all of them, with a cornered hostage situation, and at the last moment had the hostage become the hostile villain, what had stumped them was the fact that the hostage faked their death and trapped the guards in a covered alley slowly filling with, magic resistant, poison gas. The blockage was too heavy to move and they only had thirty seconds to figure it out, there was always the option of surrendering to Solus, but that was the thing never to do. They group had failed the puzzle, "Your lucky this was only a story situation. We'll try again tomorrow." And they had got it the day after next.
Reed was in the middle of setting up another story situation when a guard ran up, "The princesses request your presence immediately." |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 18 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by Shield Star 18
The guard led Reed to the princesses' study where both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were waiting for him, the guard bowed and left. The princesses looked up from the report that they had been reading. "Reed, good you're here, we were hoping you could take a look at this." Celestia said levitating the paper over to him. "We thought to send for the elements, but wanted to be sure..." Reed was about to ask about what as he took the report, but as soon as he touched it images flooded in to him and he quickly dropped it in surprise.
"Sorry," Reed said shaking his head to clear it, and bending to pick up the report, but Luna's magic beat him to it.
"I have been wondering, can you read our writing?" Reed was taken a back, as he realized that he in fact could not.
"Now that I think about it, no I can't." Luna nodded, then read the report out.
"Report, urgent,
Ponies from the newly settled town of whitetail, have recently fled into the seaside town of Tall Tale. Where the refugees reported a storm of unnatural power bringing ruin to their town and a never before seen creatures of shadow that attacked. There were also reports of changelings but these were vague and uncertain. Tall Tale requests a small group of guards be sent to investigate." There was a pause.
"What are your thoughts? Could this be Solus?" Celestia asked silently worried.
"I think that there is a small chance that it is, but these changelings. Mixed with the storm, perhaps, and most likely, not. Either way is sounds like a problem."
"You're probably right, but what if it is?"
"Well the group I've been working with would be, in my opinion, best to check it out, may be leave a few here so they can help train the next group? How did you defeat the changelings last time?"
"The rulers of the crystal empire repelled them, but the elements of harmony would have worked if we had not been taken by surprise."
"Okay, I would send a small group of guards to investigate, and leading from their report, either send the elements against the changelings with additional guards or as many troops and myself to combat the threat of Solus." The Princesses looked thoughtful for a moment.
"We will think on this, until our decision, you are dismissed." Reed bowed and left to return to his guards in training.
Two days later
Twilight, sat at sugar cube corner listening to pinkie pie tell a group of foals a story.
"Hey twilight, are you okay?" Twilight jumped a little and turned to see spike munching on a cupcake.
"Oh spike, yeah, I've just been, well I just can't,"
"Twilight darling, just go ahead and say it already, clearly your head over hooves of that guard that saved you and Fluttershy when you met Reed." Rarity said sitting next to twilight sipping from her cup of punch.
"What?! Now that's not, that's completely ludicrous. I was thinking about, well Reed."
"Reed?! Now darling I had no idea you had such interests."
"Rarity! Please, you've got it all wrong. I was thinking about Reed's magic and what he said about, Solus" Twilight shuddered at the name.
"What's Solus? And who's Reed?" Spiked asked.
"Shh, don't say it so loud Spike. It is pure evil taken form and it's been chasing after Reed for a long time. Trying to take over his body and destroy everything in its path."
"But who is he and why him?"
"Reed is a human, and it doesn't have to be him, except that Reed can with stand ITS presence and not be destroyed in a few hours or days."
"What do you mean, Not be destroyed in a few days?" Before Twilight could answer a mint colored unicorn mare zoomed up to Twilight.
"You said there was a human here! Where is it!" the mare crashed in to Twilight.
"Lyra!" Twilight exclaimed falling over. "He is in Canterlot, how do you know about humans?" but before Twilight finish her question Lyra was gone.
"That Mare is a random as pinkie when it comes to humans." Rarity said helping twilight up.
"So what's special about This Reed again?" spike ask lending a hand.
"When we were in canterlot I was posseted but this evil, but Reed managed to drive it out and contain it. But I would have died it Reed didn't save me. This thing feed off everything good, then off the life force of its host. For some reason Reed is resistant to it." Spike let out a burp of magical smoke and a letter formed and dropped in from of the group.Twilight picked it up and read it, her eyes widened the farther she read. "Rarity gather the girls we are need in canterlot right away. Spike send a letter saying we are on our way."
"What is it Twilight, what's wrong darling?"
"The letter didn't say, only to come ASAP and bring the elements. Rarity I'll meet you all at the train station, in fifteen minutes." Seventeen minutes later the elements and their bearers were speeding their way to Canterlot yet again.
Meanwhile somewhere in between Tall tale and the ruins of Whitetail a small squad of ponies, mostly consisting of the group reed had trained, were investigating the report from a few days ago. Flash Post had sent a report of the ruins and requested that additional guards and the elements be sent. Believing that the destruction was caused by Changelings. Steadfast and a few of the others had gone in to the ruined town earlier that day and had yet to return. Night Watch was looking through a telescope down at the ruins from the ridge they were camped on. The skies above the town had a few dark clouds, but this was most likely from the unchecked whether blowing in from the west. Although Night Watch thought the color of the occasional lightning flash was off, maybe a bit more red than was normal. She made a note of it and continued to scan the town ruins. The storm raged on and nothing significant happened for Night Watch's shift, her replacement's shift and soon it was her turn again.
Fifteen minutes in to her shift and through her telescope Night Watch saw a building that was still barely standing collapse revealing a group of shadows. Night Watch couldn't tell who it was due the thick cloud of dust from the collapse. The shadows move down a side street and out of sight again. Lightning cracked over head as Night Watch made notes of the fallen building. A curl of blue smoke made its way over to Night Watch before forming a message bubble.
"Steadfast reporting in, no sign of any hostels, storm continues to persist, few buildings left standing. End report." The bubble then popped.
Night Watch formed her own message bubble, "Report received, Night Watch inquiry, are you alright? That building nearly fell on you and your group. End Inquiry." Night Watch watched her message zoom off in a green trail of smoke. But she didn't have to wait long before a blue smoke bubble formed.
"Steadfast report and inquiry, we are a little wet but fine. What building? End report and inquiry." Night Watch snatched up her telescope and pointed it at the fallen building. There was no sign of any movement.
Night Watch formed another bubble, and dropping all formality, "What is your current location? End." She followed the puff of smoke with her spy glass, down to the town before it turn to the far end of the ruins. Far away from the fallen building.
"Steadfast report, far end of town near the bakery. End report." Night Watch immediately shot off another bubble.
"Are there any other groups assigned to the ruins? End."
"Steadfast report, Negative. End report."The Bubbles zoomed back and forth.
"Night Watch Report, Possible hostels spotted on the far edge of town. Last seen near the now fallen dress maker's shop. Group was large and employing stealth, recommend extreme caution. End"
"Steadfast Report, Message received, possible movement ahead. Will investigate End-"
"Hostels in bound!"
"Form up!"
"Ambush!"
"Requested reinforcements, hostels are not Changelings. I Repeat Hostels are NOT Changelings! End message!" Before Night Watch could Rush to send reinforcements there was a bone chilling howl. Night Watch Raced to the command tent.
"Night Watch reporting in, Recon Group Steadfast is under attack, requested support effective immediately. Hostels reported and not Changelings." The tent scrabbled to comply, and Flash Post, quickly sent a report to the Princesses. Another Howl tore through the camp and a trail of green smoke zoom to Canterlot.
The Train pulled in to The Tall Tale Station just before sunset and the six friends disembarked. Before finding the small inn, they were told to report to.
"What a quaint little village." Rarity said as the group unpack the few things they brought. The inn had rooms enough for a small barracks of royal guard. This was achieved by having three rooms that could sleep up to seven each, and a few smaller rooms that slept the normal two to four.
"Ah'll Say. Hey Twi, Why again did the princess send us all the way out yonder?" Applejack ask.
"We were sent here to befriend and if failing that confront possible Changeling sightings." Twilight responded.
"Oh my, I do hope befriends works." Fluttershy worried.
"Don't worry Flutters, if things gone topsy terby I'll protect you." Pinkie pie bounced.
"Yeah, I would love to bash those creeps head's again." Rainbow Dash said brashly.
"Remember Rainbow, only if we have to, and besides if things to get stressed we have the elements of harmony, to banish them again." Twilight said.
"Well ah don't know 'bout you all but ah'm gonna hit the hay. That fancy dinner that here train plum tuckered me out." Applejack said yawning.
"Good idea AJ, we all need to sleep, we have a busy day tomorrow." Twilight agreed.
"Ahhh but I'm not even the tincey wincey bit slee- *Snore*." Pinkie pie said bouncing on the bed, before promptly falling asleep. The other chuckled at the pink mare's antics before they too made their way over to their respective bed and fell asleep. Fluttershy was the last to fall asleep, but before she did she thought she heard a howl in the far distance. But before her mind could wake her up again, she was also fast asleep. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 19 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by ShieldStar 19
Reed was overseeing the few guards he was training, that had stayed behind, go through drills and training other guards. It had been two days since the princess had shared the report on Whitetail and Tall Tale. The requested group had gone off and soon after the elements and more troops followed. Star Lance had continued to guard his dreams and thankfully Solus hadn't shown its deprived ugly face. Reed had been intrigued by star Lance's reports, Dream were truly fascinating. And getting to hear his dream recounted in detail was truly a treat. He would often remember parts of a dream and miss the profound thing that his subconscious was trying to tell him. This way he got a second look, which'd helped him solved problems he had been stuck on for weeks before.
Star Lance was also a great story well, meaning she had so many great ideas for stories and often offered fresh and new perspectives on existing stories. Reed had enjoyed sharing the stories in his head with someone else. And had expressed this to Star Lance one night.
"You should really write some of these down, they are absolutely awe-inspiring, even thrilling!"
"You really think so?" Star Lance just gave him a deadpan stare before the both burst out in giggles.
Since then when Reed had a spare moment, he wrote bit and pieces of stories, and planed one day fitting them all together in to a few bigger stories.
Reed's Attention was pulled back to the guards training when he saw one of the newer guards about to make a deadly mistake. "Hold Positions!" he shouted, and the all the guards stopped mid pose. Reed walked over to the offending guard. "What's your name solider?" Reed ask in a stern but not unkind voice.
"Bronze Spear, sir!"
"Alright, Bronze Spear, tell me way I stopped you." The guard was silent for a moment.
"I'm not sure sir."
"At least you honest. I stopped you, because of this." And Reed gently moved the guard's strike lower and his leading hoof back. "Now why did I move you as I did?"
"Because I had it wrong?"
"Yes and no. If you were trying to subdue someone, as we are practicing to, yes you had it wrong. If we were in a true fight to the death your opponent you be quiet dead. Please make sure your form is right before you strike, until you know it better than walking and eating else tragedy will strike for you. That goes for everyone!" Reed called to the group. "Now Bronze Spear I want you to hold that position until everyone has finished this set. Then you and your partner will take it slow. Remember we would rather learn it slow then-"
"To learn it too fast and fail!" the group said in unison.
"Good continue, and remember if you need help there is no shame in asking." Reed move among the guards watching for any more mistakes and helping when asked.
Lunch came around and Reed dismissed the group. Reed as well and got some lunch and sat under a tree to eat. Ti wasn't long before a few guards came and joined him.
"Sir, why do you sit out here and eat?" Reed looked up to see Bronze Spear was who had asked.
"There's no need to call me sir outside of training. I'm not part of the guard. As for your question.
I like to feel the life of all the different living things and they help me in many ways."
"How's that?" this time a guard named Front Line asked
"Well there are many ways they help. To name a few, they help me relax, they help my magic, they help me think when I am troubled, and when I am weak they help me live."
"They help you live?" this one to Reed's surprise came from Star Lance who was normally nocturnal.
"Yeah. You may not know this but when I helped save Twilight Sparkle, I used a lot of magic and magic needs energy. But before when I expect the darkness from her, that used a lot of my magical energy. So when I healed her I didn't have much left in magical energies. So I had to use my life energies, which was why I was affect so badly when I finished."
"So when you went to 'recharge' you were also refilling your life force?" Bronze Spear asked.
"That's Right."
"Wow" this got a chuckle from the group, before a wisp of green smoke zipped above them.
Not long after lunch, while Reed was giving instructions to the guards, about splitting into groups to learn about strategy. Another guard rushed over to him.
"The Princesses Request you presence as soon as possible." the guard said standing at attention.
"Alright, give me one moment and we will be on our way." Reed called one of the guards that was helping to train the newer ones. Reed told him the plan and gave him instructions on how to carry it out. "Alright lead the way." Reed said to the guard that was waiting to take him to the princesses.
They soon arrived in the throne room, and the door opened to reveal a flurry of activity. At the head of the storm was Celestia issuing orders, like a captain at the head of a large pirate ship. The guard rushed in and told the princess of Reed's arrival. Celestia nodded.
"You all have your orders! Fulfill them to your best of your ability. I need that train ready within the hour! Dismissed." The Room dispersed, as guards and castle staff moved to obey the princess' wishes."Reed, thank you for coming so quickly. I have just received a Report that the attack was not by the Changelings. However that said we don't know who or what is behind the attack. As a precaution I would like to send more guards and I would like you to go with them just in case."
"Better safe than sorry."
"Exactly."
"What do you need me to do?"
"Grab what you need, magical or otherwise." Reed nodded, and was about to leave when Celestia spoke again. "Reed, I know you haven't been here long and that we can hardly be called friends, but could you, could you please watch out for the elements?"
"Of course I will, and I would like to think we are friends." Reed said with a smile and a bow, before he left the throne room to pack. As he walk the guard that had shown him to the throne room trotted up next to him.
"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"
"The elements are in danger and I am needed to help protect them."
"Can I get you anything?"
"Um, yes actually that is something, can you bring a good spear and a good sword to the train station for me? I have a feeling I will have need of them." the guard rushed off to gather the requested items. Reed went to his room where he had been staying for the last few weeks. Reed looked over his equipment quickly, gathering items of magic and protection. Reed made sure to grab his jacket and pouch that held the mint leaves and other items for drawing out and sealing Solus from the host. Reed was about to leave when Star Lance burst in to the room.
"Reed, is it true? Is it Solus?" Reed turned to star lancer, forgetting the box of sealing he was going to grab.
"It is true that the changelings are not the attacker, but we do not know for sure who is."
"Could it be Solus?"
"It could, but know way in knowing until I get there." Reed said as he picked up his supplies and equipment and walked out of the room with star close behind the box of sealing lay forgotten in the bedside table.
Star Lancer went back to Reed's room after Reed had left on the train. She wasn't sure why she had come back, today was her day off and she should be spending it away from the castle. Star huffed and turned to leave when a little carved box sitting of the bed side table caught her eye.
Reed was on the train racing to Tall Tail along with about fifty guards. None of the guards Reed knew except in passing and few that had spoken with him about training regiments. Reed was looking at the spears and swords the guard he had asked brought to the train station, there was total of four weapons, two of each type.For the two the spears one was shorter than the other, the longer of the two had a longer and wider blade, while the swords were very different. Both were the use of ponies to be held in their mouth, one was much longer and bigger and had a double edged, while the other was shorter and thinner. Reed focused on the two swords and pick up each one and tested its weight. Deciding on the larger of the two Reed focused his magic, and willed the handle and hilt of the blade in to a more fitting shape.The hilt formed with the handle to form a hand and a half sword. He sat back and inspected his work, Reed was astonished by on strong his magic was here. Back home the most he could will were things that already wanting to change to his will, and even then the results were poor at that.
Reed picked up the sword and gently move it about, it felt good and it fit well in his hands. Putting the sword away Reed turned his attention to the spears and remaining sword. The longer of the two spears, about eight feet, was more flexible and looked more for throwing, reed set that one aside and set the two remaining weapons next to each other. Reed again focused his magic and directed the two weapons to fuse in to one.The two eagerly jumped to together. The sword melting and interweaving with the wooden haft of the spear and lengthening the blade at the end. The pummel flowed down to the butt of the spear, reforming and reinforcing the end, while the wrapping used on the handle snaked itself around the haft. When the two finished forming the result was that of a sword spear with metal woven and wrapped in and around the once wooden haft, while the blade was longer and had a slight wave to it. Reed set the newly formed sword spear down along with the hand and a half sword.
Reed's stomach growled, from the use of magic. Reed found something to eat out of his pack and then closed his eyes to rest until they got to their destination. The quiet babble of conversation and the click clack of the wheels the last thing he remembered.
In the distance storm clouds swirled and red lightning flashed. As a dark presence watched the little train move towards it. The ponies that had defended the next turn had escaped, but it wasn't worried, the host was coming and soon it the darkness would consume the host and bringing ruin to the world. Dark laughter rolled like thunder across the land. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 20 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by ShieldStar 20
Fluttershy woke with a start as thunder crashed in to the town of Tall Tail. It was raining outside and the sun had only just risen. Fluttershy looked around to see if anyone else was awake. Applejack was just leaving for breakfast and waved at the shy mare before quietly leaving the room. Fluttershy stretched and quietly got out of bed, and move to get ready. ~
Rubbing sleep from her eyes Fluttershy left the room they shared. Quietly shutting the door Fluttershy trotted down the hall and toward the dining room. Where she found Applejack munching on some wheatcakes. Serving herself a few Fluttershy sat next to her friend.
"How'd ya sleep sugar cube?"
"Oh it was nice, there was a...foreboding feeling I had before I fell asleep though. Not that I'm complaining. I just thought I would..." Applejack nodded and finished chewing.
"You too huh? Ah Kept on toss'en and turn'en all night, and this here storm ain't help'en none either." They ate in companionable silence for a while. Once they were done they thanked the cooks and sat by the fire, waiting for their friends to wake up.
The train pulled into the wet rainy station, thunder boomed overhead and the group of guards and Reed quietly unloaded from the train. Once they were unloaded the train raced away back the way it had come. The group then loaded their gear into a few carts and headed for the camp to meet up with the commanding authorities.
"Are you sure Star Lance?"
"Yes Princess Luna, I only wish I had noticed it when we left the room." Star Lance and Princess Luna stood looking at an intricately carved wooden box. It was the box that Reed had forgotten on the bedside table when Star had burst in while he was packing.
"But why is it so important?"
"I think he called it the box of sealing. And that it was used to seal Solus."
"Then if it truly is this important and if Reed truly is going to face that abomination then we must get this to him post haste. I will have a carriage readied and the fastest guards fly you there with this box."
"Yes Princess." Star Lance Bowed and lifting the box into her saddlebag she quietly left to dawn her armor and get ready to depart.
Steadfast waited for the medical pony to finish rewrapping his bandages. That said, that didn't mean that there wasn't casualties. Steadfast's group had been attacked by what he could only describe as Shadow animals. Wolves, bears, ponies, deer, and few smaller creatures, all surrounded by shadow and looking like corpses, bits of bone and glowing red eyes winking in the poor light of the storm. The shadows had seemed to swallow those who had died, a short scream before they fell to the ground. Steadfast shook his head to clear it, out of the ten guards in his squad only four others had survived, in total half his squad was swallowed by the darkness.
"Steadfast sir! Reports of from the recovery recon group have come in." Steadfast nodded for the guard to continue. "The bodies of Ash Shield, Brisk Wind, Fury Hooves, Hard Light, and Golden Helm could not be found. In addition, Recovery lost two of its own, Blaze Spear and Quick Tourniquet."
"Will that be all?"
"Yes sir!"
"Dismissed, get some rest." The guard saluted and left, Steadfast sighed and got up to make his own report and to write letters of condolence. Seven, Seven dead ponies under his command, dead by shadows no less. Steadfast stopped and let the rain run down his face, tears flowing freely. He gazed out to the ruins. Where red lightning flashed and illuminated the figures of shadow clad beasts and ponies alike.
Fluttershy followed the rest of the girls and their escort to the guard camp. It was still raining and despite Rainbow's attempts to clear some of the weather the clouds simply flowed around the rainbow pegasus. So now they cantered along in relative silence, rain dripped off Rarity's umbrella, and Twilights shield, which she had stretched over Fluttershy and herself. Applejack had to tip her hat more than once to spill the water from her brim. Pinkie Pie Happily hopped along splashing in puddles, much to Rarity's chagrin. Rainbow Dash had kept trying to clear the clouds, but finally gave up and joined Twilight and Fluttershy under the shield.
"Twilight, do you think Spike will be alright?" Fluttershy asked.
"Of course Fluttershy, Spike has learned from his passed experiences and is more than capable for taking care of the pets and watching over the library, and Angle bunny is good at taking care of your animal friends." Fluttershy nodded and they soon arrived at the camp Red lightning flashing over the ruins of Whitetail.
Reed had listened to the reports of what had happened to Steadfast's group and offered his condolences and praised the guard on doing what he could to save the rest of his squad.Reed was now studying the maps of the ruins that had been collected by the recon groups before Steadfast's ambush. There was a slight commotion, and Reed looked up. The Elements of harmony had just arrived and were heading for the edge of the camp to use the elements themselves. Reed followed them to the edge and be held the ruins with his own eyes. The shadow seemed to be massing in the center of town square and red lightning continuously struck the roiling mass of darkness. A single shadow started to form and grow upwards, forming a towering human-esk figure. The shadows moved, the darkness its-self shifting. Two eyes, the color of a burning night, opened.
"Harmony." Says the voice that sounded like a mountain rolling and yet is as quiet as the summer wind. It drew a blade the color of blood and the shadow moved like a thick miasma out of the center of the square. Colorless except for the occasional sparkle of deepest blue and purple, and Red lightning crashing down around it.
"Solus." Reed said with all the finality of a death sentence. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 21 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by Shield Star 21
Star Lance had left that night the chariot being pulled by the two fastest guards Princess Luna could find. At first Star had declined the chariot, "I insist, two of the fastest guards shall pull it, and should there be battle upon your arrival you shan't be exhausted from your travels. A unicorn couldn't teleport you because they would be unable to maintain the level of magic to teleport you and themselves that distance without causing magical burn out or worse."The two guards were preparing to land in the square of Tall Tail. Below in the square was another guard waiting for he to land. The chariot touched down with a slight bump. Star hopped off and cantered over to the waiting guard.
"Star Lance, I was told you have an important package."
"I do, we would have sent it by magic but there was a counter spell on the box." The guard nodded.
"Then we must be quick, when I left the thing had just started its assault." With that Star followed the guard out of the town. The two guards that had pulled the chariot through the air, pulled the chariot out of the way, and went to the inn for a much needed rest.
Reed leaned over the table studying the maps of the ruins that had been collected by the recon groups before Steadfast's ambush. A murmur hummed through the tent, the Elements of Harmony had just arrived. Reed left the tent and greeted them, before they were all lead to the edge of the camp to use the elements themselves. As they approached the hill overlooking the ruins of whitetail town reed noticed the movement of many shadows. The storm made it hard to see but, the shadows seemed to be massing in the center of the town square. Red lightning continuously struck the roiling mass of darkness. The concussive rolls of thunder could be felt with each impact. The shadows twisted and merged, a single shadow grow upwards, forming a towering bipedal figure. The shadows moved, the darkness its-self shifting. Two eyes, the color of a burning night, opened.
"Harmony." Said a voice that sounded like a mountain rumble but was as quiet as the summer breeze. It drew a blade the color of burnt crimson and the shadow moved like a thick miasma slowly towards Reed and his friends. Colorless except for the occasional sparkle of deepest blue and purple, and Red lightning crashing down around it.Where the lightning struck figures of the shadow nightmares clawing from the ground.
"Solus." Reed grimly confirmed what they all feared. This ancient foe had followed him here. As if the world it infected wasn't enough. As if the torture and pain it thrived on couldn't fill its thirst.
"I Told You Would Be Mine. And You Refused Me. I Told You To Give In, And You Refused Me. Now I Will Take Everything You Hold Dear And Take You By Force. You Are Mine." The very air rippled, the stones cracking under the power of the voice. Many of the ponies knelt covering their sensitive ears. Fluttershy was shaking so bad behind Applejack that the farm-pony struggled to stay in one spot. The rest of the elements weren't much better, but they stood their ground.
Reed stepped forward, "you will never win,"
"Spare me the heroic speeches, you and I both know I very well could win."
"Then why do you hesitate?"
"Um, Reed maybe we shouldn't antagonize the big scary shadow?" Rarity called.
"Oh, don't you play the naive card on me, we know how powerful you are."
Star followed the guard down the road at a gallop. "Where are we going? Surely the threat hasn't gotten this close to Tall Tail."
"No we would have evacuated the town if it had.No we are going to our base of operations. From there the designated unicorns will teleport us to our forward base of operations the elements only when through this morning and the human moved up a day before that."
Has there been any word on the situation?"
"No word yet, all reconnaissance stopped after the ambushes." The two soon arrive in the large camp ponies in guard armor practicing drills and doing equipment checks. They cantered to a stop outside a command tent, just in time for the lead of the Magical transportation division to exit. "Captain Portal, we have arrive with a top priority package to be delivered to the forward base of operations. Can you arrange transport?"
"Under who's orders?"
Star stepped forward, "I am under the orders of Princess Luna herself, to deliver a key asset to combating the entity known as Solus." Star Lance took out the scroll The Princess had given her before she had left. The captain read over the orders and gave them back to star.
"Right this way, I will have my unicorn ready for transport via teleportation." ~
"Oh, don't you play the naive card on me, we know how powerful you are." Star stubble for the teleport, but quickly regain her footing and galloped off to find Reed.
"It only depends on if you are willing to use that power," Reed shrank back, "Use it Reed, Let me in, let your true power show, Un-"
"No." Solus stopped, "I will never lose control and ravage the world with my power. I won't be you." Solus lunged forward at Reed. The mass of shadow crash down like a tsunami if darkness.
"Girls now!" the other five jumped into position at twilight's words. The elements around their necks glowing with power. A shield formed in front of the cascading wall of darkness. The immense mass slammed into the shield, the darkness rippling and writhing like smoke and water. Twilight opened glowing her eyes, as the rays of a rainbow shot forth from the element of magic. The rainbow struck the darkness burning it away, cracks of light began to form with in the darkness.The cracks grew and expanded pure light pouring forth from them. The form of Solus stumbled back falling to its knees, the light of the rainbow unrelenting. Solus lifted its head a silence scream as the light consumed it, the shadows crumbling like sand filtering through an hour glass.
As the light of harmony receded, the element bearers returned to the ground. Reed squinted hard into the swirling dust, eyes still dazzled from the light of harmony. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 22 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by Shield Star 22
Star Lance galloped through the camp, when the looming shadow of Solus rushed down. A flash of light and the rainbow light of the elements of harmony burst forth. The shadows cracking with light. The cracks grew and expanded pure light pouring forth from them. The form of Solus stumbled back falling to its knees, the light of the rainbow unrelenting. Solus lifted its head a silence scream as the light consumed it, the shadows crumbling like sand filtering through an hour glass.
As the light of harmony receded, the element bearers returned to the ground. Reed squinted hard into the swirling dust, eyes still dazzled from the light of harmony.A Spear of darkness shot out and impaled Reed. It burned like acidic ice as Reed cried out, Dark laughter slinked from the settling dust. Huge glowing red eyes loomed out of the dust the cloud. A hand as big as a house shot forward, slamming and pinning Reed to the ground. It began to crush Reed, the sharp bone and rotted flesh it was comprised of slowly lifted its prey into the air.
"RUN! RUN AS FAR AND AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" Solus' hollow laugh boomed, like thunder.
"Do you really think they can escape me? What foolish wisp of hope, do you truly delude yourself with? HAHAHA, YOU, ARE, MINE!" the giant hand pulled Reed into the darkness as Solus Spoke, soon there was nothing left, but a reaching hand. Soon even that vanished with a soft ripple. The world rocked and hundreds of corpses clawed from the ground each shrouded in dark fog.
Star saw the Elements of harmony blast the wall of Darkness, and she slowed a bit as the shadows cracked and dissolved. 'Did it work?' Star continued to slow, when suddenly there was a cry and shadows exploded up and loomed out of the dust cloud. "Ahaha, did you really think your pretty colors and warm feeling could harm me?" Star redoubled her gallop, practically flying at the huge shadows. "RUN! RUN AS FAR AND AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" Souls' hollow laugh boomed, like thunder.
"Do you really think they can escape me? What foolish wisp of hope, do you truly delude yourself with? HAHAHA, YOU, ARE, MINE!"As she crested the ridge she saw Reed's hand vanish into Solus.
"NOOOOoooAAAARRHHHHHH!" Star screamed as she charged in a battle cry already ripping from her throat. The Ground shook and the dead rose, Star didn't stop, she bulled through, jump over, dove under. Her lunar guard's blade spinning like a top about her.
"AHAHA! What is this?" Solus crowed in delight, "You want him back, Soo much? By all means, come on in." and the shadows too swallowed Star Lance.
There Was a Flash of pure Light and Solus Froze, however the dead rushed the living.
~>Inside Solus
Reed floated in nothing but pain. Senses of his friends dieing, horribly continued to play before him, Applejack tried to buck at a skeletal bear, only for a skeletal wolf to bite her throat. Twilight was chased down by a hoard of decomposing snakes each leaping on her back before she finally stopped twitching. Pinkie dodged swipes from the bear that had attacked Applejack, when too late her pinkie sense warned her from below and monstrous rotted badger sprung.Claws ripped up and in, Rainbow Dash dove a second too late to save her pink friend. Suddenly a boney bear claw broke and mangled a wing and a pack of rotted rats swarmed her as she crashed to the ground. Fluttershy tried begging with the dead animals, but one of the missing royal guards barreled into her, trampling her. Rarity and a few guards fended off the attacking dead for a moment but a bolder crushed the group, a white leg struggling for a moment more before shuttering and lay still, blood slowly staining the pure coat. Others died and Reed thought he saw Star Lance Charge only to be gored in the neck, by a missing guard. Again and again he saw them die, and others die, and more and more die, the nice doctor, the strange cook, his father, his mother, his grandparents, if he knew them they died in horrible ways again, and again, and again.
"AAAARRRRHHHHHHHHhhhhhh?" a bright light appeared out of nowhere, and yet if reed had to say it appeared from behind him. "Where the hay am I now?" the visions of death faded as Reed turned towards the light. "Reed? Is that you? About time it feels like I've been running through this cursed thing for hours."
Star charged through the inkiness of Solus as it enveloped her. It was decidedly uncomfortable, cold and hot, wet and sticky, thick like dirty fog. Star lit her horn to see Reed laying upon the ground before her, still and grey. But he was too grey not even his closes had color. Star charged passed dragging her sword through the fake. On and on she charged and over and over she came across Reed dead, but each time the illusion proved a vital flaw. After what felt like an hour of running Star Stopped and flared her light spell. "Enough of this! Where is he!?"
"HAHAHA You Think I Would Just Give Him Too You, Little Tiny Pony? No He Is Mine And He Is Dead. Give Up."
"Never, if you won't give him back then I will take him from you!" Star Lance Reared up kicking.
"But Which One Of Us Is The Real One?" Out of the inky fog ten Reeds slunk in to her light. "HAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA." They chuckled darkly to themselves.
Star slammed into the ground a wave of light cascading away from where she struck. The False images of Reed hissed as they dissolved, and Star Again charged forward. But the illusions soon changed, instead of reed already being dead more and more often Reed was dying and calling out for her. Star flinched at first when she galloped to them only for them to lash out with a boney claw. Now Star concentrated a beam of light on the dying causing them to hiss and dissolve. On and on she ran in till she came to a large stone rotunda. "Reed! Reed! Answer Me Please Where Are You!?"
The sound of malicious laughter echoed and rebounded around the rotunda. "I'm here!" Reed called from off to the left. "NO, I'm Here!" again Reed Called this time from the right. "No it's lying, I'm here!" "Liar, I'm Down Here!" "Star Please, I'm Right Here!" over and over the calls of reed became more and more desperate and numerus.
"Stop It! Please Stop It! why are you doing this!? Stop!" Star's Light flickered and shrank as she collapsed to the cold stone floor tears in her eyes. The Calls Stopped, the air tight with the anticipation of someone about to win. Star Lance Sobbed, as her light shrank to illuminate only her. Something flickered out of the corner of her eye, and she turned. A ghostly figure of yellow light was kneeling next to her, it looked like reed. It reached out and touched her horn. 'Remember my touch, remember my soul, feel my heart, and see your goal.' And her light winked out.
The Darkness Rushed in only to be held barely back by the light of the figure. Star heard sobs, and pleading for it to stop, "don't hurt them, hurt me instead, Please No, NO, Noooooooo, nonono..."
The yellow figure slowly pointed and to a small yellow light winking not far off. 'Remember my light, and feel your soul, go forth and achieve your goal.' Star Lance rose to her hooves, and ignited her horn the light exploding like a flare in oil, "REED! I'M COMING! AAAAAAARRRRHHHHHHHHHH!"As Star charged once more. A forest of trees appearing before her, then blistering cold tundra, until finally she was in what seemed like an endless maze of a burnt out house. But she never lost that tiny yellow light.
Twilight blasted another rotting corpse with magic, doing her best to fend off the hoard of dead. The huge figure of Solus crouched frozen, light and shadow marbled every part of it. Twilight wasn't sure what had happened to stop it, but for the moment she was concerned with holding back the hoard while her friends got far enough away.
Wisps of shadow shot out for the towering figure, quickly followed and vaporized by bolts of light. The guards focused of keeping the shadowy hoard contained, but it was a battle they were quickly losing.
For a hundredth of a second multiple wisps of shadow shot out and curled away. The light sparked and crackled catching most of the wisps in a beam. Another beam lashed down at the shadowy hoard melting the shadows that gave the corpses life.
"Star Lance, How did you Get here?"
"I Saw you get grabbed, I came to get you out of hear."
"You're not real, I saw you die."
"Saw me Die? As if I-"
"Why are you doing this to me?!" Reed screamed into the darkness.
"Who the hay are you talking to?"
Leave hear out of this Solus!" Star took a step back.
"Solus? Solus! You Think I Am Solus?! After I charged screaming into this black hearted thing? After I saw you! Dead before me! After again and again I ran to your body only for it to be a fake!? After I Charged on and on through the dark with only your fake corpse to tease me? "
"Star-
"Even when you came out of the dark begging for help, dying always dying! NO! I am not the black Evil thing called SOLUS! I almost Gave up! Almost gave in! But You!" Star Reared and slammed the ground with her front hooves, a wave of light crashing around Reed. "You came to me when I begged, Begged! And Every single one of you was a lie! 'Remember my touch, remember my soul, feel my heart, and see your goal.' That's what the yellow figure said! That's what you said!"
"I-I, 'Remember my light, and feel your soul, go forth and achieve your goal.' I remember saying those words when I Cleansed Solus from you. Star it is You!" The two hugged briefly.
"Come on we have to get out of here, what did you mean when you said you 'Cleansed Solus' from me?"Star asked as she turned back the way she had come at a brisk trot.
"It was when this whole mess started, you had just started viewing my dreams and watching out for Solus."
"I think I remember, there was that one time when Solus tried to get at me." They were already making their way through the Burnt house, and soon star saw the cold icy tundra bordering the lush forest.
"It did get to you, the slightest contact with Solus is enough to give it a way in, where it can really start to do damage. There are signs of a person being infected with Solus... any way I saw one of these signs and knew I had to act. When I cleans someone from Solus I ended up leaving a trace of my aura, soul, being, whatever you want to call it behind."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Star stopped, "we are going nowhere."
"Huh?"
"We keep running through this stone rotunda and entering another just like it."
Reed growled in frustration, "Solus is manipulating the space to trap us. We need a guiding light or some other line out of here." Reed looked around for a way out.
"You didn't answer my question."
Reed sighed, "I didn't tell you because it was too dangerous for you to know you had contact with Solus. Why? Because if someone who does not know how to properly guard against Solus and has the chance to repeatedly encounter Solus, the best way to protect them is to place a ward and never mention it to them."
"But... why?"
"Because by giving them knowledge of Solus counteracts the ward to hide them. Solus finds hosts and victims by sensing the fear directed, or really any emotion or thought, at it. Thus rendering the ward useless."
"Okay. So how do we get out of here?"
"You Will Never Escape Me! Because Sweet ReedWon't Use His Power."
"You could always let us go." Star shot.
"HAHAHA, And Lose Such A Delectable Morsel As You? Never!"
"Reed any ideas?"
"Star how did you get here?"
"I Charge forward mostly, but that doesn't seem to be working."
"No, it doesn't. What else, did you use a spell or..?"
"Just my light spell, sometimes I charged it up or focused it."
"I See." Reed put a hand to his chin, thinking.
"Why can't you use your power?"
"Because, by manifesting my power Solus can drink it up. It's like turning on a water tap and drinking from it. But maybe..."
"Maybe what?"
"You Think I Would Just Let You Rest And Think? Heh Heh."
"Come on we have to move. Put as much power as you can in to you light spell." The two charged once more in to the shadowy arch, Star poring power in to her light spell.
Twilight took another step back and the hoard of dead continued to batter against the shield sheet ha the other unicorns where casting. A crack started to form in front of her and she redoubled her spell. The light and shadow behind the hoard continued to spark and clash. The form of Solus still hadn't moved since the unicorn guard had charged in. a few other guards had tried to go in after her but the sheer number of corpses had driven them back.
'Twi---- Twili--t, pleas- Twilight! Ca- you -ear me? If -ou -an, --ease, fo-us on -end-ng -n m-y -ur-'s t-uch. We-eed -ou as - g-id-ng li-ht, pl-as- -wili-ht -ocus.'
Twilight blinked, and looked around, the sound of the hoard and battel had all gone very quiet. Rarity was speaking to her but she couldn't hear her friend. Rarity brushed her sweaty frazzled mane away from her eyes and gestured in front of Twilight. Twilight turned to see a spider web of cracks had formed in her part of the shield. Twilight ramped up her spell's power and the cracks quickly mended. What had that been, it had sounded like Reed, but distorted- REED! Her epiphany almost caused her to lose her hold on her spell.What had he said to focus on? His touch? Twilight thought about when Reed had saved her from Solus. What had he done? She remembered the horrible fake Celestia, and the bright yellow light. The Light, is that what he meant? His aura's touch? She remembered it's kind warm glow, and the feeling that everything was going to be okay right then, that no matter what happened that everything would turn out okay.
There was a flash of blinding light and a beam of yellow shot forth from her horn piercing through the hoard and into the swirling mass of light and dark of Solus. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 23 | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by Shield Star 23
A beam of yellow light came shooting out of the surrounding darkness it's warm glow pierce the vail of shadow like warm sunbeams. The void filled air shook around them as Solus shrieked in pain and rage. Reed spread his arms wide as if to give the beam a warm hug. It struck him in the chest and his aura flared bright. Solus's shadows retreating in the intense flash of light and power. Star shielded her eyes from the light and was soon blinking in the overly bright light of the storm. They had made it out of Solus! The roiling mass of shadows billowed and squirmed behind them. All the shadow risen dead crumpled to the ground some disintegrating entirely; as the dark power was sucked back into the roiling mass on shadow.
Reed turned to face the looming mass. "NOW it is my turn!" Reed raised his arms to his chest, slamming his fists against his Breast before flinging his hands towards Solus, fingers splayed.
"Come, come darkness unto me.
Let my light set you free."
The roiling mass started to spin and funnel toward Reed's out stretched hands. The auric light also spinning in a cone towards the dark mist.
"Come, come darkness unto me.
Let my light finally let you see."
The light coming off of Reed was like a small sun, if it weren't for the rain no one could have look at the sight directly. The rain caught and refracted the light, causing the landscape to sparkle and dance. The powerful yellow beam revitalized, and healed the damage and wounds of all it touched.
"Come, come Darkness unto me.
Let the light me heal thee."
Now the roiling shadows were swirling in to a compact orb between Reed's hands. Solus screamed and raged, spears of darkness shot out, only to be stopped by arcs of yellow light, before being funneled back in.
"Come, come darkness unto me.
Let me seal you so others can be."
"Twilight! Ready the elements in case this doesn't work." Reed shouted over his shoulder over the cries of Solus and the cracks of lightning.
"In case what doesn't work? The elements didn't work before!" Twilight shouted back, trying to gather her friends and pick their way through the scattered remains of the horde.
"They'll work trust me!" The roiling mass of shadows was almost gone now a small form could be seen in what was left of the dark mist. The spinning cone of light sped up and the arcs of lightning writhed, striking all around the small figure.
An arc of red lightning shot from the figure at Reed but was meet with an arc of yellow. A second arc of red shot past exploding harmlessly on the dirt. "Stop Fighting Solus! Let Me Help You!" a scream of pain and rage was all that was given in reply. Solus charged the blood red eye locked, hand gripping a blood red sword, point aimed for Reeds heart. "come in, and rest." Reed whispered.
The point of the sword struck its mark. There was a great sucking sound like a huge plug had been pulled from an equally large tub. There was a moment before the sword slide into Reed and kept sliding. It did not however, slide out the other side.
Solus tried to let go backpedaling hard, but it was too late. With a might whoosh and a KRACK of yellow Lightning. Solus, the sword, and all the Darkness that Reed had gathered in his hands, was sucked in to Reed's Chest.
With a mighty BOOM, the sky was split with sunlight. The storm dissipated leaving only a few cloud to lazily drip rain on the land. |
Through the soul of friendship | Chapter 24: To The Stars (final) | Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by Shield Star
24: To the Stars
There was a long silence, only the soft patter of rain disturbed the air.
"Did it work?" Reed turned to see it was Fluttershy who had spoken. The other five friends where not far behind her. "Not yet." Reed said starting to shake.
Star trotted closer to Reed, digging through her saddle bags. "This is why I came you forgot this in your room." Star said distractedly. After a moment Star pulled out a small wooden box with carved designs of sealing. Reed's veins were starting to become visible as dark lines spread from his heart. The shaking was getting worse and Reed fell to a knee. Fluttershy started to rush forward with her friends and Star. "No!" Reed said quickly waving them back. "get ready to use the elements. Star quick the box."
Star floated the box into Reed's out stretched hand. Reed gripped it hard and focused his aura around it.
"From darkness to light and from light to darkness. I move the mass of evil to this vessel." The dark road map that was showing his veins traveled down his arm and into his hands. Before, like ink seeping from a sponge, the darkness that was Solus spilled from Reed's hands and into the open box. The craved designs began to glow like burning embers. Solus flowed from Reed, on and on, and despite its small size the box never over flowed. The designs glowed hotter and hotter. Starting from the dull glow of embers to the cherry red of hot metal, until they were the iridescent orange of melted iron.
Though Solus was being poured in to the box of sealing Reed was still shaking. He started to loss balance but was quickly stabilized by a small shoulder.
---Star Lance---
On and on the process went, the lines of black flowing and twisting down Reed's arms and into his hand, before being consumed by the box.
Star looked away from the box, at Reed. Blood leaked from his eyes and nose. A fearsome snarl was fixed in place as he concentrated on the box. His skin was sallow and grey, though arcs of yellow energy still jumped across his skin.
A drop of darkness fell from his arm, only to be caught by a few of the arcs and pulled back.
"How can I help?" Star whispered concernedly.
"Keep me up right and believe that this will work." Reed growled as three more drops jumped and were caught.
Star leaned in harder careful not to push him over, and focused on Reed. She focused not on the fact that this was killing him but on the fact that he would be able to seal Solus and they would make it through this.
Despite all her trust and belief a drop escaped. Then another and another. Reed was shaking so hard by now that his head was bouncing, but his eyes never left the box. Star dug her hooves in and did her best to keep Reed stable and to catch the drops with her magic.
"Twilight now." Star barely caught the whisper as it was weak and jerky.
"Twilight the elements! Use them now!" Star screamed.
"Buy you and Reed-!" Reed's hands, which until this point had been steady and firm started to shake as well.
"NOW!" There was a flash of multicolored light, a sense of flying then nothing but that little glowing box and the darkness flowing in to it.
---Twilight---
"Now!" Twilight sparkle, applejack, rainbow dash, Fluttershy, rarity, and pinkie pie, all regretted what they had to do. The elements fired the rainbow if harmony at Star lance and Reed. It enveloped them before pinching them in to the sky. A sonic boom bursting from the column of light, the arcs of light rippled out but soon dissipated.
Fluttershy began to cry, Pinkie Pie's mane fell flat and straightened. Rarity rubbed Fluttershy's back struggling not to cry herself. Applejack covered her face with her Stetson. Rainbow sunk to the ground, wings limp at her sides, a look of pain and anger on her face. Twilight sat tears in her eyes, guilt and grief chewing up her insides.
Twilight's eyes darted across the sky as if searching for answers.
"But they'll be back, right? Reed said he wouldn't leave without a going away party." Pink Pie sniffed hopefully.
"Yes. Yes! Yes, they have to come back! The elements of harmony can only banish what is out of harmony. Therefore once Solus is sealed..." Fluttershy stopped crying and looked up at Twilight.
"Then they will come back."
The others looked at her then at each other. They all looked at the sky, colored a bright hopeful blue, with its few clouds. A smile pulled at Twilight's lips as relief soothed her. Yes, Reed and Star Lance would return. But how long until then?
"Um Twilight? The others are heading back to the inn. Do you want me to wait for you?" Twilight turned to look at Fluttershy.
"That's okay Fluttershy, I was just thinking how this all started."
They shared a smile before turning to join the others.
"Twilight?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you think the princesses will let us give Reed and Star Lance a window?" Twilight laughed putting a fore leg over the yellow pegasus's shoulders.
"I will personal ask them too." |
Friends And Lovers | pre | Thump! Thump! Thump!
The two teens were startled as they suddenly heard a series of banging sounds from beneath their feet; it sounded like someone was hitting the ceiling with a broom.
"THAT BETTER NOT BE WHAT I THINK IT IS!!" Limestone Pie's voice thundered from down below.
A moment after, Pinkie and Sandalwood both laughed.
"Alright," the eco boy chuckled. "Maybe we should get back to work before she comes up to kill me?"
Pinkie snickered guiltily. "Okie-dokie," she said softly.
She leaned over, and quickly planted a kiss on his cheek. "But I'd like to talk more about a date sometime," she whispered, making him blush again.
"Okay," Sandalwood answered, smiling at her. "Maybe like, next week? Dinner and a movie?"
"Ooh! I like movies!" Pinkie beamed.
"Cool. I'll look forward to it," he said, giving her a thumbs up.
Pinkie gave him one more quick kiss. And this time, Sandalwood got to return it. |
Friends And Lovers | Casual Date (Applejack/Thunderlane) | It was a surprisingly warm day in Canterlot for February, and while the weather would undoubtedly turn chilly later in the day, for now people were happy to get out and enjoy the sun while they could. To that end, Applejack decided today was as good a day as any to take Winona to the city park for some outdoor playtime. Her little sister Apple Bloom tagged along as well, wanting to catch up on lost time with her big sis and the family dog.
The sky was completely cloudless, and a cheerful shade of bright blue as the two sisters and their dog arrived at the park. AJ was humming to herself as she hooked up Winona's leash, and couldn't help but laugh when Apple Bloom opened the door to let her out and Winona leapt out and into the open. Poor Apple Bloom was nearly bowled over by the enthusiastic dog!
"Real funny, Applejack," the redheaded girl pouted, adjusting her bow, which had gone astray in her stumble.
"Ah, I'm sorry sugarcube, it was just funny to see old Winona so worked up!" Applejack smiled apologetically, before whistling sharply for Winona to heel; the brown-and-white dog obediently (if a little downcast) walked back over to its owner and sat by AJ's feet.
"Winona ain't that old..." Apple Bloom huffed, but she managed a little smile and gave thefamily dog a scratch behind the ears. Winona yipped as if in agreement, and then bounded to her feet, eager to walk. "Alright girl," the elder Apple sister said, giving the leash a soft flick, "Let's get along now!"
Winona barked and set off, tail wagging frantically as AJ and her sister walked her around.
Canterlot City was blessed in that it had a gorgeous and well-planned public park. It was on a good-sized piece of land, with a winding pathway running through it. The space was open and friendly, suitable for picnics and the like, though there were a few trees for shade as well. There was even a duck pond, which AJ knew that Fluttershy liked to visit (discreetly, mind you!) that added further charm to the place; Apple Bloom giggled as Winona tried to chase a couple of mallards and nearly dragged Applejack after her!
All in all, though, it was a good time for the two Apple sisters. It felt like an eternity had passed since the two of them had gotten to just spend time together as siblings, and yet, in just walking the family dog together, everything felt good and familiar, like all was right with the world again.
...At least, that was how it felt before the football came soaring through the air to hit Applejack on the head.
"Ow!!" Applejack stumbled, dropped the leash and nearly fell, rubbing at the spot with a hiss of pain. "What in tarnation!?" The startled Winona yipped, and bolted off.
"Are ya okay, Applejack?" Apple Bloom gasped, startled.
"Ohh, ah'll be fine, you just worry about gettin' Winona back!"
The younger sister nodded and took off after the border collie. As Apple Bloom worked to catch up with the family dog, AJ groaned once more (her head was throbbing quite nicely, she hoped there wouldn't be a bruise) as she bent over and picked up the stray football.
"Ugh... who the heck threw this durn thing at me anyway?"
"Ohmygosh, are you okay? I'm so sorry!"
A boyish voice called out, and very soon Applejack could see its owner - a kid, around about Apple Bloom's age, with slicked-back dark hair and gray skin - running over to her. Clearly abashed, he sheepishly introduced himself. "My name's Rumble. Sorry about that... my brother and I were playing catch and he told me to go long."
"Your brother, huh?" Applejack's head was still very sore, and while she tried to keep her temper from flaring up, it was hard. "Well tell him to watch his aim next time! Ah coulda been-"
What she could have been, though, was never to be found out, for Rumble's brother came jogging over and the rest of Applejack's sentence got lost somewhere on the way to her mouth.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to throw the ball that hard! Are you hurt? Do you need any help?"
The brother was an older teenager, tall and athletically built, with striking good looks - dark gray skin, silvery blue hair spiked up like a mohawk, and amber eyes, that were presently full of concern and regret. He was wearing a dark athletic jacket with a thundercloud emblem over a tank top, and plain blue jeans and running shoes.
Applejack found her voice again, and spoke up. "I think ah'll be fine," she said, handing the football over to him, "But thanks for asking, partner."
"Name's Thunderlane," Rumble's brother said, offering her a tentative smile, "And I really am sorry about that. My little bro and I wanted to have some fun out at the park; guess we got kinda carried away."
Applejack adjusted her hat slightly, to try and cover where she'd been conked by the football, and managed a chuckle. "Ah can relate to that, no sweat. Me and mah sister could get up to a lot of mischief when we were - aw dang it!" she caught herself, "Apple Bloom!" The farm gal whipped around as she realized that she'd left her little sister to go chasing down Winona all by herself, but was relieved to see both her younger sibling and the dog on their way back. Apple Bloom waved to her, and Winona barked cheerfully.
Rumble's face lit up as he laid eyes on the panting, happy dog. "Aww..." he grinned, "That's your dog?"
"Yep," AJ smirked, "Go on over and say hi if you want. Winona's a real sweetheart, ain't that right girl?"
Winona yipped cheerfully. Rumble went over to give her a scratch behind the ears, as Apple Bloom introduced herself. Thunderlane smiled, and then looked back to Applejack, while their siblings were distracted.
"You're sure you're alright?" he asked softly. "I really hope I didn't knock you down or anything."
"Ahh, don't worry your head," AJ waved him off. Her head was sore but she found that her frustration was pretty much gone, his apology and clearly contrite attitude had gone a long way towards mending any hard feelings. "Ah've taken worse spills on the farm, or wrestlin' with Rainbow Dash!"
Thunderlane chuckled. "That's good... last thing I need is to explain to my mom how I managed to put a girl into the hospital or something!"
AJ snorted, and the two of them shared a laugh.
"Thunderlane?" They looked over to see Rumble and Apple Bloom. Winona was laying on her back, letting them give her a belly scratch, her tail wagging frantically. Rumble gave his big brother a hopeful grin as he asked, "Can I play with Winona and Apple Bloom some more, please?"
Thunderlane folded his arms, but he was smiling. "I'm not the only person here you should be asking, bro," he said. "It's all right with me, as long as it's okay with..." he looked to Applejack, embarrassed, "Uh?"
The farm girl smirked. "It's Applejack, partner. And yeah, it's fine with me."
"Whoo!" the younger siblings cheered, and soon were off like a shot, Winona yipping and barking as she raced ahead, Apple Bloom holding onto the leash for dear life. Thunderlane and Applejack couldn't help but share another laugh, before realizing that they were now alone. For a minute or two they stood in comfortable silence, before Thunderlane tentatively spoke up.
"So... Applejack?"
"Yeah?" She raised an eyebrow.
The dark-skinned boy let out an awkward sigh, trying to find the right words. "I know I said I was sorry about the football and all... but I really meant it. Can I... can I do anything to make it up to you?"
Applejack blinked, feeling a slight warmth in her cheeks, even as she said, "Aw, no sugarcube, you don't have to."
"Please?" Thunderlane asked, "I'm not asking to do anything crazy. Just maybe buy you a soda or whatever. Something a bit more tangible than just a 'I'm sorry.'"
Applejack folded her arms, and shook her head, before letting out an exasperated huff. "You're serious about this, ain't ya?" she asked. Now I know how Rarity feels when she calls me stubborn... Thunderlane nodded, his expression earnest, and she decided it would be easier to go along with it.
"Well... all right," she said. "You know the Sweet Snacks Cafe by the mall?"
"Of course."
"Alright then. You buy me a milkshake there and we'll call it even, got it?"
Thunderlane nodded. "Sure. No problem. What time works for you?"
"Tomorrow afternoon good for ya?" Applejack hitched a thumb over her shoulder, "I got chores when I get back to the farm."
He nodded again. "I will be there. Thanks."
Applejack huffed slightly. "I'll be thankin' ya only when that shake's in front a' me."
Thunderlane chuckled. And Applejack rolled her eyes, though it was lighthearted.
Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Rumble paused in their playing with Winona to look up and notice their two elder siblings talking. Apple Bloom blinked in surprise as she could see Thunderlane say something that, while it was too far away for her to her, she could still see it make Applejack laugh.
Rumble shook his head as the two of them then watched AJ and Thunderlane take out their cell phones; it was easy to guess that they were exchanging the other's number.
"Great. I think my brother likes your sister."
"What?" Apple Bloom asked. "No way, that's crazy! They're just exchangin' numbers is all."
"Yeah, so he can probably ask her out later!"
Apple Bloom scoffed, as she picked up the ball that she'd brought for Winona to chase. "Whatever. They're just talking, that's just what's going on. This ain't one a' them romance stories."
It was five minutes before two o'clock the next day, and Applejack was waiting across the street from the Sweet Snacks Cafe. She had her cell phone out and was in the middle of talking with someone.
"For the last time, Rarity, it's not a date!"
She listened in annoyance to the voice on the other end, the fashionista was talking very excitedly about something. "You just back up those horses there, partner," AJ huffed, "All I agreed to do was meet him here and let him buy me a milkshake, that's it."
Applejack listened to the next set of statements for a minute, and quirked her lips in a halfhearted smile. "Yeah, yeah... look, how about you wait until after I call ya back before you go about makin' me a dress, okay?"
Rarity answered in the affirmative, now sounding more subdued, and she said a few other things by way of apology. Applejack's half-smile became bigger. "Ah know, sugarcube. Look, it's fine, hear? I'll call you back when I'm done and tell you all about it, okay?"
The farm girl rolled her eyes affectionately as she heard a loud squeal over the other end of the phone. She then noticed Thunderlane approaching from the other side of the street.
"Oh, gotta go. Talk to ya later, Rares."
Applejack said goodbye, and ended the call, before heading over to meet with Thunderlane by the cafe.
"Hi, Applejack," the dark-skinned young man greeted her. "Good to see you."
"Howdy, Thunderlane!" Applejack tipped her hat, "Good to see ya too. What d'ya say we get on inside and order?"
"Of course." The two teenagers stepped inside, and while Applejack was not a regular customer of the cafe, she still knew it well enough from Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash having sung their praises of it. The interior was bright and stylish, a deliberate throwback to a classic malt shop from the 50s; there was a soda counter, black-and-white tiled floor, neon lighting along the walls, booths, and a jukebox in the corner that played tunes for patrons to groove to if they so wanted!
A waitress rolled up to them on rollerskates. "Hello, and welcome to the Sweet Snacks Cafe! How can I help you?"
"You want to sit at the counter or a booth?" Thunderlane looked to Applejack. She shrugged idly, "Booth, I guess. It's what I'm used to."
"Okay, two for a booth. Just having dessert, that's all."
"All right! Follow me," their waitress beamed as she rolled off, handily snatching up two menus as she skated over to a corner booth and set the two of them up there. "My name's Sugarsocks and I'll be right back to see if you're ready to order!"
Applejack and Thunderlane sat down facing each other. They each picked up a dessert menu and scanned it for a minute. AJ hummed thoughtfully as she looked over some of the offered treats; there were plenty of options. Standbys like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and then there were options like banana, peanut butter, mango, mint...
"Whoa nelly. How do they keep track a' all these flavors?" she shook her head. Thunderlane chuckled.
"Having trouble deciding?" he asked.
"Nah, ah got a pretty good idea," Applejack shrugged. "What about you?"
"I'm good, I know what I like."
A minute later, Sugarsocks rolled back over to their table. "Hello again! Are you guys ready to order?"
"Sure. Ah'll take a, strawberry milkshake please. No whipped cream though."
"And I'd like a banana shake," Thunder requested. "With whipped cream please."
"Okay, sounds great! I will be back with your order in just a bit!" Sugarsocks beamed, before collecting their menus and skating off once more. Left alone once more, Applejack and Thunderlane settled in to wait. And, after a minute of surprisingly comfortable silence, they began to talk.
"So..." Thunderlane started. "How'd you discover this place?"
"Mah friend Pinkie Pie loves it here," Applejack snickered. "Heck, she'd work here if she weren't already workin' at the bake shop and lovin' that too! That gal practically lives for sweets; ah could bribe her t' do my homework with one a' Granny's apple pies!" She smirked, and added, self-consciously, "And I have too."
Thunderlane snorted with amusement. "Nice," he said. "So, you're from Canterlot High right?"
Applejack nodded, feeling a slight prickle of apprehension. Did he know anything about the Rainbooms, or... She didn't let herself finish the rest of that thought and answered, "Yes. Yes ah am. And you?"
"I just transferred to Crystal Prep from Cloudsdale High." Thunderlane admitted, his mouth twisting a little. "...Wasn't the best place to be, but it could have been worse I guess."
"Huh..." Applejack frowned, curious. "So you're pretty new to Canterlot, aintcha?"
"Yeah. Rumble and Mom and I've 'officially' been here for about two weeks now. Still getting used to everything and all." Thunderlane smiled suddenly, "Like all that stuff about last year's Friendship Games! That sounded pretty crazy."
AJ gave him a flat look, and heaved a sigh. "You have NO idea, partner."
A moment later, something he'd just said made her blink, and she looked at him with a little concern. "Thunderlane?"
"Yeah?"
"Just a minute ago, you said, you and your brother and yer ma were new in town." She frowned. "Does that mean..." the rest of her question trailed off, as Thunderlane closed his eyes for a moment and let out a weary sigh.
"Oh."
"It's all right," Thunderlane said quietly. "You didn't know."
Applejack looked at him sadly, sympathetically, and after a moment she reached out, and carefully put her hand on top of his. He looked at her in surprise, as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
"It's alright, sugarcube," she said. "My sister and I... we live with our granny. Ma and Pa, well, I was ten or so when it happened."
Thunderlane stared at her. "Oh... oh man. Applejack, I'm-"
"You don't have ta," she cut him off. "Ah ain't looking for a 'sorry'. But I do know what it's like, and I do get it." She squeezed his hand one more time. "What happened, happened. But ah do hope that you and yours can find a nice start here in Canterlot."
Thunderlane said nothing for a few seconds. Then he smiled at her, a soft and warm smile that made Applejack feel relieved. "Thanks, Applejack. I really appreciate that."
She gave his hand a little pat, and then (reluctantly) withdrew back to her side. They sat for a few minutes, quietly but comfortably, until Sugarsocks came up to their booth with their order.
"Here are your shakes! One strawberry shake, no cream, and one regular banana shake? Everything look okay to you?"
"Looks good to me, sugarcube," Applejack smiled as she accepted her tall, frosted glass of sweet delicious dairy treat.
"I think we'll be fine," Thunderlane added politely.
"Great! If you need anything, I will be there!" She skated off, and AJ and Thunderlane settled in to begin on their desserts. Applejack took a sip of her milkshake, then closed her eyes with a hum of contentment. The flavor was rich and sweet, the taste of the strawberries coming through quite nicely!
"Good, huh?" Thunderlane asked.
"You said it, sugarcube," she smiled, "Thanks, Thunderane."
"No problem." He chuckled softly, and the two of them enjoyed more of their shakes, once again in a surprisingly comfortable silence.
As time went on though, after they'd finished their treats, the two teenagers did return to conversation, about a number of topics. Applejack listened to Thunderlane talk about growing up with Rumble, about how his little brother could sometimes drive him crazy but still be the best sibling he could have hoped for too.
"Ah know that feel," Applejack agreed with him, "Apple Bloom's given me a fair share a' headaches over the years, lemme tell ya!"
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Like the time she an' her friends decided they were gonna be a rock band fer the talent show." AJ rolled her eyes fondly, now being able to laugh at the old memory, "Apple Bloom 'borrowed' mah guitar and amp for practice - an' blew out all the windows on the ground floor! Dang near gave Granny a heart attack and my ears were ringin' for weeks!"
Thunderlane tried to keep a straight face, but failed, and he cracked up laughing. Applejack gave him a mock-offended look at first, then let out a laugh of her own as well. She was simply having fun too.
The conversation moved on to other topics. Thunderlane asked her about growing up on a farm, and she told him about her childhood: about getting up early to do chores, about how beautiful the sunrise was at the very start of the day, about how her pa Bright Mac had taught her to care for the trees in the orchard, how her ma Buttercup had taught her to play guitar... Applejack was not the sentimental type in the least, but she found herself opening up quite easily.
Thunderlane might not have understood everything about life on the farm, but he listened to her. She could tell, and she appreciated it. And in turn, she listened to him. Thunderlane talked some about his own childhood, growing up in Fillydelphia before moving to Cloudsdale when he was eight, and then Rumble had come along and he'd found himself in the role of big brother. He'd always been a fan of sports and had been on the basketball team at Cloudsdale High; he hoped to make it onto the Crystal Prep team as well. Thunderlane, to her surprise, also loved to cook, and AJ had to admit, the soup recipe he described to her sounded quite good!
The time flew by, and before either of them knew it an hour had passed. Thunderlane chuckled sheepishly as he waved Sugarsocks over to ask for the bill, "Guess we got a little carried away huh?"
"Aww, don't worry none," Applejack waved it off. "Ah had fun today, Thunder." She paused, "...Uh, can ah call you that?"
The boy from Cloudsdale smiled. (And was that a faint blush on his face?) "Sure. Only if you don't mind me calling you AJ?"
Applejack laughed. "Oh heck, you ain't the first, so go on ahead!"
The two of them left the restaurant in good spirits. And Applejack, on a whim, decided to walk with Thunderlane to his car.
"I do mean it though," she said to him as they made their way through the parking lot of the Canterlot mall. "I did have a great time today."
"I'm glad," he smiled, that warm gentle smile he'd had before, and Applejack beamed back at him. She'd had her concerns before, but now she really couldn't complain. The afternoon had more than made up for the football to the head from yesterday. They walked in silence for a moment, before Thunderlane spoke up again. "Applejack?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you..." this time, she could tell that he was blushing slightly, as he got the words. "Well, do you want to do something like this again, sometime?"
Applejack blinked, as the gears in her head turned, processing the question all the way through. "Oh," she said stupidly. "Oh, do you mean like... a date?"
"It doesn't have to be," he answered, sheepishly putting his hands into his pockets before taking them back out again. "I mean, I just - I had a great time today. And if you'd just prefer that we leave it at today, I get that. But if you'd like to hang out again... I'd be okay with that."
They had come up by his car now, and he was trying not to lean against it or rest against it, as though the vehicle somehow were a lifeline against the awkward subject the young man had just brought up. Applejack looked at him for a minute. And she thought about what to say. She thought about yesterday, and how he'd been so concerned, and offered honestly, with no apparent ulterior motive, to make it up to her for accidentally conking her with the ball. She also thought over the past hour or more that she'd spent, just hanging out with him, and how he'd listened to her and vice-versa.
Applejack gradually smiled. "Y'know what?" she offered. "I think we could give it a try."
"Really?" Thunderlane blinked in surprise, but he managed to smile as the realization sank in. "Cool... That's really cool, Applejack."
"Heh," she smiled at him, tipping her hat lightly, "Think nothin' of it. Whattya say we try this again next week? An' this time, I'll buy the snacks, got it?"
He laughed softly. "Fair enough."
Thunderlane opened the car and moved to get inside. "You're really nice, Applejack. I'll see you next week, got it?"
You're really nice, Applejack.
Those words caused a sudden, sick rush of guilt to stab her in the chest, and she felt her good mood wilt away entirely, now replaced by a deep worry.
Dang it... he doesn't know. He doesn't know! Ah can't keep that from him! If we're gonna date he's gotta know the truth!
"Thunderlane?"
Something in her tone made him start in surprise. He paused in starting up the engine, and looked at her, concern plain on his face. "Yes?" Thunderlane asked. "What is it?"
Applejack frowned, wringing her hands for a moment. "Ah... look... if you and I, if you wanna date me, there's something you should know about me. Somethin' ah gotta tell you before anyone else does."
Now looking very worried, Thunderlane carefully got up out of the car, and shut the door, standing before her, giving her his full attention. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Applejack thought about where to even start. She sighed, and resolved to just tell it to him straight.
"I... I haven't always been nice. Me an' my friends... we weren't good people, before. We were bullies, Thunderlane. Apple Bloom was... she was sick, really sick, and ah was in an awful place, and it made me mad, spitting mad, and Sunset Shimmer was there... and she got us to do horrible things for her."
Thunderlane stared at her, his face blank. She kept talking, the words coming out faster, in an awful breathless rush.
"And it just got worse from there, and I didn't think there was a way out, b-but Sunset got arrested, and me and mah friends... we could been expelled, but we weren't. S-someone important forgave us, told us to start over fresh... and we did. Tried our hardest to... and it's been a whole lot better, I feel so much better than how ah used to be..."
Her voice trailed off for a moment, and she forced herself to speak up again.
"But I wanted you to know. Wouldn't a' been right for me to start a relationship with someone, who didn't know that ah've done bad things. Wouldn't want ya ta - ta think I was lyin' to ya, or stringing you along..." Applejack sighed, heavily. She didn't want to look him in the face. "Well, there ya have it. Ah'm real sorry. Ah just got carried away, and I forgot... If you don't wanna meet up with me, I get that."
An instant later, she was surprised as Thunderlane put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him to see him smiling sadly at her.
"Okay..." he said softly. "I... didn't expect any of that... but it's okay."
"What?" Applejack asked blankly.
"If you were the person you said you used to be, you wouldn't have told me any of that!" Thunderlane said, in a firm but sympathetic tone. "You were completely honest with me. Even if you thought I wouldn't want anything to do with you!" He smiled at her, and she found herself blushing, "I'm touched, Applejack. I really mean that. Thank you for telling me."
"Aww..." she muttered, and to her embarrassment, she realized she was getting misty-eyed. "Dang it, Thunder, ya got me all worked up."
He chuckled, and they ended up sharing a gentle hug, the young man patting her on the back. "It's alright, it's alright," Thunderlane assured her. "We can still give this a try if you want."
Applejack snorted with a ripple of laughter, "I do!"
"Okay then!" he laughed. "We will! Now, how about I drive you someplace closer to home? Would you like that?"
Applejack smiled at him. "Ah would, thank ya very much."
She gave him one last hug, and then... on a sudden burst of daring, she leaned in and gave him a quick, chaste kiss on the cheek. He blushed, and so was AJ as she pulled back. "Too much?" she asked apologetically.
"No, it's fine." Thunderlane smiled at her. "I just didn't expect a kiss until after the first, official date."
Applejack managed a laugh. "Well then," she said, "Guess that just means you'll have to surprise me later to make it even!" He chuckled goodnaturedly, and Applejack went around the car to the passenger's side. The two of them got into the car, and Thunderlane started it up, AJ settling back in her seat to try and fully relax after her panic from before. She reached over and gave Thunderlane's hand a squeeze, which he returned.
Heck of a day, Applejack thought to herself. But ah think it turned out all right in the end...
She realized something else, and then heaved a sigh.
"Problem?" Thunderlane asked.
"No..." Applejack sighed. "Ah just remembered that I'm gonna have to tell Rarity about all a' this, that's all!" |
Friends And Lovers | Just Friends (Fluttershy + Rarity) | The goth girl everyone knew as Fluttershy brought only two things with her while she was walking. A knapsack she had slung over her shoulder, and the phone in her jacket. She walked through the cold outside with only one specified place in mind; Rarity's home. This time, maybe this time she would have someone to hang out with.
She knocked on the door of the house, and stood idly, waiting for someone to answer. And someone did; in the form of the freshmen middle-schooler known as Sweetie Belle.
"Oh, hey Fluttershy."
"Hey Sweetie Belle. Is Rarity home?"
"Yeah, she's upstairs," she said, letting her inside.
"Thanks."
Walking inside, the goth girl walked up the stairs to where Rarity's room was. In the bedroom, she could see Rarity was fixing up the back of her hair. While she was still keeping her hair to it's punk style that she grew to love, she did let a bit of it grow out the back and wrapped it up into a ponytail, held together by a spiked bracelet.
"Rarity?"
She turned around and her eyes sparkled to see her friend.
"Fluttershy, darling, so nice to see you! What brings you around?"
"Pinkie Pie's busy helping with a birthday party, Rainbow Dash is going on another date with Indigo Zap from Crystal Prep, and Applejack's off to visit her brother in college," Fluttershy deadpanned. "I have nothing else to do, so I thought I would see how you were doing."
"Oh. I'm so sorry," Rarity frowned.
"Eh, it's okay. Kinda. It's just one of those days," Fluttershy shrugged.
She sat on the edge of the bed, watching as Rarity was continuing to adjust her hair. She wore the same spiked heeled boots, tight jeans, a blue tank top underneath a black sleeveless vest, and two spiked bracelets on her wrists. The nasty witch that she once was, was completely gone. Out with the old hag, and in with the casual punk.
"So..." Fluttershy said, hoping to start a conversation. "Valentine's Day is in a few days. You, uh... you have a special someone?"
"I'm afraid not, no," Rarity said, frowning at the thought. "Do you?"
"Not really. Though to be honest, I'm okay with it. I make it a me day," Fluttershy said. She looked back at Rarity, thinking for a moment. "You... do you want to hang out? I mean if neither one of us is dating--"
"--Wait. Darling do you mean like, us going on a..."
Fluttershy didn't let her finish the rest of that sentence and shook her head. "That's not what I meant. I mean just you and I hang out, as friends."
Rarity blinked. "Oh! My apologies darling, I misunderstood. But uh, sure, yes! Yes of course! Anything you would like to do?"
"Actually, there is."
"Roller derby!?"
Some skaters sped right on past Rarity, blowing her mohawk in the wind.
"What? I thought it could be fun," Fluttershy said, finding themselves some seats. She patted the chair next to her, and Rarity took her seat.
"Well, it's just... I don't know, I didn't think you liked roller derbies of all things," Rarity asked.
"You girls never asked," Fluttershy deadpanned. "Though I didn't show it, I was honestly jealous of you and Pinkie Pie getting to skate. I would have loved to try that." Her hand reached into the bucket of popcorn she purchased. "Popcorn?"
"Hmm... sure," Rarity said, sticking a hand in to grab a few pieces.
Another whoosh went by as the skaters sped on past them.
"And Griffonstone takes the lead again! Scorin' Hoops taking the second place and Shining Harmer in the third! With only 20 laps to go, Griffonstone is taking a huge lead!"
"Oh I don't know about you, but I think that Shining Harmer girl might take it. She may be in the back, but you don't ever wanna mess with her out in the rink."
"If our egos extended to commentary as much as skating, we'd be getting our own butts kicked in this sorry mess!"
And the racers went by past them again, with the crowd roaring.
"So are there any particular favorites?" Rarity asked, drinking from a straw.
"The Griffonstone girl, that's my favorite," Fluttershy pointed. A racer in a light brown tank top and black shorts, and a helmet painted with a bird-like head design. "Her name's Gilda. She's a friend of mine."
Rarity blinked. "I didn't know you had friends outside of us."
"Before I met any of you, she was honestly my only friend. I met her out here, and she helped me practice roller skating. We've been friends ever since."
The mohawked girl smiled. "That's rather nice, darling."
"Mmmhmm," Fluttershy nodded, eating another piece of popcorn.
As the loud rock and roll echoed through the speakers over the crowds of screaming fans, Rarity drew her eyes over to the skaters down in the course.
"Wait a minute. Fluttershy, doesn't that skater look familiar? The pink one?"
"Shining Harmer? Wait a minute..." she looked closer and gasped. Now she looked familiar. Pink skin, and there was some tufts of pink and soft yellow hair hanging out of the back of the helmet. "Is that--?"
"ARE YOU BLIND, REF!? THAT WAS A FOUL!!"
Fluttershy was tense. And even more so to see it was from Rarity of all people. She looked sheepishly at Fluttershy, tittering a bit. "I, may get riled up if people don't play by the rules..."
Fluttershy looked back at the crowds in fear. "Now I've seen everything..."
The race eventually ended, with the winner being Griffonstone, and Shining Harmer taking second place. Everyone was getting themselves ready to leave, but the two girls wanted to pay a little visit to 'Harmer' first. Luckily they caught her just as she was about to walk into the locker room.
"Cadence?" Fluttershy asked.
The adult spun around and looked at the two students. "Oh, Fluttershy, Rarity, so nice to see you two."
Rarity sputtered. "I... I thought you were a teacher!"
Cadence nodded. "Well, right now I'm mainly doing substitute work. And what can I say, roller derby is a great stress release after dealing with some classes."
Fluttershy gave a sly grin. "Does, uh, does Shining know?"
Cadence chuckled. "Nope. Not yet. I'm hoping one day if we ever get back together I can take him out here on a date."
Rarity giggled. "I bet he would be quite surprised."
After leaving the course, the two of them wandered around Canterlot for a bit more fun. They stopped at the Canterlot Mall, played a few games in the local arcade (and Fluttershy soon learned of Rarity's hidden talent for racking up high scores in first person shooters), and even went for a bit of fun shopping. Some new accessories, snacks for later, and other little bits of fun stuff. And in all that time, Rarity completely forgot about how sad she was about not having a date.
And so the two of them were walking through the city streets, looking around for more places to stop at.
"Well, darling I want to say thank you hanging out with me. This is rather nice," Rarity cooed.
Fluttershy smiled. "No problem. I'm glad you're happy."
Rarity sighed. "Though I do wish I had a special someone this holiday. I thought I would have been attractive enough to at least get the attention of one boy..."
"Don't put yourself down, you're a very attractive woman," Fluttershy said, sternly.
Rarity blushed. "You really think so?"
"Yes, I do. Any boy would be lucky to have you."
Rarity sighed again. "I guess so. But what boy wants to be near me when I have... this?" She pointed up to her mohawk. "Don't get me wrong darling, I love it, I don't want to change it but... I suppose I feel like that's the only thing boys are ever going to see when they talk to me."
"Rarity, you need to not worry so much about the hair. You still look good even with the punk hair. I bet anyone would be surprised how generous you are underneath that mohawk. If you're going to be with someone, you should be with someone who likes you for you, not for your looks."
"Like what Adagio and Trixie have?"
"Exactly. I mean looks are good, but they're not everything," Fluttershy said.
"Oh." Rarity said, not sure what else to really say. "Well... hmm. Fluttershy is there anyone you've had your eye on?"
Fluttershy shook her head.
"But darling, don't you want to have a special someone?"
"Well, yeah. But not now. Just because I'm not interested in someone now doesn't mean I never will. Besides, I'm too focused on trying to do okay in school to even worry about finding a nice guy to date."
Rarity smiled at that. "Well I guess I can see where you're coming from. And I do agree, I mean, who says you have to be dating someone?"
Fluttershy tilted her head. "Fanfiction shippers?"
Rarity raised a brow.
"I spend a lot of time alone," Fluttershy sunk in her shoulders. "Even before I met any of you girls. But the point is, you don't always need to have a special someone to be happy. Sometimes all you really need is just a good friend."
Rarity softly spoke. "When did you become so wise?"
The goth girl just shrugged. "I learned a thing or to at my therapist."
"I see. But still, I... I do love all of you, but I just wish I... You know what I mean," Rarity said, dejectedly.
Fluttershy moved in front of her, stopping them both from walking. She gripped her shoulders and looked at her with 'The Stare', a move that she perfected on almost every animal she tamed.
"Rarity. Listen to me. You'll find your perfect one. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow. But you'll find someone. Okay?"
Rarity slowly nodded. Fluttershy smiled back, before helping adjust the soft ponytail hanging out of the back of her head.
"Good. Now come on, I'm hungry."
"But you just had popcorn!"
"It's junk food, Rarity. I need an actual meal," Fluttershy pouted. "... Unless you um, had something, in which case, we could just go back home."
Rarity waited to respond, but her stomach growled audibly at her. She hadn't had much to eat either, aside from some nibbles at the popcorn. "Perhaps it would do us good to get something to eat."
And they were in luck. Around the corner was a mini diner, a perfect stop. Fluttershy looked back at Rarity with a soft smile. "I know this place. It's not exactly high class, but they make really good food."
Rarity smiled back at her friend. "Fluttershy, that is perfectly fine with me."
The two of them walked inside, and first glance, it just seemed like any regular diner. Plenty of tables and chairs, some booths with comfy cushioning, it looked relatively clean for the most part. In the corner, there was some music playing out of a jukebox, mostly contained the hits. A bar for people to sit at and just simply eat there. Heck, this was nearly identical to the diner that Pinkie Pie liked to go to (and talked about wanting to apply for a job there)
And surprisingly, there were some familiar people here. In a circular table was Sunny Flare, Sugarcoat, and Lemon Zest all together.
"Oh. Sunny Flare, darling, so good to see you," Rarity grinned.
"Hey Rarity," Sunny said dully.
The fashionista frowned. "Darling, what's wrong?"
"My special someone dumped me... and so close to Valentine's Day," Sunny frowned.
"What? Why?"
"I don't know!" Sunny's face planted right into the surprisingly squeaky clean table, while getting a soft pat from Lemon Zest.
"What about you Lemon Zest?" Fluttershy inquired.
Lemon shook her head. "I uh... I was ready to ask this person I had a crush on but... I found out they're already dating someone. I just went here cause I have nothing else to do," she frowned.
"What about you Sugarcoat?" Rarity asked.
"Actually I didn't plan on doing anything today. I didn't really ask anyone out so I just thought about chilling here, maybe enjoy some karaoke. Maybe play some of the arcade games in the corner over there," Sugarcoat looked at the few arcade cabinets. "And then I saw Sunny and Lemon come in, and well, here we are now."
The two Rainbooms turned their heads, seeing two other girls they recognized at the establishment; Amethyst Star and Vinyl Scratch of all people. The two of them were just sitting and chilling at their table, enjoying the sweetness of fresh, warm, chocolate chip cookies dipped in milk.
"Geez, the sound is coming out horridly," Vinyl cringed, hearing the sound from the speakers cutting in and out.
Amethyst tilted her head looking at the speaker that wasn't functioning properly. A light bulb popped over her head and she flashed a grin. "Oh, I got it." The keytar player raised her hand up and snapped her fingers, suddenly the music starting coming out of the speaker much more clearly.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." And casually, Amethyst just dipped her chocolate chip cookie into some milk and took a bite.
Vinyl saw the goth and punk girls come to their table and she greeted them with a smile. "Evening Rarity, Fluttershy. How are you two doing?"
"We're doing alright darling. Might we join you?"
Vinyl looked at Amethyst who gave a soft nod. Vinyl looked back and she nodded back to her.
"Either of you two want a cookie?"
"The offer is appreciated, but I think I'd order some food first," Rarity said, graciously.
"Kay. But cookies are still there, so," Amethyst shrugged, dipping it in her milk again. "So what brings you two around?"
"Slow day, nothin' to do. We went to a roller derby," Fluttershy said casually. "Apparently Miss Cadence is a derby racer. Who knew?"
Vinyl and Amethyst looked at each other and shrugged.
"Pardon my asking, but have you two found anyone... special for Valentine's Day?" Rarity asked hesitantly.
Amethyst shrugged, still chill. "Not really. I mean, sure, there's some cute guys, but I guess I'm not really demanding to go and spend Valentine's Day with anyone."
"Me too. I mean, the thought sounds nice, but... I don't know. I haven't really had any feelings for anyone at CHS," Vinyl added.
"So, it looks like we're all single," Rarity stated.
"Yep."
"Yes."
"Mmmhmm."
Rarity and Fluttershy looked back over at the table with the three CPA students. They frowned, seeing Sunny Flare so sad and upset, and poor Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest unsure of how to make her feel better. Three single people all alone. And across from a table of more single people.
The fashionista repeated that idea in her head, until she had an idea. "You know, darlings, I know all of us are single and don't have anyone special for Valentine's Day. Anyone perhaps want to hang out as friends?"
Amethyst and Vinyl looked at each other, and then back to Fluttershy and Rarity, thinking about the offer. Sure they were still trying to work on being a bit more acquainted (they were friendly for the most part now). And they were trying to be nice to them. Maybe they could take them up on their offer, not like they have anything else to do.
The two musicians nodded with grins. Rarity felt a sense of joy in her heart, happy that she and Fluttershy were going to have more friends to hang out with on Valentine's Day.
"Hey, girls?" Rarity asked.
The three Shadowbolts looked over at their table. Sunny Flare's cheeks were red, her eyes were bloodshot, and her makeup was officially runny. But that one look at Rarity's warm expression was enough to make her smile for the first time that evening. Rarity tilted her head, nudging them to come and join them. Sunny sniffled and wiped some of the leaky makeup off her face before joining their table.
Sugarcoat and Lemon soon joined as well, now sitting with the rest of the singles. Rarity helped wipe off the stains on Sunny's face.
"You'll find your perfect date, Sunny. It may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow. But you'll find him," Rarity said.
The drama student sniffled again, only she was happy. "Thank you, Rarity."
"And you two will find yours," Fluttershy said, looking at Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest.
The two CPA girls smiled back.
"And you know something else? So what if we don't have a special someone on this day. We'll all find someone eventually. Somewhere out there, there is that perfect compatible human being for us. Why rush things? Let's just enjoy the way things are now," Amethyst said, taking another bite of her milk dunked cookie.
"I agree with that statement," Sugarcoat said, a small but sincere smile added.
"Then how about a little toast?" Rarity suggested, raising her cup. Everyone raised theirs as well, all joining together; well, still waiting for Amy to finish her cookie bit real quick. "To the single people out there, and to all our friends and family. To the love of our family... and friendship."
"To friendship!" |
Friends And Lovers | War Zone (Aria Blaze/Flash Sentry) | Straps were clicked, pants and jackets were on and tightened, and fingerless gloves with a little padding were added. And at last, Flash Sentry stepped out of his bedroom, ready to go.
"Alright, I'm ready to go," Flash declared. "Thanks again Dad."
"No problem kiddo," Steadfast nodded. "Now remember, it'll hurt a lot, so..."
"I know," Flash said.
A knock came to the door. Walking over, he opened it up, showing Aria Blaze, all dressed up in military gear, and a pair of sunglasses.
"Hey Flash. Ya ready?"
"Bet I am," Flash winked.
"Alright, well you two have fun now, alright?" Steadfast said.
"We will, Dad!"
Starry shyly waved, "Have fun... try not to get shot..."
Aria chuckled. "Heh. Don't worry, I'll keep your brother safe. Promise."
The car ride was surprisingly quiet, even for the two of them. Both of them were excited to go, but they were still surprisingly quiet.
"Flash? You okay?"
"Mmm? Oh yeah, yeah, I'm okay," Flash said, genuinely.
"Are you sure? Because, oh, geez I'm bad at this... I've been told that it's okay to say no to activities, and if you don't want to do this, it's fine," Aria said, cringing a little bit at how poorly worded she said it.
"Aria, it's fine. I'm actually excited to do this, I think it'll be fun," Flash said.
"Great!" Another pause of silence passed in between them. "Alright so before we go out there, I want to give you a little bit of advice, if that's okay," Aria said.
"Fine by me, sure," Flash said, keeping his eye on the road.
"Okay, great! So first thing's first, when you get hit by a paintball, it is going to hurt; a lot."
"I am expecting it," Flash nodded. "Continue."
Flash parked the car, and turned off the engine. The two of them stepped out of the car, while Aria continued to talk.
"Rule number two; we work together as a team. When I served in the war (in secret mind you, cause women were not allowed to fight in the front lines of World War II) I made sure to work with my comrades as a team. We were stronger united as one, just like all friends in confrontational situations are."
"Of course," Flash acknowledged.
As Aria continued to ramble on with rules of fighting and surviving, the two of them signed up for the course they wanted (Aria wanted them to get some practice first), given instructions on the usage of weapons and walked into the training field. Their suits were on, tightened, and they got the armor and padding they needed. And not only that, but they also bumped into some friends from CHS who were a part of the team they all signed on for; Mystery Mint, Thunderbass, a few others included. And as soon as they were dressed, the team walked together into the training field.
"... Rule number forty-six, always and I mean ALWAYS, conserve your ammo. It's fun to get tons of unlimited ammo in video games, but I'm just going to tell you right now, we're not going to find small boxes containing shells or rounds lying about. I wasted a lot of good ammo, and that bit me in the butt."
Flash smiled under the mask. "Understood."
"Great!" Aria grinned. "So really, just stand on guard, listen for every little sound you hear. It could be anythi--" she heard some rocks fall off a rock just a few feet from where they were standing. Aria whipped around with a battle ready face, her face turning bleak at a very out of nowhere memory kicked into her brain. And suddenly, she screamed as loud as she could.
"CONTAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCT!"
Jolting around, she started to held her grip on the trigger of the gun, firing it multiple times towards the sound that had been created. Paintballs bounced off the rocks and were slamming into the metal plating that formed the walls. And she didn't let go of the trigger, she just kept her finger on it!
Seeing that she was out of paintballs, she quickly opened up the cap and poured in more paintballs into the collection tank, and resumed firing like crazy. Unsure, but still following her logic, Flash too joined in and started firing at the area Aria was shooting. Paintballs were shooting out like crazy, bouncing and slamming into everything within the area.
Mystery Mint charged in and shot like crazy as well, with Thunderbass and Curly Winds joining in the sudden gunfire.
The guns echoed into the air, making birds run away from the trees they were sitting in, to escape the noise. And people outside of the playing arena players stopped to watch the people in the training arena shoot at nothing like a couple of lunatics.
Aria still screamed like a madwoman, but it finally hit the point where her gun had run out of paintball rounds, and so did Flash's. Aria's screaming slowly died, and she panted. She may not have shot anything in particular, but she and Flash did a heck of a job painting the barrier walls. Mystery and the others looked at her with disturbed faces, and Flash's head tilted as he looked at Aria with confusion. Aria admittedly blushed under the protective mask.
"Are you okay?" Thunderbass asked, honestly wondering if maybe she needed a therapist.
"... I didn't say I always followed my advice."
After getting a little bit of practice in (after Flash had to calm Aria down and confirm that there wasn't anyone there to shoot her) they were ready to start playing. And luckily for them, the rest of the team that signed up was already here. Canterlot Wondercolts were here to play; Thunderbass, Curly Winds, Cloudy Kicks, and Mystery Mint.
A few other teams had assembled as well. Some teenagers from CPA had arrived, and some Everfree Timberwolves as well. Once they were released to go compete, everyone went into the fields to begin the tournament. In no time at all, Flash and Aria were dashing across the field, dodging the storm of paintballs as they ran for cover. They jumped right into a shed, and Flash slammed the door behind him, panting heavily.
Aria sighed with a scary grin on her face. "I love the sounds of war in the morning..." she blew non-existent smoke away from the barrel of her gun while Flash just looked at her, admittedly scared.
"... How much war have you been in before you settled into a regular life?" Flash asked.
Aria shrugged. "I participated in a few here and there, mostly tried to avoid them," Aria admitted. "I did sneak in some wins during World War II though; do NOT tell your parents that."
"But I thought women weren't allowed to fight on the front-lines in World War II," Flash said.
"And you're right. But with a little disguises, some gear, and some extensive planning and sneaking, we were able to help participate in battle," Aria nodded.
"HEY! LET US IN! WE'RE GETTING SLAUGHTERED OUT HERE!"
"Oh, sorry!"
Flash opened the door, and running inside were Thunderbass and Mystery Mint.
"Okay, no way we're getting through, Crystal Prep's completely cut us off," Thunderbass said, almost out of breath.
"What about taking refuge behind the small mountain ridge?" Aria asked.
"Can't, the Everfree Timberwolves have taken that spot, they own the mountains and the woods apparently," Mystery grimaced.
"Greaaaaat," Aria snarled. "... Wait where's Curly Winds and Cloudy Kicks?"
"Ambushed," Curly replied.
"Joy..." Aria rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, they've never done this before."
"Um... no."
"Of course not. Remind me again, why couldn't Valhallen join us, I thought he was into this," Aria asked.
Mystery was about to reply but not til after she jumped in fright as several paintballs struck against the other side of the wall she was leaning against.
"Jeez, guys," she said, calming down.
"Well I'm not staying in here. Come on, let's go kick some butt! On three!"
Everyone flipped their masks down.
"On three, one, two, three, GO!"
Aria kicked the door open and charged out into the field, shooting at the incoming enemies. With a triple shot, Aria hit shoulder, chest, and other shoulder, and watched as her target fell. Turning around, she focused on another guy running at her, and shot at him like a madman.
"Alright, alright, you got me, cool it!"
"One shot doesn't do!"
Around the corner, Aria failed to see a CPA member running at her ready to shoot. It wasn't until Flash Sentry ran out and fired two shots at his armor, taking him out and saving Aria's life.
"Aria, look out!"
Aria turned just in time, taking out another Crystal Prepper with a single shot. Looking back at Flash, she grinned under the helmet, giving a soft salute over to him.
"Come on, let's go kick some butt!"
As time went on, the group was continuing to push forward and stand strong in every match they could. For the most part, they seemed to win a few, although they had a few hiccups here and there and did lose quite a few matches. But they were still standing. And Flash had to admit it, this was actually a lot of fun. Not only did he get some workouts in there, but he was just having plain fun, playing paintball. To him, it felt like being in a video game, although in his girlfriend's case, it was more like war.
And the experience only was only made better with Aria by his side, fighting alongside him. Now if he was ever in a situation like this (not that he planned any career choices that would involve it) he would gladly have Aria by his side.
Though now they were going to get ready for the final tournament. One that neither of them had tried before; in which all teams would be placed on the biggest arena and would have to fight each other; and it wasn't two-against-two, it was one against three, for all three teams. Needless to say, Team CHS was a bit worried. But Aria? No way.
Once their guns were completely reloaded, and the team was all gathered up, they were ready to fight. But Aria had a few words to say...
"Alright boys and girls, listen up.We make one final stand. We will defend our nation!" Aria declared, still keeping up the drill seargent act. "Let's make our mamas proud! ... Correction, let's make all of your mamas proud, I don't have one, so, um... yeah. Let's, let's just do this," Aria said, turning around.
"You know none of this is real, right?" Mystery asked. "Because, you're kind of worrying me with how serious you're taking this--"
"--I take war very seriously, soldier!" Aria screamed, getting up in Mystery's face.
"Um, you're a little close, uhh--"
"--I was also up close and personal with Adolf Hitler. ... Let that sink into your brain."
Mystery gulped.
"Now you listen to me close, sweetheart. War has consequences, and I take it very seriously. We're going to win, and we'll kick their butts! I've spent ten years in special forces, you think I went out there thinking it was going to be a light breeze? You're in this now, rock punk!"
Mystery was practically quivering, until Aria finally quieted her voice and whispered.
"I'm only yelling just to mess with the other guys. I know it's a game, I just take it way too seriously. Now just relax and have fun, okay?"
"Y-Yes."
"Good. Alright boys, let's get into positions!"
All of them stood together, into positions. Plenty of cover for them to hide behind, and a few vantage points for them to win, at least, they thought.
The Timberwolves were closing in, marching together for their final stand. And with her gun cocked, Aria let out the cry.
"For the Alliance! For Canterlot! For the Wondercolts!!!!" Aria yelled like a gorilla.
The Wondercolt team popped out of their corners and began to fire at the incoming Timberwolves.
Curly Winds, Tennis Match, and Thunderbass moved on top of their covers, and started to fire from their cover. But the Timberwolves slowly marched, holding their stance and fought back. A few of them dropped, but they still kept going. The inside of the battle was sounding something straight out of a war movie, people yelling, guns ablazing, running, it had everything excluding explosions of heavy artillery.
Mystery Mint charged out in the open, until Timberwolf eyes focused on her and shot at her with all they had. Curly Winds was next to go, taking a shot to the shoulder and stomach, dropping to the ground. Aria didn't even notice; she was too busy shooting to pay attention. One, two, three, they went down! Paintballs hailing like rain launched out of the turret in rapid fire.
Three more moved themselves closer to her position, and on one knee, she gripped the gun with one arm and pulled the trigger on the first boy, then hitting the second boy, and then finishing the last girl that approached this close. All of them eventually wandered off to exit the arena (the defeated ones at least) but Aria saw more just up ahead. The Timberwolves, or what was left of them, were approaching; they outnumbered her.
The siren looked all around her, no one was left. Mystery, Curly, Flash, they were all dead (figuratively speaking). Only two options were left; either fight off whatever she can, or surrender. But then she remembered something that Adagio had said long ago...
We make the end memorable.
Aria still found herself surrounded, the end was drawing near. But just as another guy was about to shoot her--bam! A paintball hit his armor, and he threw up his arms in frustration, defeated. Aria looked behind for a brief second, seeing Flash Sentry, stiffly approach with his gun still pumped and ready.
"Flash!"
"I'm not finished yet," Flash said, getting back up. "We can do this!"
The rest of the team was still moving forward, and they continued to fire on sight. But the two of them could still see the probability of them winning was less than likely, as they slowly started to surround them.
"Well Flash... let's make the end memorable!" Aria declared.
The two of them fired as many as they could, a few more adversaries falling, bodies piling up. But it wasn't enough; Flash was soon hit, and he had fallen as a victory to the enemy. Aria wasn't about to let him die in vain, and she fired the last bit of ammo she got.
She was slowly getting surrounded. A player shot her in the back, and multiple shots hit her chest, shoulders, behind, almost everywhere until she slowly dropped, time slowing down as her weapon fell out of her hand, slamming onto the ground, and her body finally collapsing to the ground.
"Til all... are... one..." Aria said with dramatics, acting as if she was slowly dying before laying limp and making weird gargling sounds.
The Timberwolves tilted their heads.
"You know, I think you can leave now."
"Give me a minute, I wanna let this settle in for dramatic effect..." Aria said, raising a finger.
"... You are weird."
Everyone left the arena and began putting away the weapons and armor (if anyone had borrowed any) while Aria and Flash were taking a moment to just sit and relax for a moment while they caught their breaths. Their faces were red, hot, and sweaty from wearing the helmets, but they were still smiling at each other.
"Hey uh, Aria?"
Aria looked back at her embarrassed boyfriend. "Sorry I got my butt kicked out there."
"Hey, it's fine," Aria smiled, patting his shoulder. "You didn't do so bad for your first time being out on a paintball course."
"Well you had more experience, you've been in war before."
"Eeyup," Aria said proudly, blowing the non-existent steam out of the turret of her gun. "Proud to have been a fighter." She looked back at Flash softly. "But you still did good. And that last stand-off when it was just us? I got my butt kicked early, and you were still standing, I think that's pretty cool."
Flash smiled. "If I wasn't so sweaty, I'd give you a kiss."
Aria still leaned over and gave him a kiss on the lips. "It's fine. Now what do you say you and I go get cleaned up and we get some ice cream?"
Flash smiled. "I'd like that."
Aria and Flash got up from the bench, but both were still a bit stiff from the wounds they received.
"Oof, ow..." Aria grunted.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just now feeling the paintball marks on my legs. ... And my butt, they hit me hard back there. I think I might need some ointment when we get back," Aria said, still walking funny.
After getting cleaned up and patched up, Aria and Flash were sitting on a bench in the Canterlot Mall, licking away at the ice cream cones they had purchased. Sure they didn't end up winning any trophy, but Aria had to admit. This was a win.
"How's the ice cream?" Aria asked.
"Delicious. Though you didn't have to buy it for me, I would have been happy to pay," Flash replied.
"Flash. You said yes to doing something fun that I like to do. The least I could do was pay for your food," Aria smiled.
Flash smiled back at her, and gave her a peck on her cheek. "You really are the best."
The Dazzling blushed. "Flash..."
"Come on..." Flash scooted closer to her and held her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.
"... Dang it, why can't I say no," Aria whined before resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.
Flash chuckled a bit, smiling back at her. And Aria did not flinch when Flash stroked her cheek. Actually, the way Aria leaned slightly into his palm was kind of adorable.
"Though I have to ask, how come you bought a second cone?"
Aria shrugged. "I thought I'd do something nice for Starry. If I still wanna win her over, I'm going to be like that super rich uncle who spoils everyone."
Flash chuckled. "I'm sure she'll appreciate it, but I think you two are okay."
"Yeah, but I dunno. Your family seems to like me okay from what you described, but I still wanna show I'm serious and actually a good girlfriend. ... I am good to you, aren't I?"
"Babe, of course you are," Flash smiled. "What are you so worried about?"
"I dunno. I guess I never thought I had to worry about something like this before."
"Aria, listen to me. The last time I talked to my mom and dad, they were still okay with you and like you. You have nothing to worry about. Okay?"
Aria softly smiled and laid her head back on his shoulder again. And so the couple just sat peacefully, enjoying the sweet cold flavor of ice cream, and relaxing from a day of battle.
"... What if they start asking about having kids?" |
Friends And Lovers | Movie Date Night! (Adagio Dazzle/Trixie Lulamoon) | "Come on boy, you can do it! Come on, come on buddy!"
Trixie whistled at her puppy, trying to get him to climb up the small step that separated from the patio and to the living room. She had been training him for a few months now, ever since Adagio had given him to her as a birthday gift. Needless to say, Trixie was not disappointed. Her new dog was one of the best gifts she had ever been given, and she would not have given him away for anything.
But the poor little guy was still struggling to climb up the step.
"Come on Fluffernutter, you got it!"
The little dog barked cutely, trying to call for his owner.
"Buddy, come on, you can do it," Trixie called. "You can do it, come on..."
The fluffy puppy struggled some more, using both back legs to try and pull himself up. He almost got it, almost there... And then he drooped back down.
"Aww. Don't worry buddy, we'll practice some more, I'll get you up."
And finally, after one more push, he finally made up the step.
"Yes! You did it, oh I'm so proud of you!" Trixie squeed, picking up her puppy with an excited grin. She gave him a hug, to wit, he started licking her face. "Hehehe, oh Fluffernutter," she giggled.
The doorbell ringed, calling for her ears attention.
"Oh, coming!"
She walked to the door, checking through the peephole who it was. And smiling with joy, she opened it up, revealing Adagio Dazzle on the other side; standing in a beautiful little black dress. Sleeveless to show off her bare shoulders and little side slits that showed off just enough of her smooth legs.
The door opened, and Trixie just looked in awe. "Adagio, h-h-hi..."
Adagio gave a sly grin. "Like what you see?"
"Heh, I... um."
Adagio just responded by booping her nose and kissing her cheek.
"But still, y-you look great," Trixie blushed.
"Why thank you," Adagio smiled, cutely. She then turned her eyes to the adorable puppy wagging it's tail in Trixie's arms. "Hello puppy," Adagio greeted, petting Fluffernutter's head.
The puppy softly barked, happily panting as it looked at her.
"You've been nice for my girlfriend now?" She asked, petting his ears.
"He's behaving himself. Well, most of the time," Trixie giggled. "Oh shoot! You uh... mind waiting for a second, I still need to get dressed, I'm so sorry, I'm never this forgetful, but--"
Adagio put a finger over her lips. "--Sweetie, it's okay. Just go get dressed, I will keep an eye on this handsome little fella."
"He's not old enough to start attracting girls yet though," she giggled, setting her dog back on the floor.
"Oh, one day he will be. But he's still such a cute wittle fluffy puppy," Adagio cooed, petting the dog's ears.
Carefully, Adagio took the dog from Trixie's arms and sat herself down on the couch while Trixie ran upstairs to get herself dressed. She didn't mind the wait; after all, she was happy to wait for her lady. Plus, she had a dog to keep her occupied; this would definitely hold her over for a while.
"Maybe when Trixie goes to college, we can look after you together. I'm sure by then you'll be one handsome little dog," she giggled, playing with the puppy's ears. "And oooh, your fur is so clean!" She squeaked. "Trixie does a better job making sure you're clean than Aria did with the last pet we had. Why she thought she could keep a Doberman, is beyond me."
The puppy playfully squirmed in her arms until she set it down in her lap, which rolled itself over on it's side, looking at her with a happy face.
"Aww, does someone want their tummy wubbed?" Adagio gushed, looking at the puppy. The puppy just gave an adorable little bark and she complied, rubbing the dog's belly. "You're so cute. I knew I made the right choice picking you as a birthday gift."
Trixie came downstairs, now completely dressed up and ready. Her hair was woven beautifully, her eyes sparkled under the light, and she had on a beautiful dark blue dress.
"Oooh, Dagi likey..." Adagio purred.
Trixie squeaked with a happy grin. "Thanks."
"Now my lady. What do you say we get going. We have a picture to attend."
The evening was rolling in, and the sky began to grow darker.
Not too far off was the drive-in, and there already a handful of people there, ready to enjoy the picture. Oddly most of the people here were adults, with a few elderly couples here and there. If there were any teenagers or families here, it was hard to see. Maybe they were here and the couple just didn't see them, but it didn't matter. They had found a spot with a nice view of the movie, not too far front, but not all the way in the back either.
"So what movie are we watching?" Adagio asked as Trixie parked the car.
"The Creature from the Depths from 1953," Trixie read. "I thought we could have fun watching an old monster movie. Unless you rather watch something else...?"
"It's perfectly fine with me, Trixie. In fact... is there a special reason why you picked that movie?"
Trixie blinked. "Well, I may have looked these up and may have found it cause... you're in this one."
"Why yes I am!" Adagio said, acting playfully surprised. "I thought you would have picked it because you wanted to see the monster kill some people."
And now the magician was blushing. "Um, uh..."
Adagio giggled, booping her nose. "I'm only teasing you sweetie. I'm very excited to see this with you. It's been so long since I've seen any of my old work."
"How come?"
"I don't know. Traveling around the world, trying to find work to support me and my family... also I have no idea if the movie was any good because around that time, I was getting fired by Marebara Studios." She grimaced at the memory before looking at Trixie. "The 50s were... not great. But enough about that. Come on, let's watch a monster movie!"
"Do you want me to get you a snack or anything?"
"Well... could you get Dagi a vanilla milkshake pwease?" Adagio asked, playfully pawwing at Trixie's arm.
"Oh, okay, give me a second," Trixie chuckled, walking over to the snack bar.
Adagio just sat up, trying to push herself into her seat to get comfy. And not too long was Trixie who got back into the car with her requested milkshake.
"Oh thank you! How much do I owe you?"
"Um, you don't owe me anything, it's okay," Trixie assured.
"I insist."
"Well, um... okay. It's only 2.59."
Adagio reached into her purse, pulling out the change, slipping it into Trixie's purse. And with a sip, she adjusting the radio knobs, with the sound from the projector started coming through. And in time!
"Ooh, it's starting!" Trixie squeaked, pushing the seat back. Adagio pushed hers back as well, and looked over to see a smiling Trixie, patting the space next to her to come closer. Smiling, she scooted herself closer and laid against Trixie's warm body, snuggling up against her.
The magician squeed, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. "You're beautiful, you know that?"
"Hehe. I know," Adagio winked back, looking up at her.
Trixie kissed her forehead, interlocking her fingers with Adagio's. Now that they were comfy, they were ready for the movie to begin. The film company's logo was the first to flash, all in black and white with a little bit of the old film grain showing.
"Ah, it's the nicest weather the earth has ever had," Trixie joked.
"Notice how big Japan is?"
Ten minutes later, the movie was starting to pick up. By now, they had already introduced to the central main characters, and the mystery monster had already been given hints to keep their attention. Admittedly, they were surprised by how much the movie had held up, even after close to 70 years later.
Though Adagio did admittedly cringe at some of the deliveries of her own lines. "... Admittedly, I don't know why I signed on to play this part, I thought it was going to launch my career in Hollywood, and yet look at me now."
"... An immortal siren living in the best city on the planet with the best friends ever?" Trixie asked, smirking at her.
Adagio rolled her eyes playfully. "Okay, yes, that's a better life."
"Hey, I still think you're good," Trixie nuzzled.
"I think you might be biased, but I'm happy regardless," Adagio smiled.
By now, thirty minutes had passed. They had finally gotten a good look at the monster, which looked really impressive. Even in 1953!
Now they were on a boat, which then cut to showing Adagio swimming in the waters in a bikini.
"Oh I remember this scene. I definitely made some heads turn when I showed up on set," Adagio giggled.
Trixie blushed and tittered. "Heh. You have no shame, don't you?"
"What can I say? If you've got it, flaunt it," Adagio winked at her.
And now they were watching the human protagonists head off on the run. And they watched as Adagio's character nearly slipped, turning down a hallway.
"Oh by the way, this is not an effect. That actually happened. The crew forgot to clean up a small spot, so I actually almost fell on my face when I was supposed to run there," Adagio said, giggling.
"Ow. I can't imagine how that would have felt."
"Oh, it was painful. But it was nothing compared to the poor monster actor banging his head against the frame of the door right about... there!"
And for a brief moment, the two shared a laugh as the poor actor in the monster outfit unintentionally slammed his head into a doorframe.
"Oops. Tall one, wasn't he?"
"Oh, yes indeed."
As the movie went on, the story and little bits of action got more interesting. The creature had shown how strong it was to the humans who tried to fend it off. Guns did nothing, flames did nothing, it was a relatively strong creature. And by now, they were nearing the final act. By now, the protagonists now understood what it was they were dealing with, and had found a solution. But now it was time to finish it off; for good.
"You know, I have to admit, it still holds up," Trixie smiled. "I had never seen this movie before."
"Oh then you're going to love this final act. Things really get interesting now..."
The final act was here. The final showdown between the monster and the main hero. And surprisingly, it was legit tense. Even for being a guy in a rubber suit, the crew did a fair amount of work to show some emotion from the creature's face as it faced off against the protagonist. He led the creature throughout the set for the final act, ready to finish the job. The music, the lighting, the action, it was all perfectly done! Though things quickly turned worse when the monster took our main girl.
Adagio cringed at how over the top her screaming and wailing for help was in that scene. "Admittedly not one of my most dignified performances... but hey, at creature had more dignity capturing me than the Slime Demon From Space."
"Wait, what?"
"Don't ask. Long story short; no budget, no plot, no sense."
Tilting her head side to side, Trixie said, "Well, Adagio, I dunno, your acting isn't bad. Honestly, I'd run away screaming too if that monster was coming after me. It's just natural fear."
"Coming from the woman who didn't scream when she saw a giant sea monster come a few inches close to her face?"
"You know what I mean," Trixie pouted.
Just one final blow, until finally, after all the struggles, after everything the characters had gone through... the monster was finally defeated. As Adagio's character and the main man held each other in relaxing embrace, a giant piece of text saying The End was slapped over the final shot of the monster who slowly sunk to the bottom of the sea, finally perished...
And when it was done, the rest of the film strips began to whip around in the canister near the main projector, finally ending the picture.
"Alright. That was a good movie," Trixie concluded.
"I agree. Thank you for taking me out, this was nice. Though I think my favorite part of this experience was snuggling up with you."
"Oh you," Trixie blushed.
"But now that we've seen the film..." Adagio pulled herself up. "How about I take you out somewhere where we can stretch our legs and have some fun?"
Men and women were dancing together under the light reflected off a disco ball within the confines of the ballroom. Suits and dresses on everyone, all gussied up. Partners holding each other as they danced on the dance floor, while some just sat at some tables to sit and chill, enjoying some drinks.
And in the middle of the dance floor was none other than Adagio and Trixie. Adagio had her hands held at Trixie's sides, while Trixie had her arms wrapped around the back of Adagio's head. The two of them smiled at each other, while moving to the beat of the music. Trixie softly leaned her head close to Adagio, nuzzling her affectionately. Adagio's smile grew bigger as she leaned in closer to her, nuzzling her back.
But then I fooled around and fell in love
I fooled around and fell in love
I fooled around and fell in love
I fooled around and fell in love
"Oh, Trixie... you are so beautiful..." Adagio whispered.
"Dagi..." Trixie blushed.
"You know you are," Adagio stroked her cheek. She hugged her again and gave her a kiss on her lips, holding her in her warm embrace.
Trixie smiled. "How did I land a girl like you?"
"Honesty, luck, and good timing," Adagio winked, kissing her cheek.
Trixie just giggled and held her some more, enjoying the sensation of holding her lover in a sweet embrace. And like a snap of fingers, the music started to change to something a bit more upbeat and bouncy. And the rhythm... oh Adagio was getting into the rhythm if the head bobbing was any indication.
"Oooh. I love this song!" Adagio squeed.
"Didn't Amethyst play this at the Battle of the Bands?"
"Yes, but that was a modern version. This is the original one, and I love it!" Adagio squeaked.
"Then let's dance!"
You know your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me)
Higher (lifting me)
Higher and higher (higher)
And so Adagio and Trixie, swing danced into the night...
Canterlot's spa was a wonderful place to relax and detox. Many of the most wealthy people in Canterlot City visited this place to feel young again. Massages, exquisite beauty treatments, it had everything. The lobby was a little packed, but they still squeezed in to talk to the people at the front desk. And the woman behind the front desk was one of the most valued employees; Aloe.
"Oooh, Miss Dazzle, so nice to see you again!" Aloe greeted. "Do you want your usual?"
"Actually, Aloe, I'd like to request something different. For both me and my guest," she said, glancing at her girlfriend.
"And hello there! My name's Aloe, and you are?"
"Um, Trixie."
"She is my partner," Adagio introduced.
"Aww, how romantic! Do you want to look at our romantic options?"
"Yes, please."
The staff gave them a menu of options to pick from, allowing them to take a look.
"So, my cutie of a girl," Adagio nuzzled, "Which of these interest you?"
"Oh, I don't know... w-what do you usually get?"
"Back massages, a few manicures, facial treatments, aromatherapy, those kind. Of course, I don't know how you feel about other people touching you, so..."
Trixie looked through their brochure, looking at their selections. Surely there was something nice the two of them could do together. Steam room? No, tried that, hard for her to breathe. Facial treatments? ... Maybe next time. Manicures? Eh, the idea of someone doing it instead of her made her uncomfortable. But wait! Hot tubs were on the menu! Nice, relaxing, steaming hot baths that made her skin relax all over...
"Maybe we could do that?"
Adagio looked to where she pointed and smiled. "Ooh, I like that one. We'd like that one, please."
Aloe looked over and nodded. "It's your lucky day, madam. Please, follow Lotus and she'll show you the changing room."
The two girls followed the other staff member into the locker room, showing them the spaces to put away their things. After stripping down, the two of them grabbed their towels and robes, and followed Lotus over to the hot tub area. It was mostly lit from scented candles, with a few soft lights on the sides. A few plants hanging from the ceiling as well.
And luckily the hot tub was already bubbling and ready to go. Adagio was the first to step in, putting her robe down and slowly slipping into the hot tub.
"Oooh... ahhh, that feels nice," Adagio sighed. "Come on in, the water's fine."
"Oh, can you um... c-can you look away for a second?" Trixie blushed.
"Of course." Adagio turned her head, waiting for Trixie to disrobe and slowly climb in. "So have you actually been in a hot tub before?"
"Once. There was a time when in middle school, we were allowed to sit in a hot tub at the hotel. Well, at least with the teachers around," Trixie said, slowly sinking her foot into the tub. And soon the rest of her was slowly sinking into the hot tub, sighing with pleasure as the hot water bubbling all around her. "Ahhh... Oh that feels nice..."
"I feel rejuvenated already..." Adagio said, sinking deeper into the hot tub. She looked to her side, looking at that adorable face and her eyes widened. Trixie took off her glasses. Okay, sure she took them off a few times, but she barely saw her without them. But she was looking at this adorable magician without them for what felt like the first time.
"Oh my, Trixie..."
Trixie blushed.
"What?"
"... Do you mind if I be blunt?"
"S-Sure."
"You look beautiful."
The magician blushed. "Dagi..."
"Come on..." Adagio nuzzled her cheek, leaning against her. "You know you are."
Trixie, as per usual, couldn't stop smiling. She leaned closer to Adagio, cuddling next to her as the hot bubbling water made her completely forget about her troubles. It felt so nice against her skin, and even more so that she was cuddling with her girlfriend.
Adagio pulled her head off her shoulder and she turned her body around to face her. She stroked her bare shoulders, softly massaging her. All the while she just looked deep into the eyes of that adorable face.
"I do not care what anyone says. I love you for who you are. Because you are the sweetest, kindest young woman I have ever met," Adagio cooed, stroking her cheek. The way Trixie leaned into her hand was just as adorable as that smile.
"Oh you," Trixie blushed, laying against her shoulder. Adagio smiled, kissing her forehead, and stroking her cheek. A nice relaxing hot bath, snuggling up with her girlfriend after a day of fun?
This was a perfect day. |
The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm | pre | * * *
Kaela stepped outside into the courtyard with all the other fillies and colts at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. So far, it wasn't all that different from Ms. Maple Shine's class, except there was a heavier focus on magic. Her first class had been Math, then Equestrian, and then Magic Theory, which was a fancy way of saying "boring explanation of why unicorns can do magic". Now it was time for lunch and recess. There were several picnic tables to sit at, but most of the seats were already taken.
Then she saw an few spots open at the farthest table away. Once of the spots was occupied by a light purple filly with a blonde mane. The filly was by herself, drawing in a notebook.
Fie approached the filly. "Uh, can I sit here?" she asked.
The purple filly nodded. "Sure," she mumbled, without looking up.
Fie sat down and opened her lunch. As she ate, she glanced over at the other filly. She was still scribbling away, occasionally taking a bite from her own lunch. After a few awkwardly quiet minutes, Fie finally spoke up.
"So, um, what are you working on?" she asked.
The purple filly looked up in surprise. "N-nothing really," the filly stuttered, "just an...idea...I had." her golden eyes didn't quite meet Kaela's.
"What kind of idea?" Kaela asked, interested.
"Oh, um..." the purple filly said, "well, it's a mail bag that's divided into different sections. To...help my mom deliver the mail." The filly tensed, almost as if waiting for Kaela to say something.
"Fie blinked. "That's cool," she said.
The purple filly blinked in surprise. "Wha-huh? Y-you really think so?"
Fie nodded emphatically. "Uh-huh. It's a good idea."
The purple filly blushed slightly. "Th-thanks. see, my mommy has trouble reading somethings, so I thought-" she clamped her hooves over her mouth, eyes widening. "Oh, I didn't mean to say that," she said.
Tilting her head slightly, Fie asked, "Are you okay?"
"Wait..." the purple filly said, "you-you're not gonna make fun of me?"
"Why would I do that?" Kaela said, "That would be mean. and I think it's cool that you want to help your mom."
"R-really?" the purple filly said.
"Yup," Fie said. she held out her hoof. "My name's Windy, by the way. Windy Spirit."
"I'm Dinky. Dinky Doo," the filly said, shaking Fie's offered hoof.
"Nice to meet you, Dinky," Kaela said with a smile.
* * *
Kaela and Dinky walked out of history class together.
"So, what did you think of the lesson?" Dinky asked Kaela. "It looked like you were really paying attention."
"I was," Kaela replied. "I think it was interesting how-" She was cut off when a pink filly pushed between them, followed by a teal filly.
"Watch where you're going, blank flanks," the pink filly with the red mane said.
Dinky stared at the ground and mumbled an apology. Kaela, however, was more vocal.
"Why'd you do that?" she protested. "Who do you think you are?"
"I'm Ruby Polish," the pink filly said, "My dad is one of the largest jewelry salesponies in Equestria." The pink filly looked down at Kaela. "And you. you're dad is in the Guard, right?"
"Yeah..." Fie said hesitantly.
"Hmph," Ruby Polish said, "I wonder how some commoner like you actually got into this school in the first place. Come on, Emerald Dust, let's leave these two peasants."
Ruby Polish walked off with her nose in the air, with the other filly copying her pose.
Kaela looked after the two snobby fillies slightly confused.
Dinky raised her head and looked at Fie. "Don't listen to them, Windy. they've always been like that. I just avoid making them mad."
Kaela nodded. "Okay," she said, and followed dinky to their next class.
* * *
Caelus sat on the couch, reading a mystery novel he found at the library. Kaela was sitting at the kitchen table doing her homework quietly. He was sore after training that day, and it felt good just to unwind and relax.
"Hey, Storm?" Fie asked from the table, "How old were you when you got your cutie mark?"
Caelus raised his eyebrows. "Any reason you ask?"
Fie shook her head. "No. Not really," she said, "Just curious."
Caelus thought for a moment. "Well, I suppose I was a little older than you are now. But I was a bit of a late bloomer."
"Oh, okay," she said, and went back to her homework.
"Is something bothering you, Fie?" Caelus asked, putting his book down and looking at the young filly with concern.
Kaela shook her head. "Nope, I was just wondering."
Deciding not to press Fie, Caelus picked up his book again. "If there is something, you know you can always tell me."
"I will, Storm," Kaela said.
* * *
For the rest of the week, Caelus worked hard training with the Royal Guard, while still making sure to take good care of Fie. he was hard pressed at times, but he managed to always be there to pick her up from school, make her a healthy dinner, and make it to her friends' homes for play dates.
At the moment, he was working his way through the obstacle course Lightning Strike had set up. Seven laps on this monstrosity would tire out the most energetic and enthusiastic recruit. Caelus was on his tenth. Or would be, if he hadn't tripped and gotten a faceful of mud.
"Get your lazy flank out of the dirt Cadet," Lightning Strike shouted in his ear. "I don't know what you think you heard, but I don't recall saying 'stop'. Did I say stop, Cadet?"
"No, ma'am," Caelus grunted.
"Then back on your hooves. I want two more laps from you," Lightning Strike yelled.
Caelus groaned as he stood up.
"What was that, Cadet? I didn't hear you whining did I?"
"No, ma'am," Caelus said.
"The get galloping!" Lightning Strike shouted.
Her tone like a whip, Caelus pushed himself into a steady canter. With every gasping breath, he though to himself, It could be worse, it could be worse, it could be worse...
* * *
Kaela sat Dinky at a lunch table in the courtyard.
"-and that;s how I got invited to the school," Dinky concluded.
"Wow, really?" Fie said. "you must really understand magical theory."
"Sort of," Dinky said, "I'm just good at figuring out how spells fit together. Princess Twilight said I have a very anna...an-a-lit-ik mind."
"That's neat. I just got asked here because I have a lot of magic for a filly my age. Princess Celestia said it was because I'm a-a naturally gifted unicorn." Kaela caught herself before she could give away her secret.
"That's cool," Dinky said, not noticing Fie's stumble. "Really strong unicorns are rare." She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. "I think most of the fillies and colts her just got in because their parents are rich or important."
Kaela looked over and saw Ruby Polish and Emerald Dust coming to their table. "I agree. Incoming bullies, twelve o'clock."
"Excuse me, but you're sitting at our table," Ruby Polish said.
Dinky lowered her ears and mumbled something.
"We don't have to move, we were here first," Kaela protested, "you guys normally sit over there." She pointed to a completely unoccupied table four tables away.
"Where ever I want to sit is my table," Ruby Polish said haughtily. "Now, go sit somewhere else, commoners."
"We don't have to do anything you- Eep!" Fie started only to get pushed out of her seat by Emerald Dust. Kaela sat up, rubbing her head where she bumped it on the ground.
"Windy! Are you okay?" Dinky said, jumping down from her seat, which was quickly taken by Ruby Polish.
Kaela got to her hooves. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, glaring at the two snobby fillies.
Ruby stuck her tongue out at Fie and Dinky. "Go find your own table, blank flanks," she said taunting. "commoners like you two don't belong here."
Dinky led the way to a different table, while Fie followed, ears drooping.
"Hey, are you okay, Windy?" Dinky asked, "You shouldn't let them get to you. I've found a lot of noble ponies in Canterlot act like that to everypony else."
Kaela forced a smile. "I'll try not to. Thanks, Dinky."
* * *
"Fie? Are you feeling okay? you've hardly touched your food," Storm said while they sat at the table eating dinner.
"Hmm?" Fie shook her head and looked up at the blue pegasus.
"I said are you feeling okay? You seem...distracted," Storm said.
Fie shrugged, "I'm fine, I guess."
"You guess?" Storm said, raising an eyebrow. "Fie, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Storm," Fie insisted.
Caelus was silent for a minute. Fie picked at her food, but didn't eat anything. "Well, if that's how we're going to do this..."
"Huh?" Fie said, "What does that mean- Hey! Storm! Put me down!" She struggled as Storm carried her out of the kitchen and dropped her on the couch in the living room. He sat down next to her.
"What was that for?" she said.
"When I was a colt, my mother would do this when she wanted to talk about something," Storm said. "Now, what's bothering you, Fie? you aren't eating, which is unusual in and of itself."
Fie looked down at her hooves.
"Is it your lessons with Princess Celestia? Are you having trouble with your studies?"
Fie shook her head. "No, all my classes are going well."
"Well, then what's hanging over your head?"
Fie was quiet for a long time. Finally she spoke up. "There's some snobby fillies at school," she said, "They think they're better than half the other foals. they keep making fun of Dinky and me. they say we're just 'commoners', and that neither of us belong at the school."
Fie almost jumped when she felt a warm wing draped over her back. She looked up at Storm, who smiled down at her.
"Come here, Fie," he said softly.
Kaela scooted closer, and Storm wrapped her in a comforting embrace. She didn't cry, but she sought silent solace surrounded by Storm's warm, feathery wings.
"Shh..." Storm murmured, "some ponies just make others feel bad because it makes them feel better about themselves. you shouldn't listen to them. After all, you are an alicorn. Like the princesses."
"And what about Dinky?" Fie said.
"I've met Dinky and her mother. Dinky is a brilliant filly. If she is in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, then she deserves to be." Storm nuzzled Fie. "You both are wonderful fillies. Don't let anypony tell you otherwise."
Fie rubbed her nose and hugged Storm. "Okay. Thanks, Storm."
"Of course, Fie," Storm said, "that's why I'm here. however, I think now it is time to finish dinner. I made cookies for dessert."
Fie hurried back into the kitchen to finish eating, spurred on by the promise of cookies. Storm just chuckled as he joined her.
* * *
She was standing alone in a vast meadow. The wind blew through the grass, tugging at her mane. She spread her wings, letting the cool breeze wash over them, tickling her feathers. Smiling, she trotted off through the grass.
Kaela stopped at the edge of a small grove of trees, then went in. The light filtered through the leaves of the trees, creating dappled shadows over everything sheltered beneath the branches. At the center of the grove was a small, clear pond. Kaela stopped. Across the pond was a beautiful blue-green mare. She had a long, tapering horn and majestic wings that were tipped with green.
"Come, little one," the mare said with a voice that reminded Kaela of a babbling brook and the wind in the trees.
She circled the pond and stood next to the mare. The mare lowered her head and nuzzled Kaela. Kaela didn't flinch, like she expected to. The muzzle was warm and almost familiar. Kaela curled up next to the mare.
"Where are we?" she asked.
The mare smiled down at her, and said one word, "Home."
Kaela sat upright in bed. "What was...?" The image faded from her mind, leaving her feeling like she left something important behind. She lay back down, but it was a while before she fell back asleep. |
The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm | Part 5: Revelation | The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm
Part 5:Revelation
The weather had turned colder as autumn had set in. The trees in the park burst with color. Caelus watched as three fillies chased each other through the falling leaves.
"Tag, you're it, Windy," Dinky shouted.
Fie galloped after Dinky and Wisty, laughing with a care in the world. Her laughter caused Caelus to smile. He was glad that she was happy. The wind blew and Caelus shivered, adjusting his scarf. A few weeks ago, he and Fie had returned to Ponyville. He had collected a box of things from his house that he would need for the upcoming winter. He had also talked to his friends, explaining that he was away in Canterlot. When they asked him about it, he had given them a vague half-answer. He felt bad about it. But he couldn't outright say that he was raising an alicorn filly and the Princesses wanted to keep an eye on her.He wasn't moving to Canterlot permanently, he was just staying there for a few months.
Once the weather had started to cool down, Caelus had made sure to buy Fie a coat, scarf, and hat. Today was warm enough for just the coat, but the wind in mid-November could still be chilly.
Caelus checked the position of the sun. "Okay, girls. Five more minutes before we have to go."
"Aww..."
"But Storm."
"It's not that late."
Caelus smiled at the fillies. "It's not late, but it is getting close to dinner time. Now hurry up. Only four minutes left. Spend them wisely."
Kaela looked at Dinky, who looked at Wisty, who looked back at Fie. As one, they nodded. Fie tapped Caelus' foreleg.
"You're it!" she shouted. All three fillies ran away from the blue pegasus.
Caelus sighed, then smiled and chased after the three. The sound of laughter filled the air, and the leaves continued to fall.
* * *
Knock knock knock.
Caelus opened the door, revealing a brown teenage stallion in a red jacket.
"Two medium double cheeses for a Caelus Storm," he said.
"Yup, that's me," Caelus said.
"That'll be seven bits."
Caelus gave the teen ten and took the pizzas inside. He took a deep whiff of the freshly baked food.
"Pizza here?" Fie said from the chair she was reading on.
"Yes it is," Caelus said.
Fie trotted over to the kitchen while Caelus pulled two plates out of the cupboard. Opening one of the boxes, Fie pulled a steaming hot slice onto her plate. She blew on it to cool it off.
Caelus immediately took a bite of pizza.
"Careful, it's hot," Kaela said.
Caelus sucked in air to cool off his burning tongue. "That's the way I like it."
"Suit yourself," Fie said, taking a cautious bite of her own slice of pizza.
Caelus swallowed and immediately took a long sip of orange soda. "Ouch," he said. "Hot."
"Told you so," Fie said.
"You did," Caelus said, "but I'm doing it again anyway." He took another big bite of pizza, wincing slightly as he burned his tongue.
Kaela sighed. "Silly Storm," she said, enjoying her own dinner.
* * *
Caelus faced his opponent, gray-purple eyes narrowed slightly. The other pony was a brown earth pony stallion. Though he was barely old enough to be considered a stallion.
"Ready," Lightning Strike said, "begin!"
Caelus reared up on his hind legs. An iron blade sang as it left its sheath attached to his right foreleg. He swung at the other pony.
The earth pony ducked, then lunged at Caelus with his own hoof-blade. Caelus twisted and let the blade glance off his training armor. He countered with a stab at the stallion. The stallion parried and slashed at Caelus' neck.
Caelus ducked, dropping onto his foreleg, holding his blade in front of him. The other stallion did the same, and they both circled each other. Seconds later they met again with a clash of metal.
The two stallions battered at each other for several minutes, neither seeming to get the upper hoof. Finally, Caelus slipped past the other stallion and pressed the flat of his blade against the stallion's neck.
"Victory to Caelus," Lightning Strike shouted.
Caelus lowered his blade, retracting it into the gauntlet. "Good match, Iron," he said.
"Likewise, Storm, the earth pony said.
"Next match, Crimson Bolt and Glimmer Frost," Lightning Strike announced.
The recruits shifted anxiously. Crimson Bolt was a good swordspony, and he made sure everyone knew it. He was loud and arrogant. Glimmer Frost was a quiet mare. She was small and thin, and looked like the last pony that one would expect to be in the Royal Guard.
"Hey sweetcheeks," Crimson said to Frost, "I hate to leave you feeling bad after this, so what say you and I go get a drink after training. I'll give you a few pointers on how to handle a sword."
Frost didn't say anything, standing across from Crimson Bolt.
"Ready, begin," Lightning Strike shouted.
Crimson immediately charged at Frost, swinging at her chest. Frost blocked it, her face remaining neutral. Crimson started a savage series of attacks. Steel rang on steel as Frost blocked or dodged every strike. Crimson lunged forward, and Frost parried and sidestepped. As the red pegasus turned, Frost struck like lightning. Suddenly on the defensive, Crimson Bolt took a step back. Frost pressed her advantage. Three strikes later, Crimson was flat on his back with a blade pressed against his throat.
"Victory to Frost," Lightning Strike shouted.
Frost retracted her hoof-blade and walked out of the sparring ring to the cheers of the other recruits. Crimson still lay on his back, blinking in surprise.
"Get out of the dirt, Cadet," Lightning Strike said.
Crimson scrambled to his hooves, and with his chin tilted up, left the ring.
"Next match, Black Aegis and Tall Timber," Lightning Strike said.
* * *
Kaela sat with Dinky under a tree in the courtyard.
"Your mom seems nice," Kaela said.
"She is," Dinky said, "she lives in Ponyville, so she visits every other weekend. What about you? I've only ever met your dad."
Fie shifted. she and Celestia had talked about this, and they decided that the best answer was the truth. "I never knew my mother," she murmured, "Storm raised me himself."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Windy," Dinky said.
"It's okay," Kaela said. "It doesn't bother me."
"Well it should."
Kaela and Dinky both jumped as a third voice entered their conversation. They looked up and saw Ruby Polish, followed by Emerald Dust. Kaela tucked her wings in more tightly under her dress.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well, it's, like, really bad you don't know your mom," Ruby Polish said.
"She probably ran off. No unicorn would stay with a pegasus like your dad," Emerald Dust added.
"You never even met Storm," Kaela defended.
"So? We've seen him after school," Ruby Polish said, "No wonder your mom left him."
Kaela started backing up, ears folding down. "Please, leave me alone," she said, her resolve failing in the face of such harsh words.
"I bet she wears that dress because she has a two-toned coat, like those freaky zebras," Emerald Dust said.
"I bet you're right," Ruby Polish said with a smirk, "maybe we should take off her dress."
Kaela was starting to panic. She felt her magic building up at the base of her horn.
"Hey, leave her alone," Dinky said. "Her dad is awesome."
"Yeah," Ruby sneered, "and your mom is a derpy mailmare. It's a miracle she can even read."
Dinky immediately shut up, her eyes filling with tears.
"Now let's see what Windy here is hiding," Emerald Dust said.
"Please stop," Fie whimpered. She wanted to be anywhere but here.
"Or what? you'll cry to your daddy?" Ruby jeered, her horn starting to glow. "Now let's see what you're hiding under that dress."
There was a sound of ripping fabric. No, Fie thought. She desperately wanted to be anywhere else. She felt her magic build and release.
"Windy!" Dinky cried.
Kaela vanished in a flash of light, leaving behind a concerned Dinky, and two stunned bullies, one of them holding the remains of a yellow sundress.
* * *
Caelus had just finished tactics class. He was chatting with Iron Hoof as he followed the rest of the recruits to the sparring ring. A flash of light made him pause. A sobbing blue ball of fur clutching his legs startled him. He looked down at Kaela, who had buried her face against his forelegs.
"What is going on over here?" Lightning Strike shouted. The recruits stood aside as their commanding officer approached. Caelus gulped, the murmurs of the crowd not helping. Lightning Strike looked at the situation, pursing her lips.
"Cadet Storm," she said, "you are dismissed to deal with this."
"Thank you, ma'am," Caelus said.
"The rest of you, double time," she shouted, "or I'll have you running laps till sunset."
The recruits all moved onward at a light jog, while Caelus took Fie over to the side, out of the open. He set her down and she once again clung to his forelegs. Caelus sat down and pulled Fie closer.
"Shh, shh, shh, it's all right," he murmured, "it's all right. I'm here now."
Fie mumbled something through her tears, trying to push closer to Caelus.
Caelus held the distraught filly close, whispering comforting words to her. It was several minutes before Fie's sobs turned to shuddering breaths as she calmed down enough to speak.
"S-Storm?" she stammered.
Caelus hugged Fie. "Shh. I'm here."
"Storm, why are there mean ponies in the world?" she sniffled.
"I don't know Fie, "Caelus said. "why don't you tell me what happened. Okay?"
Fie told him about the bullies at school, and how they had been giving her and Dinky a hard time since day one. As she spoke, Caelus felt his jaw clench. When she got to the part where the other fillies had taken her dress, Caelus was almost ready to go and give these bullies a piece of his mind. But the soft sobs of the filly in his arms pulled his attention back to the present.
"Hey," he said, "don't cry. I'm here now, and those fillies can't get to you here."
Kaela stopped crying after two more minutes. She nuzzled Caelus in the chest. "Your armor is cold," she mumbled.
Caelus chuckled slightly, but a light cough cut him off. He turned.
"I saw her arrive," Princess Luna said.
"Princess," Caelus gasped. he shifted so he could salute the Moon Princess.
"At ease, Cadet," she said. "I'm more concerned with young Kaela. Shouldn't she be in school?"
Caelus nodded. "She should, but there was an incident with some...other fillies." He explained what Fie had told him to the Princess.
"I see," Luna said when Caelus finished. "That is most unfortunate. I will tell my sister when I see her this evening. However, we really should return Kaela to school."
Fie shook her head and clung to Caelus.
Fie, you really should-" Caelus started.
"No," she said, trying to nuzzle closer to him. "I wanna stay her with you."
"Fie..." Caelus started.
"It is all right, Caelus Storm. I can watch her while you go back to training," Princess Luna said.
"What! I-I couldn't ask you to do that Princess," Caelus stammered.
"Nonsense," Luna said. " But first..." The Princess's horn glowed and Fie's wings faded from sight.
"Huh?" Fie said, craning her head around to look at her back.
"It's just an illusion, young Kaela," Luna said. "Now, Cadet Caelus, assume guard position and escort your Princess to the sparring fields so she may inspect the recruits."
Caelus saluted formally, but had to suppress a smile. "Yes, your Majesty," he said, assuming position on Luna's right, one stride ahead of her.
The arrival of the Princess caused quite a stir among the recruits and officers alike. However, a word from Luna and all returned to their duties, albeit with a little more vigor, and with two captains standing guard by the younger of the two Royal Sisters.
Kaela cheered for Caelus when he sparred, eyes wide with awe. Caelus for his part fought better because of it. Of the five bouts he was in, he lost only one, and it was against Glimmer Frost. In fact, Kaela's enthusiasm was infectious, and the other recruits seemed to move with new purpose.
As the recruits were running laps, Iron Hoof said to Caelus, "Cute kid you got there, Storm."
Caelus nodded in thanks, looking at Fie, who stood next to Princess Luna, waving at him as he galloped past. He would have waved back, except doing so would have caused him to trip and fall. He did smile at her, waving a wingtip instead. Fie giggled, and Caelus smiled at himself, then kept running.
* * *
Kaela trotted next to Storm as they headed home after his training. She was in a considerably better mood than she had been early. She fluttered her wings, which were still hidden by Luna's illusion spell. The Moon Princess herself was following them, but in the guise of a unicorn mare; her own illusion spell.
Once they were safely inside their apartment, Luna dispelled both illusions. Fie turned her head and noticed her wings needed preening. She craned her neck around and started straightening her feathers.
"I will leave you two now," Luna said, "I will tell my sister what has transpired."
"Thank you, Princess," Storm said/
A knock on the door startled all three of them. Storm went over to the door and opened it a little bit.
"Dinky?" he said, surprised, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, um, Windy left her saddlebags and her jacket at school," the purple filly said. "I also got her homework for the classes she missed."
"That was very sweet of you Dinky," Storm said.
"Is she all right?" Dinky asked.
Fie poked her head out of the door. "Yeah, I'm okay." Her wings were once again hidden beneath Luna's illusion magic. "I just got scared and...teleported away."
"Wow, you really did a teleport spell?" Dinky said. "That's, like, the hardest spell there is."
Fie blushed slightly. "I didn't mean to do it," she said. "Thanks for bringing my homework, Dinky." Kaela gave her friend a hug.
"I-it was nothing," the purple filly said. She returned Kaela's hug. "I should get going, I got walked here by a teacher, and they're waiting for me."
"Bye, Dinky," Fie said.
Once Storm closed the door, her wings reappeared. Princess Luna dropped her invisibility spell.
"With that, Caelus Storm, I take me leave," she said. "Good evening to you too, Kaela Fie." With that, the Moon Princess vanished in a flash of light.
Fie started her homework, and Storm started making dinner. Fie occasionally asked a question, but for the most part, they were both quiet.
* * *
That night, Caelus lay awake in bed. Today had brought to light a part of raising Kaela that he hadn't thought of before: comforting her when she was upset. And upset she had been. Fie had always been pretty quiet, but her submissiveness now had an obvious source in the form of bullies. Princess Celestia had warned him that the Canterlot elite passed their snobbiness onto their children, but he had never thought that foals could be so harsh. Nopony could say those things to his daughter.
His daughter. The thought had occurred to him a few times before, but he had never thought much of it. It wasn't until Fie appeared sobbing against his chest that he actually felt like more than just a caretaker. This is my daughter, he had thought, and I am never going to let anypony hurt her ever again.
Caelus smiled down at the small, warm body curled up by his side. Fie had fallen asleep while he was reading to her, and he didn't have the heart to move her. Gently moving to get more comfortable, Caelus nuzzled the filly.
"Sleep well, my daughter," he murmured.
* * *
A dark figure watched as the light clicked out in the pegasus' apartment. The pegasus wasn't what interested him, though. It was the young filly that was living with the pegasus. The dark figure wait another hour before he flapped his wings and flew down to hover by the pegasus' window. Looking inside, the figure saw the blue pegasus stallion sleeping on the bed. Beside the stallion was nestled the filly.
The figure narrowed his eyes. The filly sifted in her sleep, revealing her wings in addition to her horn. The filly snuggled closer to the pegasus before she settled back into a deeper sleep. The figure rolled his tongue in his mouth. Even from here, he could taste the love coming from her. Godling, the figure thought. With another flap of his wings, he flew off. Landing in a shadow, he slunk off into the night.
After many twists and turns, the creature stopped in a pitch-black alley. He emitted a series of clicks and chirps. Two glowing blue eyes opened in the dark. The figure could vaguely see the other's chitin-covered body in the darkness.
What news do you bring brother? the changeling asked.
The figure dropped their disguise of a Night Guard and responded with the thought-speak. I saw correct, the Godling is living with a pegasus, the figure replied. Send a message to the Queen. Ask what our course of action is.
I will. For the glory of the Hive, the changeling said.
For the glory of the Queen, the figure responded. Watching the changeling fly off into the night, the figure turned back into a Night Guard and resumed the appearance of patrolling the streets of Canterlot. |
The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm | Part 6: Taken | The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm
Part 6: Taken
"All right my little ponies, that's all for today," Mrs. Diamond Sky said when the final bell rang. As the students started to pack up and leave she said, "And be sure to enjoy yourselves at the Fall Harvest Festival."
Kaela waited for Dinky outside the classroom. They walked out of school together, smiling and chatting excitedly.
"Can you believe that the Fall Harvest Festival is finally here?" Dinky said.
"I know, it's so exciting," Kaela replied. "Are you going to the fair this weekend?"
"Of course," Dinky said, "my mommy is coming to town to celebrate. Are you going?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Fie answered. "I bet Wisty is going too."
"Cool, then we c-could all hang out," Dinky said. In her excitement, her slight stutter surfaced.
"Should we meet up tomorrow?" Kaela asked.
"Yeah," Dinky said, "oh look, there's your dad and...Mommy!" Dinky galloped towards the gray pegasus mare, Fie a step behind her.
* * *
Caelus landed outside Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. He was a few minutes early. Looking around, he saw a familiar pegasus. The gray mare with the blonde mane stumbled a bit as she landed.
"Hello Ditzy," Caelus said to the mare.
The mare turned to Storm, one of her golden eyes focusing on him while the other seemed to stare off in a random direction. "Oh, hello Caelus," Ditzy said, greeting him with a smile.
Ditzy was a mailmare in Ponyville. though she was a bit clumsy, she was a warm-hearted pony. Caelus had known her for some time, having once worked as a delivery stallion when he was just out of school.
"How are Amethyst and Time Turner?" Caelus asked the mailmare.
"Turner is coming up tomorrow, after he's finished his work," Ditzy said. "And I'm going to see if Amethyst Star can be coaxed away from her studies long enough to enjoy a weekend with her family after I pick up Dinky. How about you? Are you well? How is Windy?"
"Windy is doing well. She's very excited about this weekend."
"And you?" Ditzy repeated. "I heard you nearly finished training for the Royal Guard."
"Yeah. The Canterlot Weather Team wanted me to go through Royal Guard Basic before they hired me. It's been...intense to say the least," Caelus answered.
Before Ditzy could say more, she was interrupted by a voice crying out "Mommy!" The mailmare found herself being hugged by a purple-gray filly. Ditzy smiled.
"Good to see you, my little muffin," she said, returning her daughter's embrace.
Caelus nuzzled Fie as she hugged him. "How was your day, Windy?"
"Good. Thanks for asking," she replied. "And yours? Did you win all your sparring matches today?"
"Haha, I wish," Caelus said, "But I did beat Crimson Bolt."
"Yay. Wait, he's the one who's a meanie-pants right?"
"Yes."
"Then yay for you," Kaela said.
Dinky suddenly cheered. "We get to see Sparkler AND Daddy's coming?"
"Yes," Ditzy said. To which Dinky grinned.
"Can we go now?" Dinky said.
"Of course, muffin," Ditzy replied.
"Yay," Dinky shouted. "Bye Storm. Bye Windy. Come on, Mommy, let's go."
"I'm coming," Ditzy chuckled. "Good day, Caelus. Windy."
Caelus and Kaela trotted down the streets of Canterlot, stopping at a local donut shop for a quick treat. After their snack, they went and bought Kaela a new notebook for school, some groceries for the weekend, and to the florist, where Caelus picked up a centerpiece for the table; a simple cornucopia. From there, they stopped at their apartment to drop off the groceries, then they went out to eat.
"Are you excited for the Fall Harvest Festival?" Caelus asked Fie as they left the restaurant after dinner.
"Uh-huh," Fie said with a smile. "We learned about it in history class."
"Oh? Do share," Caelus said.
"After the first Hearth's Warming Eve and the founding of Equestria, the three tribes had to work hard to make a new home. but they still didn't have a lot of food. However, in the fall, they had the most bountiful harvest ever. The tribes threw a big celebration. Ever since then, we have the Fall Harvest Festival to celebrate the last harvest of the year," Kaela explained.
"That's right, Fie," Caelus said, beaming with pride. He nuzzled the filly, causing her to jump.
"Storm," she said with a slight blush, "you startled me."
Caelus chuckled and held the door open for Kaela, following her once she was inside.
* * *
She was dreaming of the mare again. They were sitting under an ancient weeping willow. The mare was running a brush through Kaela's mane, singing softly. Fie didn't understand the language, but she knew is was supposed to be a soothing song.
The mare finished brushing Kaela's mane, and started straightening the feather's on Fie's wings. Celestia had told her that pegasi usually preened their own wings, due to their sensitivity. Pegasi only let ponies they completely trusted help in the preening process. And yet, Kaela didn't mind. She trusted this mare.
"How is that, my little cloud?" the mare asked when she was done.
Kaela turned and nuzzled the mare. "Thank you," she said.
The mare lay down, curling around Fie. Fie herself curled up, resting against the mare. The grass beneath them was as soft as any bed.
"Wake now, my child," the mare whispered.
Fie's eyes widened. "Mommy."
Kaela opened her eyes. She was wrapped snugly in a blanket in her bed. She tried to dismiss the dream, but it clung to her mind like an early morning dew. "Mommy," she whispered into the darkness.
After a few minutes of trying to fall back asleep, Kaela climbed out of bed. She shivered. The air was much colder than her bed.
Fie levitated the cup from her bedside table and headed to the kitchen to get a drink. She moved as quietly as she could, but her hooves seemed unnecessarily loud on the kitchen tile. Filling her cup, Fie took several sips of water, thinking about her dream. This was the first time she had thought about her mother. The mental image of the mare was already fading from her mind, but the feeling was still there.
Fie returned to her room, leaving the half full cup on the bedside table. She pulled her blankets tightly around her, but sleep didn't come to her for over an hour. When she awoke in the morning, the dream had been forgotten.
* * *
Caelus woke earlier than he normally did. Which was quite early as he was still on his Weather Team sleep schedule. So he showered, brushed his teeth, combed his mane, and did his usual morning stretches. Kaela wouldn't be up for another forty-five minutes or so. Caelus picked up the mystery novel he kept meaning to finish.
Half an hour later, Caelus started breakfast. Pancakes, a bowl of fruit, and a bowl of whipped cream. The last he had been lucky to get. The treat was made in Cloudsdale and was usually expensive. But during the Fall Harvest Festival, they made more, and the price dropped. Usually what was produced sold fast, but Caelus had managed to to get one of the last containers.
Fie walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. "Morning, Storm," she said with a yawn.
"Good morning, Fie," Caelus said. As the filly sat down at the table, Caelus set a plate stacked high with pancakes in front of her.
Kaela poked the bowl of whipped cream. "What's this?" she asked.
"It's called whipped cream," Caelus answered, "It's a kind of topping that pegasi make. Ponies like to put it on ice cream and pie and stuff like that. But I always liked to put a little on my pancakes."
Fie took a small spoonful of whipped cream. She giggled. "It's so light and fluffy." she took a large spoonful of whipped cream and dumped it on her pancakes.
"Leave some for me, Fie," Caelus chuckled.
"Okay," Fie said. She added strawberries and blackberries to the top of her pancakes before she dug in.
Caelus helped himself to some fruit for his own pancakes. The two ponies enjoyed a nice breakfast.
* * *
The Fall Harvest Festival was set up in the main park in Canterlot. There were all sorts of booths; some of them games, but most of them were selling food. The air was filled with a bouquet of aromas with everything from apples to pies.
Kaela inhaled deeply, taking in the variety of smells. Her mouth watered. she looked around, trying to take in everything at once.
Storm chuckled, then fixed his scarf. The air was chilly today. Kaela spun in a slow circle, laughing.
"Wow this is so cool," she said. "What should we do first, Storm?"
"What do you want to do first?" Storm replied.
"Windy!"
A purple unicorn and a light brown pegasus galloped over. followed by their respective families.
"Dinky! Wisty! Hi!," Fie said, running over to meet her friends.
* * *
As the fillies trotted ahead of the adults, the parents talked amongst themselves. Caelus joined in the conversation here and there, but mostly kept an eye on the foals.
"What about you, Caelus?" Summer Breeze said.
"Huh?"
"Have you started preparing for Hearth's Warming Eve?" Summer Breeze repeated.
"Oh, no. Not yet," Caelus admitted. "I try to tackle my holidays one at a time." He refrained from pointing out that he celebrated Hearth's Warming with his parents and his sister.
Summer Breeze smiled. "As long as you don't let it sneak up on you."
Caelus returned the smile. "I'll try not to," he said.
"Come on Windy, Wisty, let's go ride the ferris wheel next," Dinky said, leading the trio over to stand in line.
Caelus tried not to smile and failed. He was happy that Fie was happy.
* * *
A gray unicorn stallion watched the blue pegasus. He was one of the two Royal Guards tasked by Princess Celestia herself to keep an eye on the blue pegasus and, more importantly, his filly. The guard, along with his pegasus partner and two of the Night Guard were the select few than knew the filly's true identity.
A white pegasus trotted up to him. "Sir, everything is secure."
The unicorn smiled. "Relax, Scout. This is just surveillance," he said. Quick Scout was one of the newest members of the Royal Sisters' Elite Guard, and he was still adjusting.
"Yes, sir," Scout said.
The gray stallion turned to watch the pegasus and filly in the group getting a treat.
"You work hard, sir," Scout said.
Something in the pegasus' tone made the unicorn turn around. There was a flash of green, and the unicorn blacked out.
* * *
"Mmm...this funnel cake is really really yummy," Fie said.
"I know, right?" Wisty said, sharing a funnel cake sundae with her mother.
"Dinky nodded in agreement, using her plastic fork to try and out maneuver her sister, Amethyst Star, for the last bite of funnel cake. She didn't quite succeed, and Amethyst parried Dinky's fork and quickly grabbed the funnel cake. Dinky pouted and Amethyst smiled.
"Storm, aren't you going to have some?" Kaela asked.
"Maybe I'll have one bite," he said picking up his own fork. He liked funnel cake well enough, but he was more of an ice cream stallion.
Later, when they were all walking past several game booths, and the fillies were still chatting merrily.
"Wow, Windy, I can't believe you ate that whole funnel cake," Dinky said.
Kaela shrugged. "I was hungry. And Storm had a few bites."
"But still, how can you--Windy?" Wisty said.
Kaela had stopped walking and was standing in front of a game booth, staring up at a plushie whale toy.
"Well hey there, little filly, would you like to play?" the mare working the booth asked.
Fie nodded shyly, suddenly timid.
"Well, all you have to do is knock over those three bottle with a ball," the mare said, "the only rules are no wings and no magic. Think you can do it??
Fie nodded again. The mare gave her a ball. "You get three tries," she said.
Kaela held the ball in her hoof, then tossed it. The throw fell short.
"Aww, try again Windy," Wisty called out.
Fie took the ball from the mare, but this time, her throw was wide to the right.
"One more try," the mare said.
Fie readied the ball again. She squinted, aiming carefully.
"You can do it, Windy," Dinky encouraged, supported by Wisty and, surprisingly, Amethyst Star.
Kaela took a deep breath and threw the ball as hard as she could. With a clatter, two of the bottles fell off the platform. Everypony held their breath, watching the third bottle teeter precariously on the edge of the platform. Finally the bottle fell off the table.
Fie, Dinky, and, Wisty cheered. All three high-hoofed, and the mare gave Kaela the whale plushie. Kaela squeed and ran over to Caelus, levitating the whale next to her.
Caelus agreed with her that it was indeed cute, smiling at Kaela's beaming face. She trotted around with her head held high, the whale perched on her back.
* * *
Kaela sat at the table while Storm cooked dinner. Her whale plushie, which she named Blue, was sitting on the table next to her. "Storm, is the food ready yet?" she asked, growing impatient.
The oven dinged. "That's it now," Storm said, pulling the hot pan out of the oven.
Two minutes later, the table was set with several different dishes, including a vegetable casserole that Storm said his mom usually made.
Caelus sat down across from Fie. He bowed his head and put his hooves together. "We thank the earth that gives us the food, the sky that gives us the rain, and the magic of friendship for bringing us together," he said in a traditional Fall Festival prayer. Fie repeated his actions and words.
The food was some of the best she had ever eaten. Storm had put a lot of work into the meal and it showed. "Wow, Storm, the food's good," Fie said.
"Why thank you, Fie," Caelus replied. "Can you pass the cranberry sauce?"
"Sure, here you go."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," Kaela said with a smile.
* * *
"When do we move?" The changeling asked, buzzing it's wings impatiently.
"Soon," said the other, disguised as a Night Guard.
"How soon?"
"Stop whining like a newly hatched pupa," the Night Guard hissed. "The Queen said soon. so we will move soon."
"Buck it, I hate waiting."
The Night Guard raised an eyebrow at the changeling. "'Buck it'? You have been living among the ponies too long."
"Shut up," the changeling snapped.
Both of the, returned to silently watching the pegasus and the alicorn foal eating dinner, the two ponies completely unaware of what was going on just across the street.
* * *
The next evening, as the sun was starting to set, Caelus and Kaela were walking home from another day at the fair. Kaela had Blue, the whale plushie, perched on her back. Dinky and Wisty had spent the day with their families, so it had been just the two of them today.
"What was your favorite thing today, Fie?" Caelus asked.
"Oh! Oh! Definitely the spinny ride," Kaela said, "No wait, cotton candy! No wait...there were too many things I can't decide."
Caelus chuckled as they turned down the street towards home.
"Excuse me, are you Caelus Storm?"
Caelus turned around to see two Night Guards. He saluted.
"Can I help you, sirs?" he asked.
The Night Guard stepped forward. "Yes, actually."
Caelus took a step back. "And that is...?"
"You have something we want," the Night Guard said, baring his fangs.
Caelus tensed. Before he could do anything though, he was tackled from the side.
"Storm!" Fie shouted.
Caelus kicked his assailant. The figure hissed, showing fangs much larger than a Night Guard's, and blue glowing eyes.
"Storm, help!" Fie cried. "Let go of me!"
"Fie!" Caelus shouted. He slammed his hoof into the changeling's face. He saw the two Night Guards also turn into changelings and grab Fie.
As they started to fly away, Caelus threw off his attacker and crouched in preparation to take flight. Before he could take off, the changeling tackled him again.
"STORM!" Fie screamed.
There was a flash of green, a burning sensation on the side of his head, and Caelus started to lose consciousness. FIE! he thought before he blacked out.
* * *
Luna looked down at the blue pegasus. Celestia was pacing outside the hospital room. On the bedside was a whale plushie that had been found near him on the street.
The pegasus stirred.
"You are awake, good," Luna said. "How do you feel, Caelus Storm?"
"Fie..." he moaned, opening his gray-purple eyes.
"Just take a moment," Luna said, "a stun spell to the head hurts."
Caelus shook his head. "No, gotta go...save her."
"First tell us what happened."
Luna looked over her shoulder at Celestia, who had entered the room. Many saw Celestia as a matriarch, gently guiding her little ponies. This wasn't that Celestia. This was the Celestia that came out when her subjects were in danger. This Celestia wielded righteous anger.
"Fie, she was taken," Caelus said, sitting up. "Fie was taken by changelings." |
The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm | Part 7: Stormfront | The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm
Part 7: Stormfront
Caelus strapped on an iron cuirass, pulling the straps tight with a sharp tug. He fitted a hoof blade on his right foreleg.
"What happened?" Princess Celestia asked.
"Fie and I were walking home from the Fall Harvest Festival around sunset, when we were stopped by a pair of Night Guards," Caelus said. Princess Luna frowned. "They asked if I was Caelus Storm, to which I said I was. Then I was tackled from the side by a changeling. While I was dealing with him, the two Night Guards turned into changelings, grabbed Fie, then took off. I tried to follow, but I was tackled and pinned by the changeling again. He zapped me with some spell or other, and I lost consciousness."
Caelus slid a helmet over his head.
"Caelus Storm, what are you doing?" Princess Luna said as Caelus rolled out of bed.
"I'm going after the changelings that took Fie, and I'm going to bring her back," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Look, I can have the best of the Royal Guard ready in a matter of hours," Princess Celestia said, "but you're-"
"Excuse me, Princess," Caelus interrupted curtly, "but Fie is my daughter, and I'm not going to sit by when I could be doing something useful. I am leaving right now, and there better be a cell in the dungeon ready, because that's the only way you'll stop me."
Princess Celestia was silent for a long moment. Finally, she said, "So be it. As a Guardian, it is your duty to protect Kaela Fie."
"Thank you for understanding, Your Highness," Caelus said.
Several sets of hoofsteps caused Caelus to turn around. Princess Luna was flanked on each side by one of the Night Guards, one of which was wearing an eyepatch.
"Princess Luna," Caelus said formally, saluting.
"So you really do intend to go after her yourself?" she asked.
"I do," Caelus answered.
"Then please at least take a companion," Princess Luna said. A third Night Guard appeared from behind the Moon Princess. The bat-pony saluted and stood at attention. "This is Hallow Eve, one of most trusted guards," the Princess said.
The bat-pony mare was only a few years older than Caelus. Her eyes shone a bright golden orange. "At ease, Eve," Luna said.
Hallow Eve relaxed her stance and brushed a few strands of her dark blue mane out of her face. "Thank you, Princess," she said. She looked Caelus over. Caelus shivered slightly but met her gaze.
"I like this one," Eve said, almost playfully, "he's got spirit."
Caelus blinked in mild confusion, but before he could say anything, Princess Luna spoke up.
"My sister is preparing a host of Royal Guards as an escort, but that will take half a day at least," she said. "I will try to hurry it up, but until then, you two are on your own. So be careful."
Caelus nodded. "We will, Princess Luna," he said. Hallow Eve nodded. The pegasus and bat-pony stood outside the armory, preparing to take flight.
"Fly swiftly, and bring young Kaela Fie back safely," Princess Luna said.
"Yes, ma'am," Hallow Eve saluted.
"I intend to," Caelus said, determination coloring his voice.
Both soldiers spread their wings and took to the sky. the figures of the Princess and her guards quickly disappeared in the distance. Caelus looked forward, towards the south. Hold on, Fie. I'm coming.
* * *
Kaela woke up in the dark. She waved a hoof in front of her face, but couldn't see it. Shivering, she curled up on the stone floor, pulling her wings tightly against her body. Then a thought occurred to her. She channeled some of her magic into her horn, intending to cast a light spell. But when she tried to release the spell, nothing happened. All she got was a spike of pain down her horn.
Kaela cried out. Raising her hoof to her forehead, she felt some sort of device clamped around her horn. Kaela took several deep, shuddering breaths. Don't cry, she thought to herself. I bet Storm is already on his way. Any minute now he'll break down the door, and he'll save me.
With a thundering clang, the door opened. Kaela clamped her eyes shut against the bright light. There was the sound of somepony being thrown into the cell, and the door slammed shut.
When Kaela opened her eyes, everything was pitch dark again. "H-hello?" she stammered, "i-is somepony there?"
"Fie? Fie is that you?"
That voice. It was hoarse, but it could only belong to one pony.
"Storm?" Kaela said in disbelief. "Where are you?"
"This way, Fie," Storm said.
Kaela walked cautiously towards Storm's voice until she bumped muzzled first into a furred foreleg. She found herself in Storm's warm embrace. She hugged him back. "What are you doing here, Storm?" she asked.
"I got taken too," he responded, holding her close.
Fie nuzzled against Storm's chest. "At least we're together," she murmured. Storm wrapped his warm, feathery wings around her. Even next to this warm body, though, Kaela felt cold. Whenever she hugged Storm, she felt all warm inside, like she knew she was safe.
"Fie, what's wrong?" Storm said.
"You're not Storm," she whispered.
"What was that?"
Kaela pushed away from the not-Storm. "You're not Storm," she yelled. "Where is he? What have you done with Storm?"
The not-Storm smiled wickedly. "Looks like we got caught," he said, his voice taking on an insect-like hiss, "and all that love was so delicious." The not-Storm erupted in green fire, revealing a huge changeling, one as tall as Celestia.
Kaela backed up until she hit the wall of the cell. "G-get away from me," she whimpered, trying to hide from the changeling.
"How dare you address me in such a way." the changeling growled. Her long, jagged horn glowed a sickly green, and a bolt of magic arced through the air and struck Kaela. "I am Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings."
Kaela cried out in pain. She vaguely remembered what Princess Celestia told her about spellshock. Without her natural unicorn magic, the Queen's spell lanced through her own magic reserves, sending spikes of pain through her head. She curled up, sobbing.
"You will feed the Hive, one way or another," the Queen sneered before turning to leave. The door clanged shut, once again plunging the cell into total darkness.
Fie listened to the echoes of her sobs. "Storm..." she murmured. but nopony was there to give her solace.
* * *
"Are you sure we're heading the right way?" Hallow Eve asked as the two ponies sat around a small campfire.
"Yes, ma'am," Caelus said, staring into the flames.
"Please, Caelus, I told you to call me Eve," the bat-pony sighed.
"Sorry," Caelus said with a slight smile, "Royal Guard training seems to have stuck."
Hallow Eve laughed at that, revealing a fanged smile. It was an infectious laughter, and Caelus found himself smiling.
"You didn't answer my question though," the bat-pony said once her laughter died down.
Caelus frowned. "I don't know how I know," he admitted. "It's just a sort of knowing. Like, a tugging in the back of my mind."
Eve looked unconvinced, but said nothing. "You really love her, don't you?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.
Caelus nodded. "Yes."
"Get some sleep," Eve said. "I'll take first watch."
Caelus nodded again. He removed his helmet and curled up on the crass, and he was soon asleep.
He was standing in a clearing. There was a small, still pond in the center, and everything was calm and peaceful.
"Hello."
Caelus whirled, turning towards the voice. A tall, blue-green mare stepped into the clearing. her form was indistinct and blurry, but her blue eyes were crystal clear.
"Who are you?" Caelus asked.
"We don't have much time, so I must brief," the mare said, "but I have entrusted my daughter to you."
"You are Fie's mother?"
"Your bond with her is strong, which is why I can contact you," the mare said, "but yes, I am. And I am here to warn you that she is in danger. You must hurry."
"I'm going as fast as I can," Caelus said.
"I know you are," the mare said. "I can sense your determination." Her form wavered. "I cannot keep this link up. May the winds carry you, Caelus Storm."
The world around Caelus faded away into a blank void.
Caelus woke when Hallow Eve shook him. Wordlessly, he stood up, nodding to Eve. Eve nodded in return, curling up in the spot he had just vacated and fell asleep. Caelus put on his helmet and started scanning the surroundings. The dream still clung to him through his watch, up until the sun began to rise.
* * *
Kaela backed up until she was pressed against the wall. Her breath came in short gasps, and she couldn't see straight. Sweat and dirt clung to her coat and wings, but she still shivered.
"Please stop," she whimpered, tears dripping down her muzzle. The changeling Queen cackled. Two of her drones were drawing love from Kaela, forcefulyl tearing it out of the young filly. Their horns flashed green and Kaela cried.
"Hmm...that will be enough enough for today," Chrysalis said. Her drones immediately retreated to her side. "Sleep well, godling," she hissed as she left.
The door hadn't even fully closed completely when Kaela stumbled and fell, laying on the filthy floor. Dirt had worked its way between her feathers, but for the first time in her short life, she didn't have the heart to preen them. For several minutes she lay there in the dark, panting. Finally, she curled up, trying to stay warm when she no longer felt anything but cold. She sobbed. "Where are you, Storm?" she whispered, clinging to the memory of her father's warm embrace.
Hang on, Kaela, a voice whispered in her head. He is on his way.
"Mommy...I'm scared," Kaela said into the darkness.
Stay strong, my little cloud, the voice said, fading away. Stay strong.
Kaela whimpered, once again alone.
* * *
Caelus flapped a few times before locking his wings and gliding. Beside him, Hallow Eve was keeping pace.
"You're faster than you look, cadet," she said. "I don't think you've slowed down since we broke camp."
"Years of working on the Ponyville Weather Team," Caelus said. Several moments passed in silence.
"You're not very talkative, are you?" Eve said.
"I just want to save Fie," Caelus said.
hours passed with only a hoofful of words spoken between them. In the distance storm clouds were forming.
"Hey Caelus," Eve shouted over the growing wind, "we should probably land. This storm is going to be a bad one."
Caelus gave no indication that he had heard.
"Caelus, did you-"
"I heard," Caelus said. "I'm going through it."
"That's crazy," Eve shouted. "With winds that fast you'll be lucky to keep your wings."
Caelus smiled slightly. "Just stay on my tail," he said, tilting his wings to match the changing wind. The storm loomed above the two fliers.
A sudden gust blew Caelus to the right. Instead of fighting it, he folded his wings and let the wind carry him. The storm howled and roared like some primal beast, tugging at Caelus' feathers and yanking his mane. He squinted, protecting his eyes from the worst of the rain.
Caelus rolled, twisting to avoid a downdraft. He sensed Eve behind him. He turned his head. the bat-pony was struggling, but she hadn't fallen behind. A slight change in air pressure alerted Caelus to an incoming gust of wind. he folded one wing and tipped into the gust, dropping and turning through the dark gray clouds. A hailstone pinged off his armor. Another smacked into his primary feathers. Caelus gritted his teeth. He had to get through this storm. A downdraft caught him by surprise, and he dropped several feet before he corrected his flight.
After what felt like hours, Caleus saw a glimmer of light through the dark clouds. "Eve, you still with me?" he shouted. He barely heard her affirmative reply over the wind. Caelus pointed at the light, and Eve nodded in understanding. In one final push, the tow ponies emerged from the storm. Slowly, they spiraled to the ground. Once he landed, Caelus shook the water from his mane, tail, and wings.
"Well, that was something," Eve said.
After they had set up camp for the night and started drying off, Eve finally said, "That was probably the dumbest thing I've ever seen anypony do."
"Hmm?"
"flying into a desert storm," Hallow Eve said. "Why did you do that? Come to think of it, how did you do that?"
Caelus shrugged. "I did it because I had to," he said solemnly. "As for how, it's what my cutie mark means. I've always been good at handling storms and foul weather. Flying through treacherous weather comes naturally to me."
"You're still crazy," Hallow Eve said flatly.
Caelus smiled. "You aren't the first to say that."
* * *
The changelings smacked their lips, savoring the taste of the raw love the Queen was pulling from Kaela. Fie herself wasn't even struggling. She leaned against the wall, trying and failing to stay on her hooves. On her knees, her breath came in short gasps, and the world spun around her. She gasped again at the sharp pain as Queen Chrysalis pulled more love out of her. Time seemed to crawl, passing in a haze of pain and exhaustion. She didn't know when she ended up on her side, or when the Queen had left. It was a long time before Kaela no longer felt dizzy, but her breathing was still shallow, and she was too weak to curl up and keep warm.
She thought she saw a blue-green mare standing over here. "Mommy..." she breathed, barely moving her mouth.
The mare leaned down and her horn glowed. Kaela felt a fleeting warmth in her limbs as her mother touched her. Fie's wings twitched. Stay strong, my daughter, her mother said, her figure starting to fade. Stay strong.
Fie whined softly. She tried once again to curl up and succeeded to some degree. She didn't even shiver, no longer sure she was cold because she couldn't remember what it felt like to be warm. "Storm..." she exhaled, but her mind thought another word. Daddy...
* * *
Caelus rubbed his forehead. His headache had been steadily growing these past few days. In his heart he knew he was feeling an echo of whatever pain Fie was in. That thought had been what drove him these past few days. Now he stood on a short cliff, looking down at the black carapace of a castle. It was made of a combination of stone and something black and slightly glossy, giving the structure the appearance of being grown as much as built.
"So that's the changeling Hive," Hallow Eve said, "doesn't look all that intimidating."
Caelus nodded.
"Is she in there?" Eve asked.
Caelus nodded again. Suddenly he staggered as a sharp pain exploded from his left side.
"Caelus?" Eve said, voice colored with concern.
"Fie," he gasped, "she's hurt." Without another word, he leaped into the air and flew towards the changeling Hive. |
The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm | Part 8: Rescue | The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm
Part 8: Rescue
Caelus flew low and fast, eyes only for the opening that was the castle gate. Two changelings rose up to meet him, armed with wickedly curved spears. With a shout, Caelus flipped in the air and slammed all four hooves into the first changeling. They hit the ground and Caelus felt something crack under him. The changeling coughed up a glob of green fluid and lay on the ground, wheezing.
Caelus ducked under the spear swipe of the other changeling. He turned, raising his right foreleg, the hoof blade extending from its sheath. He blocked the next swing, then rose up on his hind legs and slashed at the changeling. Through luck, he hit its foreleg. The changeling hissed as it dropped its spear and lunged at Caelus, fangs bared. Caelus instinctively brought his blade up to defend himself. the action brought the edge of the blade into the changelings neck.
Green changeling ichor splattered across his face, causing him to step back in surprise. Oh, sweet Celestia and Luna, I killed something, he thought, panicking. He took a deep breath. They took Fie, he told himself, they took her and hurt her. I will kill all of them if they are between me and my daughter. His mind believed his words, but his gut still twisted at the thought.
Hallow Eve landed next to him, looking between Caelus and the two dead changelings. "you did what you had to do," she said.
Caelus nodded, locking away his emotions. "Let's go," he said turning and trotting into the hive.
* * *
Fie clutched her side where the changeling drone had kicked her while leaving a bowl of water in her cell. The blow had struck right at the base of the wing, sending a searing pain through her whole left side. when the pain faded enough for her to move, Kaela edged forward until her muzzle bumped into the bowl. She tried not to think about what the bowl was made out of as she greedily slurped down the water. The water tasted heavily of minerals, but it was all Fie had put in her body since she had been foalnapped. At least her tummy had stopped making hungry noises yesterday, but she knew that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Given her ultra-high metabolism, it would take less time for her to starve.
Kaela may only be six, but she was smart for her age. She knew that she wouldn't make it more than a a few days without food. Probably less, with the changelings constantly stealing love from her. Her body wasn't given a chance to recover from the constant magical assault. Her ear twitched at the sound of changelings hissing angrily not far from her cell. There was a shout, the clash of metal and metal, then silence. After a few moments, Fie heard the sound of two sets of hoofsteps, along with a few indistinct words.
"Help," Fie tried calling out, but her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. She tried to get to her hooves, only to fall over after taking a single step.
"This one," a voice shouted. There was a loud banging, followed by two more. At the third impact, the door swung inward.
Kaela looked up, and found herself staring into familiar purple-gray eyes. "Storm?" she murmured.
"Fie."
* * *
Caelus held the filly close, stroking her mane. She was a mess, her coat matted, her mane tangled, and her feathers crooked or broken. Caelus tried to pull the inhibitor ring off of Fie's horn, but it was locked on.
"Eve, can you help me with this?" he said.
The batpony nodded, her short hoof blade sliding from its sheath. "Hold still, Miss Kaela," she said. Very carefully, Hallow Eve pried the pure black onyx from the inhibitor ring. There was a burst of magical energy, causing Fie to cry out, but the inhibitor ring clattered to the ground.
"You okay, Fie?" Caelus said, checking her for further signs of injury.
Kaela nodded, clinging weakly to him.
"Then let's get you out of here," Caelus said. He put the filly on his back and left the dark cell, followed by Eve.
"Well now, where do you think you're running off to?"
At the exit stood the tall, menacing form of Queen Chrysalis. Kaela whimpered and tried to hide from the changeling queen, shrinking down on Caelus' back. Caelus tensed.
"Give me back what's mine and I'll make sure your deaths are painless," Chrysalis said. "More or less."
"Fie is my daughter," Caelus spat. "If you want her, it'll be over my dead body."
Chrysalis' horn flashed green and a long, crooked sword appeared floating next to her. Caelus set Kaela down next to Eve.
"Storm," Fie said, raising a hoof to try and hold him back.
"don't worry, I'll be fine," he said. He looked at Eve. "Keep her safe."
"What are you doing?" Eve hissed, "You're going to get yourself killed."
Caelus hardened his expression. "Fie is my daughter," he said, turning to face Chrysalis. "Nopony. Hurts. Fie." His hoof blade slid from its sheath as he approached the changeling queen.
Queen Chrysalis laughed cruelly, readying her sword. "Foolish pony, sentiment won't be enough to defeat me."
Caelus stood still, watching the bug-like equine for signs of her next move. This wasn't like sparring with the other pegasi and earth ponies. Chrysalis wouldn't have to move attack with her blade, and holding it in her magic gave her an entire range of motion impossible for him or any pony to replicate. The changeling queen's sword flew forward, catching Caelus off guard. He dodged right and the sword only tore off a bit of his mane. Fear bubbled up within him, but it wasn't his own. It was Kaela's. Gritting his teeth, Caelus reared up and swung at Chrysalis. Steel met whatever substance the queen's sword was made out of. Chrysalis chuckled.
"Is that the best you can do?" she taunted, swinging at Caelus again. "How pitiful."
Caelus ducked, wincing as he felt the blade nick his ear. He stepped back, standing on three legs, holding his hoof blade in a defensive position. However, Chrysalis wasn't about to give him any breathing room, and Caelus was forced to retreat under the sudden, fierce onslaught. He tripped over a loose stone and fell on his back.
Queen Chrysalis smiled and stabbed downwards.
"Storm!" Fie cried
Time slowed. Caelus found his mind going back to something Princess Luna had told him the day after Fie's discovery.
"You'll be able to fly faster for longer, and your reflexes will become sharper," Luna said, a slight twinkle in her eyes.
Caelus felt himself moving before he even thought. As Chrysalis' sword descended towards his abdomen, he brought his hoof blade up to deflect it. At the same time, he twisted to avoid the deadly black sword. He continued to roll, pushing off the ground with all four hooves and launching himself backwards. He saw the surprised look on Chrysalis' face as he passed mere hoof widths away from her.
Time resumed its normal speed and he landed a good distance behind the changeling queen. A sharp pain near his hind leg and a warm wetness told him he hadn't escaped unscathed.
Queen Chrysalis turned slowly. One hole-filled hoof went to her neck, and came away covered in green ichor. It wasn't more than a scratch, but it was the most serious wound she had suffered in a long time. Her eyes burned like hateful green fires and with a hiss she lunged at Caelus.
Caelus sidestepped and raised his hoof blade to block. He staggered under the force of the blow and Chrysalis followed up with a vicious cut to his side. He twisted so his armor caught the brunt of the blow, but he was still knocked off his hooves and winded.
"I will rip out your heart and bleed you dry of love," Chrysalis growled. She picked up the blue pegasus with her magic and slammed him into the wall.
The wall shook. Caelus felt his armor dent, but considered himself lucky that it wasn't his spine. The world shook again, and Caelus wondered in his dazed state why Chrysalis hadn't gutted him yet. the whole castle shook, and with a sound of breaking stone the ceiling exploded inwards. Sunlight streamed through the opening, causing Caelus to squint and Queen Chysalis to hiss.
"Enough!" a voice boomed. Princess Celestia descended from above. No longer wearing her regalia, the white alicorn was clothed in gleaming golden armor. Her mane crackled with barely contained anger. "I told you after the Royal Wedding, Chrysalis, that any further excursions into Equestria would result in punishment."
Queen Chrysalis laughed. "Celestia you foal. you have forgotten I bested you then, and I will defeat you now."
Celestia's horn glowed and wrenched Chrysalis' sword from her magical grasp.
"What!" Chrysalis shouted, "Impossible!"
The Sun Princess' horn glowed brighter. "Queen Chrysalis, for crimes against Equestria, I hereby strip you of your power."
Chrysalis' horn shattered. The insect queen shrieked as green magic crackled through the air.
"And your position as Queen of the Changelings," Celestia continued. The Queen's wings evaporated in a burst of fire. "May your Hive judge you for your other transgressions."
Caelus limped over to Kaela, who was hiding behind Hallow Eve. His vision was blurry, and he was pretty sure he had a concussion. Even so, he was more concerned with his daughter. "Fie, are you alright?" he asked, breathing heavily.
"Mmhmm," she said, hugging him. "But you're hurt."
"She's right, you don't look so good," Hallow Eve said, supporting Caelus on one side.
" 'M fine," he said, "just need to...to catch my..."
"Storm!" Fie cried as his vision grayed.
"Princess Celestia," Eve called out as Caelus lost consciousness.
* * *
"Awaken, Guardian."
Caelus stirred. He expected to hurt, but surprisingly, he felt fine. No trace of his injuries or exhaustion remained. He opened his eyes, and found himself staring at the sleeping for of Fie.
"Fie," he said, scrambling to his hooves. He gently shook the sleeping filly.
Kaela's eyes fluttered open. Caelus breathed a sigh of relief. "Storm?" she said, yawning. "Where are we?"
"I don't know," he said, holding Kaela close.
"You are in the spirit plane, Guardian."
Caelus looked over his shoulder. Behind him stood an alabaster alicorn with a deep red mane. she was as tall as Celestia, and radiated ageless wisdom and power. "W-who are you?" Caelus asked, rising to his hooves and putting himself between the strange mare and Fie.
"I go by many names, but most know me as Fate," the white mare replied.
"Why did you bring us here?" Caelus asked.
"I did not," Fate said, "It was my daughter who did."
Another mare stepped into the void. Her coat was a light river blue, while her mane faded from dark blue to forest green.
"Who are you?" Caelus said, but felt a faint twinge of recognition.
Kaela's eyes widened. "Mommy," she breathed.
The blue mare nodded. "Yes," she said. She looked at Caelus. "My name is Kaia Alicornus Terrara, and I am Fie's mother."
Caelus blinked in surprise. "Huh?" was all he could say as his mind grappled with this information.
Kaela had no such inhibitions as she galloped over to Kaia, hugging her. "Mommy," she said.
Kaia leaned down, nuzzling the small filly's head head. "Oh, my little cloud, I have missed you so," she said, shifting so she could hold her daughter close. Kaela nuzzled against her mother's chest.
Caelus watched, unsure of how to feel. He felt his wings twitch, somewhat envious of the mare, but at the same time, he was happy that Fie finally got to meet her mother.
"Mommy?" Kaela said, looking her mother in the eye, "What happened to you after I was born? Why did I sleep for so long?"
Kaia's expression turned somber. she hugged Fie close before gently releasing her. "Do you know what was happening in Equestria when you were born, Kaela?"
Kaela thought for a moment. "Luna said I was born almost two thousand years ago, which would mean...the Discordian Era."
Kaia nodded. "Two thousand eleven years to be exact, but my sister was close. During that time, Discord's dark forces hunted alicorns, and alicorns hunted Discord's monsters. It was a fight we weren't winning, and Discord knew it. he summoned an army and laid siege to the alicorn city in what is now the Badlands. We fought as hard as we could, but the city fell. What followed was a massacre.
"I was followed as I fled the city, and knew that I would not be able to escape. So I found a cave in the forest of Everfree, reinforcing it with as many spells as I could. you were born the next day. I knew that if I stayed, neither of us would survive. So I put you into stasis, my daughter. I fled the cave, sealing it behind me and led Discord's monsters as far from you as I could. Sadly, I did not get very far. I was slain, my body utterly destroyed and my spirit broken. It took me nigh upon a thousand years to pull my essence back together. I stayed near the place you were hidden and watched over your slumber."
Kaela was stunned for a moment, then nuzzled close to her mother. "So I'll never really meet you?" she murmured, tears forming in her eyes.
"Are we not meeting now?" Kaia asked, tilting her daughter's chin up. "My body may be long gone, Kaela Fie, but my spirit is as strong as ever. You can always find me in your dreams. But that's not all." Kaia's horn glowed, and a green metal necklace appeared around Kaela's neck. "I will always be with you. This is your inheritance, my daughter."
Kaia's form wavered slightly as she stood up. "I have not forgotten you, brave Guardian," she said. "My time here is short. The energy it takes to bring you and Kaela here is taxing. Even so, thank you for caring for my daughter, Caelus Storm. I know that has not been easy, but I have watched you come to look at her as your own. you flew to rescue her yourself, something few Guardians would do. And for that, I am eternally grateful." Kaia's form wavered again. "It appears the real world is calling."
"Mommy?" Kaela said.
"Go with your daddy, Kaela," Kaia said, nuzzling her daughter one last time. "Now, wake up, both of you."
The void shifted and faded into black.
* * *
Back in Canterlot, Celestia paced in the waiting room in Canterlot Hospital. Both Caelus and Kaela had been unconscious for the airship flight back, Caelus from a concussion and Kaela from exhaustion and near starvation. The first thing they had done upon arriving at the hospital was get Kaela on an IV drip to get much needed nutrients in her. Celestia had examined young Kaela on the airship. The poor filly had several bruises and was already painfully thin.
"Princess Celestia."
Celestia turned around. The lanky, gray-coated doctor stood in front of her, examining a clip board he held in his magic. "Dr. Remedy," Celestia said, "any news?"
"Caelus Storm is suffering from a concussion and a long laceration above his left hind leg. He is awake at the moment," the doctor said, "and visiting Kaela Fie."
Celestia nodded. "And young Kaela?" she asked.
Dr. Remedy pushed some of his brown mane out of his face. "Kaela Fie is suffering from extensive bruising, malnutrition, and a minute fracture on her pegasus humerus. It was close, but she should make a full recovery."
Only centuries of practice kept Celestia from sighing in relief. She quietly released her held breath. "That is good," she said. "May I see them?"
"Yes, this way," Dr. Remedy said, turning to go back through the door.
Celestia followed the unicorn doctor down the hall to room 104. Dr. Remedy said something to the room's occupants, then gestured for the Princess to enter.
Caelus Storm stood next to the bed, softly murmuring to Kaela Fie. Kaela herself was awake, though still clearly weak. She smiled when she saw Celestia.
"Hello Celestia," she said.
"Hello Kaela," Celestia replied, "and hello Caelus."
"Princess," Caelus said, bowing his head. His side was bandaged just in front of his left hind leg.
"How are you both feeling?" Celestia asked.
"Tired, but better," Kaela said, "and hungry too."
"Sore," Caelus said, "I'll live."
"Caelus," Celestia said, "I know this has been an ordeal for both you and Kaela. I am sincerely sorry that I did not foresee something like this happening. I am already planning preparations for you to return home, Caelus. I feel that Kaela may be safer in a...somewhat less populated area."
Caelus bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he said.
they made small talk for a few more minutes, but Celestia had other duties to attend to. She bid the two ponies farewell, and left the hospital. None would have seen it through her nigh impenetrable mask, but Celestia spent the rest of the day smiling. |
The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm | Part 9: Home | The Adventures of Kaela Fie and Caelus Storm
Part 9: Home
Kaela Fie woke from pleasant dreams. She couldn't remember what she had been dreaming about, but she had been happy. Opening her eyes revealed the hospital room she had been staying in. The doctors said she needed to stay a couple of days to make sure she was healthy. Storm was almost constantly by her side. Which reminded her...
"Storm?" she said with a yawn. Her eyes scanned the room. There was an iron helmet on a chair in the corner, but other than that, there was no sign of the pegasus. Kaela closed her eyes. She could sense Storm's presence, which meant he was still in the building. He wasn't startled or angry, so he wasn't in trouble.
The door was pushed in, and Storm entered. He had a tray balanced on his back. Kaela's mouth started to water as the smell of warm syrup filled the room.
"Oh good, you're awake," Storm said. "Sorry if I worried you, I went to go get breakfast." He set the tray down in front of her, and gave her a nuzzle. "I brought waffles, your favorite."
Kaela reached over and wrapped her forelegs around Storm's neck. "Thank you," she said, then turned her attention to the tray in front of her. She closed her eyes in pleasure at the first bite, mumbling something incoherent as the warm waffle, syrup, and butter tickled her taste buds. She would never go without waffles again. In less than five minutes the plate was cleaned of waffle bits and syrup.
A knock on the door caused Storm to look up. A Royal Guard stuck his head in the door. "Miss Kaela Fie, you have visitors."
"Uh...ok," Kaela said. She was a little unnerved by how all the guards treated her like she was royalty, but she didn't have time to dwell on it as two familiar fillies entered the room. "Dinky! Wisty!" she said.
"Windy!" they cheered in unison. They reared up, putting their forehooves on the bed to be at her level. They almost immediately bombarded her with questions.
"Are you all right?"
"What happened?"
"Were you really foalnapped?"
"Did your dad really come to rescue you all on his own?"
"Do you have any snacks?"
"Girls, why don't you give her a chance to answer you," Summer Breeze said gently.
The rapid fire questions had startled Kaela, which in turn caused her wings to flutter. Both the other fillies gasped, and even Summer Breeze and Ditzy Doo raised and eyebrow.
"Y-you're an al-alicorn?" Dinky said, slipping into her stutter.
Kaela looked at Storm. He nodded. "Uh...yeah," she said. Her ears drooped. "You aren't mad at me, are you?"
Wisty and Dinky both shook their heads. "Why did you keep it a secret though?" Wisty asked. "We're your friends. You can tell us anything."
"Well, Princess Celestia didn't want me to tell anypony. She said I would be safer that way," Kaela answered. She sat up a little straighter. "But that's in the past now. So...hi. My name is Kaela Fie. Nice to meet you."
the next several minutes were spent talking with her friends while they told her everything that had happened while she had been held captive. Kaela told of how Storm had heroicly come to her rescue, and how Princess Celestia herself had escorted them back to Canterlot. However, the time came when her friends had to leave. Kaela promised that they would get together after she got out of the hospital.
Around lunch time there was another visitor. This one was one of Luna's Night Guards.
"Eve? What are you doing here?" Storm asked.
"It's my shift to make sure you and Miss Kaela aren't disturbed by the snooping nobles," Hallow Eve answered. She smiled. "Also I wanted to make sure that both of you were well. And to inform you that the Princesses would like to speak with both you and Miss Kaela when you are released from the hospital."
Storm nodded in thanks. Kaela had yet to look away from the Night Guard.
"Are you a vampony?" she asked, more curious than scared.
The bat pony, Eve, smiled, showing off her fangs. "Indeed, I am. I feed on little fillies and colts that get lost in the night."
Kaela's eyes widened, then narrowed. "That's not true," she stated. "Is it?"
Hallow Eve laughed. "You've got a bright filly, Storm," she chuckled. To Fie, she said, "No, it's not true, Miss Kaela. My kind is herbivorous, though most of the food in Hollow Shades is fruit. No, I'm not a vampony, Miss Kaela, just an ordinary chiroptequus. Or bat pony, as most ponies call us. I should return to my post. I will see you later."
Kaela watched the Night Guard depart then turned to Storm. "She seems nice," she stated with childlike simplicity.
* * *
Kaela was released from Canterlot Hospital later that afternoon, and the doctor told Caelus to make sure that she took it easy and got plenty to eat over the next few days. Hallow Eve lead Caelus an Kaela to the Royal Palace, a nod from the Night Guard gaining them entrance. The three equines waited outside the throne room for an audience with Princess Celestia. It wasn't long before some of the nearby ponies noticed Kaela's wings and horn. What began as a few whispers soon had the whole room abuzz with softly spoken conversations.
Kaela shrank down, making herself small. Caelus could feel her apprehension, and draped a wing over her back, whispering comforting words. Eve took a position between Fie and the crowd, her expression neutral but her eyes flashing dangerously, daring anypony to come near. The ponies quieted down, but there were still whispers here and there. Caelus nodded his thanks to Eve.
An earth pony mare emerged from the throne room, followed by two unicorn stallions. "Caelus Storm and Kaela Fie, the Princess will see you now," the mare said. The whisperings rose in volume, but Caelus and Fie had already entered the throne room, the doors closing behind them.
Caelus bowed. Kaela followed suit.
"Rise, both of you," Celestia said.
Caelus stood up and approached the base of the throne. Celestia descended down the steps, followed by Luna,who had appeared from seemingly nowhere.
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna," Caelus said.
"Caelus Storm and Kaela Fie, thank you for coming on such short notice," Celestia said. "There is one thing I'd like to clear up before you head back to Ponyville."
"Yes, Princess?" Caelus said.
"This actually concerns the necklace that young Kaela bears," Celestia said. "How did you come across it? It appeared while both of you were unconscious."
"My mommy gave it to me," Fie said. "She said it was part of my inheritance."
"When we were unconscious, we met two alicorns in a place they called the spirit plane. One said her name was Fate," Caelus started.
"Mother," Luna breathed.
"And the other?" Celestia asked, her tone full of emotion.
"The other called herself Kaia Alicornus Terrara," Caelus said.
Luna gasped. Celestia breathed.
"Is something wrong?" Caelus asked.
Celestia shook her head. Luna answered, "Kaia Alicornus Terrara was the Alicorn of Earth. And our younger sister."
Caelus blinked. "Oh," was all he said.
"Wait. Doesn't that make you and Celestia, like, my aunts?" Kaela asked.
Celestia chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye. "It does, I suppose," she said. "Do you want to be a Princess of Equestria? you could help us with all the paper work, and go to parties with stuffy nobles."
Kaela shifted. "Um...no thanks," she said. "I'll stay with Storm." She stood closer to Caelus.
"Well then, thank you for coming, Caelus, Kaela," Celestia said.
"Thank you, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. For everything," Caelus said, bowing low.
"You're welcome, my little ponies," Celestia said. "Now go, I'm sure you have other plans for this evening."
"Good evening, Your Majesties," Caelus said.
"Good night," Kaela said cheerfully.
* * *
Kaela sat next to Storm as the pegasus drawn carriage flew towards Ponyville. He had been moving things back to his house over the past few weeks. He had decided to let Kaela finish the semester at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Even after her absence, she passed her final exams, if not with confidence. She had said good-bye to her friends, promising to write and visit them often.
Some instinct told her they were descending, and Kaela looked over the side. She hadn't seen much of Ponyville last time they were in town. Now she had a view of the whole town. She could see the schoolhouse, the library, and even their destination. The landing carriage drew the attention of a few ponies, but they went about their daily business. Storm jumped out of the carriage, thanking the guards as he picked up his saddlebags.
Kaela jumped out too, then levitated her saddlebags and Blue onto her back. Storm opened up the front door of the house.
"Hey, Fie, you coming?" he asked.
"Mm-hmm, coming," she said. She trotted over to Storm, nuzzling him.
He nuzzled her back. "Welcome home, Fie." |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | pre | "I-I... never better!" Mystic answered.
The table she was on turned into jelly, causing her to fall onto the floor and she was covered in jelly. She let out a scream, running from the honey bear.
"Okay! Fluttershy, something weird is going on in the den!" Mystic shouted.
"Is the house settling? It's okay."
"I think it's more than just the house settling," Mystic called as another honey bear appeared dancing next to its counterpart. "Okay! Enough with the dancing bears!" She tried to fire magic at them, only for her horn to pop off her head and appear as a bouquet of roses.
Mystic screamed, reaching for her horn only to not feel it there.
"Fluttershy!" Mystic cried, "My horn fell off!" The bouquet of flowers began floating away, causing Mystic to go after it. "Come back here! I need my magic!"
Mystic ran all across the den, avoiding the floating chairs as the bouquet circled the den, getting higher and higher. Mystic lunged for the couch, landing on it, but it felt sticky when she landed on it. Not deterred, Mystic reached forward, and grabbed the bouquet only for it to disappear and her horn reappear on her head.
Before she could celebrate, she tumbled forward onto a slide and slid down it, landing in a pile of pillows.
"Darn it all!" she shouted, emerging from the pillows, and when she did, her horn fell off her head. "Not again!" Mystic jumped up and grabbed it, clutching it close.
"Oh, what're you doing on the floor?" Fluttershy asked.
She saw Fluttershy walk in with a tea cup and sit down in a chair she swore wasn't there before.
"Fluttershy, your house is going bonkers!" Mystic cried.
"Oh? I don't notice anything," Fluttershy sipped her tea.
Mystic saw that she wasn't holding her disembodied horn anymore. She reached up and it was back on her head again.
"How are you not able to see what's going on?" Mystic demanded, looking around wildly.
Three honey bears were now in the middle of the den dancing all the way.
"Fluttershy?!" Mystic cried, "What the hay is going on around here?!"
Then loud laughter began to echo through the cottage. It sounded joyful yet mischievous with a dash of edge onto it. Panic surged through Mystic's system more as she looked around vigorously for the source.
"My! My! I love seeing ponies react to unexpected chaos but I'd never had so much fun in a long time!" a masculine voice echoed.
"Who's out there?!" Mystic demanded.
"Now, is that how to greet a new friend?" the voice asked in a fake offended tone. "I say you need to work on your manners, little Mysty-poo!"
"Mysty-poo?!" Mystic cried, offended.
The voice laughed even more as the cottage around her began dissolving. Mystic's eyes widened as everything from the furniture, walls, floor and food began turning into what looked like soup. Mystic gasped when she saw Fluttershy dissolving herself.
"What happened to Fluttershy?!" Mystic shouted.
"Nothing, my dear," the voice said. Mystic realized it was coming from the sludge that was once Fluttershy. "I would never in all of eternity do anything to the best pony I've ever known!"
Mystic's eyes narrowed at the sludge morphing into a tall creature sitting in the chair that remained untouched by the dissolving cottage. She gasped when the creature turned into a serpent-like being that looked like it was mixed together with all kinds of other creatures. His beady red pupils were locked right onto Mystic as a mischievous smile broke out onto his face, revealing a sharp tooth.
"Wait a minute!" Mystic suddenly remembered seeing somecreature like this, "I've seen you before, haven't I?"
"Maybe," the creature's smile grew. "Or have you?" His head suddenly turned between Celestia's, Twilight's, and Starlight's in a fast session.
"Quit playing games!" Mystic demanded, "And put me down at once!" The creature did so, and she landed with a splat into the sludgy essence. "Gah! I meant onto a chair you idiot!"
"Then you should've said so," said the creature.
Mystic opened her mouth to retort but she just facehoofed.
"I don't have time for these games and..."
"Games?! Would you like to play Ogres and Oubliettes?" the creature asked, appearing in a ridiculous outfit.
"No! I just want to relax! Who are you?" Mystic asked, getting to her hooves.
"I am the most handsome creature you'll ever meet!" the creature declared, "I'm also real accurate with a bow!" He pulled it back and shot at a nearby apple, causing it to explode into icing.
"Who are you?" Mystic demanded, stomping a hoof.
"Fine, since you're so eager to know," the creature stood up on the chair, and his outfit disappeared, "I am Discord! The spirit of chaos and disharmony! Now reformed and having tea days on Tuesdays." He disappeared and reappeared very small in Mystic's ear and whispered, "And helping Equestria with some of its problems they can't solve on their own."
"Get out of my ear!" Mystic demanded, grabbing him with her magic and throwing him away. Discord reappeared on the couch.
"My, rude much?" Discord asked, crossing his arms.
"Look who's talking!" Mystic pointed at him. All of a sudden, a confused Angel Bunny was in Discord's place. Mystic growled.
Then, Discord appeared a few feet away from Mystic.
"How much do you really know about Fluttershy?" Discord leaned forward with a serious expression, "You haven't known her as long as I have!"
"Maybe not, but she sure as hay wouldn't like her cottage being all chaotic," replied Mystic.
Discord laughed, doing a loop-de-loop in the air, "Silly filly! She doesn't mind it as long as I clean it up when she asks!"
"Then clean it up!"
Discord grinned toothily, "Oh, but we're not in Fluttershy's place. We're at my place!"
Discord snapped his fingers, and the sludgy environment disappeared, revealing an 80s like house only with ginseng packs that are singing, a volcano oozing out lava from the ceiling, stairs that went nowhere, and a couch that looked like piano keys.
"Did you kidnap me?!" Mystic demanded.
"No! No! I merely wanted to envelop you into the world of chaos," Discord said with a laugh. Mystic went to a window and she saw an endless void with floating isles of strange trees, and boardwalks held only by ropes connecting to a couple of them. "Welcome to my home in my own dimension!"
Mystic turned around with wide eyes, amazed at this but also freaking out inwardly.
Suddenly, a red blaring alarm went off. Discord stood up straight like a stick, he pulled a flat screen from the ceiling. His eyes widened.
"It's the Flutter-radar!" Discord cried.
"What?" Mystic asked, even more confused.
"Fluttershy's almost home! Time for tea!" Discord sang.
He snapped his talons again, and they reappeared in Fluttershy's den. Mystic wildly looked around and saw where they were, and she let out a short sigh of relief. She saw Discord sitting at the opposite side of the room where he held a plushie of Fluttershy in his lion's paw.
The door opened, revealing Mystic's hostess with some saddlebags on her back.
"Oh, Fluttershy!" said Mystic, her voice full of relief, "Thank goodness you're here."
Fluttershy looked up at Discord, "What happened while I was out?"
"Just having a little bit of mischievous fun!" Discord chuckled.
"Discooorrd," Fluttershy said with a frown.
"Oh, the ponies these days just don't have a sense of humor," Discord waved her off.
"Well, I laugh at your jokes," said Fluttershy, "But not Mystic or new ponies. They get freaked out or cry."
Discord just rolled his eyes in response. Mystic dared not to think of how weird this day had gotten.
Fluttershy shook her head, apparently amused. She turned to Mystic. "It's wonderful you could make it. Did you enjoy the walk over?"
"You mean apart from wanting to let my heart out into song, I guess you could consider it peachy," replied Mystic, fully looking at her.
"Oh, a song?" Discord lowered his head next to Fluttershy's "What's it about?"
"The day the draconequus took a hike and went home," Mystic glared.
"Oh, sounds awful, but I bet it's catchy!" Discord laughed.
"Good Celestia!"
"Well, I'm going to get the tea fixed," said Fluttershy, "Why don't you two chat?"
"I'll help you with the setup!" Mystic volunteered, shouldering past Fluttershy and into the kitchen in a hurry.
"She's a feisty one," she heard Discord's voice.
Mystic muttered something incoherent under her breath and wrapped her forelegs over her head, slumping over the countertop.
"Is there something wrong, Mystic?" Fluttershy asked.
"No, it's just I had a weird day and it just got a hay of a lot weirder," said Mystic, grabbing a tea plate.
"I thought I told you about Discord being here."
"And I thought you were pulling my leg you have tea with him." She leaned forward and whispered. "I don't know how the hay I would put up with him."
"He's messing with you because he likes you," Fluttershy whispered back. "He won't say but he does."
"Sure..." Mystic murmured, looking around at the floating kitchen utensils. "Can he please stop doing that?"
"Is it too much for him to be here?" Fluttershy asked with a frown.
Mystic was about to answer "yes" but she paused. She remembered how Fluttershy was excited for her to enjoy her tea party's and they had spent some time planning out when she could be there.
Swallowing her uneasiness, Mystic answered, "No. This was just unexpected is all."
Fluttershy weakly smiled, "All right."
For the next few minutes, Mystic helped Fluttershy prepare for the tea party. Mystic got the appropriate tea sets and utensils while Fluttershy made the sandwiches and tea.
Mystic couldn't help but notice it now. It looked like something was bothering Fluttershy, though the pegasus was doing her best to hide it. She was quiet but sometimes she caught a glimpse of a troubled expression.
"I'm still not the most comfortable here in Ponyville," said Mystic, hoping to start a conversation, "A lot of sweetness, silliness, and sometimes mushiness."
"You'll get used to it," said Fluttershy, "Ponyville's the friendliest place in Equestria."
"And the fastest growing place in Equestria!" Discord chimed from the den.
"But it does have a nice peaceful atmosphere," Mystic admitted. She cringed, "When it's not too wild."
"Mmm hmm," replied Fluttershy as placed the tea pot onto the platter. Fluttershy spread her wings and headed into the kitchen, Mystic caught another glimpse of a troubled expression.
Ignoring the floating objects around the kitchen, Mystic made her way into the den and sat down in a nearby chair. Fluttershy was right next to her as she placed the tea set onto the platter.
Mystic wanted to comfort her, but she couldn't because of a certain draconequus hovering nearby as he sipped his tea.
"You certainly know how to throw a tea party!" Discord chimed happily.
Fluttershy giggled, "And so do you."
"Oh, but not as much as you, sweet Flutters," Discord winked.
Mystic levitated her own tea cup and took a sip. Her eyes widened as its sweet taste with a dash of honey danced across her tastebuds.
"How do you like it?" Fluttershy asked, a hopeful smile on her face.
Mystic smiled, "It's delicious. Best I've had so far."
"Thank you."
Mystic took another sip of her tea and enjoyed its flavor. She glanced over at Fluttershy and noticed the spark within her eye wasn't as bright. Mystic looked at Discord as he ate one of the crusts of a sandwich.
To heck with him, she thought, annoyed.
"Fluttershy," said Mystic, turning to her.
"Yes?"
"I uh..." Mystic cleared her throat, "You seem a little... off today? Are you feeling all right?"
"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.
"You seem quieter than usual."
Mystic waited for her response, but Fluttershy just shrugged and smiled.
"I appreciate you trying to look out for me," said Fluttershy, "But I am feeling fine."
"Yeah, and her real friends know exactly how to comfort her," Discord said with a smug grin.
"I'm sure you do," Mystic grumbled.
After an hour of hanging out, talking, and more chaotic antics, Mystic finally decided to take her leave.
"I enjoyed the tea and sandwiches, Fluttershy," said Mystic, heading to the door.
"Maybe we could do this again sometime," said Fluttershy.
"Sure."
"And be sure you bring some extra cucumber sandwiches!" Discord chuckled.
"Okay, I'm going to go back to Sweet Apple Acres and hopefully have a nice, quiet supper!" said Mystic. She opened the door and closed it behind her. Then the door opened up again. "Thanks for everything!" She closed it again.
Fluttershy went to the window of her cottage and watched Mystic leave. She seemed friendly past the rough exterior, and Fluttershy hoped that the mare would be able to fully open up and become a better friend.
But, as the orange unicorn vanished over the hilltop, dark thoughts about herself came to the timid mare's mind.
Peculiar words have sometimes repeated in her head. Useless. Helpless. A mistake. She knew they were lies but recent events were on her mind.
How useless she felt to calm the wildlife of Oogundaa down to help them. She felt so helpless and felt useless again during the fights against Clawdius and Nightfall.
"I'm not saying that they're not special, I'm just saying maybe they should've considered staying home." Was what Mystic said about her, Pinkie, and Rarity on the way to rescue Starlight.
I can't hate her... Fluttershy thought, reassuring herself, She just needs understanding. But was what she said completely false or not?
"Fluttershy?" said Discord. The yellow pegasus looked over her shoulder to see Discord hovering nearby with a soft look on his face. "Are you going through the gloomy process again?"
Fluttershy looked down at the floor. "Yes..."
"Remember what my calming exercises have taught you," said Discord. "Just think of yourself positively and don't let mistakes or mishaps deter you from being the best you are."
Fluttershy chuckled. "You have done so much for me."
"Likewise," replied Discord, now standing up. "You've done a lot for your friends in your life." He smiled. "You even helped me see a better way in life. I wouldn't trade that for anything."
Fluttershy smiled a little bit. As chaotic and immature Discord could be sometimes, he was very mature when he wanted to be.
"Well, I know," replied Fluttershy. "I just wish that..." She frowned again, "I felt like it more these days with all that happened."
"I may not be an expert, but I guess there are seasons in your life when you don't feel as confident when you know what you've done, huh?" Discord asked, placing a comforting talon on her shoulder.
"I believe so."
"So, keep being positive and yourself as I've learned from you," said Discord.
"I'll try. Thank you, Discord."
"Any time."
Fluttershy knew that being the quiet one had its advantages and disadvantages. She frowned a little deeper, having seen her friends seem a little off and a little snappy to each other sometimes. Pinkie doesn't seem as cheerful despite her efforts, Applejack was more worried about family, and the others just seem stressed about things relating to work or certain characters.
Fluttershy took a sip of her now cold tea, but began worrying about Starlight and Twilight. What were they going through? |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 2 - Getting arrangements done | "Next stop, Ponyville!"
Yawning, Twilight Sparkle opened her droopy eyes to see the passenger car she sat in. She could hear the train chugging as it traveled down the tracks. The alicorn looked out the window to see, under the rising sun's light, the familiar rolling hills and plains just outside of Ponyville.
Just over the horizon, Twilight spotted a tall mountain and the city of Canterlot. A few seconds later, it was obscured by the cottages of the town she loved so much.
She frowned, hating that she'd left before everything was repaired but she couldn't get Celestia and Luna insisting she'd go home and take it easy.
Still, it would be nice to catch up with her friends, handle the school situation as she goes, and talking with Starlight. Her frown deepened. She hadn't heard much from her former pupil but she'd practically become a recluse, avoiding contact with mostly everypony around her.
Then, she felt the passenger cart jerk, the wheels squealed as Twilight felt the train coming to a stop.
Standing up and stretching, Twilight took a quick look around the cart to see that she was the only one there. Levitating her bags, Twilight made her way out of the train car and onto the station platform.
The streets were mostly quiet. Twilight lightly smiled, enjoying the cool misty morning. She took in a deep, long inhale of air, savoring Ponyville's peaceful atmosphere.
As much as she wanted to be in Canterlot, it felt wonderful to be away from all of the excitement for a few minutes.
She had a lot to get unraveled for her and her friends. The School, rebuilding their lives, and getting ready for another exciting event.
I can't wait for the convocation! Twilight giggled. It's going to be so wonderful to have creatures of all kinds as our friends!
Twilight walked past the town market, hosting the few ponies that were getting their stalls set up for a new day. Maybe I need to do a little shopping later...
Starlight came to her mind. The alicorn sighed, she hated that she couldn't be there as much she wanted but Starlight insisted that she'd help Canterlot and she'll be with her friends to assist her.
That wouldn't have her worried if her friends had told her that they managed to comfort and help her. She would be speaking with her as soon as possible.
And there was also the program Twilight had worked out with General Hong just after they stopped Nightfall. The alicorn slightly shuddered at how much vigor the general seemed to contain and he was very thorough when it came to Mystic. On top of that, he also wanted to form an allegiance with Equestria.
Finally, the glistening tips of her castle peeked over the cottages of Ponyville. She smiled, relishing that she was almost there and could see Spike again. He was probably so busy when she was gone. The thought made Twilight chuckle...
Then, the alicorn suddenly realized she had to get Mystic enrolled into the program she'd discussed with Hong and his representatives. Shudders went up her spine, recalling how long the meetings were.
Walking up the stairs, Twilight opened the door to her castle. Ah, home sweet home.
Her hooves click-clacked on the crystal floor--
"Twilight!" a voice cried. The alicorn beamed, looked past the main lobby, and saw Spike flying from the opposite corridor. "You're home!"
"Yep! I'm finally back!" replied Twilight, levitating her satchels and placing them aside.
Spike flew up to Twilight and hugged her neck, the alicorn returned it with a giggle.
"Have you been behaving yourself?" Twilight asked, pulling away from the hovering drake.
"Of course! I just ate all the ice cream and cookies that were in the fridge!" Spike beamed. Twilight lightly punched him on the shoulder in response. "No, but for real, I cleaned up the library, the castle, and double-checked the books to see if they were organized."
"Oh, Spike, I'm so proud of you!" Twilight laughed.
"And I helped Fluttershy take care of Discord until he got better and Big Mac and I had a Guys' night so he could observe and have fun."
"Well, sounds like you have a lot to tell me," said Twilight, walking forward, "Let's fix ourselves up some treats and catch up."
"Yes ma'am!"
Spike and Twilight neared the library, the alicorn having used the past few minutes to just relax.
"How's Starlight doing?" Twilight asked, eager to know yet unable to help feel nervous.
"She seems fine physically and does talk to me, but I think she still might be distant," said Spike.
Twilight sighed, recalling how her former pupil requested time away from Trixie and all of her closest friends to recover. The alicorn frowned, hating the thoughts of what Nightfall could've done to her. "She mostly stays in her room all day and when she goes out, it's to the edges of town away from everypony." Spike sighed. "Even Pinkie's attempts to talk and cheer her up have failed."
"Oh, Pinkie..." Twilight murmured.
"Have you been able to get anything out of her after you brought her home?" Spike asked.
"She told me a little, but it sure wasn't good," replied Twilight, opening the door to the library. "I've got to say if Mystic hadn't helped us get to Oogundaa..." She looked at Spike, "Say, how has she been doing in Ponyville?"
"Far as I could tell, Mystic was helping on the farm or hanging out with the CMC," replied Spike, flying ahead and pushing Twilight's comfy chair forward.
"Huh?" Twilight inclined her head at the last part.
"Oh! I forgot to say that I've got some letters from the wolves and impalas," said Spike.
Twilight's eyes snapped wide open. "Really?! Where are they?"
"I placed them on you're the table here," Spike picked up a couple of letters. Twilight beamed, eager to read them. She opened the first one.
Dear Princess Twilight,
Hi, well, this is Gunnolf, and I've not written much other than reports to our Majestic, but that's not the point. Anyway! Well, as we expected, our Society is divided. The side that supports Tokuta labels us all traitors but our side has managed to remain strong and take a stand for introducing our new way of life.
Some are unfortunately considering war against the ones who side with you but we're trying to get a grip.
As for Accalia, she's gone traveling back to Oogundaa to do more research about it and its past. As well as that mysterious briefcase that you ponies stumbled upon. So, we'll try and use this strange fire to send you another message whenever we have more developments!
Regards, Gunnolf
Twilight was smiling a little after finishing the letter, a sense of worry came over the alicorn at the possibility of civil war amongst the wolves.
Deciding to put that aside, Twilight opened the second letter.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
This is Chief Faraji thanking you once again for the liberation of Oogundaa from King Clawdius! I must say you all look like a very gifted and special group of friends. Give my best to Mystic, because I heard great things about her. Treat her well and we look forward to being closer than ever!
Also, on a side note, all kinds of activity have popped up from citizens all over Oogundaa because of your actions. Some good, some not. But we're in the middle of it all trying to stay smart.
Keep at it!
Faraji
Twilight finished the letter. Her smile had grown wider.
"Good things I presume?" said Spike.
Slightly startled out of her thoughts, Twilight looked up at him. "Yeah, there are some problems but they're on board with being friends and working things out for all of us."
"Great!" Spike pumped a fist into the air.
"And I have some exciting announcements to make when we get the School up and running," said Twilight. "And the other kingdoms are sending their students back, too."
"What kind of announcements?" Spike asked.
"You'll find out," Twilight winked.
Both were silent for a few seconds.
"I heard about rumors," said Spike, a frown taking his features. "Are you okay, Twilight?"
Twilight inwardly cringed, trying to not think about them. Why did they have to start popping up after our recent invasion attempt? She put on a smile for her little drake. "Of course, Spike. Celestia and I are working on dealing with them."
"I heard someponies talking around Ponyville, too," Spike frowned.
"Let's try and think about something else," Twilight wrapped a foreleg around his shoulders, "Why don't you get our favorite tea and we'll read the latest issues of Power Ponies together?"
Spike's face lit up like a Hearth's Warming Tree, "I'll go get them now!"
He flew out of the room in a hurry.
Twilight walked over to her comfy chair and sat in it.
The only way for those rumors to be so weaved into Equestria... is they had to be going around for some time... Twilight thought, stress built up in her chest. The alicorn couldn't silence the fact they not only surrounded her and her friends...
But Princesses Celestia and Luna as well.
The tickling on her nose was relentless.
"Mmmhm..." Mystic wrinkled her nose, trying to ignore it.
The tickling came again, she squinted her muzzle but it never left.
Finally, Mystic's eyes flew open. She sat up and let out a loud sneeze.
"Gaahhh!" somepony cried.
The unicorn wiped her nose as she heard laughter from the other side of the room. Almost right away, on the other side of the room, she spotted Sweetie and Apple Bloom flat on their stomachs and hitting the floor as harmonious laughter escaped their lips.
"Girls?" Mystic asked.
"She-she got you, Scoots!" Sweetie howled.
Mystic looked to her left to see Scootaloo's face was half-covered by a white foam and had an annoyed and embarrassed look.
Mystic's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Yeah, you were supposed to touch your face!" Scootaloo complained.
Mystic smirked and touched her muzzle with her right hoof, the one Scoot didn't touch. "There."
The orange pegasus collapsed onto the floor in defeat as the other two fillies laughed harder.
Mystic felt almost as if she were about to vomit her recently eaten breakfast up.
She followed the hopping fillies down a grassy hill as a lake came into view.
"We've got all our gear down there now! We managed to find one of Applejack's old gear so you could use it too, Mystic!" said Sweetie.
"S-S-sounds nice?" Mystic stammered, her legs becoming like noodles. She forced them to keep moving, determined to be strong for herself.
"I'm looking forward to these! The fillies and colts enjoy them at the camp I run!" Scootaloo added as the lake grew ever close. The pit in Mystic's stomach grew. Her heart hammered as she bit her tongue.
"So, we definitely think this will pave the way for your cutie mark!" said Sweetie.
"Uh-huh..." Mystic nodded.
"You okay?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Yeah," said Mystic, "Just miles away."
The farm filly beamed and hopped along.
Mystic watched as all of them put on their snorkels and swimming fins on their hooves.
"Come on, Mystic!" Scootaloo called. "We've got a lot to see down there!"
"C-Coming!"
Mystic walked over, swallowing her fears. She slipped on her swimming fins and looked at the snorkeling mask she needed to put on.
"Hey," she said, getting an idea. "Why don't all of you show me how it's done?"
"It's swimming and exploring new possibilities," said Sweetie.
"Yeah, we all gotta experience the wonders down there!" Apple Bloom curtly nodded.
"W-Well, I think I'll be fine with just watching you!" Mystic nervously laughed, taking a step back.
"Mystic, that's not the idea here," Scootaloo frowned.
"I just think we should maybe move onto something else!"
"Are you okay, Mystic?" Apple Bloom asked.
"I'm fine, really!" Mystic insisted.
"But we haven't gotten scuba diving or any other swimming activities down!" Sweetie protested.
"I just don't think I need to!"
She tensed when she felt Scootaloo beginning to push her to the water, Mystic had to keep herself from yelping when she got closer.
"Why aren't you wanting to go on in?" Sweetie asked.
As her swimming fin touched the water, she couldn't handle it anymore.
"I can't swim!" Mystic shrieked.
The unicorn kicked off her fins and galloped off in the direction of the trees, ignoring the surprised cries of the Crusaders.
Panic surged through her body as she reached the tree line. The unicorn ducked behind one and curled herself up into a ball, embarrassed that her secret has been revealed to fillies.
She didn't know how long she'd stayed there. Seconds? Minutes? Hours?
Her cheeks burned as she trembled.
"Mystic?" a small voice asked.
The unicorn curled herself further, feeling ashamed and wishing she could bury herself and hide forever.
She nearly jumped when she felt a hoof touch her shoulder.
"Please, just leave me alone..." Mystic pleaded burying her face in her hooves.
"We ain't gonna make fun of ya," Apple Bloom assured her. The unicorn only winced.
"Please, can you just talk to us?" Sweetie asked.
Mystic could hear she was wanting to help. Slumping her shoulders, she unveiled her face and opened her eyes to see the sympathetic looks of the Crusaders.
She dryly chuckled. "Yeah, hard to believe isn't it?" None of them responded. "So, the great, brave, able to kill an alpha timberwolf Mystic cannot swim," the unicorn lightly smacked her head. "What're the odds?"
"It's okay, Mystic," Sweetie said in a soft tone.
Mystic shook her head. "As if."
"Really, it is," said Apple Bloom. "We don't want ya to think yer gonna be judged because of... that."
"Yeah," Scootaloo spoke up, "I mean, just because you can't swim, doesn't mean you aren't good at anything. Except maybe the aquatic sports we had planned, the fact you can't do something athletes do." She stopped when she saw her two friends giving deadpan looks.
"Not helping," Sweetie said.
Scootaloo smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."
"And her idol, Skittle Head, will probably not let me hear the end of it," Mystic sighed.
"Not if we can help it," Sweetie smiled. Mystic looked at her with a confused look. "Because the three of us are going to teach you how to swim!"
Mystic shook her head, completely taken aback. "Wh-what?"
"Yep!" Sweetie chirped. She turned to the others. "What do you say, Crusaders? Are we going to help Mystic swim?"
"Yeah!" Scootaloo and Apple Bloom cried. Then all three of them high-hoofed.
Mystic's jaw slightly dropped. "Why?"
"Because we want to!" Scootaloo smiled.
"Why help me swim?" Mystic asked.
Sweetie placed a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder. "Because you're our friend and we don't judge ponies just because of issues like yours."
"Yup!" Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.
"Are you sure?" Mystic asked nervously.
"The CMC are at your service!" all three fillies chimed in.
At that, Mystic began to feel a warm sensation rise within her chest. She smiled at the three fillies.
Her legs still shook from the simple swimming lessons the fillies had given her. She felt as if the blush she had most of the time had never left her face.
"You couldn't handle being in a four-foot-deep pool?!" Mystic scolded herself, "I took baths little springs and one in the jungle recently!"
The three fillies had taken her to the Apple family pool that Apple Bloom and Granny Smith use for swimming.
They had been basic floating lessons and learning how to drift across the surface of the water, but had been shaking like a leaf. In addition, she had to wear a flotation device to keep herself from sinking whenever she tried to quit floating and just swim.
It was so embarrassing. She had never felt so 'un-Mystic' like in a simple swimming pool.
She slapped herself and levitated up a barrel of corn. The afternoon sun threatened to bake her alive but she was determined to keep her outfit on since she'd gotten out of the water.
Still... it was nice they didn't make fun of her... and they did promise to keep it secret.
"We'll meet with you whenever we can to help you become an excellent swimmer!" Sweetie's voice echoed.
Mystic placed the final barrel of corn on the wagon, and wiped the sweat from her brow, letting out a sigh.
"Mystic!" Applejack called.
"Yes?" Mystic huffed, looking over to her, spotting her just outside the homestead.
"Twilight's here, she wants to speak with ya!"
Mystic stretched, cracking her joints and back. "I'll be there in a sec."
The sweat-drenched unicorn walked over to the hose laying close to the barn, turned it on, and sprayed herself. The water soaked into her coat and hit her skin, sending a chill down her spine as she relished in it. When she finished, she turned the hose off and began walking away. Just before she got to the homestead's door, Mystic shook herself dry and entered.
Mystic saw Twilight speaking with Granny Smith about things. The elderly mare seemed to have a look of concern on her features.
"Ah know my grandyoungins'" said Granny.
"I'll keep it in mind, thanks," said Twilight.
"Oh, hello Your Highness," said Mystic, gaining the alicorn's attention.
"Mystic, you don't need to keep calling me that," replied Twilight.
Mystic tapped her head. "Right, Twilight."
"Well, let's get going. We'll have to walk and talk on the way to our destination," Twilight smiled and stepped towards the door.
"Where to?" Mystic inclined her head.
"You'll see."
Mystic's eyes slightly widened when she laid eyes on the School of Friendship. She was about to speak up but immediately figured out what this was about. She clenched her jaw and held back a growl for Twilight's sake.
Hong is really a thorn in my side, Mystic thought, following the alicorn.
She'd been told about a "rehabilitation progress" Hong and Twilight worked out soon after the invasion and it made her stomach churn but also her cheeks flush with fury that horrible pony is forming an alliance with this nation.
"We all get caught eventually, Mystic," Cierra's voice echoed. "I guess the trick is to decide by who."
Right now, it seemed no matter what, Hong would be the one to catch her.
She knew she had to keep Twilight's uncertainties at bay as well as her from being overbearing.
"So, the School, huh?" Mystic spoke up.
"Yep!" Twilight chirped. "It's a real monument to how far my friends and I have come ever since we met." She giggled, "All of us enjoy being teachers despite our jobs and other responsibilities. But we're more energized because of it."
"And it began with finding some kind of jewels and defeating an evil mare of darkness, right?"
Twilight nodded.
"You see, Mystic," Twilight's smiled again. "When I started out, I was unsure about friendship. But when my walls came down, I saw the true magic of having friends and how exciting it can be." Her smile grew wider. "Our friendships grew, weaved together, and strengthened. And we spread it amongst Equestria and beyond." She placed a hoof on Mystic's back. "The beauty of it all is the bond between how we learned from one another, experienced a lot of memorable moments, tried new things, gone on many adventures, and worked to maintain them even when things got hard."
Mystic rubbed her chin, furrowing her brows. "That does sound wonderful."
"And we can even help ponies like you, Mystic," said Twilight. Mystic looked at the alicorn. "I know we've had our disagreements, but we try to reach out in the best way we can to form a connection."
Mystic thought back on how she tried to hammer in her worldviews. They're true as the sun and sky but... I wonder if there might be something else I've missed...
"My friends and I will try to help you in any way we can," said Twilight. "And remember, there are some things you can't learn with books."
"Wow, I guess since I'm learning more of friendship, maybe they ought to make me an alicorn princess," Mystic chuckled.
Twilight sheepishly laughed. "Well, let's consider things in the future after we get you settled into the program I worked out with Hong."
"This ought to be interesting..." Mystic said venom in her tone. She shook her head. "And when will the classes begin?"
"Everycreature will be back late tomorrow afternoon, so we'll get into them the day after," replied Twilight as they came upon the school doors.
Soon, they entered Twilight's headmare office. Mystic saw Spike placing some papers down on the desk. He smiled at Mystic.
"Hey there!" he said, "How're things going?"
"Fine," replied Mystic, "Just getting here to get arrangements done it seems like."
"That's what I prepared you both for," said Spike. He flew past her, "Anyway, I need to get going and make sure the classrooms are ship-shape!"
Mystic nodded in response as Spike left. She looked to see Twilight had sat down in her chair. The alicorn gestured to a chair in front of her desk which Mystic sat in.
"Well, before we get you signed in," said Twilight, "I want you to know that I've started a search for your parents."
Mystic's stomach suddenly tightened. "You what?
Twilight clapped her hooves together, beaming, "We've just started asking ponies in Equestria who might know of you." As Twilight went on, Mystic clenched her jaw.
"Twilight," said Mystic.
"And I'm sure you're excited to be reunited with them!"
"Twilight! Stop!" Mystic cried. The alicorn paused, a baffled look on her face. Mystic sulked. "Please, don't..."
Twilight inclined her head. "Why not?"
Mystic rubbed her temples and looked back up at the alicorn with a frown. "I lied. I don't have any parents." Twilight gasped, her eyes flew wide open.
"What?!" the alicorn shrieked.
Mystic looked down at her hooves, feeling a little ashamed for not mentioning this sooner.
"Mystic," Twilight said, causing her to look up at the alicorn's sympathetic gaze. "I'm truly sorry about that. But, you can't lie about things like that. Or withhold important information when we're trying to get you situated with everypony."
Mystic nodded. "Right... I know I told a story then, but I really was treated like I said I was by that awful general!"
"And his records of your time in prison support that," said Twilight. "But," she looked right into Mystic's soul. "Is there anything else that I need to know about? I know of the group you'd joined and committed other supposed crimes. So, don't withhold anything."
Mystic clenched her jaw, feeling slightly agitated and having to compose herself. How am I going to say, hey I just woke up in the middle of the street with no memories that came before? Who's heard of something like that?
Mystic shook her head. "No. I believe everything's been accounted for."
Twilight stared at her a little bit longer. Her look finally softened. "I'm sorry, Mystic. I've just got to make sure because I want to help. Please, try to work with me as I go over this stuff."
Mystic shrugged. "I'll give it my best."
"Anyway," said Twilight, levitating up a roll of paper. "Hong was insistent you'd follow the rules I present here as well as agree to conditions on his side of the agreement of this process." She looked at Mystic, "It's very imperative you comply and your court case is in your favor."
Yeah... like it'll ever be... Mystic thought, growing bitter.
"And you're to do some work for different clients around Ponyville to show your rehabilitation progress and how our ways and handling of you is working," Twilight continued. "After seeing your efforts with the saving of Equestria and other honorable acts, they want to be sure you're not just doing it for your sake." She shot Mystic an apologetic look, "He wanted me to tell you this."
I'm not really good at following the rules of programs, Mystic mused but nodded at the alicorn.
"So, please, for your sake, as he said, do what you're told by both of us and maybe this will all go away," Twilight spoke with a deep frown on her face. She sighed. "I don't want to believe him, I believe there's more to you than what he says."
"At least you're considering the other side," replied Mystic.
"That's what I try to do," Twilight faintly smiled. "Anyway, when I look at all of the times my friends and I had together, you can say it was all one big adventure."
"I'm not so sure if friendship can be described in that way," replied Mystic.
Twilight gave her a smug grin. "Oh, really?" She leaned forward. "Then, how about you find out for yourself?"
Mystic paused. "What?"
"While you were refreshing yourself up after the excitement, Sunset Shimmer told me about you and how much you love traveling and adventure," Twilight said, her grin growing wider. Mystic shook her head, astonished. "I guess if you're so into that kind of stuff, maybe this is your chance to see what friendship is all about."
Mystic's eyes widened. "Oh, come on. I know what you're up to."
"Good. Then, I suppose you can just try and see what we're really all about. You've got plenty of time to discover all about friendship as I did so long ago."
"This really isn't my idea of an adventure."
"Then, maybe it's time to broaden your horizons, huh?"
Broaden my horizons? Mystic thought, taken aback yet again. She wanted to retort that she had so been keeping her horizons broad. But... now she wasn't so sure. Have they been closed and narrow-minded?
"Sunset told me you were a tough, determined warrior," said Twilight, leaning back in her chair. "So, I think this will also test your durability in new places."
Mystic opened her mouth, but what she wanted to say died on her lips. Crap, she's got me... But something she wondered about yesterday came to her mind. What made her and Sunshine and the Liberator's friendships so special? Were they different? If so, how?
Maybe I could figure out and compare them with these ponies and deter if... things will last... she inwardly frowned. Scratch that, I'm definitely going to find out and compare between the two.
"So," said Twilight. "Do you think you can handle it?" Mystic looked up at the alicorn's smug grin. How the tables have turned.
Mystic sighed. "Fine. You win."
"Excellent!" Twilight chirped, clapping her hooves together. "I've already got your first assignment ready!"
"Wait what?!"
"Hee hee!" Twilight giggled, pulling out a couple of pieces of paper. She cleared her throat, gaining a more serious look. "I think this is long overdue. But if you can follow through this first assignment, you'll be well on your way into an all-new, exciting adventure."
"You're really selling this adventure stuff, aren't you?" Mystic deadpanned as Twilight levitated the papers to her.
"I've got to appeal to my audience," Twilight winked in a teasing way. Mystic looked at the papers. It was a form for her to fill out for the School. The next page is...
Mystic gasped. She saw it was to apologize and to hang out with Pinkie Pie. She looked up at Twilight, slightly trembling. "You can't be serious!"
Twilight straightened herself in her chair, giving Mystic a frown. "Yes. I believe I am. You know it, too." Mystic looked at the floor. "Look up, Mystic." Cringing, the unicorn did so.
Mystic began to speak. "Look, I thought she was all cool after the adventure and she seems her happy, cheerful self, and..."
"She does," Twilight cut in. "But she can also be very insecure." She sighed. "Pinkie knows her boundaries and sometimes she can go overboard but she learned through the years not to push so far. Mystic, Pinkie wants to respect you and she was really looking forward to having that party you'd lied about." Even though Twilight hadn't raised her voice, Mystic couldn't help but feel as if she were. "She gets sad that nopony would love or appreciate all she does anymore. So, I want you to go and do your best to make amends with her."
Mystic just stood there, not sure of how to respond. "But... she's... energetic...?"
"Maybe, but please, please just try and apologize and be a friend to her."
Mystic could see a somewhat pleading look in the mare's eyes. The unicorn thought of Sunshine and Sunset and how their friendship meant to her.
"All right..." replied Mystic, seeing no other option. "I'll try."
Twilight smiled. "Thank you."
Deciding to change the subject, Mystic decided to ask another question. "Any plans?"
"Working through some," replied Twilight. "For now, I just want to relax and get back on my hooves before we do anything else."
"I see," replied Mystic. "Well, I'll fill out this form and get on my way."
"I'd love it if you could handle taking care of this assignment today," said Twilight.
Mystic froze, dropping the form and assignment. She swallowed her pride and retort and just forced a nod.
"Good," Twilight smiled. "Now, the sign the form."
"Okay then."
As Mystic picked up the pieces of paper, she couldn't help but wonder; Did Sunset and Twilight plan this?
A little later, Mystic followed Twilight down a different part of the School. Student dorms lined the corridor both left and right. They reached close to the end of the hallway.
"We have a few spare rooms," said Twilight as she opened one of the doors, "But try not to wake anycreature up since they need their rest for tomorrow."
"Got it," replied Mystic following the headmare.
The room had a window giving a view of Ponyville and the nearby Castle under the setting sun.
There was a bed with a nightstand next to it and a dresser on the opposite end of the room.
"It may be a bit barren, but it's better than nothing," said Twilight.
Mystic shrugged, "As long as I can sleep without disturbance, I'll be fine."
"Good," said Twilight, "Now, I'll escort whatever you need to make this place livelier. In addition, everycreature awakes at 7:00 am and has breakfast for half an hour before heading to class at 7:30. School ends at 3:00 pm. Any questions?"
"Not really."
"Oh, and Mystic," said Twilight, forming a frown, "I want you to be aware of something."
"What is it?"
"It's important that I remind you that we have a very delicate business going on here at the school. If you see a brown stallion with a black suit on by the name of Mr. Bullion and his two sons named Starry and Lucky, please try not to cause a scene with them."
"Okay."
"Great!" Twilight chirped, she pointed to the sheets on the bed, "I'll give you a Friendship Guide to review, and let you write separate reports on it. Also, look and memorize the first sheet as it contains the basics of what is taught here."
The alicorn levitated a piece of paper along with a journal that had, on its cover, a purple horseshoe symbol on it with individual colored stones from one side to the other. Just in the middle was a purple six-pointed star. Mystic took it and nodded.
"Now that everything's in place, we're mostly set up for you to become a student at the school!" Twilight beamed. "I'm looking forward to having you!"
"I'm sure you are," replied Mystic. |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 3 - Catching up | Starlight stepped out into the castle corridor. The taste of the leftover pancakes she'd finished lingered on her tongue. Normally, she would have savored every bite, but they didn't have the same taste she always loved. The unicorn looked down the corridor to see a window and the sun was beginning to set.
Might as well get ready for bed... she thought, walking to her left, knowing it was around six in the evening.
She looked around at the cavernous walls and how high they stretched to the ceiling above.
I hadn't thought of it much... She shivered. But this castle is far too big for only three occupants...
She kept moving, looking down at the crystalline floor at her frowning face. Pathetic. She was so pathetic.
Maybe tomorrow things can really get back to normal... having seen Twilight return earlier that day. Maybe my passion for student counseling can bring me some comfort and joy.
Starlight tried to think of something else, but her mind, as if it were mocking her, made her think of Trixie and Maud. Her face fell, realizing she had been avoiding them ever since her return on the cause of being "sick" and making more excuses for about a week.
Starlight lit up her horn to open a door. She paused and slapped herself.
How much did I depend on this accursed energy called magic? Starlight bitterly thought. It's high time I cleansed my acts from all things to do with it...
She remembered all the messes she made from trying to make meals, writing, opening and closing doors all without using her magic and yet she was like a filly again with no knowledge of how to function in the world.
Unfortunately, to keep her secret hidden for now, Starlight forced herself to clean up the messes using the very thing that has plagued her life since day one.
Yeah, it should be a real piece of cake not using it anymore, Starlight thought sarcastically. Way to assure yourself, Starlight.
"Starlight?" came a soft voice.
Perking up, Starlight turned to see she had crossed in front of the library's open door. And inside, levitating several books was Twilight Sparkle.
Forcing a smile, Starlight spoke. "Heeyyy, Twilight."
The alicorn put her books aside and flew over to Starlight, slightly surprising her until the unicorn was wrapped in a warm hug by her friend. Meekly, Starlight returned it.
"Oh, I'm so relieved and happy to see you again..." Twilight whispered. "I've just..."
"It's okay," replied Starlight, patting the alicorn's back.
Suddenly, she felt herself lifted off the ground and Twilight's forelegs wrapping tighter around her. Starlight barely had enough time to ask until she was sat down on the couch next to Twilight.
"It's been so long!" said Twilight, "We hadn't had any time to talk and catch up!"
I keep having to be reminded of what happened recently... Starlight bitterly thought, wanting it all to vanish. It was selfish, but she couldn't help it.
"My friends and I have tried reaching out to you but every time they gave me a report, they couldn't get much out of you," said Twilight. "They're all worried about you."
"I appreciate their concern," Starlight almost bit her tongue, "But I am fine."
Starlight wasn't sure if Twilight believed her or not, but she looked away from her to the floor.
"It's wonderful to see you again," said Twilight, "I've got some of your favorite foods lined up for tomorrow so you can settle in better."
Starlight slightly smiled, happy at the thought. "Thanks, Twilight."
"Well, I'm glad that monster that did whatever he did to you is gone now, Starlight," Twilight boldly stated.
If only I felt that way...
"And he attacked Equestria while we were gone to come and get you," Twilight glared. "How cowardly and crooked." She sighed, her look softening as Starlight's gaze went down to her hooves.
"Well, I'm thankful you did," said Starlight.
"Of course!" said Twilight, "Why wouldn't we? You're our friend."
Starlight rubbed her hooves together in response, not saying a word. Both ponies stayed silent for a little while.
The words of her mother, father and Twilight herself berating her for her betrayal echoed in her mind. Her heart sank as she realized that they were right. She didn't deserve any of the kindness she'd been receiving because of her actions.
Everypony will know what I did and tried to do, she thought, remembering Nightfall's words. Then, she lightly gasped.
Oh, no... Starlight thought, her blood turning into ice. Twilight and I have a bond over magic and if... She didn't dare to finish that thought.
How would Twilight react to her development? Would Twilight hate her own magic? No, Twilight's magic is a blessing.
"I'm sorry I'm not very talkative," said Twilight, causing Starlight to look up at her.
"It's okay, I'm not either," replied Starlight, the gnawing sense of dread growing stronger. Starlight didn't bother bringing up Sunburst, because she knew in her heart that they had not been able to find him. It has been more than a week... What kind of stuff had he seen during that time?
"I'm so sorry, Starlight," said Twilight.
Oh no, Starlight thought, looking up to see tears filling the alicorn's eyes, "No, please don't..."
"I failed you!" Twilight cried. "I should've been prepared to help you with whatever you were going through." She ran a hoof down her face, "With all that's been going on, I just hadn't been able to consider my friends!"
"Twilight, this isn't your fault," Starlight said.
"Isn't it?" Twilight's frown grew.
Starlight grasped Twilight's hoof, "Please, don't do this to yourself. You're under a lot of pressure." And it wouldn't matter much to comfort a selfish pony like me...
"Everypony keeps telling me the same thing... but I won't accept it..." Twilight shook her head. "You were hurting and all I did was fail you..."
"Do you not recall the lessons we learned?" Starlight cupped Twilight's cheek, "Friendships aren't defined by success rates but by how much length we go for one another."
At this, Twilight cracked a small smile. "You've learned a lot. I'm so proud of you..."
That was like a knife to Starlight's heart. And what selfish lengths did I go for myself? Starlight tried to compose herself and not crack in front of Twilight.
"Well, I can say how much I really appreciate your teachings over the years," said Starlight, the mare inwardly slapping herself.
Twilight pulled back and rubbed the back of her mane. Nervousness pricked at Starlight's heart. The pony that did so much for her... she was unlike anypony she'd ever met.
Starlight could tell that Twilight wanted something out of her, so maybe, she could give her something to hold over for a while.
"Actually, Twilight," Starlight frowned, "I have been having vivid nightmares of what happened recently."
Twilight perked up, the reaction Starlight expected, "Oh, I'm so sorry."
"Princess Luna has been giving me counseling, but... I just don't know how these things are going to go away," Starlight admitting, withholding the part of Luna not checking in nightly.
"You've been through a lot," said Twilight, holding her close, "Is that a reason why you're avoiding others?"
A reason...
"Y-Yeah," replied Starlight, "I just... feel like I need some space from everything. I didn't want to though..." She knew Twilight didn't fully believe her.
"Just remember everything you've learned over the years," said Twilight, "With friends, you can get through anything."
"Right," said Starlight.
"D-Didn't you say Nightfall had cast a spell on you?" Twilight asked, Starlight could detect an edge of desperation in her tone. The unicorn didn't answer, unable to form a response.
I'm not so sure if there really was a spell... Starlight thought. All of her actions seemed of her own free will. I am certain there wasn't one... "Y-Yes..." Why did I answer that?!
But Twilight seemed calmer as she managed to smile again, "Good. You know that we have nothing to worry about. You're home and you're no longer under his control anymore."
"Mm-hmm," Starlight weakly nodded.
"I'm just trying to help, Starlight," Twilight's soft, pleading eyes met Starlight's, "I don't want to keep thinking that I failed you as a friend or as the Princess of Friendship."
"Twilight, you didn't fail me," Starlight repeated, "Please don't beat yourself up for thinking that." She brought the alicorn in for a hug and patted her back. "For me, please."
Twilight returned the hug and Starlight felt her relax in her embrace.
"But I can't still help but think there was more to your reasoning for wanting to go out there," said Twilight. Starlight pulled back.
Oh, no, I won't let her go there! Starlight began to inwardly panic.
"And what became of those spells that I had let you try out while in the Crystal Empire?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know," Starlight quickly answered, "My time in Oogundaa is a little fuzzy and I don't remember where I last put those spells."
"I see," Twilight said, raising an eyebrow.
"Can we please not talk about that? I swear, there's a lot I want to forget and yet I can't," Starlight said. Way to keep it cool.
Twilight sighed, "Starlight, I'm always here to talk and help you through whatever you need. I can't help but feel that there is something more that you're not telling me."
Starlight sighed. "Well, I assure you, if there were, you'd be the first to know." As Starlight expected, Twilight's brows furrowed.
And you don't need to know what my reasons for going out there were... Starlight thought, inwardly bashing her head over and over.
"Okay," said Twilight.
She didn't buy it. She's just not saying anything.
It was so considerate of her.
"So, we're getting back to school tomorrow?" Starlight asked, wanting to change the subject.
"Yeah," replied Twilight, "Finally! And I'm looking forward to giving the students more quizzes and homework!"
Despite feeling unnerved, Starlight playfully rolled her eyes. "That's so you, Twilight."
"And what do you mean 'we'?" Twilight inclined her head.
Snap, she must think I'm not able to do my duties. Starlight thought.
"I would love to go back to my counseling duties," said Starlight, swallowing her uneasiness. "I'm more than capable of handling it."
"Are you sure?" Twilight asked, obviously concerned.
Starlight nodded. "Yes. It's way past time that I got back into the swing of things. It'll help everything that happened seem like a bad dream."
"And Luna's advice has been helping, too?"
Always so thorough, Starlight smiled and nodded. "She's a real guidance counselor. I might've picked up a thing or two from her." She winked, hating the lie she'd told Twilight.
"I'm still a little unsure..."
"Twilight," said Starlight, placing a hoof on the alicorn's shoulder, "I need this. Talking through things helps my mind focus and puts it at ease. Please, just let me carry them out."
Starlight knew Twilight could be so protective of a strong pony like herself, but the alicorn seemed to be holding back for now.
For now.
"All right," said Twilight, "But if you need any professional help..."
"I won't go to therapy!" Starlight snapped, but composed herself, "I-I have everything I need with you and the others."
Twilight blinked a couple of times, "Okay, but I will be talking with you whenever I need to."
"S-Sure! Of course!"
Both ponies went silent again.
"And... I heard rumors?" Starlight weakly spoke up. Almost right away, she saw Twilight's eyes slightly widen but then compose themselves.
"Yeah," Twilight frowned, "Rumors surrounding me and the Princesses."
"I just worry about you, Twilight," said Starlight. Wow, hypocritical much? "I know there have been talks of ponies joining forces in those rumors."
"Like you said," Twilight smiled, "We all have enough in one another."
Starlight forced a giggle.
She's not admitting it... Starlight thought, I have no doubt that taking in a criminal like me is a part of those rumors...
A yawn escaped from Starlight, soon followed by Twilight.
"Yawns are contagious," Twilight said with a smile.
"Yeah, I guess I need to get some rest," said Starlight. "I'll try whenever I can to get reconnected with the others."
"Sounds good," said Twilight.
Starlight got up and began to leave.
"Just remember, Starlight," said Twilight. Starlight stopped in her tracks. "That we're all here for you no matter how many times you make a mistake. We love you and want to maintain the bond we have. Just try speaking to us."
Starlight wanted to reply, but she decided not to. She shot Twilight a small smile and began heading back to her room.
Twilight watched her former pupil and wonderful friend walk down the corridor. The alicorn inwardly groaned and felt a pit rise within her stomach.
She's not okay... she thought. Why in the world did I say yes on her going back to her counseling duties?
Twilight sighed, her mind overwhelmed with everything that happened and getting Mystic into the school. The thoughts of Bullion and his sons went through her mind and...
Cozy Glow... Twilight thought, feeling as if her heart had been jabbed. She shook her head. I'm so sorry I had failed you, Cozy... I will not fail Starlight or the School my friends and I built! Twilight clenched her jaw and hardened her gaze. I have to fix this, I need to! |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 4 – A wild party | Mystic walked down the trails of Ponyville, heading towards Sugarcube Corner. The morning sun rose and delivered a cool breeze that made Mystic relax some. Despite what she knew awaited her, and how much she didn't like that pony's energetic attitude, Mystic's mind wandered elsewhere.
Honesty. Loyalty. Kindness. Generosity. Laughter. And Magic.
All of those make up the most powerful jewels known to Pony kind, Mystic thought, having memorized them all last night. The Elements of Harmony, huh?
Mystic remembered how fascinated she was, and still is, about the story of how Twilight and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon.
An old memory from long ago had popped up in her mind. She closed her eyes, seeing herself in her dingy room and saw how the moon never set for a few hours.
Panic had ensued in Imperial City, Mystic could practically hear their screams of how the world was ending.
And then, a few hours later, the sun suddenly came up as if it had been just a nightmare.
Nightmare...
Mystic hadn't had any until that one night when she slept at the Apples' homestead. A chill went down Mystic's spine, the unicorn tried to suppress whatever the livid nightmares she once had back into her mind.
Instead she decided to think on her current situation. As much as she didn't want to go along with the party, maybe it could be a nice distraction and maybe a fun time?
I don't know the last time I had a party was... Mystic thought, unable to help feel nervous. Goodness, I feel so out of my element...
With a gulp, she continued on her way.
"Have a nice day!" Pinkie bubbled as the mare named Amethyst Star left with her order.
"Huh!" Pinkie sighed happily, "It's wonderful to make ponies smile and spread cheer!"
She hopped into the kitchen, grabbed a dishtowel with her mane and headed over to the sink where she began scrubbing some plates.
Normally at this hour, the Cake twins would be upstairs playing with one another. However, they were taken to Daycare for a couple of days due to the Cakes being out of town and business booming at Sugarcube Corner.
Pinkie smiled a little, remembering seeing so many friends in the past few hours. Some from Ponyville and beyond.
However, as Pinkie thought about it some, she focused more on her dishwashing as she thought about the last several days.
The Cakes' babies were getting older, and though they still loved her, they have begun to talk and are more into their own little worlds than playing with her.
Pinkie scrubbed harder, cleaning the dish, and moved onto another plate. She didn't blame them, but for a while, interest in parties has dwindled a little bit in Ponyville.
Pinkie couldn't help but think of what happened to Canterlot. A lot more injuries and damage across Equestria than usual. She did try to cheer them up but they just resided and wanted to be left alone as they took their time away from her.
She tried to understand, but wouldn't they have at least wanted something to spread a little cheer?
Suddenly, the bell to the shop open. Pinkie perked up from her work, she tossed the dishtowel aside and skipped out of the kitchen to the cash register.
"Hello! Welcome to Sugarcube Cor--" Pinkie greeted, but paused with an astounded look when she saw Mystic standing there with a sheepish smile.
"Sugarcube Corner?" Mystic finished for her. "It smells like sugar in here, huh?"
Pinkie shook her head vigorously, snapping out of her shock. "I guess so. So, what're you doing here?"
"Twilight wanted me to start my assignments and connect with you," said Mystic.
"Oh," said Pinkie, smiling, she would've been more excited. "Well, we can start with basic baking and going over my scrapbook. We'll make you one too!"
"Sure."
Pinkie looked over at Mystic, unable to help but still feel hurt about the lies she had been told.
Was she not as efficient in making ponies happy?
She failed multiple times to help Starlight smile and seeing the mare caused a great pit to grow in Pinkie's stomach.
The thoughts were haunting.
Pinkie wondered if someponies just didn't like her parties anymore...
She felt a little selfish dwelling on her problems rather than bonding with the sheepish unicorn right in front of her.
"Pinkie..." said Mystic.
Pinkie smiled again, "Yes Mystic?"
"I just... I'm..." Mystic facehoofed. "I'm very sorry, okay?"
"It's okay!" Pinkie beamed.
"No, it isn't," replied Mystic. "Because of my lies... you... worked so hard to give me a good time with everypony else... and I reacted to having so much on me..."
"Oh, I understand," said Pinkie, placing the bowl of batter on the countertop.
"Well... I wanted to ask you something..."
Mystic had Pinkie's full attention, the pink mare leaned forward. The unicorn awkwardly rubbed her foreleg, "I just... think we all deserve a good time right now... so..." She audibly gulped. "Pinkie... can we still have that party we never had for me?"
Pinkie's eyes lit up, joy swelled within her heart that it threatened to explode. An excited cheer escaped from Pinkie's muzzle and she immediately latched onto Mystic, "Of course! Of course!"
"Pinkie! I can't breathe!" Mystic choked.
"Oh, sorry!" Pinkie put her down and beamed as Mystic tried to catch her breath. "You're wanting to apologize and have fun with everypony?"
Mystic nodded vigorously. "S-Sure! Let's have the party that we'll never forget!"
"Yaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy!" Pinkie leaped high into the air and landed on top of the fridge. "Let's get baking!" She pounded on the door of the fridge, and it popped open, sending out cupcakes and other desserts that looked to have been preserved.
"Y-Yeah!" Mystic held a hoof high, "Let's get baking!"
Maybe things are going to be okay between me and my friends! Pinkie's smile grew, her uneasiness dwindled but still lingered. And it's time to go all out extreme Pinkie style!
"I thought we were going to get baking," said Mystic as she and Pinkie stood outside Sugarcube Corner.
"I almost forgot that we didn't get the welcome wagon out for you!" Pinkie giggled, bringing out a pink and white wagon. "I just hope I put the cake and confetti in the right places this time!" Before Mystic could ask, the wagon opened up to reveal trumpets playing, flags waving along with treats on display.
Pinkie began hopping around and began singing, "Welcome, welcome, welcome A fine welcome to you! Welcome, welcome, welcome, I say how do you do?" A trumpet seemed to pierce through Mystic's ears, making her wince. "Welcome, welcome, welcome, I say hip hip hurray! Welcome, welcome, welcome, To Ponyville today!" Mystic took a step back as Pinkie slid on her knees, stopping in front of her.
"Wait for it!" Pinkie said gleefully.
Suddenly, Mystic got a blast of confetti right in her face and she barely noticed some cake flying shooting up into the air.
"Oh, no!" Mystic cried before she was covered with cake that quickly solidified around her.
She managed to poke her head out and see Pinkie covered in the same substance.
"Oops! I got the cake and confetti in the wrong places again!" she said with a happy grin. "Oh well!" Mystic watched as Pinkie stepped out of the cake that had molded into her shape, open her mouth wider than what she thought possible and gobble the cake in one bite.
"I feel like I'm gonna faint..." Mystic muttered, unable to process this mare's abilities.
Mystic stood over the recently baked cupcakes, her mind still reeling from Pinkie's seemingly supernatural abilities.
First Discord and now this one? she thought, looking up as Pinkie decorated an orange cake that was nearly touching the ceiling of Sugarcube Corner. Are they trying to make me go insane?
She shook her head and began squeezing the icing onto the cupcakes, her mind still wandering.
Get a grip, Mystic! Just keep your head on and make it through this! I've handled things they hadn't seen before!
She heard Pinkie laugh.
"What's so funny?" Mystic demanded, looking up at her.
"Are you trying to decorate the entire counter?" Pinkie giggled.
Mystic paused in her decorating to see that she had squeezed too much orange icing on the cupcakes and some on the countertop.
"Gah!" Mystic facehoofed.
"It's okay!" Pinkie suddenly was next to her. "It's happened to me before!"
"A thousand moons ago?" Mystic deadpanned.
"Nope! Just last night!"
Mystic paused. "I'm not sure how to respond to that."
"Oh! Can you go check on the pies please?" Pinkie asked, now back up the ladder to decorate the cake.
"Fine!" said Mystic, bolting into the kitchen only to see smoke coming from the oven. "Shoot!" She opened the oven only for the pie to explode in her face. She yelped and tumbled back onto her flank.
"Oh! I forgot to say they're harmless exploding pies!" Pinkie called back. "They tend to smoke a lot!"
Mystic noticed that the pie wasn't hot but it was all over her. "Thanks for the tip."
Pinkie trotted into the kitchen, "Oops! Sorry! It's a new recipe and I'm working out the kneads within it!"
"Don't you mean bugs like in a new thing?" Mystic asked, brushing the batter off her face.
"Nope! That wouldn't match with pies!"
"Fair enough," replied Mystic, standing up.
"Now, let's get started with making streamers, plans for a disco dance floor, the fun tubes, the--"
"Wait a disco dance floor?" Mystic asked, "Weren't we just going to have a party?
Pinkie laughed. "Silly Mysty wisty! We'll be decorating all day until tonight!"
"What?!" Mystic's eyes flew wide open.
"Fun for twenty-four hours! Wooooo!" Pinkie hugged Mystic tightly. "The ultimate party is coming!"
Is this how I'm supposed to truly get to know Pinkie? Mystic thought as she stirred the batter. She looked over her shoulder to see Pinkie preparing multicolored streamers at a fast pace. She's really going all out with this party, just for me?
She remembered Twilight's words on how much Pinkie loves making ponies smile and having a good time.
"It doesn't matter now! What's up? If you are sad or blue!" Pinkie sang, "Cause cheering up my friends is what Pinkie's here to do!"
"Why're you singing that?" Mystic asked, seeing that she's covered in batter.
"It helps me concentrate!" Pinkie beamed at her. "I also sing it once a week to Ponyville."
Mystic stirred the batter harder. "Really?"
"Yep! I call it the Smile Song! It's a classic!"
Mystic sighed, stirring faster. Just try and carry out your first assignment, Mystic. I can do this.
Mystic stood at the end of Pinkie's bedroom, completely frozen as Pinkie has blown more than fifty balloons in less than a minute.
"If you want to go and do some more baking, I can totally handle this," said Pinkie. "After all, this is for you!"
Mystic snapped out of her stunned state. "No! I mean, uh, what do you like to do besides planning parties?"
"First I get up! Take care of the babies as I work and cheer up those who really need it! I love hanging out with my friends and I have my favorite jalapeno red velvet cupcakes!"
"Again, gross," Mystic whispered as Pinkie rambled on.
"Oh! And you should totally check out my secret party planning cave!" Pinkie continued, "Oops! I shouldn't have told you that yet!"
"Okay, so what next?" Mystic cut in.
"This!" Pinkie bolted over and pushed a white cupcake next to the staircase. It went down and Mystic suddenly fell through the floor, slid down a slide and crashed on the other side of the room.
"Uuuuhhh," Mystic's stomach swirled. She saw that she was looking up at stalactites growing from a rock ceiling. She groaned as she sat up and saw Pinkie looking through one of the files that were spread across the room filled with balloons, cupcakes and gumdrops decorated the walls, and disco balls hung from the ceiling near the slide. Mystic couldn't believe it. How did this fit into Sugarcube Corner's structure? Were they underground?
"Just needed to get a few more ideas and my contact number for a party this big!" said Pinkie, she turned to Mystic, holding a file in her hoof, "A party deserves the ultimate supreme party planner aside from me!"
"Supreme party planner?" Mystic asked, looking around the planning cave and up to the stalactites. "And isn't this more of a cavern because of the--"
Suddenly, Pinkie was right in her face with a full-on glare, "It's a party planning cave! Not a cavern!"
Mystic sat in a chair, worn out from all of the zipping around and decorating they did inside and out of Ponyville. She had noticed there had been some construction noises around the town but chalked it up to Pinkie being... whatever the hay she was.
"Hasn't this been so much fun, Misty wisty?" Pinkie asked, now finished with decorating the last of the cupcakes.
Oh, please don't tell me she's going to call me that from now on! Mystic thought. She cleared her throat, "Uh? Not sure what to say, but you do put a lot of effort into your parties."
"Annndd I have documented profiles of what all my friends like! I've recently added yours!" Pinkie beamed and holding Mystic's folder to show her.
"That's creepy," Mystic remarked.
"Not in the slightest!" Pinkie declared, tossing the folder back into the entrance to the party cave.
"Well, so far, I've learned you're fast, energetic, have a tremendous memory, and care a lot about parties," said Mystic.
"Oh, and full of laughter! Laughter is the best medicine!" Pinkie began laughing as an example, followed by Mystic's weak, forced chuckle. "You're getting it!"
Mystic looked out the window to see it was nearly sundown. She'd learned about Pinkie's family and wondered how the hay they could even be her family. Aside from Pinkie's antics, the pink mare seemed nice enough but how was she supposed to bond with somepony like that?
She felt a hoof tap her shoulder and knew that it was almost time for the party. She turned to Pinkie whose smile was so bright it filled the room.
"Okay, here's the party title, I'm calling it," Pinkie took a deep breath, "The super extravagant-supreme ultimate I helped save Equestria, the kids, stopped the lions, and welcome to Ponyville party!"
Mystic shook her head vigorously. "Wow, what a mouthful."
"Uh huh! Isn't it great?" Pinkie squeed.
"I don't think it's too much to ask for you to shorten it?" Mystic asked, cringing at her possible reaction.
"Oh, I'll find a way to shorten the party title! It's all for you, anyway!" Pinkie laughed, much to Mystic's relief. She hopped towards Mystic's side, pulling her in for a side hug, "But we will be celebrating every aspect of what you did for us!"
"Can't... wait?" Mystic awkwardly grinned.
"Is this the big guest we're celebrating with?" said a cheerful male voice, once rivaling Pinkie's. Mystic turned to see a taller yellow earth pony with a nearly matching shirt and a brown poofy mane.
"Cheese Sandwich!" Pinkie bubbled. "How wonderful you could make it!"
"I wouldn't want to miss such a party by my super-duper party planner!" Cheese laughed.
Oh no... Mystic thought, slightly lowering onto the floor. There are two energetic party planners?!
"Let's get her to the Cheese-tastic balloon to give her a view of the entire party!" said Cheese.
Suddenly, Mystic felt herself shoved to the middle of Pinkie's bedroom and there was a huge basket in the middle of it.
"V-View?" Mystic asked.
"Yep!" Cheese and Pinkie cheered.
Mystic looked down at the roof of the bakery and how its roof had opened. Then it slid close and shut as if it never had opened.
"Heeerrreee's the ultimate party Ponyville's ever seen!" Pinkie cheered.
Mystic looked up and when she did, her jaw hit the basket's bottom. "Oh. My. Gosh."
In the area surrounding Town Hall there was a huge disco floor with multiple disco balls flashing their different colors across the square. Stands of food, candy, carnival games and bouncy castles were scattered all across Ponyville's square and streets. There were even ferris wheels and other carnival rides towards Twilight's castle.
There were giant balloons of Mystic floating around the town, all of them seemed to be as large as a house. There were fun slides loop-de-looping around the rooftops as well as huge party cannons that sent huge blasts of confetti out.
Suddenly, the feedback of a megaphone rang through Mystic's ears, causing her to cover her ears. She looked over to see Pinkie and Cheese right next to it.
"All right, everypony!" Pinkie exclaimed. "We're here to celebrate the ultimate, most funmazing party Ponyville has ever seen! Hosted by Pinkie Pie--"
"--and Cheese Sandwich!" Cheese added.
"And we're here with the big guest of the evening and all-night party, Mystic!" both party ponies announced.
Mystic nearly passed out when cheers rang out and orange fireworks began popping across the sky.
The balloon descended to the ground and there was an entire crowd of ponies, some even looked to be from outside Ponyville.
"Let's get this party started!" Pinkie and Cheese announced.
Both of them hopped out of the balloon, followed by Mystic who just went along with it.
Then, electronic music mixed in with cello music began emitting from a nearby stage, sending flashing colors of all kinds across the dance floor and the square. Mystic saw a spiky blue haired unicorn behind her DJ-stand and a darker earth pony with a silky black mane.
There was too much energy. It was positive but it was too much.
Everything about Pinkie, Cheese, and the party were all filled with the positive energy as if it were spreading Equestria and beyond.
"Come on, Mystic!" Pinkie cheered, hopping towards the dance floor, "The most energetic party awaits! Just get with the flow and let yourself go!"
Mystic followed Pinkie onto the dance floor where ponies were dancing wildly to the beats, the bright flashing lights were bothersome at first but Mystic focused on Pinkie who was doing all kinds of twirls and somersaults.
Hesitantly, Mystic began to wiggle her flanks and stick out her forelegs. She began to listen to the beat and felt as if it was inviting her to cut loose.
Mystic began to dance even more by moving her entire body and moving her legs in various directions. She began to smile as her heart raced and the adrenaline began to flow.
"Let's do this!" she cried.
Mystic stood on her hindlegs, buried her face into the crook of her right foreleg and stuck her left out as far as she could. Then she lunged forward, twirling on one leg and doing a somersault through the air, landing on her hindlegs again before going laying on her back and spinning on the ground.
"Ha!" she cried, enjoying herself. She got back up, "It's a lot like my moves when I fight!"
The beat went on and Mystic continued to let it carry her.
She didn't know how long she had danced for, but it was fun and fueled her with even more energy. Mystic jumped off the stage, landed on her hindlegs and did one final spin before stumbling away from the stage.
"Hee hee hee!" Pinkie giggled from nearby, "You let the flow carry you!"
Mystic took in a deep breath of air, "Yes I did!"
"And you didn't let those odd looks bother you! I'm proud!" Pinkie giggled.
Odd looks? Mystic thought with a shrug. Suddenly, she felt herself pulled away at high speed. She barely noticed Pinkie dragging her along until she came to a stop at a place that made her jaw drop again.
In the middle of the four-way Ponyville street, was the huge orange cake Pinkie had been working on, along with cakes of various sizes, orange cupcakes, donuts, an orange chocolate fountain, and many more desserts Mystic couldn't make out. Above them was an orange banner with black writing saying "The ultimate thank you and welcome party to Mystic our fun fun guest!"
"Isn't it great?!" Pinkie suddenly appeared in front of the aghast Mystic.
"It..." Mystic shook her head, "I've never seen so many desserts before!"
"I also shortened the title!" Pinkie beamed. Mystic looked to the right to see Cheese Sandwich performing on a stage, standing on a large yellow ball with accordion in his hooves as streamers flowed from the stage.
"Let's dig in!" Pinkie shouted.
"Wait! I want to go try of the other goodies first," Mystic quickly spoke, not wanting a stomach ache so soon.
"Oh, okay!" Pinkie cried, "Let's go blast off from one of Cheese's cannons!"
"What?!"
But it was too late as Cheese already got the word and zipped off down the street behind the cakes and goodies.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Mystic strained as she and Pinkie were in the so called "Cheese supreme cannonball surprise."
"As sure as if my name was Pink and Pie!" Pinkie said with a laugh.
BOOOM!
Mystic felt herself pushed out of the cannon at high speed. The G-forces she felt as she soared through the air made her vision tear up all while Pinkie was laughing and cheering.
As the roofs of Ponyville whizzed by, Mystic saw that they were heading straight for one of the long slides that went all across Ponyville.
Mystic let out a yelp as she and Pinkie landed on their flanks and began sliding. The ride was fast, and nearly made Mystic's stomach flip over. She went around curves, through loop-de-loops and a part that went up and down in a fast matter.
When she came to the end of the slide, she was ejected onto a bouncy castle's roof and she went flying back next to the orange dessert table. She landed on her hooves where Pinkie was waiting for her brightly grinning as always.
"Did you enjoy the trip around Ponyville?!" Pinkie cried.
Mystic opened her mouth but her legs became noodles and she fell flat on her thankfully empty stomach.
The party seemed to stretch on forever even though only a few hours had passed. Mystic sat at a table, trying to make sure she has enough energy to carry on through the night.
A big slice of orange cake slid in front of her. She looked to see a beaming Pinkie.
"Have your first piece of cake we've barely have gotten started!" said Pinkie.
"Wow," said Mystic. She sighed and then took her first bite of the cake without using her fork. Her tastebuds tingled at the taste of it. The sweetness of the icing, the cake, and everything about it made her mouth water. Mystic dug into the cake, not caring about her manners and just ate it in several huge bites.
"Wow!" Pinkie marveled, "You must have loved that cake!"
"It was unlike any cake I've tasted," Mystic admitted with a grin.
"I'll get you another!" Pinkie reached behind her and pulled out another piece.
Mystic's mouth watered even harder. She dug into the cake.
But there was also something else on her mind.
Maybe there's something that can also help me forget about the embarrassing moments at this party... Mystic thought, finishing off the second piece.
"Hey Pinkie," said Mystic.
"Yeah?" Pinkie beamed at her.
"I can't fully get into the party because of pressing matters," said Mystic.
"Huh?" Pinkie asked.
"I think I need to take my mind off of those things and truly get with the flow!" said Mystic.
"Really?" Pinkie's eyes widened in excitement.
"Yeah, I think you do too!" Mystic wrapped a foreleg around Pinkie's neck, "Do you have something that can get us into the party and truly cut loose?"
"Yepperooni! Just follow me!"
Mystic found herself at the back of Ponyville where Pinkie pushed out a table from the shadows, maintaining that bright smile. In the middle of it, there was a bowl that had a pink glow emitting from underneath the lid.
What in the world could be causing that? she thought.
"I don't offer this to many ponies other than those closest to me," said Pinkie, "And for special occasions I let it be used as well. I call it," she pulled off the lid, the bright pink glow causing Mystic to flinch. It looked like a bunch of candy mushed together in a liquid, "The Pinkie Elixir!"
"You're sure this will get us into enjoying the party and focus on nothing else?" Mystic asked.
"It's worked for me multiple times! Even Rainbow Dash and a lot of other ponies," replied Pinkie. She leaned forward, her nose touching Mystic's, "Just do not eat too much of it! It's not your friend if you do!"
"Okay! Okay!" Mystic pulled back, nodding. "I'll just take a few and just enjoy myself."
More than a few helpings of the Elixir, Pinkie and Mystic were laying on their backs laughing and giggling.
"And I said oatmeal are you crazy?!" Pinkie cried.
Mystic laughed. "And I once strolled up to a twister and chugged a drink into it. It never hit the ground!"
Both of then roared in laughter.
"Are you feeling loose and ready to go?!" Pinkie asked, standing up.
Mystic stood up tipsily, "I am ready ready ready!"
Soon, Mystic found herself happily hopping along the streets of Ponyville, keeping up with Pinkie.
"This is so much fun!" Pinkie cried.
"Isn't it?!" Mystic laughed, "I've never hopped so fast before!"
"Check this out!" Pinkie jumped from the ground up onto a rooftop and began jumping all over the roof, down to the street and all around. "Boingy! Boingy! Boing!"
"Let me try that!" Mystic jumped but she ended up crashing into the side of a house. She laid flat on her back but shot right back up, "Hoo! I guess I mistimed it!"
Pinkie and Mystic drank more of the Elixir as they dangled upside down from Town Hall's railing. They giggled like little fillies.
"Hey, why don't you have a coltfriend, Misty?" Pinkie giggled.
"Nopony would have me," Mystic replied in a fake sad tone.
Pinkie blinked multiple times in response and broke out into laughter followed by Mystic.
Pinkie grabbed Mystic by the hoof and jumped down with her and landed on top of a blow-up castle, sending them careening across the sky and onto another one of the fun slides.
"Yaaaaaayyy!" they cheered.
The slide seemed over too quickly as they came to a stop next to a couple of carnival games.
"Mystic?" came a voice.
Giggling, Mystic looked over with wide excited eyes at Spike who was staring at her with a bewildered look.
"Spiky!" she shouted happily, levitating him up.
"Whoa! Whoa! What's going on?" Spike cried.
"It's my party!" Mystic giggled. She turned to some nearby ponies.
"This guy's the little star of the show after me!" Mystic cried, holding the drake up, "Let's stuff him with pudding!"
"Already got it!" Pinkie cheered, appearing in front of her and holding a large tub of chocolate pudding.
"All right!" Spike laughed, "Pudding city!"
"...so, then I was like," Mystic paused, looking around the surrounding streets of Ponyville as the citizens continued to enjoy the party.
"Pinkie?" Mystic called out.
She didn't see Pinkie anywhere.
"Piiiinkiieeeeeee!"
She tipsily began trotting through the streets, avoiding ponies and taking more of Pinkie's Elixir.
"Piiiinkiieeeeeee!"
She saw a dark pink earth pony mare with a purple mane shouting at Pinkie who was smiling all the way and just dancing in a fruit punch bowl.
"Hey! That's my party pony there!" Mystic shouted. "Leave her alone, you slimy snake."
"Excuse me?" the earth pony turned around with a snooty glare. "Who do you think you're talking to?"
"Nopony," Mystic said, forming a glare as best as she could, "I'm talking to nopony."
She gently shoved the earth pony away, but this was enough to send her tumbling back into the table and crashing on top of it.
Pinkie did a backflip in the air and landed next to Mystic with a bright smile.
"So, what're we going to do next?" Pinkie beamed.
"Wherever the flow takes us!" Mystic bubbled. She laughed and Pinkie joined her.
The rest of the night was becoming a blur to Mystic but she was laughing and running around Ponyville.
To where she and the party pony were doing the can-can with a lot of guests on the dance floor. She didn't know how much desserts, drinks, or whatever was at the party she had as she was on a complete sugar rush and the effects of the Elixir were at full effect. She remembered ponies running in a stampede, a cotton candy monster, a huge cake, and several other smaller incidents.
"I can't feel my stomach!" Mystic cheered as she finished splattering some paint onto a nearby cottage. She looked around for Pinkie again but she was nowhere in sight.
"Piiiinkiieeeeeee!"
When she turned to the area surrounding Town Hall, Mystic couldn't believe the sight she was seeing.
Everypony looked like Pinkie Pie.
Way too many Pinkies! she thought. "Guess I'd better find her! It'll be like hide and seek!"
Mystic began hobbling across the Ponyville square, trying not to fall into anypony. She stopped in front of a Pinkie
"Darn it Pinkie, stop sloping off on me!"
"Pinkie?" the pony asked, now revealed to be a grey pegasus mare with wall eyes, "What have you been having?"
Mystic ignored her and continued her search.
"I lost my friend! Do you know where she is?!"
She stopped in front of another pony, "Ha! Found ya, Pinkie!"
"I'm not Pinkie!" the pony said, now revealed to be a brown stallion with an hour glass cutie mark.
Mystic shrugged and continued on her way.
"Anypony seen Pinkie?!"
She didn't receive any response. The Pinkies she saw filling up the square didn't help matters either.
"Pinkie! You... crazy ball of energy!"
Deciding to check Town Hall, Mystic galloped over there, swerving around all of the Pinkies that were in her way.
Suddenly, she felt somepony grab her foreleg, that turned her around from Town Hall and seeing what she assumed was just another pony that looked like her targe.
"Mystic, what're you doing?" Pinkie asked, smiling as usual.
Nope, this was the real Pinkie. Mystic giggled and hugged the party pony, which Pinkie returned with a bone crushing hug.
"How crazy is this night going to get?!" Pinkie beamed.
"I don't know! But I think I know how to make it better!" said Mystic, breaking free from Pinkie and galloping off in the direction of Twilight's castle.
"Wait up!" Pinkie laughed before tripping and falling on her face.
"Catch up!" Mystic called, focusing on the road in front of her.
"Mystic!" Twilight suddenly appeared.
"Oh no!" Mystic cried and galloped off towards an alley.
"Hey, wait up! Come back here missy!" Applejack called in a desperate tone.
"Neeeevveeeerrrr!" Mystic howled in laughter, running and using the wall to keep herself from falling. "You'll never take me alive!" She laughed as a crowd of ponies continued to enjoy the party came into view. Mystic sharply turned to the right to jump over a fence, "I'm an Equestrian!" She tried to lift herself up but her strength gave out and she fell back onto the ground, looking up at the dimly lit sky before she blacked out.
When her mind began waking up, her eyelids felt heavy. Aches were all over her body as her stomach felt like she had eaten a haybale. It swirled, causing Mystic to feel nauseous. She could hear her heartbeat in her pounding head.
"Argh, I wanna die..." Mystic murmured.
She opened her eyes to find herself in a crystalline room with nothing but the bed she laid in, a dresser and a mirror.
The door suddenly opened, revealing Twilight Sparkle.
"Oh!" the alicorn said with a surprised look, "I was wondering when you were going to wake up."
"Morning to you too," Mystic groaned, letting out a belch.
"It's actually one in the afternoon," said Twilight.
Mystic slowly sat up, moving the covers away from her. Her insides groaned and felt as if she needed to use the restroom.
"I take it you had a good party?" Twilight asked.
Mystic shrugged, "It was... I don't know what came over me."
"Well, you created quite a stir at the party last night," said Twilight. "You're lucky nopony was hurt."
"No, I didn't," replied Mystic.
"You did so."
"I did?"
"You did."
"Wellllll," Mystic waved her off. "I don't remember."
"Be sure you rest well and use the restroom when you need to. It's two doors down from the left," said Twilight.
Mystic nodded. "Okay."
"Be well, I'll let Spike know you're awake."
Mystic waved her off again and the alicorn left. She slumped her head into her hooves. "Oh, gosh, what the hay, Mystic?"
She heard somepony shuffle next to her. Mystic turned and saw Pinkie was weakly sitting up with a smile on her face.
"Didn't I tell you that dish wasn't your friend if you ate too much of it?" Pinkie groaned.
"Yes..." replied Mystic. "Yes, you did."
"I thought you were just going to get a few."
"Well, in my defense, the first few dishes were quiet before things got out of hoof," Mystic returned the smile.
Pinkie only responded by leaning onto Mystic's shoulder, falling asleep on the spot.
Mystic sighed, and allowed her to stay as she tried to recover her strength.
Gosh, Mystic, you are such a moron... |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 5 - More troubles | As the sun hung in the sky, Starlight had been walking through the streets of Ponyville as an attempt to get out of the castle for some fresh air.
You hadn't been outside in more than a week, she thought, taking in a deep breath. I hope this will liven me up more.
Starlight remembered seeing the massive party that had took place the night before. She barely got any sleep until she went into the basement. Her back ached from sleeping on the floor but it was worth it to her. The streets still had confetti and streamers scattered across them, but she saw Cheese Sandwich with several of his helpers cleaning it all up.
At least everything else is gone, Starlight thought, beginning to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere that had returned to Ponyville. At least everything's back to normal!
She might have had mishaps in that land that was such a bad dream and doing something she doesn't care about. It's all in the past. Starlight took in a deep breath, smelling the beautiful scent of lilies and roses from the nearby flower shop.
However, somepony crossed in front of her, causing her to let out a small meep of nervousness. She trotted forward, only to screech to a halt when a couple of ponies were carrying a couch from Quills and Sofas.
No need to be nervous! Starlight thought as the ponies passed by, I'm back in my normal life!
She continued down the streets. She could see the marketplace close by, as well as make out Cheerilee, the Cakes, Bulk Biceps, and Vinyl Scratch bobbing her head to her tunes.
I still can't believe Twilight tried to get me to be friends with her, Starlight thought with a giggle.
Starlight began to think of her kites and how she could probably start a class surrounding them. The thought made her happy and she remembered when she first flew her first kite with...
Sunburst.
Starlight's face fell and the happy feeling faded away.
They still haven't found him, Starlight's thoughts continued. Do they not even care enough to try as hard as they could? I should've helped find him!
But at the same time, he probably hated her. The look of pure hatred on his face bore into her mind. Her nightmares might be accurate about that one detail of all her screw ups lately. It was a miracle she was even still here.
Just shows how much better these ponies are than I, she thought.
Suddenly she bumped into somepony. She grunted and she heard a monotone grunt. She almost gasped as she stepped back to come face to face with--
"Oh hey, Maud!" Starlight laughed nervously. "I-I was just uhm walking around town!" She grinned widely, "What're you doing here?"
"Boulder wanted to go out for a walk," said Maud, pulling her pet rock out of her pocket.
"That's great!" Starlight beamed, leaning down to Boulder, "How're you doing, Boulder? Meet any new rock friends lately?"
"Some," said Maud, causing Starlight to stand up straight again. "They started telling stories among each other."
Keep it cool, Starlight thought. "What's better than stories among friends?" Starlight sheepishly chuckled. Maud didn't chuckle or even crack a smile. Starlight couldn't even detect it within the almost emotionless looking pony.
"Rock candy and tea with stories," said Maud.
"Oh!" Starlight playfully spat a raspberry, "Of course!"
Maud didn't respond except with a blink. Starlight stood there smiling sheepishly as she and her friend stood there without saying a world.
"So, do you want to hang out? Catch up?" Starlight asked.
Maud just stared at her and Starlight swore she was surprised within that stoic gaze.
"Is has been a while," said Maud. "Are you okay?"
"Never better!" Starlight beamed, "Don't worry about me. I'm good! Peachy!"
Maud blinked. Starlight bit the bottom of her lip, nervous whether if she would reject her invite or walk away.
"If we tell each other stories in good company," said Maud.
"It's a deal!" Starlight said.
"Then let's get moving," said Maud.
Starlight nodded vigorously. Maud began to walk off and Starlight followed a couple of feet behind.
"As long as it isn't about Oogundaa," Starlight mumbled under her breath.
"-and that's how I met Boulder," said Maud as Starlight walked next to her, "A tale of blood, heroism, and storms."
"Wow," Starlight chuckled, "I didn't know Boulder helped you get back home after a week of being lost."
"More like stranded and lost because of the storms," said Maud, "My family was out for the week so they had no idea I was lost."
Starlight held back a shudder, not wanting to think of what could've happened on that day. "The story gives me more appreciation for Boulder, that's for sure."
At that, Starlight saw a smile break onto Maud's face. Maud was such a sweet pony underneath her exterior once you got to know her, and that gave Starlight a warm heart.
"Are you going to tell me about the time you left home recently?" Maud asked.
And the warmness was snuffed out. A chill ran down Starlight's spine. "Uh, why would you want to know that?"
"Because you mentioned Oogundaa after we agreed to catch up," said Maud.
Oh snap! Starlight thought, She heard that?! "Uh, hey, Maud, do you want to get something to eat? A snack or something?"
"I had lunch and some of my favorite snack before Boulder and I went walking," said Maud.
"Oh, I was talking more about myself!" Starlight waved her off, "I haven't had anything today so far."
Maud just stood there, unblinking. Starlight could detect some annoyance coming from her friend.
"Tell me what happened in Oogundaa," Maud said. Sternness could be heard in her monotone voice.
Starlight knew Maud wouldn't let up on her. Her heart began to race, she tried to think of something but Maud's gaze bore right into her soul. She had to say something.
"All right," said Starlight, walking over to a nearby bench.
Starlight sat down on the bench followed by Maud. Both were silent for a little while as Starlight took in the sights of Ponyville's park.
"Why have you been hiding from us?" Maud asked.
Starlight perked up. "What?!" She looked at Maud, "I haven't!"
"Uh huh." Sarcasm. "Why did you go to Oogundaa?"
"I-It was Nightfall! He tricked me into thinking I could go out there!"
"And?"
Starlight held back a grimace. "A-And I was doing some research and I stupidly decided to listen to him and go out there myself."
"That's not all, is it?" Maud asked, slightly narrowing her eyes.
"Maud, I'm fine! I'm way beyond okay!"
"That's the fourth time you mentioned it since we began walking to the park."
Starlight felt her cheeks flush. "I-I..."
"We both agreed not to talk about each other's feelings," said Maud. "But I want you to know that I care for you and wish to help if you need it."
"O-Of course!" Starlight nodded
"W-Well, I was in Oogundaa but I-I was completely stupid and probably under a spell that..."
"I know," said Maud.
Starlight shrank back. "Y-You do?"
"I know enough," said Maud, slightly leaning forward. "You went far off looking for an unknown ingredient, didn't you?"
Starlight sat there, unable to respond to the question.
"Maud sense," said Maud, "I can know where anypony is and why they were there. Details can be vague, but I do know you were looking for something." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you saying there really was a spell that made you go out there? Or was it just an excuse to justify whatever you did?"
Starlight whimpered, not wanting to continue this conversation. She didn't show up in time for the Gala and Maud must've tried to find out as best she could where she was. Her nightmares of ponies knowing what she tried to do was coming true.
"Everypony will know what you did and tried to do, Starlight!" Nightfall's voice echoed.
"And you went out there and Sunburst disappeared?" Maud asked. Starlight could detect a little anger from the monotone mare.
"I didn't know that he would be out there!" Starlight insisted, "I didn't see anypony until Twilight and the others arrived, honest!"
"I see," Maud snapped, which Starlight picked up after a while of knowing her. "Did you consider things he might have said to you?"
"What's it to you to know what I was up to?" Starlight asked, louder than what she wanted, causing her to freeze with shock. "Maud, I didn't mean to..."
"Excuse me, I was just concerned about you, Starlight Glimmer," said Maud.
Starlight sighed, "I know, I just feel like I'm acting a little coo-coo right now!"
Both ponies sat there on the bench. Starlight swore she could cut the tension around them with a knife.
"Why didn't you come see us right away?" Maud suddenly asked.
"I-I was planning on coming out to see you and Trix! Honest!" Starlight held her chest and a hoof up, "I was just... preparing for counseling tomorrow!" It wasn't a lie.
"So, you forgot about me," said Maud.
"No! I'd never forget about you," Starlight insisted, "You know that, Maud! I was just..."
"Might as well say you forgot about your friends, too."
"No! I didn't forget about you or Trix!"
"Then why didn't you bother letting us be there for you?" Maud asked, "You had us worried sick."
"I know! I was just being inconsiderate and..."
"And nothing," said Maud, "Inconsiderate yes, but just shutting everypony out was smelly like sulfur ten times over."
She's angry at me, Starlight thought with a grimace. I should've known she would be mad at me!
"I-I can accept you're upset with me, but I just want you to admit that you really do know what I was doing in Oogundaa!" said Starlight.
"Did I though?" Maud asked.
Starlight's eyes widened with some fury, "Come on, Maud! What's that Maud sense telling you? That I screwed up again?!"
"Don't. Yell at me," Maud said, narrowing her eyes.
Starlight's anger dwindled, "I... Maud, I just..."
"The fact that you just shut us out and when we weren't there to help you," Maud slowly shook her head.
"Maud, I can explain!"
"Then explain."
Starlight froze. How was she going to tell Maud that she dug up a corpse to bring it back to life and bring her mother back from the grave herself?
Say it! Starlight! Say it! Starlight thought. But her mouth would not open.
Maud let out a sigh. "That's what I thought." Starlight could tell she was still angry with her. Maud got up from the bench.
Starlight lunged for her, landing on her stomach as she grabbed onto Maud's hindlegs. The rock pony turned back at her with a hard look in her stoic eyes. "Let go of me, Starlight Glimmer, or do you want me to forget about you, too?"
Starlight whimpered and reluctantly let go. Maud turned and headed towards the door. However, when she reached it, she turned back to Starlight with a softer look.
"I have one last question to ask you," said Maud. "Was it all worth it?"
Starlight watched Maud leave the park. She laid there, frozen and processing what had happened.
A wave of sadness, regret and anger washed over the unicorn. She held her head and gritted her teeth, "How could I just let her go? I need to make amends!" She got up to run after her but stopped before she made a move.
Maud needs time... she thought, letting out a small curse, she hated it but her friend needed it. If she could even call her that anymore.
As if the universe were taunting her, she imagined the disappointed look on her parents' and Twilight's faces.
Starlight began walking out of the park. Oh, great job, Starlight. I'm selfish and Maud doesn't want to be... She dared not to think about that. What am I saying?! We just had a little fight as all friends do. But Nightfall's words about ponies knowing of her actions came to mind again. Starlight whimpered. How much does she know?! How much does everypony else know?!
She looked up at the nearby fillies running around the grassy fields, Lyra and Sweetie Drops were walking on a nearby pathway, and other ponies were having a picnic. Starlight's heart began to race.
Do they know about what I did and are just being polite about it?! Starlight thought, beginning to panic. "Stop stressing." She tried to breathe. "Stop stressing!" She paused and realized she had screamed. A sense of dejà vu overcame her as she sheepishly looked around the ponies who had stopped to look at her. She galloped off and slowed to a stop in downtown Ponyville close to its restaurants.
The unicorn saw Ponyville's cafe that she and her friends usually hung out, and almost as if it were a magnet, Starlight decided to sit down and just sulk. Maybe order a meal, too.
She noticed the waiters didn't come to her right away, but in that moment, her thoughts went back to her mother again.
But how could I be sure if she's truly happy or not? Starlight thought. Is she out there, watching me? Does she still love me? Starlight allowed her face to slam onto the table. I need to counsel again to clear my head. |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 6 - Starting school | Mystic still felt like her entire body was weighing her down. Her legs slowly trudged along the floor of the students' sleeping quarters. She had spent most of the day recovering from a prolonged sugar crash by lying in bed and eating healthy again.
That was the most embarrassing time of my life, Mystic thought. But at least that energetic ball got to throw that party.
And would hopefully stay off her back a little more.
She had heard most ponies stayed inside all day because of the party and there was not one party that matched up to the one she experienced the night before.
Pinkie, who had somehow recovered, helped Mystic during her time. As much as she didn't want that, Mystic was grateful to be walking again because of her efforts.
She does have a good heart, Mystic thought.
A door opened from down the hall, revealing Twilight Sparkle carrying some papers in her magic.
"Oh, there you are," Twilight smiled as she walked over.
"Yeah, here I am," Mystic said with a yawn.
"Are you feeling okay, Mystic?" Twilight asked.
"Fine. Just tired."
"Really?" Twilight giggled.
Mystic rolled her eyes. "No, I'm just itching to fall asleep to get started tomorrow."
"Okay, good. I'll see you tomorrow morning and remember the most important thing!"
"Do well, be polite, get good grades?" Mystic asked.
Twilight giggled, "Have fun and make friends!"
Mystic rolled her eyes, "Of course."
"See you tomorrow!"
Twilight closed the door, leaving Mystic behind. The unicorn turned to her bed and fell onto it.
She was out within seconds.
As he walked down the corridor to the cafeteria, Sandbar let out a yawn.
Mornings were Sandbar's least favorite part of school because they make you drag when you're supposed to have breakfast and get to your first class.
At least it's Pinkie's class, he thought. Her energy gets him pumped up and ready to plow through the rest of the day. So, it was worth it.
"Uhmph!" he bumped into somecreature.
"Hey! Watch it!" a voice said, which Sandbar identified as Smolder.
Sandbar yawned, "Sorry, Smolder I didn't see you."
"I was almost in the middle of the hallway!" Smolder said as she looked out from behind a stack of books that thankfully weren't on the ground.
Sandbar wanted to object, but he decided he was too tired to do so. "I'm sorry, Smolder."
Smolder just let out smoke through her nostrils.
"Anyway," said Sandbar, "I'm looking forward to being back with all of you. Maybe we can have a better time unlike last night?"
Smolder rolled her eyes, "If you mean just studying and taking quizzes together, then I'm totally fine. Just stay out of my way when I'm going down the hall, okay?"
Sandbar slightly reeled back, stepping back from the dragoness. "Okay, okay! I said I was sorry."
"Whatever, I've got to put these books in one of the classrooms," said Smolder, walking down the hall.
"See you later?" Sandbar called. Smolder didn't reply. What's gotten her worked up?
A little while later, Sandbar reached the cafeteria doors. He opened them to reveal the tables lining up in the cafeteria and Pinkie behind the food stand. Sandbar took a quick glance and saw Ocellus sitting nearby reading a book with a plate of pancakes and syrup in front of her. Sandbar smiled and trotted over.
"Hey," he said in a soft tone.
Ocellus jumped with a light squeal. Her wide eyes looked over in his direction.
"Oh, hi Sandbar," the shy changeling spoke.
"Hi Ocellus," said Sandbar, "Are you excited to be back in school? Excited to get back into the books and tests?"
"Mmm hmm," Ocellus weakly nodded and went back to her book. She was quiet. That was weird.
"You okay?"
"Just trying to concentrate," Ocellus muttered.
Sandbar couldn't help but think it was something else. "Are you sure?"
Ocellus dug her head back into the book, making it clear she wanted to be left alone. He sighed and left the changeling alone.
As he walked up to get his breakfast, he noticed Silverstream sitting a few tables down and not smiling as her usual chipper self. He waved at her hoping to get a cheerful smile from her, but all he got was a nod before she went back to eating.
What is with everycreature? Did we have a fight I don't know about? Sandbar thought. It was the same last night, they reunited and weren't as happy being back at the school. I don't understand...
Sandbar got in line for the food, he heard the doors open. He turned and saw a disgruntled Gallus enter the cafeteria.
Sandbar remembered that Gallus barely spoke last night. He claimed he was tired from the journey but maybe there was more to that.
He would get a moment with the griffon as he landed right behind him.
"Get a good night's sleep?" Sandbar asked.
"Fine," Gallus grumbled. "Could've been better."
"Was I snoring again? Sandbar winced.
Gallus sighed, "No."
"That's good," Sandbar said with a sigh of relief, "Are we going to our favorite spot with our other friends?"
"I just want to get back into school first," replied Gallus.
"Really? But you don't usually get too into school."
"Just let me wake up before I fully talk," Gallus grumbled again, yawning but Sandbar could tell it was fake.
Sandbar walked over to where they all usually sat, but there wasn't anycreature there. He sighed and sat down in his chair. He frowned at his pancakes; this was not how things were supposed to--
Thud!
Sandbar jumped at the table shifting.
"Hi Sandbar!" said a rough feminine voice. It was Yona, smiling ever brightly at him. "Least you're here! Makes morning better!"
Sandbar lightly blushed and he tried to hide it with clearing his throat. "Hi, Yona. It's great to see you again."
"Yona happy to see Sandbar!" the yak declared, grabbing her pancakes and stuffing them into her mouth. Some of the syrup splattered onto Sandbar, causing him to flinch but smile anyway.
"Remember not to talk with your mouth full," he said.
"Mmm hmm!" Yona nodded.
Sandbar patiently waited for Yona to finish munching on her pancakes. When she did, he grabbed his fork and stabbed it into the pile.
"I'm certainly looking forward to getting back to school," said Sandbar.
"Yona too!" the yak beamed, "But mostly because of friends!"
"I hear Mystic is going to be here," said Sandbar. "A new student, Yona!"
"Yona excited for new student!" Yona laughed, pounding the table in excitement.
I hope we can all make a good impression on her, Sandbar thought. She helped save Equestria! He looked over at Gallus who sat two tables down from where they were. I have no doubt the others want to do the same.
Mystic opened her sleepy eyes and wiped the crust off them. The sun's light streamed into her room. Stretching and letting out a yawn, she turned over to her side. Her body felt normal and strong again in a strong contrast to what it was before. Mystic sat up and stretched. She got up and put on her spare outfit but without her belt and weapons.
The School bell rang. Mystic gazed at the clock and it's 7:05am.
"I guess they ring it to make sure the others are up," she muttered.
With no time to waste, Mystic opened her door and stepped into the hallway.
After having some breakfast, Mystic headed to the school plaza where several students were talking and playing with one another.
She looked at a class schedule and saw that Pinkie's class was first.
Fantastic, Mystic thought with a grimace.
This school wasn't like other schools Mystic had seen before. All of the students seemed to get along, there was a positive atmosphere, and there was an occasional confetti cannon explosion along with some birds flying in and out of the facility.
But she didn't want to focus on making friends, she just wanted to learn and not try that. However, she knew she would have to eventually.
The second class was Rainbow's loyalty class. Her classroom was sky and sports themed with hoops hanging from the ceiling and boxes of balls and equipment in various parts of the room. Mystic sat in the back, just staring off into space.
All that had ever mattered to her was loyalty. She knew too much about it. The unicorn didn't pay attention to Rainbow going over her lesson and doing some tricks above the class.
Even a showoff in her classes, she thought, looking down at her notepad and did a quick review of the notes she tried to take in Pinkie's class. But they were a little jumbled due to her having fresh memories of the wild party.
After Rainbow's class, the students had a fifteen-minute break before Fluttershy's class.
She used this time to sit at a table in the library, Mystic repeated the Elements of Harmony she'd learned for the umpteenth time and looked through the Friendship Guide.
Learn those Elements and use them to solve friendship problems, she thought, having learned it.
"Hellllooo!" a cheery voice rang out.
Mystic gasped and looked up to see a hippogriff with wide excited eyes. Then, she saw a young yak next to the creature in front of her.
"I'm Silverstream!" the hippogriff laughed, "I'm just ecstatic to finally have a chance to meet you!"
"Yona is too!" said the yak, beaming. "Can't wait to get to know new friend!"
Mystic wanted to stomp off from the sudden intrusion. She wasn't used to having other creatures so close to her like this.
An old bile rose within her chest. She always had something against creatures. All of them were the same regardless of their intent, including ponies.
"Yona can't wait to tell new pony all about Yakyakistan!" Yona beamed.
"I know enough," Mystic muttered to herself that Yona didn't hear.
"And all about Mount Aris, oh-oh and all about plumbing that I recently learned about!" Silverstream laughed.
Oh, these must be some of the creatures that helped save this nation, Mystic thought, looking at the hippogriff and yak. There was a sense of respect for these kids going so far.
"Is there anything you need besides wanting to talk to me that keeps me from studying?" Mystic asked.
"Oh, yes!" Silverstream said excitedly, throwing a talon in the air, "I was thinking we could do some note taking from each other!"
Yona nodded in agreement, "And maybe show pony out of pony land how friendship is with other friends!"
Mystic sighed, closing her notebook. "Look, I appreciate what you two want to do, but I..."
"But I can help with your notes!" Silverstream cheered, "Did you know that the Tree of Harmony was planted by the Pillars of Equestria? Oh, and how they grew the Elements?"
"I had no idea," Mystic lied, getting up, taking her guide and notebook with her.
"Oh, this is gonna be so awesome!" Silverstream hovered next to her, "I can show you how amazing stairs are! At the Castle of the Two sisters, how the Tree has a connection to us and--" Mystic placed a hoof on the hippogriff's beak.
"And I think you need to give me some space," said Mystic.
"Yona need lots of space for optimal smashing!" Yona said proudly, from Mystic's left.
"I can imagine why."
"Speaking of which, has Silverstream been practicing more of yak language?" Yona asked.
"Yakka yakity yick!" Silverstream spoke, causing Mystic to stop in her tracks but Yona laughed.
"You getting it! Yaka yak, Silverstream!" the young yak said.
"I have no idea how to respond to that," Mystic muttered. She resumed her walking, looking at her class schedule to see that honesty class was next.
"Mystic, don't you want to learn yak language?" Silverstream asked, she gasped, and flew in front of the mare, "Are you an expert?! You travel all over!"
"Sure," replied Mystic.
"Let hear it!" Yona said.
Mystic paused. "Now?"
"Mmm-hmm!" the two students said.
"Well, I think I'll tell you later, but I gotta go, I'm late!" Mystic took off.
"But we had five more minutes!" Silverstream called.
Mystic slowed down and wiped her forehead free from sweat, "Who knew if I would say something offensive in yak?" She was getting closer to the honesty class and saw several students walking in, and she could see in a huge apple tree in the middle of the room. Not really surprising.
"Hey Mystic!" said a pony which Mystic remembered as Sandbar. "It's great to finally have you here."
"Likewise," Mystic said halfheartedly. Behind him, she saw a blue griffon and orange dragoness having frowns on their faces, who Mystic knew as Gallus and Smolder. She saw that they had somewhat of a scowl on both of their faces. But the moment, Gallus laid eyes on Mystic, he smiled.
"Hey!" Gallus shouted, "New student, huh?"
"Yeah, and you might remember me," said Mystic.
Gallus chuckled, "Yeah, I do."
Smolder huffed in response, crossing her arms and looking away.
"This is gonna be so sweet!" Gallus smirked, "I can finally show off my buckball skills to another sight-seer of my awesomeness."
That caused Smolder to look at him, "Hey, you know I give you a run for your bits."
"Oh, it's so on after school today!"
"I'll try not to go too hard on you," Smolder said with a light glare, though she had a frown on her face. She looked at Mystic, huffed and just turned off to the classroom.
"What's with her?" Mystic asked.
"Oh, she can be a little huffy," said Sandbar, while Gallus just shrugged, a bit of an offended look in his eyes.
Mystic couldn't help but notice that there was some tension between the creatures. Oddly, it gave her some sense of satisfaction knowing that what she believed could be true.
But with what she saw with the Mane Six, the wolves and impalas giving assistance, she decided to stay silent.
"Anything you want to do later today?" Sandbar asked, snapping Mystic out of her thoughts.
"I was just wanting to study and get a grasp on this friendship stuff," replied Mystic, walking forward.
"Oh, we could tell you more about it and show it in action on how well creatures could be friends."
Mystic shrugged, "I'll pass on that."
"Who needs to study when we can just play all afternoon long?" Gallus flew ahead of her. Mystic didn't reply as she entered Applejack's classroom, the moment she did, she noticed the floor was covered in hay. She looked up to see Gallus and Sandbar decided to take a seat, while Gallus had a scowl on his face. Oddly, the seats were haystacks.
When Mystic took her seat in the back of the class, Applejack trotted into the room.
"Howdy class!" she announced, "Y'all ready ta start?"
"Yes, Professor Applejack," the students said in unison apart from Gallus and Mystic.
"Now," said Applejack, "While we have a new student here, we're gonna have a brief recap of our previous lessons." She pointed at Mystic, "Ah'd like ta introduce Mystic, our new student. Let's all give'er a warm welcome."
The students all smiled at her and clapped for her. Mystic just smiled and wave, feeling a little embarrassed.
"All right," said Applejack, gaining everycreature's attention. "Last time we talked about honesty havin' no partiality." She cleared her throat, "When bein' honest, ya need to be remember ta be as honest to the best of y'all's abilities, even if it might hurt somepony else. But, tellin' the truth even when it hurts, can save y'all from a lie that would getcha in deeper trouble."
A student raised her hoof, "I've been telling the truth to my parents and they ended up improving various parts of their lives."
"Same with my friends outside of Ponyville," said another student.
Mystic tapped her chin, thinking of the what she had experienced. What Applejack was teaching seemed wrong and Mystic herself had to lie to protect, save lives, and more.
"As you can see class, there ain't no partiality with honesty," said Applejack.
"But there likely is," said Mystic, raising her hoof.
At this, Applejack looked at her and Mystic saw the other students turn her direction.
"Do ya have somethin' ta share, Mystic?" Applejack asked.
"Yes," said Mystic, "There always has to be a partiality with some of your qualities you talk about. If you were in a life or death situation, would you lie or tell the enemy of where your allies are? What then? Would you compromise your morals for a minute when you know if you told those who oppose you the truth, it could mean the end for your loved ones?" She cleared her throat, "Sometimes, in order to do what you need to do, you need to compromise your morals."
"That's an interesting observation," said one of the students. "Last week I told somepony a lie to spare their feelings and somepony else got what she always wanted through a lie but is prospering having reaching her dream."
The students became murmuring among themselves. Mystic never took her gaze off of Applejack who seemed surprised about what had stirred up in her class.
"The world is a complicated mess," said Mystic, "There are some things that may or won't be settled by friendship and honesty."
The students' murmuring grew louder. Applejack tapped on her desk, gaining everycreature's attention.
"Moral ambiguities, huh?" Applejack asked. "Well, let me tell y'all what Ah believe." She cleared her throat, "While we ponies and creatures might not be perfect, we all can work together to find and defend the best ways to maintain harmony." She looked at Mystic, "We might stretch the truth, tell white lies that are lies regardless, and lie in certain situations to protect others, but we do the best we can to keep our ways o' harmony goin' fer generations. We might feel the consequences of our lies one day, and that doesn't make it okay to do any o' that stuff, but just be the best ya can be in y'all's imperfect ways." She took off her hat, "Ah know the feelin' believe me."
Mystic and the students went silent. She hadn't expected an answer from the apple farmer. Around her, students clapped for their teacher. Mystic couldn't help but lightly clap in return, impressed by the farmer's comeback.
"Now, let's get ready fer the next lesson Ah planned out," said Applejack.
As Mystic walked to her next class, she passed by to see the headmare's door cracked open.
Curious, Mystic looked in to see Twilight and Starlight, both facing away from the door. Mystic noticed that the pinkish unicorn's head is hanging low and Twilight talking to her. Starlight waved Twilight off with a hoof, standing up and stepping away.
Mystic decided to back off. She grabbed the doorknob and shut the door quietly. Trotting off, Mystic took a look back to see Starlight walking out with a neutral expression.
It's not my problem, Mystic thought.
She watched Starlight walk down the corridor.
"Counseling is easy, counseling is something I enjoy," Starlight whispered. "I can continue doing it." She sounded uncertain to Mystic.
The unicorn turned to one of the doors, opening it and entering the room, shutting it behind her.
After the creatures tried to speak with her for the third time that day, Mystic walked into the school's lounge. She was annoyed by their antics but she had something on her mind that she had considered once in a while in the past week.
Did I hang out with a lot of the Liberators other than Cierra and the other three that were high ranks? she thought. It was an interesting one, but she was certain that she had connections besides them. She recalled one that... she grimaced, remembering when she had to mercy kill her. Are there any others?
"Hey," said a soft voice.
Mystic looked to her right and saw the pale female changeling sitting in a couch in front of a table.
"Mystic," said the changeling, "We've met before, remember?"
"I do remember," replied Mystic, trying to keep her disdain of creatures hidden.
"I-I'm Ocellus," said Ocellus, "Would you like to join me and talk a little?"
Mystic was about to say no, but decided to hold back on that answer. She has another question on her mind she would like to hear from a creature, and this could be an opportunity. It could prove that friendship between creatures wouldn't work.
Mystic hesitantly accepted the young changeling's invitation and sat down across from her.
"Glad you could join me," Ocellus smiled.
"Me too," Mystic said out of politeness. "I think your friends are all up in my face about getting to know me."
To her surprise, the changeling giggled.
"Oh, they're just excited to have a new classmate," said Ocellus, "Especially a stranger that showed up all strong and powerful and helped save the nation?" Ocellus' smile grew, "What's not to be excited about?" She composed herself and cleared her throat, "But I didn't want to take that approach."
"That's thoughtful," said Mystic, opening one of her books not intending to read. She didn't need to mention that this changeling was a lot like Fluttershy. Come on, I need to ask her something.
"I'd like to be your friend and get to know you more," said Ocellus.
Mystic nodded, "A common thing around here."
Ocellus giggled again, "Straight to the point. I love studying and learning all about history."
This caught Mystic's interest, "You do?"
"Yeah. I love Equestrian history and all of the historical figures. Did you know that Starswirl and the Pillars of Equestria are in modern day right now?"
Mystic remembered reading about them in her friendship journals, her eyes widened. "What?! But aren't they..."
"Supposed to be over a thousand years old?" Ocellus asked, "I know, but they were stuck in limbo and recently released."
Mystic's jaw dropped. Limbo?! Does that mean other worlds are out there?
She shook her head vigorously and composed herself, "I do some studying of my own."
"I know, you told us about some of the creatures you've studied," said Ocellus, "I thought would could bond over that."
A study partner, huh? Mystic thought, smiling a little. Maybe that would be an interesting idea. "I'll consider that."
"Take your time, there can be a lot of studying and homework, but it's so fun!" Ocellus squealed.
Ask the question, Mystic!
Mystic cleared her throat and took in a deep breath.
"What if this whole friendship thing is a lie?" Mystic asked, "What if it won't last and just crumble like everything else?"
This caused the changeling to pause. Could she have worded that not as abruptly? Mystic knew the gears were turning in her head. Ocellus tapped her chin and finally looked Mystic in the eye.
"I believe friendship is the most real thing that's ever happened to me and my friends," said Ocellus, "It can be hard work, but I think without friends' things would be a lot harder."
Even though the answer wasn't completely satisfactory, Mystic did pause and give it some thought. Hard work on friendship and working to maintain them? Her Liberators believes in something yet it had failed, but how could it have been if they had stuck to their codes? Would they have succeeded?
I'm still so confused, Mystic thought.
"Mystic?" Ocellus spoke up.
"Oh, right," said Mystic, "I was just thinking." She stood up, "Thanks for your time." She left without another word, the words from the changeling echoing in her head.
The following day, Mystic went through the morning's classes.
I have found my place and way of life, Mystic thought, having mentally repeated it to herself for the past week. She felt confident and content. But something in the back of her mind was thinking otherwise. She brushed them off and went back to the studies she had to do.
Having already eaten a take-out lunch, Mystic sat at a desk, and taking notes she had taken from the first few classes and the friendship journal.
The journal held a lot of information and she could not only see but also feel the passion these six ponies, especially Twilight have put into teaching friendship.
She chuckled, remembering how several students got loose fur from the shaggy dogs all in their coats.
Just have to keep quiet and out of the way, Mystic thought. I'll get through this.
While the lessons have been informative, they sometimes seemed silly or simple. But the other students just seemed to enjoy them. Mystic had kept her mouth shut unless she was asked a question.
Some of the lessons felt as if she had learned them before, but from a very familiar source known as Sunshine Smiles.
Mystic paused in her writing, thinking of the filly and couldn't help but find a little amusement in the filly seeing her older friend in a school. She chuckled at the thought.
"Hey, you there!" said a rude voice.
Mystic glanced to see two colts walking over. It immediately clicked in her mind that these were Starry and Lucky. She went back to her book.
"Look at us when we're talking!" said a second voice.
Mystic looked up with an impassive look. A memory of defending Sunshine emerged when she looked right into their souls. The one on the left had to be Lucky and the one on the right had to be Starry.
"Oh, you're the rich pony's sons I've heard about, huh?" Mystic asked.
"Yeah, and you're the blank flank teen we've heard about," Starry retorted.
Mystic's eyes slightly widened. "How do you know that?"
"We have our ways, you talentless freak!"
"You don't belong here," Lucky snarled.
"I know," replied Mystic. "But you're going to be stuck with me for a while."
"Did you not hear what I said?" Starry demanded.
"I did," replied Mystic, turning back to her studies. "And I've figured out my way in life. I don't need a cutie mark."
"Look at us when we're talking!" Starry shouted.
Mystic ignored them, scribbling more notes.
Lucky shoved Mystic's notes and books off the table.
"You listen to us when we're talking!"
"Are you talking?" Mystic looked up at them with a light glare, "I couldn't tell from the babbling."
Lucky raised his hoof but Mystic lit her horn, grabbing it and placing him back onto the floor next to Starry. Both of them fumed at her.
"You tried to hit me?" Mystic asked, raising an eyebrow. "I could have both of you reported for harassment. But I don't have time for you." She stood up, levitating all her stuff off the floor. "Besides, I wouldn't have felt it."
"Yeah, right!" Starry spat.
Mystic chuckled. "Try lifting rocks with your back all day long, and then we'll talk."
"You look like a guy," Lucky stated.
Mystic paused.
She let out a laugh.
"Wow, how original! I thought I'd never hear that again," she said, though it wasn't true. "It seems you snotty freaks need to work on your antics."
"We won't be told what to do by a blank flank!" Starry hissed, "Do you not know who we are? Who our father is?"
"I don't give a rat's tail of who you claim you supposedly are," said Mystic. "Or who the hay your puffed-up dad is." That caused the bullies' eyes to widen with fury, but Mystic cut in, "Don't repeat what you've said in a more aggressive matter. I've seen ponies like you before."
"You have no right to speak to us this way!" Lucky pointed at her.
"As far as I'm concerned," Mystic completely faced them. "Bullies are just cowards that pick on those who think are beneath them and are easy targets. But," Mystic smirked at the sad reality, "I've endured far worse than you two would imagine."
"You should go to Tartarus!" Starry stated.
"Oh, I've been there more than once," Mystic chuckled. "And let me tell you..." She gave a toothy grin. "You and your father would love it." She leaned forward, "Because I've endured working in a hot iron factory. Danger around every corner. I was whipped. I bled from the lashes. My hooves were bruised and infected. Every step hurt like large nails being hammered into them." She dropped her voice to a whisper, "Can you imagine dealing with brown morass with cuts and bruises? As the hot liquid threatened to burn you alive? From blood. To guts. To bone. All in agonizing pain that never ended."
Both Starry and Lucky were both silent as they looked at Mystic with wide, disturbed looks.
"Oh, that's not the worst of it," said Mystic. "But I've shared more than enough." She straightened herself and formed an impassive look again. "So, unless you toddlers have a real plan of attack against me, I think you should scram."
Both bullies were speechless as they kept their gazes onto Mystic. A sense of satisfaction rose within the unicorn's chest but she kept a light glare on them. Finally, Starry turned away.
"Let's get out of here. Find somepony else worth picking on," said Starry.
Lucky nodded and both of them began to leave.
Mystic gave them a grin, "I'll see you get your due soon."
She could see both of them had a disturbed look in their eyes and it gave her a cold satisfaction. She watched them leave and went to another table to continue her studies.
The next morning, as she sat down in the hallway, Mystic finished the remainder of her stress relieving apple juice and tossed the container in a nearby trash can.
"Another failed attempt at fixing a friendship problem," Mystic groaned.
She tapped her head, wanting to slap herself, but she had to keep herself under control.
Seven problems presented by the students and yet I couldn't help much with any of them, Mystic frowned. A sense of uselessness began to wash over her. Even though the situations weren't huge, or were staged Mystic couldn't solve them to the letter. I've been doing a lot of studying and learning all I can...
She stood up, knowing it was close to lunch time. Without much consideration, Mystic trotted to the cafeteria and got in line.
Soon, she had her food.
Mystic looked around the cafeteria. Students of all ages were everywhere with the younger fillies and colts sitting in their own section of the cafeteria. She saw the Young Six close by and that most of the seats were filled.
Ocellus turned her head and beamed. "Hey Mystic! Come on over and have a seat!"
Mystic, surprised by the changeling's invitation, briefly glanced to see if there were any other seats, but the yellow unicorn that was behind her in the line sat down in the last free seat.
Mystic looked back to the Young Six and there's one open seat next to Ocellus, the others except Gallus and Smolder had frowns on their faces. Finally, Mystic walked over and sat down next to Ocellus.
"Glad you could join us," said Sandbar, smiling.
"Yeah," replied Mystic, taking a bite out of an apple.
"Our offer to friendship will always stand for you, Mystic," said Ocellus.
"Cool," replied Mystic, eating more of her apple.
"Yona think new pony should talk more with us," said Yona, "You been talking with other students."
Mystic sighed, this was bound to come up, "Well, I guess I'm just a little keen to learn about friendship."
"That's great!" Silverstream said happily.
"We also have a special connection with the Tree of Harmony," said Gallus. Mystic paused, eyes growing wide.
"Gallus!" Ocellus scolded.
"What?" the griffon shrugged, "It's true."
"A connection with the Tree of Harmony?" Mystic asked, surprised.
"Yeah," said Gallus, smirking, "It's hard to believe that."
"We represent the best of the best of friendship here at this school," said Smolder, "We totally saved Equestria from an evil being, too!"
"Cozy Glow?" Silverstream asked.
"A totally evil, powerful being!" Smolder emphasized.
"To be honest, I wasn't expecting all of this when I left to follow an invader," said Mystic.
"It must've been an honor to fight and save Equestria," said Sandbar, Mystic noticed Smolder's scowl had grown.
"Indeed not," replied Mystic as she began to eat her fruit casserole, "But I just did what I had to." Smolder mumbled something under her breath but Mystic decided to ignore her. The table went quiet as Gallus' smirk went into a frown.
"Do you have any plans while here?" Silverstream asked.
Mystic shrugged, "Right now I'm just going with the flow until I have to do otherwise." She finished off her casserole. "What's it like to be here outside of your kingdoms, learning friendship?" That question caused most of the creatures to go silent.
"Well," Ocellus spoke up, "It's been an experience."
"Let's talk about something else," Sandbar spoke up.
Did I say something? Mystic thought, grabbing an apple tart with her magic. The other creatures didn't speak up, neither did the cheerful Silverstream who had a slight frown on her face. Mystic decided to finish up her dessert and get up.
"Well, thanks for letting me sit with all of you," said Mystic.
"See ya," said Sandbar.
As Mystic left, she could hear the students talking among each other.
"Could you guys have been a little more modest?" Sandbar asked. "We were supposed to make a good--"
"A good impression of us?" Smolder scowled. "We tried separately and all together!"
"She probably needs to--"
"To all of us 'disadvantaged creatures,'" said Smolder. "We're always gonna be at a disadvantage."
Mystic didn't know why she stopped, but she felt a little pity for them.
"We should eat and... get back to classes," said Ocellus.
After school was out for the day, in her headmare's office, Twilight finished preparing her lessons for the next week. The school day was over and all the students went back to their dorms.
Things are fine, things are fine, she thought. Spike flew over to her. He should be here soon. I need to find out if there's something we've missed. She had to have somepony investigating the plumbing and electrical issues the school had been having.
"Twilight, he'll be here," said Spike.
"I hope so," said Twilight. She didn't want to ask for him in the first place, but she had nowhere else to go. She had to put aside her thoughts about Starlight, having talked to her earlier but the unicorn was closed off and just continuing her counseling duties.
The alicorn is about to magically grab some papers when a blue portal opened in front of her and Spike. Out of the portal, Chancellor Neighsay, dressed in his usual E.E.A. attire stepped out with a serious, yet somewhat concerned look on his face.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle," said Neighsay.
"Chancellor Neighsay," said Twilight, a relieved smile forming on her features, "Please have a seat." The chancellor did that and Twilight took her own seat. She looked at Spike and nodded. The drake saluted and flew out.
"Thank you for coming," said Twilight.
"It's my privilege," replied Neighsay, "It's the least I could do after... I tried to keep you from opening this school."
Twilight nodded, the memory of Cozy coming up again, "I would have asked other ponies to come and investigate these issues for possible magic causing this to go on, but I didn't know many who could've done it discreetly and efficiently."
Neighsay smiled a little, "Even though I am head of the E.E.A., I did take time in researching magic and knowing how to detect what kind it is."
"Which is why I think you'll be the best choice for me," said Twilight, "You already know what we've been dealing with here."
"I'm honestly surprised," said Neighsay, raising an eyebrow, "I didn't expect anything like this."
"Neither did I," replied Twilight, a sense of regret washing over her for letting Bullion get his sons into her school. "But I would love an entire sweep of the school done as many times as your schedule allows it." She levitated a map with the school's levels and every hallway and room in them. "Here you go, this ought to help. I've also marked where we've had the biggest issues." Neighsay took it in his magic and unrolled it.
"I shall do my best to keep this a secret," said Neighsay, "And I won't let anypony else know anything about this."
"Good," Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, she didn't detect any magic herself every time something happened, but a new set of eyes could shed some light on all of this.
The chancellor stood up with a light smile on his face, "I'll get started late tonight."
"Thank you," Twilight smiled.
With that, Neighsay tapped his Medallion, magically charged up in his horn and a beam shot out, opening a dark blue portal which Neighsay walked through before it vanished out of existence. |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 7 - Attempting to form a new bond | The next day, as she sat in the school plaza, Mystic continued to take notes as the students talked all around her. Mystic didn't need to look up in order to see them talking with one another, playing, or just studying like she was.
Those creatures came to her one by one earlier that morning, attempting to bond with her, but every time Mystic managed to form an excuse to not hang out with them.
They seemed to grow more agitated, though they seemed to hide it from her.
What is with them? Mystic thought, Why are they obsessed with me?
All of them were except the orange dragoness she believed was named Smolder.
Mystic concentrated more on her note taking about the kindness classes. It wasn't her problem. Instead, she focused more on remembering the animal showcases on top of the classes.
Fluttershy knows how to teach, she thought, cracking a smirk, she was unable to believe she had a winning streak of being teacher of the month for a long time.
"Students! Please don't throw those balloons on the plaza!" Starlight called.
Mystic heard some students groan in disappointment.
"It's just water this time!" one complained.
"Don't talk back or it'll be detention for you three!"
Mystic looked to her right to see Starlight at the far end of the plaza and next to one of the school's entrances.
I wonder how she's doing... Mystic thought. It was almost like she was thrown a boomerang every time she saw Starlight. She couldn't deny it now, but who knew what she was going through after Oogundaa?
Mystic couldn't take her gaze off the unicorn until she walked back into the school.
Had they found her friend yet? How bad were his injuries? The questions kept running through her mind.
There's no way she could be functioning normally after such traumatic events, Mystic thought, closing her notebook. But what could I do about it?
She remembered the encouragement and the lessons she'd learned about expanding her circle of friends and finding connections between one another.
Hmmm, maybe that could be a way, she thought, scratching her foreleg. I think maybe if I can find out something, I'll be able to help her. It could work.
Couldn't it?
Mystic stood up and began making her way towards the Headmare's office.
The unicorn gently opened the door to see Twilight levitating some paper and writing on them. As eccentric the headmare could be, Mystic knew she had to take a shot of getting access to Starlight.
"Headmare Twilight," said Mystic.
Twilight paused in her writing and turned to see Mystic. She smiled. "Hello my student! Can I help you with something?"
"Probably," replied Mystic.
Twilight's smile grew wider. "Well, let me pull you up a seat and you can tell me what's on your mind." She levitated a seat close to her desk as she made the papers vanish in winks of purple. Mystic went up to the chair and sat down.
"Sooooo," Twilight started, "How're things treating you at the School so far?"
Mystic remembered how she learned about the Elements of Harmony and how each one taught a different quality. But she had failed in helping friends resolve their conflicts.
"It's... decent enough," replied Mystic.
"Well, it'll only get better!" Twilight insisted, "You've only been here a few days and it'll take a day or so more for your experience here to get into its prime."
"Really?"
"Oh, just a small joke! You'll love it here," Twilight said with a slight eye twitch.
Mystic ignored that and cleared her throat. "To what's on my mind."
"Oh, of course!"
"Are you okay?" Mystic asked, "You seem nervous."
"No!" Twilight waved her off, "I'm just excited to be having you here."
Mystic raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off, "Anyway, since I've been studying and taking part in activities, they've taught me about gaining more friends. And there's one pony I want to try and befriend. One who is a part of the faculty."
"What're you suggesting, Mystic?" Twilight asked, confused.
"Well, since I've been assigned to this school," said Mystic. "I've been wanting to try and speak with Starlight."
When Mystic finished speaking, Twilight's eyes were wide.
"Starlight Glimmer?" Twilight repeated.
"Yeah," said Mystic, "I think she needs somepony as a friend and maybe your ways could help her. I want to help."
"Mystic, I appreciate your concern with Starlight, but she's going through a rough time right now," said Twilight.
"One I'm assuming she's trying to suppress?"
"Right, and Starlight can be a bit tricky when it comes to things like this," Twilight explained. "My friends and I have been trying to reach out to her whenever we can but she's just been asking us to leave her alone."
"And?"
"And she won't talk much to her closest friends."
"Could it be somepony else could try and get her to open up?"
"I don't know," said Twilight, "But I think it's best if we just give her some space."
And you're going to decide when ponies should and shouldn't get her to talk? Mystic thought, almost saying it aloud. She probably needs to talk to at least somepony.
"I see," said Mystic, deciding not to argue.
"Please just leave her be for now and let her get back into the swing of things," said Twilight.
"Fine," said Mystic. "Thanks."
She stood up and began to leave.
"Remember! Just be who you are! We celebrate all uniqueness here!" Twilight called.
And my uniqueness is that I'm going to find Starlight anyway, Mystic thought.
She had been walking through the corridors to find her, but she had no luck. Until one pony said they saw her going out front for a break.
So, Mystic made her way out of the school to the front yard. She was greeted with lush green grass and a couple of school towers to the left. In the middle of the yard, she saw Starlight sitting next to the stream.
She walked up next to her and gently patted her back.
"Huh?!" Starlight looked behind her with wide eyes, causing Mystic to take a step back. "Oh, it's you."
"Yeah, it's me," said Mystic. "Can I join you?"
Starlight didn't respond at first, as if she were processing the question. "Sure."
Mystic sat next to Starlight. She saw the stream wasn't too deep, much to her relief. The CMC's swimming lessons in the floatation device might have helped her some but she was still nervous.
"So," said Mystic, "Is this a favorite spot of yours?"
Starlight nodded. "I come out here on my breaks to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and view." She looked out into the distance. Mystic followed her to see the village of Ponyville, the rolling hills beyond it, a few mountains and the mountain that held Canterlot.
"It's beautiful," said Mystic. "I can see why you come here."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Starlight nod.
"It helps me clear my mind if things get a little hectic, or if I just feel like coming here," said Starlight.
Mystic didn't respond but she just kept looking out onto the view before her. She needed to get to the issue at some point, but she wasn't sure--
"Why are you out here?" Starlight suddenly asked.
That question caught Mystic off guard, "Uh, well..."
"Did Twilight put you up to this?" Starlight asked.
"No," replied Mystic. "I came myself."
"You might as well not try," said Starlight, frowning, "They've tried multiple times to comfort and help me. You don't need to hear all of what I went through." She looked at Mystic, "I'm trying myself to get back in the swing of things and I feel like they're hindering me."
How did she know I was here for that? Mystic thought.
"Just because you thought that, doesn't mean I'm necessarily trying to help in the same sense they are," said Mystic, "I just wanted a new friend."
"You don't need to make friends with me to keep in line with the program, Mystic," said Starlight, causing the unicorn to tense. "I know you want to be free of a certain somepony out there."
Dang it! Mystic thought, doing her best not to move her facial expressions. "That is true, but who's to say I don't care about you?"
"I do," said Starlight.
Mystic held back a growl. She began racking her brain for a solution.
This mare isn't cooperating, Mystic thought. She began to think some more. Her stomach twisted and she felt uneasy. It's time for another approach. The uneasiness grew, as she knew this would be a bold, risky move concerning herself. But how else could she reach her?
Starlight glanced over her shoulder to see Mystic still hadn't left. She opened her mouth to tell her to leave--
"Starlight," said Mystic, "Since you're trying to push me away, I think it's time for me to do something."
"What's that?" Starlight asked warily.
Mystic sighed, "To tell you about my past."
At that, Starlight gasped and her eyes flew wide open.
"Mystic, why would you tell me, of all ponies, about your past?" Starlight asked.
"Because I feel like it's needed," replied Mystic.
She makes it sound so simple. Starlight shook her head, looking away.
"I'm going to tell you regardless of what you say," said Mystic.
Cringing, and feeling annoyed, Starlight took a glance at Mystic. She saw her tag-along's eyes looked uneasy, yet determined. She lightly shook, but did her best to stay composed. Starlight ran a hoof down her face, unsure of how this would turn out.
"Fine," the word just came out of Starlight's mouth, causing the unicorn to immediately regret it.
But it was too late. Mystic turned her body right at Starlight. Despite her trembling lip and the shudder going down her spine, Starlight did her best to play it cool and face Mystic.
"Let me ask you a question first," said Mystic. "How would you feel if you woke up in the middle of nowhere, at ten years old, with no memory of what came before?"
That was a very odd question. Starlight processed what she'd heard, but she couldn't imagine such a traumatizing event happening to her. She wanted to open her mouth to speak, but all she could do was blink in response.
"It would be terrifying, wouldn't it?" Mystic asked. Starlight just nodded in response. She began to analyze Mystic to see how the mare's body language would be. "Because," Mystic sighed, "It happened to me. I woke up with no memories in the middle of a winter street."
Starlight's eyes widened. Was that true? "Really?"
"Yes," replied Mystic. The younger mare frowned. "I was lost, confused, and in an evil world. I didn't imagine I would ever see anypony that would be friendly to me."
"Are you really saying you don't remember who you are before then?" Starlight admonished. Mystic winced, causing Starlight to do the same internally. I probably touched a nerve... good going, Starlight.
"I probably shouldn't have begun to open myself up," Mystic's look slightly hardened.
"No! No! No!" Starlight waved her hooves, "I didn't mean to offend you!" Mystic narrowed her eyes. Starlight could detect the mare was on edge, yet hidden behind a tough image. One she knew too well. Careful how you speak now, Starlight... "I was just curious! I've..."
"Not heard of something like this before?" Mystic cut in.
"No! I just want to know more about you," replied Starlight. The unicorn immediately regretted saying that. I'm babbling and acting stupid yet again... Mystic slowly exhaled and inclined her head.
"I'll continue," said Mystic. Starlight nodded, trying to make herself look as interested as possible. But the unicorn realized Mystic knew she was acting hypocritical when it came to knowing ponies.
Mystic cleared her throat. "I was in city slums filled with families out for themselves, criminals rummaging through the streets and con artists." She paused, sighing. "I had to fend for myself. I didn't know what was going on. And then... I was arrested and put on trial."
Starlight couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was this mare setting her up?
"The Leader of the city managed to keep the General from throwing me in prison or worse," said Mystic. "And..." she growled, her eyes hardening and brow furrowing. "I had to be taken in by the General and help the city with various chores as if I were a prisoner anyway."
"Oh, my," Starlight lightly gasped. "How did you fare up?"
Mystic looked at Starlight, softening her look but her eyes were rock hard. "I had to do very disgusting work like cleaning up bathrooms and toilets. Someponies even bullied me into dunking my head into a toilet that had been filled with crap for hours."
Starlight let out a loud groan of disgust, covering her lips and holding back a gag. "For crying out loud!"
Mystic sighed, "But that wasn't the worst part."
It gets worse? Starlight thought, unable to think of what else could've gone wrong.
"The General did whatever he could to punish me as if I were the lowest scum of the world," Mystic continued, a disdained look in her eyes. Starlight's heart sank into her stomach. "Whippings. Lash marks. Constant yelling. Every little mistake I made. He did whatever he could to psychologically and physically hurt me."
Starlight felt some tears welling up. But she blinked to try and keep them at bay. She couldn't believe how much suffering this pony had gone through.
"The final thing I want to tell you, is that I managed to use the pain and survive," Mystic continued, looking down at the ground. "And I managed to escape with the help of a group that wanted to fight back against the government."
Starlight felt a fire rise in her chest. Was justice going to be delivered?
"It was a lot of fun with that group," Mystic lightly smiled, but Starlight could see the sadness in her eyes. "They... meant a lot to me and we did do great things together..." She sighed, the smile dropping as did Starlight's fire
Starlight's hooves went to her lips, eyes widening. Her heart thudded, examining Mystic. No matter how she looked at the younger unicorn, she couldn't get any dishonesty coming from her lips. But, something in her gut told her that something felt off.
"The point I'm trying to make, is that you're not the only one here with a rough past and in a tight spot," said Mystic, looking directly at her. "I just wanted you to know that."
"I... don't know what to say..." Starlight said meekly.
"You don't need to say anything," replied Mystic, placing a hoof on Starlight's shoulder. "Just know, that I'd like to try to help you whenever and however I can."
Starlight expected this kind of thing from Twilight but to hear it from a pony who she barely knew wanted to help her?
"You mean that?" Starlight asked, hoping to get an honest answer and what her motive might be behind it.
Mystic nodded. "Yes."
I'm not worth her trouble, Starlight thought, but managed to force a smile on her face. This poor, poor mare! She needs somepony to speak to! She felt a wave of responsibility come over her. She mentally cursed herself for letting it do so, but there's no way this unicorn should suffer anymore.
And certainly not for her own, pathetic self.
"I want to ask you something," said Starlight.
"Shoot," replied Mystic, pulling back.
Swallowing her nervousness, Starlight spoke, "You mentioned you can't remember anything what came before you'd woken up. How do you deal with that?"
"I've no longer concerned myself over those lost memories," said Mystic. Starlight swore she could've saw Mystic's hindleg hoof twitch. "I've become who I wanted to be and I've been doing it quite beautifully." Another twitch.
Now I'm certain she's lying, Starlight thought.
"Well, I don't know how you could've made it without anypony to guide you," said Starlight. I bet she eventually found somepony but she's probably not telling me who...
Mystic shrugged. "I made it, didn't I? I could fend for myself and gained these." She flexed her right foreleg, showing off her muscles. "That was work's only good thing for me."
Starlight couldn't help but crack a smile. "They look lean, Mystic."
"Lean and mean," Mystic smirked.
Starlight giggled. "Maybe you could teach me how to gain them."
"It'd take a lot of work," said Mystic.
I bet it would, Starlight thought. She and Mystic went silent again. Starlight processed what Mystic had told her. She had never heard of something like this before. Was she the only pony Mystic told?
"Do you want to take a walk into town?" Mystic suddenly asked.
"Sure," replied Starlight. Maybe going into town won't be such a bad thing... Thinking of how she could probably comfort Mystic.
"And you tried meditating? Yoga? Anything that can help with memory loss?" Starlight asked as they approached a drink stand.
"I did all I could think of," replied Mystic, "Nothing has ever come up."
"Oh my," Starlight frowned.
"It's not much of a big deal anymore, really," Mystic said. Starlight could hear she was sincere but she wasn't convinced. "I thought we should get to know each other more. That's friendship, isn't it?"
"Yes," said Starlight as she levitated a couple of bits for their drinks. She grimaced when she saw she was using magic again.
"So, I think you should return the favor by letting me get to know you more," said Mystic.
"Well, I like kites," Starlight said with a sheepish grin.
"Kites?" Mystic asked as she levitated her drink.
"Yep!" Starlight curtly nodded, grabbing her cup with a hoof.
"Huh," said Mystic as she and Starlight began walking down the street again, "So, is there anything else you like to do?"
"Well, I love guidance counseling," Starlight said with forced smile, "It gives me a time to use my talents to help those in need. Would you like to try it sometime? I can teach you." Starlight began to sip on her straw.
"Teach me some magic," said Mystic.
Starlight did a spit take. "What?"
"Teach me some magic," said Mystic. "I know you're good at it, and I feel like I need to learn some more about it."
"I..."
"And magic could come in great use during a fight on one of my travels," said Mystic with a tone that suggested no argument or objections.
Couldn't she have chosen something else that wasn't magic?!" Starlight thought with a sigh to cover her anger.
Magic was Starlight's entire world. But now, it felt like a curse. Every time that accursed horn glowed and surged with it, Starlight felt like ripping it off. The unicorn squeezed her eyes shut.
From hypnotizing my friends, recklessly using it, turning Sunburst and I into foals... Starlight paused. Sunburst. They hadn't found him yet. Or is Twilight sparing her the emotional trauma? A nice thought by her but she couldn't help but feel nervous and angry.
"Well?" Mystic asked. Starlight looked up at her. "I just thought we'd get to know each other more is all." She could feel that Mystic was getting ready to leave.
Despite her complete opposition to this, maybe she could use this as an opportunity for this poor unfortunate soul.
"Fine... I'll teach you magic," Starlight wanted to die right then and there.
Mystic nodded. "I look forward to our lessons."
"There you are!" a voice echoed, causing Starlight's heart to skip a beat. No! Not now! I'm not ready!
Starlight turned to see a very familiar blue unicorn with a white mane and tail. Only she didn't have her signature purple cape and hat on.
"T-Trixie..." Starlight breathed.
"You inconsiderate, stupid, reclusive buffoon!" Trixie scolded, stomping up to her. "How could you avoid me?!"
"I-"
"I've been trying to reach you for a week and you didn't respond to me!" Trixie shouted, tears brimming her eyes.
She's hurt because of me...
"What do you have to say for yourself?!"
Starlight slightly looked to the right at an annoyed Mystic but was mostly blocked by Trixie's distraught face.
She remembered Twilight's words. "Just remember, Starlight, that we're all here for you no matter how many times you make a mistake. We love you and want to maintain the bond we have. Just try speaking to us."
I'll try and take one baby step at a time, Starlight thought, not knowing how things could go.
"Trix..." Starlight frowned. "I am so so sorry. I..." She bit her bottom lip, "I was just... caught up in my own mind with all I went through and I didn't think to trouble you with it..." She placed a hoof on Trixie's shoulder, "But I honestly didn't feel good for some of that time."
"I could've comforted you. I could've helped you," said Trixie.
"I know, and I realize that now..." Starlight sulked. "I just was stupid and inconsiderate. I hope you can forgive me for not reaching back to you."
Starlight weakly looked back at Trixie whose look appeared to be softening and becoming calmer.
"Of course, I forgive you," said Trixie, a solemn smile breaking out. "But just don't shut me out like that again."
"I won't," said Starlight, inwardly unsure of herself.
But Trixie seemed to take it as her smile grew.
"Well, I don't care what happened in that nasty land," said Trixie, straightening herself up and forming a look of determination. "All that matters is that my best friend is safe and well."
Starlight allowed herself to smile. "I'm glad I'm safe too..." But what about Sunburst?
"Excuse me," said Mystic, who Starlight momentarily forgot she was there. Both she and Trixie looked at her.
"Uh, who are you?" Trixie asked.
"Miss Van Winkle," Mystic spoke, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Trixie inclined her head, completely confused, "Uh, okay? I don't know how to respond to that."
"Oh, this is Mystic," said Starlight, pointing at the young unicorn, "She's started at our school."
"Delightful," said Trixie, turning back to Starlight. "Anyway, since you're out and about, I figured we could treat ourselves to a little girl's trip to the spa."
"I'd like that," said Starlight.
"Well, then, let's go!" Trixie grabbed Starlight's hoof and began trotting. Starlight joined her and they made it about twenty feet.
"Hold on," said Starlight. She turned back to Mystic who hadn't moved. "How about you join us, too?"
"What?" Mystic asked, followed by Trixie's surprised "Huh?"
"Yeah!" Starlight beamed. "I mean, you helped Twilight and her friends save me."
"Say what?" Trixie cut in.
"And I think it'd be wonderful to have you," Starlight finished.
"She helped save you?" Trixie asked as if she were a filly, but Starlight pushed the thought aside. Mystic raised an eyebrow before taking one last sip of from her cup and tossing it aside into a trash can.
"I think I wouldn't mind that," said Mystic, walking over and joining the unicorn and magician.
"We would... be glad to have you?" Trixie said.
"Well, let's get going!" Starlight smiled, remembering a lesson she'd learned. A big thing of friendship is to get new friends to connect with your old ones.
"Well, Mystic," said Trixie as the trio walked into the spa. "This here is Starlight and I's most favorite spot in Ponyville. The Ponyville Spa!"
"Yeah, I've been here before," replied Mystic.
"Excellent!"
"Didn't you say that the open fields were your favorite spot too, Trixie?" Starlight asked.
"There's nothing wrong with having multiple favorite spots," Trixie scoffed.
Starlight smiled but she gained an uncertain feeling when she saw Mystic's impassive look.
"Do you have any favorite spots, Mystic?" Starlight asked.
"I've seen a lot in the world, so it's hard to say," replied Mystic.
"Ooh, a world traveler?" Trixie leaned over with interest, "What did you go see? The Great Wall? The tropics? The city of Venace?"
"Not remotely close for any of those," said Mystic. "I go to remote places and look into strange, unexplained things."
"Oh, boring," Trixie said with a yawn.
"Nooow, Trix," said Starlight, "Remember what we learned about appreciating other's interests?"
"Well, I don't think we need to be into it right away," said Trixie as the spa grew ever closer.
"I might've passed by some cities but I don't like being around them," said Mystic.
"Oh, you need to expand your horizons," said Trixie.
"Oh, hey! We're here!" Starlight cut in before anypony could say anything else. She hastily opened the spa door revealing the lobby where a few ponies were talking and heading into the main section of the spa.
Keep it cool, keep it cool, Starlight thought.
"Ah!" came Aloe's voice from behind the counter, "Trixie and Starlight! We've got a reservation just for you!"
"Reservation?" Starlight inclined her head.
Lotus Blossom stepped out into the lobby to meet them, "Ah, and is this Mystic Missus Rarity had drop in before?"
"How did you guess?" replied Mystic.
"Ah, I have a memory of an elephant," Lotus winked and turned to Trixie and Starlight, causing the latter to feel unworthy of being around such ponies like the Spa twins. "Missus Trixie has been adamant of reserving a place here. Shall we take you to the steam room?"
"Indeed! My friend deserves the utmost care from the best," said Trixie, raising a hoof high.
Lotus giggled and motioned them to follow her. Trixie went first followed by the other two ponies. When they reached the door leading to the steam room, Trixie stopped and held a hoof up, keeping Mystic from following them.
"Sorry, I only reserved it for Starlight and I," said Trixie, "I've been planning this thing for days."
Starlight gave Mystic an embarrassed look, "I'm sorry, Mystic. Do you think you could let Trixie and I catch up real quick? We hadn't spoken in a while."
"Fine," Mystic breathed out. "I'll try and see about a massage."
"Good!" Trixie chirped, grabbing Starlight by the hoof and trotting into the steam room.
"Don't you think you could've been a little more polite about that?" Starlight asked.
"Wellll, I would have but I'm in one of my moods," Trixie reasoned.
Starlight rolled her eyes, "I don't think she took that well."
"Oh, don't worry, she likes me," said Trixie, grabbing two white spa robes with her magic "As all ponies do."
"I don't like her one bit," Mystic muttered, clutching the green spa robe she'd been given. She was annoying. Boastful. Prideful. And just all about herself.
Mystic stepped into the massage room. Several ponies were lying their stomachs on the beds as spa ponies massaged their backs, hooves or necks.
Her gaze scanned the room to find a place to unwind until Starlight and Trixie got out of the steam room.
She paused when she saw a familiar rainbow mane. Wait, Rainbow Dash?!
It was indeed Rainbow. The pegasus was lying on her back with a purple robe on. She had a pleasant smile on her face.
Fortunately, her eyes were closed.
I think I might've stumbled onto something I shouldn't see, Mystic thought, thinking in terms of Rainbow. She smiled mischievously.
Should I call out for her? Poke her? Or... Mystic suddenly got an idea and rubbed her forehooves together.
She gently tiphoofed over to Rainbow's side. Nopony was giving her a massage yet. She must've had it already. Her hooves were sparkling and her mane was groomed.
Mystic's heart raced in excitement as she prepared to do what she wanted. She leaned forward to Rainbow's ear.
"I know your secret," Mystic whispered.
"Yah!" Rainbow shot up from the spa bed, nearly hitting the ceiling. She looked down with eyes as wide as saucers. Mystic had to keep herself from rolling on the floor in laughter.
"Gee, you really are the fastest pegasus around," Mystic chuckled.
"Wh-what are you doing here?!" Rainbow cried.
"I came to bother you," Mystic giggled.
She expected Rainbow to retort as the blue pegasus' face turned beet red. But she flew out the window with a trail of color behind her. Mystic held a hoof to her mouth and began giggling into it.
Sweet success!
"It's not polite to harass customers," a voice Mystic recognized said. She turned to see the pink earth pony with a blue mane and tail.
"I was just poking a little fun," Mystic awkwardly grinned.
"Well, do you want to get our services or just bother ponies?" Aloe asked.
"I'll have a massage," Mystic quickly answered, practically running over to the changing room to remove her outfit.
The steam filled the warm room. With a robe on, Starlight's coat on her face and lower legs tingled as the white wispy moisture wrapped around her body. Starlight allowed herself to relax some, having almost forgotten about how good this room felt whenever she came here.
"I tell you, Aloe and Lotus deserve the reward for most exquisite spa in Equestria," said Trixie, a towel wrapped around her mane.
"Wait 'til Rarity hears you say that," said Starlight. "She went to the one in Canterlot."
"Psh! Canterlot might be exquisite, but Aloe and Lotus have charm, care, and perfection," said Trixie. She cleared her throat, "I think they're great in their own ways."
Starlight furrowed her brows briefly but shrugged.
"I think we should get started on our magic shows at a much later time, because my friend deserves to be treated first," said Trixie. Starlight was grateful at the thought. She didn't have to tell Trixie right away about not being into magic anymore.
"Thanks, Trix," said Starlight, "This spa visit means a lot."
"Not as much as you mean to me," Trixie said with a wink.
Starlight lightly blushed. "So, besides worrying about me, how have things been for you?"
"Oh, marvelous," Trixie giggled, "I've done some magic shows across Ponyville and the kids seem to enjoy them. I might be doing more for them and this fair village."
"I'm proud of you," Starlight smiled, "Also, getting to do a show in the Crystal Empire?"
"Indeed," said Trixie. "I might be a showmare, but I like coming to Ponyville to take it easy."
"I take that because I'm here, too," said Starlight.
"Yep!" Trixie chirped, "You, Maud, and everypony else are the best parts!"
Maud...
Starlight inwardly frowned, remembering Maud's hard look. How could she have not tried harder to reconcile with her?
I needed to speak with her right then and there... she thought. But she had to know something from Trixie.
"Aren't you going to ask me what I was doing out in Oogundaa?" Starlight asked.
"I would, but I feel as if you aren't ready for that," Trixie waved her off. "If you want to talk about it, talk. But let's just enjoy ourselves."
Starlight smiled, "Wow. Thanks, Trix."
"You're welcome, my buddy!" Trixie giggled, lightly punching Starlight on the shoulder.
Starlight let out a pleased sigh, enjoying the steam once again. But she barely had time to do so as she thought of Trixie wanting to do more magic lessons, and Mystic wanted to do some too. The unicorn inwardly facehoofed, wishing there was another way to try and talk to Mystic.
A thought came to her. Maybe my guidance counseling sessions could help with that.
It would help her avoid doing those lessons.
"It's gotten quiet in here," Trixie suddenly said.
"Oh," Starlight nervously chuckled, "Should we keep talking?"
"Not unless you want to," said Trixie, "After all, this is for you and curing your past boo-boos."
Starlight smiled again. Spending time with Trixie did feel great and powerful. But she definitely felt that she needed to at least say something.
"I admit I am worried about Sunburst," said Starlight.
"We're all worried about Sunburst, Starlight," said Trixie. "But I know you're probably having it worse than the rest of us, correct?"
"Yeah," Starlight frowned. "We finally became an official item and..."
"Oh my!" Trixie gasped, "I knew it would happen but this calls for extreme measures to helping you out!" She cupped Starlight's cheeks, "We will get the ultimate supreme package from the spa!"
She had been at the spa for a couple of hours. As Mystic approached the rim of the hot tub, she looked at her bare flank. The bullies' attempt to bother her didn't hurt much, but the event did push her into truly wondering things about herself.
Do I really look like a guy? Mystic thought, wondering about how her outfit made her look. Why am I feeling uncertain about my flank?
Mystic rubbed her foreleg as she tried to enjoy the water. She remembered moving from place to place, discovering one thing or another about the world, planning ahead to what comes next.
How long have I moved without stopping? she thought, splashing some water onto her face.
She sighed, unable to stop thinking about these things.
Why do I go around trying to figure out the world? Discovering new and forgotten legends? Mystic thought.
She paused for a second. Where had that come from? Since when did she wonder about what she's been doing? It was her life's purpose.
Wasn't it?
Mystic shook her head, trying to shake off the thoughts. But her gaze went back to her blank flank. When she looked at it, she felt... incomplete.
Mystic looked up at the ceiling, thinking even more until she realized something.
I hadn't paused in any point in my adventures...
Even when she stopped every year to visit her beloved ponies' grave, she still had adventure on her mind.
All that she's been doing for the past week has been doing all kinds of activities with the CMC, working on a farm, being with the Apple family and ponies in this village.
Were the travels a distraction from me looking at myself? Mystic thought, surprised at it. She felt as if she were softening and she didn't like the sound of that.
What made my friendships with the Liberators and Sunshine so special? Mystic thought.
She had been somewhat putting off looking into that for some reason and she didn't know what. It ticked her off. But she was thinking more of Sunshine whenever she was thinking of friendship. She did think of the Liberators some but not as much.
It was all so confusing.
Mystic looked over at Starlight and Trixie both lying on their stomachs on the spa beds. Each of them had white robes on and towels wrapped around their manes. Mystic's eyes narrowed at Trixie. While Starlight looked happy and content with her "best friend" as said by the showboat, Mystic had been listening in on some of their conversation.
I know to rely on my instincts and to assess the situations, Mystic thought, eyes narrowing even more. After observing for over half an hour, Mystic reached a conclusion. She's treating the symptoms unlike what I wanted to do.
She recalled some conversations she had with Sunshine about forming a connection to understand others.
And Cierra, "It's best to find out what others need or what they are struggling with so they can find their way to heal."
It looked like both of them had the right ideas when it came to that stuff.
But how could Mystic, a pony of her stature, possibly help a troubled pony?
Mystic sighed, deciding to just try.
When this boastful pony scrams, I will see if I can find a way into Starlight, Mystic thought, growing irritated the more she looked at Trixie.
As she tried to relax again, Nightfall's sinister gaze flashed through her mind.
"Who do you think sent the lions ahead of his invasion? Why did you think you weren't killed by the lion who attacked you?"
Mystic began to get goosebumps and a wave of nervousness came over her.
"Don't be scared to ask me, Mystic." She remembered the dead serious look he gave her. "I know who you really are."
That guy claimed that, Mystic thought, shaking off her uneasiness. But who knows how much of it would've been riddled with lies?
She shuddered, he was so insistent and bold in his declarations.
Mystic splashed water onto her face, "He's gone. And I will find out what my memories are."
The unicorn continued to splash water onto herself, trying to suppress what he said. Mystic sank beneath the surface as his voice echoed again, "Do you really think that you coming to Equestria just fell out of the sky for you?"
Starlight walked out of the spa, feeling cleaned up and refreshed along with Trixie and Mystic.
"You seriously got an extra-strength-hot-stone-deep-tissue massage?" Trixie asked, looking at Mystic.
Mystic cracked her back and neck, "Gosh! That was intense but I liked it."
Starlight grimaced, "I don't think I could've handled that."
"Trixie even less so," said Mystic.
"Hey!" Trixie shouted, causing Starlight to giggle, which caused Trixie to look aghast at her friend.
"Anyway, I think we all had a good time, didn't we?" Starlight asked.
"I did," Mystic nodded.
"Well, that's surprising," said Trixie. "I had an excellent time!"
"Want to put your mane where your mouth is?"
"Okay!" Starlight said, not wanting them to fight, "Thanks Trixie for a good afternoon. I needed that." She heard Mystic clear her throat and saw Mystic motion with her head to 'come on.'
"Excuse me, Trix, I need to catch up with Mystic," said Starlight.
"Oh? Why?" Trixie asked. Starlight could detect a tinge of jealousy.
No, she doesn't need to fight over me, Starlight thought, slightly panicking at the image of Trixie and Mystic arguing.
"Well, Twilight is wanting me to do my guidance counseling on her," Starlight toothily grinned, "And I've been assigned to give her sessions." Yet another lie.
Trixie raised a curious eyebrow causing Starlight to grin even wider.
"Okay then. But remember I have plans for the rest of the day and week for you," said Trixie. "I'll see you at the Cafe later."
The showmare left, leaving Starlight alone to be with Mystic again.
"Sorry," said Starlight, "She's like that. But she's a good pony."
"I wonder how ponies get past the boasting," said Mystic.
"You'll get used to it, though she has toned it down since we first met," said Starlight.
Mystic rolled her eyes in response.
"Speaking of which, I am going to be your guidance counselor and we're both going to meet to talk about things," said Starlight.
"I see," said Mystic.
"Now, let's talk more about you," said Starlight.
"What about you?" Mystic asked.
"Up-up! I asked the question first," said Starlight, "Since we hadn't been able to learn more about what came before you woke up, maybe we could find out about your time before you left that city." Mystic's eyes widened. "Now, who're the ponies you were with? Anypony close? Any hidden things I don't know about yet?"
"What's it to you?" Mystic retorted.
"Oh, excuse me, I'm just trying to see what makes you tick," replied Starlight.
"And you're going through some trauma that I have no experience dealing with," replied Mystic.
"Then why did you even bother coming to me?" Starlight demanded, leaning forward.
"Because you don't deserve what you're going through and I think you should just work things out with those closest to you," replied Mystic.
Starlight scoffed, turning her nose up at Mystic. "I just think this probably a big waste of our time."
"Then go and leave me."
"Oh, it's a little too late for that," Starlight looked back at Mystic with a bit of a glare. "You and I have serious business with each other."
Mystic stared at Starlight, annoyed. "Then, I guess we're just going to have to see which one will spill first."
Starlight scoffed. "We shall."
"Magic lessons?"
"I will teach you when my schedule allows it," Starlight narrowed her eyes even more, "Then, we're going to see if we can reach an understanding at some point."
"Fair enough."
Both stood there. Unmoving.
"I'd better go meet Trixie," said Starlight.
"Go. I've got to do some more studying anyway," said Mystic.
Starlight turned and walked off in the direction Trixie did, taking one last look at Mystic's departing figure. |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 8 - Continuing her studies | That evening, in the school library, Mystic sat at a table, letting out a yawn. Her day was well spent due to spending time with Starlight.
How could I have relaxed at a spa and still be exhausted at this hour? She thought, lightly chuckling at the irony. She decided to get up from her seat and leave the lounge, but she saw the Young Six all huddled together with homework papers in their claws, or hoof, or whatever.
"What're you six doing here?" Mystic asked.
"Oh, hello Mystic," Ocellus said, looking up at her.
"Late night study and homework session," said Sandbar. "We sometimes stay up too late and sleep in the library."
"Seriously?"
"Why not? The library's just the comfiest," Ocellus giggled.
"Oh! I'll get more of our drinks," said Sandbar, getting up and leaving the library.
"And we kinda need to concentrate," said Smolder.
"Smolder!" Ocellus scolded, causing the dragoness to shoot her a glare. Mystic looked at Yona and she hadn't said much of anything to her. Not that Mystic wasn't used to ponies or creatures being uncomfortable around her.
"I also want to... apologize if I said something wrong when we had lunch together before," said Mystic.
"If?" Smolder asked.
"We accept your apology!" Ocellus spoke up.
"Though, I don't see what you said," said Silverstream, "Or was it what I heard?"
Smolder abruptly got up from the floor, followed by Gallus.
"We're finding hard to concentrate," said Gallus before he and Smolder flew off.
"Yona getting sleepy," the young yak frowned.
"Are you okay, Yona?" Ocellus asked.
"Yona fine, just a little upset," said Yona before she got up and left as well. Silverstream had a downcast expression.
"I was wanting a good time with each other," Silverstream said sadly.
"You can go if you want," Ocellus said softly, "I'll go meet you in our room."
The hippogriff nodded and left, causing Mystic to feel bad for these creatures again.
"What's wrong with them?" Mystic asked.
Ocellus shrugged, "I'm honestly not sure. We do hang out and do some of our activities together but it just feels hallow."
"Hmm," Mystic said. She thought about investigating it more, but these creatures were obviously more than one being unlike Starlight. Plus, if their bond is so strong, wouldn't they work it out themselves? She looked at Ocellus, "I hope you can figure things out." She didn't know if she believed that.
"Me too," replied Ocellus.
It had been another wonderful day of teaching for Fluttershy. As she softly walked through the school's corridors, she was happy the students still enjoyed her classes and teachings about animals. They pushed her uneasiness behind her but the feelings still lingered.
Sometimes I wonder how I even got here, she thought, even though she had reassured herself time and time again of her past accomplishments.
Fluttershy entered the school library and saw it was mostly empty aside from a certain orange unicorn sitting on the central couch surrounded by books and sheets of paper. Mystic looked deep into the book she was reading, reminding Fluttershy of their bookish alicorn friend.
"How am I going to get this down?" Mystic asked herself, "I try with ponies but I can't seem to be efficient enough in friendship."
Fluttershy accidentally bumped into a nearby chair, causing Mystic to gasp and look up at her with a surprised expression. Fluttershy meekly shrank back.
"Oh, Fluttershy?" said Mystic.
"S-Sorry," said Fluttershy, "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"It's fine," said Mystic. "Say, can I ask you to join me real quick?"
Fluttershy perked up, surprised, "Oh?"
"Yeah," said Mystic, picking up her materials in a sweep of magic, "I need to ask one of the professors something." She smirked and winked.
"Oh, uh, sure," Fluttershy said with a meek grin, hoping she could help, yet she was nervous, reminding her of her early days. She joined Mystic on the couch and saw the unicorn had a frown on her face and her gaze held an annoyed look in it. "Is everything okay?"
"Not really," Mystic said, leaning back against the couch, "I am just not getting this friendship thing."
"Oh?" Fluttershy asked, knowing that new students could be frustrated when they first start.
"I mean, I can't hide it anymore!" Mystic huffed, "I've been doing all these activities not only with the Crusaders and the school but I just can't seem to fit in with all of these ridiculous activities. Some of them are silly and redundant." She sat up, maintaining her look, "I can study and learn things in my mind because of my travels but when I try everything out, I just can't seem to get it done right!"
"Goodness," said Fluttershy, frowning sympathetically at Mystic.
Mystic crossed her forelegs, hugging herself, "I swear, I just feel like I'm plain useless to friendship even with my work into it."
"Mystic, you are not useless," said Fluttershy, placing a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder.
"Sure as crap feels like it," said Mystic, "I just feel like all my actions don't really amount to much."
"Don't talk like that," Fluttershy said with a whimper, "You did a lot of stuff for us when you helped us get Starlight back and save Equestria."
Mystic scoffed, "Just feels like circumstances have led me to do that."
"Mystic," said Fluttershy, "You can't have just knowledge of friendship, you need to live it out in your life. Practice it."
"I have multiple times today," said Mystic.
"Friendship just doesn't happen because of facts, you need to let it happen naturally and what you learned here will work its way in naturally, too," said Fluttershy.
Mystic let out a "humph" and just sat there.
I don't know if my advice is working, Fluttershy thought.
"It sounds simple enough on paper, but it takes so much work," Mystic sighed, her look softening. "Work, studying, and writing I can handle, but this is so not my thing."
Fluttershy sat there for a little while, thinking over Mystic's words. "Mystic, when I was beginning my adventures with Twilight and the others, I was nothing but a pony who was scared of her own shadow. Now I have an animal sanctuary because of the journey I took. It just takes time."
Mystic shook her head, "But I still don't know what path to take in this thing and I don't know if I'll stick with it."
"Friendship is more than a thing, it's a world of opportunities and growth," said Fluttershy.
"I'm just trying to figure this out," said Mystic, getting up.
"Well, if you need any help, you can always talk to others," said Fluttershy getting up as well. "If you have made any connections, why not consider how you did so?"
"I'll try," said Mystic, "But I need to get to bed and have a fresh mind tomorrow." She grabbed her stuff with her magic and began to leave the lounge, "Good talk."
When Mystic left, Fluttershy wasn't so sure of herself. I don't know if I was any help there.
The next morning, Twilight stood in her Headmare's office, but her heart was beginning to thud.
Mystic's studying has been impressive, Twilight thought, looking at the papers she had graded, all of which had solid A's on them. But she hasn't been making friends like she ought to be.
The process she had her in as an appeal to a court case was coming up and she wasn't going as far as she needed to. Twilight began to inwardly panic, sweating at the thought, and with the school under scrutiny, they need to make sure it and her friends are still able to teach friendship efficiently.
I might need to give her some lessons of my own! Twilight thought, grabbing a huge roll of paper and quill. She sat behind her desk and began scribbling away. Because she needs to keep in line with it and I will make sure she does!
Another day, more lessons to learn, Mystic thought, sitting in the students' lounge. She didn't have her books open to study, but her mind was thinking of Applejack's classes and how she had come back in the face of her question about moral ambiguity.
She answered very... well on that, Mystic thought, and her mind wandered again to Ocellus telling her of how friendship was the most real thing to her. But something in the back of her mind was wondering, how did Cierra and her ways fail? Her memory had been suppressed for most of those events, but was she winning a fight she couldn't have won?
Feeling a presence behind her, Mystic looked over her shoulder to see a smiling Twilight Sparkle. Almost a little too brightly, causing the unicorn to feel uncomfortable.
"Uh, hi, Headmare?" Mystic awkwardly spoke.
"Hey there my new student!" Twilight chirped. "Well, since you're just starting, I, Twilight Sparkle, the Headmare of the School, should give you some helpful tips and monitorization!"
"Uhhhh..." Mystic awkwardly looked around. "Why?"
"Why?" Twilight gasped. "Because I want the best for my students!" She smiled again. "And you're my number one student for the day! I think it'd be great if we both benefited from this!"
"Uh... what?"
"Come on!" Twilight grabbed Mystic with her magic, and before Mystic knew it, she was teleported out of there.
This is ridiculous! Mystic thought as she faced another friendship student that had an awkward look on her face, she'd seen the Headmare act a little crazy but this was on a new level.
"So, let's try this again," said Twilight, "The proper way to do a hello, start talking, is to find another one's common interests and connect over them! Even if they're hypothetical, try and talk about them."
"Hi," said Mystic, "I'm Mystic, and your name is?"
"Soaring Virtue," said Soaring, "Nice to meet you."
"Good! Now start talking!" Twilight squeed.
Mystic held back an annoyed grunt, "I'm into traveling and learning about creatures across the world."
"I like learning about friendship and my part-time weather job," said Soaring, "Is there any kind of weather you like?"
"Cloudy, a little breezy and cool," said Mystic. "It just seems serene and relaxing to me."
"Hey, that's great," said Soaring, "I like sunny weather."
"Yeah, that's nice too."
"Try and connect over Mystic's interests," Twilight whispered.
Mystic's left eyelid began to twitch.
The rest of the sections weren't much better.
How am I going to see what friendship is about if she's always hovering over my shoulder? Mystic thought. She was standing in the middle of the room, looking over many notes Twilight had given her to review and she was expected to memorize them.
"Keep them organized, please!" Twilight said. Mystic just ignored her, "If we can't get you to learn friendship, the lessons you've been learning might go three steps backward."
"I doubt that," Mystic muttered.
"Mystic!" Twilight suddenly grasped her shoulders, startling Mystic, "Please take this seriously!"
"Get off me," Mystic said simply, "You made me drop some of my notes."
"Shoot! Now to reorganize them!" said Twilight, shooting her a smile that looked a little unhinged to Mystic.
An hour later, Mystic was sitting in Twilight's classroom as the alicorn wrote various friendship illustrations on the chalkboard.
"You need to find friendship problems whenever there is one and resolve them the best you can," Twilight went on with a crazed grin. "And the way to making a lot of friends is to just that by showing your examples to them." She smiled at Mystic, it looking a little natural, "Something you'll be learning quite often here at the school!"
Does she not know of my talks with Starlight and Ocellus? Mystic thought.
Mystic did her best to keep herself quiet and respectful to "keep in line" with the program but Twilight was going over thoroughly over common courtesies and lessons she had ideas of.
"-and learning to compromise is the most important lesson in swallowing pride and just listening and understanding one another's sides to better resolve conflicts in that way," Twilight lectured, her grin turning crazed again.
I'm so over this... Mystic thought as she looked up at the clock and saw it was almost five minutes until noon, almost immediately her stomach growled.
She stood up from her desk.
"As interesting as this is, it's almost time for lunch!" said Mystic.
"But I haven't gotten to the final lesson yet!" Twilight protested, part of her mane getting frazzled.
"Gah!" Mystic cried, "Twilight, I know you're excited but I need to eat."
Twilight sighed and frowned, "I... you're right..." She sighed, "I know you need to get some lunch... I guess I did go a little overboard with my lessons."
"A little?" Mystic retorted, levitating a bunch of sheets of paper Twilight had given her.
Twilight reddened. "Oh, wow."
"Yeah, a little my flank," Mystic glared.
"Yeeeaaaah, this would be a good time to have lunch," Twilight's blush deepened.
Mystic just got up and left the classroom.
Twilight reappeared in her headmare's office and sat down in her chair.
"Oh, what is wrong with me?" Twilight muttered, brushing her mane with a comb. She couldn't believe how much she shoved into Mystic's face. Monitoring your students as if they're children? Well, they are, but still... She looked up and saw her empty office. Suddenly, she remembered a smiling Cozy Glow flying to her, eager to help out. The alicorn nearly teared up. That won't happen again! I won't let it happen again!
She sighed.
"Oh, I would love to have some of that Starlight wisdom right about now..." said Twilight. She couldn't fail again with Bullion's sons and--
"Hey Twilight!" said Spike.
The doors to her office opened up, revealing the drake and a nervous look on his face.
"What's wrong, Spike?" Twilight asked.
"Mr. Bullion is here and he wants to talk."
Just what I needed! Twilight facehoofed.
"Thanks, Pinkie," said Mystic as the pink mare put the salad in Mystic's bowl.
"You're welcome!" Pinkie beamed. Mystic gave her a courteous smirk and left to pick a table in the cafeteria.
What do you know, they want me to sit with them again, Mystic thought. She was getting annoyed yet again, but there were barely any seats left and she saw other students heading in their direction. Without much choice, she decided to sit down with the creatures again.
"I'm telling you, this isn't a good idea," she heard the dragoness whisper as she came over.
"She's coming over," Silverstream whispered.
"Hey," said Gallus, "I just wanted to apologize for my behavior last night."
"Me too," Smolder muttered.
"All of us weren't acting right," said Silverstream.
"Most of us," said Yona, motioning to Sandbar.
"I accept your apologies," replied Mystic, cutting herself off before saying any more.
"Learn anything new and exciting?" Ocellus asked, "Are you enjoying the studying?"
"Well, it wouldn't be as bad if she weren't hovering over my shoulders trying to teach me specific lessons," said Mystic before taking a sip of her water.
"Oh, she does tend to get a little guide-y but she'll ease off soon," said Sandbar.
"I don't know... she seemed rather clingy when it comes to me learning," replied Mystic. "Like today for example."
"Huh."
"That is odd," said Gallus.
What seems odd is how you all extend your friendship to me despite your issues, Mystic thought, feeling a small sense of gratitude for some reason.
"Maybe I have been distant from you all," she said, "I apologize. I'm just not used to all of this."
"We understand, Mystic," said Ocellus. "It must be hard out beyond Equestria, right?"
Mystic nodded. "The world is a lot darker than you would think."
"Which is why we need to shine our friendship very brightly," Sandbar smiled.
"So I've been hearing," Mystic smirked, catching something out of the corner of her eye. Looking towards her right, she saw Starry and Lucky had entered. She paused, knowing she had to made sure they got their due.
However, she decided to play dumb and ask the Young Six who they were.
"Who're those two?" Mystic asked, pointing at the two bullies in line.
"You mean you don't know?" Ocellus asked with wide eyes.
"I think... vaguely, but I'm not sure," replied Mystic.
"That's Starry and Lucky," said Smolder. "Two colts of a rich pony."
"Really?" Mystic asked, eyes narrowing at the colts as they began to get their food.
"Yeah, and those two have been causing problems for every student here, and Mr. Bullion seems to be getting to our Headmare," Ocellus explained.
Mystic cleared her throat, "What about you six?"
The other six glanced at one another. That was all Mystic needed to know. She smirked a little, "Do you know anything they don't like?"
The Young Six looked confused, but Gallus seemed to be quick to pick up on what Mystic was implying.
"Oooh, I think I know," he smiled deviously.
Ocellus' eyes widened, "Oh no, Mystic."
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," replied Mystic, she glanced over at them as they continued eating, "Those two are rats."
"You got that right," Smolder agreed for once.
"I mean it, please don't try!" Ocellus begged.
Mystic ignored her and turned to Gallus, "What do you believe they don't like?"
"I think they don't like spicy things," replied Gallus.
"Perfect."
When the two colts got up from their seats, Mystic got up from her seat.
"Oh, I think this is going to be sweet," she heard Gallus say.
Mystic headed over to some condiments for the food and picked up a few packets of hot sauce. Smirking deviously, she saw a water fountain, walked over to it, and cast a bit of magic into it. Mystic glanced around to see nocreature paid her much attention. She saw Starry and Lucky getting some peach cobbler from the serving area. Coming up with a plan fast, she began whistling lightly to herself as she trotted over, grabbing a plate for dessert. When she got close to the colts, she bumped into them.
"Oof!" all three of them grunted. The force knocked both colts down.
"Hey watch it, blank flank!" Starry snarled, picking himself off the floor.
"Apologies, I didn't see you there," Mystic lied.
"If you couldn't see us then you must have really misaligned eyes," Lucky snarled.
Ignoring that comment, Mystic said, "Hey, both of you got something on your coat."
"What?!" Starry, "See what happens when you're not careful?!"
"Hey, I apologized."
Starry and Lucky both turned away, taking their jackets off to examine them. Mystic made sure nopony was behind the dessert counter and nopony was looking except the Young Six before she opened the packets of hot sauce, poured about an even amount of hot sauce into the peach cobbler poured it in the middle of the cobbler, and levitated a piece of the dessert to keep it hidden.
"Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, but it was still enough to muddy us down to these ponies' levels," said Starry as they slipped their coats back on.
"Yeah, they don't understand us important ponies," Lucky agreed. He glared at Mystic, "As for you, clumsy one, watch your darn step!"
Mystic glared back, "Maybe I will and you can watch your big bound-to-get-you in trouble attitudes."
They both scoffed, grabbed their cobbler, and began walking off, both bumping into Mystic on purpose. The unicorn held back a snarl and watched them head back to their table. They sat down separate from the other kids while Mystic smirked and winked at the Young Six. The griffon and dragoness formed devious looks, holding back their chuckles, the others were uncertain, especially Ocellus, as both colts began taking bites of their cobbler.
A few seconds passed before their eyes widened.
Lucky screamed.
"Hot hot hot!" Starry screamed.
Mystic saw all of the students had looked over to see what's going on, including Pinkie.
"Who put the hot sauce into the cobbler?!" Starry screamed, fanning his tongue.
The two bullies began looking around frantically for ways to cool their mouths off, their cups were empty, but they saw the water fountain. Galloping over, Lucky pushed Starry out of the way as he turned it on.
Only for no water to come out.
Their faces turn red, their tongues burning up. Some of the students begin snickering at their misfortune while Mystic holds back an amused look.
"Give us some water! anything!" Lucky bellowed as he turned the fountain's knob, but nothing came out. Both scampered, trying to look around for an alternative way of cooling themselves off. Mystic looked over to see Gallus and Smolder were snickering, tears coming to their eyes.
"Some of you losers might've done this!" Starry shouted. Mystic just looked away, pretending to finally get her dessert.
The cafeteria's doors opened, revealing Mr. Bullion and a wide-eyed Twilight.
"What's going on here?!" Twilight asked.
"Somepony put the hot sauce into the cobbler!" Lucky announced as he and his brother ran to the dessert table.
"What?!" Bullion and Twilight shouted.
Lucky and Starry grabbed a pie and practically threw it into their faces, biting into it. They seemed to calm down as some students snickered while Mystic maintained a mostly neutral look. Mr. Bullion walked over to his sons and pulled out a bottle of water.
Both colts took it without hesitation as Mr. Bullion glared at all of the students, silencing them.
Pinkie hopped over to Twilight.
"Pinkie, what in Equestria happened?" Twilight asked nervously, glancing at Bullion.
"I don't know," replied Pinkie, "I'm confused, I thought I removed my desserts with hot sauce."
Twilight's eyes widened, "You mean you think it could've been that?"
"I don't know."
Mr. Bullion finished helping his son and turned back to Twilight.
"I came here to check and see how this trash heap is doing and now I find my sons eating peach cobbler with hot sauce?" he growled.
"I don't know what happened, Mr. Bullion," said Twilight, "We don't know how it could've gotten in there." Twilight glanced at her students, "Unless somepony or creature put in there on purpose."
"Whoever it was, I demand you'd find them," said Bullion, looking back at Twilight.
"Right," said Twilight, she looked at Starry and Lucky, "Both of you, Pinkie'll give you some fresh peach cobbler if you want it.
"No thanks," said Lucky, turning his nose up, "My taste buds were ruined by somepony's carelessness."
Starry turned his nose up as well before he walked out of the cafeteria.
"I expect much better things," Bullion said to Twilight.
The alicorn slightly sulked before nodding, "I promise to get things back on track."
"I doubt that."
Having seen the whole thing performed by that stallion, Mystic began walking up to Mr. Bullion. She noticed some surprised looks from the nearby students as the stallion began to depart.
"Hey buster," said Mystic.
Mr. Bullion spun around with an angered expression with his mouth open but he paused when he saw Mystic standing in front of him.
"What do you want? I don't have time for low lives like you," he scolded.
"Just as I thought you'd be," Mystic glared.
"How what?" Bullion demanded.
"Of course, your tiny brain would be confused, suppose I should spell it out for you," Mystic went on.
"My what's too tiny?!" Bullion shouted, nostrils flaring.
"Oh, wow, and it's smaller than what I thought it'd be," Mystic smirked a bit, "I've heard of your attitude around the school. Downright distasteful if you ask me."
"You little muddy pony! Do you even know who I am?!"
"A big flashy egotistical rich pony that thinks he's too good for everypony? Yeah, I think I know."
"What?!"
Mystic glared harder, "Don't get smart with me, buster. I know you won't try any physical violence here, and neither will I. But trust me," she leaned forward, "I know what your kind is like."
Bullion leaned forward, almost making contact with Mystic. "You better watch yourself, or I'll have your head."
"I always watch myself and I know a real threat when I see one. So, unless you have anything else to say to me other than be a jerk-face, I suggest you move along."
It gave her great satisfaction as this stallion stared, slack-jawed at her. Mystic glanced and saw the students watched with amazement as the two ponies stood their ground.
"A young lady like you shouldn't be acting like this," Mr. Bullion finally said.
"And your sons are nothing but ransacking angry bullies, you don't have the conduct to deter how young ladies should behave." Mystic shot back.
Bullion's nostrils flared as his pupils shrank. He huffed angrily, as Mystic noticed Twilight continued staring in complete shock, sweat pouring down her face. Mystic held her ground and never let her glare drop. Finally, Bullion stomped out of the cafeteria, intentionally making his steps boom down the hall. When he was gone, all of the students clapped and Gallus whistled. Mystic turned and walked back to the Young Six.
"Way to show him!" Smolder said happily.
"I agree!" Gallus inquired.
The other students let out their own agreements while Mystic shrugged.
"Hey, mess with the wrong pony, you'll get the horn," Mystic said loud enough for the rest of the students to hear. She lit up her horn as a point. The students cheered even more as Mystic's smirk grew.
Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she turned to see Spike with a concerned look.
"Twilight wants to see you in her office," he said.
Mystic rolled her eyes and followed the young drake.
When they arrived at Twilight's office, Spike opened the door to a pacing and hyperventilating Twilight. Mystic cocked an eyebrow upward at the scene. When Spike closed the door, Twilight snapped her head in their direction, eyes wide and panicked.
"Oh, thank goodness! Spike, have her sit in front of my desk," she said.
Spike flapped himself forward and motioned Mystic to sit down. The unicorn did so and faced the concerned headmare.
"Mystic, what have you done?!" she practically screamed.
Mystic raised an eyebrow, "I stood up to somepony."
"And that somepony was Mr. Bullion!" Twilight cried, "He owns businesses all across Equestria and has connections in the government!"
"Oh, is that who that was? Seemed like a big egotistical nopony to me."
Twilight loudly gasped, "Mystic!"
Mystic shrugged, "What?"
"Didn't I tell you we had a very delicate business going on with Mr. Bullion?!"
"Eh," Mystic tapped her forehead with a nonchalant look
"Mystic, please listen," said Twilight, her look becoming desperate, "Mr. Bullion is..."
"You don't need a blind eye to know he's not friendly," Mystic cut in.
"Lately he's wormed his way and his sons into the School and has a bit of a grasp around us." Twilight let out an exhale, "We've tried dealing with his sons and get them help, but they didn't take it and just kept harassing ponies."
"So?"
"Just before you showed up, Mr. Bullion revealed he knew what his sons were doing and nopony can deter him of any wrongdoing. Without any evidence to support a case against him, the ponies that're close business partners, congressponies, and the high-class ponies in Canterlot will back him up through Tartarus and back!"
Mystic scoffed, "Sounds like a bunch of self-important brats to me."
"Mystic!" Twilight scolded, "This is a serious matter! If we can't save our School from him and keep this place together, the entire thing will be closed! I might be the Princess of Friendship but I have a huge responsibility to keep this building safe." Twilight rubbed her head.
"What she's saying, Mystic," said Spike, "Is that with those ponies having Bullion's back and the School having these issues, we might have a huge court case against us and the School."
"And what I wanted to do for the different species beyond our land will be totally trashed!" Twilight cried, "Celestia and Luna want to help but this is bigger than them." She paused, her lip slightly trembling, the pressure of the whole situation getting to her, "I mean we're doing our best to pull through, but I'm..." She shook her head, "Oh, what am I saying?! We will pull through this!"
"I... I guess that makes the situation a bit icky," replied Mystic.
"It's more than that! It's everything my friends and I have gotten to on our long road ever since becoming friends. We love this school, the students love the school, we can't let Mr. Bullion take this away!"
"Aren't you doing anything about this?"
"Yes, we have somepony looking into the whole thing to see if magic is involved or any other circumstances. But for right now, we have no idea what's causing this."
"Could it be Bullion causing this?"
"Mr. Bullion's an earth pony, how could he pull this off without magic?" Spike asked.
"I like to keep a suspect list," replied Mystic, looking at him.
"I want to be sure we get all of the facts before we start pointing hooves," said Twilight, "I told my friends I'm under a lot of pressure with what's happening lately and it's wearing me down." She held her head, "Not to mention giving me a bit of a headache, too."
"I've got some ibuprofen if you need it, Twilight," said Spike, flapping over to a drawer and pulling out a small bottle of pills.
"Thanks, Spike," Twilight briefly smiled at him before looking back at Mystic.
"Do you understand what's going on here?" she asked.
"I do, but you stood up to..." Mystic paused, "That disgusting pony when we chased off the Pride."
"I told Rainbow this before, Hong wasn't in a position Bullion is," said Twilight, "The circumstances were different."
"I see." Mystic slightly leaned back in her chair, "Still, I think you need to 'buck up' and stand up a bit more for yourself."
Twilight's eyes widened as if she'd been slapped, she slightly glared, "Did you not hear what I told you?"
"I heard you, I just think you need to stand up more. There's nothing wrong with standing up for something you know could help a lot of ponies, especially with a pony of your stature."
"I agree, Mystic, but this situation is not a cut and dry situation you can trot away easily from," said Twilight, "I have done my part and my friends are too." Mystic just sat there, listening to Twilight. "I know you probably did something to Lucky and Starry," the alicorn added, "Did you prank them with that hot sauce and dried up water fountain?" Mystic snorted, smirking a bit, confirming Twilight's suspicions. "You did do it!" Twilight pointed at her, "Why?"
"They were asking for it," Mystic smirked, "Besides, I don't consider it a 'prank' I consider it getting justice."
Twilight groaned, "You know I'd have you in detention for doing something like that." She sighed, "However, you've only just started, so I'll give you a warning. Don't pull off pranks like that in this facility."
"Whatever. Besides, they harassed me the other day."
Twilight and Spike exchanged glances with one another.
"Mystic, I'm glad you did some research and wrote some things down," said Twilight. Mystic scoffed inwardly, "However, I do ask one major thing of you."
"What?"
"To keep this situation a bit more under control, I'd like for you to apologize to Mr. Bullion and his sons."
Mystic's eyes widened, "What? You want me to apologize to those jerks after I stood up to them?"
"It's just to keep the situation under control."
Mystic crossed her forelegs and gave a firm look, "No."
"What?!"
"I said 'no.' I won't apologize to the likes of them if my life depended on it."
"Mystic, you have to!"
"No."
Mystic could tell by the look on the alicorn's face, with her wide furious eyes, she was doing everything she could to keep herself calm. Mystic just sat there, unmoving.
"Mystic, either you apologize to them or I'll have to give you extra homework, detention, and clean up around the school," Twilight said firmly.
"Those seem preferable compared to the former."
"Very well," Twilight said with a glare, "I'll have you write a ten-page essay straight from the Friendship Guides, clean some of the school, and extra homework. How does that sound?"
"Fine," replied Mystic, "But I think you're making a mistake." She stood up as Twilight levitated some papers.
"My biggest mistake was letting them in here, now we have this situation," said Twilight, giving Mystic the sheets. "Go to your next class, Mystic. I'll have some of my friends see you after school."
Mystic didn't reply, except getting up and turning to the door. When she was almost at the door, she stopped.
"I have one thing to say to you," said Mystic, looking at her. "By my experiences, since you care so much about this school and how it could help everycreature beyond Equestria, then why don't you buck up and stand up against this stallion and his lackeys? You've been through Tartarus recently and on many adventures before."
"Just go, Mystic!"
Mystic sighed and walked out.
For most of the day, Starlight had been in her office just sitting and waiting for more students to counsel. In front of her was a mint colored pegasus mare with a brown mane, but she hardly paid her mind, letting her gaze slightly gaze to her recently purchased plant she named Phyllis.
"And then I just had to-" the student's voice reached her ears.
No need to worry about my own problems! Starlight thought as the student continued.
"So, what do you think I should do?" the student asked.
Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! I hadn't been listening! Starlight thought. She had to improvise.
"Well, I was... thoroughly interested in your problems, but I think you have the ability and knowledge to solve it on your own!" Starlight chirped, smiling brightly.
"Are you sure? It seems rather complica--"
"Yes!" Starlight got up, getting the student up and placing a foreleg around her back, "You're a smart, capable student. Believe me, I've been in plenty of situations like that!" She led the student out of the room and slipped back into her office.
"Guidance Counselor," said the student, turning around.
"Just remember my advice!" Starlight chirped, "Goodbye! Lunch break!" She closed the door. The unicorn facehoofed, knowing it was way past lunch.
"Great, now I'm running students out of my office for my selfish reasons," said Starlight, slumping onto her desk. This was the second student she had done that before, but she needed to keep up with her responsibilities.
Yet, she couldn't help but feel insulted others are coming to her. Her! The one who was broken and selfish.
My advice is needless for them... Starlight thought.
She walked back over to her desk and sat in her chair, her gaze going to a nearby picture hanging on the wall containing her and her friends, only to see a flash of Nightfall's face. "Everypony will know what you did and tried to do!"
The unicorn lit up her horn to destroy it but immediately cursed herself, stopping herself. When she blinked, the picture was back to normal with all of their smiling faces. When she looked at herself next to Twilight, she recalled the last conversation that became very heated with her former mentor.
"I'm trying to help you, Starlight! Why won't you talk to me?!" she could hear the alicorn still begging her. All of her friends were concerned but had given her some space, unlike the first week.
She is hurting because of me... Starlight thought. Just like Maud was and I have no doubt that Trixie is too...
But she couldn't let them in. They needed to get back to their lives just as she's trying to. But she couldn't let them help her after all the choices she'd made. Just move on and things will get better.
A few knocks came from behind her door.
"It's open," Starlight called, nervous and unenthused. The door cracked open, revealing a sheepish Mystic, much to her surprise.
"Hi Starlight," said Mystic, walking over.
"Hey," replied Starlight, Gee, way to greet a new friend. "What're you up to?"
"I've had to do extra studying, homework, and cleaning around the school because I stood up against an evil stallion," Mystic said in a blunt tone.
"Oh," said Starlight. "I thought I heard something like that." Mystic took her seat on the green couch in front of Starlight's desk. Starlight forced a smile on her face, ready to talk with Mystic about any issues she has been having. "Welcome to my guidance counseling office, my fair student. Can I offer you a throw pillow? A comfort blanket?"
"No thanks," replied Mystic.
Starlight straightened in her chair, putting her hooves together, "Well, go ahead, Mystic. I am listening."
"When are we going to learn magic?" Mystic asked.
"I told you when my schedule allows it," replied Starlight.
Mystic glared. "We talked about this a couple of days ago and we still haven't done anything."
Starlight was beginning to feel very annoyed, but she hid it by clearing her throat. "Mystic, I understand that you want to do magic, but I ask you to please just work with me when I feel it's the best time."
"You'd better not be putting it off because we both need to get to know each other more," Mystic spoke in a strained tone.
"As you know, you're in a guidance counselor's office, so you probably had a reason other than that. If we're going to speak, we need to talk about your problems," Starlight said.
"Aw, gosh, Starlight!" Mystic cried, falling back onto the couch onto her back, "I've just been having a hectic time. I mean, I am new here but I just can't seem to understand friendship, oh woe is me!"
All right, now you're just being silly, Starlight thought.
"You're a vigilant and you've probably seen some terrible things," said Starlight. "Twilight wants you to get into full swing at this school."
"I'm aware."
"Either we talk about what you really came in here for, or you go back to class."
"Classes are over," said Mystic, sitting back up, "Besides, little Starlight." Starlight lightly tensed when Mystic locked onto her. "I think you might recall where you were. In Oogundaa, and I saved you."
"So, you feel like I owe you something?"
"Just as a common courtesy," said Mystic, crossing her forelegs.
"I see," said Starlight, "But can you look into your sense of morality and think that I'm a little uncomfortable and busy right now?"
"Why so uncomfortable? Do you hate magic?"
Starlight glared hard, "No!" Mystic raised an eyebrow, causing Starlight to curse herself for nearly revealing that detail. "Look, Mystic, I don't want to argue with you. I'm not in the mood."
"I could argue if I wanted to, so I'm just wanting to cut to the chase," said Mystic, looking at her left hoof. Starlight sighed. "Maybe if you won't teach me magic, maybe we should part ways."
"No!" Starlight snapped.
"So, you will teach me magic?"
"When I'm ready!"
"You've told me that a few times now. And is that twenty moons from now?"
Starlight growled, "Mystic, please just try to consider things from my point of view!"
"You seem to have reclused for over a week," said Mystic, "I think I might have considered you." Starlight felt her cheeks flush. "Buuut, I may think about just letting myself be closed off from you when we said we'll see who would spill first."
Starlight ran a hoof down her face, getting tired of this. "You're a real gambler, Mystic.
"And you're a unicorn who's stubborn and won't open up."
Starlight dryly chuckled. It was true. "I'm craving for a drink, Mystic, would you like some empathy cocoa?"
"I'm not a sweet eater, but thanks anyway," said Mystic. "Starlight," she leaned forward in her seat, "I'm not trying to be a bad guy. I care for you."
"I've had a lot of that," Starlight muttered, "I don't deserve any of it."
"I see," said Mystic, causing Starlight to curse herself again. "Nopony in this world deserves much of what they get, Starlight. But I guess that's just life's good blessings, huh?"
"I guess," replied Starlight, "Some get far too much of it."
"Probably. But that doesn't mean you should hold it all in."
Starlight slumped onto her desk, her head thudding. "I swear this session is killing me, I wonder what kind of stuff lies beyond the grave."
"I guess you might find out because I think we know I'm not the most open pony either," Mystic lightly smirked. "I'm a lone wolf and all there is surviving or not."
Starlight looked up at her, "What if your survival depends on seeking others out for advice?"
"I get my own advice. It's worked for me, after all, I've been through just about anything."
"Oh ho, you think you're so smart, huh?" Starlight asked in a low tone.
"I believe so and maybe you'd learn a few things from me."
Starlight let out a harsh laugh, "Wow." Both ponies went silent and Starlight knew she wouldn't get much out of this filly. Mystic sat there with a neutral expression.
Maybe she does care about me, Starlight thought, she was barely anypony she knew, yet she felt as if they had a connection.
"Maybe this was a mistake," said Mystic, "I probably should've just left you alone."
"Oh, I see," Starlight frowned.
"Yeah, because ponies deteriorate around me!"
Starlight paused. "What?"
"I think you heard what I said," replied Mystic, sulking in her chair.
No way... Starlight thought, gaining sympathy for the mare again. Ah! It's like we're tangled together!
"Fine!" Starlight shouted, "Tomorrow, Rarity is having you prepare for the Convocation, right?"
"I have to do some work around the village afterward," replied Mystic.
"All right," Starlight stood up from behind her desk, and walked over to Mystic, "After all of that, we're going to do the magic lessons. You have my word."
Mystic nodded, "You also need to follow through on it."
"I will," Starlight assured her.
Both ponies just looked at each other for what felt like a few minutes.
"Do you want some empathy cocoa?" Starlight asked.
"I think I'd like that," replied Mystic. |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 9 - Getting fit for the Convocation | It was a beautiful morning in Ponyville. The birds were chirping, animals chittered and chattered, the air was cool and ponies were enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of their little town.
However, in the Carousel Boutique, Rarity was sewing and worried about the next few hours.
Thirty dresses done for the clients, she thought, Just in time for the Convocation within a week or so. All of them in high quality as they ordered!
Rarity bit the bottom of her lip. Last night, she remembered Sweetie Belle wanting to spend more time with her but she was so swamped with work that she couldn't be with her.
Rarity focused more on her sewing, almost seeing her little sister's sad eyes.
"It's been too long since we hung out!" Sweetie's voice echoed.
Your generosity is a superstition.
The first of many thoughts that have plagued her for the past week. She knew they were lies but the more she thought about them, she started to doubt them.
I took advantage of Spike's crush over me... Rarity thought, He was just a kid and he had a massive thing for me...
She had known that for years yet was willing to have him work for her.
How much had I convinced myself it was me spending time with him and vice versa?
Rarity sighed, feeling ashamed. She thought back to how many times she'd taken him for granted and taken advantage of his crush for her.
A sudden jolt of pain shot into her hoof. "Ow!" She pulled it back from the sewing machine and saw it was beginning to turn red.
"Rarity, are you okay?" a voice Rarity knew as Coloratura called from downstairs.
"I'm fine, darling!" replied Rarity, "I just hit my hoof on something."
There was no response from Coloratura. She had to finish her and Sapphire Shore's dress.
She had to keep her head straight. As Rarity left her bedroom, also known as her second workplace, she went to the bathroom and turned on the sink.
You've got Mystic to deal with, she thought with some bitterness. Get her fitted in a proper dress for the Convocation.
Coloratura and Sapphire were there for dresses too, Rarity looked at herself in the mirror to see the bags have mostly faced thanks to her makeup. The unicorn looked down at her hoof and it felt a lot better and the ruddiness had gone down.
I've got to keep working, she thought, Ponies need me. The thought of them not needing her...
Nopony would want you if you abandoned your work.
Rarity shook her head and got back over to the sewing machine to continue her work. Her confidence wasn't very high and she needed to find a way to get it back.
Nopony would want you if you abandoned your family.
Rarity whimpered, wanting to eat some ice cream before these thoughts continually torture her.
A soft meow came from nearby, Rarity turned to see Opal playing with one of her toys.
"Oh, Opal, can you go fetch me some more feathers for the dresses?" Rarity asked.
Opal stood up with an uncaring expression, she turned, flicked her tail at Rarity, and hopped down the nearby stairs.
"All right then," said Rarity, moving away from the sewing machine again, I'll be sure to punish her later today.
"Thanks," said Mystic to the smiling Flower Trio as they gave her a rose necklace.
"It's the least we could do," said Daisy.
"Yeah, you've done so much for us," said Rose.
Behind the trio were a bunch of flower displays each containing different types of flowers from tulips, plum blossoms, zinnias, and more.
"I've done a lot in Ponyville," said Mystic, remembering the many jobs she had to do every afternoon when school was over, but she had been making sure she not only met the goals but did even more than to prove to them that she's not that pony anymore. "I've got to get going."
"Be sure to stop by to chat with us sometime!" said Lily. Mystic nodded in response. She focused on heading down the street to her next destination; Carousel Boutique.
Despite the jobs forced upon her by that atrocious General, Ponyville was a very nice place. Mystic smiled as she looked upon the streets with comfy-looking cottages with linen straw roofs.
She breathed in the cool air of the morning and it carried the sweet smell of the flowers she'd been working with.
Ponies are nice around here, she thought, recalling Twilight's words of it being the "friendliest place in Equestria." She had gotten used to Ponyville's 'sunniness' and, when it wasn't crazy around town, the whole place gave off a peaceful vibe.
It was the most peaceful place she'd ever been in.
As she passed Sugarcube Corner, she remembered the directions to the Boutique and continued forward. The sound of loud thumps came from nearby. Slightly confused, she saw a young yak happily bouncing about ten feet away.
"Yona?" Mystic asked.
"Yep! I'm Yona!" the yak said proudly, turning to look at her. "Hey! Mystic!"
"What're you doing going to the boutique?" Mystic asked, "Didn't you get fitted for your dress?"
"Yona did! But Yona met new friends at Gala!" said Yona. "Going to see them."
"Really? That's cool."
"Cold to me! Better than cool!"
Mystic smiled. As both she and Yona approached Carousel Boutique's block, Mystic decided to ask a question.
"Hey, Yona," said Mystic.
"Yeah pony from outside pony land?" Yona asked.
"Well, I just wanted to know something, have you ever felt something about Ponyville?" Mystic asked.
"Yona notices how friendly and sweet Ponyville is! Full of a lot of friendly ponies that accept Yona!"
"Have you ever noticed anything peaceful about it?"
Yona furrowed her brows. "Peaceful?"
"Yeah, you know, pleasant, as if things were okay despite this place being the subject of many adventures as I've heard."
"Yona think so," said Yona, "Seems more peaceful besides Yakyakistan. Yaks best."
A sense of frustration arose in Mystic's chest at that last line, but she hid it by scratching her nose. "I see. Does anypony, I mean anycreature else notice?"
"Yona think Ocellus does and I seen other ponies relaxing, but why pony asking?"
"I was just wondering," replied Mystic, "I've noticed it for a while." She began to open the Boutique's door.
"Peaceful it is, but is friendliest place Yona knows!" the young yak said happily, hopping into the Boutique. "Friends! Yona here!"
Mystic heard unfamiliar voices in the Boutique greeting the yak. When she entered the lobby, she saw a white earth pony with a black mane, and a taller creme colored earth pony with a blue mane and tail, dressed in a white frilly dress.
"Oh, friends, this here Mystic!" said Yona, pointing to Mystic. "She new student at school!"
"A pleasure, miss," said the white earth pony.
"Hello," said the creme pony.
"Hi," replied Mystic, raising an eyebrow and motioning to them, "I'm sorry?"
"Oh, I'm Coloratura and this is Sapphire Shores," said Coloratura. "But call me Rara."
"Why should I call you Rara?" Mystic inclined her head.
Coloratura giggled. "Because my childhood friend, AJ lives here, and I want all my friends to call me that."
"Wait," Mystic reeled back, "Applejack's a childhood friend of yours?"
"Yep."
Mystic blinked several times. "The more you learn about ponies." Everypony and Yona giggled.
"Yona met them at Gala," said Yona, "And Yona want to learn more about fashion and creating dresses!"
"This little one may be the owner of her own boutique one of these days," Coloratura said with a smile, rubbing the yak's head.
"Yona don't know that yet though," said Yona with a sheepish grin.
"Do I hear new voices?!" a familiar voice cried from behind some purple curtains. They flew apart revealing a frazzled Rarity with wide eyes. She gasped loudly. "Oh my! You're here, Mystic!"
"Uh yeah?" replied Mystic.
"Just give me a minute!" Rarity flew back into the curtains.
Still as dramatic as ever, Mystic thought.
"I honestly wish Rarity didn't work so hard when she doesn't need to," said Rara.
"Oh?" Mystic asked.
"I just wanted a simple dress for the Convocation but she's insistent on going over the top," Coloratura sighed.
At that moment, Rarity popped back.
"Sapphire Shores and Coloratura," said Rarity, "Your dresses are almost finished but I need to get this one done on behalf of the Princess of Friendship." She levitated some bits into the air and shoved them into Coloratura's hooves, "Go and have something to eat. I shall be done in a little while!"
The two ponies looked at one another before turning and walking out.
"What about Yona?" Yona raised her hoof.
"As part of your time being here, go with them and catch up. Chop! Chop!"
Yona curtly nodded and left.
"Wait! You're leaving me with her?!" Mystic cried.
"We need to find you a dress and I'll be teaching you more about generosity as well as making sure you've got your lessons down!"
"I think I got my lessons down!" Mystic insisted.
"We shall see, darling!" Rarity then pulled out a rack of multiple dresses. "I've got a lot of clients coming in the next few days so I need somepony to model for me as well."
"Excuse me?!" Mystic's eyes widened.
"Pleeeeeaaaassseee!" Rarity grasped Mystic's chest and got too close for comfort with teary eyes, "I'm under a lot of stress! So please cooperate!"
"Whoa! Fine!" Mystic abruptly pulled back.
"Excellent! Now to get you washed up and groomed for the fittings."
Going through thorough bathing and having her coat groomed by the white nightmare was one she hoped she would forget. She was shaking from all of the excitement.
Now, Mystic was dressed in a frilly yellow dress with a yellow bow in her freshly combed mane. The worst part was Rarity's ramblings about the history of the Tree of Harmony that she barely paid attention to and finally getting up to the whole point of her element of generosity.
"The element of generosity is perhaps, well, the most generous of all of the Elements of Harmony!" said Rarity, looking over the dress. "It's a lot better to give than to receive because it just gives you that warm feeling inside of making somepony's day!"
Mystic let out a sigh.
Now, Mystic wore a flashy pink dress with her mane in braids and her tail tied up in a knot. She cringed at the tight-fitting outfit.
"What is this dress for? A teenager?" she muttered.
Rarity didn't seem to pick up, "Oh, that reminds me of the time where I learned how even though ponies will take advantage of your generosity, you shouldn't let it abandon your generous spirit."
"Can your generous spirit save me from all of these fittings?" Mystic asked with a glare.
"Oh, pshah! I hadn't gotten anypony else to model and we need to find you one after we're done here."
Mystic facehoofed, ignoring the fabric rubbing against her coat.
"Rarity, this is ridiculous!" Mystic cried, looking at the light blue dress "I've fitted at least ten dresses for you!"
"And a twenty more to come!" said Rarity. "Oh! Put that glass slipper that slipped off your hoof."
Mystic wanted to kick it away.
"And that reminds me of how generosity is a gift itself," Rarity continued.
I don't know how much of this generosity stuff I'll remember, Mystic thought, wanting to go back into town and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.
She saw that Yona and the two ponies she was with had re-entered the boutique and Yona inclined her head at Mystic.
Mystic tried to mouth the words 'Help me' but Rarity blocked her view of Yona before she could do it.
For the next half hour, Sapphire, Coloratura, and Yona spent talking in Rarity's back room.
"-And that the last time I tried radishes!" said Yona.
Sapphire and Coloratura giggled.
"Yona, you are one funny yak," said Coloratura.
"I concur," said Sapphire.
"Can't wait to meet all of your pony friends at Convocation!" said Yona, beaming.
"I'm sure you can't," Sapphire winked with a smile.
Yona heard Rarity saying something in the main room, and something clattering in the background, which caused the fashionista to let out a yelp.
"What's with Rarity?" Coloratura inclined her head, looking to where the noise came from. "She would've gotten our fittings done by now."
"Rarity going far with teaching Mystic," said Yona.
"Oh?" Coloratura asked.
"Yeah," Yona curtly nodded. "She fitting her for dresses and teaching ways Yona not seen her teach before."
"Hmmmm," Sapphire hummed, turning in the direction of the main workroom of the boutique.
Rarity couldn't believe what Mystic had said about the 'Woodland outfit' and outfit that looked like a tree with miniature trees attached all around it.
"It's fashionable!" Rarity finally said.
"That thing's too fashionable for its own good," said Mystic, now back in her usual outfit.
Rarity gasped, pulled out her fainting couch, and fell onto it. "It's a work in progress! I'm doing my best!"
"The best thing you can do is just forget about that one," said Mystic. "Oh, hi Miss Sapphire, isn't it?"
"Sapphire Shores?!" Rarity shot to her hooves, seeing the pop star standing at the entrance to her bedroom.
"Rarity, I believe you must have finished your fittings?" Sapphire asked.
"If you mean trying on thirty dresses, then yeah, I say so," said Mystic. "I'm going to get some lunch from downstairs." She began to leave.
Rarity opened her mouth, but Sapphire put a hoof to the unicorn's mouth, allowing Mystic to leave.
"Rarity," Sapphire said with a disappointed gaze. "This isn't like you. Why are you treating this mare that way?"
Rarity slightly shrank under Sapphire, almost as if she were her mother getting onto for something she did wrong.
"I... just..." Rarity tried to speak.
"Talk, please," Sapphire said in a firm tone.
"I think..." Rarity paused in her word choice. She didn't want to mention how Mystic has killed before. "I might see a little of myself in her... on top of her ghastly attitude," said Rarity, looking down in shame.
"Hmm, I see," said Sapphire. "Is it because she doesn't understand fashion? Or because she doesn't have friends?"
"Both, I guess," replied Rarity. She sat down on a stool. "I've not been... upset by somepony like this before in a long time."
"You told me that you never had friends for a long time as a filly and because your parents never truly got fashion," said Sapphire. "Could it be you see yourself in Mystic?"
Rarity looked down in shame, taking in Sapphire's words.
Mystic couldn't believe it as she stood in front of the mirror. After several more dresses she tried on, she finally believed she had the one she wanted for the Convocation.
It was a sapphire blue, silky dress with sparkles on the front and back. It had a white shimmering band around her collar, and it fit around her form very comfortably.
"I think this is the one," said Mystic, smiling a bit.
"Good! Then it's all yours!" said Rarity.
"Wait," Mystic paused, "Don't I have to pay for this?"
"No dear," said Rarity. Mystic looked over at her, "I just wanted to give you this for the Convocation and to tell you how sorry I am for my behavior of letting you fit all of those dresses."
"And shoving your lessons down my throat?" Mystic asked.
Rarity nodded. "Yes. Generosity is an important subject, but that's no excuse to act like I was. Will you forgive me?"
Mystic breathed out of her nostrils, "Yes." That was all she needed to say because Rarity looked relieved.
"Thank you," said Rarity, "Now, let me store this for you to keep in pristine condition for the big event."
Mystic nodded. Yona stepped up to her and Rarity.
"Yona know about generosity," said Yona. "Want Yona to teach Mystic about it and take her for ice cream?"
Mystic looked at the yak who had a hopeful smile on her face.
"Okay," said Mystic, causing the young yak to beam.
For the next hour in Ponyville's park, Yona spent talking about all she had learned and how much friendship meant to her. Mystic's bile against creatures was fading away for a reason she couldn't put her hoof on. Yona smiled and laughed while Mystic chuckled and giggled.
"You know, Yona, I think I'm liking yaks a little more," said Mystic as she finished off a third ice cream cone.
"Yaks best! But friendship is better!" said Yona. "That what we all say at home recently!"
And all of this was on Yona just giving her a good time and spending her own money. Mystic could see this was generosity in action.
Mystic looked out onto the lake. Her heart was slightly thudding against her ribcage, though she has some basic lessons down thanks to the CMC.
She didn't mention it at first, but she has had a small fear of what could lie underneath the surface of the water. It was something unknown that could grasp her at any moment.
"We're ready!" said a country voice. Mystic turned to see the Crusaders walking over and holding a ring to keep Mystic over the water. Sweetie gave it to her with her magic.
"I don't need this floaty device anymore," said Mystic, tossing it aside. "I can totally swim without it."
"Are ya sure?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Yeah," Mystic nodded, "I think I can handle it."
"Okay," said Scootaloo, "Let's get started with floating, and then we'll see how well you do with swimming from one side to the other." She pointed to a part of the lake to where the shoreline wasn't as far as other parts, "We can see how you do from there."
"And remember, the front hoof and kicking," said Sweetie.
Mystic playfully rolled her eyes, "All right, let's get started."
Despite her nervousness, Mystic followed the Crusaders to the opposite end of the lake. Though, she felt confident in her abilities, as she stood at the very edge of the shoreline. The Crusaders made their way over to the opposite side and waved at her.
Taking a breath in, her legs shaking, Mystic stepped into the lake.
Feeling it come past her chest, Mystic forced herself to relax as she outstretched her legs and floated on her stomach. The water lightly lapped against her face but she remembered the lessons she had been learning.
You can do this, Mystic, you can do this! she thought, a surge of determination flowing through her system. She rolled through the water and laid on her back, allowing the water to carry her.
She smirked. Was she doing it? She was floating. A soft giggle escaped her muzzle.
Victory at last! she thought, relishing in it.
"Yer doing amazin' Mystic!" Apple Bloom called.
"Yeah!" Sweetie and Scootaloo cheered.
Mystic's smirk grew into a smile.
"Now ta swim ta us!" Apple Bloom called again.
Right, Mystic thought.
Now fueled with some adrenaline, Mystic stopped floating, facing the Crusaders waving her over.
"Here I come!" Mystic shouted.
Mystic kicked her back hooves and began pulling at the water, her instincts caused her to recall the lessons.
"Hoof! Kick! Hoof! Kick!" Mystic cried, pushing herself against the water.
"Come on, Mystic! You can do it!" Sweetie cheered.
"Kick this water's flank!" Scootaloo shouted.
"Yer doing great!" Apple Bloom screamed.
No matter how long it took, even if she made a mistake or needed some coaxing, the CMC never made fun of or judged her. She felt a warm sensation within her heart because of that.
Mystic finally reached the other side where she got out of the water, and her legs weren't shaking as much.
"Ya did it!" Apple Bloom cheered. The other two Crusaders laughed as they gave Mystic their congratulations.
"Thanks," Mystic smiled, "I appreciate it."
"Are ya up for another round?" Apple Bloom asked.
Feeling confident, Mystic nodded. "Are you kidding? That was just a warm up!" With almost no hesitation, Mystic entered the water to do it again.
After about an hour, Mystic finished her rounds and taking additional tips from the Crusaders, including learning about the 'breath stroke' swimming technique, all four ponies were having a quiet moment with a picnic. Mystic was wrapped in a towel to dry off as she finished a sandwich.
"I think I'm starting to like swimming more," said Mystic.
"Awesome!" said Scootaloo.
"Maybe this could be the way you could get your cutie mark!" Sweetie chimed in.
"Wait, what?" Mystic asked, surprised.
"Yeah! If you learn to swim and enjoy doing it, maybe you can find out what you're meant to do!"
"Ya mean just teachin' ponies how to swim?" Apple Bloom inclined her head.
"Or!" Scootaloo hopped in front of them. "You could be an extreme sports coach! Or just an amazing water athlete that travels the world!" She pointed at Mystic. "You love traveling, don't you? What kind of mysteries could also lie beneath the oceans?"
Her small fear of what could lie beneath the surface returned.
"I don't know..." she mumbled.
"I thought you were talking about being a water athlete?" said Sweetie.
"She can be an athletic and an ocean investigator!"
"That'll mean she has to have two cutie marks," said Apple Bloom.
"Not exactly," said Scootaloo.
"What do you mean?" Mystic asked.
"Well," Scootaloo smiled. "Some ponies can have multiple talents and yet the cutie mark be a representation of both or multiple ones."
"Like Starlight and her magic?" Mystic asked. "She loves kites and counseling from what I heard."
"Twilight also has a thing for magic, but we heard that each star on her flank represents each of her friends," said Sweetie. "There's another star behind her main one and we think that represents Spike on how he's got her back."
"And us too," said Apple Bloom, "I love carpentry, Sweetie loves singing, and Scootaloo loves doing awesome tricks. Yet like all of us, we love helping ponies." She showed off her cutie mark, which Mystic noticed the apple pattern within the three-colored shield.
"So, what's the point that's trying to be made?" Mystic asked.
"Well," said Scootaloo, "The point is, that anypony can have multiple talents and be represented in some way or another by a cutie mark. And sometimes, but not always, the cutie mark could be a representation of one's journey in life after some hardships."
Mystic took in all of the information she had heard. They seemed to impress her at every turn despite their immaturity and sometimes getting carried away. It impressed her every time.
"So, shall we get started with swimming again?" Scootaloo asked.
"And this time we'll be joinin' ya!" said Apple Bloom.
Mystic smiled, "That sounds nice."
"All right, let's finish eating here, and let's swim!" Sweetie giggled, followed by the other fillies.
The next day, Mystic walked through the Castle of Friendship's corridors.
All right, I've had enough waiting and putting off these magic lessons! Mystic thought, glowering.
It had been a couple of days since Starlight promised they would do the lessons, but she had not gotten back with her. She knew the mare had been going through stuff, but Mystic knew Starlight wanted to hang out with her.
Thanks to Spike's directions, Mystic found Starlight's room, which she identified with a kite doorplate on its door.
"Starlight!" Mystic cried, knocking on the door, "It's high time we had our lessons!" She didn't wait for her to respond, she just opened it.
Starlight rose from her bed, and Mystic noticed she had been reading.
"Oh! Mystic!" said Starlight, "What're you doing here?"
"Making a house call," Mystic said sarcastically, "Look, we need to talk about why we hadn't gotten to our lessons yet."
"Oh, how about I make you some tea?" Starlight asked, "It's something we do around here."
"I think we'll have tea outside," said Mystic.
"No really! I think we need some," said Starlight, getting up.
Mystic sighed, "Starlight, I'm sorry for you, but haven't you done enough sulking? Can't we take your mind off things you've been worried about?"
"Maybe if we just do some kite flying and discuss both our schedules more and..."
"Starlight!"
Starlight paused and looked at Mystic with wide eyes. Mystic thought of a small plan to get the mare to get going with their lessons.
"Sorry, Starlight," said Mystic, "But I guess we're probably not going to be doing what you promised." She frowned, "It's just Saturday and... I was thinking you were going to reach out to me."
"I-I was, I..."
"But..." Mystic turned to the door, "Since the guidance counselor of the school wasn't willing to uphold her promises, it makes me wonder if her mind was too tied up to help out one of her clients." She looked to see Starlight had a bit of a guilty expression.
"Wait," said Starlight, her look changing into a bit of a scowl, "I think I know what you're doing."
"I haven't the slightest clue of what you're talking about," said Mystic.
Starlight went silent. Mystic waited for her response until, "I think I should've let the others give you the help you need instead of you wasting your time with me."
She saw Starlight tense up some. She inwardly smirked, believing she got her.
"I think we should get to know each other a little more," said Starlight, her grin looking a little strained.
"Yeah, I think we should," replied Mystic, forcing a smile.
"We'll do the magic lessons and I'll let you know a little something about me, but we have to do something I like doing," said Starlight.
"All right," said Mystic, turning to Starlight again.
"Have you ever flown a kite before?" Starlight asked.
"No," replied Mystic.
Starlight smiled, "Well, you're in luck! Because I'm going to get you to do something you hadn't before!"
"Sounds delightful."
"Great!"
Starlight stepped onto the middle of Ponyville's park. Ponies walked and talked on the nearby roads as colts and fillies chased each other in the area. Starlight held her kite in her hooves as she looked at the trees. Their canopies were blowing fairly well in the wind above.
Perfect, Starlight thought.
"I've got my own kite," said Mystic, walking up from behind her. "Couldn't I have used my own bits to buy it though?"
"Nonsense!" Starlight smiled, looking at her, "This is a treat I'm giving you today, Mystic. And I want my new friend to experience one of the things that helps me get to know new ponies." Her smile grew. "And I appreciate you wanting me to fix up the kite for you."
"I could've done it myself," replied Mystic.
Starlight scoffed. "I don't know, kites can be more complicated than what they seem."
Starlight's kite went up into the sky. It reached its highest altitude and began waving in the wind.
"You see, Mystic," said Starlight as Mystic levitated her own kite, "The trick with an S.L.K. is not to make the spars too heavy. But if they're too light, you've got no ballast and then good luck tacking against the A.O.I.!" Mystic blinked. Starlight smiled sheepishly, "I really like kites." Wow, this feels way too familiar...
"Okaaay?" replied Mystic, "So, kite flying?"
"Oh, yeah!" Starlight smiled, "I've been into kites ever since I was a foal! It's almost like an unhealthy obsession yet it's totally healthy too!" She giggled. "It's a paradox."
"I noticed," replied Mystic, gently letting her kite into the air. Starlight watched with anticipation as it crawled into the sky before it was nearly the height of her own kite. She smiled and looked over at Mystic, who was just looking up at it.
"Maybe you should run a kite museum," replied Mystic.
"Hey!" Starlight beamed, "That's not a bad idea! I could teach the history of kites! The different types of kites! The kites used by famous ponies!" She perked up, "Oh! There's also a story of a pony who used a kite to experiment with lightning!"
"My kite fell," said Mystic.
Starlight looked in front of her to see Mystic's kite had fallen from the sky. "Oh! No biggie! I'll fix it up for you!" She nearly grabbed it with her magic, but she refrained herself from doing so.
I can easily get out of teaching her magic lessons! Starlight thought, Just tell her you don't want to use your magic anymore! She walked over and grabbed the kite with her hooves instead, But she needs help. And I won't let this go until she has her problems solved! Starlight looked at the kite and saw there was no damage. She turned to Mystic, "The kite's fine!"
"All right then," said Mystic.
She probably knows, Starlight thought. They all will know! She quickly glanced around but nopony else was too close.
"Couldn't you have checked it with your magic?" Mystic asked.
"Oh," Starlight spat a raspberry, "Sorry, I like to get my hooves dirty sometimes."
Mystic arched an eyebrow. Starlight smiled, hoping she wouldn't ask any more questions.
"All right then," said Mystic, which told Starlight she might suspect her.
"Do you mind if..." she paused for a minute, "Do you mind if I ask you a question that'll probably sound unusual?"
Mystic shrugged, "Go ahead."
Starlight gulped, "Do you... do you believe in angels?"
Mystic's eyes widened and her pupils shrank some. "W-What?"
"I mean..." Starlight said, "I always heard ponies talking about going to an afterlife and bein' with angels when we depart from this world," Starlight explained, "Ponies I knew always believed it since they said they could detect ponies they knew around them." She looked down at her hooves, "I know it's an unusual question... but I thought I'd ask..."
Mystic rubbed her chin, she narrowed her eyes, as if thinking about the question. Starlight bit the bottom of her lip again.
"I... I'm honestly not sure," said Mystic, "I mean, I had considered the possibility of loved ones being in some afterlife briefly, but not really pausing to think about it."
"I see," said Starlight, frowning slightly.
"I mean, I guess I just would love a little more confirmation. I like the idea of it," she looked up at her kite again, "But I guess I'm just uncertain as of now." She looked at Starlight.
"Okay," Starlight said with a frown. She thought of her mother again. If only I had succeeded in my quest... No, that was selfish.
"Why? Did you lose somepony?" Mystic suddenly asked. Starlight tensed up. She had alluded to a big problem, but Mystic must've picked up rather quick. "You did, didn't you?"
Starlight squeezed her eyes shut, trying to come up with an answer. Before she could say anything, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Starlight opened her eyes to see Mystic with a solemn smile.
"I'm sorry to hear about that," said Mystic.
"It was... a long time ago," Starlight whispered. Why won't you just tell her?!
"It doesn't make it any easier," said Mystic.
Starlight slowly nodded and went silent again.
"I don't want to discourage you that the ponies you care about are out there somewhere, I'd like to think they are."
Starlight smiled a little bit and patted Mystic on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Mystic," she said softly, "This means a lot."
Mystic nodded, "No problem, Starlight."
Starlight went silent again and focused on the kite in the sky. She thought Mystic would be saying something negative about doing this, but she had been surprised that nothing of sort came out of the mare's mouth. Starlight began to feel guilty, the unicorn's words of putting off the magic lessons echoing through her mind. She hated the thought, but she probably could keep them simple and not go over the top. At the same time, she needed to tell Mystic she hated her magic now. But, who would even hear of something like that?
"Okay," said Starlight.
"Huh?" Mystic asked.
"Magic lessons tomorrow afternoon it is then," said Starlight, almost slapping herself. She looked at Mystic and saw she had a small smile on her face.
"All right," said Mystic. "I look forward to them."
Starlight looked back at her kite, "Me... too." It took all of her willpower not to facehoof.
Mystic began her way back to Sweet Apple Acres to get some sleep. She was happy Twilight allowed her to stay there on Friday evenings until Sunday evening. It gave her a break from the School, which Twilight encouraged her to think of the lessons she had been learning.
Sunshine would definitely love this school, Mystic thought with a solemn smile. She thought again about what could've made her and the Liberators so close, but she backed away from the question. She sighed. Tomorrow, or later.
"Excuse me there!" said a voice. Mystic looked up from the dirt-trodden path to see a familiar blue unicorn with a purple cape and hat on.
Mystic sighed, "Yes Trixie?"
"That's Miss and Great and Powerful Trixie to you," said Trixie with too bright of a grin.
"All right then, Miss mouthful," said Mystic.
"I'm going to ignore that," said Trixie, trotting up next to Mystic.
"Enough," Mystic said sharply, "What do you want?"
"Since you're so eager to know," Trixie said, using her magic to straighten her hat. "You know that Starlight and I are the best of friends."
"Vaguely."
"And we've been through so much together, and I've just been working my flank off to make her comfortable after the trip to Oogundaa," Trixie continued, and patted Mystic on the back, "Thanks for bringing her back, but now, it's time for the professionals to take over!"
Already over this, Mystic asked, "What're you saying?"
"Look, I'm not trying to undermine your efforts," Trixie said with a smile, "But me and Starlight go waaaay back and I just feel well, I'm more, well, qualified for helping her through times of trouble. No offense."
"Sure, you can say anything as long as you add no offense to the end," replied Mystic. "I take offense."
"Well, get that short fuse under control," Trixie waved her off, "But just leave it to the Great and Powerful Trixie to help her friend!"
"So, it's all about you?"
"Pshah!" Trixie scoffed, tilting her nose upward, "Not in the slightest! Starlight will be healed and me and Starlight's friends will do just that!" She cleared her throat, "Anyway, gotta go! Just let us handle this!" Trixie turned and trotted off.
"I'm considered by Starlight a friend too," Mystic said to herself before the farm came into view. |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 10 - A surprising hangout and magic lessons | Mystic was almost done with the clients she had for the day. She looked over her outfit, making sure it was clear of the white powder from the huge funnel cakes she delivered for Mr. and Mrs. Cake. She stomped through the market, not happy.
"All of those clients taken care of and now I have to deal with this freak?" Mystic hissed as she saw the cherry vendor. He had a glare on his face.
"I know it was you who messed up my cherry stand the last time," he said.
"I think you tripped and just weren't too careful," Mystic retorted.
"No talking and just do what I say," the vendor growled. "Get those cherry barrels lined up and put the boxes at the bottom of my stand without using your magic."
Mystic saw the front of the stand was open, but the slot to put the boxes there was nearly on the ground.
"After this, I've got errands for you to run," said the vendor.
Mystic shot him a glare and got to work on putting the barrels up first. She assumed that this guy was on the list because of Hong's hatred directed at her.
He just wants to ruin my life every day of every minute! Mystic thought, rolling the barrel along.
Mystic bit the inside of her cheek, wishing she could smack the guy across the face. He gave her a smug smile every time he could. Mystic tried to ignore him, but every time she went to grab a barrel and put it up, he was there just smugly grinning. Mystic grabbed the last barrel, rolled it behind the stand, and sat it upright. She turned, only to have the vendor right in front of her. She didn't hesitate in shoving him aside.
"No hooves on me!" he bellowed.
Mystic didn't respond. She just wanted this to be over with. The boxes she was supposed to put up are a few feet to the right of the stand. Without any time to lose, Mystic grabbed the first two and bent down on her forelegs to put them up. However, the space beneath the stand looked longer. She grunted and began shoving them in as far as she could--
--Mystic felt a hoof grasp her rear. She immediately tensed as it stroked her finely-toned flanks. The unicorn immediately pulled out and whirled around to slap the vendor but he already jumped back.
Mystic let out a roar, "You! Just earned yourself a--"
"What do you think you're doing?!" a grey pegasus mare stomped over, causing Mystic to tense.
"Just trying to show this pony who the boss is!" the cherry vendor snapped.
"Do you not think when you became a client for both Princess Twilight and Imperial City that you should treat them with decency?" the pegasus growled at him.
Wait a minute... Mystic's eyes widened. "Lieutenant Jia?!"
Jia nodded.
"She's my employee, I shall deal with her!" the cherry vendor barked. "It doesn't matter if you're in charge or have flashy armor on!"
"No, it does!" Mystic, grabbed his collar, punched him in the jaw that sent a few teeth flying out of his mouth. Then delivered a few more punches that broke his nose and forced blood out of his mouth. She shoved him, charged up her horn, and smacked his rear with her magic, knocking him to the ground. "I'll deal with you as I should have earlier!" She levitated him up, magically tore off his bowtie and she dropped him again. "Keep your dirty hooves off other mares, you slimy dirty pervert!"
Mystic saw the loser's flank was high in the air. She concentrated her magic and allowed the bowtie to fly like a bullet right to it.
Mystic heaved as she threw the doors open. She barely registered the loud slam she'd created and all patrons looking in her direction as she walked up to the bar.
She sat in a chair, slumping onto the bar, letting out her heavy breaths.
First, I get sexually harassed and I had to see that Lieutenant's face! she thought. The only comfort she got was hearing the vendor's pained screams as the bowtie entered his flank. It wasn't the first time she had been harassed but it was still awful all the same.
"Are you okay ma'am?" a feminine voice asked.
Mystic looked up and met a blonde unicorn mare's concerned look, "I'm fine. Just give me something strong."
"Ma'am..."
"I said give me something strong!" Mystic roared.
Looking startled, the bartender backed away and hobbled over to prepare a drink. Mystic sighed and slumped again, not even caring about potential consequences.
She heard something slide over to her. Mystic looked up to see what looked like vodka in the tall glass. Mystic reached for it--
Suddenly, a grey hoof grasped her foreleg. Mystic turned to scold whoever did so, but her anger was overcome with shock when she saw Jia sitting right next to her.
"Are you sure you're twenty-one and older?" Jia asked.
"What's it to you?" Mystic growled.
Mystic watched as Jia turned to the bartender. "Excuse me, I'd like a couple of waters over here please." She patted Mystic on the back, "Also, this mare might be having a foal so she can't have any alcohol."
Mystic flushed. Her hooves trembled, she grit her teeth, holding in a scream. Before she could do anything, the bartender took her drink away.
Deciding she was about to let her anger loose and not wanting to cause a scene, Mystic stood up, whirled around, and stomped away from the bar.
Great... now since I just wanted to get my work over with... I'll probably have even more to deal with...
"A thank you would be in order," said Jia. Mystic turned to see the pegasus had a couple of glasses of water in her hooves.
"Gee, you had to mention me being pregnant?" Mystic hissed.
"I could've told them what happened," Jia shrugged. "Oh, by the way, he's in the hospital. He's traumatized from the whole ordeal and we both made sure that he won't interact with you again."
"Well, that certainly makes everything a lot better..." Mystic stomped harder.
"You know," Jia stopped in front of Mystic and put a hoof on the unicorn's chest, "I could've not have stepped in and you'd probably have yourself in a heap of trouble. But I managed to convince everypony you were defending yourself and the guy needed to be charged."
Mystic smacked Jia's hoof away, "Well, good for you."
"I get you hate me, but why don't we just sit and talk for a minute?"
Mystic paused, looking at her incredulously. "Why would I ever want to hang out with you, Lieutenant?"
"Because I feel like you owe me a thank you, besides, I could also give a testimony in that court that's coming up soon," said Jia. "Who knows?" She smirked, "It might give you a better fighting chance, having an Imperial soldier, let alone a Lieutenant on your side?" She pointed at Mystic, "Not to mention, I didn't bring up what truly happened. So, I think you should consider giving me the benefit of the doubt, regardless of what you think of myself and the army."
Mystic opened her mouth, but a hard look from Jia made her second guess herself.
"Why?" Mystic asked.
"To tell you something you probably haven't heard before," said Jia.
"How do I know you won't lie to me?" Mystic glared.
"You don't."
She was right. Mystic knew she could never trust an Imperial soldier. However, this was the first time any soldier approached her this way and she didn't speak up about what truly happened.
"You had to mention I was pregnant?" Mystic asked incredulously. Jia shrugged.
Mystic let out a huff, "Fine. I'll humor you."
Jia pointed to a table next to a window. The Lieutenant made her way over soon followed by a hesitant Mystic, who sat down across from her. Jia pushed a glass up to Mystic, but the unicorn just levitated it aside.
"What is it you want?" Mystic asked.
"First things first," said Jia, "Hong also wanted me to give you a message."
Mystic let out steam through her nostrils, "What does he want?"
"He wants you to know," Jia let out a breath, "That there are spotters throughout Ponyville and beyond." Mystic's eyes widened. "And that he'll hear and see whatever they see for the court coming up soon." She leaned back in her chair, "Whatever you do, he'll know about it."
"So, what else is new?" Mystic asked, pushing her sandwich away. "I know that he lets those he thinks are innocent walk away when they're clearly not."
"Not from my perspective."
"Then you have a dimly lit perspective if you think that."
Mystic had expected Jia to retort or yell at her, but she remained silent.
"Okay," said Mystic, sitting up and looking at Jia. She even levitated her glass of water up and sipped some. "Why did you step in against that goon like you did?"
"Because clients that Twilight and Hong arranged for you to meet up with weren't supposed to enact such vile acts while you worked for them," Jia explained. "It's bad for rehabilitation and both of their names."
"Yeah, more like his name," Mystic muttered loudly for Jia to hear.
"Fair enough," said Jia. "I've seen you across Ponyville, Mystic. And I want to believe that you could have a better life."
Mystic furrowed her brows, "Why say that? The city treats its prisoners awful. Even ponies that aren't behind bars."
"I've been wanting to put them in better environments, and we've been working on that," said Jia, "I don't want to just punish them, I want to rehabilitate them."
Mystic scoffed.
"Hong did want me to give you that message," said Jia, as if answering a question. "But, having these drinks and me speaking to you now is off the record."
"Whatever," replied Mystic.
"Can I ask you a few questions?"
Mystic glared at her again, "What kind of questions?"
"What did the leader of your former group tell you about us?" Jia asked.
Mystic's eyes hardened. "That all soldiers are just out to get us and that they should never, ever be trusted. They're the scum of the earth." She leaned forward at the unflinching Jia, "She was a million times the leader Hong is."
"And how is this friendship stuff working out for you?"
"Well enough."
"Doing good in classes? Keeping in line?"
"Not after today, apparently," Mystic sat back in her seat.
"I wouldn't put that past you," said Jia, putting both forehooves together.
"Besides," Mystic said, "I don't think I'll be able to win that court."
"If you believe you can't win the court and you'd be thrown back into jail, why are you still striving forward?" Jia asked.
"Because I still can," Mystic huffed. "It's a lot better than just sitting around." And I still need to know what I had back in my early days.
"That's very noble," said Jia.
"And maybe I have a little bit of hope that I could with these ponies," said Mystic.
"And are you taking what they say to heart?"
Mystic glared again. "Why are you just insisting on asking me so many questions?" She clamped her hooves onto the table and stood up. Jia didn't flinch. "What is your fixation with me?"
Mystic waited in anticipation for any form of an answer. Jia didn't say anything for a few seconds.
"Because you saved my life before," replied Jia.
As if she'd been slapped, Mystic froze like an icicle. "I did what?"
"You saved me," said Jia.
"H-How?" Mystic asked, unable to help but be curious.
"Remember the siege against the northern reinforcements? It was a rainy day and some of your own had been captured by our squad," Jia explained.
Mystic thought back some, and she did remember saving a despised red mare she knew was an informant back then. She'd rather push her very far back into her memories for good.
"I think so," replied Mystic.
"My squad and I got buried under a mudslide due to the rain while we were pursuing you," said Jia.
Mystic's eyes widened and she sank back into her seat. She remembered barely getting everypony out of harm's way and it washed all of the soldiers away.
I thought everypony was gone... Mystic thought, But...
There was somepony screaming for help under the mud and how her armor was making her sink.
"You... you were the one yelling for help," said Mystic, goosebumps forming under her coat.
Jia nodded. "I've still not told anypony about what you did. And I'm assuming you haven't mentioned it to Cierra or anypony else?"
Mystic didn't react. She hadn't. But the unicorn didn't need to say anything for Jia to nod.
"You showed me you weren't the mare Hong had described," said Jia. "Since you taught me then that all aren't like ponies say others are, maybe you could think the same thing about me and some other soldiers."
Mystic sat there completely still. She recalled how Cierra wouldn't like it if she figured out she saved a soldier's life, let alone the lieutenant.
Especially before she went off the deep end, Mystic thought. The sight of an angry Cierra was rarely a sight, but when it happened... Mystic shuddered.
She barely noticed Jia getting up from her seat.
"Well, I want you to consider this," said Jia. "I have a responsibility to protect and serve my city. Don't let yourself down, Mystic."
Mystic didn't reply, she just kept thinking of who she had saved.
What. The. Hay... she thought.
Dang! Dang! Dang it to heck! Mystic thought, galloping through Ponyville's streets. I was supposed to meet Starlight to do our lessons!
She cannot miss those. She needed to get stronger however that might be.
Mystic swerved around several ponies and leaped over a few stacked crates heading in the direction of the western fields just outside of town. She slid underneath a couple of ponies moving a couch, and did a forward somersault over a river, ignoring the bridge right next to her.
She finally emerged outside of Ponyville, looking for her target in the fields. Then, about one hundred yards ahead of her, she saw Starlight standing near a couple of trees in the middle of the opening. I'm not too late! Mystic galloped even faster and screeched to a stop, accidentally kicking up dust while doing so.
"Oh, Starlight!" Mystic panted, catching her breath. "I'm here!"
"Oh!" Starlight chuckled awkwardly. "I hadn't been here more than thirty seconds."
Yeah right. "Cool!"
"Let's get to some nearby rocks I have set up," Starlight said with an obvious nervous smile.
And so, Starlight had herself and Mystic facing several large rocks with smaller rocks on top of them.
"It's kind of cool," Starlight said. "Twilight and I did a lot of magic practice when she was still my mentor." She tapped her chin, "Well, in a lot of ways, she still is, but that's not the point," she looked at Mystic, "The point is, is that I, the former pupil of Twilight, get to have my own pupil in magic!"
Mystic smirked. "That does sound cool. You must be proud."
Starlight inwardly cringed, biting her tongue. "Oh, yeah! I'm so psyched to be your teacher!"
Mystic inclined her head slightly but shook it with a little grin.
"Well, to begin, Mystic," said Starlight, "The thing about magic is about how it connects us and the world to us. How we can reach into the Aether of Equestria and use it to whatever we might need." She cleared her throat, "I've always found that magic is tied to my emotions, and the stronger I'm feeling about something, the stronger the magic."
"I thought magic was tied to emotions, but I didn't fully look into it," replied Mystic.
"Well, the more you know and learn, the better," Starlight winked, trying to keep her cool. She cleared her throat again, "Anyway, please do what I say and we'll keep things safe and as easy as they need to be."
"Oh, so no walking through walls, massive blasts, or flying with magic?" Mystic asked.
Starlight coughed to hide her frustration, "No. We're going to be some simple exercises today."
"All right," said Mystic, "I started simple with other lessons, too." She smirked, "So, what're we going to start with?
"Transfiguration spells are what I'll demonstrate and then we'll move onto teleportation small things," said Starlight.
"All right," said Mystic, cracking her neck. "Let's do this."
Starlight lit her horn, and when she did, it felt like it was on fire. But she ignored it and concentrated on her targets. She shot a couple of beams of magic, changing one small rock into a nest and another into a bird. The bird flew into the nest and settled down in it.
"Whoa!" Mystic's eyes widened, "You transformed the rock into a bird?"
"Yep," said Starlight. "Now, for more examples."
She did just that, transforming rocks into a teacup, a bowl of fruit, and a vase.
"Show off," Mystic said, but Starlight felt like it was an insult.
"So, do you want to try?" Starlight coughed into her hoof.
"Sure. But how do I do that?" Mystic asked.
"You need to look at something and picture something in your mind before letting your magic loose," Starlight explained. "Don't just command something to turn into something. But fully focus."
"All right," said Mystic, "I'll try and make one turn into an apple."
"Go ahead," said Starlight, stepping back to give Mystic her space. She watched her newest student concentrate on her target. Mystic's horn lit up, she shut her eyes and let her spell out.
The rock turned into an apple with wings. Mystic cracked open her eyes.
"Oh, shoot!" Mystic facehoofed.
"Welllll, you could've done better, but it was an effort," Starlight weakly stated.
Mystic huffed. "Well, it seems more complicated than what it looks. How do you make it look so easy?"
Starlight bit her tongue. "Let's just keep trying."
"Okay," said Starlight. "First off, teleportation might sound complicated, but it can be simple if you know what you're doing and have built up enough magic with enough practice and study."
"Unicorns can build up their magic, I know," said Mystic.
"Yes indeed, but please leave all the teaching to the teacher!" Starlight chirped, shooting a toothy grin.
"Okay?" Mystic gained an uneasy look.
Starlight sighed. Keep it together, Star. She remembered many incidents where Trixie got overconfident and caused situations to spiral out of control.
Mystic focused her magic on the freshly placed rock in front of her. She began to strain and try to concentrate. But her magic fizzled out, causing her to let out a huge breath.
"I need a few tries," said Mystic.
It was her seventh try, but Mystic wasn't willing to back down.
"Mystic, you don't want to hurt yourself," said Starlight.
"If I don't get this one, I'll take a break," said Mystic.
Starlight watched Mystic focus on the rock ahead of her, concentrating her magic. Then, a beam of magic shot out from the unicorn's horn and the rock teleported from its spot and appeared roughly ten feet away. Mystic beamed.
"Hey I did it!" said Mystic.
Starlight clapped her hooves. "That was very good for your first try!" She suddenly teleported a few feet from Mystic, "Once you get your magic built up, you'll be able to teleport yourself--" She reappeared where she was before "--anywhere!"
Mystic brightly smiled as Starlight realized that she was getting too into her magic. She inwardly slapped herself. How could I get into something that's more of a curse than a blessing?!
But she couldn't quit teaching Mystic, the mare would likely not want to hang out with her anymore so she could reach out to her.
"We'll just continue practicing the basics of magic today," said Starlight. "I want to ensure you've really got it down."
"Oh, I'm just raring to go and learn this stuff down cold, teacher!" Mystic said in a bold tone, giving her a bow.
Starlight chuckled despite some annoyance threatening to blow to the surface.
A few successful teleportations of objects later, Starlight had Mystic sit down due to exhaustion. The young mare huffed and puffed as Starlight gently rubbed her withers.
"I may have forgotten to say magic has its limits," Starlight said, feeling embarrassed. "There are only so many spells you can cast at once."
"Good to know," Mystic said, heaving. Starlight just continued to comfort her. "It was still fun to learn new spells."
"We've only gotten started," said Starlight out of force of habit.
"I just need to say, I can't imagine what I'd be like without magic," said Mystic. "Sure, I use brute strength, but it keeps me connected to the world and helps me detect some imbalances and some dangers nearby." She smiled. "Magic is a gift, and I'm happy to be a unicorn to help explore the world."
Though the words weren't hostile to Starlight, they still felt like punches to the gut. Starlight clenched her jaw as she felt a fire rise within her chest.
This is so stupid! Stupid! Stupid! She bit her tongue so hard she thought it would bleed. Is reliving what I hate now truly worth investing in this mare?
She slapped herself. Get a grip! Of course, it is!
"Why did you hit yourself?" Mystic asked, looking over with a raised eyebrow.
Starlight shook her head, Shoot! "Uhhh, a bug landed on my cheek!" Mystic only furrowed her brows in response. Greeeeaattt now she's onto me.
"Starlight, you and I both know you haven't been completely right since last week," said Mystic.
Starlight wanted to just brush this off, but she knew she had to keep this mare close to understand her better.
"I am just a tad distracted..." Starlight murmured.
"About certain ponies or things in your life?" Mystic asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Starlight sulked.
"About the friend that we couldn't find in Oogundaa?" Mystic asked.
Starlight nodded. "We were so close as foals... and to lose him like that..."
"You haven't lost him yet," said Mystic.
"Haven't I?" Starlight looked at Mystic with a frown. "It was my mistake and an argument that he got lost."
"I can understand that," said Mystic, "But was it truly your fault?"
Starlight nodded, causing Mystic to go silent.
"I know what it's like to lose somepony like that," said Mystic. Starlight perked up. "Yeah, I lost somepony for a couple of weeks and we couldn't find her... we thought... she was gone..."
Starlight turned to Mystic. "Did you ever find her?"
"She turned up at our camp one night and we had a party like we never had before," Mystic smiled. "Your friend will turn up. We have creatures looking for him."
Starlight thought about Twilight and how her selfless acts always helped out ponies with whatever they needed. Sunburst might be worth that.
"I just hope his mom will be happy to see him soon..." said Starlight.
"She will be, and I know you will be too," said Mystic.
Starlight stood up, "Anyway, enough talk about feelings. Shall we continue more magic lessons?"
Mystic nodded, standing up. "I'd like to try more teleporting."
"On one condition," said Starlight.
"What is that?"
"Can you tell me more about that group you were with?"
Mystic's eyes widened. Starlight inwardly cringed, but she was hoping this would help her get to know Mystic more.
"What do you want to know?" Mystic asked.
"Just who they were and where they'd come from, you know, basic stuff," Starlight weakly giggled.
Mystic sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you just as long as you try and pull your act together. Promise?"
Starlight nodded vigorously. "I promise." Do I really though?
After several more transfiguration spells, and Mystic demonstrating her own magic to Starlight, both mares decided to take a break with a few cups of lemonade.
Mystic slurped her first cup down. "Hey, this is real lemonade!"
Starlight chuckled, "I uh... kinda made it myself."
"You did?" Mystic asked, clearly impressed.
"Well, Spike helped some but I got to make it on my own. It's better than his he says," Starlight lightly blushed.
Mystic just smiled in return and the two ponies continued drinking in silence.
"Hey," said Starlight, "I know I hadn't asked much, but you mentioned someponies you had as a big group?"
"The Liberators," said Mystic.
Despite trepidation rising to the surface, Starlight asked, "Do you think you could tell me more about them?" Mystic looked at her with a raised brow.
"For what reason?" Mystic asked.
"Well, I figured... maybe we could know more about what's troubling us," said Starlight, "You tell me something and I tell you about what's bothering me or what's on my mind."
Starlight's nerves heightened when Mystic didn't respond other than just look at her. She began to feel cold as her heart hammered against her ribcage.
"Do you promise to let me know? And to make amends with those who're closest to you when all of it is said?" Mystic asked.
Starlight nodded vigorously, "Sure! Sure!"
Mystic was silent again, and Starlight could tell she was observing her body language. Finally, Mystic sighed and cleared her throat.
"Well," said Mystic. "Cierra was the leader of our group. We wanted to stop General Hong and liberate Imperial City from his grasp."
"Really?" Starlight asked.
"What we did, we did for the Liberators," said Mystic, "We wanted a perfect society under Cierra's rule so ponies could thrive and no longer be persecuted and treated fairly."
"What happened to the Liberators?" Starlight asked.
Mystic sighed. "They... we fell out and the government took us apart one by one..." She looked at Starlight with a frown, "I was the only one who managed to escape..."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," said Starlight, feeling sympathy for the mare.
"No need to be sorry," Mystic said.
Starlight wanted to object, but the words died within her throat before she could ask them.
"Do you think you could tell me about your relationships with them?" Starlight asked.
Mystic tapped her chin, obviously thinking about it.
In the end, Mystic decided to talk to Starlight about the Liberators, Cierra, Meng, Song, and Juan. Starlight listened intently as Mystic went on.
"Pardon me for interrupting, but let me ask you this," said Starlight. She sighed and looked Mystic right in the eye, "Was there anything more to your friendships besides moral codes and saving the city?"
"Of course," Mystic said in an assuring tone. "We had moments of partying, having fun, and bonding."
Moments? Starlight thought. "And based what you and I and what you've seen... have they been similar in any way?"
"Sure," replied Mystic. "My sisters and I were always there for one another when it really counted."
"Well..." said Starlight, I never truly deserved it... "When I first started in friendship, I didn't know anything about it, yet it was Twilight and her friends' love that cared and trained me through it."
"Huh," replied Mystic.
"And from what you told me, maybe..."
"Look, Starlight, what is this about?" Mystic asked. "I had a wonderful time with the Liberators before we eventually fell out."
"I don't know," said Starlight. "I might not know much about them, but it seems as if they didn't have the same... closeness as I've experienced, have they?"
Mystic paused.
Starlight observed the mare. What did I say?
"Oh, uh," Mystic said, "Well, that's an interesting thought. But I want you to know that we were as close as we could've been."
"For some reason, I don't buy that," said Starlight, unable to keep it from coming out.
Mystic's eyes widened again.
"I-I didn't mean to offend you!" Starlight said, flailing her hooves out, "I was just..."
"I'm not upset," replied Mystic. "I just need... time to think of things is all."
Way to screw up again, Starlight!
"I appreciate the magic lessons, I've learned a lot," Mystic patted Starlight's shoulder.
"D-Do you want to do more of them?" Starlight asked.
Mystic nodded. "Sure."
The internal conflict of hating her magic and helping this poor mare ate at Starlight's soul like a reaper. But Starlight swallowed her uncertainties. "I look forward to them."
With that, Mystic turned and walked off. As she left, Starlight squeezed her eyes shut, grasping at her horn.
I wish I could just tear this thing off and be magicless so I won't cause any more harm!
Then again, how would everypony react to such a scene? If they knew they'd be given her more attention...
I might as well keep it so they won't waste their time with me...
Starlight pulled her hoof away from her horn and began stomping off in the direction of Twilight's castle.
Mystic's head ached. Not from the magic, but she wished it did. She reached a dirt path back to Ponyville to get back to the School for the next day.
Starlight's going through a lot... Mystic thought. How in the world could she have triggered my mind like this?
The thoughts swirled around Mystic's head like a hurricane. Had she and the Liberators not have been as close as she had thought? Did they only thrive on moral codes and moments of true bonding?
Moments...
For some reason, that word kept repeating itself in her mind.
Mystic looked up at the setting sun and remembered a conversation she had with her first true friend here.
"The Liberators were some of the best ponies I ever knew. What're you saying, Sunset?"
"I'm saying maybe there might be something the Liberators didn't have that you and I do."
"I don't know what that is. I'm seeing what we have now what we had back then."
"Then, I guess you'll have to find out, won't you?"
Why didn't Sunset tell me what it was? she thought.
Whatever it was, she must find out what made her past relationships special. Yet, she was feeling herself being pulled away from the question almost every time she wanted to know.
I'll find out eventually, she thought, But not today. |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 11 - Standing up for the School | For the past couple of days, Mystic had continued meeting with Starlight, practicing their magic and she felt her magic surging through her system. It was almost as if it had gotten stronger.
But now, Mystic held a dustpan in her hooves and was inside the jewelry shop of Ponyville. It was another pony she had to do jobs for because of her "uncle."
I think I'm getting better at this magic stuff, Mystic thought, dusting off the window seals.
Dust flew up into her face, causing her to scrunch it up and force herself to--
"Don't you sneeze again!" the jewel shopkeeper shouted.
"Y-Yes ma'am!" Mystic replied, wanting to strangle the bossy mare with her hooves.
But she continued to push herself to dust, sweep, and move displays around. All without her magic.
But Mystic began thinking of Starlight and how magical she was.
She is a good teacher, Mystic smiled.
"Yeah, you've got this down cold, Mystic!" Cierra's voice echoed.
"I'm impressed with you!" came Meng's voice.
Mystic bit her lower lip. She remembered the thrill of training and fighting with those two mares and their sisters.
"Remember to be careful around the displays!" the shopkeeper said.
Mystic had to hold back a snarl. She dusted the shelves harder and--
She bumped into something, causing her to whirl around to see a jewel display falling over.
"Oh crap!" Mystic cried as the display fell over. Its glass container hit the floor, shattering it and sending the jewels all across the room.
"What have you done?!" the shopkeeper shrieked.
"I... it was an accident!" Mystic cried, sweat forming at her brow.
"You have to pay me back for that thing!" said the shopkeeper, stomping over.
"I told you it was just an accident!"
The door to the shop opened, Mystic turned to see it was Starlight with a light glare on her face.
"Hey, what's going on in here?" asked Starlight as she walked over.
"This mare is being disrespectful and rude!" the shopkeeper complained.
"She's just acting like a banshee and getting on my case every five seconds!" Mystic shouted, tossing the feather duster aside.
"What?" Starlight hissed, turning to the shopkeeper, "You're attacking my friend just because of a simple mistake?"
"She needs to learn to be respectful of others' property," said the shopkeeper.
"Well, how can I when you're always running your mouth?" Mystic growled.
"Stop it!" Starlight shouted. Mystic shut herself up as Starlight rubbed her temples.
"Look, I hate it when ponies fight, and you two need to make amends," said Starlight. Both the shopkeeper and Mystic glanced at each other. "So, I think we need for you two to be as honest and open as you can be in order to understand one another." Mystic rubbed her forehead in response. "Who's going to start first?"
There wasn't a response from either ponies for a little while.
"I guess I was just bitter of how she was rude and didn't obey my ways of working around here," said the shopkeeper, frowning.
"Oh, really?" Starlight glanced at Mystic.
"Yeah," the shopkeeper's eyes full of remorse, "Kids these days just don't understand the importance of doing things right and cause trouble for others. It's not like it was when I was growing up."
"I see," said Starlight. She turned to Mystic, "And Mystic, couldn't you have shown some respect in the past?"
Mystic nodded, trying to swallow her pride, "Yes. I should've... done it the way she asked. And... I probably should've told everypony that I was framed for the damage."
"Say what?" the shopkeeper's eyes widened.
"Oh yeah, I fought a lion in Ponyville one night," said Mystic. "You're welcome."
The shopkeeper stood there slack-jawed for a second. Then she shook her head, snapping out of her stunned state.
"I'm sorry for not being as nice as I should have," said the shopkeeper, "When I see that kind of behavior, it offends me."
"I'm sorry too," said Mystic, "I wasn't in the best of moods that day or now."
Both of them bumped hooves.
Starlight smiled. "I'm proud of both of you, making amends like you did."
"Score one for the school, huh?" Mystic asked, wanting to make a small joke.
But Starlight didn't seem to take it as her smile slightly wilted and she nodded.
"You still need to clean up," said the shopkeeper.
"I know," replied Mystic.
Play it cool, Starlight, Starlight thought as Mystic walked over.
"I finally finished my last job for the day," Mystic huffed.
"Oh, was it that bad?" Starlight asked.
"No, it was just how many there were today," said Mystic. "Because of them, I had to miss more than half a day at school."
"Oh, Twilight wanted me to tell you that she has some lessons for you to learn even after the school day so you can be caught up," said Starlight as she and Mystic began walking to the school.
"Well, good for her," Mystic said, twirling a hoof in the air.
"So, why did you come looking for me again?" Mystic asked.
"Oh, I wanted to just check in and see how the odd jobs were doing," Starlight awkwardly chuckled.
"Odd jobs?" Mystic asked, "Couldn't you have picked something more extravagant?"
"What would that have been?"
"I don't know, you're the expert," Mystic said with a slight smirk.
Starlight smiled, "Sure, why not." She cleared her throat and stepped in front of Mystic, "By the way, I think I might have a way to figure out how to get your memories back."
Mystic froze. "What did you just say?"
"I think I can use a spell to bring back your memories," said Starlight, "I basically put you in a deep sleep and help you relive the past. I've heard it helped ponies find memories they had once and then lost, only to be found again."
"So..." said Mystic, "The spell is known to retrieve memories that had been lost only they were known before they were lost."
"Uh yeah," said Starlight.
"I appreciate the help, Starlight," said Mystic, "But the way my memories haven't returned... I just think using that sort of magic would be very dangerous. I mean, what could've happened to me before I woke up?"
"Maybe you were just traveling and got lost and somehow ended up there?" Starlight suggested.
"I don't think it would work anyway since I didn't have those memories before I was ten years old," said Mystic.
Starlight paused with wide eyes. "Oh..."
Mystic patted Starlight's shoulder, "Thanks again, but I don't think it would be very safe. I gotta go finish some homework."
Starlight stood there, watching Mystic depart.
What was I thinking?! Starlight thought, she smacked herself. I want to help and the only real way I can think of is magic?! She smacked herself again. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
Then, she saw the evil stare of Nightfall flash through her mind, reminding her of her ultimate stupidity.
Now that she was finished with her homework, Mystic decided to go to the school cafeteria to grab a quick bite to eat.
Buckball certainly is an interesting sport, Mystic thought, Maybe I'll learn more about it sometime.
Though it probably wouldn't be as fun if she weren't kicking the ball like the main players. When she turned a corner, she bumped into somecreature.
"Hey, watch it!" said Mystic.
"Sorry," said Spike, rubbing his belly.
Mystic cleared her throat, "Oh, it's you." She narrowed her eyes, "Spike isn't it?"
"Yep! That's me!" the drake proudly pointed at himself.
"Okay," replied Mystic. "I'm getting something from the cafeteria."
"Oh, can I come with you?!" Spike asked excitedly.
Mystic lightly reeled back at his excitement, "Whoa! Okay!"
Spike and Mystic sat at a table in the cafeteria. The drake had a huge slice of gem cake on his plate while Mystic had a simple salad with light dressing on it.
"When you said you were going to get something to eat, I imagined something bigger," said Spike.
"Like your gem cake?" Mystic asked.
"No, more like a few cookies or a slice of pound cake," said Spike.
"I think that last one would make me gain pounds I wouldn't want," said Mystic.
Spike laughed and slammed his fist on the table. Mystic just shrugged.
"By the way," said Mystic, "How is Twilight doing these past couple of days?"
"Well," said Spike, frowning a bit. "The rumors circling her and the Princesses seem to have gotten worse."
Mystic inclined her head. "What kind of rumors?"
"Well..." Spike sighed. "Ponies believe ever since Twilight became Princess of Friendship there have been some ponies that disapproved of it and think Celestia is losing her abilities to protect the kingdom."
"What?" Mystic's interest peaked.
"Yep," replied Spike, "They'd been mostly scattered and didn't occur much. But when the School opened ponies really started to hammer on both Celestia, Twilight, and Luna." Mystic nodded for him to continue. "You see, Mystic, before Nightmare Moon was defeated and Luna was freed, Celestia had taken on raising both the sun and moon and she did so for at least a millennium."
"Wow, really?" Mystic asked. I can't imagine doing something like that.
"Yeah," Spike crossed his arms, "And because of Twilight getting the Elements of Harmony, making friends, and stopping enemies where Celestia couldn't, ponies in some of the dark corners have been talking."
"Sounds rough."
"That's what I know at least," said Spike, "And it's been hard on Twilight." He frowned, slightly sulking. "I just wish all of this would go away."
"Well," Mystic paused. "I'm no expert, but I think Twilight might need to consider other options."
"That's what I and some of our friends have been saying," said Spike. "But Twilight wants to help Bullion and his sons because she's if she doesn't, she believes she'll go against her role as Princess."
Mystic ran a hoof down her face. "How do you know?"
"She won't say, but I know her," said Spike. "I've been by her side ever since she hatched me."
Mystic gasped. "What?!" She stood up, and leaned forward, almost touching Spike's nose, "Twilight Sparkle hatched you?"
"Uh..." Spike awkwardly grinned, "Yeah?"
Mystic pulled back, grasping him by the cheeks, "My gosh! Dragons are mostly unknown in their culture, but how rare is it to hear of a pony hatching a dragon egg?"
"It was an assignment Twilight had in Celestia's school," Spike said, slightly muffled by Mystic's hooves.
"You're kidding!" Mystic gasped again. "How rare is it that dragons are hatched from pony magic?"
"Rare!" Spike sputtered out. "Mystic! My cheeks are hurting!"
Mystic realized she had scrunched his face up too much.
"Sorry Spike," Mystic pulled her hooves away, freeing the drake, "I'm just fascinated by creatures and the mysterious."
"It's okay," said Spike, rubbing his cheeks, "Dragon Lord Ember was surprised as well."
Mystic rubbed her chin. Maybe I can get to know him more. And maybe figure out more about dragons, too.
She recalled how she never got to see dragons up close and this could be a good opportunity.
"Hey Spike, what do you like to do for a hobby?" Mystic asked.
Spike's face lit up, "Oh! All kinds of things! I love gems! The Power Ponies! Hoofball and Guy's Night and lots of other things!"
"Well, maybe we could see what they're all about?" Mystic suggested. "And by we, I meant me. If you get my drift?"
"Oh, I'd love to!" said Spike, "I show you my comic books of the Power Ponies! The action figures! The figurines! The plushies!"
As Spike went on, Mystic began to feel a little uncomfortable. Oh dear, what box did I just open?
"Finally done with the last of the schedule!" Twilight said, putting a large sheet of paper aside. The alicorn sat in her headmare's chair. Today had been exhausting from having to clear up ponies demanding answers from the rumors and having to teach multiple classes in a professional matter.
Twilight recalled the last conversation she had with Bullion and how heated the exchanges got after certain things he had said.
"And how much did this school do for Cozy Glow?" Bullion's voice echoed. Twilight began tearing up. "Who knows when one of these savages might just decide to do what she had done?"
Twilight gritted her teeth and balled up her hooves. She needed to fix all of this but she feels as if she's getting nowhere and especially with helping Starlight as best she could. She was at her wit's end with all of this.
Then her office doors flew open, startling the alicorn. It didn't help that it was Spoiled Rich.
Oh, this won't be good, Twilight thought. "Spoiled Rich, how can I help you?"
"I'm pulling Diamond out of this school!" Spoiled announced.
Twilight gasped, "What?! No!"
"I am! Both Filthy Rich and I agreed upon it!" said Spoiled. She stomped up to Twilight's desk. "Here's his signature on the withdrawal paper." She placed it in front of Twilight. The alicorn opened it and saw that Mr. Rich had signed the paper. She had to keep her bottom lip from trembling.
"Honestly, this town just seems as muddy and mundane when I first moved here," said Spoiled, "But I think it's gotten worse because of this facility!"
Twilight clenched her jaw and forehooves. "If you don't think this is a town you should be living in, why don't you just move out?"
"I want to move away by all accounts! But Filthy won't move because this is where his business was founded and he won't move the headquarters of it!" Spoiled spat.
"Then find another arrangement," Twilight muttered.
"I heard that," said Spoiled.
"I figured," said Twilight, trying to focus on her papers.
"I know what's true of you," Spoiled growled. "You think you can just up and find a way to replace Celestia with your demented ways? I can't believe she even bought into it!"
"You will not insult Celestia like that!" Twilight screamed.
"It's a fact!" Spoiled seethed. "She was such a strong princess until you came along!"
"Get out! Get out since you're no longer attending parent and teacher conferences!"
Spoiled stood there wide-eyed for a minute before she turned up her nose and stomped out of the office.
After she had left, Twilight facehoofed.
Wow Twilight, worked up much? the alicorn thought, knowing how unprofessional that was.
Twilight let some tears fall. She could not take much more of this. She needed a way out but how was she going to do that?
She sulked in her chair, thinking about the wonderful times she and her friends had.
The memories always made her smile but they did so even more when she and her friends talked about their good old days. Back when things were... simpler.
I wouldn't trade anything for all that's been done or how far we've come, Twilight thought. Sometimes she missed the days when she was just a simple librarian.
But friendship had brought them all on a magical journey.
"But it isn't the Elements that will keep us connected. It's our friendship. And it's more important and more powerful than any magic."
Some ponies may not see that about friendship, Twilight thought. But I can remind everypony who does to celebrate it.
Twilight scratched her chin and began to think.
Who are the ones just pulling us under? she thought. It was Bullion, his congressponies, ponies far away, and few and far between in Ponyville.
"Twilight, with all that's surrounding us, I'm not so sure what to do," she recalled Spike's words. "But I fear if we take any action, things could get worse for us."
The alicorn smiled a little, proud of her boy's maturity in recent years.
And of his wings, she thought, still unable to believe he'd finally grown them.
She has all she needs in Ponyville, the best place in Equestria. Twilight scrunched her face, thinking more.
But ever since her failure with Cozy, would that mean the same thing for Bullion and his sons?
"You can't let one bad apple make you think you've failed!" Silverstream's cheery voice echoed.
Yet, I can't help but feel like I have, Twilight thought. Even though she had been assured by her own friends that she hadn't failed.
Twilight recalled Mystic's words after she punished her, "Since you care so much about this school and how it could help everycreature, then why don't you buck up and stand up against this stallion and his lackeys?"
That was something she had wanted for a while, but things weren't going the way she'd hoped. However, she knew that if she stayed put things would likely deteriorate and there'd be no hope of restoring the school. But if she did something, maybe just maybe, she could have a chance.
Maybe Mystic was right, she thought.
Despite what could happen, Twilight thought of a plan and she might could use Celestia's help to find out when and where there could be anything from magic to faulty setups causing the school to get damaged.
Enough is enough! Twilight thought, clenching her jaw and balling up her forehooves again. I will not let Bullion or these rumors stop doing what we've done for Equestria!
She stood up. I will fix this! The alicorn stomped out of the office to find Spike and send a letter to Celestia.
Eventually, Twilight found herself in the lobby of the school. She stood in the middle of it with her friends by her side, including Mystic who she had heard wanted to know what this was about, too.
"So, what're we doing here?" Rainbow asked.
"And the students are invited, too?" Pinkie asked, "Are we having a school party?"
"No," said Twilight, "I've called Mr. Bullion here to the lobby to talk. It's time we put an end to this." She caught a glimpse of Mystic breaking out into a smile.
"Really?" Fluttershy lightly gasped.
"Wow!" Rainbow said excitedly as the students began to murmur among each other.
"But what could happen if we did?" Spike asked.
"It'll be worse if we do nothing, Spike," said Twilight. "All of us here have had enough."
The doors leading outside opened, and Twilight laid eyes on her target. Bullion was coming in with his sons by his side. The alicorn patiently waited for him to stop. His eyes were a little wide, and she knew he didn't expect something like this.
"Twilight Sparkle," said Bullion, "You wanted to speak to me."
"Yes, I do," said Twilight. "I'm afraid I have no choice, Bullion."
"What?" Bullion's eyes widened with fury.
"It's time for you to go!" Pinkie cried.
"Mm-hmm!" Fluttershy nodded.
"You idiots don't stand in my way," Bullion snarled.
"You have been nothing but an awful parent to kids that won't listen to reason in any way or another! It's been months since they've enrolled but they refuse to change!" Twilight said, pointing at him.
"Because of..."
"Because of how terrible of a pony you are!" Rainbow shouted.
"Excuse you?!"
"You might belittle our connections and all we've accomplished, but you're the one who couldn't hold a candle up to any of it! No matter how rich you claim to be!" Rarity added.
"I agree you three party poopers!" Pinkie said with a rare glare.
"Mr. Bullion, your sons, Starry and Lucky are hereby expelled from this school and aren't to ever step hoof on its grounds again," Twilight stated.
"Wh-what?!" Bullion's eyes flew wide. Twilight heard the bullies gasp. "Y-You can't do that!"
"I can and I will," said Twilight, forming an icy glare. "I have approval from Celestia and Luna." She levitated a scroll showing both of their royal seals. "And I hereby put a restraining order against you to never come within twenty yards of my students and within five hundred feet of my school and castle."
"This is absurd!" Bullion shouted. "Do you not know what could possibly come up if you take this action?!"
"That we are, but we all as a group are stronger than you could ever hope," said Twilight.
"I've got friends! And you can't keep the rumors silent anymore!" Bullion protested.
"So?" Twilight said in a louder tone, "I've got friends too and we'll deal with them as well as we have dealt with you! This kind of behavior will not ever be allowed on this facility again!"
"What of the problems? What if something else happens?"
"I've taken precautionary measures and I will make sure in all ways I can think of there won't be any other issues," Twilight glared again. "As the Princess of Friendship, I hereby evict you three from this school! Never return or I will arrange for your arrest, Mr. Bullion!"
Twilight grinned at Bullion as the stallion fumed and his sons stood their slack-jawed as if their brains had broken. A sense of pride arose in the alicorn's heart as her friends and students stood beside her, ready if he ever made a move.
"You'll bring all of your opposition onto you," Bullion snarled.
"We've dealt with worse," said Applejack.
"Get lost," Mystic said.
Bullion still stood there but Twilight held her ground, spreading her wings out in an authoritative way.
"You're making a big mistake, Twilight Sparkle," Bullion growled. "And there's one more thing I need to say." His glared hardened even more. "You're just an alicorn that only got forged into an order by the princesses that have been transforming a land from what it should be into something that's prissy, naive, and weak. We've had multiple attacks from all sorts of villains and where were the defenses?! Why couldn't they have done better as rulers? From my perspective, I chalk you as a naive, mentally unstable pony that's completely incapable of doing the work she's attempting to carry out."
That caused an uproar among the students who were yelling at him to get out. Twilight's friends stepped in front of him.
"Y'all are a disgrace!"
"Friendship is the most powerful thing there is!"
"Booooooooo!"
"Scram!" Mystic bellowed.
Twilight was about to speak up, but she could only remain silent as her friends and students stood their ground against this monster.
Bullion looked at his colts, motioned them to the door, and the trio stomped out of the school.
The students cheered for their headmare and it was music to Twilight's ears. All of her friends hi-hoofed and hugged one another.
As they celebrated, Mystic approached her.
"I say that was some blunt, bold action," Mystic smirked.
"Oh, don't get cocky on me now," Twilight teased, to which Mystic responded by lightly punching the alicorn on the shoulder.
"Still, that was what needed to be done," said Mystic.
Twilight nodded. "I should've done it a long time ago. But now, we're going to move forward." She softened her look, "And I'm sorry for punishing you when you wouldn't apologize to them." Mystic just shrugged.
"Eh, no harm done," replied Mystic and Twilight just chuckled.
"I'm proud of you, darling!" said Rarity.
"It was time for him to take a hike!" said Rainbow.
Twilight smiled, noticing Spike's concerned look, but she decided to speak with him later.
"I believe we're going to hold a massive celebration for this school, and not only that, but for how much friendship means to all of us and how much it has done for Equestria," Twilight looked to the Young Six, "And beyond."
"It fits with the Convocation coming up!" Ocellus beamed.
"Double huge party!" Pinkie cheered, throwing confetti everywhere.
As her friends and students celebrated, Twilight teleported back into her office along with Spike to wait for a message.
A few minutes later, Twilight reappeared in the lobby with a huge grin on her face.
"I've even gotten approval from Celestia!" Twilight laughed, showing off the letter she'd gotten. "She says she managed to work out things behind the scenes to get this thing going!"
"What? Really?!" Spike's eyes widened.
The students cheered again along with all of the professors.
"I wonder how she got past the congressponies on Bullion's side," said Spike, scratching his left cheek.
"Celestia must've persuaded them," said Twilight, "After all, we have lived under harmony under her rules."
"I'm still worried about what could happen, Twilight," said Spike. "The rumors surrounding you, Celestia and Luna. And there's the court!"
"We'll be ready for whatever comes our way," Twilight assured him. "Anyway, I have an announcement to make." She flew above the crowd of students.
"Hey! The headmare wants to say something!" Rainbow announced in her coaching voice.
Almost right away, everycreature quieted down and looked up at their headmare.
"We have endured a lot during these past couple of weeks," said Twilight, "And months with those ponies here in this school meant to celebrate all creatures from all over united in friendship! I will not let any of you, my friends, and I be pushed over by somepony who thinks he's superior to the saviors and rulers of Equestria!" Twilight stated. "We can handle all that comes our way and we won't let protesting ponies or movements against us hinder us from doing what we do best! So, everycreature, let's get started and be the best we can be!"
Everycreature cheered as Twilight went down to the floor and embraced her friends in a group hug. Twilight looked over her friends to see a smiling Mystic and the young unicorn giving her a nod.
That night, Mystic was sitting outside and looking at the stars. She had not been able to think about sleep due to the excitement earlier that day.
I wish you could've seen how bold that princess was, Sunshine, Mystic thought with a sad smile.
She hadn't looked up at the stars for a while but--
"I guessed you were out here gazing at the stars," said a tone that sent a shiver down Mystic's spine.
Mystic stood up and whirled around to see Hong standing a few yards away. Composing herself, Mystic straightened herself up and glared, "What're you doing here?"
Hong gasped mockingly, "What? No hello for your Uncle? I thought you would be happier to see a personal visit."
Mystic snorted angrily, "I wasn't when you came with those ponies, and I won't ever be happy to see you at any point." Her eyes narrowed, "Ever."
"Ouch," Hong said in a mocking tone, faking being hurt. He smirked deviously, "Oh, Mystic. How much you've not changed since I saw you last."
"I find too much change to be a hassle," Mystic growled.
"Still strong, determined, independent? Yep, I know you when I see you," Hong went on.
"You're not in any place to seize me, these ponies will protect me from you," said Mystic. "You mad blowhard idiot."
Hong's eyes widened as if he'd been slapped, "You better watch your mouth, little missy."
"If you forgot, you're not the boss of me anymore!"
"Oh, we'll see about that."
Mystic dryly chuckled, "Oh, please you were great once but now look at you."
Hong growled, "You think you're so smart huh?"
"I could scream and let them know you're here," replied Mystic.
Hong chuckled sinisterly, "Indeed you can but I haven't done anything wrong in the eyes of Equestria."
Mystic knew he had her on that one. She tried to calm her already fuming nerves "What do you want?"
"I just wanted a little chat," replied Hong as he stood up straight, "I have been wondering what you've been doing since you've started a new life here."
"Aside from being forced to work for labor, I think I'm doing good."
Hong only rolled his eyes, "Oh, please Mystic. You and I both know that you'll probably not find your way with these ponies. Whenever you made friends, things always happened to them."
Mystic lit up her horn, "Leave them out of this."
Hong threw up a hoof in defense, "I'm not bringing any of them into this." He pointed at Mystic, "You are." Mystic's confident look wilted a little as Hong went on, "It's when you ever come into ponies' lives and you bring misfortune upon them." He leaned forward again, "You can't ever truly escape from what you are, you cannot escape your past."
Mystic didn't reply as the taller pony held a smug smile, knowing he was right. She didn't dare to take her gaze off of him as he's known to pull off things when ponies' guards are down.
"I think you'd better take off," she finally said, which caused him to let out a laugh.
"You haven't been able to trust anypony, but whenever you did, as I said, you bring misfortune to them," said Hong "How do you know if these ponies won't turn on you as well, Mystic?" Mystic's confidence wavered again. "Whatever path you think you've found, it'll dissipate like all of your other attempts. Nothing good ever comes upon you and you know it."
"Silence!"
Hong chuckled darkly, "You can deny all my warnings all you want, Mystic. But it won't change anything." He sighed, looking in the direction of the school, "They look like they could be your friends." He smiled sinisterly again, "Just like previous friends you've lost. But will you soon let them end up and tell them about..." He paused, "Her?" Mystic's eyes widened, fury built up behind them. "Were you thinking of Sunshine before I showed up?"
"Don't you dare talk about her!" she shouted.
"Just a major mishap in your life."
Mystic stomped up to him, "Stay the hay away from me, and these ponies here!"
"Very well, but remember what I've said."
"Get out!"
She raised her hooves to shove him, and when she shoved, her hooves went right through him. Her eyes widened and she backed up immediately. She examined him for a few seconds before she realized what she was looking at.
"I should've known you'd send your copy out here," she said.
"Indeed, I did, but it's still very much me," replied Hong. He began backing up, still smiling, "Don't worry, the soldiers and I are far away, I just had to come to warn you. Yet, being as stubborn as you always been, you won't listen."
"I will prove you wrong! Mark my words!" Mystic insisted.
"No, you won't, Mystic. No, you won't." He paused, "Don't think about Sunshine too much."
Mystic was about to shout at him, but his body began tearing up into blue magic and the magic began streaming away. She watched as the magic formed a line and headed into the night.
Will these ponies turn on her like all the others? Has she truly found a way to a better life? She rubbed her temples, deciding to head back inside. But first, she needed to let Twilight know of Hong showing up like he did. |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 12 - Two sides of the mirror | Meanwhile, on the other side of a particular mirror lies a school called Canterlot High.
As she closed her locker while holding some books, Sunset Shimmer, pony turned human, smiled at all of the various students that chatted with one another either discussing studying or just hanging out. Sunset smiled and waved to Micro Chips and Bulk Biceps and hi-fived Sandalwood as he passed by. Then, she began to walk down the hall, the final bell of the school day rang as Sunset began to reminisce.
She couldn't help it, but every time she walked down the halls, she remembered how students cowered in fear of her and wanted to avoid her, but now she sees most if not all of them smiling and waving at her. It reminds her of how far she's come since those days.
Then, she bumped into someone. Both grunted as Sunset kept her footing. She shook her head and saw she'd bumped into a familiar blonde-haired girl with misaligned eyes.
"Oops, sorry Derpy," said Sunset, reaching down for her.
"It's okay," Derpy smiled, taking Sunset's hand. Sunset pulled her up and the girl continued with, "I just don't know what went wrong."
"Well, things are a lot more right for all of us here," Sunset smiled.
Derpy giggled. "That they are. Stay awesome, sunshine!" She walked off and Sunset's smile grew.
Sunset resumed her walk, seeing more of the various students of Canterlot High. As she did, the last word Derpy said to her began to repeat itself in her mind.
Sunshine...
She recalled a little conversation she and Mystic had on the train ride to the Crystal Empire to find Starlight. That conversation on the train stayed on her mind for reasons she hadn't spoke of to Twilight or the others.
"I had an old friend," Mystic's voice echoed. "I don't talk about her much."
"Who's that?" asked Sunset.
"Her name was Sunshine Smiles. You would've liked her. She was the sweetest and the wisest filly you'd ever meet."
Sunset remembered how Mystic seemed to have a bit of a sad smile on her face when she talked about Sunshine, leading her to believe that something awful might've happened to her friend.
As Sunset turned left, lost in her mind, she also remembered how Twilight and her friends tried to become friends with her. While Fluttershy on the other side was successful, the shy pegasus never spoke about making the progress Sunset ever did. Mystic never opened up to anypony else about her past, even when she asked Fluttershy and Twilight, she never could get to that conclusion.
I wonder why Mystic connected with me like she did... she thought. The way all of them described her and the way she acts I don't see how she could've connected with a complete stranger so fast...
"Hey Sunny!" came a familiar raspy voice.
Sunset was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw a familiar blue girl with rainbow hair.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash," replied Sunset. "Where're the others?"
"Out in the lobby," replied Rainbow, throwing a basketball in her hands and catching it. "We were gonna go to the movies later today and then go shopping for the event coming soon."
"Oh, right," Sunset smirked. "The sequel to the Daring Do movie we were in a while back, huh?"
"Yep!" Rainbow laughed. "And it's gonna be even more awesome than the first!"
"Because you got more than just a brief cameo?"
"Right!" Rainbow smacked Sunset's back. "This is gonna be the best movie ever!"
"Don't let the stardom go to your head."
"Wouldn't dream of it! See you outside!" Rainbow bolted off in a flash, leaving a trail of rainbow behind her.
Sure, you wouldn't... Sunset thought.
As Sunset entered the lobby, she saw Wallflower Blush leaning up against a wall. She waved at her and the girl waved back with a smile on her face. Sunset noticed that a tannish athletic boy with blue eyes walked up to her. She kissed him on the cheek and both walked off, holding hands.
"Oh!" Sunset's eyes widened, surprised but then a happy smile grew on her face.
Sunset approached the doors and opened them. At the base of the recently reconstructed Canterlot High statue, she saw her friends, the Rainbooms, talking with one another. When Sunset reached the bottom of the stairs, Applejack saw her and waved her over.
"There you are!" Rainbow cried as Sunset joined them. "Come on, we're burning daylight to get to the movie!"
"The movie starts in an hour, Rainbow Dash," said Applejack.
"Exactly! We need front row seats if we're gonna catch the best of the experience!"
"Didn't we get VIP tickets from Mr. Zoom?" Fluttershy asked meekly.
"Not the point! There're probably other VIP people that wanna hog all of the best of the best for themselves!"
"I can only imagine what those people might be like," Sunset said to herself, slightly amused.
"Okay," Rarity stepped forward. "How about this? Why don't I take Rainbow to the theater and pick out the best seats while all of you go get the popcorn and sodas?"
"Sounds awesome!" Rainbow cried, taking Rarity's arm. "Gotta go!"
"Rainbow!" Rarity shrieked, "Don't ruuuu--" Her sentence turned into screams as Rainbow bolted off in a streak that matches her name.
"Okay then," Sunset remarked.
"I'll go get the snacks!" Pinkie cried and she was off in a flash, too. But then she came back and grabbed Fluttershy's arm. "Fluttershy, come help me!"
"Don't run!" Fluttershy cried.
"Okay, let's race walk!" Pinkie said and began pulling Fluttershy along.
"Ah'd better go with'em in case they get into trouble," said Applejack, going after them.
Sunset and Sci-Twi looked at each other and broke out into giggles.
"How about we don't rush things," said Sci-Twi.
"Agreed," replied Sunset.
"Well, let's talk as we walk!" Sci-Twi began walking down the sidewalk. Sunset joined her.
"Are your friends in Equestria doing okay?" Sci-Twi asked.
"You mean aside from being ripped apart by lions and nearly consumed in darkness by a foul beast, they're doing just fine," replied Sunset.
"I still need to hear all of that you told me about again."
"For the third time?"
"It sounds like an exciting adventure!" Sci-Twi defended.
"It was, but you're starting to sound like Rainbow."
"Hey, at least I'm not running everywhere."
"True."
Suddenly, Sunset remembered something.
"Are we beginning to get some ideas for the Principal and Vice Principal's twentieth anniversary?" she asked.
"I've begun a list!" Sci-Twi beamed, pulling out a notebook.
Sunset giggled. "Of course, you did."
"I can't wait for it! It's going to be so much fun!" Sci-Twi cried.
Just wait until the lists and perfection kick in... Sunset thought, mostly for herself.
"Oh!" Sci-Twi faceplanted. "I momentarily forgot to pick up Spike in about ten minutes!"
"Don't keep him waiting," said Sunset.
"I won't. He had to go to the vet."
"Yeah, just a rotten tooth in the back of his mouth."
"Yikes," Sunset cringed.
"Well, if he ate fewer sweets, he wouldn't have gotten the cavity," Sci-Twi huffed, crossing her arms. "I warned him multiple times."
"Try convincing Pinkie to eat fewer sweets," Sunset smirked.
"Now, that's just asking for trouble!"
Sunset laughed. "Give him my best. See you at the theater."
"I'll be there!" Sci-Twi said with a smile.
And so, Sci-Twi left Sunset to walk. She began to think about Mystic again.
"It feels like I have some kind of connection with you, Sunset," Mystic's voice echoed. "I'm not used to that kind of thing."
"Maybe you're finding a true friend in me," Sunset's own voice echoed.
That's probably the case... Sunset thought. But was unable to convince herself if that was true or not.
Regardless of their connection, she's happy to have met her and she feels as if things might get better between them.
Sunset opened the door to her house. She let out a pleasant sigh as she placed her backpack on her nearby couch. She walked into the small kitchen, thinking of Mystic, and hoped that what she asked of Twilight would soon be fulfilled. Sunset pulled out some canned, meat-free pasta, opened it up, put it in a bowl, and put it in the microwave.
She heard something vibrating from nearby. Sunset put a minute and thirty seconds in for her quick meal and walked over to her journal.
She fished it out of her bag and opened it to reveal a recent message from Princess Twilight.
Hey, Sunset! I've got the new magical journal you'd requested! Shall I bring it to Mystic?
Sunset smiled, Twilight followed through as usual.
Because of her and Mystic's connection, Sunset suspected she'd want to speak with her. Without a second thought, she wrote, Yes. I would love to communicate with her.
Good. I'll go find her right away.
Sunset smiled, climbed onto the couch, and laid on her stomach, waiting to speak to Mystic again.
Mystic read through the third chapter of the school textbook again. She had a notepad nearby and a cup of coffee for good measure. She levitated her quill up and underlined something related to the Tree of Harmony's properties.
"Hey, Mystic," said Twilight.
"Yes?" Mystic looked up from her book.
"I've got something for you," said Twilight, levitating something to her and placing it in her hooves.
Mystic took a few seconds to realize it was a journal that had what looked like Sunset's cutie mark on the cover. "What's this?"
"It's a magical journal," Twilight explained. "You can communicate with somepony anywhere on the globe by writing in the pages and their replies appear afterward." Mystic's eyes widened. "Provided if they're holding the journal." She sheepishly chuckled.
"Wow," Mystic marveled, opening the journal to reveal the blank pages. "This is something I'd never heard of!" She looked up at Twilight, "Where did you get this?"
"Oh, Princess Celestia has some," Twilight giggled. "But you wanted to communicate with Sunset while she's away, don't you?"
"It would be nice."
"Well," Twilight pointed at the journal, "Ta-da!"
The gears in Mystic's mind clicked. "I... I can speak to Sunset with this?!"
"Well, not verbally, but yeah."
Mystic levitated her book, put it aside, and put the journal onto the table she had been using.
"Thanks," replied Mystic, "I'll see if she'll reply sometime."
"You're welcome, see you later," replied Twilight and she left Mystic.
Deciding to take a little break from her studies, Mystic opened the journal to the first page.
Heh, she chuckled. Might as well see what this is about.
She levitated her quill up and wrote - Hey, Sunset, it's Mystic. Are you there?
She waited for a little bit.
Then, some writing began appearing on her page. Hey Mystic! You finally got the journal, didn't you?
Holding back a gasp, Mystic smiled and figured out that they more than likely planned for her to talk with Sunset, wherever that might be.
Yeah, it's quite a gift. Thanks.
I had to have some way to communicate with my friend.
Mystic smiled. I'm glad you thought of this. Anyway, what're you up to? Uh, is that what you're supposed to ask?
LOL! Those letters caused Mystic to furrow her brows in confusion, Well, I've had a fun, yet busy day today with my studies and hanging out with my friends. What about you?
What's a LOL? Mystic raised a curious eyebrow.
Oh! Sorry, it's a saying. It means laugh out loud.
Mystic blinked and wrote, Oh.
What's going on where you are? Learning anything new?
Mystic let out a laugh, Hay yeah. Twilight's very thorough.
Don't let her overwhelm you.
Never! Mystic briefly paused and wrote some more. Twilight finally worked up the courage to stand up against Mr. Bullion and expelled his sons from the school, Mystic wrote, smiling at the thought.
Oh, really?! I'm so happy she managed to stand up against him!
She might've had a little push to do so from somepony. Mystic wrote a winking face.
There was a brief pause.
You encouraged Twilight?
Yeah, more like gave her a push.
Wow, I'm proud of you, Mystic!
I was just tired of all those losers mooing is all.
Still, it was very nice of you to give Twilight some encouragement.
I didn't really do much, Mystic thought, but decided not to write that down. She began thinking about what else to say.
Hey Mystic, can I ask you something if you don't mind?
A small feeling in her gut rose in Mystic's gut. This was likely about something personal.
Shoot. She wrote.
Have you practiced any of the exercises we talked about?
And there it was.
Mystic lowered her head, remembering some parts of the talk she and Sunset had on the way to the Crystal Empire. She felt her horn, but felt no aching from it or her head.
"I don't need pity."
"I'm not saying you do, Mystic," Sunset's voice echoed. "But what you have inside you is a terrible anger. It's okay to be angry but trust me, you don't want it to get out of control."
"I've moved on past my anger! I've reformed my life!"
Mystic squeezed her eyes shut.
"And you're sure your anger and past trauma hasn't come out in some other form?"
Mystic looked up to see that there was no reply in her journal.
"Am I supposed to forgive that monster for all the suffering he caused me, Sunset?"
"What I'm saying is, that hatred can make you bitter and that bitterness could turn you into the very thing you hate if you don't get it under control. I am all too familiar with that."
Mystic? Sunset wrote back.
Mystic snapped out of her thoughts and wrote back. Sorry, I was just thinking.
About?
Mystic sighed. Sunset, how could I possibly forgive somepony like Hong?
There was a pause.
Should you forgive him? That's up to you, Mystic. But even if you don't, like I mentioned, you can not hate him anymore and ponies who did you wrong in the past. Holding onto hatred won't make you feel any better.
Is that what happened to you before you changed?
There was another pause. Yes. I held onto hatred and it grew until I was nearly consumed by it. I was so blinded by it, I was bitter, lonely, and wanted revenge. I thought it would make me feel better if I fulfilled my revenge. It was through Twilight's leadership and my friends' ability to forgive and help me find my way.
Mystic read those words several times over, trying to take them in. But... I still don't think I could do what you did, Sunset.
It'll take time, but just try, Mystic. Don't make the mistakes I did that you'll regret for the rest of your life.
Forgiveness and letting go of hate? Mystic thought. A small thought arose that her hatred towards Hong is what fueled her desire to defeat him. And she hadn't thought much of forgiveness since... Sunshine.
How did you get so wise? Mystic wrote, slightly cringing after she let her thoughts out.
Ha! I only learned from my friends and Princess Twilight!
Mystic rolled her eyes. I should've guessed. She looked at the pages she'd written on and tried to think of something else to say. What she had been told by Sunset lingered but thoughts of keeping in line with the program and studying began to emerge.
Then, she decided to write something she was curious about.
Do you think I could come see you where you're staying at some time?
There was a pause.
Mystic waited for what seemed like a minute.
I'm not sure how that would work out, Sunset wrote. But I'll have to talk to Twilight about it.
Why? Is it dangerous? Mystic wrote back.
It's more complicated than that. I would love to have you, but
A pause.
Conditions make it to where it isn't as easy as that.
Mystic sighed, feeling a little frustrated. All right, fine.
Thank you, Mystic. I hope you're not too upset.
No, just a little fire coming out of my horn right now. Mystic wrote with a smirk.
Ha ha very funny, missy.
Well, I would love to continue to write, but I need to keep in line with this stupid program that General has me on, Mystic wrote, knowing it was partly Twilight but put the blame on Hong.
Hong is just a bully and a coward as far as I'm concerned, Sunset wrote, which Mystic chuckled at. Just keep your head down and do your best so things will work out for all of you.
All right. Bye Sunset.
Later.
Mystic's smile grew as she closed the journal. I will visit you one day, Sunset. Wherever you might be.
Sunset just laid on the bed, looking at what Mystic last wrote. Her heart slightly raced as some sweat trickled down her forehead.
I wish I could just... tell her about this place... she thought, closing her journal.
Sunset didn't know how a visit from Mystic would go in the world she called home. That filly was fascinated with exploring and she'd likely get carried away.
But she had faith she'd get along with her friends and the people at Canterlot High.
Sunset laid on her back, recalling a conversation she and Twilight had before she left Equestria again.
"Mystic and I connected, sure, but what if she found out about the other world?" Sunset asked.
"I don't know... but I guess it became inevitable when you became her first real friend," replied Twilight.
No regretful thought came to Sunset, but sometimes she wonders if she might be putting this world and Equestria in more danger than what she thought.
I'm glad the people on the boat agreed to keep Equestria a secret... Sunset thought, remembering how a bunch of citizens had to go through the portal at school to get home. She sat up on her bed and cricked her neck, accidentally knocking down one of her school books onto the floor.
With an annoyed roll of her eyes, she picked up the face-down book, and then a sheet of paper fell out of it. Curious, Sunset knelt and picked it up, flipped it over, and saw written in crude black marker---
"GO HOME, EQUESTRIAN!"
Sunset gasped her mind beginning to race a million miles an hour. Another one?! And in my locker?!
And they knew the combination to it on top of where she'd come from?! Who was responsible for this? The only saving grace was that she believed they did not know about the portal. But she shuddered, crumpled, and threw away the letter.
Did someone still hate her? Why? She's done so much.
I can't tell the others about this with the celebration coming up, she thought, going to the kitchen, We'll deal with it afterward.
Whatever happened, Sunset hoped she could deal with it. |
Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 | Chapter 13 - Agreement struggles | "Down with Twilight Sparkle! Down with Twilight Sparkle!" the crowd shouted.
Mystic stood a distance away, overlooking the Castle of Friendship and the School grounds. Protestors marched in a circle, waving their various signs as pegasi flew above with banners condemning Twilight.
Their endless chants and presence were making Mystic want to rip her own mane out. She had expected Bullion's supporters to show up but this was just downright annoying.
"Mystic?" came a voice.
The unicorn didn't need to turn around to see Starlight. Her anger burned against the protestors.
"Oh boy, still staring at them?" Starlight asked.
"Been a couple of days like this," Mystic growled. "They need to scram."
"Well, free speech and protests are allowed," said Starlight, "But that doesn't mean we should agree with them or take violence out on them."
Mystic sighed, rubbing her temples. "I got that from Twilight. But their chants just keep me from fully concentrating and knowing that they're out here!"
"At least most aren't from Ponyville?" Starlight said weakly with an awkward giggle.
"That makes Equestria seem worse by comparison," Mystic turned to her.
"It's not usually like this."
Mystic sighed, remembering the protests the Liberators had put up against Hong and the government. She decided to finally walk away and shove the painful memories aside.
"Can we go bowling now?" Mystic asked.
"Yeah," said Starlight, "Though I do want to eat a little something before then."
"Fine," said Mystic, "But let's let it be just us."
Later, the two ponies arrived at Ponyville's bowling alley. Mystic, having just put on some jeans, straightened her bowling shirt out as Starlight finished paying for the two games they were going to play.
"When did you first get into bowling?" Mystic asked, trying to make conversation.
"Oh, Spike introduced me to the sport when he and his guys invited me for a night out," replied Starlight. "I got pretty good." She beamed, "I also figured this would be a great way for us to expand our horizons on things we do!"
"You mean to try new things?" Mystic asked as she began to walk over to the bowling aisles.
"That's a way to simplify it but yeah," replied Starlight.
"I prefer simple terms," Mystic said with a smile.
"Then you and Applejack should get along just fine," Starlight winked.
"We already do."
"Oh, right," Starlight chuckled with a sheepish grin.
Mystic saw a distant look in Starlight's eyes, yet her expression was excited. Mystic knew that look too well.
I know she's still not doing well, but why still try to focus on me? Mystic thought as Starlight looked her right.
"Why're those ponies staring at you?" Starlight asked.
Mystic looked in the direction Starlight was looking at and saw two burly stallions with blue shirts and security badges on their chests.
"I might've let a bowling ball fly backward when I tried to learn to bowl," Mystic grinned sheepishly.
"Oh? Should we go somewhere else?" Starlight asked.
Mystic shook her head. "No, I think I'll be fine." She faced the bowling aisle in front of her, and above it was her and Starlight's names that held a score of zero.
"It's time to play!" Starlight chirped.
For the next half hour, Starlight and Mystic spent their time bowling. Mystic didn't speak to Starlight and Starlight didn't do Mystic either, but focused on the game.
Mystic could see Starlight had a bit of an awkward smile whenever she looked at her.
I'm not an expert, but how is this bonding? Mystic thought. She looked up at the scoreboard to see her score was one hundred and three and Starlight's was eighty-nine.
"I must be a little rusty, huh?" Starlight said with an embarrassed grin.
"I guess so," said Mystic, "You know, I think I played a game a long time ago where you kick a ball around and try to get it into a goal." She tapped her chin, "What was it called again?"
"Soccer?" Starlight asked, rolling her ball across to the pins.
"No, no, I don't even know what that is," said Mystic. She barely noticed Starlight's light gasp, "Oh! Yeah, it was hoofball."
"Hoofball? But isn't hoofball where you take the ball and ponies try to tackle you?"
Mystic narrowed her eyes, confused, "What? I don't know what that is."
"You know," Starlight grabbed a bowling ball and held it close to herself, "Where the ponies run and the other team tries to tackle them as their team tries to help them reach the goal."
"They use bowling balls in this sport you're talking about?" Mystic inclined her head, more confused.
"This is just a demonstration!" Starlight said.
"All I remember it was being just where you kick the ball with your hooves and try to reach your team's goal," said Mystic, grabbing a bowling ball.
"That sounds like soccer."
"Again, I don't know what that is."
"Grrrr!" Starlight growled.
Mystic shrugged as she held the bowling ball with her hoof, curved it backward, and rolled it forward down the aisle. It hit all of the pins and knocked them over.
"Hey, a strike!" Starlight cheered.
Mystic chuckled, "Yeah, that was a strike." She turned back to Starlight, "So, this sport you're talking about is also called hoofball? How do you have two sports called the same thing?"
Starlight ran a hoof down her face, "Look, there is a sport that's called soccer where you kick the ball across the field and into the opposing team's goal, and then there's this other game called hoofball that has the same idea only you're running with the ball in your hooves and ponies try to tackle you to stop you from scoring."
"Tackling's illegal in hoofball," said Mystic.
"No, it isn't! Gah!" Starlight threw up a hoof, "In this hoofball, it isn't! Can you see the differences in the hoofball in I'm talking about between yours?"
Mystic tapped her chin, "Oh!" She smiled, "It's another game mode within the same game I didn't know about!" Starlight sat on the floor and double facehoofed. "I guess that's it huh?"
"Probably..." Starlight droned.
The game continued for another ten minutes and soon the score was one hundred and eighty to one hundred and thirty, Mystic's favor.
But as they continued to play, Mystic began to realize that Starlight hasn't been holding up as much of the deal they had made.
I've told her more about myself than she herself, she thought, knowing that Starlight hasn't gone deep enough to the roots.
Meanwhile, Starlight was thinking herself. She threw the ball back and tossed it at the bowling pins.
I've been selfish yet again, Starlight thought, frowning, I've been getting a lot of Mystic's past out of her and trying to understand her, but why don't I say much of anything?!
She knew the mare was still trying to find ways to get into her, but she cowardly slipped away every time.
"So, Starlight," said Mystic, "How have you been holding up?"
Oh no, Starlight though, I'm not ready! She wanted to slap herself.
"We've done a lot of stuff together," said Mystic.
"Yeah! And maybe I'll take you white river kayaking," said Starlight, "Wouldn't you long for such an adventure like that?"
"Probably, but I think I was wanting to--"
"And maybe just learn how to model different outfits in the meantime," Starlight facehoofed, "What am I saying?"
"Am I just an outlet for you?" Mystic asked.
Starlight paused, looking at Mystic who held a bowling ball in her magical grasp. The sight of the magic made a bile rise in her chest.
"What?" Starlight asked.
"You heard me," said Mystic, "We've talked over and over about you and..."
"We've talked wonderfully," Starlight sheepishly smiled.
"You aren't trying to make amends like I hoped you would," said Mystic.
"I'm getting there, Mystic, can't we focus on bowling please?" Starlight asked, her stomach knotting.
"You promised that you'd open up so we could understand one another," said Mystic.
"But it takes time to get there," said Starlight.
Mystic placed a hoof on Starlight's shoulder, "Star, you know that I want to help, but I can't if you just hold everything in. It's like you're not letting me try to help."
Starlight held back a snarl, fearing she was about to lose it.
"Starlight, can we please talk about--"
"Look, why are you so interested in my life?" Starlight demanded. "Don't you have one of your own?" She smacked her forehead. "Wait! I didn't..."
"You're one to talk!" Mystic shouted.
"That's not what I meant to say," said Starlight.
"Then go ahead and say it," Mystic bared her teeth.
"That I totally screwed up and tried to find some ingredient for a spell?!" Starlight blurted out.
"You did what?" Mystic asked, eyes widening.
"That's not what I meant," Starlight said.
"What spell? What ingredient?" Mystic asked, "What are you not telling me?"
"Just something that has no concern whatsoever about why I've been in a pitiful state when I'm fine!"
"You tell me that every day," Mystic glared, "You are not..."
"I am! Even after my mother's..." Starlight froze, "Nothing!"
"Your mother," Mystic whispered.
Oh, what have I done?!
"Starlight, what about your mother?" Mystic asked.
"I... I was just upset, Mystic! Really!"
Mystic threw her foreleg backward but accidentally let go of the ball. Starlight gasped as Mystic winced and before anypony could stop it, it crashed into a nearby table.
"My birthday cake!" a foal shouted.
"Crap!" Mystic hissed. "Not again!"
She felt Starlight wrap her forelegs around her barrel and they disappeared in a flash.
They reappeared next to Ponyville's well. Mystic felt her stomach swirl as Starlight let her go.
"Warn me next time you're going to do that," said Mystic, shaking her head vigorously.
"Sorry," Starlight apologized.
Several thoughts went through Mystic's head, but the most common one was the question about Starlight's mother.
Did she lose her mother a long time ago? Mystic thought. A sense of regret emerged in her chest. She remembered how Starlight mentioned losing somepony close. Now she had a strong feeling this was the reason she's been so closed off. I might need to give her a little space, and I need some too. Gah, I suck at this stuff...
"What do you want?" Starlight suddenly asked. Mystic looked up to see the mare looking behind her. Mystic turned to see who it was, only to immediately have a huge pit form in her stomach. It was a soldier from Hong.
"Mystic," said the soldier.
"I did a lot of work recently," Mystic said, trying to stay calm.
"You have a lot of clients today," said the soldier.
"What?!" Mystic cried, "I was to follow the jobs that were given to me for the week and..."
"And that Hong is expecting you to do the additional jobs you have to do for ponies around here," the soldier glared.
He won't ruin my life again! Mystic thought, "He wasn't supposed to add anything after I had done my duties! I read the accords myself. I'm taking this up with Princess Twilight."
"We've already brought this up to..."
"Horseapples!" Mystic shouted, "She would've told me a long time ago."
"You're a fool to think that," the soldier stated, baring his teeth, "If you don't follow through, you might be moved to another--"
"I've heard enough," Starlight cut in, Mystic saw that she was seething. "You're attacking my friend when she has bent over backward for your general?"
"She has to follow the protocols!" the soldier scolded.
"Whatever those protocols are, I am certain Mystic has been trying her best and following them to the letter!" Starlight shot back, "I know her and it sounds like you and your general are doing everything you can to make her miserable!"
The soldier opened his mouth to speak but Mystic stepped forward.
"Tell the general to kiss my flank! Because he's trying to rule over my life in any way he can!" Mystic seethed. "I've worked tirelessly with school and these lame jobs." Mystic stomped off away from him. "I'm not working anymore for him!"
She galloped off before he could say anything else to her. The unicorn did her best to forget about the whippings and the nearly bone-breaking work, but it was coming back to her, hearing his evil voice mocking and demanding more from her.
It's time to make an emergency escape plan when things go to Tartarus, Mystic thought, knowing she'd probably not escape Equestria but that wouldn't stop her from trying if it came down to it.
Twilight was angry. She sat in the Map room on her throne, waiting for General Hong to arrive.
He violated parts of our agreement! She thought, wanting to smack him in the face for it. She honestly felt that acting professional was getting harder to do, even if things have calmed down some.
The doors opened, revealing the general coming in while his captain and another soldier stood outside. Twilight composed herself, hiding her frustrations behind her 'Princess' image. After Hong bowed, Twilight spread her wings out to demonstrate her authority.
"General," said Twilight.
"Princess," said Hong, causing the alicorn to feel annoyed.
"I have been informed by a friend of mine that you've been adding to the job listings and are going behind my back about it," said Twilight.
"How can this be?" Hong asked.
Twilight motioned to a soldier that was standing at the far end of the Map room. "That soldier was telling Mystic that she was to do even more jobs after she did the fill you put on that list as per our agreement."
"I see," said Hong.
"And," Twilight glared, "While I respect, and want to work together with you on this issue, I'm afraid I can't allow violations to take place in such agreements." She narrowed her eyes even more, "Do you deny this accusation?
"If you recall in our agreement, I was to send out requests for her to do whenever possible."
"So, that's a no," said Twilight.
"Princess, I know I seem excessive," said Hong, "But I was just trying to make sure she's disciplined enough for you and your friends."
I don't believe that, Twilight thought, "Even so, you were to let us do our ways with her first and foremost," Twilight rebutted.
"She requires a firm hoof on her," said Hong, "You're loosening your grip."
"You don't understand the things we do, General," said Twilight, "And I'm sorry if you're not liking them. But trust me, when I say that we can work this out."
Hong hummed, rubbing his cheek, "You haven't forgotten that Mystic has been reported numerous times using dark magic of damaging proportions, have you?"
Twilight felt chills run through her body. She felt goosebumps rise under her skin.
"No," Twilight simply said, unable to think of Mystic using such magic.
"And if Mystic has used dark magic, who knows how much she has weaved her way into your life to have you shelter her?"
"This discussion isn't about the reports surrounding Mystic," Twilight cut in, "We need to keep in line with our accords."
"That we do," said Hong, "But that's something that cannot openly be ignored."
"I've not detected any dark magic from her," said Twilight, her annoyance growing.
"You're clearly not able to handle things after all that's happened and what's been going on Princess," said Hong, "You don't want this on your table on top of everything else."
"General!" Twilight snapped. "That was out of line!" She locked her glare firmly on him. He appeared a little startled, but quickly composed himself.
"I apologize, Princess," said Hong, "But I've just been through too much with this mare and I want justice to prevail over what happened back then."
"There will be justice," Twilight said in an assuring tone, "But we need to keep in line with our agreements." She lightly glared, "Something you've overstepped with too many jobs at once."
Hong sighed and bowed his head, "You're right. I take full responsibility for my foolishness for that and stepping out of line. Forgive me, please."
"All is forgiven, but I ask you now to let us handle things at least until after the Convocation," said Twilight.
Twilight saw a little agitation in his eyes, but nothing from his face moved.
"Very well," said Hong.
"I'll let you off with a firm warning and Celestia will know of this," said Twilight, "But don't let this happen again."
"I shall try," said Hong.
"You may go," said Twilight. Hong bowed and left the Map room.
A little while later, Mystic was called to meet Twilight in the same room.
"You're still punishing me after I stood up for myself?" Mystic asked, distress and anger taking form on her.
"Mystic, I don't want to but I have to," said Twilight.
"Is that a thing with you, punishing poor ponies to save face?" Mystic pointed at her, glared harder with hurt eyes.
Twilight felt as if she'd been slapped. "Mystic I...
"The heat is going to come with Hong around, Princess!" Mystic shouted, "Whether if you like it or not!"
Twilight sat there glaring hard at Mystic. A lot of thoughts ran through her head wondering what to do about this situation. She had been studying and working hard, Twilight herself didn't know Mystic as well as she would like to.
She was still slightly frustrated this mare went to Starlight anyway when she told her not to, but she has heard Starlight's been working with her. And the two of them have been bonding over magic lessons, something Twilight was happy to see, even though Starlight still wasn't opening up to her or her friends. Maybe there was a silver lining of Mystic defying her requests.
Maybe I can think of something that won't be too harsh and try another approach, she thought.
"All right, Mystic," she said, "I won't punish you, but I will have you learning how to keep the books in the library organized as part of school assignments." She had expected Mystic to respond but nothing came out of her mouth. "You can leave now."
"Is that it?" Mystic asked, looking a little surprised.
"Yes."
Twilight saw relief wash through Mystic's eyes but her expression never changed.
Without another word, Mystic left Twilight.
How is Hong able to break national protocol and be able to build rapport with Equestria's political system? Twilight thought. Does he have ponies within Canterlot working for him?
But that would be impossible since Imperial City has been closed off from Equestria up until very recently.
I'd better bring it up to Celestia, Twilight thought, even though she knew evidence would be scarce, if there was any, and this thought of hers was a long shot.
Mystic entered the School of Friendship's library and sat down. She figured she might as well get caught up on more of her studies. She looked out to see various students sitting at tables quietly reading.
"Hey," said Starlight from behind her.
Mystic didn't turn around.
"I wanted to apologize for my outburst earlier," said Starlight. "It was disrespectful and out of line."
Mystic nodded and turned to face her. "I guess you'd do that to not speak about your own problems."
Starlight icily glared at Mystic, "Regardless of what I want beyond the apology, you could return it and we'd work out things from there."
"Really?" Mystic scoffed.
"Yes, really," Starlight retorted.
"It feels like that I'm just a big problem in the middle of other problems," Mystic scrunched her face in anger.
Starlight opened her mouth to say something but she shut it and sighed. Mystic was inwardly hitting herself for speaking like that but she just clenched her hooves.
Maybe Twilight knows about her mother, Mystic thought, I'll let her deal with that...
"Y'all okay?" a country accent called.
Mystic saw Applejack standing close by.
"Just having a civilized conversation," said Starlight.
"Oh," said Applejack, walking over. "But jus' try not to create a scene."
"Bit late for that," Mystic muttered.
"Ah got wind of what happened," said Applejack. "Ah'm sorry, Mystic."
"No need to be sorry," replied Mystic.
"Well, Ah'm here for ya if ya need anything," said Applejack.
"Could it be that Hong being here has been just like it was back before she escaped from his clutches?" Starlight suddenly asked. "Could it be that he's bringing up bad memories and undoing the progress Twilight has been wanting to make with Mystic?"
Applejack's eyes widened. "Ah guess Ah hadn't thought of it that way..."
"And excuse me for being a bit of a recluse, but it helped me realize things aren't as they're supposed to be," said Starlight. "Maybe Mystic needs to learn from those who are closest to her."
How is this mare able to want to help me than her herself? Mystic thought, unable to help feel a little insulted and unable to understand.
"Ah suppose yer right," said Applejack, "Ah'll mention it to Twilight." Applejack took her leave.
"Soooo," said Starlight, "How about I help you understand the library system and get you started on reorganizing like Twilight asked?"
"Right," said Mystic, having momentarily forgotten about it. |
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