//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty: A desperate fight in the dark // Story: Gleaner Chronicles // by sevenofeleven //------------------------------// Gleaner Chronicles The group was some distance from the forest when a green flash exploded in the sky above them. Skybreeze looked up. “I highly doubt that was something good.” Margot nodded. Far just yelled,”Keep galloping!” After the group left the forest behind, a familiar noise assaulted their ears. Everypony slid to a halt. A cloud of dust arose from their hooves. Pinkie put her hooves over her ears. “What’s making that racket?” Far and Skybreeze traded glances. Far looked over the meadow of dying yellow grass. “It’s the Train.” “Ooh, a train, we can ride and tell stories and not have to wear down our hoofsies galloping!” Far sighed. “It’s not that type of train, Pinkie. It’s a pony mechanical horror made by Foulshaper.” Pinkie gulped. “Wha? How?” Skybreeze walked up to Pinkie. “A lot has changed since you were in the pond.” The noise of screaming ponies and brakes moved closer. Margot looked at Far. “How is it approaching us? There are no tracks nearby.” “I have heard that the train can leave the tracks when it needs to. I was hoping that was just somepony’s exaggeration,” Far said while peering into the distance. “Ya know, Far, it looks like we will know the truth soon,” Jerome said as he saw a grey brown cloud heading toward them. “Nga'Devro wishes to know what our plan is. The Train approaches too fast for us to outrun,” Nga'Devro said while watching the dust cloud get closer. Sweetie Belle bounced on her hooves. “Then we fight! Right guys?” Scootaloo shot Jerome a nasty look. “Yeah, we fight!” The Train turned and stopped several hundred feet away. A few seconds later, the dust cloud faded away so the ponies could see what they were dealing with. At first it looked like a normal steam powered train with passenger cars and freight cars, but then pain-crazed pony heads thrust their way through the sides and front of the train. Even the front of the train changed to a fear- and pain-crazed pony head. The poor creature looked at them before it sunk back underneath the metal. Margot watched as the black glass of the passenger cars turned to eyes then the doors on the freight cars opened. A flood of Gleaners and Remnants poured out. It would just take them a few minutes before the enemies were upon them. The doors closed. The Train headed south. Skybreeze turned to Far. “How are we going to handle all of these foul creatures? Most of our power was used in that horrid sadness marsh.” “I don’t know but the Train is heading south to Ponyville. Somepony needs to warn them,” Far said. Margot prepared a few spells, but she knew that there wasn’t a lot of power left. “Far, you need to warn Ponyville. The rest of us can fight and run until we reach Lower Canterlot. “ “Nga'Devro suggests that he be allowed to fly north to get help,” Nga'Devro said. Far nodded. Nga'Devro left with a whirr of wings. Far unfurled his wings. “Guys, be safe.” Then he flew south to Ponyville. Pinkie stood up on her hind hooves and tied a black bandana around her forehead. Margot turned to Skybreeze. “How does she do that?” Skybreeze just shrugged. In a few seconds, the first Remnants would be within melee distance. Above them the Gleaners swirled around in a bright green cloud. The first Remnants tried to surround Pinkie. She just drawled out, “I’m yer worst nightmare!” Pinkie punched the first Remnant in the head, it splattered like a melon spewing dark green blood and brains everywhere. Margot stopped watching Pinkie and focused on blasting Gleaners. Skybreeze fired blasts of blue magic at the Remnants. Princess Chr'Aya focused her power on the Gleaners. Flashes of green flew back and forward between the princess and the Gleaners. Apple Bloom yelled something and a blue wave of power filled the ponies. Margot felt like she had more power. Pinkie punched another Remnant and a blue lightning bolt arced to the Remnants near her killing some of them. For a few minutes the lightning helped out Pinkie until the Gleaners focused their magic on her. Margot switched focus to keeping the Gleaners busy. It didn’t seem to help. Pinkie moved back to the ponies while still punching and kicking. Dead Remnants piled up near her. Skybreeze tapped Margot. “I think it’s time for us to retreat and rest.” Margot and Pinkie nodded. Princess Chr'Aya walked up and charged up her horn, it was so bright, it was hard to look at. Then she screamed,”GETTI BEKU!” A wave of green magic flew from her and pushed the Gleaners and Remnants back. Some of the Remnants were hurled high into the darkening sky. Margot hoped that some of them wouldn’t survive the landing. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were wobbling on their hooves, until they were picked up by Skybreeze and Jerome. Margot used her telekinesis to pick up Sweetie Belle. Sweetie wrapped her forelegs lightly around Margot’s neck then they were off following Princess Chr'Aya as she galloped north. The sun went down and the plain was dark. After a few minutes of galloping, they stopped. Princess Chr'Aya conjured a ball of green light and raised it above the group. The SHC slowly climbed down off their mounts. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo just went to sleep in the yellow grass. Sweetie Belle stood guard over them. Skybreeze looked up. “Too bad we have to show them where we are. Then again if we keep destroying them, they won’t cause problems for other ponies.” Jerome looked out into the darkness. “I hope this will be the last fight. I am sooo tired.” Margot curled up and tried to nap. Pinkie just stared at the sky. Skybreeze looked at Jerome. “I’m afraid that we will be doing this a few times. We made a dent, but there are so many.” Sweetie Belle walked up to Skybreeze. “Skybreeze, you’re a unicorn. Why do you have a pegasus sounding name?” Princess Chr'Aya nodded. “I have noticed that unicorns get names like Twinkleshine and Dusk. Names dealing with light and time.” Skybreeze sighed. “Well, when we were just foals before we were even named, our parents were killed in the Great Trottingham Flood. Their close pegasus friends, The Clouds, adopted us. My sister changed her name from Cumulus to Scry when she found out what her special talent was.” An approaching green glow and the thunder of hooves got Jerome’s attention. “They’re coming. Will be here soon.” Pinkie stopped staring at the sky and woke up Margot. She trotted next to Jerome. Margot focused her power and dropped a mass of orange flames down on the oncoming enemies. “Time for a BBQ!” Skybreeze frowned. “Margot, I don’t think I want to know what you consider good eating.” Several blasts of energy flew from Margot’s horn as the enemies got closer. Remnants blew up and sprayed flames all over the place. A breeze brought the stink of burning Remnant flesh and fur. Princess Chr'Aya walked up to Margot and cast an exploding spell at the enemy too. Soon the Remnants would be in melee range. Skybreeze looked back at the SHC. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were still sleeping. Jerome walked up to Skybreeze. “Let ‘em sleep, we can handle this.” Pinkie nodded. Even though Margot felt a little better after her short rest, she knew their time was running out. It was like in the zombie movies when the brave zombie fighters check their dwindling ammo stockpile. She was down to enough power for a few telekinetic bursts and that was it. Margot wished that she was human, at least then she could swing a bat or stick a knife into the Remnant’s heads. When the magic ran out Margot would be helpless. She narrowed her eyes and waited for the Remnants to approach. Then she thought about somepony that wasn’t fighting. “Jerome, can you use your magic against the Remnants and Gleaners?” Jerome looked at Margot then looked at the approaching enemies. “I wish, but I’m not so good with offensive magic.” “What, no enchanter spells?” Jerome sighed. “Remnants barely have any minds to affect. Gleaner minds are too slick and slimy for me to mess with them. I’m sorry.” Pinkie moved in front and whirled like a dervish. Remnants fell to her punches and kicks, but more kept coming. Margot managed to get five Remnants with focused telekinetic strikes and that was it. She was out of power. Remnant jaws snapped next to her before she moved back. Princess Chr'Aya walked up and focused her power. Again her horn started to glow brightly then the glow faded. “I am spent! We must flee!” Margot got Sweetie Belle to climb on her back while Jerome got a sleepy Scootaloo to mount up. Skybreeze carried Apple Bloom. Again Princess Chr'Aya led them north. Even though it seemed that they had galloped for a while, the green glow of Gleaners was still visible behind them. The light that Princess Chr'Aya summoned faded out. Now, they were just galloping in the dark. Margot wondered if they were going to make it. It had been a long and exhausting day. All of their bodies were screaming for rest. Already the Remnants were moving up quickly. Sweetie Belle tapped Margot. “I know what we could do to get rid of the Remnants and Gleaners. It might cost me my life.” “No Sweetie. It’s not that bad yet.” “Margot, I can feel you stumble. You need sleep. Everypony here needs to rest. If I do this, everypony will survive.” “If you do this, you may never see Rarity.” “Maybe but at least my friends will be safe.” Another voice joined the conversation. “You be a brave pony but your sacrifice isn’t needed now!” Margot and Sweetie Belle looked up to see a familiar looking thestral hovering above them. “Dusk Flight is here and help is coming. The rest of the Platinum Squad is coming soon to protect you until the others arrive. Hope is coming with the sun!” Dusk Flight said. Jerome sighed. “Great but we’ll need help before the sun!” A carriage pulled by thestrals landed softly next to the group. They stopped galloping. Blunt Force ran out followed by Quick Fact and Fireburst. The Gleaners and Remnants were getting close. Fireburst’s horn glowed as she summoned a wall of flames in front of the carriage. Blunt Force hefted her hammer. Pinkie pointed at Blunt Force. ”Who’s that?” Quick Fact flew over to Pinkie. “Wow, you guys did it. You rescued Pinkie. I gotta hear this story after we deal with the enemy. We are Platinum Squad, Pinkie. Princess Luna is our Battle Teacher.” Pinkie looked up at Quick Fact. “Princess Luna is a Battle Teacher? How did that happen?” Skybreeze walked up. “A lot has changed-” Pinkie interrupted her. “Enough of that!” All heads looked forward as the Remnants and Gleaners approached. Two Remnants ran through the wall of flames and caught fire. Fireburst cursed. Blunt Force ran up and struck them down with her hammer. Dusk Flight and the thestrals that pulled the carriage dive bombed the Remnants. Margot watched as the Remnant pegasi backed away from the unicorn and earth pony Remnants. She was glad that the pegasi didn’t do any air attacks earlier. The Remnant pegasi started to flap their wings in unison. A wind started to swirl in front of them then it blew toward the wall of flames. Margot could feel a stinking breeze blow past her. The flames guttered and went out. Fireburst cursed louder. The Remnants’ wings beat even faster and a gray brown tornado began to form. A swirling column arose in front of them while bits of dirt and sand got in Blunt’s and Dusk’s eyes. Dusk Flight and her thestral allies fell to the ground. The tornado moved toward the carriage. Dusk cursed as she tried to clear the gritty sand in her eyes. “Bloodfire! Them Remnants be stomping on me last nerve.” Blunt Force retreated with Fireburst while they tried to get the dirt out of their eyes. Margot managed to close her eyes when a grey brown cloud floated their way. Even though Margot couldn’t see, she could hear the tornado pick up the carriage and smash it against the ground. Several earth pony Remnants galloped forward and attacked the blinded thestrals. The screams of the thestrals that were being drained filled the air. Finally, the cloud of debris passed Margot. She looked at the area. Her heart fell when she saw the destruction. The group of pegasi Remnants were on fire. Instead of running in random directions, they ran at Blunt Force’s group. The earth pony group was attacking Blunt Force and Dusk Flight. Somehow they kept fighting back while retreating. It didn’t help that their aim was impaired by dirt in their tearing eyes. Fireburst kept stumbling backward. Quick Fact was the only member of Platinum squad that managed not to get blinded. She kept screaming out warnings and enemy locations. Skybreeze watched the brave squad retreat. “I know we are exhausted but we have to do something.” Margot frowned. “I’m out of power and can barely stand. What can we do?” Princess Chr'Aya walked up to Margot and Skybreeze. “I have a little power left. I know what to do.” Sweetie Belle slid to the ground. Margot knew what Sweetie was going to do. “No! Sweetie No!” Princess Chr'Aya picked up Sweetie Belle using her telekinesis. Then they galloped toward the retreating Platinum squad. Jerome looked at Skybreeze. “We need to get going if things go south.” “I won’t abandon our friends!” “Think about the mission. We have to get Pinkie to Lower Canterlot.” Pinkie wobbled up to Skybreeze and Jerome. “I can get myself to Canterlot!” Then she sunk to her knees and her eyes closed. Margot’s eyes were glued on Princess Chr'Aya and Sweetie Belle. A blue flash covered them for a second then Princess Chr'Aya’s horn glowed a shade of blue and green. A wave of magic flew from her and hit the burning Remnant pegasi. They exploded like green and blue fireworks. After that, Princess Chr'Aya slumped to the ground. Sweetie Belle fell to the ground next to her. Jerome looked at what happened to Princess Chr'Aya. “Things have gone south! That red coated pony and her friends are not going to make it. Skybreeze and Margot, get Pinkie on my back and let’s get out of here!” The rustle of wings made them look up. Princess Luna flew over followed by several squads of thestrals and changelings. A carriage pulled by white pegasi landed near them. The door opened and Nga'Devro stuck his head out. “Nga'Devro suggests that you hurry and get inside.” Margot poked at Pinkie with her left forehoof. “Wake up Pinkie!” Pinkie mumbled something and opened her eyes. Jerome managed to wake Apple Bloom so she could climb on his back. Skybreeze picked up Scootaloo. Margot pointed at the carriage. Pinkie looked at the carriage. With a yawn, she stumbled toward the carriage. Margot glanced at Blunt Force and Fireburst. A group of changelings guarded them while thestrals washed their eyes. Jerome walked up to Margot. “What about Princess Chr'Aya and Sweetie Belle?“ They watched as thestrals backed by changelings carried Sweetie Belle and the princess to the carriage. Any Remnants that came too close got blasted by the changelings. After all of the ponies were in the carriage, the pegasi picked it up and flew to Lower Canterlot. The first rays of sunlight were just touching the carriage as it flew. It seemed almost unbelievable to Margot. Everypony was alright. Sweetie Belle and Princess Chr'Aya woke up with sleepy yawns. After glancing at Sweetie Belle and Princess Chr'Aya, Margot went back to her thoughts. Far hadn’t shown up yet. She hoped he was OK. Margot’s eyes closed as she fell asleep. When the carriage reached Lower Canterlot, Pinkie yawned and looked out the window. “Wow! Look at the crowd below! I see Dashie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Princess Celestia. Where’s Rarity and Twilight?” Sweetie Belle jumped up and joined Pinkie at the window. “Where’s Rarity? I thought she would be here. Why?” Tears began to well up in Sweetie Belle’s eyes. Again, Scootaloo shot Jerome a nasty look. Jerome sighed. “Sweetie Belle, we need to talk.” Sweetie Belle still kept scanning the crowd for Rarity. Apple Bloom tapped Sweetie Belle and pointed at Jerome. Sweetie was crying now. She walked up to Jerome. Jerome looked away from Sweetie Belle and then back at her. “Sweetie, do you remember when we were outside the sadness marsh?” “Maybe?” “You were so sad. I know you miss your sister a lot.” Sweetie sniffled. “I’m never going to see my sister Rarity again!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo walked up to Sweetie Belle to lend support. Jerome looked at Margot. She just nodded. “You were in such pain there, I didn’t want you to suffer. So I placed an idea in your head that you would see Rarity soon.” Scootaloo’s eyes narrowed. “What gives you the right to do that?” Pinkie Pie walked away from the window. “How are you able to put stuff in ponies’ heads? Do you put them in trances too?” The carriage landed with a soft bump. Jerome looked at Pinkie and looked back at Scootaloo. “No, I don’t have the right. You do realize that we were on a mission, right?” “Yes but...” “No buts. If Sweetie Belle could have kept her own morale up, I wouldn’t have had to mess with her head.” “You have no right to do that. You-” Scootaloo was interrupted by Apple Bloom. “Ah understand why Jerome did what he did. Arguing about it wastes time. Jerome, can you promise not to do this without somepony’s permission?” “I’ve learned my lesson. No messing with ponies’ minds without their permission. I need to undo the spell.” Apple Bloom nodded. Scootaloo looked away while muttering a curse. A blue flash came from Jerome’s horn. Sweetie Belle sunk to her knees crying. “I’ll never see Rarity again!” Tears poured out of Sweetie Belle’s eyes. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo tried to console her but it didn’t work. Margot didn’t know what to do. She had no power to do anything. Just when Sweetie Belle’s cries of despair over losing her sister were at their worst. A green flash covered her head then she went limp. All eyes were locked on the changelings. Princess Chr'Aya’s eyes were still filled with surprise but Nga'Devro’s eyes were a different story. “Nga'Devro regrets his action but it’s necessary. We all need rest and food. Sweetie Belle can get help elsewhere,” Nga'Devro said. Pinkie gave Jerome and Nga'Devro a look then she opened the door. Skybreeze used her telekinesis to pick up Sweetie Belle and place her on Margot’s back. As Margot stepped outside into the cool, early morning sunshine, she remembered Jerome’s warning. Also rescuing Pinkie cost them the lives of some ponies. Margot wondered what sort of sacrifice would be needed to rescue Rarity and Twilight Sparkle. She smiled for the crowd, but inside fears of what might be needed remained.