//------------------------------// // The Night // Story: Courage Unknown // by jillswift //------------------------------// "There is news." Luna announced as she entered the room where the Elements and Spike sat with Equestria's military leadership. A tense, silent attention befell all, save Pinkie Pie, who sort of wiggled where she stood with an expectant smile. "My sister, along with three capital airships, now harries the enemy. The creature seems highly resistant to our magic." The commanding generals each had a disappointed grunt or half-spoken curse for that news. If Celestia could not kill the beast, what chance did their cannons and guns have? "The griffins have dispatched their own airships to defend New Gryphonton. I have granted their airships permission to come into Equestrian territory." "So, what're we waitin' on?" Applejack asked. "The perfect scenario." General of the Air Forces of Equestria, Blewe Welkin, said. "Well, near as perfect as we can allow." The bright blue pegasus stepped up to the large map of Equestria and surrounding territories, pointing to the area the creature was currently in. "This range of mountains here is the key. It provides two things I and the Princesses insist you have. The first is this ridge here - we could not have planned a better place for you to use the Elements. It overlooks a wide plain, her highness Celestia and our airships are driving the creature there now. "Secondly, these mountains are a maze of valleys and gorges where we can get you all out and hide you if things go pear-shaped." "Hiding? I'm not a hider!" Rainbow announced with a lot of bravado. "You will be if we say so." The olive colored unicorn - General of the Army of Equestria, Scutum Terra - warned. "I know you're ready for this, Rainbow Dash. Your reputation and what you have already done for Equestria is hardly unknown here. That goes for all of you - including you, young master dragon." Spike was surprised, but not so much he couldn't look very pleased with himself. "But please keep in mind, you are not expendable. You must live. We don't know what it will take to kill or drive that thing out of Equestria, but we are utterly bucking certain that we have no hope at all without the Elements. Got it?" The general's gaze was squarely on Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy let loose a quiet whimper. Rarity swallowed, her perfectly kempt facade showing a brief crack. There was a quick, but rather brutal, internal conflict for Dash between that part of her that was all bombastic piss and vinegar and that bit that knew the gravity of this situation and her responsibility to it. "General, " Dash finally said, a steady confidence in her voice that no one had heard from her before. "I will make sure that I and my best friends stay alive." She looked at each of her friends, feeling her words as truth within her heart. She gave Fluttershy an extra smile and a hoof on her shoulder. The General smiled, truly pleased. "Good. Excellent. I think we're ready then. Princess Luna?" "We depart in fifteen minutes from the courtyard yonder. Colonel Aegis Hoplite and his squad will be your escorts." She indicated a older, wiry and tough looking earth pony, who in turn nodded his greeting to the group. "C'mon." He said in a gravely voice. "Y'all should fill yer bellies 'n' empty yer bowels. Might be kind of a long campin' trip." The Colonel led the way to a buffet that had been prepared for the Elements and Spike. General Terra stepped up beside Dash as they walked. "Just wanted to let you know, you show real signs of leadership." "Yeah?" Dash said, surprised and a touch proud. "Yeah. I think you'll make a damn fine Air Forces flier one day - probably be a Wonderbolt." Dash had never been told that before by someone who'd actually be involved with her selection process. "You really think so?" "I'm certain - both because I think you'd be one damn valuable flier, but more so because I know you'd be General Welkin's problem." "Hey!" Dash and Welkin said together. The military iron chariots flew low, swerving along the valleys along the planned approach to what the Generals referred to as the "action area". Fluttershy was tucked deep into a corner of the chariot, looking a bit unwell. Dash would go to her now and again and give her an encouraging word or touch, and it seemed to help tremendously. Pinkie Pie was clearly enjoying the ride, her curly mane flapping behind her head as she leaned over the edge a bit to watch the world whiz by a mere few pony strides away. Rarity was enjoying a chipper conversation with Spike, both apparently happy to ignore the situation, for now, and talk like the long time friends they were. Spike, of course, never passing up the opportunity for some attention from Rarity. Applejack and Twilight stood at the rear, watching Luna and her guards peeling away from the main formation, off to reinforce Celestia. "Ah am suddenly feeling very much outa mah element here." Applejack confessed, eying the hoof-blades and light chain mail armor on a bored looking soldier sitting near the front of the chariot. "I know." Twilight said. "This isn't anything like before. Night Mare Moon and Discord were known quantities - they had been defeated by the Elements before. This. I'm a bit extra scared." Applejack shoulder-bumped her lavender friend supportively. "We're all feelin' that - well, 'cept maybe Pinkie." "Ohmigawsh! Ohmigawsh! Ohmigawsh! That's so cool!" Rainbow exclaimed pointing skyward. Twilight and Applejack looked up to see one of Equestria's airships just visible over the mountain peak they were passing behind. It was making a steep-bank turn, her cannons spoke and fire spat out the opposite side of the gondola. Rainbow, Spike and Pinkie oohed and ahhed, utterly caught up in the somewhat juvenile thrill of seeing a warship in action. "We're comin' up on landing!" Colonel Hoplite yelled over the rush of air around them. The friends quickly moved up to the front of the chariot, as they had been instructed to before leaving Canterlot. This was a "military landing" as Twilight had experienced the day before, except in an actual military chariot, with military ponies, in a military situation. It was harder, rougher than the landing she experienced in the Sun Chariot. Everyone but the Colonel and his soldiers were knocked off their hooves. No time for recovery was given. The soldiers - earth ponies all - grabbed the young mares and hauled them off the back with them, some tumbling with their charges as they hit the ground. Spike took advantage of being both bipedal and quadrupedal, scurrying off the back in a far more dignified manner. "Oh! That was totally undignified." Rarity exclaimed as she picked herself up. "I agree, ma'am." The soldier who had hauled her off the back said as he stood up. "Not a lot of choice, though. Sorry." "Let's keep it movin'!" Hoplite barked as the chariots took back to the air behind him. "No need to apologize." Rarity continued as they all started walking. "You were doing your job - commendably, I might add. It's simply that this is very much not what I do. You've probably walked off the back of one of those contraptions hundreds of times looking perfectly dignified while doing so." The soldier blushed and smiled at Rarity. Twilight smiled, Rarity had a talent for making people feel better about themselves. The climb was steep, and the unprepared mares had to keep asking for a rest. Spike was well within his element, on the other hand, and had to be rained in several times to keep from getting ahead of the group. Hoplite was mildly annoyed by the pauses - though he had expected it and had made allowance for it in the time schedule. Instead of letting the annoyance get to him, he decided to just accept the slow pace and make like this was a pleasure hike. It had been a while since he stopped to smell the alfalfa anyway. Fluttershy took a long drink of water, re-considering that offer from Rainbow Dash to get in some regular morning exercise with her. "Cool! Another one!" Spike called out, pointing up at an airship. It was much closer than the previous one. When its cannons spoke, the sound was startling and loud. "The thing must be close." One of the soldier commented. "Yeah. Dammit, it's moving faster than we thought." Hoplite snarled. "Break's over. We gotta get t' the top o' the ridge toot-sweet!" No one hesitated, despite aching hooves and tired muscles. Hoplite set a faster pace this time. The airship began making a turn that would take it back toward the plain, firing continuously as it turned. They crested the ridge, and the Elements - and even some of the soldiers - gasped collectively. They could see now there were two airships orbiting the plain, staying roughly equidistant. The flashes from their guns were nearly continuous. In the distance, the frame of another airship was on the ground, burning. The creature, however, quickly had their full attention. It was nothing more than a dark shadow in the middle of a maelstrom of exploding shells and a swirling wind it seemed to generate around itself. "Lock 'n' load, ladies." The colonel spoke sternly. "Won't be long now." Twilight removed a bejeweled box from her packs, and opened it to reveal the jewelry that comprised the Elements of Harmony. The bearers quickly retrieved their part and went to stand at the edge of the ridge. The airship above them reached the apex of its turn, almost overhead. "Don't let nerves make y' go too soon, hear?" The colonel said, shouting over the reports of the airship cannons. "It's unlikely it even knows we're here. We blend in t' the underbrush pretty good." Twilight nodded, not taking her eyes off the creature's silhouette. There was a bright flash from behind the creature. It grew into a wide, golden curtain in the air, traveling quickly toward the creature. "Celestia!" Twilight cried out with excitement. The spell struck the creature, which was violently thrown to the ground where it skidded toward their ridge. It took a moment for the bone-rattling thunderclap to reach the ponies. Another bright light appeared in the sky, silvery and looking like the moon was up early. It was almost peaceful for a split second - the sphere seemed to focus on the creature before becoming a shaft of light. Everywhere the shaft touched the creature, there was fire and force enough to shove it back down as it tried to recover its footing. Luna kept the creature pinned for almost a minute before her spell finally faded. "Never been so glad they're on our side." Rainbow commented. The creature was able to stand again now that the goddesses' assault had paused. It stopped and lifted several large stones - well, probably boulders - and launched them into the air. "Hmph." The colonel snorted derisively. "Pointless. Our sovereigns are far too fast. It'll never hi..." Pinkie Pie drew an almost comical gasp. "Twitcha-twitch! Twitcha-twitch!" "Scatter!" Rainbow shouted, taking to the air. The Elements didn't need to be told, they were already abandoning the ridge. "Where the hay are you chicken-crappers goin'!?" Hoplite was enraged. "It's almost here!" "Run! Get off the ridge!" Twilight called over her shoulder. "Pinkie has a sixth sense!" The boulder slammed into the ridge. Luna passed her most powerful assaulting spell over the creatures legs, knocking it over again. The creature's durability was astonishing. She had used that spell before to level - eradicate, really - whole fortresses. We are past the intended goal, dear sister. Why have they not used the Elements? Luna asked. I don't know, but I felt Twilight's fear. I fear something has gone wrong. Was the reply. If you can keep the creature down, I will check on them. Luna's answer came in the form of a sustained attack on the creature. Cloudy Dawn was not comfortable. He knew if he let himself become comfortable in the least, he'd join the elder wizards in the room in slumber. So he sprawled his front over the corner of the table so it dug into his ribs, rear hooves standing on the floor, head drooped over the mass of notes and ideas they had generated in the past long hours. This problem was unique. Any magic spell you cared describe was a matter of putting energy into a system - from the simplest levitation to the most arcane counter-spell. Energy either created an effect or broke the system making the effect. But this system could absorb and use any amount of energy they cared to throw at it, in any way one cared to throw energy at it. Raik had been utterly certain that the one and only way to close a portal was to starve it of magical energy. Neither Cloudy nor his professor had suspected that the portal could be fed energy from some other source than the ley-center. But that was precisely what was happening now. Some other source of magic was sustaining the portal. He reached a tired hoof over and dragged some notes closer. Sparkle's ideas about the structure of the spell-work were hard for him to understand. Her notations were very concise, and her handwriting was almost ridiculously clear, and she was such a lovely shade of lavender... Cloudy shook his head to re-focus. Her equations seemed oddly self-referential. He'd never seen that in spell-work before. Spells were always more like pipelines, from magical source out to intended effect. He magicked over another scroll, this one had his professor's theoretics on the portal's structure. His familiarity with the portal theory meant a mere glance before letting the scroll drop onto the mess of papers on the table. Cloudy sighed. He felt so close to the solution. Perhaps he was just that tired. He randomly wriggled papers with his hoof as his tired brain wandered. The princesses were fighting a leviathan, soldiers risked their lives. Six beautiful young mares braved a monster, all for Equestria. All he had to do was turn off one spell. One stupid pipeline of energy. Well, one symmetrical pipeline. One cross-universal symmetrical pipeline. ... one self-referential ... cross-universal ... symmetrical ... "Oh buck! Twilight Sparkle, you are a genius!" The young unicorn shouted, standing suddenly and startling the others awake. "Back on the ridge! Back on the ridge! Princess Luna is holding it down!" Rainbow shouted as she flew toward their 'action area'. Twilight and Applejack struggled as the loose stone and pea gravel slid under their hooves. Pinkie appeared at the top of the ridge, looking very uncharacteristically down. She offered a hoof up to her friends once they reached the edge. It was immediately obvious why Pinkie could not be her chipper self. Two soldier ponies attended a third, who breathed laboriously. His flanks looked flattened, and his belly was wrapped tightly with field dressings soaked crimson. Another soldier lay perfectly still nearby, and Spike was busy spreading a poncho over his head. There was no sign of the colonel. Twilight's mind demanded order, and so imposed it. As much as she wanted to tend the soldiers and ease suffering, there was one task that clearly had priority. "Get ready." She said softly, but with authority. Fluttershy stood beside her, her eyes awash in tears. "W... we have to stop this." The six faced the monster on the plains as it writhed and struggled to rise under Luna's attack. "Makes ya wonder why there's no element of courage, dunnit?" Applejack said to no one in particular. Twilight felt her friends around her, felt the readiness to face this. The spark came easily, each of the elements taking on a glow representing its individual power. They quickly supported one another, raising each bearer into the air. Twilight felt that warm feeling of deep connectedness. The colorful, life-affirming magic leaped out. The monster was completely engulfed - the torrent and vortex around it faded quickly. Clear sun reached through the sky to illuminate the plain clearly for the first time since its arrival. The six bearers settled back to the ground, feeling that funny but pleasant weariness they had come to associate with using the Elements. "Well done, girls!" A familiar voice sang from above them. Celestia landed beside the group, smiling at them. Fluttershy's shrill scream of abject terror turned their skins cold. Cloudy was frustrated and tired. The crater where the research center had been was covered in ponies, who were in turn covering the crater with arcane symbols. Each pony had a scroll to work from, and Cloudy was running about checking on the accuracy of the work. Thank Celestia all of them were graduates of more-than-basic magic training, so there wasn't a lot to correct, but each correction cost time. This was already going to take far more time than he wanted it to. He had taken so long to find a possible solution. Now it would take even more time to see if the solution worked. What was this costing? The creature brought the boulder down again. The blue-hued magic shield shattered under its blow, only to be stopped by the lavender-hued protective bubble. Rarity re-cast her shield spell again, looking almost spent. Every erg of energy her spells could absorb was that much more time Twilight's spell would hold. She redoubled her efforts. Pinkie Pie and Applejack struggled with Fluttershy. She lay between them, muttering a rejection of what she had seen, trying hard to hoof at her eyes. The creatures shrieks were deafening, and the bell-ring of the strikes against the bubble were worse. It stopped its attack, letting the boulder drop on the bearers again. It reached past their protected space and plucked something from the forest. The solder screamed, repeatedly slamming his foreleg hoof-blades into the twisted hand that held him. His screams of fear turned to terror, and the writhing mass of villi silenced him. Again Rarity's shield shattered. Again Twilight's protected the friends. "What so we do?" Rainbow's voice was barely controlled panic. "Clo... close to me." Twilight's voice was soft and low, she looked utterly exhausted. "What she say?" Applejack asked. Pinkie was already trying to drag Fluttershy over to Twilight. "She wants us close, she said!" The friends cuddled in close to one another. Twilight's protective bubble shrank to encompass only what it had to, and intensified. A golden curtain flowed over them, seeking the creature. "I love you guys." Rainbow whispered. Blinding light. Cacophony. Everypony had been cleared from the crater area, save for Cloudy. There hadn't been time to set up the wards that made tapping the ley-center a relatively safe act, so everyone had to be away. He took a moment to gather his wits and his strength. The nap he had gotten on the chariot ride to the crater had been welcome, but was hardly sufficient. He was exhausted, and feeling a bit dopey. Yet he was going to cast a spell so unstable and unpredictable that it had even gotten away from a goddess. He sniffled and shook his head. "Oh, nuts to it all. What could go wrong?" Twilight lay unconscious next to her friend Fluttershy. The two were unable to be aware that they were now in a thicket of trees, in a well hidden place chosen by Rainbow Dash. Dash and Applejack huddled close to them, keeping low but watchful. Pinkie Pie stroked the manes of Twilight and Fluttershy. A spent Rarity numbly enjoyed the attentions of a small purple dragon, who carefully dabbed at the variety of small cuts along her neck and chest. "Why the hay didn't it work?" Rainbow finally felt safe enough to whisper her question. "Ah dunno." Applejack admitted. "Rarity?" Dash looked at the white unicorn hopefully. "I am so sorry, sweetheart." Rarity said slowly. "I graduated basic magic school like most unicorns, but it has never been my forte." Rainbow snorted with frustration. The only one who might be able to answer had dropped from enervation after spelling Fluttershy asleep. "I think it did work." Pinkie offered. "What?" Rainbow was gob-smacked. "If you recall, Pinkie, the score is monster one, elements nothing!" "Really, Dashie." Pinkie said, tilting her head at Dash. "The storm went away and the sun came out. Harmony was restored, just like before." "But..." Applejack tried to protest. "It's eldritch!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I think it can't be in harmony with us. Ever." Everyone who could, stared with bemusement at a smiling Pinkie Pie. Arcane symbols glowed brightly with the power of the ley-center. A small pony stood at the edge of this vast field of magical guides and circuits, sopping with perspiration, face scrunched in concentration. He could feel the portal in his mind, the spell reached out to it and touched it gently. There was an intermingling of intent and reality, and the spell released its primary charge, leaving the slightest twist in the structure of the portal. Cloudy let the flow of energy from the ley-center ebb. The magical fields around him faded quickly. He opened his eyes and looked up. The flickering orange-red light was gone. His horn glowed as he reached out with his magic to have a better look. He frowned. There was still something there. It wasn't a portal, though. It was hard to get a sense of. Like a tendril rooted where the portal was, spreading out to the strange perversions of reality around the crater base, reaching out to the last place he knew the creature to be... "Oh." Cloudy said to himself. "Extrusion." Celestia and Luna watched the creature shamble across the plain from atop a nearby peak. The airships retreated, one smoking from an engine after being battered with a tree. It was time to re-think strategy. The current one was far too costly in terms of precious lives. This creature seemed utterly invulnerable. It absorbed destructive spells easily, with the only effect requiring nothing but standing back up. It passed over wards and protective circles as if they weren't even there. For all that, it didn't seem to be able to use magic itself. It's most destructive act involved throwing large rocks. The swirling storm around it seemed to be a function of its villi surrounded mouths. It was consuming trees, homes, grass, and even ponies essentially by sucking them up. "A physical trap, then?" Luna suggested. "Construct a pit, leagues deep. Herd the foul thing to fall within." "I don't think we know enough." Celestia sighed. "Any decision we make now will have consequences we can not predict." Luna stomped her hoof in frustration, glaring at the silhouette of the abomination. "We can not just herd it around the plains! It would be an eternal task." Both princesses sat for a moment, finding themselves at a loss. Then the monster fell, as it its leash had been yanked. "What in the nine skies?" Celestia asked. It dug its hooves and claws into the ground, but the tug was relentless. It simply made deep furrows as it was dragged. Luna rared up and cried out "Huzzah!" "What?" Celestia looked at her sister with raised eyebrows. "I believe we have been saved by one of our dear young and very bright ponies!" "Oh no." Cloudy Dawn saw the storm approaching. It moved at the same rate the extruded tendril retracted. He knew the creature would be at the end of it. He could not make himself move. A combination of fear and exhaustion both physical and mental rooted him in place. The creature came into sight, clawing at the ground and clutching at every outcrop and tree. At the crater's edge, it flew toward the center, and all movement stopped. Cloudy tried not to look at it, but could not turn completely away. A stillness fell around him as the creature stooped generating the storm. Its limbs flailed uselessly in the air for a moment, then it shuddered and hung still. For a moment that to Cloudy was an eternity, he could only make out the sound of his heavy, ragged breath. It shuddered again, seeming to draw itself into a ball. The ball seemed to be crushed, as if in a truly huge hand. The creature let out a shriek. Smaller and smaller the ball became, louder and louder the creature's shrieks of pain. There was a pop. the contents of the creature's - well, stomach one supposes - fell to the ground as the creature itself was finally expelled from the universe. Cloud looked at the pile at the crater's bottom. All manner of detritus made up the pile, recognizable bits of pony houses, trees whole and part, bodies upon bodies of unicorns, pegasuses, earth ponies... Cloudy retched.