//------------------------------// // Escaping Fort Echidna // Story: Sunset Rekindled // by EldritchNexus //------------------------------// King Craw and Sunset Shimmer were laying on the balcony in the ruins of Fort Echidna, cradled in each other's hooves as they tried to relax their bodies from the action they just went through. "I've lived for...several decades." said Craw. "Hundreds of missions for the royal family. But this one you, Sunset Shimmer, beat them all. Well...most of them." He laughed dryly. Then he started to sniff Sunset's mane. He shuddered with glee, and then sighed. "Are you feeling okay?" Sunset asked. "Never better." said Craw, shaking his long, shaggy mane. "But I'm restless to know..." "Sorry, Craw." Sunset frowned. "I have a pretty good feeling what you want to say. But no." "Sunset Shimmer...please." whispered Craw, who was wide-eyed and breathless. "I want you so much." "I know, Craw." said Sunset. "But I'm sorry. Ponies don't just get married straight away. Especially not when it comes to Changelings." "So...you're saying you wouldn't want to marry a Changeling?" questioned Craw, still keeping a soft tone in his voice. "That's not what I'm saying at all, Craw." said Sunset. "I don't know how Changeling mating rituals work, but I don't think I could go through one of those. I'm still young, and I just don't think I could spend the rest of my days with you...at your side. Not yet, anyway." King Craw opened his eyes slightly wider. "You're right, Sunset." he said. "You...are right. Is it any wonder why I like you so much, my dear? You're not only beautiful, but one of the wisest creatures I've ever met. Remarkable, considering you're only twenty years old. It would be no dishonor to have you as my wife." "And I'm sure you'd make a great husband, Craw." said Sunset, coolly. "But I just don't think it would work right now. Even though there's a truce between Equestria and the Changeling Empire, there's still all sorts of tension between our two species. Not to mention..." Sunset frowned. "I feel guilty about having this conversation with you." continued Sunset. "Not just because of the other ponies...but also considering my...relationship with your human counterpart." "I'm sure he would understand that you weren't supposed to be in his world to begin with." said Craw. "Considering what you went through with him, and the fact that you two are still able to call each other lovers should say a lot about the possibilities of what your relationship with me could be like...someday." "Yeah...someday." said Sunset. "When I'm older, and when all this crazy stuff's been dealt with. Then maybe I'd be ready to answer your proposal." "Well said, my lady." said Craw, grinning. He slowly got back up, and knelt over Sunset, who started to get up on her own. "Don't worry though, Craw." said Sunset. "It doesn't mean I don't want you to stay away from me. When this whole problem we're having right now's been taken care of, would you like to be my..." They both paused for what seemed like a minute. "Boyfriend?" Sunset finally completed her sentence. King Craw chuckled heartily, then bent his head down to stroke his tongue across Sunset's cheek, then he went down a half-broken stairway off the balcony. "Time for pleasant conversation is over, my little pony." he said, in his usual snide tone. "Now it's time to help those friends of yours before the templars get the best of them." "Oh...yeah!" Sunset said, blushing; she couldn't believe that she could just forget about them so easily. "Right! Craw, let's go down now!" King Craw shapeshifted into the Cajun pegasus, and hurried with Sunset to the nearest trap-door. Suddenly, there were massive hoof-falls, and a large figure approached them. "Well, look who we have here!" said the real Juggsman, approaching them with a heavily bruised face. Sunset and the disguised Craw turned to look at him. "Y'all think that leaving me bruised and tied up in that cave would keep me outta action?!" he said. "Heh, heh, heh! I'm gonna have a lotta fun with--" Suddenly, there was a flash of red light just beside Juggsman, and a familiar albino Changeling materialized next to him. "With what?" asked Ghost. "Yes, big boy." said another familiar voice from above. "What?" Sunset, Craw, and Juggsman all looked up, and to their surprise, Queen Chrysalis, Lord Umbriel, Princess Luna, Captain Star Shield, and an entire army of pegasi and Changelings were all hovering in the air above the ruins. The sight made Juggsman shuffled uneasily in place. "Uhh...nothin'!" he said, nervously. He sat on the ground, and surrendered as the newcomers all landed on the ground. "Sunset Shimmer, I believe you ought to explain yourself." said Luna, approaching her student. "I'm sorry, Luna." said Sunset. "But I just had a feeling that my brother would need help with those renegades, so..." "I understand." assured Luna. "But what are you all doing here?" asked Sunset. "My night guards discovered that the Summerstar had gone missing, and that you and your friends were nowhere to be seen." explained Star Shield. "The Shadowbolts tracked it to a few kilometers from here, and Princess Luna decided to step in personally." "And I had Ghost spy on my sister's elite task force that was sent to Baltimare, in case they actually found anything." added Lord Umbriel. "And I suggested to my sister that she come along, too." "Well, that's--" Sunset began, before pausing. "Wait a minute, I didn't take the Summerstar here, and nopony else went with me except for--" She paused again. "Oh, boy!" she said, worried. "They must all be down there with those templars!" Down in the subterranean levels of Fort Echidna, the Royal Guard and Changeling Elite had the Neo-Templars in a rout. Several of them were incapacitated or forced into submission, but many of them were very persistent. Trixie, Sunflower, Pressure Point, and Maud Pie found themselves surrounded by a larger, more aggressive squad. Trixie looked impatient, Sunflower looked like she would be ready for anything, Pressure Point looked annoyed that was already in the middle of a fight, while Maud seemed relatively indifferent. "You fools think you can contend with the Great and Powerful Trixie?!" Trixie shouted to the templars. "Sure!" said a templar. "Why not?" Trixie shot purple lightning at the templars, and most of them were electrocuted and incapacitated. But this just caused more templars to emerge from the other rooms and hallways. Now the number of templars surrounding the four was even larger than it was before. "Bad move, sorceress!" said another templar. They all brandished javelins and spears and were poised to strike. Suddenly, there was a bright red light from behind, and a tongue of superheated energy lashed out at the templars, setting many of them ablaze and running around the room. Then two tall equine shapes emerged, and engaged in a melee battle with the remainder. It was Radiant Dawn and Felix Summerset. "Well, I never thought I'd be so glad to see you, Radiant." said Pressure Point. "Look, you all need to get yourselves out of here!" said Radiant. "Yes!" agreed Felix. "In case you haven't noticed, this place is extremely dangerous!" "No way, the Great and Powerful Trixie shall not give up on her friends!" said Trixie. "Fine." said Radiant, reluctantly. "It's your funeral." Teddy ran up every stairway he could find, lugging Pupa on his back as he did so. Pupa was whimpering in fear, but did nothing but slobber all over Teddy's mane. "Hey, Pupa, ever heard of mouthwash?!" Teddy questioned, when he tried shaking the saliva off of his head. He kept going up two more levels of the dungeon area, then stopped to rest when he couldn't hear anything else. This made him feel comfortable, yet also seemed very eerie at the same time. "Okay, time for a pit-stop." Teddy told Pupa as he bent down to let her off. Pupa blinked her eyes, then smiled at Teddy. "You feel okay, little girl?" asked Teddy. Pupa shut her eyes and nodded. "You know, you're actually very cute...for a Changeling, I mean." said Teddy. "Do you have a nice family?" Suddenly, there were hoof-falls, and a wicked laugh. Pupa turned and opened her eyes, squealed in terror, and ducked between Teddy's legs. Teddy nervously turned around, and felt his jaw drop: It was the templar from before. Only this time, he was not only holding a torch in one of his hooves, but there was a "TNT" barrel with a long fuse strapped to his back. "Fine, if I can't have Pupa..." he said, giggling maniacally. "Then nopony can!" "Please!" pleaded Teddy. "Don't do it, man! It's not worth it!" "Which is why I have nothing to lose!" guffawed the templar, raising the torch. He lit the fuse, which startle to emit sparks. Teddy quickly picked Pupa back up, and ran on as fast as he could to escape the dungeon levels, the mad bomber in hot pursuit. In another level of the same area, Lightning Dust, Canopy, and Sigma were blasting open prison cells to free all the ponies, Changelings, and other creatures being held captive. They already sprang Crimson Cloud, Night Runner, and several other royal guards out, as well as a few Changelings, when suddenly there was a loud boom!, and the walls and ceiling of the dungeons started to shake and crack. "Someone must've detonated one of those powder kegs!" deduced Canopy. "We better get going fast!" "No' wi'out our own prisoners!" said Sigma. "Firs', let's get ta Princ'ss Pupa's cell!" Golden Sun, Scarlet Blaze, and Crimson Blade were nearing the dungeons, where they suddenly felt a heavy rumbling. "Earthquake!" shouted Scarlet. "No, dynamite!" said Crimson. "That prison area will collapse any minute! We need to hurry if we are to save to the others. I think we should start by saving the royal Changelings. Their crown princess is being help prisoner in one of those cells. She's semi-mute and is physically and mentally handicapped. She might be the first to go if there's a cave-in!" The three went to the cell in question, to find it empty. "But...she was supposed to be in here!" said Crimson, surprised. "Maybe someone else already freed her?" suggested Golden Sun. "Let's hope so!" said Scarlet. Sigma, Canopy, and Lightning Dust arrived at that moment. "Where's Princess Pupa?!" demanded Canopy, frantically. "She's already been freed by someone else!" said Crimson Blade, pointing across the corridor. "But the other members of your royal family are being held in that cell." Sigma and Canopy blasted open another cell across from the one where Pupa was previously held, revealing its occupants: Princess Dana and Prince Naurius of the Changeling Empire. Dana was an adolescent by Changeling standards, while Naurius was very young, possibly around Princess Pupa's age. "Well, it's about time you buffoons got to saving me...and I guess, my brother." said Princess Dana, rolling her eyes. "Well, we were a little tied up ourselves." said Canopy. "Wait till we get out of here, and I tell father how incompetent you idiots are." said Princess Dana. "Father?" repeated Lightning Dust. "They are the son and daughter of Lord Umbriel." Canopy whispered to Lightning. "Wait, Umbriel has kids?!" exclaimed Lightning. "Weird." "Egad!" said Dana, finally noticing the other ponies. "What are these ponyfolk doing with you two?!" "Long story, okay?" said Lightning. "Princess what's-your-name, go pick up your brother and follow us! We don't have much more time to chatter!" "Me? Carry my brat of a brother?" said Dana. "I think not! That is something the help does!" "You're gonna need lots of help if we don't leave now!" said Lightning. "Look, I can fly myself..." said Prince Naurius. "Shut up, brother." said Princess Dana. "Now stay still and let either Sigma or Canopy take you themselves!" "But why?--" "I'm your elder sister and I have a say in what you do when father isn't around!" snapped Dana. "And I say you have someone fly you out for you!" "Okay, sister." said Naurius. "Sorry." Sigma quickly picked up Prince Naurius, and the assorted ponies and Changelings all flew or galloped quickly out of the dungeons as they started to give way and cave-in.