Inseptium Nova-Pt 7: Pyromania and Deja-Vu
September 13th, Ponyville, Post-Midnight...
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“I’m sorry Volare…I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Twilight mumbled softly into the crook of Volare’s neck. She finally loosened her hug on the Pegasus, and as the oxygen began to flow a bit more freely to his brain, he became aware of the Librarian’s hitching breath accompanying the feeling of something splashing on his shoulder. The pilot held her at arm’s length and gave her a comforting smile, wiping the tears from her cheeks with his wing as he did so.
“I’ve just been so tired and…I thought you got hurt again and I just…I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok, Twi…we could both use some rest and explanations,” Volare assured her and gave her another quick hug before noticing that everypony was staring at them in the doorway. He felt his face heat slightly before giving her a final pat on the back and standing up, helping her to her hooves as well before his face creased in seriousness, especially when he saw the two Town Guard ponies discussing if they should take Trixie to prison immediately or not. “But for now, we’ve got bigger problems; Trixie needs help more than jail time right now, and quickly.”
“Y-yeah, you c-can say that a-again,” Trixie shuddered and spoke up from behind them, causing Twilight to regard the Unicorn with a mixture of curiosity and concern. “As h-heartwarming as th-this is…c-could y-you please s-save it for later?”
“What happened to you, Trixie?” The Librarian approached the magician cautiously; she couldn’t imagine how the shuddering, shaking pony in front of her could have half-destroyed the building around them, even with Pinkie’s help. Even so, the pitiful sight of the proud magician being reduced to such a state pulled at Twilight’s heart, and Volare’s next words galvanized her into action.
“Remember those two Cryhenas that attacked Scootaloo and I the other day?” the Pegasus asked as he helped Trixie to her hooves, supporting her with his healed wing as he did so. “They shared the same names as two Unicorns that drugged up Trixie to make her act this way in hopes that she’d get killed in the Everfree; then they robbed her blind and tried to work what I can only imagine was a Faustian Bargain with me tonight.”
“Huh, what? How?” Twilight queried, helping Volare support the blue magician as they slowly made their ways towards the door, the other ponies respectfully stepping aside to make way. Lyra peeked into her room to make sure everything was still intact, and once satisfied, she rejoined the others. “What’s that, Volare?”
“A deal with the devil,” Octavia spoke up, recalling the term from her formal schooling years ago. “And if those two Unicorns shared the names of those two beasts, it wouldn’t be beyond the realm of reason to assume they were somehow the same beings, and therefore share the same agendas."
“But how?” Vinyl Scratch asked as Volare waved off Snowhooves, who’d been approaching Trixie with a set of hoof-and-horn-cuffs. He held the trembling magician up as Twilight turned her attention to the two debating musicians. “Shapeshifters or something? You think they were Changelings?” she asked with a gasp.
“I don’t think so, no,” Octavia replied with a shake of her head. “Changelings aren’t known to do the sort of magic those two did tonight.”
“What magic did they do?” Twilight asked, a sense of dread creeping into her gut.
“They told me their superior had taken notice of my actions lately,” Volare spoke up, drawing the attention of all ponies present. “So they made a deal with me, that if they healed me I’d go speak to their “employer”...whatever that meant.” But before he could speak further, Trixie went into another shaking fit which caused Lyra to help hold the magician up. Bon-Bon took the initiative and went around the edge of the bar, bringing out the bent and battered, but still functional wheelchair that Lyra had brought Volare there in. They gently sat Trixie down in it, and the magician nodded her thanks and motioned for the explanation of what she’d missed to continue; Ray and Jill had never spoke of any other ‘superior’ before…
“So, they both combined to use this healing spell on me, and…well,” Volare shrugged his repaired wing and pawed the ground with his healed hoof. “It worked, but left me paralyzed. It wasn’t till Lyra spoke their names that I realized who they were…and if Trixie hadn’t showed up the way she did,” he glanced at the magician who managed to smile sheepishly, despite her trembling. “Well, no telling where I’d be right now…so I guess I kinda owe my life to Trixie. Funny world, huh?” But Twilight wasn’t smiling. Far from it, the Unicorn’s face wore a grim mask that chilled Volare to the bone despite the relatively warm night. “Twi? What’s up?”
“Well, remember how I told you what happened up there in Canterlot between Celestia and I?” Twilight began, and he nodded. “Well, because you were so hurt, I didn’t wanna burden you with too much, so I didn’t tell you about something else I learned up there…it has to do with The Wedding Incident.”
“Uh-oh, what happened, sugarcube?” Applejack asked worriedly.
“Well, turns out that during the Changeling attack, there was a break-in at the Canterlot Archives, specifically the Starswirl the Bearded Wing,” Twilight continued, chewing her lip ever so slightly between sentences. “A number of spells got stolen from there, one of them being the very spell that sent Dash to Earth, and subsequently brought you here, Volare.”
“Huh, imagine that,” the pilot shook his head.
“Yeah…but among the other spells that got stolen, one of them was a two-part-healing spell…”
“No shit,” Volare muttered, the implications hitting him like a hammer. “The one you tried to use on me but it didn’t work cuz you didn’t know the whole thing…which is exactly what those two Unicorns used on me tonight!”
“Exactly,” Twilight’s face, though already worry-filled, began to betray another emotion as the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place: anger. “Those two Unicorns were either directly involved with the theft of that spell or they likely know who did it. At the very least, they’d know who the hay they got it from!”
“Th-those little b-bastards…s-said they needed w-work…and they p-played me for a f-fool,” Trixie growled, her own anger so great that she actually fought through her shivers long enough to rise slightly in the wheelchair. “Th-thieves…and…b-bastards…they n-need to b-be p-punished!” she snarled, her teeth chattering as she did so and causing Volare to lay a comforting hoof on hers.
“You got that right, Trixie,” the pilot’s grim smile faded as he realized just how cold the magician had gotten. She tried to return the smile, but only managed to contort her face further and withdraw back into the chair, hit by a fresh bout of shaking so violent that she seemed to be having trouble breathing.
“Dude, we need to get her to the hospital quick,” Vinyl observed grimly. “She’s going into some heavy withdrawal from the drugs those two tricked her into taking and if we don’t get her some help…well…” she trailed off before Trixie’s eyes went wide and she spoke up.
“W-well, d-don’t just s-stand there,” she swung a hoof at the arm of the chair, but was shaking so badly she missed and struck the wheel instead. “Ow-p-please g-get me s-some…help…ow,” she hugged her throbbing hoof into her belly and curled in on herself slightly, shivering uncontrollably. Volare nodded once and looked to the Town Guards, taking charge for the moment, as time was of the essence!
“Guards!” he barked, causing Snowhooves and Firetail to snap to attention. “What’s the strength of your local regiment?”
“Um, us two plus five others, all Earth Ponies except the Sergeant, sir; he's a Unicorn,” Firetail replied with a nod. “We’re the nightwatch though, so the others are all asleep right now.”
“Ok, well I need you to wake them and put the word out: there are two Unicorns in town that require apprehension. The stallion goes by the name of Ray and the mare answers to Jill,” Volare explained. “They’ve got green manes and tails, and green eyes; can’t miss them.” At Volare’s description, Applejack noticed Big Mac’s eyes grow wide as he made a strange sound in the back of his throat. He noticed that his sister noticed, and he did his best to avoid her gaze as subtly as he could, but she wasn’t fooled.
“Big Mac, somethin’ on your mind?” the farm mare asked, giving him a squinty look that finally caused him to admit that Dash had described two suspicious ponies that fit that description a few weeks ago…and that she and her were sorta keeping an eye out for them, but they quit after a while because they figured they’d moved on...
“Apparently not,” Applejack growled and swatted her brother in the head with her hat. "Ya dern fool, why didn’t ya tell me too, huh?! Them two Unicorns ran right past me not half an hour ago; Ah coulda had’em roped an’ wrangled'em in no time!”
“Apprehension on what charges?” Snowhooves demanded once he determined that Applejack wasn’t about to knock her brother’s head off, before Octavia spoke up.
“Theft of Canterlot property or collusion thereof, illegal use of said property, multiple instances of assault, multiple instances of attempted murder, foal-napping, and the torture of Scootaloo, just to name a few,” the cellist said with a fierce snort. “Should I go on or is that enough for you?”
“N-no ma’am!” Snowhooves replied with a shake of his head.
“Good, now get after them!” Octavia pointed a hoof out of the building, but before the Guards could leave, Trixie spoke up again, albeit faintly.
“N-no, wait…th-there’s something you n-need to know a-about those two,” she coughed and blinked her eyes, trying to clear the growing fuzziness in her vision before continuing. “I p-personally saw them b-burn a fully-grown m-manticore to death a few d-days ago…with ease,” she shuddered, though this time it wasn’t just from the withdrawal. “It w-was one of the m-most brutal acts I-I’ve ever witnessed a pony d-do…please, b-believe me,” she looked up at the Guards with pleading eyes. “If you p-pursue them…you’ll n-need strong magic to a-arrest them…th-they’re more d-dangerous than you can i-imagine…and if I’d b-been in my r-right mind earlier…I’d have n-never tried to c-confront them the w-ay I did, knowing w-what I know.”
“Where would they be, Trixie?” Twilight asked urgently. “They worked for you, but they didn’t stay with you all the time, right? Did they mention anywhere in town they might be staying?”
“Y-yes, they m-mentioned one p-place,” Trixie nodded and coughed again. “The Ponyville Inn…they p-probably have all their s-stuff there.” She turned to Twilight and gave her a soft smile. “Twilight S-sparkle…I know we h-have our differences, b-but…they need the p-power of your m-magic to catch those t-two…but I just d-don’t know…I…don’t….know…please…be c-careful…” And with that, the magician’s head dropped to her chest and she lost consciousness, though she still continued to shake slightly.
Volare looked up at Twilight and the others, and then finally at the Guards who’d paused to listen to Trixie’s warning. This certainly threw a wrench into the works, especially Volare’s plan to beat those two Unicorns senseless himself if he got the chance; but now he knew that was likely a suicide mission at best. It was Twilight who broke the short silence first.
“That settles it; Volare, you and the others take Trixie to Ponyville Medical and get her some help. I’ll help the Guards catch Ray and Jill.” But as she took a step forwards, she caught her hoof on a piece of rubble and stumbled in exhaustion, catching herself on Volare’s outstretched wing and giving him a crooked, grateful smile. “I’m good, I’m ok,” she insisted, struggling to keep her eyes from drooping and betraying her fatigue; but the pilot wasn’t fooled in the slightest.
“No Twi,” he shook his head and frowned. “You’re in no condition to fight those two if you have to, especially if they’re as dangerous as Trixie says she is.” But who else had the magical ability to fight them, if not Trixie or Twilight…and he certainly couldn’t let Rarity or Pinkie risk getting themselves hurt… The Pegasus wracked his brains for a moment before an idea came to him and he turned to the butter-yellow Pegasus standing near him so suddenly that she jumped in alarm. “Fluttershy, I need your help.”
“Wha-me?” she asked warily. “I can’t f-fight those two, especially if they could *gulp* do that to a manticore all by themselves.”
“Nope, I’ve got a better idea. Are Luna and Shining Armor still staying at your home?” At his question and Fluttershy’s nod of confirmation, a wicked little grin began to crawl across Volare and Twilight’s faces. “Good, go get them as fast as you can and give them the low-down on what’s going on!”
“You got it!” Fluttershy threw him a small salute and took to the sky, flying west faster than she could ever remember flying before. Volare then turned to the Guards.
“You two, go get the rest of the Town Guard and keep an eye on the Inn; make sure nopony leaves it,” Volare instructed. “If those two are shapeshifters, they could be anypony. But if somepony tries to leave and they act dangerously, don’t risk getting hurt. And above all, keep everypony in their homes and out of danger. As for the rest of you guys,” he turned to the others, who were hanging on his every word. “I thank you all for being here to help me and Trixie tonight…I dunno how we’ll ever repay you. But for now, please be safe and once Luna and Shining Armor arrive, do not get involved and get hurt. Everypony clear on that?” At their nodding responses, he smiled in satisfaction before Rarity spoke up.
“Well, since those two are likely still looking for you...Applejack, Big Macintosh, and myself will provide you with an escort to the hospital. Twilight dear, we’ll drop you off at the Library; and no arguments! Pinkie, you and your friends stay here. We’ll be back soon.”
“Okey dokey,” Pinkie nodded and smiled. “We’ll keep an eye out for those two meanies if they head this way. Good luck everypony!” With that said, Rarity gave Pinkie a quick hug and grasped Trixie’s wheelchair with her magic, gave the nod, and everypony filed out of the building and took to their assignments as quickly as possible.
…………………..
Ponyville Inn…
“I can’t buckin’ believe this crap! You didn’t tell me Lyra knew our names!” Jill shouted as she and Ray threw their belongings willy-nilly into their suitcases, not caring if they were neatly folded or sorted at this point. If Pinkie defeated Trixie, Volare and his friends would likely put two and two together quite quickly and be on their trail within the hour. It was time to quit this town and get the hay back to their Boss…or not. Ray had actually suggested leaving the country for good and running East till they couldn’t run anymore. For once, Jill agreed that he’d come up with a decent idea, thus their urgency to get the hell outta Dodge, so to speak. Not only would they be out-running the Equestrian authorities, but they’d be fleeing the wrath of their Boss, something nopony had ever successfully done before and lived!
“Grrr, buck this town, buck this country, and buck you Elements!” Jill snarled as she stomped on her suitcase until it closed. She grabbed her cloak from the bedpost and threw it on, turning to her brother who for some reason was crawling about on the floor and looking under the bed. “Ugh, you about ready to go, Ray?”
“Yeah, yeah, just making sure we don’t leave anything,” he replied, grabbing a feather-pen and stuffing into his briefcase as well.
“What’s it matter if we leave some trash behind?” his sister growled impatiently. “You suddenly having sympathy for the maid or something?”
“No, but if they don’t kill Trixie-aha, gotcha,” he snatched at a crumpled piece of paper lying way under the bed. “And if they interrogate her, she’ll likely tell them everything she knows about us, including where we’re staying. And if we leave any evidence behind they can track us with…”
“Agh, buck me,” Jill groaned in realization before dropping to her knees and helping him search for any scraps they might have missed. The last thing they needed was to leave a trail and get bit in the flank down the road…
…………………..
Ponyville Library…
“I appreciate this, Volare,” Twilight said as she unlocked the door of the Library, having gotten the rest of the story of what had happened between the Pegasus and Trixie on the way there. “Are you sure you”-
“Yes, absolutely,” the pilot replied hastily, giving her a quick hug. “I forgive you for jumping to conclusions…again…though I can see where you might have been justified,” he said as he released her. “Now then, please promise me that whatever happens, you’ll stay here until this is resolved, cuz there’s no telling what those two psychos might do in the streets…and I’d probably do something impulsive and stupid if I got word that they hurt you,” he chuckled dryly. “I’m gonna stay at the Hospital until the Guard sounds the all-clear, so I’ll be safe, ok?”
“Ok,” Twilight nodded and turned to Applejack and Rarity. “You three keep an eye on him, alright?”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac rumbled with a polite nod.
“Both eyes, sugarcube,” the orange mare smirked and hooked a hoof over Volare’s neck. “We’ll keep’m in one piece fer ya.”
“Indeed, can’t let him get hurt when he’s this close to being airborne again,” Rarity added, flipping Volare’s ragged mane with her magic, causing both stallions to roll their eyes. “Though you’ll need a perm before then as everypony will likely see you up there in the sky and second first-impressions are just as important as”-
“Save it fer later, Rare; fer now, we gotta help her Great and Powerfulness,” Applejack bumped Rarity with a hip and gave Twilight a wave. “We’ll see ya soon, Twi!”
“Good luck you guys!” Twilight called back as the four ponies rolled the unconscious Unicorn down the road towards the Hospital. The Librarian shut the door with a reluctant sigh and laid down on the couch, intent on getting a little rest while she could. But despite her exhaustion, and Spike snoring away on the overstuffed chair opposite her, sleep remained miles away. It took all her willpower not to climb the stairs to her observatory to watch the events play out in town, for she knew if she saw something bad happen…like those psychotic Unicorns somehow reaching the Hospital and…Nope, gotta stay positive Twi…gotta stay positive…they’re gonna catch those two and Volare’s gonna come back in one piece…I hope…
…………………
Fluttershy’s Cottage…
Fluttershy had arrived out of breath, her wings aching from the effort of having sky-sprinted to the edge of the Everfree Forest. She’d spotted Princess Luna kneeling peacefully in the backyard, attending to the moon and the stars, and landed none-to-gracefully in the hedgerow that lined the back fence. By the time that Luna had magically helped her friend untangle herself from the bushes, Shining Armor and Iron Will had joined them, curious as to what all the commotion was and why Fluttershy seemed clean and well-groomed, except for her hooves which were caked with gray dust. Even Shae woke with a start, cheereeking at the noise before calming down and listening in on the hasty conversation that ensued.
“Princess Luna, Ponyville’s in trouble!” Fluttershy managed to gasp, and immediately Luna’s demeanor changed to one of joviality to one of grim seriousness. Shining Armor and Iron Will listened with growing unease as Fluttershy explained everything in as much detail as she could, and by the end of her report…after hearing that those two were responsible for the assault and torture of her friend Volare and his little sister Scootaloo… Luna’s face…it had become almost stony with suppressed anger, her eyes staring towards the town and her breath coming in short, angry snorts while her jaw muscles had tensed, and her wings shifted in agitation. It was a subtle change, but it was enough to make the fur on Iron Will’s hackles stand on end, and he backed up a few steps from the Princess of the Night.
“Fluttershy,” Luna spoke softly but with a firm tone that brooked no interruption or argument as she rose from her hooves. “You’ve done well this evening with your report, and I’m glad to hear that Volare and everypony is alright. However, now I have business to attend to. I want you to stay here at your cottage for now; you too Iron Will.”
“Eh-heh, no arguments here, ma’am,” the minotaur replied as he peeped out from behind Shae’s tree; the osprey above him simply rolled her fierce golden eyes and continued to observe the Princess as the Alicorn turned to the Captain of the Guard.
“Shining Armor, follow me to town; I may need your assistance,” Luna spread her wings and prepared herself to hunt down those that threatened her country, something she hadn’t done in over a millennia; she felt the darkness of the remnants of Nightmare Moon rise up in her heart, and she allowed it a fraction of control over her actions as she pawed a great divot out of the soft earth with an angry hoof.
“Princess Luna,” Fluttershy called out, causing the Night Goddess to turn and regard her with cyan eyes as hard as diamond. Fluttershy nearly stumbled back at the sight, but steeled herself and stood her ground, telling herself that she was still her friend Luna behind those fierce eyes. “P-please be careful of them…they’re very dangerous.” But to her surprise, Luna replied with a dry chuckle and fierce grin.
“Oh it’s not I that should beware of them,” she turned back to the town, her eyes beginning to glow white. “It’s them that should beware of me…” And with that, she took a running start and launched herself into the air, gaining speed and allowing the darkness to rise just a little more until she seemed like a black winged cloud of vengeance pelting towards Ponyville, a trail of thunder and shadow in her wake. Fluttershy turned to shakily regard Shining Armor before he followed his Princess.
“I-I’ve never seen her that angry before,” the Element of Kindness shuddered, as did the Captain of the Guard.
“Neither have I, Fluttershy…neither have I.” He shook his head and galloped towards Ponyville without another word. He seriously doubted Luna would need his help in this, but…if she let the darkness take her too much, she might need his help to calm down so an arrest could be made. Still…he’d be willing to pay a mountain of bits just to see the looks on those Unicorns’ faces if Luna found them first…
…………….
Ponyville Medical…
“What the-you’re supposed to be crippled!” Dr. Stable sputtered as Volare trotted through the front doors of the hospital, Rarity, Applejack, and Big Mac right on his hooves along with the semi-conscious Trixie.
“Gee, thanks, Doc,” Volare rolled his eyes at the orange Unicorn.
“B-but how?!” Dr. Stable asked, circling the Pegasus and giving him a quick examination. “Never in all my years of modern medicine have I ever seen such a quick and complete recovery! Never! If you don’t mind, I’d love to run some tests to discover”-
“There’s no time, Doc,” Volare’s wings flared in irritation as he gave the floor a quick stomp. “I’m not here to run tests, I’m here with a very sick Unicorn that needs medical help immediately!” It was only then that Dr. Stable regarded the blue magician in the wheelchair, her head lolling back and forth as she groaned softy against the bright lights of the hospital lobby.
“Ah, goodness, my apologies!” the doctor focused and approached Trixie. “What’s wrong with her?” he asked as he lifted her head and looked her in the face.
“She was drugged with nightshade, sassafras root, and a lot of coffee,” Volare replied, causing Stable’s jaw to drop. “That was two or three nights ago, and now she’s in withdrawal.”
“B-but, how could she survive such an ordeal?” the orange Unicorn asked in disbelief as he lifted Trixie’s left eyelid and examining her roving, dilated pupil. Chills, hypothermia, confusion…yes, those were all the signs, alright.
“She’s a tough one, Ah’ll give’er that,” Applejack conceded with a respectful nod.
“Can you help her, Doctor?” Rarity asked, the concern in her voice for Trixie surprising Volare, considering the magician had humiliated the fashionista via green mane the last time they’d met. But now wasn’t the time to dredge up the past, especially when a life was on the line!
“Yes, yes we can,” Stable nodded and turned towards the hallway. “Nurse Redheart, prepare room 118 for a patient with hallucinogenic withdrawal!” He turned and nodded to the quartet of ponies, who relinquished the wheelchair-bound magician to him. “She’s in good hooves, I assure you.” As he spoke, a thunderous crack sounded overhead, and the night that was visible through the front windows seemed to grow…darker. “My, what in Celestia’s mane is going on out there?” the Doctor muttered as he wheeled Trixie down the hall.
Volare took a quick peek out the window, but after not seeing much besides the night growing slightly darker, nothing seemed to have changed. The Pegasus sank into one of the cushions near the door and breathed a small sigh of relief as Rarity and Applejack took seats on either side of him, with Big Mac opting to remain standing. After several moments, Rarity broke the silence with a light chuckle and nudge at Volare’s ribs, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
“My, my, somepony certainly seems to have their confidence back,” the white Unicorn declared with a smile. “The way you just took charge out there like that…it was quite impressive if I do say so myself, Volare.”
“Heh yeah, and you handled yourself pretty well too, Rarity,” he smiled. “Damn, If I weren’t so pissed at Ray and Jill, I’d wanna shake their hooves rather than wring their necks, cuz I certainly feel a lot better,” he shrugged his hooves and wings in emphasis, causing Applejack to hoof him in the shoulder.
“Well in any case, we’re glad ya’ll are back in tha saddle and…well, all here again,” she nodded to his wings. “What’s the next step, eh?”
“Next step?” he muttered and shook his head. “First thing’s first: catch those two and figure out who the hell their superior is and what he wants with me.”
“Well, that’s a given,” Rarity snorted. “We mean after that. Will you try to get back in the air soon?”
“One step at a time, Ms. Rarity,” Bic Mac spoke up, giving Volare a short nod. “Ain’t it you that always says ya can’t rush perfection?”
“Yeah, ya’ll seem awful eager fer’m ta get back in tha air,” Applejack gave her friend a strange look. “Why tha rush?”
“Oh-ah, it’s nothing, really,” the fashionista waved a dismissive hoof, but Applejack wasn’t buying it.
“It’s gotta do with that gift of yourn, huh?” she asked in a dead-pan tone. “Somethin’ about havin’ ta deal with Volare’s occupation as a pilot?”
“Oh really?” Volare cocked his head and gave Rarity an amused glance. “Do tell.”
“I thought we already had this conversation: an artist never reveals her work until the time is right, and until I feel it is…you’ll just all have to be patient,” she replied with a small huff.
“But I take it me being up in the air would hasten that moment’s arrival?” Volare asked, causing Rarity to smirk ever so slightly.
“It certainly wouldn’t hurt,” she tittered, causing Applejack to facehoof, Big Mac to roll his eyes, and Volare to chuckle and give Rarity the lightest of shoves…to which she responded by giving him a more forceful shove into Applejack, who responded by pushing the pilot back onto her friend. Before long, the Unicorn and Earth Pony were bouncing the Pegasus off each other, swaying back and forth and laughing like fools, causing Volare to mouth the word help to Big Mac. But the large red stallion only chuckled softly and shook his head. Mares…an unfathomable mystery…
He had to admit though, seeing Volare back on his hooves and fully healthy had certainly lightened the mood, especially around his sister who’d seemed a bit off ever since Volare’s wing injury, becoming a little more tense than usual whenever he was mentioned around the farmhouse. Then again, the fact that she had been there during Volare’s emergency surgery probably had some bearing on that. But in any case, a sense of normalcy seemed to be creeping back into everypony, and it was a feeling that Big Mac openly welcomed.
But their joyful little moment was short-lived as they all noticed an unmistakable flickering light through the front windows of the hospital. The four ponies trotted out the door and quickly confirmed the source of the light: fire, and a lot of it, coming from the direction of the Ponyville Inn. “What in Luna’s moon is happening over there?” Rarity breathed as storm clouds began to gather overhead, though none of them saw a trace of any weather pony in the sky.
“Ah dunno, but Ah got a feelin’ we’re more’n a little outta our league here,” Applejack muttered fearfully as thunder crashed from the clouds and a downpour began over the eastern half of Ponyville, the wind from the sudden storm bringing with it the smell of smoldering wood and the cries of terrified ponies intermingled with the shouts of the Town Guard doing their best to keep order in the streets. “Good call on sittin this’n out, Volare,” she nudged the back of her hat against the Pegasus’ chest.
“Yeah, no kidding,” he replied, his eyes flicking between the firelight and the direction of Twilight’s Library on the opposite side of town, which was the only fact keeping him from charging out and checking on the Librarian. Please stay safe, Twi, he thought as he turned back towards the east…
………………….
Ponyville Inn, 15 minutes earlier…
“Ok, is that everything?” Jill asked impatiently as Ray did a final scan of the room for any other evidence that might give the Town Guard a lead. They’d gathered up every scrap of trash they could find in the room as well as the bedsheets and pillow cases; they’d figure out what to do with those later. They’d then sanitized the countertops and bathroom with a multitude of spells, finishing up by pulling the shower curtain down and taking that too.
“Yeah, I think so,” Ray replied with a nod, magically hefting the load of rubbish stuffed in the pillowcases over his head. “Let’s get the hay outta here.”
“About time,” his sister growled and threw the door open, carrying their suitcases, shower curtain, and bedsheets herself and heading towards the front desk of the Inn. As late as it was, they weren’t terribly worried about the clerk being awake and questioning why they seemed to be carrying half the room with them, and they marched into the front lobby with confidence. They planned to leave town as quietly as possible, burn and bury the evidence once they were far enough away, and then head for the East Coast, board a ship, and then never return to Equestria. As they crossed the lobby though, they were a bit dismayed by the sound of thunder booming overhead.
“Aww, horseapples,” Jill snorted and readjusted her grip on the luggage. “Now we’re gonna have to run in the rain!” But just before they reached the door, it swung open, and what seemed to be a living shadow loomed in the doorway, causing the siblings to halt in their tracks.
“Leaving so soon?” an unfamiliar female voice spoke as the dark shape stepped inside, her blued-steel-shod hooves clipping lightly on the granite floor before she stepped into the light, revealing pale glowing eyes, a short crown surrounding a long horn, and a small, confident grin gracing the lips of the regal cobalt Alicorn before them. “Please, stay a while, for I much desire to speak with you two…at great length, in fact.” Her last words carried no doubt as to what that meant.
“Just who the hay are you, lady?” Jill demanded. “We’re not in the mood for talking, so get outta the way if ya know what’s good for ya!” But Ray recognized the pony before them, and he immediately dropped the rubbish and collared his short-tempered sister, bowing his head ever so slightly as he spoke.
“P-please forgive my sister, your highness,” Ray said as he back up a few steps, causing the Alicorn’s amused smile to widen ever so slightly. “She’s impulsive and-oof!” he cried as he caught Jill’s elbow in the stomach.
“What the hoof is wrong with you, bro?” Jill whirled on him and growled. “You lost your nerve or something? She’s just a single pony; let’s blast her and get moving already!”
“Agh, sis…you don’t understand,” Ray coughed and glanced fearfully at the Alicorn who blocked their path. “That’s Princess Luna.”
“Wait, what?!” Jill’s eyes shot wide and stared at the Alicorn. She’d never laid eyes on the Princess of the Night that she so often swore by, and the realization of whom was standing not 10 feet away finally washed over her, and she dropped their baggage in shock. “Shit, what do we do?” she hissed.
“I dunno, I dunno,” Ray’s eyes darted from Luna to the door, to the windows, searching for an avenue of escape but finding none. Their only exit was back the way they came…or right through the Moon Goddess. However, she didn’t seem to be there to kill them, otherwise she probably would have already…he suddenly got an idea. “Follow my lead, sis…Princess Luna,” he addressed the Alicorn with a false, weak quaiver to his voice, calling upon his acting skills to get them through this mess as he placed himself between the Princess and his sister. “By what grand occasion do you grace us, your humble subjects, with your regal presence?” he asked with a bow of his head, causing Jill to roll her eyes. “
“Your acting skills are quite impressive, Ray,” Luna eyed the Unicorn warily, causing him to look at her incredulously. “Yes that’s right, I know exactly who you are. Your sister Jill as well,” her teeth began to show as her lip curled back in the beginnings of a snarl, the shadows that surrounded her seeming to extend from her body and suck all the light from the room as she spoke. “You were involved in the theft of several Canterlot artifacts, the torture of the filly Scootaloo, and assault and attempted murder of my friend Volare…I know plenty about you two, so don’t attempt to fool me with your poisonous, silver-tongued speech.”
“Shit, she knows about Volare and all that stuff?!” Jill cried, leaning on her brother’s back and staring at the Night Princess in a mix of shock and frustration.
“Apparently,” Ray nodded and returned his gaze to Luna. “Then I suppose you’re here to arrest us?”
“Precisely,” Luna nodded and took another threatening step towards them. “Come quietly and all will be”-
“YEAH RIGHT, BUCK THAT NOISE!” Jill snarled and leaped to the side of her brother, steam swirling upwards from her horn as she grinned nastily at the Princess. “We’re not going with you or anypony, so take this!” With a roar of anger, the Unicorn shot a great blast of fire out of her horn that raced to engulf the Night Princess before she had a chance to react beyond throwing up her wings to shield herself. “Ahahahahaha, yeah, yeah, take that, and that, and that!!” Jill screeched as she hurled fireball after fireball onto the Princess, laughing like a banshee as she did so until she finally stopped after nearly a full minute of assault.
Breathing hard and chuckling under her breath at Ray’s shocked face, she waited for the flames to die down and inspect her handiwork. Did she seriously just do what I think she just did?! Ray thought to himself, unable to move his hooves from the floor as his sister continued to snicker. “Mmm-mmm,” she inhaled and laughed loudly. “I love the smell of roast Princess in the…no…”
“You really bucked us now, Jill,” Ray gasped in horror.
The flames around Luna finally extinguished themselves, revealing the Princess still very much intact and surrounded by a lavender-colored magical shield. Standing at her side, his teeth bared in anger and defiance, was her Captain of the Guard, Shining Armor. Jill stumbled back to her brother in disbelief as the shield faded and disappeared, allowing the Captain to speak. “Good thing I caught up with you, Princess.”
“Your help wasn’t required, Captain,” Luna glanced to the side. “Still…thank you. Now then,” the Canterlot ponies turned the gazes back to the Unicorns before them. “I believe we have business to attend to here. Shining Armor, please read the charges.”
“Yes ma’am,” the Captain nodded and cleared his throat, barely containing the righteous fury he held towards these two psychotic Unicorns as he spoke. “By order of Princess Luna and the Authority of the Canterlot Royal Guard, I Shining Armor hereby place you under arrest for the charges of theft, destruction of property, torture, placing ponies under the influence of hallucinogens, and the attempted murders of Volare, myself, and Princess Luna of Canterlot.” He finished speaking and pointed his horn at the pair. “I’d ask you to come quietly, but at this point, it doesn’t make any difference to me. Your little reign of terror against the citizens of Equestria ends tonight!”
“Well, well,” Jill said shakily, she and her brother retreating a bit further into as she did so. She was still chuckling reflexively, still unable to believe what had just happened. She looked to her brother for answers, but his mouth was uttering every prayer he could think of under his breath. Jill snorted in fury and turned back to the Princess and the Captain, unwilling to be taken alive. She looked about once more for an avenue of escape, but found nothing but walls surrounding them…wooden walls…and the sleepy snores of their only upstairs neighbor right above them… She suddenly smirked evilly as an idea came to her. “Seems like you two really care a lot about the safety of your ponies,” she laughed sardonically.
“Of course, it’s our primary duty to protect them from dangers like you,” Luna nodded and charged her horn, intent on performing a binding spell on the duo and ending this as quickly as possible. But to her surprise, Jill only continued to chuckle lightly. “Before I gag you, pray tell: what is it you find amusing about this situation?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Jill snickered. “Just your dedication to your citizens’ safety…let’s give it a quick test!” She then turned her horn upwards and, to Luna and Shining Armor’s horror, she blasted a great gout of flames onto the ceiling and across the walls in a great blazing arc, immediately setting the surrounding building on fire. With a wicked laugh, Jill then magically grabbed a chunk of the ceiling and ripped it down, causing an elderly grey mare to tumble down into their midst. She blinked in confusion before screaming in terror, which immediately woke everypony else in the inn up. Luna quickly picked up the mare and levitated her out the door, distracting her long enough for Jill to pull down another section of the walls and reveal more terrified, screaming ponies being given the rudest awakening of their lives.
“Ray, ya wanna lend a hoof here?!” Jill snarled.
Ray soon caught on and picked up a load of furniture from the lobby, setting it on fire and hurling it through the walls and sending ponies scattering into the lobby and towards the exit to escape the burning building. Luna and Shining Armor glared daggers at the siblings as Jill spoke above the roar of the growing flames, grinning through the flying embers as she saw that they were unwilling to try any spells for fear of hitting the ponies that ran around them in a panic. “It’s them or us, Princess! Choose wisely-hee-hee-hee!” And with that, Jill grabbed their baggage and set the rubbish on fire, kicking it towards Shining Armor before she and Ray pelted into the flaming hallway, daring the Princess and the Captain to follow them.
But Luna and Shining Armor swiftly exchanged a glance, nodded in agreement, and began the evacuation of the building, leaving Ray and Jill to escape. To the Canterlot ponies, the lives of the citizens of Ponyville mattered more than the apprehension of two criminals. When Ray and Jill realized they weren’t being followed, they quickly kicked in the door of one of the rooms, blew out the back wall of the apartment, and fled East, galloping over the bridge spanning the Ponyville Stream faster than even the wind could hope to move. Within minutes, they’d disappeared into the underbrush of the Whitetail Wood…and were literally gone without a trace.
“Shining Armor, did you check upstairs?” Luna yelled over the crackle of the hungry flames that were devouring anything flammable in their path.
“I did!” the Captain yelled from the stairwell, galloping down from the second floor. “That mare and those two pieces of scum were the only ones up there,” he reported as he reached her, panting and coughing from the sprint and the amount of smoke filling the air.
“Good,” Luna nodded and headed outside with Shining Armor. Once outside, she looked up at the burning building and focused her mind on the sky above her. “Captain, keep the other ponies back,” she instructed as her translucent mane and tail began to flutter outwards from her body and her eyes glowed brightly.
“Yes ma’am,” he nodded and coordinated with the Town Guard nearby to establish a perimeter. “Should I call the Weather Team to put this out, Princess?”
“The situation is well in-hoof, Captain,” Luna shook her head and spread her wings, rising into the air and holding her hooves to the sky. Within moments, stormclouds had gathered and thunder was booming as they swirled above the building. Luna’s horn glowed as she focused her will on the water droplets within the clouds, readying them for their final destination. With a loud cry, she dropped her hooves, and lightning crackled as the rain fell in a massive downburst of wind-blown rain that snaked into the Ponyville Inn through the windows and doors and neatly extinguished the flames before flying out of the building and landing in the river with a hiss of steam and static.
Luna sighed and fluttered to the ground, her eyes returning to normal as the citizens of Ponyville gaped at her in awe. To be honest, the sudden admiration very nearly caused Luna to blush, but she fought it back and addressed the ponies with authority. “Citizens of Ponyville, thank you for your cooperation in this matter. I can assure you this situation will be fully explained in tomorrow’s newspaper, but for now, please, allow those who’ve lost their beds to the fire this evening into your homes if you have a spare place to stay. You’ll all be compensated for your efforts. Thank you, and goodnight.”
She nodded to Shining Armor, and the pair made their way to Ponyville Medical where Volare, Rarity, Applejack, and Big Macintosh were standing on the front porch of the building, waiting for news of what the hay just happened. And judging by the solemn expressions on The Princess and Captain’s faces, it didn’t seem to be ‘mission success.’ “Dare I ask?” Rarity queried as they approached, but Shining Armor simply shook his head in disappointment.
“We found them at the Inn and they attempted to murder the Princess,” he reported, eliciting a collective gasp at the audacity of such a thing from the quartet of ponies in front of the Hospital. “We tried to apprehend them, but…they set the Inn on fire and…they made us choose between the lives of the ponies staying there and themselves.”
“An’ Ah take it ya’ll chose ta save the good folks of Ponyville, huh?” Applejack concluded with a grim nod. “Well, burnin’ haybales!” she stomped on the floor and growled. “Them dirty-fightin’ varmints!”
“Cowardly ruffians,” Rarity snorted.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac rumbled his two bits as well. They all turned to Volare to see him literally shaking in anger.
“Th-those two little…bastards,” he snarled and slammed his hoof against the brick façade of the building so hard that it chipped the stonework. He ignored the ache in his hoof and regarded the Princess and the Captain. “I…I just can’t help but feel responsible for all this,” he declared. “I mean, if it weren’t for me, they’d have no business here and…dammit, this is my fault!” He pulled back his hoof to slam the wall again, but Applejack grabbed it before he could and pulled him into a gentle but firm hug.
“Shh, ya’ll cut that talk out right now, sugarcube,” she said softly, pulling his face against the farm-worn fur of her shoulder as she spoke. “This ain’t your fault no more’n it’s mine er Rare’s er Big Mac’s.” She held him at hoof’s length and smiled encouragingly. “Ya’ll had no idea this’d happen, so don’tcha blame yerself, ya hear?”
“Indeed,” Princess Luna nodded sagely. “If anything, your actions yet again saved more lives tonight, for if you hadn’t alerted myself and the Captain…if the Town Guard had attempted to apprehend them instead…” she trailed off; there was no need for her to finish.
“Thanks you guys,” Volare sniffed away the self-angry tears and sighed. “And if you wanna be totally accurate, it was Trixie’s advice that saved everypony tonight. She’s the one that informed us just how dangerous those two were.”
"Yes, but if you hadn't saved Trixie from that falling roof, we wouldn't have been warned, darling" Rarity insisted with a smile, causing Volare to give a small sigh of defeat. Luna nodded to herself and beckoned the others to follow her.
“Come, we need to inform your friends that the situation is under control and relieve them of their worries,” she gestured towards town. “I trust Trixie is in good care now?”
“Yeah, she is,” Volare nodded.
“Good, now come. And do inform me in further detail of this…Trixie situation on the way there, if you please.” And with that, the ponies left the hospital for the shell of the now extra-rustic café.
……………….
The Gilded Griffon…
By the time they reached the restaurant, Luna and Shining Armor had been completely filled in on the details regarding Trixie and the rest of the events that had transpired that night by Volare and his friends. On the way there, Luna took a moment to congratulate Volare on the recovery of his wings, however unorthodox the methods might have been, while Shining Armor joked that the first time he'd seen the Pegasus fully functional happened to be a in situation where neither of them could fully appreciate the accomplishment. However, he did say that once this issue was resolved that if Volare was alright with it, he'd like to observe the Pegasus in flight and back in his element once again, to which Volare agreed.
“So did ya get those guys?” Vinyl asked when they came into view and after Pinkie had disengaged herself from the tackle-hug she’d launched onto ‘Volare-bear’, but her face fell further and further as the ponies related the news. “Well, damn,” the DJ cursed softly at the end of the report and shrugged her shoulders. “At least nopony got hurt, right? Oh, Volare, if it's any consolation, I kinda got bad news on this end too."
“Huh, what happened?” the Pegasus asked in alarm, worried that the building had fallen in on Lyra’s human room or something.
“Well, we found Octy’s cello,” she gestured towards the cellist doing her best to buff off the scuff marks on the instrument with her elbow. “And Lyra’s lyre, but my speakerbox and the ear-buds got crunched to pieces.” She produced the shattered pieces of equipment from her saddlebag as evidence.
“What about the recorder?” Volare asked hopefully, relieved by Vinyl’s confident grin.
“Oh yeah, never took it off my neck,” she pulled the sphere from her other saddlebag for a moment before replacing it gently. “Your story and records are safe with me.”
“That’s good,” Volare nodded before giving a huge yawn. “Aha, sorry.” To his amusement, the DJ proceeded to yawn, as did Lyra and Octavia. “Guess they are contagious, huh?” he chuckled before a small yawn sounded from behind him. He turned to see Luna holding a hoof over her mouth and blushing ever so slightly.
“Eh-heh, so it would seem,” the Princess laughed lightly before addressing those present. “Everypony, I wish to commend you for your cool-headed actions this night. The issues regarding the apprehension of Ray and Jill, as well as the damages to the properties still remain, but I believe it’s in everypony’s best interest to wait until morning to discuss them.”
“I strongly agree, Princess Luna,” Rarity nodded and yawned hugely herself and with minimal melodrama-she truly was that tired! “Unfortunately, we must declare this fox-hunt forfeit for now, but we shall remain vigilant and continue it when we are able.”
“Well said, Rarity,” Luna nodded her admiration. “I bid thee all good evening and pleasant dreams." And with that, everypony began to go to their respective places of rest. But before Luna could take wing back to Fluttershy’s cottage, she felt a tug at her shoulder and she turned to regard the blue and yellow Pegasus pilot. “Yes, Volare?”
“I just wanted to say one last thing in regards to Trixie,” he hesitated, worried he’d overstepped some sort of bounds for a moment before Luna nodded for him to continue. “I believe that her actions this evening, while rash and under the influence of multiple mind-altering drugs, still resulted in my life being saved by her. Therefore…I just wanted to let you know that if a trial comes to pass for the damage she caused, that I’ll be doing my best to defend her innocence of these actions.”
“That’s quite the noble intent, Volare,” Luna tilted her head and looked at him, searching for any hint of reluctance; but he appeared to be serious and determined to defend the magician, and his stance finally caused her to chuckle lightly and lay a hoof on his shoulder. “That’s quite fine by me. I won’t take either side for fear of affecting the fairness of the trial, but you have my blessing to defend her if it comes to it…and by the looks of things, there will have to at least be a bench trial to ascertain how and by whom these damages will be paid off,” she nodded at the ruins of the café. “I can’t imagine poor Bon-Bon is overly fond of Trixie at the moment, eh?”
“Hardly,” Volare shook his head. “The only problem is Trixie doesn’t have a single bit to her name to pay for this, because Ray and Jill robbed her before they drugged her,” he stomped a hoof in the dirt; he really hated those guys! “And imprisonment won’t do her any good either…I mean, hay, I’d help her out if I could, but I don’t have any bits either,” he sighed in frustration. “Dammit, and I’d promised to fix their roof too,” he gestured to the collapsed structure. “So much for that little pledge, huh?” Luna took note of these facts and nodded her understanding before speaking.
“Volare, I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” she patted his shoulder. “But for now, you need your rest; you’ve got a big day ahead of you, I’ll warrant...if your previous actions for your friends are any indication, that is.”
“Huh, what do you mean, Princess?” he looked up at her to see she was wearing a tiny smile. What was she up to? But she simply continued to smile and as she spread her wings to fly away, she paused and glanced back at him.
“Oh, just one more thing, Volare…have you formally checked out of the hospital yet?”
“Um, no, why?”
“It’s nothing you need to take care of right now, but I believe you were already informed of my pre-payment of your recovery and rehabilitation, correct?” When Volare nodded once, her smile grew a small fraction. “Well, since you don’t need that money for your rather substantial medical expenses anymore,” she winked. “It would be an absolute shame to let those bits gather dust in the Hospital coffers, would they not?”
“Are you saying…that I could…” Volare trailed off as his eyes widened.
“I’m not saying anything specific, Volare, as it would look rather…improper for a Princess like myself to give out donations to strangers…heaven knows everypony would be looking for a hoof-out after a while, and then where would we be?” She smiled demurely and turned to go. “I’m just saying you seem to be the type of pony that knows when and how to do the right thing with what he has available to him, that’s all. Oh, and if you stay someplace tonight, I don’t suggest Fluttershy’s; it’s too dangerous to leave town since those two hoodlums are still at large; however, by tomorrow it should be safe, so please come by and see me before you officially check out of the hospital and the Captain and I leave town. Good night!” As she flew off towards the west, Shining Armor galloping after her, Volare simply stood there, his mind racing a mile a minute as he realized the possibilities that had just been laid out before him. He was startled out of his musings by Vinyl Scratch throwing a hoof over his shoulders and placing something in his own hoof.
“Check it out, dude,” she said and he looked down to see two small black objects: more earbuds for Vinyl’s recording equipment. He looked up at her curiously and she grinned. “Heh, found a spare set in my bag; they’re yours to keep. I’ll getcha set up with the rest of the equipment tomorrow if you want.”
“Wow Vinyl…you’re serious?” he asked in shock, but she simply hoofed him in the shoulder and grinned.
“As a heart attack,” she chuckled. “Come on by the studio when ya get the chance and I’ll getcha hooked up; it’s the least I can do for helping me with my tour…I’ll getcha some actual bits as payment after the next tour. Promise. Peace!” The DJ waved a hoof and together she and Octavia headed to their duplex. Volare looked down at the ear-buds and smiled before tucking them under his wing as a mint-green Unicorn approached him. “What’s up Lyra? Heh, guess I should thank you for saving my flank in there, huh?”
“Nah, it was nothing,” she waved a hoof dismissively and sighed slightly. “Kinda wish we didn’t totally wreck the place, but hey, such is life, eh?”
“Yeah, well, I still intend to fix the place,” he gave her a surprising grin.
“Huh, how?”
“You’ll see,” he chuckled lightly. “I’ve got a quasi-plan in the works.”
“Heh, sounds better than Bon-Bon’s plan of bemoaning the loss of her frickin’ broomstick, not to mention the café,” she nodded back over her shoulder at the cream-colored Earth Pony sitting on the ruined bar and staring around at her ruined place of business. Lyra shook her head before her face suddenly brightened and she looked up at Volare with a grin. “Crap, that reminds me; I got something at my place I gotta show ya! Hey Bon-Bon, c’mon! Stop mopin and get on over here!”
“But it’s all gone, Lyra!” the Earth Pony protested and dragged her hooves as she slowly made her way towards her friend. “We’re done…washed up…finished!”
“You say so, but ol’ Volare here says he’s got a plan!” she threw a chummy hoof around the Pegasus and grinned. “So buck up and c’mon.” Before they left, Volare bid Big Mac, Applejack, and Rarity farewell, though Rarity reminded him that he needed to stop by her Boutique at some point tomorrow to get his mane fixed with a less…ragged style. He promised he would and gave Pinkie another gargantuan hug before she left for Sugarcube Corner, telling her to expect him for breakfast tomorrow…and to not tell Scootaloo what happened if she asked; he wanted to surprise his little sister. Pinkie nodded energetically and hopped off home, leaving Volare to follow Lyra to her place, dropping off Bon-Bon at her own home on the way there.
To the Pegasus’ relief, Lyra didn’t have any intentions of the “private session” he still remembered her joking about (nor did he remind her of it). In fact, he never even set hoof inside her home. Instead, she told him to wait at the door and she ran in alone. Over the sounds of clattering doo-dads, both pony and human alike, he could hear Lyra’s muffled voice muttering about ‘where she’d put that darn thing.’ After a few minutes of awkward hoof-shuffling in the night air-quiet now that the town had calmed down and gone back to sleep, he noted with relief-Lyra returned with a large, brass-bound book floating over her grinning head.
“Check it out; figured you could use this at some point, but I guess it’ll be a little sooner than I thought, huh?” she pushed the book excitedly into his hooves, and he examined the cover: “Pegasus Flight and Its Applications”, by Typhoon VI.
“Whoa,” Volar hefted the old-looking tome and looked up the Unicorn. “Where’d you get this?”
“The Canterlot Library; Celestia let me borrow it.”
“How’d you manage that?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, something about her sitting like a human or something…I forget,” Lyra shrugged and gave him a quick hug. “Night dude, and good luck!”
“See ya, Lyra,” Volare waved and couldn’t help but chuckle at the roller coaster of fotune he was currently riding…that and the image of Celestia attempting to sit like a human tickled him to no end, and he was still chuckling by the time he reached Twilight’s Library, the book tucked under his wing.
He had only managed to knock once before he had to jump out of the way of the swinging candle-motifed door. “A little jumpy, eh Twi-hey!” he managed to say as the worried Unicorn magically grabbed him, yanked him inside, shut the door, and threw her hooves around his neck in a crushing hug. “Yet again Twi…choking, not breathing,” he managed to gasp, and luckily she released him much more quickly this time, her face blushing hotly, which only made the tear streaks in her face fur stand out that much more.
“Aww, Twi,” he sat the book and ear-buds down on the end table next to the door, wiped her cheeks with a wing, and gave her a hug of his own. “I’m ok…everypony’s ok.”
“I know, I know,” the Librarian mumbled into his neck before looking up at him. “Still doesn’t make me worry any less about you, ya know?” She suddenly slugged him in the shoulder and gave him a small smile. “Hah, didn’t block that one,” she quipped and stepped away from him as he rubbed his shoulder and chuckled.
“I was just gonna let you know that they couldn’t catch those two Unicorns, but they’re on the lookout for them. Luna’s planning on sending word to Celestia tonight, and by tomorrow, there’ll be WANTED posters and ads in every town in Equestria. They won’t get far,” he explained.
“But they’re still out there, right?” Twilight tilted her head in concern. “Do you have a place to stay?”
“Well, I was gonna go back to Fluttershy’s, but Luna advised against it cuz those two Unicorns are still on the loose,” he scratched his head sheepishly. “So, I guess I was gonna ask if your couch was still free?” In response, the Unicorn rolled her eyes and swatted him in the head with a throw-pillow.
“Of course it is, you big dork,” Twilight smiled and quickly turned down a blanket on the couch, placing a fluffy pillow on the arm of the furniture and gesturing to Volare with a mock accent: “Your chariot to dreamland awaits, sir,” she chuckled.
“What, no gilding?” the Pegasus chuckled before being hit in the face with another pillow. “Pfft, what’s up with you and hitting me in the face, lately, Twi?”
“Argh, could you two keep it down…tryin’ to sleep here,” Spike grumbled and pulled his blanket over his head in the chair, grumbling about ponies not respecting a dragon’s earned rights to some shuteye…or something along those lines. Volare and Twilight both suppressed giggles before calming down. The Pegasus laid down on the couch, fluffing the feathers of his wings before he realized what he was doing and blushing at his own actions, drawing another suppressed giggle from the Unicorn before the Pegasus mocked her laughter and shut his eyes, pretending to snore silently despite the grin on his face.
Twilight suppressed another giggle before quietly trotting to the side of the couch and kneeling down to the level of Volare’s face. It was the feel of her warm breath on his forehead that caused him to open his eyes to find Twilight looking at him not six inches away. “Um, eh-heh, can I help you, Twi?”
“Nope, just thinking, I guess,” she leaned back slightly and continued to look at him.
“Oh, about what?” he looked up curiously. But when she didn’t answer, he tried his hoof at a guess. “It’s about what you saw in there with me and Trixie, huh?” Yet again, she didn’t answer, although her brow creased slightly. “Trust me…nothing happened at all. She was just cold and scared and I…just didn’t have the heart to let her suffer there alone like that…she’s a good soul Twilight,” his statement caught her off-guard, and it was her turn to stare at him in curiosity. “Just really misguided and misunderstood…kinda reminds me of me when I first got here…no friends…all alone with nopony to trust.”
“But you can trust me,” Twilight took his hoof in her own. “And everypony else.”
“Indeed…but who can she trust, Twi? Who’s gonna guide her on the right path?” he shook his head and sighed. “I owe her my life, as crazy as it sounds, and…I’m gonna figure out a way to help get her on the right path as repayment.” He squeezed her hoof and looked her in the eye. “I don’t know a thing about magic, but you know more than half of Equestria combined.” His compliment made her cheeks flush scarlet. “If I asked you to help me with her…would you put aside your differences with her and teach her the right stuff?”
Twilight mulled the request over in her mind for a moment before deciding on a course of action. “I will, but it’s just not gonna be easy to break the habits she’s fallen into.”
“She’s a tough one, as AJ put it,” Volare chuckled. “I think she’ll do ok if she puts her mind to it…she just needs a friend or two to help…that’s all.” He yawned and smiled sheepishly, as did Twilight. “Heh, damn yawns are still contagious,” he chuckled.
“No kidding,” the Unicorn smiled and looked down into his silver-blue eyes with her own violet ones. Her tired mind suddenly had the strangest desire to ask if he’d let her sleep on the couch with him, since it was right there and all…and it looked so comfy. But no, she felt that wouldn’t be appropriate considering his feelings about mares and that sorta thing…not to mention Spike was sitting right there…oh, she’d never hear the end of that if he saw them. Instead, she bent down to give him a quick hug, which he gladly returned. Her hoof graced the base of his right wing momentarily and she looked down to see the black ring of fur and feathers where she’d reattached the wing…but why was it-?
“Oh hey, Twi,” he spoke into her indigo mane.
“Hrm?”
“You’re tired as hell and done so much for me the past few days, so I’ve decided…you’re taking a day off tomorrow,” at his out-of-leftfield declaration, Twilight couldn’t help but laugh into the crook of his neck at the absurdity of such a statement. But, she knew he was right…besides, when was the last time I’d had a day off anyways? Before she could stop herself, she leaned back and gave him a quick kiss of thanks on the forehead, causing them both to blush in unison, more-so when Spike snorted in his sleep and sent Twilight leaping over the back of the couch in embarrassment, thinking he’d seen what she’d done.
Once she was convinced that the dragon hadn’t seen, she looked down at Volare, who was blushing just as heavily as before, as was she. “So, um…yeah,” she chuckled nervously, afraid she’d made him angry.
“Uh-huh,” Volare simply nodded and smiled, much to her relief. “So don’t set your alarm or anything, k? Night, Twi,” he said as if nothing had happened, and turned over to go to sleep.
“Heh, night Volare,” Twilight managed to say before she made her way to the stairs, mentally berating herself for how stupid that had been. But by the time she’d reached the third step, she looked back and sighed at the familiar scene of Spike snoring in the chair and Volare asleep on the couch. Deja-Vu, she thought to herself as she returned to her climb. Deja-Vu…
-------------------------------
Notes: FINALLY, things are looking up for everypony, eh?
Questions still remain though:
WHO is Ray and Jill's Boss?
WHY did he wanna capture Volare?
WHERE are Ray and Jill gonna go?
WHEN will Volare learn to fly again?
And WHAT is Volare's plan, anyways!?
Volare: Tune in next time to find out!
Author: I thought you hated those sign-out thingies?
Volare: Well, I happen to be in a good mood...feel like I could fly...oh wait, I can now!
Author: Very funny
Volare: ZING! 8D
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1278101 I think you'll like what I did
1278458 You and everypony else...especially after the latest chapter...
1278461
The black ring. I've had this itching suspicion for ages. It will play a role, I just know it.
Yeah, that black ring sounds like eventual bad news.
I hope we get to see Shining Armor or Luna in more action eventually. I'd imagine that Shining could easily be as dangerous as some of the Elements if he got creatively offensive with his shields, and I'm curious to too see how powerful the Princesses turn out to be in this story.
Captain Armor (in this fic) has lost a lot of respect with me as an officer. He should have been able to come up with a plan to complete both objectives [Capturing Ray and Jill, and Get the Civilians out of the Inn]. The moment I read that Jill and Ray were starting the Inn on fire, I came up with two plans and a contingency plan, within two seconds, using spells I know both Luna and Armor know. And that's from an Army ROTC Cadet that only had half of the required training...
The only thing I can't come up with a plan to beat is "plot armor"
Oh Luna.....you got 20% less cool after this chapter......you NEVER ask the villain "why are you laughing" right before you capture them. Capture first, cart them to a maximum security holding facility second, THEN you can ask them whatever you want.
Also, V my friend, you win all the internets for being the only writer on this site that knows how to spell the word "choking" correctly. You would not BELIEVE how many times I see that word misspelled. It's almost more common than homonym errors.
kelfen.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/moar.jpg
Wait are you sure your not done done done
1278719
Well, they were, kinda, under heavy emotional influence... like almost everypony that night... Though it's true that trained officer, and with such a rank, should find a solution to this problem.
1278627 were Mac's thoughts a...?
I feel... honoured
1278743
Anyone that is military trained, learns to keep their emotions under control at all times ("shut them off" was how I was told to think about it), especially as an officer. Even when the whole world is exploding around the unit, the officers need to maintain a calm image to help keep the unit from falling into a panic. At the same time, they always need to be coming up with plans as to how to accomplish their mission, and keep their men alive. "Heavy emotional influence" is extremely dangerous on the battlefield and has gotten more than one unit killed because the officer wasn't able to keep their head.
In other words, our dear Captain has no excuse. Princess Luna does, on the other hand, have an excuse. She's not supposed to be a combat leader.
1278627 you forgot to add "what is rarity's present?"
@Hospital scene:
... 
Wasn't able to stop ROFL for sometime after that! But no impossibru Redheart?
...
---------------
Gaaaah sucks that Ray and Jill got away, I wanted them to BLEED!
--------------
Now to once again wait for the next instalment of the masochistic adventures of human turned pony Volare. Same ponyfic site, same ponyfic author!
1278772
You should keep in mind that you're thinking in Earth way, where there are many wars and the military people are trained accoringly. In Equestria Royal Guard acts more as a police that doesn't have to deal with mayor emergency often.
1278875
Yes, I am judging them by Earth standards, because I'm judging them by the standard I was held to during my training. Right or wrong, Armor doesn't measure up.
YOU LIE, you said tomorrow you would update not today..........
And also
Me: You can fly.
Volare: Yep sure can
Me: Ok i'll be right back with the bolt cutters......
I walk of.
Volare: Ah ok and also.... Wait a minute. SHIIIIIT!
Author: Oi Volare watch your fucking language.
I return with bolt cutters.
Me: Let's do this LEEEEEEEEEEROOOOOY JEEEEEENNNKIIIIIINSSSSSS!!!!!!
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/001/738/lolcats-funny-pictures-leroy-jenkins.jpg
1278772
Apparently they have to add "We know that the suspect just tried to murder the Princess! Whatever! Stay sharp and think, NOW!" point in their training. That, and 1000 years of relative peace tends to make tactical thinking less vital.
Anyway.
Even if only a bit. I mean: Rarity frantically digging in dirt and rubble to get him out, Applejack comforting him like that now, Fluttershy and Miyagi situation, Pinke... well dunno... and Twi... yeah, let's leave that for now.
also Rainbow... not talking, not talking!
This is getting better and better!
So, Volare's mane is still a disaster?
Some peace coming now, I hope?
Looks like the entire mane 6 is pretty much affected by Volare now.
And I can't believe Jill is so mentaly twisted now. To not recognise frikkin Princess? And then attack her? Is she from the Moon or what? I feel sorry for her now... kinda... nope, not really... serves her right!!
V-Pony, you made me read that and not concider any options, not try to guess the outcome, nothing! I just sit and read and immersed myself without analysing everything! Rare thing! Good job!
1278923
You got a problem with that?
"1278923
The author probably likes being in spotlight, nothing wrong there. I just hope he doesn't forget about us little people when he's rich and famous.
---------
And something I forgot to mention on my previous post:
I just love how Volare got turned into a ragdoll not 5 minutes since he laid down to rest.
You know what? This has been on my mind long enough. Can we see some kind of picture/drawing of what Volare's current mane style is right now? I wanna see Rarity make it fabulous!
Awesome chapter btw!
fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/077/b/f/celestia_sitting_by_stinkehund-d4t4l3a.png
Good story
So the flight book was written by Typhoon VI.....did he look like this?
xairforces.net/images/news/large_news/230112_Oman_BAE_Typhoon.jpg
As much as I was hesitant about Volare/Twilight shipping before I want it now. Please?
1278889
Maybe Volare should become Captain of the Royal Guard. After all, who trains their soldiers better than a warmongering race like humans.
1277409
PYRO!!!!!!
1279312
Soldiers or Pilots? There is a major difference in how they are trained, what their jobs are, and what will keep them alive. Besides that, Volare is young, brash, and fairly inexperienced with combat flight. While he does have a leg up on most of the ponies whom are supposed to be members of the military (I cannot call them warriors, they are just not strong in enough ways to be called that), he too has a lot to learn about the art of warfare.
Be careful about calling humanity in general "warmongers", it's really offensive to those of us who have served in the armed forces. We are more of a warrior race than "warmongers". Most humans will naturally not want to fight unless they are not, or feel like they're not, given a choice.
1279026 No Celestia! Not you too!
This was an awesome chapter. I got the email notification and basically dropped everything I was doing just to read this.
Can't wait for the next one!
BUCK. YES.
Enjoy flying while you can Volare, I have a feeling V is just setting up to torture you. Again. Poor guys been through the proverbial meat grinder a few times over.
scranton.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/rsz/mlfw384_medium.jpg
Meanwhile Rainbow Dash is doing....................??
“Them dirty-fightin’ varmints!”
“Cowardly ruffians,” Rarity snorted.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac rumbled his two bits as well"
nice one Bic Mac
funnypicsofanything.com/upload/17267-31688/pound-it.jpg
The Criss Angel thing...
Didn't he once have giant hooks through his back or something?
Lol ssohpkc reference I thnk get the hell out of dodge
1278772 But you forget that this is a peaceful world. They had no NEED to train like that. Armor was in unfamiliar territory and Luna was 1000 years rusty.
Hmmm...
Is Volare warming up to Twilight now?
If he is, then he's going down. Twilight is MINE! ALL MINE!
1280107
For anyone that is military, that is no excuse. Just because the threat isn't there today, doesn't mean it won't be there tomorrow. The price of freedom is also eternal vigilance. Luna on the other hand isn't military. She may be one of the nation's leaders, but she has the excuse of being a civilian, Armor doesn't.
1279796 BWAhahahaahahaha!!!!!!!!
1280139 You're still thinking of this as being the same as on Earth. The way they see it, if things like this never happen, why would they train for it. It would be seen as a waste of time and resources, and serve no purpose. That's the problem with peace. I agree with you that he should have been able to respond better, but it's very believable that he didn't.
1280232
That's why I said that he didn't measure up to the standard that I had to measure up to. Doesn't matter to me if it's fair or not. Being military means you are prepared for anything and everything, even things that should be impossible.
Note, I'm not saying this is an unrealistic reaction (in fact I agree with you, this is what most likely would have happened because the Royal Guard are nothing more than just a bunch of ponies playing soldier, since they've long forgotten what it means to be a soldier), it's just a comment that the character made a bad call and lost respect from me.
1280259 I understand perfectly. I was a First Class Petty Officer in the US Navy Nuclear Field (MM) for 6 years, and an LPO for the last two. I also had to be able to make split second decisions in case of emergencies from fires to explosions. I still laugh at the memory of a small fire at 3am, seeing a bunch of sailors running around in their skivvies with fire extinguishers (me being one of them). Of course it wasn't funny at the time.
1280307
Army ROTC for 2.5 years before a back injury made me ask for a medical dismissal (I was sitting on a scholarship I couldn't use, a lot of scholarships got cut because of DoD budget cuts, if I stayed in I would have gotten a job I didn't want, and I was slowing my unit down...Not a hard decision to make at that time).
Oh the fun you get in the military, scary as heck when you're in the middle of it, hilarious when you're out of it. Like this one time one of the Cadets attacked an objective during a Recon STX mission, and then called artillery on his own position, after getting hit by enemy artillery. We didn't stop ribbing him for that mission until he graduated and became a 2LT. Then we just gave him more
1280335 No one trolls like military. This one time, a guy I knew was on aft watch, the most. Boring. Watch. Ever. He decided to pass the time by singing "Hakuna Matata". Little did he know everyone could hear him over the headset. Guess what we did... Troll
lol
lol
1280359
Really? I thought the most boring watch was the Mail Buoy watch
If anything, no trolls like the military. We can be downright vicious when we want to be
1280374 Ah, memories. Many a not-so-manly tears were shed as a result of some of my trolling. Then I got shot in the face by some jack ass. I was going to make a carrier out of it but that got ruined.
1280374 I am with you there, I been in the Army for a grand total of eight months counting basic and AIT, and I came up with a plan where ONE of them could take them both out and get everyone out, ok it it will cause those two to die but who really cares about Jill and Ray anyway. I will like to see how tough they are facing a pissed off soldier with a M-4 and a M-320 grenade launcher under it ready to KILL THEM. Yes we can and will be a bunch of Trollers with a captial T when we want to be.
1280821
in a trolling contest?
Oooo, here's a fun idea. Who'd you think would win: a platoon made up of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines or
1280838 I give it 50/50 odds.
1278653 Perhaps...
1278653 You'll see
1278703 It might be bad news...or good news...we shall see
As for Shining Armor...it'd be interesting to see what he can do. Perhaps a friendly competition between himself and his sister just for grins, eh?
1278719 The problem was this: Shining Armor and Luna had no idea how ruthless those two unicorns were and therefore just weren't prepared for the lengths they'd go to. Also, with so many panicked ponies running around screaming in the lobby, it was too risky for Luna or Shining Armor to use a spell against Ray and Jill for fear of hitting an innocent citizen; and Ray and Jill knew this, and they played the human (pony) shield tactic flawlessly. Kinda like why officers won't fire at criminals running through a crowd; it's too risky. The safety of their citizens comes first, plus they know they can spread the word on them faster than they can run. There will be WANTED posters up all over Equestria by morning and Ray and Jill will have no safe haven. Luna and Shining Armor knew this, and decided on the spot that risking hurting the innocent ponies around those two psychos wasn't worth it. So they made the tough decision of keeping their people safe instead (which, as Luna stated, is their primary duty)
Sometimes, ya just gotta settle on falling back to win the war on a later day (just as Rarity's fox-hunt quote demonstrated)
1278737 I think Luna just wasn't expecting those two to be so nasty in their tactics, and she was taken by surprise. True, she could have simply blasted them, but that wouldn't have gotten them the information they'd be seeking, plus it might hurt the innocent ponies running around them. Ray and Jill just aren't beyond using innocent citizens as shields, and I don't think The Captain and Princess were expecting that kind of level of depravity in a fight.
1278742 Workin' on it!
1278743 There were two solutions: go after Ray and Jill and risk the safety of the citizens of Ponyville who'd be caught in the line of fire, or let Ray and Jill escape for now, save the citizens, and then find Ray and Jill later. They chose the option that reflected their desire to keep their citizens safe. It was a tough choice to make, but now Ray and Jill won't have a safe haven in Ponyville to hide in...and no innocent pony died, so in the long run, the good guys won out
1278744 Thanks for the inspiration!
1278772 The Captain stayed calm. Instead of impulsively firing spells at Ray and Jill in hopes of hitting them instead of the crowd of ponies running around them, he chose to save the innocent citizens instead and evacuate the building. True, Luna could have torn the building down and crushed Ray and Jill, but that would have gotten alot of ponies hurt or killed. No, they gave up winning the battle to win the war in the long run, and THAT I believe, required a cooler head than simply firing into a crowd of innocents and hoping you hit your target.
And as for Luna not being a combat leader...on the contrary, she was one of the leaders in the War of Chaos, which I'll detail later (although it could be said she was a little rusty too). No, like Shining Armor, she puts the safety of the citizens above the capture of two criminals who have nowhere to hide anyway.
1278783
1278811 True, true
What IS she planning?
1278814 Yeah, Dr. Stable was pretty freaked out
Don't worry, Ray and Jill have no safe haven in Ponyville now. There will be WANTED posters in every newspaper in every town by morning...lol, that means Dash will likely see it and freak the f**k out
1278820
1278875 Indeed. We've seen just how "effective" they can be: Nightmare Moon blasting them with lightning, getting gooed up by Changelings...they're good at pointing spears at things, though
Nah, there just hasn't been a real need for a large military presence for a long, long time, and they're just really out of practice. In fact, I even implied that Shining Armor hadn't seen much conflict himself by his reaction to Volare's injuries (as if he'd never seen anything that bad before, probably implying he'd never been on the battlefield before). In all honesty, Shining Armor's title of Captain might be simply ceremonial or gained through his relationship with Cadance, Celestia's niece.
1278889 You're very right. He doesn't have the experience necessary to deal with a situation like that. He's more defensive minded anyways (hence his shield spells), and is therefore more like a sheriff of Canterlot than anything. Luna likely does, but she put the safety of the citizens first in this case. Remember, the citizens of Equestria are still a little leery of her, and the last thing she'd need is ponies to be afraid of her for hurting a buncha innocents in a flaming building (even if it was in the name of justice)
1278913 I welcome you on this ride, then!
1278923 Volare:
1278951 Exactly! It's like defense budget cuts: there's the perception we don't need certain things, so they don't get budgeted and trained for...and then it eventually bites you in the ass for lack of preparation (which is kinda what happened here).
Yep, Volare's mane is still messed up, but Rarity'll fix that soon (and I'll post a pic of it!)
And yeah, he's squarely in the middle of the Mane 6 now as a friend (and he needs as many friend as he can get!)
And...well, I guess they just really care about him, I suppose
As for Jill being so messed up she didn't recognize Luna? Nope, she'd literally never seen her before (remember, Luna hasn't been back long and has just recently returned to going out in public).
And I did that? Wow, thank you!
1278995 LOL, nah, I'd never forget ya'll
Wait, a ragdoll? Explain!
1279001
It'll be released within the next chapter or so (Volare's got a BUSY day ahead of himself tomorrow) 
1279026
1279101 LOL nah, nothing like that
Who he is and more importantly what he does and who he's related to will be discussed soon!
As for Twi/Volare shipping? Heh, we'll see what happens
1279312 Nah, that's Shining Armor's job and he respects the chain of command too much to mention something like that
1279331 4600 MPH?!
That's likely a hypersonic bomber or drone (not even the almighty SR-71 went THAT fast) Most modern military jets top out around Mach 2.5-3.0 (roughly 2000 MPH), and those are mainly interceptors, not fighters. The F18, for example, tops out at roughly 1200 MPH (and that's on full afterburner) In a dogfight or on a mission, speeds like that are just excessive, and a waste of energy and fuel.
Anyways, you're very right: Dash's tip-top speed (in this story, anyways) is roughly 1000 MPH, and that's limited by physics. However, you have to take into account a pegasus' latent magic helping to hold it together at top speeds. And you say that jets would be far more maneuverable than pegasi (who are smaller, lighter, and more flexible than a rigid metal airplane)? We'll see if you're right or wrong soon... As for your comment on the air getting too dense to cut through...heh, you're thinking in Earth terms. You'll have to start throwing out things that apply on Earth in this story (hence the warning about Theoretical Physics). Basically, we'll be dealing with something that cannot exist on Earth, but makes perfect sense in Equestrian terms, so hold on tight!
1279547
1279551 You're very right abut Volare. He's got alot of raw talent, but it just never had the time to be cultivated. But now he has the chance to reapply what he's learned to a pegasus body...he's just gotta figure out a way to "switch over" his flight knowledge from planes to pegasi...and once he does that, he'll be a much more effective flier. You'll see what I'm talking about soon
1279623 Heh, surprise!
1279632 Aww, wow, thank you
1279684
1279722 Nah...at least, not for a while
Volare:
1279796 LOL wut?
1279868 Sleeping (it's the middle of the night)
Kinda typical for Dash to take a nap at a time like this, though
1279936 Exactly!
1279960 I think so, but that's not magic...that's just gross
1280001 I think so, yep
1280107 Mhm, exactly. Tis why the Wonderbolts are so admired, for example: because they've dedicated themselves to the old way of combat-based flight, something other pegasi have no need for. No war for 1000 years changes a society immensely.
1280131 Heh, nah, he's just writing it off as her being tired (just like she'd said before)
1280139 Luna fought in the War of Chaos discussed later in the story, so she knows combat...she's just rusty, that's all. As for Shining Armor: his duty is to protect the citizens, which he did the best way he knew how.
1280232 Exactly.
1280259 I wouldn't call them ponies playing soldier...more like a police or security force there to keep the general peace. And yes, you're right, they don't measure up to our standard because they haven't had a need to in over 1000 years.
1281640
Yeah, there are always other ideas where civilians wouldn't have been harmed. Example: If Armor had used his shield spell to enclose Ray and Jill, they wouldn't have been able to run or start any more fires. Luna would have been able to either evacuate the civilians or put the fires out as Armor dealt with the two criminals. That would have resulted in both objectives being accomplished. An officer is supposed to think outside the box. If situation seems like it is an "or" situation (you can have this objective or that objective ), a combat leader is required to find a way to make it an "and" situation (you get this objective and that objective). Every idea I came up with would not have harmed a single civilian and would have captured both targets. There is never a situation where there is only two end results with neither of them being everything you wanted.
Being under pressure is more than just being emotional. It means you need to be able to think clearly and quickly, without forgetting anything. Armor's decision to just let them go, and not try an alternative told me that he wasn't thinking clear or quick enough to get an idea of how to accomplish both objectives.
Anyone who'd suggest firing lethal attacks into a crowd to hit a small number of targets is either being misunderstood, or is outright crazy.
1281748
Which is why I gave him a failing grade. He's supposed to be military. Working at the level of a Police Chief doesn't work when facing military-grade threats.
1280276 I think I should have clarified: I meant since he'd gotten to the restaurant
1280307 LOL nice
And you were in the Navy Nukes program? Sweet, then you'll know what Volare went through as he earned his Physics Degree
1280335
That's awesome
1280359 Oh lord
1280821 The only problem is you'd be firing those weapons at Ray and Jill who were standing in a CROWD of panicking, innocent ponies. Hope you have a steady trigger finger, cuz that'd be a risky call to make, in my humble opinion
1281794
That is why I leave that to my brother, who is training to be a sniper, though if they are under a hunderd meters and I got a good line of sight...
Anyway great story and keep writing.