The Prince Gets Fractured
"This does not need to continue, pony."
Tiktak padded back and forth before him, dripping scalpel dancing in his tail, his gait awkward and almost comical. His little feet left bloody prints all across the rough, stone chamber they shared. Ever so slowly, some of the thicker splatters would creep towards the drain in the center of the floor, joining the rivulets that flowed into a shallow pool around its edge. The steady drip-drip had become Blueblood's most reliable way to tell the time.
He stared at the lemur with one eye. He couldn't see through the other. He wasn't even sure it was still there. And he was finding it increasingly difficult to care. The savage little monster had brought him through fear, even through pain. He was on the other side now, numb and helpless. This was the world, now. The stone cell. The bloody prints. The drain. The scalpel.
"All you have to do is say the word," Tiktak continued. "Ask our mistress to have mercy. She will grant it."
He said nothing.
"As you wish, pony." The blade flashed in the chamber's meager light. "Then let us continue."
Blueblood's world dissolved in the white heat of pain.
"LAND HO, CAP'N!"
Applejack let out an enthusiastic whoop. Zecora clapped her hooves together and laughed in near-manic relief. Even Cadance, for the first time in too long, was smiling. They'd made it. They were almost safe.
Well, "safe" being a relative term.
Behind them, barely visible at the edge of the horizon, the camel fleet was coming. For two days since the battle with Captain Gilad and his sorcerous first mate, Al Gasreed, the yellow-sailed warships had been gaining steadily on the fleeing ponies. Despite their efforts, despite his and Cadance's attempts to use magic to speed their passage, the camel ships had been growing larger behind them, steadily and ominously. And then, just a few hours ago, they'd trimmed sails and began drifting behind, falling further and further from the ponies' sight.
And now, ahead of them, the towers of Manehattan glittered like jewels in the morning sun.
Shining Armor let the tension ease out of his neck and shoulders, just for a moment. He craned his head to see his lookout. "Pinkie, we've been in sight of the coast almost the entire time. You can't shout 'land ho' if we already see land."
The bouncy pony shrugged, the motion tilting the tricorn cap almost sideways on her head. "Well, okay. CITY HO, CAP'N!"
Applejack inhaled deeply and smirked. "Heh, an' there's that perfume."
The zebra, standing beside her, grinned. "It should be a nice change, one would think. After all this time, we're beginning to stink."
"Well, don't you worry none, Zecora. Snobbish as these folks are, once they see we got royalty aboard, I reckon we'll be gettin' such fancy treatment it'd make Rarity blush."
"I'm gonna take a bubble bath!" Pinkie exclaimed happily. "With extra bubbles! And then more extra bubbles!"
"Y'all gonna mix some water in there?"
"I'll consider it."
The girls shared a laugh. It wasn't uproarious; they were too tired. They'd slept, at least in short shifts, but they weren't used to a life of constant stress and near-exhaustion. Then again, the lack of coffee aboard tie yacht was starting to make things unbearable for Shining, too.
Applejack turned to Cadance after a moment. "How 'bout you, Princess? What've you got planned?"
She tapped her hoof consideringly against her chin. "Well, first, I'm going to send word to Aunt Celestia about Blueblood and the camel invasion. Then I'm going to do everything I can to prepare this city before I leave."
The others' expressions turned a bit downcast as the seriousness of the situation came back to them. "Yeah, I reckon that's a mite important, too," Applejack said quietly.
They reached the first dock they could find an hour or so later. Unfortunately, no one had really thought about how to stop the boat. A pair of finely-dressed mariners, one skinny and the other robust, stood on the pier and watched with horror as the Wilting Lily came rushing towards them, moving entirely too fast despite its trimmed sails. A barrier of light appeared in front of the ship's prow, but wood still cracked and splintered as the boat came to a sudden, jarring halt.
"We're here!" Pinkie shouted cheerfully.
"I say," said the skinny mariner disapprovingly as Shining and the others staggered onto solid land. "Who in Equestria taught you ponies how to pilot a ship?"
"Tom Prancy," Shining said dismissively. "We need to speak to the mayor, immediately. Where can we find him?"
His comrade tut-tutted. "You damaged our dock, old boy. I rather think we need to discuss that."
The first nodded. "This isn't even a public pier. Members only, you see."
"Look," Applejack said, annoyance in her voice, "we're awful sorry about that, but this is a serious emergency. If y'all could just tell us... "
The mariners looked at her doubtfully. "And who, exactly, do you think you are, young lady?"
Applejack started to reply, but stopped as the pair suddenly sucked in a breath and stared past her with jaws hanging open. She didn't bother to glance over her shoulder; she just smirked at them.
"She is my friend, and one of the Elements of Harmony," Cadance told them, coming to stand beside the farmer. "And Equestria is in danger. We need to speak with whoever can prepare the city for attack."
"A-attack, Your Highness?"
She nodded. "Please. Where can we find him?"
The Princess of the Sun was exhausted.
It had been four days since the griffon armies had invaded Equestria. They'd hit hard and fast, overwhelming the scattered hooffulls of guards who had grown accustomed to years of peace, burning and pillaging and... feasting as they went. Stars above, Celestia had hoped she'd seen an end to such savagery. The griffons had long preyed upon her ponies in the ancient days, but she had worked with moderating influences within their clans for centuries to instill the idea that eating sentient creatures, whatever the ancient traditions, was wrong. She'd thought she'd succeeded, that only the occasional rebel or psychopath would violate this moral code. But after seeing what happened in Whinnypeg...
An old, primordial hatred stirred in her heart. Griffons. Monsters.
She shook her head. Dwelling on the horrors she and Luna had seen there would not bring their ponies back. All they could do was hold the line, push back, and do what they could to prevent others from suffering the same fate.
She looked up from the war map she was supposed to be examining. Her commanders were watching her silently, anxiety and agitation slowly overcoming their patience. The only exception was Spitfire, captain of her Wonderbolts. The firey yellow pegasus had long sense abandoned any pretense of calm and looked eager to be back in the fight. Of course she was; she was from Whinnypeg.
No, Celestia. No further distractions. She turned her attention back to the little blue and red figurines dotting the parchment, largely spread along opposite sides of the Platinum Mountain range that framed the edge of Equestria's northwestern territories. The blue were her soldiers, mostly companies of pegasi with a small contingent of unicorns. The red figurines represented the griffons, and there were easily three times as many of them as there were blue. It seemed their numbers grew every day; her scouts reported more and more clans were joining the war effort, even those less hostile and aggressive. There was some debate as to why, but Celestia thought she knew: they were winning, so why not join in?
And now, this.
"We can spare two companies of pegasi, perhaps," she said aloud. "And I will dispatch most of Canterlot's garrison."
"Which companies, Your Highness?" one of her commanders, an aging, steel-gray pegasus named Hailstorm, asked.
Celestia considered the map and levitated a pair of figurines. "The... Silverwings, I believe? And the Thunderheads."
Hailstorm frowned. "That will leave Topaz Pass virtually undefended."
"Griffons don't need passes, General. They fly."
Another, younger pegasus cleared his throat. "Actually, Your Highness, in order to transport supplies or siege weaponry, griffons typically must fly at a lower altitude, making passes important for control of their major attack routes."
"Thank you, Captain Dew." Celestia sighed. Stars, she was tired. "We'll simply have to reposition the nearby companies to properly cover the pass, then."
Hailstorm's brow furrowed again. "That will spread us rather thin, Your High-"
"I know!" she snapped. Her general's mouth shut and he cringed a bit in surprise. Celestia closed her eyes, trying to regain her calm, and let out a long breath. "My apologies, General. However, we must make do. We cannot focus all of our strength here when our ponies' heartland is threatened. The minotaurs are as much a threat as the griffons."
"Of course, Your Highness, but your sister-"
"My sister is fully capable of stemming the tide, but not of driving an entire minotaur army back. Once they are dealt with, we will reinforce this front. This will be the heaviest, bloodiest fighting, General. Do not forget that I have seen before, first-hoof, the ferocity and determination of a griffon horde. Routing them will be a long and difficult process, and we cannot afford to focus on it while another army ravages Equestria."
"I see, Your Highness," Hailstorm conceded with a bow of his head.
"Until then," Celestia continued, putting a hoof on the old soldier's shoulder, "we hold the line. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Highness." The other commanders mumbled likewise and took this as leave to depart. Celestia watched them file out of the command tent one by one, their expressions grim yet determined and, perhaps, even a bit hopeful, until only one remained. Spitfire regarded the princess skeptically, one eyebrow raised. Celestia met her gaze for a moment, then sighed and looked away.
"You didn't tell them," the Wonderbolt said accusingly.
"There is no need to worry them."
"Really? 'Cause Rainbow Dash crashing into the palace, half starved and ranting about Prince Blueblood and Twilight Sparkle turning evil, seems like it might be worth mentioning."
The princess rubbed her hoof over her temples. "Spitfire, you know that I appreciate your candor. But, please. If... if, indeed, such a thing has happened, it's not a military matter."
"Like hay it isn't!" she spat. "Princess, Twilight Sparkle's the most powerful unicorn sorceress alive. If she's gone rogue, in my book, that's a pretty big military matter."
Celestia closed her eyes. Her head throbbed. Her powers were at a low ebb, she hadn't slept in days, she was sick with worry about her children, all of them, all of Equestria, but Blueblood and Twilight Sparkle in particular. It was all she could do to stop from unleashing all of her frustration and fear on the pegasus before her. "Spitfire. Please. Trust me."
The Wonderbolt stared at her for a long moment. Then, finally, she sighed and nodded. "As you wish, Your Highness. But... if I or my team can be any help... "
"I'll let you know."
With that, Celestia was alone. She trotted over to her bed and settled heavily onto it. Sleep wouldn't come, she knew. Not with everything going on. Not with the fear that ate at her belly like acid. But she closed her eyes anyway, because with her eyes shut, it was easier not to cry.
Blueblood opened his eye at the sound of approaching hoofsteps. Tiktak was gone; he didn't feel the lemur's paws digging into his back, didn't hear the soft cackle as the creature decided what to cut next. He must have passed out at some point. Again. How long had he been down here? Days? Weeks? Years?
Into the flickering green torchlight stepped Bank Ledger, his suit as crisp and bland as ever beneath his opened robe. He caught Blueblood's eye and, for just a moment, revulsion flickered across his face. He masked it quickly, however, dipping into a respectful bow.
"Your Majesty," he said in that precise monotone. "I am glad to see you are awake. I am told that you've stood up to Lord Tiktakthanga's ministrations quite admirably."
Blueblood slurred something. His mouth didn't have the strength to open.
"Unfortunately, Your Majesty, since physical torture has proven ineffective, I have been asked to step in. You see, I'm quite a capable sorcerer myself. I studied at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and graduated near the top of my class. With our mistress' help, I've developed an interesting array of applications for various spells that I know."
Something tugged, hard, on Blueblood's rear leg. He heard a pop, and pain lanced through his spine. He let out a weak little scream.
"Telekinesis has a variety of potential uses, for example. If one knows much of equine anatomy, it can be quite easy to tweak a joint just so, or to trigger a pressure point, or even to contract just the right blood vessel. It is of course, difficult to do this in most situations; it requires remarkably precise aim, not to mention the strength of will to overcome a pony's natural magical defenses, particularly a unicorn's."
He felt pressure building in his neck, and suddenly, he couldn't breath through the kink in his throat.
"Fortunately, the combination of the magic-neutralizing manacles you have been placed in and the physical trauma you have suffered has rendered your innate defenses so meager that an unmarked foal could destroy you with ease. Albeit with some trial and error."
Blueblood began to gag, his hooves going instinctively to his throat as his face began to redden and his vision began to fade.
"Of course, Your Majesty, I am not an unmarked foal."
Suddenly, the pressure was gone. Blueblood sagged back against the stone slab, gasping raggedly. Ledger watched him emotionlessly, like a child watching a fly struggling in a spider's web. "Do you wish to ask our lady's mercy, Your Majesty?"
Blueblood swallowed. "No."
"Very well." Ledger's horn flashed, and suddenly lightning was arcing out of it, striking the prince across his body. He screamed and tried to roll away, to the safety of the floor, but his muscles wouldn't respond through their twitching, agonized convulsions. It might have lasted seconds or hours, he wasn't sure, but then the lightning was gone. Blueblood lay there, shaking, sobbing, his nostrils filled with the scent of his own burnt flesh.
"Your Majesty, I do hope you'll come around soon. It gives me no pleasure to inflict such pain on my future liege-lord. All you have to do is ask our lady for mercy, and she will grant it. You will be free of this pain, free of these constraints. You may even take revenge upon me, should you wish it; I will not object. My concern has never been for myself. I merely wish what is best for Equestria, and for the world."
Blueblood shook his head, staring at his tormentor in confusion. "Why?"
"Why am I concerned for Equestria?" Ledger asked mildly. "Or why am I willing to let you kill me?"
"Why... do you support... the Nightmare?"
The accountant quirked his head. "Because she deserves to rule. The tyrant Celestia must be overthrown."
"But... don't you get it?" Blueblood managed a hoarse little laugh. "She isn't Luna."
"Oh, but she is, Your Majesty. She is the true Luna. Nightmare Moon. The one who sits beside Celestia is merely a puppet that her so-called sister has created."
"She's lying to you," Blueblood said. He lay his head against the slab, musing aloud more than speaking to Ledger. "She's lying to all of you. You don't know."
"Your Majesty?"
He managed another laugh, low and wild. "She's playing you. She's convinced you she's Luna, but she's not. She's a seed, you idiot. She's just a seed."
Ledger stared down at him. His expression never shifted, but something bright and dangerous crept into his eyes and burned madly. "I think another lightning spell is in order, Your Majesty. I do apologize."
Blueblood screamed as the electricity tore into him again.
"Nice place you've got here!" Pinkie said brightly, looking around the mansion's grand foyer. Cherry paneling, marble floors, and shining brass were the colors of choice, here, with a pair of velvet-carpeted steps swooping up to the floor above while a skylight shone down on the huge fountain, depicting an earth pony maiden pouring water from an urn, below. Several suits of armor, crossed spears and swords on the walls behind them, lined the room. It was ostentatious, yet strangely welcoming at the same time.
The Mayor of Manehattan, Sir Hightrot Hilltop, had turned out to be one of the two wealthy fishermen on the dock. With his bushy moustache and low-seated yachting cap, he looked as large, boisterous, and friendly as his home. His companion, Judge Sandstone Park, was by comparison skinny, icy, and somewhat abrasive, but had kept his complaints about the damage done to his precious pier to a minimum once he'd realized he was in the presence of royalty.
"Why, thank you, my dear!" Hilltop replied with a bow. "Built it myself, I'm pleased to say. Well, not by myself, of course, haven't hefted a hammer since my youth, but I did design the place! Please, please, join me in the dining room. I'll send for lunch."
A short walk through lavish halls brought them to the dining room. It was roughly the size of the mess hall Shining had eaten his meals in during his time with the Stormguards, yet had only a single, long table, lined with chairs and lit by a series of arched windows that lined the entire eastern wall and looked out on a lush garden. Hilltop took his seat at the head of the table, Judge Park at his right; Cadance claimed the seat opposite him, and Shining and the others fell in where they could. The moment the last flank touched down, a tuxedo'd servant appeared bearing a tray of glasses and a pitcher of iced tea, then set about pouring everypony a glass.
"Now then, Your Highness," the mayor said as the butler placed his drink before him. "What's this about an attack?"
Cadance, whose patience with the niceties had been visibly fraying, launched into it without hesitation. "A vast armada from Camaq is sailing your way. They were gaining on us rapidly, but stopped just shy of the horizon from you. We believe more are heading for Baltimare and Fillydelphia."
"I say, are you certain?" Hilltop took a sip of his tea nonchalantly. "Perhaps they are merely traders, or perhaps they were on their way to southern lands."
"Trust me, Lord Mayor. When they discerned our identities, they attempted to kill us. We barely escaped with our lives."
"Hm. This is most unfortunate."
Cadance gave him an incredulous look. "Unfortunate? We are under attack!"
Hillstop raised a placating hoof. "I did not mean to understate this threat. But were you not aware that the rest of Equestria is under attack as well?"
Everypony gasped. "What?!" Shining demanded.
"Indeed," Judge Park said. "Apparently, various griffon clans united to attack Whinnypeg and the northwestern territories. Meanwhile, a large tribe of minotaurs marched into the countryside and laid siege to some farming community or another. What was it, Hightrot? Pony... town?"
"Ponyville," the mayor corrected helpfully.
More gasps. Applejack slammed a hoof down on the table and jumped out of her seat. "We can't sit 'round here! We gotta get home!"
"Oh, no, Princess Celestia was right," Pinkie moaned. "We shoulda stayed home! We never shoulda gone on our big adventure thing!"
Zecora put a reassuring hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "What is done is done and in the past. But we must hurry to Ponyville, and fast."
"Calm down!" Cadance snapped. Everypony looked at her in surprise, even Shining, and fell silent. Cadance kept glaring at them for a moment, then turned her intense eyes back to Mayor Hilltop. "What about the Princesses? What about Canterlot? Has anything else been happening?"
"My dear, we're a bit... detached from these goings-on. Or, at least, we were. I imagine that will change shortly." He sighed and glanced up at his butler. "Jeeves, take a letter. We must send word to the other cities, and to the Royal Guard."
"Yes, sir," the butler replied, turning to leave. As he did, he passed by another equine, this one dressed in a simple black dress over her striped, black-and-white coat. She was an older mare, her coat patchy and revealing a latticework of old scars, her wizened face marked by a black patch over one eye, and her gait made somewhat awkward by the loss of her right foreleg.
"Ah, my apologies, my gracious host," the elderly zebra said, her eye roaming over the assorted ponies. "I was going to the kitchen to find some toast."
"Zujada!" Mayor Hilltop said happily. He stood out of his chair, walked around the table, and graciously pulled out a seat for the aged mare. "Wonderful of you to join us! Princess Cadance, may I introduce-"
"Grandmother?!" Zecora cried.
All eyes went to one zebra, then the other. Zujada froze. Zecora stared at her in shock. And then, with a happy sound, the younger zebra leapt over the table to wrap her elder in a fierce hug. Zujada stiffened for a moment, then laughed and returned the hug in kind.
"Grandmother, I cannot believe it so! I have not seen you since so long ago!"
Zujada pulled away and smiled into her granddaughter's eyes, running a hoof along her face. "Little Zecora, I thought you were gone. How glad I am to see I was wrong! Why did you leave?!"
"For my father, I grieved."
"It was a simple mistake, dear foal. You are not to blame."
Zecora shook her head. "I thought I knew all. It put him in his grave."
Zujada shushed her. "It is water under the bridge. I am merely happy to see you live."
"As I you, grandmother. I have missed you like none other."
The zebras hugged again. Shining glanced at the others; Applejack had taken her seat again, at least partways, her eyes wet with unshed tears. Pinkie, on the other hand, was openly bawling into a handkerchief.
"Well," Hilltop said after a moment, "small world, isn't it? Zujada came here not two weeks ago to negotiate a trade deal between our fair city and her homeland. Once we determined that she was not, in fact, a cannibal, and having heard such pleasant things about the mysterious zebra healer in the countryside--you, I would imagine, my dear--we were just entering the final stages of negotiation."
"You came here alone?" Zecora asked. "All the way from home?"
Zujada rolled her eyes and smiled. "I am not such an old goat that I cannot survive a trip by boat."
Applejack pulled her hat off and gave the zebras an apologetic look. "Uh, Zecora, I hate to say this, but... we kinda still need to get goin', pronto."
She blinked. "Yes, you're right. If we find a train, we may reach home tonight."
"Nonsense!" Hillstop said. "My dears, and dear sir, you are clearly hungry, exhausted, and in need of a reminder of the niceties of life. I won't turn you loose in such a state!"
Cadance shot him an annoyed look. "Lord Mayor, the fate of Equestria may well hang in the balance. I'm afraid we'll have to do without a bath."
"As you wish, Your Highness, but... surely, you would at least let me treat you to lunch? My cooks are already slaving away over their ovens, and it would certainly be a pity if that hard work was for nothing... "
The alicorn opened her mouth for an angry retort, but Shining put a calming hoof over hers and smiled. "Come on, Cade. We could use a decent meal. And the trains usually only run to Ponyville in the afternoon."
Both Cadance and Applejack started to protest, but Pinkie sprang up next to Shining and nodded enthusiastically. "You never wanna go into a possible epic pony war without a full stomach! And besides, it'll give Zecora more time to catch up with her grandma!"
"For while it lasts, I'd appreciate the chance," Zecora offered.
Applejack sighed and bowed her head. Cadance just snorted. "Fine."
"Wonderful!" the mayor said happily. He glanced up as another servant, this one younger and in a burgundy tuxedo coat, placed a silver tray before him and revealed a steaming bowl of daffodil pasta. "Ah, and here comes the first course."
When everypony had been served, he turned to Cadance and lifted his glass. "To one, fine meal before the storm comes thundering in," he called. "And to Equestria. May she never fall."
Ponyville was still standing.
The death of Warmaster Torrax had sent the minotaur horde into disarray for a time. The next day, they hadn't attacked at all. They'd just stood outside the palisade, watching the ponies rebuilding it, watching them bury the dead (on both sides, since the minotaurs didn't seem interested in reclaiming their fallen), watching them struggle to remove the slain dragon from the ruined town hall. It had taken every pony capable of standing all day to do the work, but by the time night fell, Ponyville was as strong, or stronger, than it had been before the assault.
And then, that night, horns had blown, chants had gone up, drums had been pounded in the dark. Princess Luna and her bat-winged pegasi--"Blackguards," they called themselves in their thick brogue--had stood at the ready for an attack, but it never came. The next morning, the minotaurs came at them again.
It had been another all-out attack, but without the support of dragons or cannons, and against the might of an admittedly somewhat groggy goddess, they'd been repelled easily. Cheerilee had only had to enter the fighting once, when a team of minotaurs had managed to scale the wall with makeshift ladders. She killed two of them, and she'd hardly felt anything when she did it.
Mostly, she'd watched Luna. The Princess of the Night was a bit of a brawler, it seemed. She'd clad herself in full barding from hoof to horn, and spent as much time out in front of the walls, single-hoofedly holding back a minotaur charge with bladed wings or armored hooves, as she did blasting away from the relative safety of the sky.
And then, an hour or so after it began, the battle was over. The minotaurs retreated. Luna and her Blackguards bedded down. And Cheerilee took to the walls, watching for trouble.
She still needed to name a lieutenant. Hacksaw had wasted no time in choosing her after Mac was injured. But she hadn't spared a thought for a possible replacement, and now that Hacksaw was dead... Celestia. She was going to have to write that letter. That filled her with more dread than the minotaurs.
"Hey, Cheeri," Ditzy said, fluttering down beside her. Cheerilee couldn't manage a response beyond a slight nod. "Hey, have you seen Dinky? The Cutie Mark Crusaders recruited her for something, and... "
Cheerilee groaned. "Why are they still my responsibility?"
"I'm not... I'm not saying they're your responsibility, Cheeri. I was just asking."
"I know, I'm sorry. I'm just... "
Ditzy put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Wanna talk?"
"Don't you need to find Dinky?"
"Oh, the girls can't get into that much trouble."
Cheerilee snorted. Ditzy caught her eye for a second and giggled. "Okay, maybe they can. but come on."
"Ditzy, there's not much to say. I'm... just really, really tired, I guess. Tired of all of this."
The pegasus made a thoughtful sound. "Blossomforth said you had, um... kind of a breakdown?"
Cheerilee bumped her head against the palisade. "Since when do you and Blossom talk?"
"She said you were really broken up about, um... killing? A young minotaur?"
"Ditzy, I really don't want to talk about this."
"Well, maybe you should..."
"Well, I don't!" Cheerilee snapped, wheeling on her friend. "Okay?! I just wasn't expecting... It happened! It's over! I'm better! Now I can kill all the freaking minotaurs in the world without batting an eyelash, okay?! I'm good!"
"Cheeri... "
"Don't 'Cheeri' me, Ditzy," the teacher snarled. "Just drop it. Okay? Please. When all this is over, you can psychoanalyze me all you want. Right now, I just want to be alone. Please, just leave me alone."
Ditzy stared at her with those boggled eyes for a moment, then, before Cheerilee could protest, wrapped her friend in a hug. The teacher tried to pull away, but Ditzy held on tight. Cheerilee felt her concern, her empathy, and felt tears beginning to well up inside her. She shook her head fiercely, gritting her teeth, trying to will them back down... but it was no good. They burst out of her with a heaving sob, and she buried her face in Ditzy's shoulder, trying and failing to stop the flood.
"It's okay," Ditzy murmured, stroking her mane. "You don't have to pretend with me. Let it out. I'm here."
Cheerilee tried to enunciate, to put her emotions into words, to explain what was wrong, but she couldn't. She simply cried, taking the love and comfort her friend was offering and clutching to it desperately to keep from being washed away. Finally, minutes or hours or days later, she felt the last of her pain ebb away, and what was left in her heart was pure, numb bliss. All the darkness, the fear of death or losing herself to the violence, it all seemed scraped clean.
"Celestia. Thanks, Ditzy," she mumbled, pulling away. She noted with dismay the patch of wet snot she'd left on the pegasus' shoulder. "Um, sorry."
Ditzy eyed the glob and offered Cheeri an uneasy grin. "No problem. Feel better?"
She smiled. "Yeah. A lot better."
"Good. I, uh, better try to go find the girls... "
They both jumped as a thunderous warhorn split the quiet afternoon air. They looked to the south as, once again, the war drums began beating. Cheerilee frowned as the first few minotaurs stepped out of the treeline. "They're hitting us again? But it's only been a few hours!"
"Why?"
"Because of Luna, I bet. If they can keep her from resting, they can keep her from recharging. Then it's just a matter of killing more of us than we do them."
"That's horrible!"
"It's pragmatic. They want to win." Cheerilee shook her head. "Ditzy, you'd better go tell Cloud Kicker about this."
"Right." The gray pegasus snapped off a salute and bolted off for the cluster of tents Captain Kicker was using as a command station. Cheerilee watched her go, then turned back to the oncoming horde.
So many of them. There seemed to be no end to their numbers. Celestia, she thought wearily. How much more can we take?
He didn't see her step out of the shadows. He didn't hear her delicate hoofstep on the stone floor. Only when the tips of her mane brushed against his face did he stir, and then only enough to slowly open his eye.
"I hate seeing you like this, my love," the Nightmare told him, her eyes shimmering with concern.
"Then tell 'em to stop," Blueblood slurred in reply.
She shook her head sadly. "As I said, love, there are only two ways for this to end. Both involve surrendering to my mercy."
"Then 'm holding out for a third option."
"There isn't one."
"We'll see."
"There isn't one," she repeated firmly. "This will continue until you break. I know you think that, perhaps, you can disrupt my plans by holding out. You won't. I have contingencies in place. This can continue for as long as it takes."
"Y'r lying to them."
Nightmare raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"
"Ledger," Blueblood clarified. "He thinks y'r Luna. The real Luna. But y'r not."
"No," she agreed. "I am not."
"So... why? Why lie? Why not tell them?"
She grinned. "If you join me, you can find out."
"Not worth it, then."
"Isn't it? You could uncover my master plan, my love. Perhaps find a way to unravel it from within. Just think what a hero you'll be, defeating the evil plot to destroy Equestria by going undercover with the conspirators. Why, I think they might have parades in your honor."
Blueblood tilted his head against the slab. "'Destroy' Equestria? Not conquer?"
Nightmare just smiled at him.
"Celestia... Celestia and Luna and Cadance will stop you."
"No, they won't," Nightmare said, her smile growing wider. "Celestia and Luna are pinned down, and Cadance... Cadance will soon cease to be a factor. Everything is proceeding exactly according to plan. Or better, honestly."
She leaned down over the slab, brushing her lips over Blueblood's forehead. "Join me. It's the only chance you have to save them, my love. Equestria. Celestia. Cadance. Poor little Twilight Sparkle. In here, you can do nothing. But let me feed you... let me restore your power... "
"It's a trap."
"Of course it's a trap, my love. But facing it is the only chance you will ever have to save your little ponies. And so, I ask you once again: mercy, Blueblood, or pain?"
"Alright, I gotta say," Applejack said, contentedly patting her stomach. "I didn't know y'all Manehattan types actually knew how ta eat."
Hilltop laughed. "My dear, look at me. Did you ever really doubt?"
"The meal was excellent," Cadance agreed, though with much less enthusiasm. "But, Lord Mayor, if we may... ?"
"Of course, my dear! I had Jeeves take the liberty of obtaining a train schedule for you. Jeeves?"
The butler pony cleared his throat. "Ah, I do apologize, Your Highness, but it seems that all rail lines passing through Ponyville are currently disrupted due to the fighting. If I may, you might book passage to Fillydelphia and hire a carriage from there; it would seem to be the most expedient route available."
Shining grunted. "Even then, they wouldn't want to get too close to the fighting."
"Damn it," Cadance cursed. "How are you getting news to and from Canterlot?"
"Pegasus courier, I'm afraid," Judge Park answered. "Rather old fashioned."
"And none of us can fly. Damn it all."
Hilltop cleared his throat. "Actually, Your Highness, I was meaning to ask... "
"Lightning strike," she said flatly.
"Ah. Most unfortunate. Though I'm certain your wing will be as healthy and beautiful as ever before long."
"Yes, assuming we survive this."
Hilltop flushed. "Yes, of course. Well, perhaps I could-"
He stopped at the sound of somepony pounding on the front door. A quick glance at Jeeves sent the butler calmly strolling towards it, and a minute later, it opened to the sound of a desperately gasping pony. He ran straight past the butler and into the dining room, his flanks heaving from exertion. "Mayor Hilltop!"
The gregarious mayor stood and went to pull a chair out. "Lieutenant Blaze! Wonderful to see you, my boy. What-"
"Ships!" the soldier panted. "Lots of ships! Yellow sails! Opened fire on outgoing merchant vessels! Sailing right into the harbor!"
Hilltop blinked. "Oh, Celestia's teats. Uh, pardon, Your Highness. Are we prepared?"
"Partly, sir! We have most of the garrison at the docks, but there's some sort of delay with the heavy equipment. Nopony's really sure what happened to- sir?"
Shining's eyes darted to the mayor. The robust pony's face had begun to turn an intense, unnatural shade of red, and he was clutching at his left foreleg. "Heart attack! He's having a heart attack!" he cried, pushing himself up from his chair.
Or at least, he tried. The world swung dizzily around him as he tried to stand. He tried to grab the table to hold his balance, but he somehow missed, and then he was lying on the floor while everypony around him screamed.
Pinkie Pie and Applejack hit the ground next, their faces as red as the mayor's. Judge Park fell on the opposite side, and then, most horrifying of all, came Cadance.
He reached out a hoof to his wife. Her eyes met his, wide, terrified, and... furious? Yes, of course. Because they'd been attacked. They'd been poisoned.
No. No, not now. This can't be happening. Not now.
He felt another impact. Zecora hit the ground beside him, but her face wasn't the strangled red of the others. Her eyes were closed, and blood trickled from a rising welt over her eye.
Beyond her, blurry and indistinct, was Zujada. She stood over her fallen granddaughter with an expression of intense regret. And beside her was another shape, this one tall and slender and black, its unearthly green eyes framed by locks of membranous hair...
"No," he heard Cadance gasp.
"Yes," Chrysalis said as she walked towards her, her wicked grin shining in the growing darkness. "Hello, little princess. Miss me?"
Stats
Page generated in 0.049 seconds
Total duration
1,043 users online
2,216,554 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I was expecting to find some Fresh Prince of Bel-air pony rap...
1382130
Nope! Totally misleading. Though hopefully you'll enjoy this anyway.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that little cliffhanger solidified my addiction to this story.
Well played, good sir.
Awesome chapter yet again. B-Blood can just never catch a break.
When he finally saves, he has full permission to rub it in everypony's face. Especially Shining's.
I wonder why all the other creatues hate ponies. Is it because they act superior? Is it because they use insults like mule and donkey and call minotaurs monsters? Or is it because they're tired of hearing the term everypony, somepony etc.?
1382325
Me thanks, good matey. It be a pleasure t'have ye readin' me tale, arr.
1382337
Yes. And probably also because ponies control the sun and moon, and because Celestia and Luna made a few enemies over the millenia, and because they were, to use a real time strategy game metaphor, the first team to build a base on massive resource cluster at the center of the map. But mostly the "everypony" thing.
What a twist! Well saw the poisoning coming, but thought Chysy was dead.
that it!!! I'm not coming back to this story till at least 3 chapters have been written cause this is FUCKING annoying
I... don't know how to feel about this chapter. It's awesome, don't get me wrong, but... I tire of seeing ponies and grim-ness being associated... Also, kinslaying... makes be hate certain characters, regardless of whatever so-called regret they may have.
Well, don't worry. I mean, Equestria's enemies may be smarter than Blueblood, more powerful than Blueblood, more numerous than Blueblood, and more experienced than Blueblood, but he knows more about cartograph-iiiit might be best if everyone just takes their cyanide pills right now....
Two things my friend.
1) Loving where this is going. I cannot wait for the Nightmare to get her ass handed to her. If only Dresden could just blast her like in Dresden Fillies.
2) Some advice: while emotionally damaging, you should take some tips from Whedon to making it moreso. Despite the numerous mental and physical stresses on our mains, only 1 named character we care about has died. If you really want this finale to break us, kill somepony we love dearly, but who is almost inconsequential to the overall plot.
...
Oh no, I can't believe I just gave you more ways to screw my heart over. DAMNIT!
1383514
Stop helping him! Stahp!
1382495
She was! Very definitely dead. But... well, I'll save the explanation for later
1382801 1383215
Hrm. I need to change that description, I think. Zujada didn't stab Zecora; she smacked her in the temple.
1382824
That may be problematic, since there's only two chapters left
(This is also why things are getting almost relentlessly dark, guys. We're building to the climax! Shit be getting real, yo.)
1383393
Zujada beat some of 'em to that
1383514
*Quietly deletes the part of the script where Rainbow Dash says she's a leaf on the wind.*
i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/004/592/my-brain-is-full-of-fuck.jpg
Lol, can't give up on Chrysalis and Shining Armor
Sad on how Blueblood must endure torture so endlessly, makes it almost worthwhile if he "accepts" the proposal but somehow used his new-found-powers bring the end to those that made him miserable. Another great chapter as usual my man, keep up the good work!
shippingencounter so easily huh?Best regards
This is rough on the emotions to read.
Huh. Well, it was obvious they were going to be poisoned, but I thought the mayor was behind it.
1383606 scratch that ill be back when it complete then
Honestly, I'm surprised Equestria ever had a moment of peace. Ponies are extremely racist.
I've noticed that the only possible chance at winning the war seems to be Blue gaining his power back while still staying good or a Deus Ex Machina.
1383606
Or you could edit a previous chapter to have Cheerilee joke about having a funny aneurism. And then...well you get the idea.
1382130
Don't fret, here you go.
Aw balls...
The last paragraphs there made me think of that scene from Empire Strikes Back, where it turns out Lando is working for Vader.
DUN, DUN, DUN, der-DUN DUN, der-DUN DUN...
Damn! That was a good chapter!
The part between Ditzy and Cheeri played out a little to fast though.
So, a 'state of affairs' chapter, more or less. And affairs are in a pretty sorry state at the moment...
At this point, Blueblood weaponizing his cartography talent (or whatever he's going to do) is pretty much Equestria's only hope. The pony defenders are barely holding the line as it is, and the camels are just going to steamroll them once they break through Manehatten. And with Cadance & co. having been poisoned (
), that shouldn't take terribly long. Zombie Chrysalis might possibly be an issue, too.
One other item of interest: military Wonderbolts. Sweet.
1384245 But killing characters doesn't make a story good! Good writing makes it good.
1387185
Very true! But the tone Kavonde is making is one of dread, where you fear for everypony's life. If he killed somepony Joss Whedon style, then it would validate our fears and make the tone even stronger. It's still a good story, no doubt about that, but if he can master his use of tone that could make the story even better.
1387210
I must admit I haven't watch anything by Joss Whedon, somehow I have never gotten to it, so I can't truly understand how he does it. But I don't think if Kavonde had killed Big Mac it would have changed my fears any more, if anything it creates changes in characters more then anything else. We would see Cheerilee going insane with guilt and fear and grief, instead of stepping up to take charge. The lack of death almost keeps everything from the breaking point. Yet the presence of war and blood and the ponies themselves being a little bit crazy from it all keeps our sense of dread high, wondering if they can hold out, or will they all die.
1388562
Interesting point, but by Whedon logic killing Mac makes no sense. He's strong, powerful, a warrior. Killing him would be far too obvious. No, Whedon would kill, say, Blossomworth, or maybe Cloud Kicker. They're fun characters we really like, but they don't do much in the plot. Therefore their death means more, seems more tragic and senseless. They weren't really important, but we liked them. Not to say we don't like Big Mac, but we're prepared for his death. It's something we think about, hell the characters think about it. So, yeah, it would be sad, but we're already braced emotionally for it. That's the basics of Whedon deaths, but there's even more to it than that. Still, I doubt Kavonde will go that path. While this story is really, really dark, he knows the reason we keep reading is the humor, the fun, the little adorable character interactions. So maybe it will be a bittersweet finale, but I think he'll go more sweet than bitter.
1384840 Yo, thanks mah man.
1388634
Hmm... having Blossomforth die might make for an interesting scene with Cloud Kicker. I can see your point, the pain and anguish that the characters feel does add something to it. And a death done well is probably the greatest part of a story, well depends on the character, but I think you understand the point. Though ultimately I do think the story style he has so far works will with a generally positive ending. The idea of good defeating evil, and everyone returning to the positive life seems... right, especially for a pony fic. Which kind of requires everyone to live, or someone to die early enough for the character to learn to deal with it, and give a kind of "I will live for them" ending, which is the bittersweetest to me.
1388663
Can't leave a brother from another mother hanging.
Well, that was unexpected. Seriously, these ponies just can't catch a break!
I'm still rooting for Twilight to snap out of, uh, whatever it is that's happened to her.
OH MY BOB HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO THEM
YOU MONSTER!
1388760 Straight truth.
1390973
if blueblood would just sing that song he'd be free.
1391381 Hell yeah.
I couldve sworn it was gonna be slenderman at the end there. Nope. Turned out to be Chrysalis. I had my hopes up but they were viciously murdered.
1433974
images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30500000/Queen-Chrysalis-mlp-fim-queen-chrysalis-30583527-639-358.png
si0.twimg.com/profile_images/2606554160/zm9mxv28jzjsnpba2oc1.jpeg
Hrm... there's a fanfic there, somewhere.
It works, but only barely. I recommend revising.
Then it shouln't be a problem, should it?
Much overused, I recommend removing it.
I've never seen that word before.
fiery. since.
Camelon