The days that followed the opening of Tristan’s store flew by. It seemed Fancy Pants held even more sway than Tristan could have ever hoped for, and soon The Golden Elixir was selling out of potions as quickly as Tristan and Shauku could produce them. Before long, Tristan had amassed enough money to upgrade his furnishings and buy some things for Shauku.
Shauku was getting along well and, though he fell into melancholy from time to time when he thought of his home and family, he seemed to be slowly coming to terms with things. Further, he was proving to be a valuable asset to the shop, showing what Tristan thought was a surprising work ethic for one so young.
The one thing in Tristan’s life that wasn’t flourishing was his social life. The dedication required to run a store, as well as the associated fatigue, kept him from getting out very much. Though he still spoke to Lore frequently, and even had a few more outings with Nightingale, he found himself spending most of the free time he had alone, reading. However, he did have at least some social life, and so he was happy.
This lifestyle continued for almost a full month, before the atmosphere in Canterlot began to change. What began as rumors were quickly confirmed to be true, as large organized groups of rift spawn began attacking small settlements along Equestria’s borders. Survivors from such attacks were few, but all spoke of terrible massacres. Every time Equestria responded to a threat the attackers had already dispersed, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.
Though Tristan attempted to speak to Lore about these things he could never get a straight answer, as Lore consistently told him that the events happening didn’t concern him; but there were plans in the making for a defense. Any attempts to contact Krik were in vain, as the formian was always away from the castle for some reason when Tristan stopped by.
Eventually Tristan decided it was best to simply let such worries be dealt with by those who made it their business to do so, opting to distract himself with his work instead. Large orders from the Equestrian military for potions which could be used in combat began pouring in, considering that the main supply line from Zebrica was decimated, and so he never found himself without something to do. Still, the conflict troubled him, and the increasing frequency of attacks worried him more and more each day.
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Tristan walked out of his store for his lunch break, shooing out a few stragglers from inside that didn’t want to leave. He’d recently taken to going to the same sandwich shop at the heart of the market every day, and had become somewhat of a regular there. Humming himself an idle tune, he made his way through the crowds.
Most of the crowd ignored him, having long since come to accept, or at least tolerate, his existence in the city. A few ponies he recognized as having been to his shop waved to him, and he returned the gestures. However, some ponies made an effort to avoid him on the street and shot him glares of unmistakable anger or dislike. Tristan had been encountering those types more and more frequently as of late, though none of them had ever approached him. He didn’t let them bother him, though, and paid them little heed.
Eventually Tristan found his way to his destination and bought his meal, slowly savoring it outside the shop. As he leisurely chewed his sandwich he mused upon how much his outlook had changed in recent weeks, as he spread his roots in a new life. While he still missed his old one, things weren’t too bad for him. Nearby, a small colt was yelling something and handing out fliers, but he hardly even noticed.
The wind suddenly picked up and the stack of fliers near the colt was caught in the wind, blowing everywhere. Amid the distressed cries of the colt a flier made its way over to Tristan, twisting in the current of the breeze around his head and landing beside him. Tristan idly reached down to pick it up, and was distraught by what it read.
“EMERGENCY EVACUATION CONTINGENCY PLAN” written in all capital letters on its front, with guidelines listing down the page. His sandwich forgotten, Tristan intently read the print, which stated that plans had been made in case of an attack directly on Canterlot.
But...they shouldn’t be this far into Equestria, should they? No, this has got to be just some backup in the case of a worst case scenario...right? There’s no way Canterlot would fall, anyway. What with the princesses, guards, and magic that they’ve got here, those walls in Zebrica were nothing in comparison. But still…
Tristan finished the document, which assigned different sections of town meeting areas and detailed the plans to use old mine tunnels within the mountain itself to escape if worst came to worst, and began to make his way back to his shop. As he walked the wind picked up once more, however, and blew the flier from his inattentive grasp.
After unsuccessfully attempting to snatch it back up before it got away, Tristan found himself chasing the flier down the street. Time and time again the paper evaded his grasp. Each time he was about to get to it the wind blew it farther, or it temporarily stuck to a cart, or it was juggled between the throngs of ponies on the streets. He finally caught up to it on a side street and snatched the tattered document in his hand, panting from his short exertion.
Should have just gotten a new one, damn thing. I’ve gotta know where to go just in case the city gets attacked, and Shauku will want to look this over too...wait, where am I?
Tristan looked around, finding that his chase had led him quite a bit astray from his usual path. He didn’t recognize the part of the city he was in, and he noticed that while he could still hear the crowds on the main street, he couldn’t see any of them. The area directly around him looked to be deserted. Slightly uncomfortable with his situation, Tristan began to make his way back to the main street to find his bearings.
However, before he had made a scant two steps, he heard a voice yelling in his direction. Not catching the words, he slowly turned around, to see a rather large stallion charging straight at him. Eyes suddenly widening, Tristan cried out in surprise and began to run the opposite direction, but was overcome before he could even begin to escape. The mass of the stallion handily bowled him over and he hit the pavement heavily.
“You!” the stallion roared powerfully.
“Shit, who the Hell are you?” Tristan yelled back, turning over from his face down position to face his attacker. “What is wrong with you?”
“Quiet!” the stallion yelled back, snorting in Tristan’s face. “My name doesn’t matter, but what does is her’s!”
This guy is insane! Who the Hell is “her”? If I can just get free, or get some help…how hasn’t anyone heard this yet?
Tristan attempted to scream out for assistance, but seeing him draw in the air for it, the stallion roughly struck Tristan across the face. The hoof felt like a brick and his vision blurred. Shocked by the blow, Tristan was temporarily cowed, and he began to taste copper.
“Meadow Song! Do you know the name?” the stallion asked forcefully. Tristan was still dazed and didn’t reply, to which his attacker stomped on his gut. “Answer me!”
“N-no!” Tristan sputtered out, his fear scattering his thoughts.
The stallion stood glaring at him for a moment, before softening his gaze. “She was beautiful,” he said in a suddenly calmer tone of voice. “Most beautiful mare I’d ever seen. And she was mine,” he continued, his voice becoming somewhat dreamy for a moment. “But now she’s gone! Gone because of the likes of you!” he shouted again, his anger returning as swiftly as it faded.
“Look, I didn’t do anything! Just let me go!” Tristan said, not feeling up to being particularly diplomatic.
“Let you go? Let you go?” the stallion said forcefully. “So you can go back to living your happy little life here, while she’s dead? You don’t belong in this world, monster!” he finished, striking Tristan’s face again. A resounding crack accompanied the blow and pain blossomed from Tristan’s nose, as blood began to run freely from it.
Before the beating could continue the now heavily dazed Tristan heard a second voice, this one of a mare. “What are you doing to him?” the mare cried out.
“You stay out of this!” the stallion roared, taking the opportunity to stomp on Tristan’s left hand, from which more cracks could be heard. Tristan yelled out in pain, unable to defend himself with his attacker pinning him down.
“You let him go!” the mare said forcefully. “What did he ever do to you?”
“Are you blind? Look at him!” the stallion snarled. “He’s a rift spawn! Haven’t you seen what they’ve been doing? They’re all monsters!”
Tristan heard several more sets of hooves drawn to the attention, and more ponies gathered around the display. Many told the stallion to get off Tristan, though he vaguely heard a few egging his attacker on. The stallion roared once more in rage and began to repeatedly stomp on Tristan, knocking out what little breath he had with each blow. Before the onslaught could continue several ponies burst from those that surrounded the fight and knocked the stallion clean off of Tristan.
His thoughts a blur, Tristan lay upon the ground, soaking in his own blood. He could vaguely process the stallion bellowing out something non-coherently, and saw the shapes of ponies crowding around him. One hefted him on top of it and began to move him from the area, and though Tristan knew he should have been feeling a lot of pain, shock had taken over and given him numbness instead.
He was loaded onto a cart and wheeled off. As he turned his head from side to side he saw sympathetic eyes all around, and attempted to speak. Doing so caused the pain to spike again, however, and he ceased his efforts. Before long he was at the hospital, and after an indistinct prick on his arm, he lost consciousness.
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Tristan groggily awoke, finding the back of his throat to be extraordinarily dry. He attempted to breathe but found his nostrils plugged by something, and instead opted to use his mouth. As the world slowly came into focus around him he noticed himself in a bed, fully clothed, back at the hospital. He dryly noted that this was becoming far too familiar a scene for him. Luckily, he wasn’t nearly as injured as the previous times he’d been hospitalized, as evidenced by nothing but a cast on his arm, some bandages, and whatever they did to his nose. Further, he felt very little pain, and his thoughts were reasonably clear.
Before long an earth pony nurse with a light green coat made her way in to check on him. “Finally awake, are we?” she said chipperly, as she proceeded to examine his bandaging.
“Yeah,” Tristan said, noting how nasally his voice sounded with his clogged nostrils. “What’s the damage?”
”What’s the damage”...I get my ass kicked, I get hospitalized again...and I’m this calm? Huh. I can’t believe how used to this scene I’ve gotten. I suppose that’s just what comes with having been an adventurer for a while…no point in making a big deal about everything.
“Nothing too bad, just a broken hand and nose. You’ll need to stop by for treatment daily for about half a week, but after that you should be right as rain!” the nurse said, apparently satisfied with her examination. “You should be fine to check out whenever you’d like.”
“Thanks. But now that that’s done with, could you tell me what the Hell happened back there? Who was that stallion?” Tristan asked, testing his legs in the bed and finding them unharmed.
“O-oh, right. Just let me go get your file,” the nurse replied, apparently taken aback by the direct questioning. She left the room, and Tristan was left with his thoughts.
I mean, really, I get out of the adventuring life, I settle down peacefully, and I don’t do anything to make enemies. So why am I still getting into situations like these? Gettin’ real tired of this crap…
The nurse returned, a crisp manilla folder held in her mouth. She opened it up and read through it before speaking. “We weren’t told who the stallion was that attacked you, but the ponies that brought you in here said they found you being assaulted by him. Other than that there’s just the medical report.”
Well that explained nothing…
“Right. Thanks. Was he at least arrested or something?” Tristan asked, to which the mare just shrugged. “Well, thanks for your help. You said I’m good to go, then? What about my nose?” he asked, gingerly probing his nostrils with a finger to find something malleable lodged in them.
“Yes, you can leave whenever you’d like, but you should take things easy. The doctors put some sponges in your nostrils, so that the cartilage would set correctly around them.
“But I don’t need any meds or anything? I just go about my life as if nothing happened?” Tristan asked.
“No, we’re quite good at what we do, I promise you!” the mare said. “You’re right on the road to recovery, just take it easy for a few days. Come back and see us tomorrow.”
“Well, you’re the boss…” Tristan said, hoisting his legs over the side of the bed and steadying himself into a standing position. He cracked his back, noticing only a vague numbness from his injuries.
“You don’t have to go just yet! You could still use some rest after all of that!” the nurse said, motioning him to sit back down.
“But I don’t have to stay, right?” Tristan asked, to which the nurse shook her head. “Then, no offense to the lovely food here, but I’m out. I’ve had enough damn hospital time…”
With that Tristan walked right past the mare and made his way out of the hospital. He didn’t even care about the strange looks he was getting from patients and staff alike, and merely grunted as the receptionist at the front asked him if he was alright. He staggered out into the city proper, finding it to be close to dusk already. Muttering to himself about how crazy ponies were, he found his way back home.
At his shop he found Shauku waiting for him. “Tristan!” the colt shouted, bounding from the counter to him. “I heard about what happened!”
“Yeah, well, I’ve had worse…” Tristan muttered, noting that more than anything, he was just cranky right now. “You hear about that whole evacuation thing?”
“Yeah…” Shauku said sadly. “But it’s not going to really happen, is it? Not here!” he asked hopefully.
“I doubt it will. Better safe than sorry though, right?” Tristan responded, snatching a restorative potion from a shelf and downing it in one gulp. A warmth spread through his body and he felt a little better instantly. “Hey, I’m going to get an early night, alright? Think you can close stuff up?”
“Yes, sir!” Shauku said in his most serious voice. Tristan found himself chuckling slightly, and wished Shauku goodnight before making his way upstairs and plopping onto his bed.
All things considered, I guess I should have seen that crap coming. It was too much to think they’d all be fine with me staying here after such a short time...but that doesn’t mean I have to let that happen again! From now on, I’m keeping some potions on me. Maybe if I’ve got some liquid that causes temporary blindness with me ponies won’t mess with me. Yeah...I can see that working…
Tristan fell asleep entertaining himself with thoughts of the stallion from earlier ramming senselessly into walls. He thought it odd that he was as accepting of what had happened as he was, but figured it was really for the best. He knew anger would get him nowhere.
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The next week began terribly, and ended worse. Mixing potions turned out to be a terrible pain with limited use of his hands, so work turned into a chore. Further, he was told that somehow the stallion that assaulted him “got away” and they couldn’t find him. The anger he felt at the injustice was diluted by the feeling that he should have been prepared in the first place, and he eventually came to terms with his attacker getting away.
Three days into the week, as soon as Tristan got his cast removed, the worst came to be. The bulk of the army of rift spawn were inexplicably on Canterlot’s doorstep overnight, with only a meager warning from scattered scouts. Luckily, Canterlot’s defenses were easily erected, as a large team of unicorns were set to shielding the entire city day and night. Panic spread quickly but was somewhat dissipated by the fact that the rift spawn weren’t actually doing anything.
Instead, the entire army seemed content to just sit outside of the city. Supply lines of mobile spawn kept the army fed, and so they just sat there. What began as a mood of outright terror quickly turned to complacency, as ponies grew more and more confident that they were safe inside their shield. Other than the inability to leave and the subtle gnawing feeling that the worst was yet to come, life proceeded as it always had. However, food was not unlimited, and many ponies feared for their families that lived elsewhere.
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One week to the day after the rift spawn had originally come to the city, Tristan began hearing mutters in his shop. Ponies were speaking in hushed voices about something that everypony apparently thought to be a secret, but everypony apparently knew anyway. Something was going to happen that day, but none seemed to know exactly what. Tristan didn’t bother any of his customers about the issue, but he overheard enough to get the gist of it. A sense of malaise crept over him as the day continued, though he tried to not let it show.
That evening he decided to close early, as the business he was getting had dried up almost completely throughout the day. Ponies everywhere were bracing for something, and the air was positively electric. As Tristan walked into the street he saw few ponies outdoors, and those that were tended to be intent on hurrying to their destinations. All of this was getting to Tristan, so he decided to go pay Noble a visit and see if he knew what was going on.
Though the sun was still high overhead, only just beginning its slow descent, his walk was completely unhindered by ponies. He wondered if they all knew something he didn’t, or if they were all just getting spooked by others who were getting spooked at nothing, and a chain reaction had happened. Indeed, none of the ponies he attempted to ask about what was going on even answered him, all electing to ignore him and hurry along their way. Before long he made it to the castle.
Unlike the rest of the city, the castle was the same as it ever was. The guards were as stone-faced as ever, and none of the patrols showed any perturbation at the strange mood that permeated the city. Tristan asked one of the guards where he might find Noble, and he was given directions to his friend’s current post within the castle. He thanked the nameless guard that assisted him, but the guard didn’t respond.
After a short walk through the castle Tristan finally saw Noble standing guard at a heavily fortified door that Tristan had noticed several times but never inquired about. At seeing Tristan, Noble raised a single eyebrow, but otherwise didn’t show that he noticed his visitor.
“Hey, Noble? Sorry to bother you, but I thought you might be the best pony I could go to right now...Lore hasn’t been very helpful lately. Can we talk for a moment?” Tristan broached, while Noble stood as still as every other on-duty guard Tristan had passed on his way. At the lack of response, Tristan tried again. “Seriously, something’s happening, but I don’t know what it is, and it’s making me worried. Can you just talk to me for a moment?”
Noble gave an almost imperceptible sigh and finally responded. “I’m on duty, Tristan. You’re free to wait around until I’m off, which will be soon, but please do not disturb me right now,” he said in a low voice, while keeping his face as stoic as possible.
“Sure, I can do that. Thanks,” Tristan said in a similarly low voice, though he didn’t know why he was speaking so softly. He then proceeded to lean himself against the wall opposite Noble, who was back to being a veritable statue.
I can’t decide whether I respect the guards for that stoic stuff, or if it’s just annoying...then again, Noble never was much of one for goofing off in the first place. I bet Keen used to have an absolutely fantastic time with that duty...no wonder he was so happy to take on that assignment with us. Poor guy…
After what seemed like hours, but was almost certainly much less, another guard came by and relieved Noble from his post. “Trot with me,” Noble said casually as he turned down the hallway they were in, not even looking at Tristan. Tristan hurried to comply and walked by Noble’s side.
“So what is it that you want, exactly?” Noble asked bluntly, as he led them through the castle.
“I just want to know what’s going on. Lore’s been stonewalling me all month, but I know something’s up. Everyone knows something’s up, more than just the army out there. Is the shield going to break soon or something?” Tristan asked.
They reached a remote dead end of a hallway and stopped, as Noble turned to Tristan. “If I tell you what’s going on, you’re going to have to stick with me today. No leaving me to go blabbering. Understood?” Noble asked.
“Uh...alright? Are you going to go spilling government secrets or something to me?” Tristan asked hesitantly.
“Something like that…” Noble said. “You know about the elements of harmony, right?”
“...Yeah, Lore wouldn’t shut up about them for hours, back when we were first exchanging information. They’re currently held by some random ponies, and Celestia’s protege, right?” Tristan replied, recalling the stories of the return of Nightmare Moon and Discord.
“...Right. They’re here, right now. Tonight they use the elements on the army,” Noble said, after looking around to see if anyone was watching them. “I don’t know what it’ll do, but at this point, it’s the best option we’ve got. If this fails, there’s no way we’ll be able to stop those things. Every one of them fights in a different way, and their numbers keep getting bigger while ours get smaller.”
“So they’re sending in like what, five ponies, to fight off that entire army? Just how powerful are these elements?” Tristan asked skeptically.
“There are six of them, and that’s the thing. We don’t know,” Noble replied somberly. “Nopony quite understands how the elements work. What we do know about them is that they work to restore harmony, and that likely means destroying things that don’t belong here.”
“Destroying things...wait, you mean like me? This stuff isn’t going to end up killing me, is it? Should I be leaving the city or something?” Tristan asked, his mind instantly picturing himself being killed in a huge flash of light, along with all of the other rift spawns.
Noble didn’t reply for a moment. “We don’t know,” he finally said, averting his eyes from Tristan.
“Well what do you mean you don’t know?” Tristan asked, his voice raising in fear. "I need to leave, then!”
“We both know nopony can leave the city right now. Not even through the tunnels, not until that shield is down,” Noble replied. At Tristan’s look of despair he continued. “But there might be some hope for you, if we’re right. You were connected to Equestria’s natural magical field earlier, weren’t you?” Tristan nodded. “Then that might be enough to keep you safe. And remember this is all just theory; the elements have never been used on the spawn before. Too risky. So really, anything could happen.”
Tristan stood there in silence for a moment, scrambled thoughts whirring inside his head. “Then...I guess there’s nothing to it, is there? I just have to say goodbye to everyone in case something happens, and-” he was cut off by Noble.
“No! This is highly restricted information, Tristan. Until the elements have done their job and safely guarded again, ponies aren’t allowed to know what’s going on. We already have enough trouble keeping them safe from the rift spawn, and the last thing we need is for civilians and nutjobs to be getting involved. That’s why I said you’re staying with me until it’s done with tonight,” Noble said with a look that invited no reproach.
“Alright, I get it! But if something happens, you’ve gotta be the one that tells Shauku,” Tristan said. “Little colt, lost all of his family already, being told that his new life is going to be taken from him as well, without even getting to say goodbye…”
“I know!” Noble exclaimed in a much louder voice than normal. “Do you think I want to let that happen? You know as well as I do that it’s out of my control. Don’t make me regret telling you in the first place.”
“Alright, alright, sorry! When is this going to happen, anyway?” Tristan said, somewhat taken aback from the initial outburst.
“Soon. Right now I’m supposed to get Lore and Krik so they can watch what happens.” Noble replied.
“Wait, they were already going to watch? And I wasn’t told? What gives?” Tristan asked, slightly offended.
“They’re both still working on the rift problem constantly. You’re off running a shop. You stopped being involved in the stuff that might be dangerous, remember?” Noble answered.
“Well...good thing I sought you out, then. Should we get going?” Tristan queried, to which Noble just nodded. They set off to a familiar part of the castle: to Krik’s room.
As they neared the door they could hear yelling coming from inside. “...Don’t care if they offered you the chance! It’s a suicide mission! You’re far too important to gamble like that!” Lore’s voice shouted, obviously distressed.
“I cannot stay here and rot while the city gives way,” the voice of Krik replied, almost too quiet to be heard through the door, but still audible. “I am going to do this, and you will not stop me.”
Tristan reached his hand to the doorknob to find out what was going on, but Noble shot him a look and his arm fell limp. Noble rapped sharply at the door, and after a somewhat startled invitation to come in from Lore, they entered.
“So it’s finally time to...Tristan?” Lore said, noticing one more visitor than expected.
“Hey,” Tristan said nonchalantly, giving a small wave.
“Tristan will be joining us tonight. He’s got a stake in this too, so he should be able to come,” Noble said.
“Well that’s just…” Lore began, before sighing. “Alright. Welcome back to our little club, Tristan. I don’t suppose this means you’ll be joining us more frequently?”
“You mean like into forests and crap again? No. But this should be pretty safe, right?” Tristan replied.
“From the spawn at least, yes,” Noble said.
Krik, who had just been looking at Tristan the whole time, spoke up. “It is good to have you along again, Tristan. I trust you have been faring well?” he said in the same strangely pleasant voice as always.
“Uh, yeah. Thanks for asking. And you?” Tristan answered.
“I have been adequate,” Krik said. “Shall we be off then?”
“Yes. This thing is going to happen whether or not we show up, so we can’t be late. Follow me,” Noble replied, setting them off at a brisk pace. As they wound through the castle to the entrance Tristan noticed that there seemed to be fewer guards around than there were not long ago.
Though Tristan still hadn’t heard any official proclamation or seen any instructions posted anywhere, the streets were now completely deserted. He felt strange, walking through the city in broad daylight while the streets lay barren. His thoughts turned momentarily to Shauku and what the colt was doing, but he dismissed them, knowing the zebra would be fine on his own. He noticed some ponies peeking out of the windows of their homes, and was reminded of the scenes in old western movies where everyone hid from an imminent gunfight. His companions didn’t share, or at least didn’t show that they shared, his uneasiness, and instead just walked resolutely forward.
Before long they got to the edge of the city, where the great magical shield that protected the city met the ground. While there were normally small patrols around the circumference of the shield, today it seemed half the guards in the city were posted there. None of the guards accosted the group, and the quartet made their way to the edge unhindered. There they stood waiting in silence.
Would have been nice if they filled me in on how this works beforehand...but no one looks like they’re up to talk about anything. And there’s Krik, not worried at all, while we might just end up dying! I wish I could be a little more confident about this…
Tristan looked uneasily over the giant mass that was the rift spawn army, which stood no more than fifty feet from the barrier. There were so many creatures of so many different sizes out there, from creatures no larger than squirrels to those far bigger than elephants, that the resulting mismatch looked like one teeming blob. There was very little movement from them as they stood there. There were no roars, no fidgeting, no sounds whatsoever. Though some of the monsters looked like they would have been apex predators in their worlds, none of them showed any of the behavior he expected from such creatures. Instead, they were all staring blankly at the shield, as if waiting for something to happen.
Tristan took to idly playing with the hem of his shirt, unable to continue looking at the horde. He wished something would happen, or that someone would speak, but none did. Then, there was movement.
All eyes turned to the sky, and Tristan saw a large chariot being pulled up by several pegasi, moving towards the top of the shield. A vast company of pegasi, at least fifty strong, buzzed around the chariot. Inside Tristan could make out what looked to be six mares of varying colors, five adorned with something upon their necks, and one wearing what seemed to be a crown.
A small hole appeared in the top of the shield to let the convoy through, and soon the entire host was hovering slightly above the shield. Mesmerized by the event, with no idea as to what was about to happen, Tristan’s eyes were locked on to the group. After a short while the mares began to glow, and strange lights bounded from their forms.
They were levitated into the air, hovering above the chariot without using wings, and a light so bright that it hurt Tristan’s eyes even from his distant vantage point encompassed the group. Suddenly, a gigantic rainbow erupted from the mares, shooting high up into the sky and coming crashing down on the army below.
It’s a giant...rainbow? Their secret weapon is a rainbow...a freakin’ rainbow…why am I not surprised?
As the rainbow hit the ground it expanded in an emanation in all directions from where it hit. It expanded through the shield and washed over Tristan, giving him an incredibly strange warm feeling that affected his entire form. Though he knew he very well might die, for some reason Tristan wasn’t afraid of the feeling. Then, even more quickly than it happened, it was over.
For the briefest of moments, nothing happened. Then, chaos ensued. The entire army turned on itself, erupting in a cacophony of every sound imaginable. Many of the great beasts immediately attacked those next to them, and the sounds of death joined the sounds of confusion. Tristan briefly felt elated, as he saw all of the creatures beginning to attack each other, but then he noticed something changing.
It was as if a wave washed over the horde, as the army calmed down, first from those farthest away from the city, and quickly those closest to the city. Then there was silence once more, as all fighting was stopped. This silence was soon broken by a single screech, coming from the direction of the mountain that Canterlot rested upon.
Some winged creature, colored perfectly to match the rock it clung to, sprang forth from its hiding place on the side of the mountain. As it flew through the air its rough exterior rapidly pulsated with color, keeping it nearly perfectly in tune with its environment with less than a second of delay. It rushed towards the large group of ponies that still hovered above the shield, and immediately went for the mares they protected.
Tristan felt his mouth fall agape as he saw it reach its mark in the confusion, snatching up the orange mare from the carriage with its gigantic claws. The guards, quickly coming to their senses, all immediately took after the monster. The chariot was quickly taken back down through the hole, though the cyan mare it held sped off of it in the direction of the monster.
Tristan could hear the screams of terror from where he stood, as the creature tightened its grasp on the pony and crimson blood rained down on the shield from above. Before her screams were silenced, however, the entirety of the pegasus forces were upon it. All manner of blades cut into the beast at once, provoking a terrible screech of pain. The mare was dropped, though she didn’t fall far before being caught by the same cyan mare that came from the chariot.
Unable to fight off such a tremendous number of foes, the spawn was quickly slain. Its great mass impacted bluntly on the shield below, and it slowly slid off, leaving behind a thick trail of white blood. The cyan pegasus stayed hovering in place in the air, obviously distraught over the orange mare she carried. Soon the other pegasi ushered her into the shield, and the hole was closed.
The spectacle finally over, Tristan turned to look at those that surrounded him. The normally stone faced guards had their emotions plain upon their faces: various looks of despair, sadness, or outright terror. A few let frightened exclamations escape their lips, and none looked nearly as stoic as they were before.
“Tristan. Tristan!” Noble shouted, gaining Tristan’s attention from the scene around them. “We need to go!” he commanded. Tristan noticed that Krik and Lore were both already heading towards the castle, and hurried to join them. With nary a word between them, they made their way back up to the castle. Their journey was far from silent, though, as crowds of ponies billowed out from their homes. Many pointed towards the blood that was smeared on the shield high above them, exchanged thoughts with those around them, or simply blubbered incoherently.
They were able to fight their way through the crowd, with Noble leading the group, barking out commands to make way. Eventually they made it to the castle, only to find it in chaos as well. Ponies, guards and civilians alike, ran this way and that, and others babbled to each other openly in the halls. All the while a feeling of panic, ignited by the initial debacle and stoked from the reactions of the ponies around him, had overtaken Tristan. He was able to keep himself with the group, but adrenaline involuntarily pumped through his veins, urging him to give in and panic.
Eventually they found their way to Krik’s room, where Noble and Lore told Tristan and Krik to wait until they came back. Before either could protest, the two were off, leaving Tristan and Krik to wait. Remembering the stallion that accosted him not long ago, Tristan wasn’t about to begrudge a safe haven in such a time of upheaval, and gladly joined Krik in his quarters.
“So...is this it, then?” Tristan asked Krik, who was standing watch over the closed door, as if expecting some enemy to breach it. “If that was their big plan, and they really can’t fight off the spawn, what hope is there? We’re done for!” he lamented, letting panic get the best of him for a moment.
Krik stood silent for a moment before responding. “There is one hope left for us, Tristan. All is not yet lost,” he said calmly. “Perhaps now Lore will see that there is no other choice.”
“What the Hell are you talking about? Is this that thing you were going on about when we came to get you?” Tristan asked.
“So you heard that, did you? Yes. It is something that may only be done by myself. Though, perhaps, there is one other…” Krik responded, turning to face Tristan.
“Please don’t say what I think you’re about to say,” Tristan said.
“Very well then,” Krik said, turning back to the door and becoming silent.
After a short while Tristan burst out again. “Alright, tell me! I didn’t mean that seriously!”
Krik turned back around and though Tristan couldn’t really read his face, he could have sworn Krik was messing with him intentionally. “Have you been told what I’ve been doing this past month, Tristan?”
“No. Lore hasn’t been telling me anything. It’s been kind of annoying, really…” Tristan responded.
“I have been out doing field work, so to speak. I wished for a more active role in learning about the circumstances of these rifts, and I was granted a chance to have one,” Krik began, still watching the door. “I have had the chance to personally slay scores of spawn on the borders of Equestria, and I have learned a great deal about the tactics our enemy employs. However, there was one particularly important thing that I learned.”
“In one unfortunate battle, the ponies that accompanied me were all slain. I fought off the remainder of the spawn without difficulty, but I found myself alone. Not wishing to return to Canterlot quite yet, I continued with my endeavors. One night I came across a company of spawn and prepared myself for a fight. However, it did not come.”
“I had set myself in the path of my enemies, but when they came upon me, they did not fight. Instead, they all continued past me, some even diverting their paths to not coincide with me. It was as if they didn’t even notice me. It seemed that without ponies around, they were not hostile,” Krik finished, finally turning back around to face Tristan.
“So what you’re saying is...they wouldn’t fight you? But they were fighting you earlier, weren’t they?” Tristan asked.
“Indeed,” Krik said with a nod. “Upon returning to Canterlot I divulged this information to Lore. His hypothesis is that as the spawn are so varied, they cannot distinguish other spawn as friend or foe. Instead, they are hostile to specific races.”
“So like a blacklist, instead of a whitelist…” Tristan mused. “So you’re saying that as long as we’re not with ponies, or other things they’re trying to kill, they won’t attack us? Shouldn’t that thing recognize us, though?”
“I believe so, and I am unsure of why they don’t seem to recognize us. Perhaps the influence exerted upon them is not always total, and they do things automatically. Given the evidence, we cannot be sure,” Krik answered.
So if I ditched the ponies, I’d be safe...but then, there’s plenty of dangerous stuff other than rift spawn, I’m sure. And it’s not like I can just abandon everyone now. Other than that just being a dick move in general, they’re still my best and only hope at possibly getting home. Still, knowing I won’t get hunted down by spawn if I run is pretty comforting.
“Well, that’s good to know and all, but how is that our last hope? I mean, it may be for us, sure, but we can’t just leave the ponies to get slaughtered,” Tristan said, noticing that he was still standing and taking a seat.
“It’s quite simple, actually. We have the ability to go as we please through enemy territory. We may address the problem at the source,” Krik responded, not taking his eyes off Tristan.
“At the source? So the spawn have a base or something now?” Tristan asked, befuddled.
“They may, but that was not the intent of my statement. If we are able to find it, we may be able to neutralize the source of the control. We need to kill whatever it is that attempted to control us,” Krik answered.
Tristan groaned as he realized what Krik was getting at. “‘We’...you want me to come along for this? What good could I even be?”
“You may do as you will, Tristan. But there are many things that may go wrong with such a task. Given that if I fail you will be just as badly off as I, why not join me and exert some control over your own destiny?” Krik said.
I told myself I wouldn’t get involved in any of this crap again. I just...don’t want to get hurt, or die...but he’s right, isn’t he? What am I going to do, go live in the wilderness away from ponies for the rest of my life? Live with passing up my chance to help make something better? I don’t want to be a coward...but I don’t want to die, and this sounds crazy dangerous…
Before Tristan could respond to Krik’s offer, there was a knock at the door. Krik called for the visitor to enter, and Lore stepped in, looking disheveled.
“She’s alright, thank Celestia…” Lore said, closing the door behind him and leaning up against it. “The element of honesty, Applejack, the one that got attacked: she’s going to live…”
“Wait, so the elements can do that again? We don’t have to go on a suicide mission?” Tristan asked excitedly, perking up immediately.
“No, they’re not going to...wait, did you say suicide mission?” Lore said, looking to Krik. “Don’t you go dragging him into this! Do you even know what you’re looking for? At best, you’d find nothing and come back without having accomplished anything!”
“Lore,” Krik said, his voice incredibly even and devoid of emotion. “Your elements have failed. This city will fall. Those facts are not disputed, are they?” he asked, while Lore remained silent. “If the spawn have their way, chaos will reign, and I shall never return to my hive. Your kind will be eradicated, and Tristan here will live his life alone. This is the only option for us.”
Lore stood there for a long while with a slight grimace upon his face. Eventually, he sighed. “Very well. It’s not like I could have stopped you in the first place, anyway...but we’re going to make sure you’re ready first, alright? We’re going to need to plan this out so that you’ve got the best possible chance of success,” he said, sounding defeated.
“That is acceptable,” Krik said, turning away from Lore and back to Tristan. “And so I ask of you once more, Tristan: will you join me?”
Tristan looked to Lore for guidance but found none in the harrowed stallion’s face. Thoughts buzzed through his head, countless scenarios playing through his mind, but he came to an unhappy realization in the end. Krik was right, and he didn’t see any other way. “Alright,” he said in monotone, steeling himself for more hardship. “I’ll do it.”