Yes, My Lady

by Tatsurou


Chapter 41

Scootaloo felt safe in the tank as they trundled their way back out of the Changeling Hive. On the one hoof, this was a good thing as she plainly wasn't as ready to take the place down as she'd thought. On the other hoof, she didn't want to retreat here as this was probably the one chance she'd get to try and take Lucretia down here. If they got away, the Hive would probably relocate before sunrise. On the third hoof, she could probably just Unleash Sebastian on Lucretia's hive once they were safely away and Bluebottle and the others wouldn't see it happen. On the fourth hoof, she didn't actually want an indiscriminate slaughter of the entire hive here. Lucretia was the one she wanted dead, and that didn't need a genocide.

"How are you steering this thing, anyway?" she asked finally, desperate to have anything to break her chain of unpleasant thoughts.

"We aren't, actually," Sweetie Belle explained readily. "We're mostly just controlling the weapons. It's just following the same path of devastation in as out, since otherwise we'd get hopelessly lost trying to maneuver through the halls of a structure that constantly changed shape specifically with the goal of confusing intruders-"

"Wait, you mean the Changelings will know the exact path we're taking out?" Blueblood demanded intensely, eyes wide with fear.

Daimond Tiara's eyes slowly widened as she took that in. "Oh sh-"

The entire tank suddenly rocked violently to the sound of torn earth. As it landed on its side, the sound continued until all movement stilled. "I thought this thing was supposed to automatically right itself?" Silver Spoon demanded irritably as she rubbed her head with one hoof and pawed for her fallen glasses with the other.

"Unless it gets hemmed in from both sides," Spike pointed out as he handed Silver her glasses, having been the first to recover. "I think we're in big trouble-"

The cockpit cover suddenly ripped away, the bright silver bending and warping as the tank was peeled open like a can of sardines. Lucretia herself stared down at the group, her face pulled into a furious snarl as her lings surrounded her. "Oh, you have no idea..." she hissed. "I would have been satisfied keeping you locked up or trapped, enjoying your suffering as your hope slowly died...but you've denied me that. So I'll just have to be more...direct. Watch your friends die!" One of her legs lashed straight for Sweetie Belle, only to pull back as a gout of green flame and a blade of blue-gold light lashed the limb. "You are only delaying the inevitable!"

Sweetie began pawing at a device that had tumbled around when the tank flipped over. "Your butler's lady friend said to turn this on if we were in trouble!" she yelled at Scootaloo. As she tried to get it to work, it sparked a few times before letting out a brief whistling and falling silent. "Oh no..."

From somewhere above, a loud mechanical hum sprang to life.

"What was that-?" Lucretia began.

Music erupted from the device.

Grell leapt down into the mob of lings, her chainsaw flashing as she bisected any that got too close as she danced about like a mad dervish even as the song burst into lyrics.

Reaper Reaper
That's what people call me
Why? Cause they all...die
When I sing I end their lives!
You act as though
Payback makes you a noble mare
Is that a fact?
Well you're a goddamn Philistine!

Scootaloo felt her mouth twisting in irritation at the lyrics, since part of it at least seemed directed harshly her way. Still, Grell was certainly providing an effective distraction as all of Lucretia's soldiers struggled to contain her. However, none of them could even get close to her as she danced around like Pinkie Pie on too much punch, her reaper blade tearing their lives apart even from glancing blows as the death magic in it leeched the living magic that made the lings function right out of their bodies. Watching, Scootaloo could actually believe Grell might be able to save them all on her own...

If not for the fact Lucretia's swarm numbered in the thousands, and Grell was only able to hold the attention of about 200 at a time.

Lucretia ignored the music as she rounded on her real targets. "It is no matter!" she hissed. "She will wear out, I will have your death-AH!" She pulled back, a flash of silver having struck across her face and leaving a bleeding gash. "Who dares?" She looked around angrily.

"So even here no one looks up," Sebastian purred from his position directly above, wings spread and silverware clutched in his talons. "How...quaint."

Lucretia snarled in fury. "You dared mar my face!" she roared before spreading her wings. "I will tear you apart!" She leapt into the air, pursuing Sebastian higher into the air.

As Blueblood and the fillies stared up at the upcoming confrontation, Bluebottle spoke up quietly. "The other lings are distracted!" he hissed out. "Now would be a good time for an exit strategy!"

"On it!" Sweetie Belle squeaked out as she started pulling switches in the tank. "Plan B, girls!"

Apple Bloom quickly led everyone out of the tank as Diamond Tiara looked like she'd bitten into something sour. "I really hate plan B..."

Once they were all outside of the tank, the cannon slowly swiveled until it pointed almost upward. It then shifted up and down a bit until an angle had been found...and then a large empty ball with cushions inside tumbled out of the tank. It was just big enough for Blueblood - or two of the youngsters - to curl up inside.

"B is for ball!" Sweetie squeaked out as she and Apple Bloom clambered into that first ball. Spike hefted it up and stuck it to the barrel end of the cannon before dashing back into the tank. A burst of green fire, and the ball launched upward, arcing down at the top of the box canyon.

"Us next!" Scootaloo and Bluebottle called out happily, grabbing hold of each other eagerly. Blueblood facehoofed ruefully.