Static World

by Kendandra

42: Looming Horizons: Dawn

“We’re still losing altitude, Applejack!” The engine room rang with Luna’s voice, echoing in the brass bell of the intercom.

Applejack pressed her hoof down on the pedal that was attached to the device. “Ah’m working on it!” She bellowed into the flower shaped tube. Applejack looked around the engine room of the airship. Gears and hissing pipes creaked and moaned as the ship’s small magic powered engine puttered away. Dials behind glass showed the ship’s increasingly fast descent to the ground below. “Aw crud.” Applejack muttered. “Like Ah know how to fix an airship. Jus’ because I can fix a cider press don’t mean nothing about me and ships. Princess and Twilight must be bucking brainless.”

The intercom squawked. “Applejack, I believe you left your hoof on the pedal.”

Applejack’s face went from orange to red as she pulled her hoof from the pedal. “Whoops.” She let out an uneasy laugh. “Now let’s see here. Gears are supposed to be turning, probably. Good, looks like they are. And pistons are supposed to be pumping… Sure looks like they’re doing that.” Applejack rubbed her chin. “But this here dial still says we’re fallin’. Hm.” The ship rumbled and a red light began to flash. “What’s this? Bay doors opening? Well what does that mean?”

Applejack pulled her head up and away from the panel and stared at the entryway. She galloped out the room and down the hall to the cargo bay. Her hooves skidded across the floor as she reached out to open the door. A spinning red light bathed the cavernous room in an eerie light. Applejack shielded her eyes as the floor split down the middle and opened to the blinding light of day. Large crates fell as the floor opened. The crates hit the wind of the outside air and were scattered to the ground far below. “Celestia! All our food for the trip! Twilight’s books! Our food! Pinkie’s party supplies! All our food!”

“Whoops!” A voice rang out over the sound of the rushing air.

“Princess Cadence!” Applejack’s head snapped to the corner of the room where a large pink pony was leaning up against a wall. A large lever was in the crux of her legs. “Ya dumped all our food! What are we gonna eat? Ain’t no shopping centers near Tartarus!” Applejack rushed over to the pink pony and grabbed the lever with her mouth. With a jerk of her head she slammed the level back into its raised position. The floor snapped back shut. “What are ya even doing in here? Ah thought you were in your room recuperating?”

“I…! I…!” Princess Cadence stuttered.

The intercom rang out. “Well done, Applejack! We are no longer losing altitude!” Luna’s voice filled the room.

Applejack glanced at the empty cargo bay. “Lighter load! Of course! Quick thinking, Princess!”

Cadence looked stunned. “Oh… of course…”

Applejack stepped on the intercom’s pedal. “Don’t thank me! Thank Princess Cadence!”

---

Princess Luna stood on the deck of the ship. She looked outwards to the approaching griffon ships. “Mares and Gentlecolts, our enemy is approaching fast.” Luna pointed at the Gull which was becoming larger by the second. “But we have the advantage! They are still approaching, with their prow facing us. Only their rather useless chase cannons pointed in our direction. We, conversely, have our broadside facing them. With our full array of cannons.” Luna turned to face Pinkie Pie. “How many cannons is that exactly?”

“Four!” Pinkie exclaimed. “That’s how many hooves I have too!”

Luna gulped. “Um. Indeed it is. Though four cannons hardly makes a battleship. Clearly I should have a talk with my sister about our defenses.”

Shining Armor shook his head. “This is a cruise liner. We only have cannons because… because Pinkie Pie.”

“Still! Firepower is firepower.” Luna lifted her hoof. “Gunners, do we have the target in sights?”

Rarity looked down at the cannon she was standing near, a perplexed look on her face. “Um. Yes?”

“Then you may fire when ready!” Luna stomped her hoof on the deck. Pinkie Pie raced to each cannon and pulled the string. An assortment giftwrapped objects, piñatas, and confetti blasted out of each cannon sailing through the air and exploding with fireworks around the approaching Gull. “No hits! Fire again!” Luna shouted.

Pinkie raced around the deck, shoving party-stuffs into the cannons. She tossed Rarity a series of ribbons. “Here, load the cannons.”

Rarity looked at the ammunition in her hooves. “Oh, I’d rather just pull the wicks. It’s much more my style, compared to hefting all this stuff around.”

Pinkie Pie shoved her mustachioed snout up against Rarity’s own mustache-lacking snout. “I’m first gunnery officer! Luna said! I pull the wicks, you load the cannons, second gunnery not-officer!”

Luna shouted above the bickering of the other ponies. “Ahem! Are we ready to fire again yet?”

Pinkie Pie saluted. “Ready to fire, cap-pi-tan!” One of the cannons went off unattended behind her. “That one was super-duper ready.”

Shining Armor shouted. “They are returning fire! Brace for impact!” The hull of the ship shook as the barrage ripped through the timber of the ship’s side. Fluttershy was shaken loose from the ship’s wheel. She pulled her hooves over her head for protection and the ship rumbled.

“What sort of crew are you? You’re letting our starboard hull splinter!” Luna bellowed. “Take evasive maneuvers!” Fluttershy squeaked, reaching upwards and spinning the wheel of the ship frantically. “Hold them to our portside, roll guns to tilt!” She looked around as the crew stared at her. “Face our strong side to them and bring us about to rain iron!”

“Do… do what?” Rainbow Dash asked, rearing up to grab one of the ropes attached to the balloons.

“Fluttershy, hard left. Rainbow and Strider, spin us around in the tightest turn you can manage.” Shining Armor translated. “Pinkie, push the cannons to the left side of the ship, fire as soon as you’ve got a shot at them.”

“They’re getting rather close!” Rarity stammered.

The airship rotated in place as the Gull began turning to face its broadside towards them. Luna bellowed out her next set or orders. “Fire now! Don’t let them bring guns to bare!” Pinkie pulled the cannon strings. Thunderous explosions deafened their ears as the miscellaneous, but still heavy, objects collided with the Gull’s hull. “Pinkie! You missed their balloons!” Luna shouted back when the smoke and confetti cleared.

“Why would I want to hit their balloons? That would pop them!”

“Exactly!” Wind Strider shouted back. “They’d be dead in the air if we could do that.”

“But popped balloons are so sad!” Pinkie whimpered back.

“Perhaps for those bloodthirsty griffons.” Rarity said. “But for us being alive is much more fun, don’t you think?” She placed a hoof on a cannon and squinted. “So the balloons are what we want to hit?” Rarity’s horn lit up and the cannon’s pull string went taunt. “I do hope this one contains table settings.” She leaned down and with her wrinkled snout placed her eye on the top of the cannon. She pulled the cannon’s string with her magic and the cannon recoiled, causing Rarity to fall ungracefully on her rump. Streamers, forks, knives, and cone-shaped party hats exploded into the air. The party supplies impacted a small coupling on the side of one of the Gull’s balloons. The coupling snapped and the balloon shook loose of the ship, causing the prow of the Gull to dip downwards. The griffon ship shook violently as the last hold of the balloon yanked on its course.

“Huzzah! A critical hit!” Luna bellowed. “It appears I misspoke early about your usefulness, Dame Rarity!”

“How…?” Shining Armor closed his gaping mouth. “How did you do that? Was that intentional?”

Rarity blushed and looked away. “It’s an awful lot like threading a needle actually.”

Luna cleared her throat. “Quick! Now that both our ships are equally crippled, we are once again a match in speed! Helmsmare, set a course for that mountain range.” Luna pointed at a series of cloud covered peaks in the distance. “Let’s put some distance between us and them! Remember our goal is not to sink them, only to stall long enough for Twilight.” Luna stepped on the intercom pedal. “Applejack, open the furnaces, give it all we’ve got! I want to hear those gears squeal!”

---

“You said their weaponry was of no consequence!” A large yellow griffon bellowed. The griffon’s claws were clasped around a smaller, meeker looking griffon with spectacles. The airship rocked violently as the forward facing lift-balloon was torn free of the ship’s rigging. The larger griffon’s grip tightened. Around the pair a mess of shouts and scrambling kept the ship rocking as griffons rushed to secure the airship’s rigging. The ship groaned as rope splintered to threads.

“P… party… favors…” The suffocating griffon said. “Vizier… Gallant… p… please!” The larger griffon squeezed tighter.

The airship dipped forward and the deck heaved. Fragments of the floorboards were tossed to the sky. Air rushed up around the griffons, their feathers ruffling against the sudden wind. A female griffon approached the largest griffon and cleared her throat. “Grand Vizier, we are losing altitude. We need to reduce the ship’s weight. Permission to drop the cannons, sir?”

Gallant slammed the spectacled griffon into the mast of the ship. “MY GUNS?!” He let out a mournful wail that transitioned into a furious scream. When the scream ended he inhaled deeply. “Drop the broadside cannons.” His grip on griffon’s neck tighten as the crew kicked each cannon off the deck. The airship shook as it bounced back up into the sky.

The female griffon shuddered. “Sir, we still need to drop a bit more mass.” She reached forward to the chase cannon.

Gallant slammed his wings down onto the chase cannon. “No one touches Vera.” He shouted. His claw gripped the spectacled griffon’s wing. With a swift snap, he broke the wing in two. The spectacled griffon cried fiercely in pain. With a heave, Gallant tossed the spectacled griffon over the side of the ship. He screamed as he fell beneath the clouds, his broken wing flapping uselessly. “Are we at the correct mass now?” He reached forwards towards the female griffon. “Or do we need to drop more?”

The female griffon shook her head. “N… no! We’re good now.”

Gallant shouted to the back of the ship. “Helms-master! Set an intercept course. Crank up the rotor. Cubs, sharpen your talons and lick your beaks. Prepare to board.”

---

“They’re still following us.” Pinkie Pie said, peering down the spyglass. She dropped the telescope to her side and frowned. In the distance the smaller griffon ship was fast approaching. “But it looks like they threw all their cannons overboard! Why would they do that?”

Princess Luna swiped the spyglass from Pinkie Pie. “They are closing distance! How can this be?”

Shining Armor closed his eyes and nodded. “The griffon Gulls have a prop that let them accelerate, even when they are damaged.” He sighed. “Even with them down a balloon, they will likely overtake us.” An explosion of cannon fire rang out through the sky.

“Incoming!” Pinkie Pie shouted. Shining Armor’s legs coiled. With a mighty kick he leapt into the air, springing off the back of the airship. His horn flashed and with a flick of his head he batted the incoming cannonball away from the ship’s deck. His magic shield clashed with the iron as he was blown backwards, flinging him back to the desk of the ship. His hooves slid against the timber as he skidded to a stop.

“Oh my!” Rarity swooned at the display. “That was… impressive!”

“R…! Rarity, I’m married.” Shining Armor blushed. “Pinkie Pie, I thought you said they dropped their cannons?” He cleared his throat and turned to face Princess Luna. “I can’t keep protecting us against their chase cannons. My magic isn’t at its full strength. We’re going to need a plan, Princess.”

Princess Luna stared out at the approaching ship. “Indeed. At this rate Twilight won’t have enough time to complete her weapon.” Luna cursed in an ancient language. Her hoof slammed down on the intercom pedal. “Applejack, I need as much power as possible!”

The intercom vibrated as Applejack’s voice rang back. “Ya already told me that. I’m trying!”

“Well try harder!” Luna shouted back into the intercom’s bell shaped receiver. Luna sighed as her hoof left the pedal of the intercom. Hey eyes scanned the horizon around her stopping from the approaching mountains and then to a large cloud. She lifted a hoof up to her brow and squinted. With a quick snap of her neck she turned back to face the pursuing griffon ship. “I believe I have a plan.”

Shining Armor nodded. “Perhaps you plan on sharing that?”

Luna smiled. “We shall head towards that mountain over yonder.” Luna extended a hoof to point at the mountain. “Then we shall circle around the peek until we are obscured. Once the Gull begins to follow us we circle around until we are following them. Rendering their chase cannons pointless. Until then, Shining, can you protect our aft?”

“That’s… actually not a bad plan.” Shining Armor rubbed his chin. “Fluttershy! Plot a course! Rainbow, tighten that line!”

Rainbow’s teeth sunk into a rope and her wings flapped as she pulled it taunt. The airship sped forward, wind rushing against its prow. The mountain approached rapidly as the ship increased in speed. Luna leaned forward with anticipation. As the mountain neared so did the thought of triumph despite the Gull’s looming figure wobbling in the background like a wounded lion. Luna watched as Shining Armor shouted to each pony. Even though he had claimed he held no training in commanding a vessel, he seemed well enough at home in managing the ship. Her plan unfolding, Luna shifted her focus away from the unicorn captain of the guard at to the ponies attending the ship. Her eyes narrowed on the blue pegasus tugging on the ship’s rigging. Luna could tell that despite, or perhaps even because of her knowledge of natural flying, Rainbow Dash seemed bewildered with how the airship operated. Rainbow consistently looked confused as she pulled on each rope at Shining’s command, but she obeyed. Whether she was so obedient out of some sense of commitment to her friends, a determination to impress those around her, or the building sense of fear from the griffon ships chasing them.

The Gull unleased shot after shot from its chase cannons. Shining Armor’s horn lit up, a shield projecting forth protecting the backside of the airship from each blast. He grunted and winced as each cannon ball impacted his shield. “Are you alright, Shining?” Luna’s voice echoed in the background. He closed his eyes, bracing for another blast as the Gull unleased two more shots. “Shining! You don’t look so good.” With a clenched jaw he growled. His shield faded slightly. Princess Luna cleared her throat. “That shield appears to be fading.”

“Stop yapping!” He turned to face Princess Luna shouting at the top of his lungs. “How am I supposed to concentrate with…?” An explosion rocked the ship. Shining Armor was thrown clear across the length of the ship. His shield shattered like glass, fragments of its solid energy scattering on the deck. Rarity leapt upwards catching the flying unicorn safely with her magic. The ship rocked and swayed from the impact. Rarity fell backwards, dropping the pony she was cradling in her magic. “Ugh.” Shining Armor said as he lifted himself off of Rarity. He coughed a few times, clearing dust from the explosion out of his mouth. “That was impressive.” He said as he loomed over Rarity. He watched the cheeks of the white unicorn mare redden. “Still married, Rarity.” He said quietly before rolling to his side. “Everypony alright?”

Luna groaned, picking herself off the deck. “We’ve been hit. Wind Strider, damage report.”

The pink pegasus saluted and peered over the deck railing. He stared with horror at the splintery fragments that remained of the aft of the ship. “The rudder flap is gone. We’re not going to be able to steer!”

“Well that’s just perfect.” Luna huffed. “What a fine mess you’ve gotten us into, Shining!”

“Me!?” Shining Armor shouted, pushing Rarity aside.

“Yes you, you’re the one who was supposed to protect us while we fled!”

Shining Armor spat on the deck. “You’re the one that broke my concentration!”

“Uh guys?” Rainbow Dash pointed to the stern of the ship. “We have bigger things to worry about. Remember that mountain we were going to circle around? The one we were heading straight for?” Shining Armor and Luna looked at each other with horrified expressions. “Yeah. The one we’re still heading directly towards at high speed and now we can’t steer.”

Luna slammed her hoof on the intercom pedal. “Applejack! Change of plans, cut the engines! Full stop! Full reverse! Full… anything but forward!”

---

Applejack turned to stare at complicated instrument panel that was supposed to explain the state of the airship’s engine. At least it would if Applejack had the slightest idea what any of the gages, needles, slides, and doohickeys actually did. “Uh. Okay?” Applejack’s eyes darted around the console. “Sure. Yeah, I should be able to do that.” She tried her hardest to keep the doubt out of her voice.

“Hurry!” Luna’s tinny intercom muffled voice rang out.

Applejack reached a hoof up and pulled on one of the levers. The brass gears that filled the room around her spun faster. “Ah, so that’s pretty much exactly the opposite of what Ah wanted ta do.” She pushed the lever back to its original position. “Maybe if Ah pull it the other way?” She shoved the lever upwards. The gears began spinning even faster than before. “No. Of course not. That would have made sense.” She pulled another lever. A hiss of steam released from one of the pipes, blowing her hat off her head and scalding her eyes. “Now what in Tartarus is the purpose of that fer?” She released her hoof from the lever and gave the engine a swift kick. “Maybe this one?” She reached out for another lever and winced as she began to pull it down. The furnace opened up and lashed flames out at her. She reached to tuck her tail out of harm’s way, only to be reminded again that it was still missing. “Land sakes! Did Discord himself design this blasted ship? How am Ah supposed ta stop this thing?”

The airship lurched. The gears around the room screeched to a halt.

Applejack leaned in to examine the object that was wedged in between the inner workings of the engine. “A gilded shoe?”

“Whoops.” Princess Cadence said as she tried to wedge her shoe out of the gears.

Applejack hugged the pink mare. “Woo-wee! That’s some mighty quick thinking there, princess! Ah think you jus’ might have saved us all!”

Cadence looked stunned. “Oh… of course…”

---

The airship lurched to a stop. Rarity slid across the desk with her hooves scrapping nosily against the timbers. Her legs were spread out in a manner that rather resembled a frightened version of her cat and while she was afraid to check, she was fairly certain that her coat was standing on edge as well. She skidded to a stop nearly eight pony lengths away from her starting position a few seconds prior. Though her physical movement had stopped, her head was still spinning, hindered by the chaos of the scene in front of her.

Luna was cursing up a storm. Or at least everypony assumed she was, since none of the others could understand the ancient language. The prow of the ship had gently nudged the rocky face of the mountain. Fluttershy was huddling underneath the wheel of the ship, shaking uncontrollably. Rainbow struggled to her hooves. “Ugh. That could have gone better. Any pony hurt?” She looked around to assess the state of her friends. While most of them appeared to be sitting flat on their flanks and stunned, they appeared to be otherwise none the worse for wear.

Shining Armor stood up and dusted himself off. “Well we’re not splattered against the mountainside like Miss Rainbow Dash, so that’s a plus.”

“Hey!”

“Twilight writes me letters. Your ability to crash is noted in many of them.” He turned to face the fast approaching griffon ship. “We’re not out of trouble yet.” He placed his hoof down on the intercom pedal. “Twily! We really could use some good news right now. How’s that weapon coming?”

Twilight tinny voice rang back up through the bell of the device. “I almost had it! Until that little jolt we just had misaligned the fractal….”

Shining Armor cut her off by clicking the intercom on and off, creating a screechy-squawk that hurt everypony’s ears. “How much more time do you need?”

“Ugh! My ears!” Twilight yelled back. “I don’t know; maybe ten minutes tops!”

Shining Armor’s hoof slid off the intercom pedal. He looked at the looming ship that was still racing towards them at full steam. “Every pony think we can manage to survive ten minutes?”

A worried glance was exchanged between every pony. Rarity cleared her throat. “I suppose that depends on how eventful the next ten minutes are, dear.”

“You’re dead in the air, my little ponies!” A bellowing deep voice rang over the deck of the airship. “Surrender now and we will spare half of you from having your undersides slit open by our claws!”

Princess Luna turned to face looming ship. “That’s Grand Vizier’s voice. He must have a bullhorn.”

The Grand Vizier shouted back. “Beg and just perhaps we will even be so kind as to not force the half we spare to watch us gut the others.”

Pinkie Pie waved. “Hey, griffons! Can you hear meeeeeee?” She screeched at the top of her lungs, cupping her hooves around her muzzle to direct her greeting.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rarity scolded. “What have I told you about greeting things that are trying to kill us?”

Pinkie Pie pointed her hoof up towards the rear of the ship. “Oh, Rarity. Don’t be silly. They don’t want to kill us. At most they just want to ram us!” The Gull loomed over the ponies’ airship. Its sharpened prow in the shape of a beak threatened to chew the ship up. Rarity’s ears splayed back against her skull. The Gull slammed into the back of the airship. Timbers exploded into the air. Fragments of the wood and brass contorted into hideous shapes as the back of the ship crumpled against the griffon ship.

Ponies flew in all directions.

As the Gull’s prow pushed the back of the airship, the golden wedge dug into the deck. The ponies’ airship spun sideways, knocked off balance. Suddenly the airship was facing the opposite direction. It twirled much like a foal’s doll tossed off a cliff. The sides of the two ships collided, producing a shockwave of more tinder and metal. The Gull’s mast leaned towards the airship.

Cables with hooks sailed over the ponies’ heads. Fluttershy’s snout craned upwards as her eyes traced the cables’ arcs. The hooks, shaped like griffon claws, dug into the deck of the airship. The griffons on the Gull hollered, hooted, and cawed. With rippling muscles, the griffons pulled the cables taunt. The two ships’ sides crumpled together, laced up by the cables. “Boarding hooks!” Shining Armor bellowed.

The airship began to swivel, pulled by the movements of the Gull. The ponies, scattered from the previous impact, were tossed back together as the ships turned as one. “What in the name of Nótt is going on?” Luna shouted. “We’re turning! Why are we turning?”

Shining Armor shouted over the chaos. “I know this maneuver!” He watched as the Gargantuan’s massive form rotated into the center of his vision. “It’s a Scorpius Strike!”

“W… What?” Rarity shouted.

“A pincer maneuver. They hold us in place while the Gargantuan pelts us with her cannons. We’ll be torn to shreds!”

Princess Luna raced forward, wrapping her hooves around the railing of the airship. “Oh no they don’t. Not to my ship. Every pony that’s got a pair of wings, grab ahold of the railings and hard to starboard! Hard to starboard like there’s no tomorrow!” One by one each pony complied, even Fluttershy lent her tiny wings to the cause. The ships began to rotate again, in the opposite direction. “Rarity, Pinkie Pie! Pull the riggings! Throw the ship’s weight into it!”

Grand Vizier Gallant threw his hat on the ground and with a swift motion of his sharp claws, ripped the hat to nothing but ribbons of fabric. “We’re turning the wrong way!” He bellowed from the deck of the Gull. “So. It is to be a tug-o-war? Cubs, put your back into it! Hard to port!” The griffons began to chant and hoot in a rhythmic cadence. As they pulled on the riggings of the Gull, the ship’s began to rotate again.

“Hard to starboard! More! Don’t give up!” Luna bellowed, not sure if being louder than the thunderous voice of the Grand Vizier would help.

“I’m not going to be out flown by griffons.” Rainbow Dash muttered. She let go of her section of the railing, provoking a gasp and a protest from Luna. She flew backwards, putting space between her and the airship. With a heavy sigh, she plunged herself downwards. In a grand arc she swooped back towards the airship, a rainbow colored trail forming behind her as she picked up speed. Faster and faster she flew as she approached. When she impacted the side of the airship, a brilliantly colorful shockwave rocked the ships. The airships began to pivot rapidly. Soon the Gargantuan’s looming cannons were pointed at the Gull, instead of the ponies’ own airship.

Grand Vizier Gallant’s claw tightened around the railing of his ship. His head jerked backwards to face his crew, many of them knocked on their backsides from the shockwave of Rainbow’s maneuver. “Can we not out power a small group of ponies?” His claws squeezed the railing of the ship, snapping through the wooden planks as if they were toothpicks. “If you want something done right….” His wings flared outward. With a mighty leap he was sailing through the air, landing with an audible thud on the deck of his enemy’s airship. The chattering and hooting on the griffon ship died down. Even the ponies’ strains against the force of the ship seemed to quiet at the sight of Grand Vizier Gallant’s massive form entering the fray. “You crippled my ship.” The large griffon said. “You humiliated me, making me have to drop my guns.” Spittle flew from his beak. “Now… I cripple you. I humiliate you, and leave you for dead.” With lighting speed for his size he sprinted across the deck. He tucked his head down as he charged, his wings spread out low to the deck. Like a coiled snake, he busted upwards, slamming his full weight into Rainbow Dash. Having been completely focused on pushing the ship with all her might, she did not even have time to turn her head to see the griffon coming. The comparatively tiny creature was tossed up in the air like a ragdoll. She landed on the deck with a popping sound and a scream. Her wing was bent in an odd direction.

“Captain Armor, deal with it!” Luna said through strained breath.

Shining Armor dug his hoof into the deck. “You don’t get to lay another feather on my friends.” He barked. With incredible speed, Shining Armor charged forward, bashing his skull against Gallant’s large chest. Gallant staggered backwards, his rear legs buckling under the impact.

Gallant straightened his posture, a sinister grin adorning his face. “Ah, and you must be the famed captain of the royal guard, Shining Armor.” He lifted a claw. “It will be a pleasure to split your skull in two.” The griffon charged forward, propelled by his massive wings. He swiped furiously at the stallion. His talons dug into the wooden deck of the airship, striking the spot that Shining Armor had been standing in merely moments ago. “Hold still!” He bellowed.

Shining Armor ducked out of the way of another swipe, his heart racing. The griffon’s mighty talons cleanly sliced through on of the deck railing, narrowly missing Armor’s head again. “You’re not giving me much incentive to do so.” Shining Armor mumbled as he ducked again.

Lifting both claws in the air, and rearing up to his full height, Gallant leapt again. Shining Armor’s horn lit up. With a blinding flash he disappeared from sight. Gallant’s eyes widened as he scanned the area in front of him for where the teleporting pony would appear. His face fell to horror as the stallion reappeared exactly where he had been, but now with his backside facing the leaping griffon. Lifting his back legs up with speed and force that would have made Applejack proud, he planted his rear hooves firmly on the griffon’s beak.

A sickening crack echoed across the deck of the airship, somehow managing to be louder than the roar of the griffons’ on adjacent ship.

Gallant rolled off to the side, his claws clasped around his beak. “You foal of a broodmare!” He screamed as blood poured from his face. When his claws filled with blood he pulled them away from his face and examined the red, sticky liquid that they were covered in. It was clear as day that his upper beak had been cracked nearly in two parts, straight down the middle. He let out an anguished roar, blood from the wound mixed with spittle spraying on everything near him. “I’LL KILL YOU!” He bellowed as he charged forward. His large form crashed into Shining Armor, as his claws dug into the stallion’s withers. Shining Armor wiggled his way out of the griffon’s grasp and delivered a stab with his horn to the beast’s underside. The griffon let out another scream as his arms failed out. “No more! None of you live at all now!” Shining Armor was thrown off to the side. In rage, he slashed out at a nearby rope.

The ship lurched as the ropes splayed apart.

“The balloons!” Rarity shouted as she clasped both ends of the rope in her magic. The ship jolted as the lines became taunt and Rarity was pulled forward by the forces tugging at the ropes. She slid against the deck of the ship, coming to rest with her head between the two edges of the frayed rope. Pain began searing through her skull. “My magic… isn’t strong enough… to hold the whole ship up!” She screamed. “It’s going to rip my horn out of my head! Help! Oh, Celestia, HELP ME!”

“That looks heavy.” Gallant said with a smile, the crack in his upper beak widening. “Let me lighten your load.” He raised his claw above his head, its shadow looming over Rarity’s pained face.

“Leave her alone!” Shining Armor tackled Gallant, and the two rolled down the deck.

“Oh, Celestia! Oh, Celestia!” Tears streamed down Rarity’s face. “I CAN’T HOLD IT MUCH LONGER!”

Pinkie Pie jumped forward and wrapped her tail around the bottom part of the rope. Her teeth clamped down on the upper part of the rope. “Got it!” She said around the rope in her mouth. Rarity’s horn sparked as she dropped her hold on the rope. Pinkie Pie squealed as her body, seemingly made of rubber, stretched under the new weight. “Don’t got it! Ah! Don’t got it!” She screamed through clenched teeth. Rarity’s horn lit up again. “Shanks, Wrarity.” Pinkie said around the rope.

The two ships spun again. “They’re setting up the pincer maneuver again!” Wind Strider bellowed.

Gallant’s mighty claw clasped around Shining Armor’s muzzle. “You hear that, pony boy? In just a few moments my battleship will rain down death upon this little cruise liner.”

“Not if we have anything to say about it!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “All ponies that have wings! Like the Princess said! Hard to starboard! Everything you’ve got and more! Just because we’ve got feathers doesn’t mean we’re lightweights!”

Wind Strider grunted. “It’s no use, we can’t fight the force of the other ship! Argh! They have more wing power, and no amount of rousing speech is going to change that fact!”

Rainbow’s wings appeared to fade away, flapping faster than any pony could see. “Just… a little… longer…!”

Gallant kicked casually tossed Shining Armor across the deck of the ship. “You’re finished.” Shining Armor hit the deck with a low toned thud. “Flap your wings all you want, garish pegasus. You can’t beat griffons in the air!” He let out a bellowing laugh. “Now then. If you don’t mind, your ship is about to be nothing more than splinters and I’d rather watch that happen from the comfort of my own ship.” His neck craned upwards as he watched the incoming cannon fire blot out the sky. “Goodbye.” With a flap of his mighty wings his claws left the deck of the airship.

Shining Armor bit at his hooves. “They’re firing! Cannon fire incoming! Enough to tear though us like tissue paper!” He pointed wildly up at the incoming barrage of cannonballs. The iron orbs nearly blocked out the sun as their shadows neared.

“Now!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed. “Everypony! Reverse direction!” She hopped over the railing she had been hugging and began pushing the other way. “Push!” She grunted. “Push with all your might!”

“Oh! This is much easier!” Fluttershy sighed as she hopped over her own railing.

The ship, aided by the wing power of the griffon ship, began to rotate in place. Gallant raced to the edge of the Gull’s deck. “What?!” His claws wrapped around the railing tightly, holding his large form up as he leaned dangerously over the railing. “We’re turning?” He glanced around frantically. “Cubs! Stop! You’re spinning us the wrong way! How can this be?”

Shining Armor glanced upwards at the cannon fire in the air. “Unbelievable! Rainbow! We’re using their own force against them! Genius!”

The two ships danced as they swiveled; coming to rest a full half a turn from where they stated. Gallant was screaming. He was bellowing at his crew to reverse direction, to stop pushing, to do anything but what they were doing. Spittle coated the ship’s deck as he shouted. His voice going horse from his pleas. A few members of the griffon crew heard him. They bore confused looks on their faces as they tried to reverse the spin of the ship. But it was too late. The large griffon looked up at the cannon fire overshadowing his ship. “Oh… flock.”

Like oversized hale, the cannon balls fell from the sky. Each on stuck the deck of the griffon ship, tearing through the wooden deck boards as if they were made of glass. The deck splintered and fractured; the boards began to splay apart as the nails were shaken out from the tremendous impact. The griffons began to scream as they dodged and ducked out of the way of the falling iron. One of the cannonballs struck against the mast of the ship. Despite the competing cries of panic and the whistling sound of the incoming cannonballs in the air, the sound of the mast cracking seemed to be the only sound winning. Many of the griffons skidded to a halt as they watched the mast of the ship being to buckle. The large pole was all that connected the ship to its remaining balloon. Their eyes slowly crawled upwards, tracking the traveling fissure as it approached the mast’s zenith. The mast, weakened from the blow, could no longer support the weight of the ship. It twisted under the stress and with an ear splitting crack it was lost. When the mast broke it did not snap, nor did it break in two. It was vaporized. The shear stress on the mast caused it to twist apart into an uncountable number of splinters.

Gallant the griffon could not move. He watched as his ship began to fall from the sky. Fragments of iron and wood floated upwards as what was left of the ship plummeted. A dumbfounded half-grin adorned his face as he too began to fall.

On the ponies’ airship everypony was quiet, except for Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who were still straing with the rigging that Gallent has severed while he was on their deck. Princess Luna leaned over the deck railing. Her mane fell down the side of the ship as she watched the destroyed griffon ship disappear below the clouds.

“Almost… got… it…!” Rarity said between strained grunts. With an audible sparkle, her magic pulled the two halves of the rope together and looped them around each other. Rarity wiped the sweat from her brow as she finished tying the knot in the rigging. She let out a loud, drawn out sigh of exhaustion, that was for once, not an over dramatization. With her work finished, she collapsed to the floor. “Crisis averted.” She said quietly.

“I can’t believe that just happened!” Fluttershy said with a gulp.

Wind Strider sighed as he slumped to the ground. “Outstanding work, everypony.”

Princess Luna ran a hoof through her messy mane. “We’re not out of the woods yet. The Gargantuan is going to be hot on our flanks in a moment. And as you can see, if we sit still it won’t take long for their superior firepower to sink us. We need to get out of here. Maybe we can take cover in that cloud over there?” She turned to face the Shining Armor. “Thoughts?”

Shining Armor nodded. “Alright new plan! The engine is shot so everypony that’s got a pair of wings wrap your hooves around the deck railing and give them a flap. Let’s push this ship away from the Gull.”

“You want us to push this huge ship?” Fluttershy gasped.

Rainbow Dash took to the air. “Hey, yeah!” She pumped a hoof in the air. “It’s suspended by balloons, it should slide pretty easily once we get it going. So everypony push! Besides, we already resisted the griffon’s attempts to spin us, imagine how easy it will be without anything fighting us.”

“Ahem!” Princess Luna cleared her throat.

Shining Armor rolled his eyes. “That is, of course, if our captain thinks that’s a good idea.”

The crew of ponies all stared at the princess intently. She nodded. “Of course, it’s a great idea, Captain Armor. Anything that puts distance, no matter how small, between us and the griffons.” She stepped on the intercom pedal. “Princess Cadence, we’re going to need all the wing power we can get. Get your pink posterior here posthaste!”

Rainbow Dash shouted. “Let’s push this little boat out of here.” She pointed to the railings around the ship. “Wind Strider, there. I’ll take this one. Princess Luna, take that one back there. Fluttershy… uh… take that one next to Luna.” She glanced around over her shoulder. “Where’s Cadence?”

“I’m here.” Princess Cadence said, as she emerged from the lower deck slightly winded with Applejack in tow.

“Take that one next to Fluttershy. I’ll call out if I want any of you to lighten up, in case we need to steer this bad boy.” She took to the air and pumped her hooves. “Let’s give it all we’ve got! Any questions?”

Applejack raised a hoof. “What do ya want me ta do?”

Rainbow Dash wrapped her front hooves around the railing and dug her back legs into the timbers of the deck. “Just, uh, sit there with the other non-flyers and try to weigh less.” Applejack started to roll her eyes in annoyance but instead was astonished by Pinkie Pie plugging her mouth with her hoof and somehow managing to inflate herself. “Ready, everypony?” Rainbow’s muscled form flexed against the railing of the ship. “All together now. Heave… ho!” The ship lurched forward accompanied by the strained grunts of the pegasi. “That’s it, everypony! Put some effort into it!”

Shining Armor glanced around. “Oh thank Celestia, it’s actually working.” The ship began to accelerate, gliding through the air with increasing speed. The wind picked up and tossed Shining Armor’s mane out of his eyes.

“Thank Celestia, really?” Luna grunted. “Standing right here. You know, the alicorn that’s actually pushing the ship?”

“Fine. Thank Luna, it’s actually working, I guess.”

---

Aboard the larger, still floating griffon ship, the captain paced. “Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear, Grand Vizier Gallant was on that ship.” He clutched at the patch on his uniform that signified his rank and lowed his head mournfully at the ground. His wings ruffling slightly, he stared at the spot where the smaller ship had been. His eyes then trailed to the Equestiran ship that was limping away under pedal power. He turned to face the large gathering of griffons on the top deck of his own, still floating ship. “Cubs… today we’ve lost one of our finest viziers. I think it’s only appropriate that we pause for a moment and hang our heads in reverence for Grand Vizier Gallant. I feel it is what he would have wished.”

A burly claw sunk its talons in the deck of the ship. “Well then you’re an idiot, captain.” An overly large griffon climbed onto the deck from the side of the ship. “Because I’m not flocking dead.” The crowd gasped. “And even if I was I would most certainly not want you to pause in mourning while those flocking ponies make a mockery of our great army by shambling away in a CRUISE LINER!”

“You’re not dead?!” The captain exclaimed.

“Of course not!” A large flock of griffons landed beside him. “And neither is the crew of the Gull.”

“But…! But…!” The captain stuttered. “We saw your ship fall out of the sky! How?”

“Because griffons have wings, you flocking idiot!” He pushed the captain aside. “This crew reeks of incompetence. You fired upon your own ship! I’m assuming direct command of this ship.”

“Aye, sir!” The now former captain’s first mate saluted. “Your orders, sir?”

Gallant’s talons wrapped around the railing of the upper deck of the ship. “Are the chase cannons ready, cub?” The first mate grunted in confirmation. “Then let us give chase. Bring us in range of the pony vessel. I’ve already lost one ship to their ragtag crew and tricks. It’s time we show them what this beauty can really do.”

The former captain lifted a talon in protest. “Sir, we are still in range to be fully effective with the mortars, perhaps the correct course of action should be…”

Gallant turned to face them, his beak frothing. “They destroyed my ship. They humiliated me in front of my crew. They spilt my beak with their little pony hooves. Believe me, captain, I want to see their oversized eyes lose their glow when their souls depart from this world as I pump their lifeless corpses full of iron.” He turned to face the griffon at the helm. “Cub, pilot us closer; I want to rip them apart with our prow if the opportunity presents itself!”

“We’re gaining on them, sir!” The first mate clapped his talons together. “Almost in range with the chase cannons.”

The captain once again raised his claw. “They are heading into that cumulonimbus.” He pointed at the towering, stormy mist. “We’ll lose them if they go in there.”

Gallant held out a wing, gesturing to the griffon beside him. “Dissuade them. Fire the chase cannons. On my mark.” His wing lifted upwards, feathers spread wide. Griffons around him scrambled, racing towards the ship’s weapons. He flattened his wing with a swift motion. “Fire.”

The cannons exploded with a deafening boom. As the smoke cleared, Gallant had a good view of the cannon fire arching under the target. “We missed?” He pulled a spyglass out of the claws of a nearby crewmember. He peered down at, inspecting the faraway ship. “Not a scratch on her. Who aimed that cannon?”

The first mate trembled. “Sorry, sir. Not yet in optimal range.”

The former captain faked a cough. “Still in range to use the mortars, though.”

Gallant spun around and punched the former captain in the face. “Weapons of cowards!” The captain fell to the deck unceremoniously. The ship lurched. Gallant looked up at the griffon manning the helm. “Are we slowing down? Why are we slowing?!”

The griffon at the helm pointed at the sprawling cloud in front of them. “We can’t go in there, sir!” The griffon gulped.

Gallant rubbed a feathered wing against his chin. He lifted the spyglass once more and peered at his prey. From the spyglass he could clearly make out a pink pony pulling down an eyelid with her hoof and wagging her rump in his direction. “They’re laughing at us.” Gallant snarled. “Don’t just sit there. Follow the ponies into the cloud!”

One of the griffons removed his hat and clutched it nervously between his claws. “But sir, we won’t have any visibility in that cloud. We’ll lose all of the Gargantuan’s tactical advantage! Our superior firepower won’t be of much use.”

Gallant’s wings unfurled to reveal his massive form. He screeched back at the griffon that had contradicted him, spittle flying from his beak and his feathers standing on edge. “FOLLOW THEM!” His upper beak split in two. The griffon raced backwards and tripped. Gallant ripped part of his uniform off and used it to tie the crack in his beak shut.

The griffon manning the helm of the ship, after witnessing what Gallant had done to the last griffon he conversed with, timidly shouted back. “Couse set, captain! We’re hot on their colorful pony tails.”

Gallant stared at the large cloudy mass before him. His eyes narrowed as he watched the ponies’ airship vanish in the mists. He crumpled the spyglass in his claws and tossed it overboard. He grunted as they approached the cloud’s edge. “Take us in slow, cub.”

“Aye, sir.” The ship rumbled as it scraped against the cool mist. The Gargantuan’s prow parted the fog like a knife. Gallant took a deep breath of the cool air as the sun disappeared from view. Their surroundings became dark as descended further into the mists. The helmscub cleared his throat. “It’s… as I feared, sir. We can barely see past our own beaks.”

“Keep us on this course, cub. They are operating under pedal power.” Gallant snickered. “We’ll overtake them in mere seconds.” An eerie quiet overtook the ship as they moved further away from the warmth of the sun. The crew began to murmur amongst themselves. “Where are you, pony princess?” The ship vibrated as the hull scraped against a particularly dense part of the cloud.

“Hey, featherbrains! Over here!” A scratchy voice called out. The griffons all turned towards the source of the noise. They could see nothing, but cannon fire rained out from the ship’s starboard, chasing the voice.

“Um! This way… uh… please?” Another voice called out to the griffon’s port side. The crew raced to the other side of the ship and lit the fuses of the cannon. Deafening explosions broke the eerie silence.

Gallant held up his claw. “Stop, you fools! It is only a few pegasi trying to distract us. We must be nearly on top of them. Keep our course.”

“The cloud is thinner here.” The first mate called out. “The must have been here. I can’t get a read on which direction they went, though…” The first mate gulped. “The trail ends here. Sir… we might have lost them.” He winced as Gallant turned around.

Gallant’s head swiveled more like an owl than a griffon as he surveyed the mist around him. “Where are you?” His eyes narrowed again as he tried to will away the cloud obstructing his vision with his fiery gaze. “Where are you?!” He repeated as he stamped his paw. “Show yourselves!” He growled, his lion claws digging into the timbers of the deck. “Cowards!” He belted out. “WHERE ARE YOU?!” Mist thrusted downwards in Gallant’s face. The cloud layer above him cleared away and was replaced by something darker. Gallant’s wings wilted as his brain registered what was happening. He scrambled to the prow of the ship. The ponies’ airship came crashing down on the back of the Gargantuan.

The Gargantuan rocked violently as it accepted the full weight of the smaller ship. The deck cannons slid haplessly across the deck, along with many griffons.

“We’re right here!” Princess Luna called out from atop the ship atop the ship, the biggest smile possible adorned her face.

Gallant trembled with anger. “Miserable equines!” With a swift motion he kicked off the deck of the ship and charged through the air. In a split second he had covered the height of the ponies’ airship and was again on their deck. He glided over the timbers as he reached the ship’s cabin, where Luna was standing. “Princess Luna! I have had enough of…!” His words fell as he skidded to a stop. His beak stopping millimeters from a purple pony snout. His eyes traced upwards to see the pony was wearing some sort of ornate crown. “W-who are you?”

“Twilight Sparkle.” The pony responded. She held up a small crystal with her hoof. “And this, despite the diametrically composed name, is a harmony bomb.”

The large griffon reared back. “The Regent! I’ve been waiting a long time to get an audience with you!”

Twilight smiled. The crystal floated up, encircling her as her crown began to glow. “Well here I am.” Behind her Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were floating, their necklaces glowing with unimaginable might. “Girls, now!” A rainbow began to form, connecting their elements. As the beam shot forth, Gallant roared.

With speed that could have made Rainbow Dash jealous, and in fact did, Gallant swiped his claw forwards, batting the crystal out of the way of the rainbow colored beam. Looks of triumph vanished are were replaced by looks of confusion and fear. The rainbow beam of magic raced off into the distance, missing the griffon. The crystal Twilight had created bounced against the deck of the ship, rolling and bobbing down the wooden planks. In the moment of confusion, Gallant shoved Twilight, sending her sliding across the deck in the opposite direction from the crystal.

“No…!” Twilight gasped, steadying herself from the blow she had taken. “Get that crystal!” She sputtered, turning to Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

Gallant spun around and bellowed. “Cubs! Don’t let them at that device!”

Rainbow raced forward. Griffons began to flood the deck of the airship. The crystal bounced and rolled. Fighting broke out on the deck. A sizable griffon blocked the pegasus’s path. The crystal bounced between the griffon’s legs. Rainbow tucked her wings against her barrel, her momentum carrying her forward. With her trademark agility she ducked underneath the griffon with ease. Once clearing his legs, he wings shot outwards, bringing her back up to speed. She reached out with her mouth to grab the crystal. Before she could clamp down on it, a griffon tackled her. She got up and after performing a tight loop in the air, planted her hooves on the griffon’s chest, sending him staggering backwards. She bent down and went to clamp her teeth around the crystal once more when a shout rang out. “Dash! On yer left!”

Rainbow ducked as a pair of orange hooves kicked away an encroaching griffon. Rainbow pointed behind Applejack and shouted back. “AJ, watch your right!”

It was Applejack’s turn to duck as Rainbow sailed over her head and tackled another griffon. The two ponies looked at each other and smiled. Their heads both turned to the crystal that was rolling away from them, guarded by a horde of griffons. Both ponies shared a knowing glace, and with a smirk on both of their faces, they raced forward.

“I’ve got left!”

“I’ll take right!”

The ponies slid against the deck, facing each other as their hind legs fended off attackers with a series of mighty kicks.

“Switch!” Rainbow called out. The duo grabbed each other’s forelegs and swung around. Griffons were launched, and many took flight, but not of their own power. A few collided with the deck railing, their claws holding on with a vice like grip as their bodies dangled over the edge of the ship. Rainbow Dash called over. “I’m up to six! What have you got?”

Applejack made a swipe at the crystal with her hoof, it collided and sent the crystal flying. “Shoot!” She bounded forward after the rolling magical device. “Yer not seriously keeping score? That’s absurd.” With a mighty shove, Applejack barreled her way through a crowd of griffons.

“You’re not?” Rainbow said as her wing made another futile attempt to pick up the seemingly impossible to hold crystal.

“Course not.” Applejack said as she stomped on the crystal with a hoof. “Princess Cadence! Catch!” She bellowed above the chaos of the battlefield. With a quick volleyball-like serve she sent the crystal soaring. She looked back at Rainbow Dash and winked. “But if Ah was, I’d say getting the crystal back would be worth at least two points, combined with the eight I’ve already got would put me at an even ten.”

Princess Cadence leapt upwards catching the crystal in her mouth. A griffon, far larger than the rest, bolted forward from seemingly nowhere. With spittle coming off of his broken beak, Gallant shoved Cadence. “Not on my watch!” He bellowed. The crystal fell from her mouth and back on to the deck where it resumed its rolling adventure.

She stumbled backwards, while standing on two hooves. “Oh dear!” She exclaimed as she tripped towards the edge of the ship. Grasping out wildly at anything she could, her hooves wrapped themselves around the rope that Gallant had previously damaged. The knot on the rope came undone as she fell overboard. The rope began to fray and unravel.

Shining Armor raced forward screaming at the top of his lungs. “CADENCE!” He dove off the side of the ship, reaching for the falling pony.

Twilight clamped down on Shining Armor’s tail, pulling him back on to the deck of the airship. She spit out his tail and coughed. “What the buck, Armor?! You would have died!”

Shining Armor raced back to the railing, held back only by Twilight’s hooves wrapping around his neck. “Cadence! I’ve got to help her. She fell!”

“And she can fly! You can’t!” Twilight pushed him backwards and into a sitting position facing her. “She’ll be fine!”

Wind Strider picked up the crystal and with a jerk of his head he sent the magical device on its way. “Lady Twilight!”

Twilight caught the crystal with her magic. “Girls!” She lifted up the crystal with her magic; it floated high above the ship. “Use the Elements! Now!”

Gallant charged forward again. “No! I won’t let you!” His talons reached out, attempting to snatch the crystal Twilight was levitating. A rainbow colored beam of light shot forth from Twilight’s tiara. Gallant’s claws wrapped tightly around the glowing crystal and the beam from the Elements of Harmony struck. He let out an unearthly squeal as he was engulfed in a bright light. The light audibly rang out, sounding as a harp expertly plucked. The crystal grew hot to the touch and its light formed a sphere, expanding and engulfing the ship.

Twilight found herself in a plane of whiteness. An empty void with no landscape. She could see her friends around her, all looking equally bewildered. They exchanged glances across the featureless void of light. Twilight looked at each of her friends, their Elements glowing softly, though hardly visible against the bright backdrop. It was blinding, but her eyes did not hurt. The ringing of the crystal still tickled their ears, blocking out all other sound. It was deafening, but somehow pleasant.

Suddenly the light began to fade. The objects of the world began to fade back into existence around them, and the sound of the harsh, high altitude wind slowly returned. It was accompanied by gasps and shrieks of griffons.

Twilight’s jaw dropped as she witnessed her creation’s effects. Her so-called Harmony Bomb had encompassed the whole area in purifying magic. The cloud cover around them had been pushed outwards, showing the range of her new weapon against evil. Pinkie Pie was the first to break the silence. “Where’d all the griffons go?” She asked as she bent her neck in odd ways to inspect her surroundings.

Rainbow Dash pumped her hooves in the air. “We must have blasted them clear across Equestria!” Rainbow flew in a circle. The airship was no longer crawling with griffons, but it still sat precariously atop the deck of the other airship, rocking back and forth in the wind. “That! Was! AWESOME!”

“Who knew the Elements could be turned into such a potent weapon?” Rarity whispered. “Do you think they are alright?”

Shining Armor pointed with a hoof. “Look over there, in the sky! They’re flying away.” In the far distance a large flock of griffons were taking flight away from the ponies.

“Impressive.” Luna said. “I’ve never felt such a powerful burst of magic before. I dare say I’d be surprised if a single ounce of malice would be left in those griffons’ hearts. It looks like they might be in shock, ashamed of what Discord’s magic has made them do.” Luna approached Twilight and picked the crystal up off the ground. “You’ve created a unique artifact, Twilight. A weapon of vast power. With this… terrible and great things would be possible.”

Twilight clasped the crystal with her magic and pulled it away from Luna. “I… It only amplifies the power of the Elements of Harmony. It’s not a weapon…. Sure, it’s powerful. But… benign…” Twilight looked over at Luna and gulped. “Uh… Right?

“Even good intentioned power can be wielded incorrectly, Twilight.” Luna turned away from the purple unicorn. “Even Discord himself once had good intentions for his power.”

“Even… Discord.” Twilight looked down at her hooves. She thought back to a few days ago, when Discord had gifted her with his powers. She had refused them. Afraid of what she might have done with them.

Good… evil… those are just a bunch of meaningless letters to gods like Celestia and myself. To gods like you.

His words echoed in her head.

“Twi?” Applejack said, shaking her from her thoughts. “Are you alright?”

Twilight shook her head. “Nothing. I mean. Yeah. What we’re we talking about?”

“I was merely explaining…”

Crack.

“That’s not a good sound!” Applejack shouted.

The rope that Gallant had damaged frayed and unraveled. Rarity raced forward, her magic attempting to grab at the rope’s ends. The frayed riggings seemed to dissolve in her magic’s grip. “Celestia, have mercy.” She whispered. The second balloon from the airship tore itself free of the hull.

The airship lurched, the balance of the whole supporting lift balloons thrown off. The deck heaved upwards, the timbers splintering and cracking. The back of the ship began to sag. The shift in weight caused the prow to raise upwards, tossing the ponies towards the aft of the ship. A bone rattling groan rang through the air as the metal interior of the ship bent. A girder poked through the bottom of the ship’s hull, sending boards tumbling downwards. The underside of the airship splintered, an ever growing fissure opening on the underside. The lower deck of the ship exploded as the engine and furnace fell out. The ship bounced upwards, the remaining balloon suddenly free from the weight of the engine.

Ponies were tossed upwards. The ship began to splinter down its ventral and in only a few brief moments the whole frame disintegrated.

Twilight found herself in freefall, an event that seemed to be happening with increasing frequency as of late. If only she had wings! The wind rushed upwards, hugging her face and stinging at her cheeks. She was vaguely aware of Rainbow Dash flittering about in the airspace around her. Despite the deafening sound of the surrounding air, she could still hear the terrified screams of her friends. She felt Luna’s hooves envelope her, the warmth of her fur in stark contrast to blisteringly cold air. Luna had said something into her ear, but she could not make it out.

She suddenly felt her speed drastically change as she was pulled to the side. Twilight’s eyes jolted open as she watched Luna’s still damaged wings guide her closer to where Rainbow Dash was falling. As they huddled together, Twilight could see that Rainbow was tugging on a bright yellow… something. She was not certain what it was until Luna pushed her against it was a surprisingly high amount of force.

“The emergency raft?” She whimpered as she was pressed against the yellow rubber. Of course she knew that all aircraft were outfitted with an emergency inflatable raft in case of a crash landing into a body of water. There was only one problem. “We’re not over any water!” She shouted.

Rarity bounced into the raft next to her. “Good heavens!” She blurted as she collided with Twilight’s barrel.

One after another, each of her friends were collected into the raft by the ponies that could fly in the group, sans Fluttershy. They tumbled in the air as they fell. Twilight was somewhat aware of Rainbow Dash and Wind Strider pushing and pulling against the raft, attempting to slow and control its descent.

The raft crashed into the snowy ground on the side of the nearby mountain. The winged ponies clinging on to the sides of the raft were tossed violently against the rubber siding. Twilight felt the impact crush her midsection, she could not breathe. The raft bounded up off the ground, catching more air than a pegasus’s normal altitude. The raft must have not hit the ground evenly as it began to tumble in the air.

Twilight watched the sky and snowy ground switch places as she clung to the inner safety rope of the spinning raft. She desperately tried to inhale, but her lungs would not inflate. A brief moment of clarity allowed her analytical brain to confront her with the information that her difficulty breathing was likely only the temporary paralysis of her diaphragm caused by sudden force applied to her abdomen, and that the sensation should cease momentarily. She heard Rainbow Dash call out, and in the corner of her vision she could she the blue pegasus’s wings flapping furiously.

The raft collided again with the ground, this time spinning violently as it began to slide down the mountainside. Both Fluttershy and her brother slammed into her side, shaken by the movement of the raft as it tumbled. The second impact only furthered to increase her pain and she gulped in desperation once more for air. Try as she might, she could not inhale. A second moment of clarity allowed her analytical brain to offer other possibilities for her inability to breathe, starting with a bilateral pneumothorax and up to a severed spinal cord. Finally, her lovely analytical brain still had time to inform her that should she not take in oxygen soon, that might be the last moment of clarity she would get.

She could hear frantic yelling as the raft began to pick up speed on its descent down the mountainside, gliding across the snowy ground like a sled. The raft hit a rock and its passengers were tossed upwards. A few ponies slammed into each other as they fell back into the raft. Twilight watched Rarity’s horn nearly miss impaling her. She smiled, lack of oxygen making the situation seem rather more humorous than it was. She chuckled, or attempted to chuckle, at the interesting fact that if her current inability to breathe was in fact a bilateral pneumothorax, a quick impaling through the chest with a unicorn horn would have cured her.

Again the raft hit a rock and ponies were sent flying. Pinkie Pie nearly was thrown from the raft completely, but she was saved by biting down on Princess Luna’s wing. The resulting scream startled birds for miles. As Twilight bounced back on the ground, she suddenly found herself taking a deep breath. She could breathe again! She smiled, temporary paralysis of the diaphragm, or colloquially, having the “wind knocked out of you”, it was then!

It seemed she got her breath back just in time too, as she seemed to be the only pony that noticed the large, snow covered, and fast approaching evergreen directly in their path. She bellowed as loud as she could. “Tree!”

But it was too late, the raft impacted the tree with enough force to shake all of the snow loose. The snow came rumbling from the top of the tree, burying the raft and all of its passengers with a single Thrumwp!

---

Shining Armor spit the hunk of snow out of his mouth. With a hoof he wiped the water from his eyes. “Alright. Who’s not dead?”

“Ugh. One not dead here, Armor.”

“I’ve crashed far worse than that!”

“I survived, but my mane is ruined. So does it really matter?”

“Technically, I cannot die. But I am still mostly unharmed.”

“Dash, that better not be your hoof on mah flank.”

“Um. Sorry. Um. That’s mine.”

“Oh! Oh! Can we do that again?”

“Absolutely not.”

“I think I heard everpony’s voice… but Cadence.” Shining Armor said as he dug himself out of the pile of ponies and snow. He was struggling to free his lower half when a pink hoof reached out to help him.

“I’m right here, Shining.” Princess Cadence smiled back at her husband, as she pulled him from the pile.

“You’re okay!”

“I glided to the ground after being knocked from the ship.” She stretched her wings outwards. “Once I was facing right side up again, I mean.” A sheepish smile crept across her face.

Twilight tugged on her tail, freeing it from underneath Fluttershy’s rump. “Told you so, Armor. Wings.” She gave Cadence a wink. “I wasn’t worried in the slightest. My sister-in-law can take care of herself just fine.”

Nearby chunks of the airship crashed into the ground tossing snow upwards in bursts. The ponies all collectively jumped backwards to avoid the falling debris. Wooden beams thrust into the ground like oversized spears, hurled from the sky. A large steel component landed in the center of it all, a small flame burning from within, it was clearly what remained of the airship’s engine. Eventually the snow settled, leaving the smoldering remains of the airship.

“Everypony alright?” Twilight said as she peered out from beneath her own hooves.

“All fine here, Twi.” Rainbow smiled.

“Alright.” Twilight said. “We’re stranded out here in the mountains. But we’re not down yet.” She marched around her friends. “First things first. We need to find or make shelter and acquire some food. Once our basic needs for survival are met, we car start looking at getting out of here.”

Shining Armor approached Twilight’s side. “I suggest we split into two groups. Listen up, everypony! Miss Rarity, Rainbow, Applejack, Commander, and Cadence, can you search the surrounding area find us some food? The rest of us here will start working on building a shelter. We’re up in the mountains and the snow so we’re going to need something hardy come nightfall.”

Twilight nodded. “I think we can use parts of the airship to build something.” Twilight began to lift a chunk of metal with her magic. “Luna, can you help me with this? Armor? Can you and Fluttershy start a fire?”

Shining Armor saluted and gestured for Fluttershy to follow him to the nearby trees.

Twilight’s face scrunched up as she began to sift through the wreckage. After a marked silence between herself and the large pony standing next to her, she cleared her throat loudly. “Uh. Well done, Luna.” Twilight said with a small smirk. She took a step back to admire the collection of scrap they had pulled off the wreckage.

“Well, ironically this is not my first time doing salvage work. Though quite some time has passed since the last time I attempted it, and I might be a bit rusty. If you’ll pardon the play on words.” Luna smiled back at the purple pony. “But, your compliment is appreciated nonetheless.

“No not that. I was referring to your efforts at commanding the ship.”

“Ah.”

“I mean, you are a princess, I shouldn’t be surprised by your ability to lead. Still, I’m glad to see all of my friends, and especially my brother, rally around you.” Twilight said as her horn moved some of the airship scraps to form rather unattractive lean-to shelter. “It was great to see you blending in with them.” Twilight chuckled. “I especially liked the part where you landed our ship on theirs. Rather creative.”

Luna smiled back, using her larger size and strong legs to wedge a support bean into the shelter. “Well, anything to protect you.” She leaned forward for a kiss.

“But…” Twilight began, evading Luna’s advances. “I’m pretty sure I had like… one condition…. when I put you in charge.”

“Oh?” Luna said as she raised an eyebrow. She leaned against the structure, still standing on two legs.

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure my exact words were, ‘Don’t blow up the ship.’”

“Oh.” Luna wilted as she dropped to all fours.

“I’m just saying. It seemed like a pretty reasonable thing to ask at the time.” Twilight chuckled for a moment, then her expression hardened. Twilight turned her gaze back at the smoldering wreckage of the airship. “When the airship crashed I lost all the books I brought with us.”

Luna frowned. “Books are replaceable. You are not. I’m just glad you’re alright.”

The flames of the wreckage picked up, crackling in the distance. “Perhaps, but one of them tomes I had with me was unique. One of a kind.”

“Oh?”

“Princess Celestia sent it by way of dragonfire. The page that was marked on it was a clear mission for us: to find the Icosafux.” Twilight looked down at the ground.

“I see. So my sister sent you on a trip to Tartarus to find a Centaur Artifact.” Luna nodded.

“Do you know what the Icosafux does, Luna? Do you know what Celestia intends us to do with it? I assume we can use it to defeat Discord without the aid of the Elements somehow, but I haven’t a clue what it does.”

“No, I’m afraid studying those artifacts was always a hobby of my sister. After our father was killed by the result of fiddling with such things I couldn’t bring myself to…. Our friend Arcus fell victim to the power of Centaur magic when we first journeyed into Tartarus’s inner sanctum. Starswirl the Bearded also fell to the use of one, the Dome of Vision in fact. Even after all that, she still couldn’t resist their power. Her and that forsaken book….”

“Luna.” Twilight sighed. “The tome that I lost with the airship, it was Celestia’s book of Centaur Artifacts. I’m afraid it’s lost now.”

Luna spat on the ground. “Good.”

Twilight gasped. “You’re not mad?”

“No. That book has been nothing but trouble. I think letting it burn in the wreckage of the airship is for the best.” Luna’s face fell to worry. “Though honestly, it has been lit on fire before. I wonder if it was truly destroyed with the destruction of the airship.” She shook her head. “Likely it is lost to the landscape now. Hopefully, if it is not destroyed, it will not resurface for a good time to come.”

Twilight glanced over to her brother and her friends, attempting to build their own shelters.

Shining Armor smiled struck a rock against a patch of dry twigs he had found. He was idly chatting with Fluttershy beside him. “Well. The good news is that suffering no causalities while taking down two griffon warships with a ragtag, untrained crew and a cruise liner while keeping a member of the royal family safe is quite an impressive feat. I’m sure to get a promotion out of this.”

“That’s so wonderful for you!” Fluttershy smiled. “I didn’t realize there was a rank above Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“Oh.” Shining Armor’s smile drooped. “Buck.”

Before Shining Armor could lament further, his vision was assaulted by a bright pink coat. Pinkie Pie filled his entire view, her mane resting on top of Shining Armor’s own. “Rarity found something! Rarity found something!” The pink pony bounced up and down franticly. “Come on! Come on! Follow me!” She gestured wildly as she bounded backwards. Shining Armor gave a shrug and proceeded to slowly follow the energetic mare. He gave a wave to Twilight, Fluttershy and Luna. The four ponies cautiously followed Pinkie Pie down through a winding crag as they trekked through the mountains. Often the pink mare would get frustrated with the slow speed of the physics-obeying group and try to push them along faster.

They did not travel far, and the trek was rather easy. They followed Pinkie down a subtle decline through a winding path. As they walked Luna seemed to pick up pace; her eyes showing a familiar knowing in them. Twilight trotted up next to the princess, her neck craning upwards in an attempt to understand what had suddenly made Luna so excited. At last Pinkie came to a sudden stop at a rocky clearing in the crag.

Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Wind Strider all turned around to greet the rest of their friends. “You’re here!” Rarity said with a slight smile. “Perhaps one of our scholars can explain what this is?” She gestured up at an overly large opening behind her. To the untrained eye, it looked like a cave entrance. But Twilight knew better. She could see that the mouth of the cave was too rectangular to have been natural, the entry way was too wide to have formed on its own, and faint outlines of stone columns could be seen. The columns had been worn down, weathered almost beyond recognition, but the rough shape was there. A shape that was hard to mistake for a natural formation.

“Is it the entryway to an ancient temple? Huh, Twilight? Like in Daring Doo and the temple of Gloom?” Rainbow Dash hovered over the purple pony’s withers, practically drooling with anticipation.

Twilight glanced at Princess Luna who was curiously silent for a pony that usually appreciated ancient architecture. Twilight smiled as she looked upwards at Rainbow Dash. “Something like that. It looks like we’re finally here.”

“What? We’re where?” Applejack asked.

Twilight pointed to a flat carving above the entryway.

“What? Up there?” Rarity squinted. “The carving is faded, but some of the words can still be read: The… grave of the… last… age. The… wonders… evil… keep….”

“The cradle of life and the grave of the world. The first and last city of the first age. The space of wonders and evils. Where troubles sleep and the divine keep. Once the end and always the beginning. Here is Tartarus.”

Rarity turned around to face Princess Luna. “You have better vision than I, Princess.”

“I didn’t read it. I recited from memory. I wrote it above the gates, long ago. Here is…” The ponies craned their necks up to trace the large archway. “Tartarus.”

---

The room rumbled. High at the zenith of the highest tower in Canterlot, the room was rumbling. Its walls rippled with a mighty knocking as the door to the room shook. In the center of the room sat a large white alicorn, staring down at the ground in penitence. The room rumbled again, though the alicorn seemed unfazed by the event. Standing next to the alicorn was a small shaking unicorn with an orange coat. “Princess Celestia, what is that dreadful knocking?” The room shook again, small bits of dust falling from the high ceiling. The tendrils of light surrounding the large pony pulled taunt.

“So, the time has come.” The large pony said.

“Princess?” The room shook like an earthquake.

“Rising Star.” The larger pony turned to the small unicorn. “Leave this place. What will transpire here very soon should not be seen by my subjects.” The large pony looked downwards. “I will not let this castle fall. No matter what challenger; no matter what might seeks to take this land from me. I will not let this room fall. I will not let this castle, this sanctuary, this land of peace, none of this will fall to chaos anymore. This is the final confrontation. Two titans of the mystic arts. An eternity of magical energy is theirs to tap into and soon a collision of power will occur. A collision the likes of which has not been seen before.” The red glowing eyes met with Rising Star’s frightened glare. “Chaos is an unstoppable force. And my resolve, an unmovable object. I shudder to think what is about to transpire. Will the world be ready for the result of this conflict? I do not know.”

The room shook as the knocking increased in volume.

“The time has come. Run, you fool. Run and do not look back.” The alicorn’s shout echoed through the room. The unicorn’s hooves clamored against the tiled floor, fading away as she disappeared into the shadows.

With an explosion of sound the doors burst open. “Knock, knock!” A deep voice bellowed.

“Discord….” The alicorn growled.

The draconequus slithered into the room with a chuckle. “I do believe congratulations are in order.” Discord rubbed his claw and paw together. “I’ve conquered your castle of puzzles and misdirection. I’ve outwitted you at every turn and I’ve found your little lair.” He glanced around the dark room and rubbed his chin. “That is what you’d call this place, right? Liar. Has a sinister ring to it. I must say, the highest tower in the highest city. Makes me wonder why you don’t have an elevator in this place. The stairs were absolutely dreadful. Absolutely unfriendly to the handicapped. Seriously, this is a government facility. But that’s not the point.” He held up a claw. “The point is I’ve passed your test and won your little game.”

“No.” The alicorn said.

“No? I’m sorry, but I’m here. I’ve won.”

The alicorn looked up at the draconequus and they locked eyes. “The rules were that the game was over when you removed this amulet from my neck. I’m still wearing it so the game is still going.”

“I suppose I’ll have to take it by force, won’t I?” Discord sighed. “Very well.”

“Be still.” The alicorn held up a hoof. “Do you think it will be that easy? Look around you, Discord. While you twiddled your thumbs and took your time with my puzzles I have grown strong.”

Discord slithered backwards. “Hm.” He coiled around himself and pulled at his beard. “Yes, I sense it. A great power. But where are you pulling all that magic from?” He slunk around the alicorn. His paw reached out and pulled on one of the tendrils of light. “Ah, very clever. I knew there was a reason I took a shining to you. I suppose I forgot where all that chaos magic went from my pranks. Looks like you’ve taken all of that magic and funneled it back into yourself. Extraordinarily clever. Brilliant, in fact. Inspired!”

“Combined with the Alicorn Amulet and my natural power, I have enough magic coursing through my body to destroy you.”

“Please, Celestia. I’m Discord! Chaos incarnate. I can see the infinite possibilities of the universe and I can predict the outcome of this easier than….” Discord took a step backwards again. “It would be unlikely that….” His face scrunched up as his mind began to turn. “That the outcome couldn’t possibly be….” His mismatched eyes were wide. “W-well. Well! Possibly! Destroy? Yes, yes you could do that. You could do that. But why?” His voice was higher pitched than normal. “It’s such a brutish approach. Don’t you think?” He gestured widely. “I mean, really! Really. Think about it. Rather an… ineloquent solution.”

“I prefer pragmatic.” Her horn flared.

Discord stumbled over his own feet. “Well, that’s one way of looking at it, sure. But is that fair? Overpowering me? Really? You don’t see me using my magic in such a… forceful way. Might I suggest something… better for our final battle? I’m thinking trivia.” He pulled a string of playing cards out from his fur. “Poker? Go fish? Hearts…? No you’d probably shoot the moon! Gin? Old Mare?” He clasped a claw over his own mouth. “Sorry, wasn’t implying anything.”

The alicorn took a step forward. Discord took three steps backwards. The pony stopped and smiled. “You’re terrified right now. Terrified that I might defeat you. That’s the thing about you, isn’t it? You have such arrogance that you can’t see your own defeat before it is staring you in the face. Well take a long look, because here it is. Your downfall.” She took a half-step backwards. “This isn’t something you planned on is it?”

Discord took another step backwards. “No. I can’t say this was anticipated. I had mostly been preparing for Twilight Sparkle. I sort of expected you to well, just roll over and give in.” He smiled sheepishly. “No offence.”

The alicorn’s mane flared upwards, spreading out and enveloping most of the room in a pastel blanket. “I will never give in!”

“And I’m not suggesting that you do! I’m merely suggesting that since this is a game which we have wagered on—a game—mind you, that has rules… we should approach it from the same mentality in its endgame.” The alicorn stared back at the draconequus. Discord’s eyes suddenly found the ceiling very interesting. “Hm. Yes. The goal of this game was to prove who was the most clever when it came to magic, correct? Then it seems only fitting that we do battle in a less direct way.”

“Wrong. The point of this game was to crush you.” The alicorn lifted off the ground, levitated by some unseen force.

“Ah. Well. Then it seems I have no choice. And here I actually wanted to avoid hurting you. Physically, of course. Breaking you emotionally was always part of the plan.” Discord leaped into the air. “Come on then. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Translucent armor formed around the alicorn’s body and her hair tired itself up away from her eyes. “I see fear in your eyes. You have doubts that you can win in a straight up fight.”

“And while that’s very true….” Discord placed a top hat over his horns and adjusted a spotted bowtie that sat crooked on his neck. “You’ve made your first series of mistakes, Celestia. One, never wear armor in a battle of wizards. It’s simply not fitting. Two! My mastery of magic makes it so I never have to fight ‘straight up’.” He pretended to roll up his sleeves. “You want a duel? How about something similar, hm? No need to worry, it’s only a one letter difference.” Discord snapped his fingers. A brilliantly pink mirrored ball dropped from the ceiling, scattering speckles of light throughout the room.

Comments

[daggama]

im happy to see this story going, its probably my favorite fanfic
soon i will print it and make it an actual book to read it on paper
thank you for your work
im sure you can get far with your talent
see you next chapter

[Biker_Dash]

The captain once again raised his claw. “They are heading into that cumulonimbus.” He pointed at the towering, stormy mist. “We’ll lose them if they go in there.”
Gallant held out a wing, gesturing to the griffon beside him. “Dissuade them. Fire the chase cannons. On my mark.” His wing lifted upwards, feathers spread wide. Griffons around him scrambled, racing towards the ship’s weapons. He flattened his wing with a swift motion. “Fire.”
The cannons exploded with a deafening boom. As the smoke cleared, Gallant had a good view of the cannon fire arching under the target. “We missed?” He pulled a spyglass out of the claws of a nearby crewmember. He peered down at, inspecting the faraway ship. “Not a scratch on her. Who aimed that cannon?”
The first mate trembled. “Sorry, sir. Not yet in optimal range.”
The former captain faked a cough. “Still in range to use the mortars, though.”
Gallant spun around and punched the former captain in the face. “Weapons of cowards!” The captain fell to the deck unceremoniously. The ship lurched. Gallant looked up at the griffon manning the helm. “Are we slowing down? Why are we slowing?!”
The griffon at the helm pointed at the sprawling cloud in front of them. “We can’t go in there, sir!” The griffon gulped.
Gallant rubbed a feathered wing against his chin. He lifted the spyglass once more and peered at his prey. From the spyglass he could clearly make out a pink pony pulling down an eyelid with her hoof and wagging her rump in his direction. “They’re laughing at us.” Gallant snarled. “Don’t just sit there. Follow the ponies into the cloud!”
One of the griffons removed his hat and clutched it nervously between his claws. “But sir, we won’t have any visibility in that cloud. We’ll lose all of the Gargantuan’s tactical advantage! Our superior firepower won’t be of much use.”
Gallant’s wings unfurled to reveal his massive form. He screeched back at the griffon that had contradicted him, spittle flying from his beak and his feathers standing on edge. “FOLLOW THEM!”

Ok... was this section a reference to this scene?

[Kendandra]

6913805
It was indeed! I love that scene so much I couldn't resist! It seems I got pretty close from memory....

[Biker_Dash]

6913922 One of my all-time favorite movies. I was totally geeking out when I read that scene. I was actually reading Gallant's lines in Ricardo Montalbán's voice

[Omare Bradley]

I can't wait to see the results of Discords and Celestia's duel!

[Kendandra]

6998286
It's the majority of the next chapter (which will feel short compared to recent chapters). I'm pretty excited for it. It will be... surprising... and unconventional. I hope.

[Seether00]

A duel with no referee or witnesses? Discord is going to cheat.

[Knight N Gale]

So the romance tag......what ship is it? TwiLuna, TwiLestia or TwiCord?

[Coco Strawbunny]

Solo since its been 2 years, I'm guessing this fic is now dead?

[INFUSCATE]

And so another day dawns on possibly the best story to exist on this site...

[INFUSCATE]

And another day dawns... im never going to give up hope, yaknow? I believe in you, and this story.

[Aitchel_Xesskh]

5 years, damn.

[INFUSCATE]

"Last seen 2018." Well, damn. Time to remove this story from my bookmarks. I'm still keeping it downloaded in my "best of all time" folder though... 'Cause it is one of the best fics I've ever read. If some random person stumbles across this fic and wonders whether to read it cause it's dead, please do. It's genuinely amazing.

[INFUSCATE]

Randomly decided to check up on ponyfics and remembered this exists, after re-reading... damn. Discord's speech about how the world views a statue, forever stuck in one place, forever remembered for only the moment the statue depicts... It made me think of this fic. It's unfinished. Still half stuck inside the marble it's being carved from. And all I see when I think back on it is the last chapter to be posted.

The last chapter, for me, was possibly the height of the story, the tension was so high and relentless. I remember waiting for the next chapter for years... only for it to remain stuck within the rest of the marble. Perhaps... in the case of this fic, being stuck in a static world isn't so bad. After all, I'd rather its memory stay the perfected masterpiece that is unmatched on this site or any other than for it to have slwoly declined in quality like so many fics. In this case, perhaps it's better to be stuck in a half-finished and beautiful state, than a fully completed yet patchwork statue like Discord.

[Chubster]

Dead as a fossil this may be, but it's worth commenting it's splendor. A brilliant work of fantasy romance and destiny drama.