//------------------------------// // The Siege of Baltimare // Story: From the Desk of Ambassador Wildcard. // by Gladi Writes //------------------------------// Wildcard stood stunned beside Dr. Flankestein, and they both stared up at the dozen armed griffons. The Griffons, in turn, looked down upon them with their massive weapons pointed downward. From Wildcard's viewpoint they looked like long barrels with a flame burning at the tip, he didn't want to know what came out. "Face the wall!" The middle griffon ordered. His armour, Wildcard noticed, was far more aged then his comrades. The paint had chipped, and it was dented all over. Wildcard judged this to be the leader of the group. He and Flankenstein did as ordered. Turning to the wall, with their hooves in the air, Wildcard and Flankenstein glanced at each other. Wildcard put off the recent revelations for now, survival was foremost. Thinking of what to try and do, Wildcard noticed something, a familiar smell he hadn't experienced in around a week. He wasn't the only changeling in the room. "Just let me handle this, I've got an idea," Wildcard whispered. The sound of flapping wings forced them into silence as they stared at the wall. "Sergeant, check their bags!" The griffon leader shouted overhead. The sound of one of them landing was followed shortly by the pairs respective bags being ripped from their backs. "This is an act of war, you do realize this don't you?" Wildcard shouted as he continued to stare forward. "Celestia would surrender the city if it meant another day of peace, you're all cowards. She'll call this a "misunderstanding." The leader replied, his compatriots laughed in the background. There was the sound of a flapping of wings and a hushed conversation, followed by the universal noise of weapons being cocked. Flankenstein glanced at Wildcard, fear visible in his eyes. Wildcard winked in return. "So, you're both military, I have no idea what all this stuff is..." He paused as a great roar overtook the room, and they both felt the heat of an inferno behind them. "... but you can say goodbye to your fancy pony tech." "I surrender." Wildcard said, and turned around to face the Griffon leader. He wasn't very far away, and had his weapon levelled at Wildcard and Flankenstein as the others burnt the assorted devices in the back. "I expected no less from you, coward." The leader landed on the floor and walked towards them, Flankenstein also turning around. "I should have you know however, that I'm not a pony." Wildcard said, and shimmered green as he assumed his 'original' identity. "My designation is Eta-Gamma, and I've been spying on these ponies for some time." Wildcard nodded towards his bag overturned on the floor. The Captain paused for a second, confused, and then bent over to pick up the bag. Behind him a ways Wildcard saw one of the griffons watching him intently, and their eyes flashed blue for a second. "Attack them!" Wildcard shouted. Before the leader could react the changeling infiltrator had already turned on the others, quickly slamming his weapon into the back of ones head and then delivering a swift kick to the another. Wildcard took the opportunity to snatch the weapon from the leaders hands, and Flankenstein did the same to another of the griffons. "False surrender is a war crime!" The leader protested, flapping his wings and forming up with the remainder of his force in the air. "Burn them a-" He began, but was interrupted as the door to the warehouse was kicked open and almost instantly a dozen ponies wearing white/grey uniforms streamed into the room, hurling crossbow bolts which clanged against the armour of the griffons in the air. Outgunned, they took off through the same skylights they had entered. This left the now undisguised changeling on the ground, surrounded by guards on one side and flames on the other. Dr. Flankenstein galloped towards the burning machine that had revealed the truth moments earlier, and levitated the printed evidence out of the bin as it turned to ash and cinders. Grasping at a charred paper, the only remaining part, he let out a scream. Wildcard trotted to the doctors side as the changeling came to his. "Gamma, this place is coming down. We've got to go!" The changeling shouted, a machine burst into flames to reinforce the point, and one of the guards shouted something similar as they all left in a hurry. Wildcard packed up and levitated both their bags to the changeling, and gestured to the exit. He nodded and galloped off. "Doctor, we've got to leave- now!" Wildcard demanded. The doctor looked back and him, tears streamed down his cheeks to be evaporated by the heat of the flames surrounding them. "This was my only chance!" Dr. Flankenstein shouted, slamming his hoof into the flaming machine. "My only chance to make things right!" "You won't have any chance to do anything!" Wildcard grabbed Flankenstein by the shoulder. "If we don't get out of here!" The Doctor looked at him, his face contorted by emotions. Another explosion rocked the building. He nodded, and then ran for the door with Wildcard on his tail. Dashing out the door they were blanketed by dust and embers as the building gave it's last gasp and imploded on itself. When the dust had settled Wildcard brushed himself off and found his comrade looking him over, confused, standing beside their bags. He pointed at Wildcards flank. "Gamma, why are you only half disguised? Your eyes are still blue," the changeling said. Wildcard sighed, he was hoping to put this off for quite some time. "What's your designation?" He asked. "Eta-Zeta." He replied, cocking an eyebrow at his superior. Behind him Captain Massé was approaching, wearing the same grey/white uniform the other guards were as they formed back up in the street. "Well, Zeta, this isn't a disguise. Now form up, looks like the Captain wants to have a word with us," Wildcard ordered. His comrade opened his mouth to ask something, but silenced himself and took his position beside Wildcard. Flankenstein also came to his side, sharing a solemn glance with Wildcard as the Captain walked up to the trio. "Is he with you?" The captain gestured to the second changeling. Wildcard nodded. "Came in with the Griffons," he explained. "Right, well, we'll do a full debrief when we get back to the town hall," The captain said, and gestured the trio follow. They did, as the rest of the guards came up behind them and they marched down the street. The street was full of smoking holes, and the sky above them was clear of airships. Ahead the city was shrouded in a thin smoky mist. "What happened, captain, and where's your armour?" Wildcard asked as they went. "We were attacked- obviously. They came at us and cut through like a hot knife through butter. I've evacuated anyone connected to the government to the town hall, they don't seem interested in civilians," The captain replied. "As for the uniforms, that's a story in itself. The Griffons haven't attacked us directly yet, they'll spray fire around you and then leave. It's a hit and run tactic. That armour becomes an oven, baking you in it. Most of the injuries we've had are heat exhaustion. So we're down to all we had left..." The captain paused, and glanced back at Wildcard. "Winter camo." Turning back forward as a stream of pegasi joined the company overhead, they came within sight of the town hall. A large building with a clock tower, which was at this point shattered and broken. Dozens of windows looked out from the building at the city, most of which where either shattered with a shaken looking guard looking outwards with a crossbow, or boarded up. It was surrounded by a ring of fortifications and dozens of those tubed launchers, as well as stacks and stacks of boxes. At least a hundred guards stood at defensive positions as a hundred more unarmed ponies sat around. There was a definite sense of fear in the air, as well as smoke. The city burned. They paused at the outside of the barricade. Wildcard glanced at Flankenstein to see him pulling an empty syringe from his own flank. Noticing Wildcard he explained. "Just some painkillers, burnt myself on that machine." "Those are pretty addictive d--" "I know what I'm doing!" Flankenstein snapped. Wildcard decided to leave the matter for now. The Captain led the trio in past a hole in the barricades, and it was quickly filled in with a pile of debris when the company was inside the perimeter. The captain turned to them, specifically to Dr. Flankenstein. "You're a medical doctor right?" He asked. "A medical scientist b--" Dr. Flankenstein was silenced by a wave of the captains hoof, and he pointed it to a series of tents on the grass of the courtyard perimeter. "You're on triage, get to it." He ordered. Dr. Flankenstein nodded and trotted off. The Captains glance turned to the two changelings. "You two, follow me inside," he ordered. Wildcard and Zeta did as ordered, there wasn't much use in arguing. There also wasn't much use trying to run from the siege, even with the ability to disguise the griffons would be on alert for changelings now. The inside of the town hall was in no better shape then the city itself. Overturned desks were marked with scorch marks, papers littered the floor, and glass covered it. The Captain led them to a room where the label 'mayor' had been scratched out and replaced with the Captain's name. Inside was the only well kept room in the building, a familiar looking desk with a few papers and a quill on top, and two chairs position in front. Captain Massé took the desk, and gestured the two take the chairs. Behind him was a broken window with a view of the courtyard, and the shrouded city road beyond. "Alright now, what were you doing with the griffons?" The Captain asked Zeta. He looked to his superior, unsure to trust the captain, and Wildcard nodded. "I was following them, they've been on the move for so long that I haven't been able to report in nearly a week," Zeta explained. The Captain leaned in. "Anything important, do you know their long term plan?" the Captain asked. "To invade and occupy Equestria, starting with Manehatten and moving to Canterlot from there, using the rail line while you would be watching the skies," Zeta replied. The captain frantically wrote this down on a sheet of paper, and folded it up. "Now I'm starting to like this alliance, thank you. As soon as there's a break in the lines I'll get this information through." "Hold on," Wildcard said, "You can't get any communications out?" The Captain shook his head "We're locked right down, nobody even knows we need help. There's no calvary coming." "Wildcard, you'll find those engineers you've been after upstairs, I've got work to." the Captain said. Wildcard stood and nodded, taking his comrade and leaving the room. "Wildcard?" Zeta asked, while the pair walked through the debris to find a stairwell leading upwards. "It's a nickname I picked up, suits me well enough," Wildcard explained. He pushed open a door as they arrived at the third floor, and noticed his tail had vanished. Shrugging it off he walked in to find a dozen or so ponies huddled around a radio, broadcasting apparently Griffon propaganda. "The reign of the sun has stolen your power, made you weak. We come to free you, strengthen you. Join us, and embrace the future..." Wildcard shut it off with a magical field, most of the dozen grumbled and trotted away, but two stayed. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find the ponies in charge of Shoreside Engineering?" Slowly, they turned to look at Wildcard. He got a better look at them. The first was a stallion with a dark brown coat, the second a mare with a similar looking coat. They both had cutie marks of one half of a bridge. "That would be us." "Finally." Wildcard breathed. "I've come a long ways to talk to you," He said, to trotting their side. "If you're going to try and hire us, forget it. The griffons took our headquarters because we just so happened to be renting it out to the local radio station. Forget everything, the cities burning, " the stallion said. The radio clicked back on "We can't win," the mare added. Wildcard sighed, and sat beside them. "When you invaded us, do you think we gave up?" He asked. They silently turned to him. "The answer is no, we didn't. We fought, we fought hard and long. Are you going to tell me that we, the changelings, are braver then you?" He said. They looked at each other. "No." They said as one. "Good, now you're telling me you have a high powered radio at your headquarters?" Wildcard inquired. "That's right..." the stallion said. "Have you told the captain?" Wildcard asked. "We didn't see the point," he replied. Wildcard smiled. "You just broke the siege." A few minutes later Wildcard had explained the situation to the general, and he leaned back in his chair as he considered it. "A bucking radio tower..." He turned his chair and looked out the window. "I never even thought of that, I didn't think this city had one," he said. On the desk behind him his helmet sat on a pile of papers. Wildcard almost wanted to mention how scatterbrained the guard seemed to be in general, but thought against it. He really couldn't blame them for not being prepared for this. The Changelings dealt with more or less constant incursions, the ponies had known peace for millennia. "If we go now, in force, we can take it." Wildcard suggested. Captain Massé turned to him, and looked him the eye. Fear was visible in those eyes. "But if I leave here, the griffons can swoop in and... I don't even want to know." His gaze turned to his desk. Wildcard put his hooves on the desk to elevate himself. "Captain, I'm not gonna tell you how to do your job..." He paused. "Actually, buck it, yes I am," Wildcard said. The captain looked up at him. "Captain, if you don't get the word out as soon as possible, they're going to move on the defenceless city of Manehatten-- you heard Zeta. You need to stop backing up, you're already against the wall." Behind them the shrouded city began to glow a faint orange as the sun went down, Wildcard remembered his date and fell back into his chair, rubbing his forehead with a hoof. "You're right Wildcard, it's time to act like stallions," the Captain picked up his helmet and slammed it down on his head. "I'll excuse this break from protocol so long as you and your comrade come with us, where is he?" "I have no idea, he probably has standing orders to get back to the griffons somehow," Wildcard said. "Well, in any case, thank you both. I'm going to find those engineers and make a game plan, you go find out how that doctor is doing." the Captain ordered. Wildcard nodded and they both left. Outside the town hall Wildcard found the doctor sitting beside one of the tents, staring ahead blankly. He didn't seem to notice Wildcard come to take a seat at his side. "Doctor?" Wildcard addressed. After a second the Doctor jumped and turned to him. "You scared me, Wildcard, where did you come from?" Flankenstein asked, eyes darting around. "I came from right... look doctor we have to talk." Wildcard prodded the ground beside him. Flankenstein returned to his seat, Wildcard noticed he was shaking. "I know." he said. "Doctor, did you do this?" Wildcard prodded his own flank as he asked. Flankenstein continued staring straight ahead. "No, a cutie mark is strictly magical. It's probably because you've been swimming in magic for far longer then any of your comrades have," he explained in a monotone. "What about my holes?" "A response to the vaccine, I've put an anti-inflammatory in with the new ones, it won't happen again." Wildcard gently grasped the Doctor's head and turned it to look him the eye. The Doctor's eyes were bloodshot, his pupils dilated to almost cover his entire iris. "Doctor, are you alright?" Wildcard asked. At that the doctor slumped into his arms. Wildcard held him with one hoof and with his other opened the doctors bags, finding a half dozen empty syringes inside when he dumped it out. "Medic!" Wildcard shouted, clutching the doctor. A blue coated mare turned and galloped towards them. She quickly slid to Flankensteins side and put a hoof to his neck. "He's going into shock, grab his legs," She ordered, quickly grabbing Flankenstein's arms. Wildcard did as ordered. As she picked him up she noticed the syringes on the ground. "That's not good," She said as they carried him off towards a white tent with the doctors cutie mark on the side. Quickly bringing him inside and laying him on an empty bed on a row of others, most of them with bandaged guards, she turned to Wildcard. "When did he start?" she asked. "About an hour ago." Wildcard replied. She shook her head and grabbed an assistant. For the next half hour Wildcard watched as the two tended to his friend as he trembled in the bed. They injected him with some sort of redish serum and then the unicorn stood by his side, covering him in a blue magical field. Wildcard felt truly helpless, and thought that regardless of what Flankenstein had done, he didn't deserve this. At the end of this eternity the assistant returned with an empty syringe, and the blue mare removed a black substance from the Doctor, incinerating it and the syringe magically. She then turned to Wildcard, whom couldn't feel his legs he had been standing for so long. "He'll be fine, we got to him just in time. He just needs rest." She patted his shoulder. "You're a good friend," She said, smiling. Wildcard sighed and dropped his flank to the floor. "Thank you." He said. Before he could even collect himself a hoof prodded him on the back, and he turned to see the captain. "We're ready," he said. The captain led Wildcard to the centre of the courtyard, where five dozen pony guards stood at attention, with an equal amount of pegasi above them. Zeta was nowhere to be seen, or smelt. "Most of us are still holed up around the city, this is what we have to work with," The captain told Wildcard. "Plan?" Wildcard asked. "Pegasi are going to make a move for the outer siege perimeter to draw them off, and then we go in with bolts flying," The captain explained, and handed Wildcard a crossbow. "Ever use one of these?" The Captain asked as Wildcard looked it over. "No, but I've been briefed on them. I think I can hold my own." Wildcard said, cocking the bolt back and forth. "Good, just point it at them and hope," the Captain said, and then turned to his own men. "Air force, move out! Ground force, on me!" He ordered. The pegasi flew off with a burst of speed and wind that temporarily cleared the shroud from the courtyard, revealing a hundred ponies watching them. "Wildcard, you're with me," He ordered, and they led the force out of the courtyard. The twilight that had filled the city gave day to total darkness which filled the shrouded city. If Wildcard was right, then it was far too late it to make it back to Canterlot. He sparked up his horn to create a dim field of light to show the way in the fog. He suddenly remembered the scroll Luna had given him, and slung the crossbow around his neck to get it out of his bag. "I need a unicorn up front, pronto!" Wildcard shouted. The Captain glanced at him as one ran up from behind. "Cast this." Wildcard handed off the scroll as the captain continued to watch. The unicorn nodded and studied the scroll for a moment as the company marched. He then folded it up, handed it back to Wildcard, and his alicorn began to glow brilliantly. Before long a shimmering light shot out of it and into the sky, revealing a hole in the shroud where the moon shone through for a moment. And then.. nothing. "Alright, what was that?" The Captain asked. "The calvary is coming, Captain," Wildcard replied. Wildcard explained the scroll to the captain. They knew that even with Luna coming, they couldn't rely on that alone. The radio station was still their objective and they set to it, but now they had backup on the way. Plus Luna probably wouldn't expect a full griffon invasion, so it would take time for the Night Guard to fully mobilize. She probably expected an owlbear. Still, word soon spread back in the line that the Night Guard was coming, and morale was boosted. This was also helped by the fact that as they marched to the coastal area with the radio tower, several dozen guards that had been disconnected from the main group joined them, and their numbers grew. By the time they came to the edge of the buildings before the parking lot that lay in front of the building, they had a hundred guards in their company. Wildcard and the Captain peered though the fog as the darkened building stood above it, almost like a black monolith standing above a graveyard of wrecked carriages. There was no sign of anybody- griffon or otherwise- in the building. Cautiously the group moved into the parking lot, taking positions behind the carriages and pointing their crossbows up at the building. Wildcard and the Captain soon found themselves behind and overturned- and quite expensive- horseless carriage with a view of the entrance. "It's a pity," The Captain lamented. "It's been a bad day for Equestria, it's true." Wildcard commented. "I mean this car, they only made ten of these," The Captain prodded it with a hoof. Wildcard sighed, and then his ears perked up as they heard movement beyond the doors. Around them the sound of crossbows being cocked filled the parking lot. Wildcard lit up the door using his horn as a spotlight, and the door creaked open. The Captain gestured behind him and a half dozen guards ran up silently to the side of the doorway, one of them moving to open it while the others levelled their crossbows. The captain nodded and the door was flung open, the lead pony dragging a figure out into the open and shoving him back. It was a changeling. Wildcard vaulted over the overturned car and galloped over, finding a cowering Eta-Zeta in the centre of a ring of confused guards. "Zeta, what are you doing here?" Wildcard asked, coming to a stop. Before Zeta could reply a huge noise came from behind them and the sky was filled with a brilliant flash of light, followed by several more. Turning to see what was going on Wildcard threw his spotlight around the parking lot as the sound of explosions filled the air, but the shroud covered the source. The guards in the parking lot waved their crossbows around as above them the sounds of wings, shouting, and flashes of light filled the air. An arc of flame sent a few of the guards dashing for cover as it sent one of the carriages up in smoke. "What is going on up there!" The captain shouted, running to take cover in the doorway. Wildcard looked up with his light peering through the shroud, he caught a glimpse of a bat wing. "The calvary, the calvary is here!" He shouted. With a colossal noise an explosive shockwave pushed them to the ground and cleared the shroud, it also appeared to clear the griffons who could clearly be seen hastily retreating towards the coast, following by a flight of dark figures. Over the parking lot hovered Luna, flanked by a pair of bat ponies. Wildcard noticed that she was clad in the same armour she wore that night she had occupied the Hive, but quickly she shimmered and returned to her 'normal' self. The guards cheered the arrival of the Princess of the Night, the Captain grabbed Wildcard and giddily laughed. "We're saved!" He exclaimed. Wildcard met him with a smile and turned to see the Princess swooping to hover over them. "Ambassador, we meet again," Luna said to him, and then turned to the captain. "Captain, you stand relieved. I have called for the rest of the Night Guard, and we will drive these cowards into the sea. They will not threaten this city again." "Thank you, Princess, but there is something important you need to know- Baltimare is not their objective." "Oh?" She asked. "This was a feint, their real objective is Manehatten." "How did you come to this conclusion?" "Thanks to your changeling friends here, " the Captain replied, gesturing to Wildcard and Zeta- whom had come to his superiors side. "I see, this alliance is proving most fruitful. Thank you both." Luna said, and nodded respectfully. Wildcard took this opportunity to ask his comrade what exactly had happened. "Zeta, where's the defense? The griffons should have left at least a token force," he said. "I heard your plan, and so I went ahead and gave them falsified orders to report back for rest and refit- they seemed eager to abandon their post here, mentioned something about 'missing the action'," Zeta explained. "Zeta, you're brilliant!" Wildcard exclaimed tossing his crossbow the side and, hugging the changeling as he blushed back."I'm going to make sure that Eta-Eta promotes you." Zeta looked at the ground, continuing to blush. "You don't need to do that boss," he said. Luna cleared her throat, and Wildcard turned towards her. "Wildcard, I owe you a debt of gratitude. You stayed with us in our hour of need, and even stood ready to help the guard in it's assault on this place." She paused for a second. "For that matter, why are you assaulting this place?" The Captain spoke up. "It's a radio station, the griffons were using it to broadcast propaganda apparently, we hoped to use it to get an alert out." Luna considered this for a second. "Not the best of plans, but you did what you could with what you had. Very well, I will see to it this facility is used to broadcast more... friendly material," She said, and turned again to Wildcard. "Why did you come to Baltimare?" she asked. "I needed to hire an engineering firm here, which led me to this place, " Wildcard explained. "I was hoping to make it back to Canterlot tonight, but I guess that won't happen." He lamented. "Fear not Ambassador, I will make this right. Meet me at the town hall in half an hour, and I will get you home," Luna said, and flew off. Wildcard looked to the Captain, who nodded, and then he galloped off with Zeta close on his tail. "Gamma!" Zeta shouted behind him. "What are my orders?" "Accompany the Captain back to to Canterlot, and then find me!" Wildcard shouted back as he ran into the fog. When he came up to the perimeter of the town hall, finding the ponies inside decidedly happier in mood with bat ponies milling around watching for any sign of trouble, he quickly made for the tent Dr. Flankenstein had been in, trotting in just as he legs seemed about to give way. The mare that had been tending to him sat at a small desk, looking over some document by the light of her horn. "Excuse me." Wildcard said, and she turned to him. "Is my friend... awake?" "On and off." She replied, turning back to the paper. "You can try to talk to him, but don't take too long." Wildcard nodded and took a seat at his friends his side. Looking him over he seemed... older, his pure white mane was set with grey hairs and his skin wrinkled in several spots. The dark red of his cutie mark seemed slightly lighter in tone, almost a dull pink. "Doctor?" Wildcard asked, and his eyelids opened slightly. "Who are you?" the Doctor asked. "It's me, Wildcard. I wanted to say I was sorry for the loss of your lab, and whatever you may have done- I forgive you." The Doctor squinted his eyes as they looked over Wildcard. "I don't know any Wildcard, and what lab? You have strange eyes..." He trailed off. Wildcard gasped as he realized what had happened. Before he could continue the doctors eyes closed again and he went back to sleep. For a moment he sat there in silence, the aged doctor laying on the bed before him. Wildcard nearly jumped out of his skin as a hoof touched his shoulder from behind. "A classic case of amnesia, judging by the amount of whatever that is he took, we're lucky that's all that happened." The blue mare took a seat beside Wildcard. "What's his name?" She asked. "Dr. Flankenstein, Royal Surgeon." "Ah." She said. "I'll see that he's returned to Canterlot General when he's able to move. My name is Colgate, and you can find me there for the next week or so. I'll send for you, Ambassador, as soon as he's well." She smiled warmly at Wildcard. "Thank you. He's a good friend, he's done great things." Wildcard said, turning to leave. "Great things." He mumbled to himself as he left. Outside Luna was waiting, and stood beside a chariot as she spoke to a pair of her guards. Hearing Wildcard come out of the tent she turned to him. "I have spoken with those engineers, and they say they will work for you for free. They mentioned they'll meet you in Canterlot tomorrow. For now, I give you this," She stood aside and gestured at the chariot. "These are my two fastest fliers, they will get you to Canterlot in time for you date." Luna said, smirking at him. "How do you know about that?" Wildcard asked, coming before her. "My sister and I do talk you know, and you're a curious specimen," Luna replied, and gestured Wildcard take a seat on the chariot. He did, and almost immediately was thrown back as the chariot flung forward into the night sky. As they came over the fog of the city, buildings standing over it which briskly fell into the distance, Wildcard looked towards the country ahead. He allowed himself to grin, and as the wind swept back his hair he returned to that beach in his mind. He might not be heading for that beach, but there was something more important in this vision he looked forward to. She was.