"You know," Riddle’s voice boomed from the deck speakers. All the heroines had to stick hooves in their ears. "I actually planned to flee this airship away before you even came to the park. But then I thought, nah, you’re not enough of a threat.”
"You will regret your overconfidence!" cried back Zapp, seizing the opportunity to talk when the villainess paused. "Staying here to gloat was your fatal mistake.”
"Enough talk! She probably doesn’t hear you anyway," interrupted her Mistress Mare-velous. "Let’s go and get her.”
She ran forward, not waiting for the others.
"Attacking already, huh?" replied Question Mare with a snark. “Your every step was directed by me from the very start. And now you are just where I wanted you to be.”
”Go on with your delusional monologuing,” grumbled Mistress Mare-velous through clenched teeth. She crouched to keep her balance under the sound attack. The moment Riddle lapsed into silence, the heroine made another sprint forward.
Meanwhile, the rest of Power Ponies crowded together, Radiance creating a purple dome that muffled the sound at least partially.
"We need to neutralize the speakers," said Matter-Horn. "They can--”
A deafening squeal from the speakers penetrated through the dome. Everypony felt like their brain was going to explode. No further explanation was needed.
“Look – there are two on port and starboard sides," she pointed with her hoof. "There and there. And one is right on the deckhouse, right below her. I’ll take that one. Zapp! Get the ones on the right, Saddle those on the left. Radiance, cover us.”
Meanwhile Marv caught up with Fili-Second. Speedster pony got it worst - as sound bursts took away her sense balance, she stumbled at full speed and got quite a concussion.
The only thing Filli was able to do while still dizzy, is to hide among the tables in the restaurant area. Marv found her right beside stern mast - it raised in the center of the restaurant, and just like the mast over the deckhouse was bearing a huge rotor.
"I’m okay," said the pink pony upon seeing her friend and shook her head to threw away remnants of dizziness. "That ne’er-do-well just caught me off guard. I swear she will not do that again.”
And yet Question Mare almost did. With a pull of a lever, she activated all three altitude rotors - on fore, center and stern masts. And before Power Ponies figured out where the sudden breeze was coming from, in mere seconds breeze turned into a squall.
Everypony was blown away, waiving hooves in the air. Frantically Marv and Filli managed to grab on the tables. And fortunately for them, those tables were tightly screwed to the deck.
Zapp was hanging right beside the rotor and yet she was taken by surprise too. Airflow pushed her aside right when she was aiming at speakers with intent to take two of them out in one shot. Before pegasus realized what was happening she was spinning in the air and on the way towards the ground.
But Zapp wasn’t called mistress of storms and lightning for nothing. The second she collected herself she managed to disperse the wind with the power of her medallion. It took almost all of her strength and the air calmed only in a small area around her, but that was enough for Zapp to turn upright again.
She squeezed medallion with her front hooves and put all remaining concentration into lightning powers. A flurry of lightning bolts came out of the relic and stroke the starboard side, blasting both speakers to smithereens in the process. Not exactly what Zapp was planning, but she had her part done.
Only a moment later it came to pegasus that others may need her help. She started twisting her head in a rush to find her comrades. To her relief, all of them were far from falling off the deck. Radiance protected Matter-Horn with her constructs and Matter-Horn herself already managed to freeze the speaker on the deck-house.
Saddle Rager was able to resist the wind by herself. She scrambled forward, breaking holes in the deck and grappling them with her hooves. And as she became angrier, Rager was able to move faster and faster. And already smashed one of the speakers.
Only one last megaphone left and Question Mare’s cries lost their power, becoming simply annoying.
Zapp rushed to Matter-Horn and Radiance. She landed inside constructs cover, almost stretching on the deck.
“Are you all right?” asked Matter-Horn, leaning right to pegasus ear.
“Just… take… breath,” Zapp panted.
Respiring, Zapp still maintained medallion aura against the wind. It eased the pressure on with Radiance’s constructs, so unicorn could also take a breather. In less than a minute ponies were already pushing forward.
Combined protection from constructs and medallion allowed Matter-Horn, Zapp, and Radiance go through the restaurant area without any problems. However, right when they were passing the raw of golden pony statues that separated restaurant from major walking area Question Mare decided to talk again.
"So, do you really think that on my zeppelin I have nothing except loudspeakers and altitude control?”
"I think that you are the most annoying pony!" yelled Zapp on the top of her lungs. "That’s all you are, Question! Or Riddle. Whatever.”
"Of course, you can offer nothing but insults." Riddle sighed. "I was really overestimating your intellect. In the tunnel, you barely solved my simplest riddle. In the park, I hoped to see some ingenuity, but you went with the most obvious and brute solutions.
“Fine! Here is the last riddle for you: One serves, one owns, one provides, and many fight you.”
And seeing that nopony is going to reply, she cried:
“It’s a host!”
And the moment she finished the last word, the golden pegasus statues turned and bucked Zapp, Radiance, and Matter-Horn so all three Power Ponies flew several meters in different directions.
"See? Why do I ever need help from such losers?! I will not grovel at your hooves to get some legal advice. I will defeat you and this time I’ll get all the credit. Who needs those corporate mules if I can become The Villain who defeated infamous Power Ponies!”
There was a bit of crunching sound at the end of the tirade, as Riddle took a bucket of popcorn from a food dispenser on the bridge and threw some into her mouth.
"Now, let the real show begin!”
And the show indeed began. As in just a few moments, the Power Ponies recovered and counterattacked. Radiance created a big club and immediately crashed two automatons so hard that they fell through the deck. She turned around, looking for new targets. And suddenly, felt something tugging her tail. She glanced back. and saw as some squat device, probably automatic cleaner, swallowing her precious tail. Almost half was already inside the insidious contraption.
With a scream, the unicorn broke into a run, at the same time trying squash the thing on her. She made a couple of circles across the walking area, barely noticing what happened around. And finally succeeded to crash damned thing through the deck too.
Meanwhile, Matter-Horn attacked golden pegasi with freezing ray. They scattered in all directions, but she managed to caught two. They stayed in place, frozen solid.
"Hey! Leave some for me!" cried Saddle Rager, who chose to abandon the last megaphone that was on the further side of the deck anyway and now was rolling towards the deckhouse, the wind blowing at her tail helping a great deal.
It appeared that Saddle’s concerns were unfounded. Four remained automatons spread their wings and sprang into the air. Zapp, who was dispensing lightning bolts from above, threw herself aside just to dodge them by a hairbreadth. She started to turn around to take another shot, but at that very moment, two golden pegasi that Radiance smashed below the deck flew up right from the hole. Then another two. And another…
In a few seconds, there were easily two dozens “hosts” above the deck.
"Did you really think that on such a luxurious vessel there are only eight animated hosts?" asked Question Mare, cracking with popcorn.
Zapp, Matter-Horn, and Radiance recoiled back. They bunched together, shooting and throwing everything to keep Automatons at bay. Zapp’s lightning had stuck one machine and now others were circling around, slowly closing the distance.
Then Saddle Rager joined her friends. She jumped right at the enemies circle and managed to grab two automatons with her fore-hooves. Next moment she smashed one onto the deck and threw another, hitting with him the third golden pegasus. She broke into a trot, continuing to hold one automaton and rubbing its face into the deck. It was torn apart completely when she reached the two that knocked down.
Rager then took those two, throwing the wrecked one away, and smashed them into each other several times. As a result both machines looked more like pancakes and probably wouldn’t be useful even as spare parts
Meanwhile, Matter-Horn used her freeze ray again and Zapp shot bolts of lightning from the medallion. However, golden automatons learned their lessons and maneuvered too fast for Power Ponies to hit their targets.
Suddenly Question Mare heard a thud above her ear, that made her wince. She squinted in that direction and saw Mistress Mare-velous’ lasso sliding over her invisible force dome.
"So-o predictable," she said right before a pink-white blur smashed into the force field right before mare’s eyes.
Sat aback, Riddle dropped pop-corn. Fili paused just one second and took another run. She smashed at the invisible dome at another side, again with a loud thud. But this time Question Mare thought there was a cracking sound.
"This has been going on long enough. Deal with them!" Riddle motioned with her head towards Fili and Marv.
"Who are you…" started Fili-Second, but the next moment the large cube of food dispenser turned to her and from a small window of “drink filler” came a spurt of fizzed soda hitting her right in the muzzle. "Grrr-ll-glug-glug…”
Pony nearly choked and was forced back by the stream. But immediately stepped forward again, drinking the soda as fast as her super-speed ability allowed her too. A few seconds later machine added “heavy artillery” in the form of cakes, hot-dogs and all other food packages available, but it was still no match for the speedster - everything was eaten in midair.
Seeing food dispenser distracted, Marv flung her lasso to catch it. However, even with her mental control lasso noose wasn’t enough to hold dispenser still. A huge box started to rotate unusually fast and reeled up the whole rope, pulling Marv right into its metal side.
At the last moment, Mistress Mare-velous bent herself, so she didn’t smash her face at the dispenser. Though the last piece of the lasso lapped over her and now she was tied to the animated machine. Fili-Second ran to help her, but dispenser stopped her with another barrage of snacks.
Meanwhile, Saddle, Zapp, Matter-Horn, and Radiance were pressed to the port side by automatons. Even though Saddle smashed two golden statues to pieces and Zapp managed to fry another one, remaining pegasi-bots now were flying even faster and in more complex patterns. And just to make things worse, another dispenser that joined its mechanical-magical brethren. It rammed at the full speed into Rager, making her roll away from her friends’ defensive formation.
Matter-Horn started to run to help her, but three automatons at once went down on her. Alicorn almost dodged, but one of them managed to graze her with a wing. All four Power Ponies started to feel the exhaustion from all the fight.
"Ha-ha-ha! You have no chance, Power Ponies." Question Mare couldn’t conceal the excitement in her voice. "My automatons have a direct link to me. You can’t outsmart them. And they outnumber you, even with all your strength and abilities.”
"Don’t gloat until you’ve won!" cried Zapp, concentrating all her will into the Lightning Talisman.
"Wait," muttered Masked Matter-Horn. "Did she say that she has a psychic link to her machines? We were going about this the wrong way!”
Then there was a series of loud cracks as Zapp unleashed the full fury of her thunderstorm power. Golden pegasi took evasive actions. They scattered and tried to go through gaps in electric discharges. With clenched teeth, Zapp saw how they manage to dodge almost all of her bolts with more finesse the machines shown before. Two automatons were struck down and crashed at the deck in smoke. But there was still too many of them. And they gathered above Power Ponies for their final attack!
"Everyone!" cried Matter-Horn. "Go for Riddle! Don’t bother with her golems. We can’t beat them all. But her--”
She couldn’t finish as automaton flying pack finally assembled and several of them dived at her. However, by that time Zapp, Radiance and Saddle were already on the way to Riddle’s deck-house. Matter-Horn ran in the rearguard, mincing the air above with freezing ray so fast, that pegasi had to scatter again one last time.
"Back to me!" cried Riddle, though automatons were already on the way driven by her thought.
Something heavy smashed at her forcefield with a loud crack. Riddle turned and saw the cube of her food dispenser being driven right at her by Marv. The pony was still tied to it but managed to set her hooves at cube surface firm enough. Craziest rodeo ever.
Villainess didn’t even say anything. She just gave the dispenser, which was linked to her mind too, a hard glance and the machine started to turn on its side. Marv, realizing that in a second she will be simply squashed, frenziedly pawed the dispenser the in attempt to move at the upper edge. For a moment she was just grazing the surface, but then with a titanic effort, she made the lasso noose around her waist to help her. Following the mental order, noose pushed its mistress and immediately loosened.
Marv grabbed already falling dispenser’s ledge trying to pull herself up. She knew it was too late, feeling her hind legs being squeezed by the cube’s weight. And at that very moment, Fili-Second appeared as out of nowhere, grabbed her and pulled away. Just for them both to hear the loud crash of dispenser smashing the clear deck surface.
Agitated, Question Mare turned to other four Power Ponies. They already were in front of her deckhouse, Zapp already high enough to attack. Others ready to scale the deckhouse using their powers. And automatons who chased them were too far behind. There was a second of panic in Riddle’s eyes, but then she remembered about rotor controls.
"Now you’ve run to your doom!" exclaimed Question Mare, turning the altitude rotors into reverse.
The wind changed, sucking everything on deck right into propeller on the mast. Zapp didn’t react fast enough and barely escaped the blades. Her shielding from the wind disappeared and Matter-Horn with Radiance were torn from the deck too. Luckily Radiance caught Horn with the net construct and then got a hold on rigging by other.
Only Saddle Rager due to her weight was able to stay on deck. She jumped forward and in a moment landed right on the top of the deck-house. Hulky pony dashed straight to the Riddle’s forcefield. She was already raising her hooves to smash the dome with all her strength, but the food dispenser, now totally free from Marv’s lasso, flipped into her way. This machine, apparently able to move very fast through some levitation amulet inside, and was stronger than several serving automatons combined. Even Saddle couldn’t stand on her hooves and made a roll to the side after such a powerful blow.
But it wasn’t over yet. Saddle flipped and got a grip on the deck before flying far enough to fall overboard. And with all her rage she jumped at food machine, kicking it right into Riddle’s force field. Now Riddle heard the loudest crackle of her forcefield, signifying protection sphere breakdown. Though the spell was still holding, as dispenser cube didn’t go through. It bounced off the dome up into the rotor… And stuck between the blades!
With hindrance, rotor slowed and Mistress Mare-velous, who was holding starboard railings this entire time, managed to throw her lasso with her teeth. The noose of the lasso caught one of the blades and the other end tied itself to the rigging at Marv’s mental command. The wind subsided and Matter-Horn with Radiance was able to get down on the bridge. They were a few meters away from the villainess, but her pegasus automatons finally caught up and were already encircling them.
"Ha! You almost got me," smirked Question Mare. "But--”
She was not able to finish, as the food dispenser that was stuck between the rotor blades had unstuck and fell right on her force dome. That was the last blow to deplete the magic barrier and with a loud clatter, the protective sphere broke. Riddle barely managed to jump out of the way.
"Now you…" she started, but something flew from behind and hit her.
Mare fell unconscious.
"And you talk too much," finished Mistress Mare-velous, catching her returning hoofarang.
Then Marv wearily looked around for attacking automatons. Following the last command they attacked, but this time their movements were totally uncoordinated. Radiance with her mace construct repelled golden pegasi diving at her with ease. And Matter-Horn had hit three targets in a row with her freeze beam.
“Now it’s just too easy!” regretted Zapp, after dodging another lunge in the air and frying her attacker with a thunderbolt.
The rest half-a-dozen automatons moved slower with every second and eventually stopped, standing in different poses like golden statues they were at first.
“A-and that’s a wrap,” declared Matter-Horn, while producing a light stream of sleeping gas directed into Riddle’s face.
Radiance created a construct cage right around a sleeping villain.
"Good job Power Ponies!" proclaimed Masked Matter-Horn. "Another villain defeated, many innocent pones saved.
Suddenly a hatch on the deck opened with a loud squeak. Everypony turned around and saw no other than Humdrum.
"E-e-eh.." he said with a sleepy voice, rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing here?
"What? We? What are youdoing here?!
"What? Have you forgotten about the invitation you got a week ago? You know, the maiden voyage of the most advanced and luxurious airship. You decided to decline but allowed me to go instead. I just got here early and had some shut-eye in the VIP stateroom." Humdrum looked around. "Wait! Has the party already begun? Have I missed it? Why are you laughing?!”