-Unconquerable Enemy-
The Fourth Stable Sergeant put in charge of Skyfall's retrieval rolled his eyes having become impatient with waiting for his team to get the job done. He barged into the house, past his guards standing by awkwardly and stepped passed his timid guardling standing in the study's doorway. "Captain, this is serious. We've been instructed to retrieve you, please come with us..." The guard focused on the mare lained up on the couch, seemingly tired. He blinked and sputtered. "Miss Breezy?"
Crystal smiled when the guards finally verified they recognized her as Fury's spouse. She hated actual acts of infidelity, but relished in the fact that only she and Sky knew that she wasn't Breezy. From time to time, being a shape shifter helped, but her tactics weren't as calculated as some of the ideas her husband had. She had to admit, for the lack of time given, he came up with a gem of a plan.
"Miss, the Captain won't like this." The Sergeant said, glancing around the study before looking to the team leader who simply shook her head, affirming that Skyfall was absent. Aggravated, he looked to Breezy once more. "And miss, you'll need to come with us. Captain Fury will need to be told of this."
Crystal rolled off the couch and whipped her tail in the guard's face as she passed. "How would you know what Fury likes? He hasn't pleased me in years."
A silence fell over the room while the Sergeant and most of the guards left, save one. He stood by, armored with scarred, iron plating with only flacks of his blue mane peeking out over a goldenrod coat. He tried to stand by without saying so much as a word, but his restrain wore on his appearance. He turned and left the house along with his squad, but before exiting he turned to a private and ordered her to be posted at the residence.
As the group shrank into the distance, Cadance balanced herself on old boxes just below the basement's window well. She chattered to herself incoherently.
"Please be alright." Cadance said, looking out a ceiling window in the basement.
"They'll be fine, my Lady." Inko said, earning a worried look from the young Princess. She didn't say it, but the situation worried her too. Having stood by Skies for ages, he was still in a severely weakened state and a head-on battle would be more than his body could take.
With few words between them, Inko and Cadance shrouded the house in various barriers to shield their presence as per Skyfall's command. He didn't say so, but Inko knew that it meant keeping his child safe and away from the fighting. Whether the plan would follow through, was unknown to all.
Stalking through the forest, Skyfall lumbered under the weight of his armor. Smoke fogged the forest, even being a mile away he could tell that the magic incinerating his trees was high powered and aided by fire gems. Long lines of guards stood, letting loose torrents of bright orange. Fury wasn't dumb, it was clear he had laid in wait, studying his enemy and knew what the likely angles of approach would be. He didn't need to know the pawns when the board was burned.
Teams blasted the trunks of the skyscrapper trees, letting them boom along the grounds like miniature earthquakes.
Piles of burned carcasses signaled Fury's second precaution, remove animal intruders. Likely victims that strayed too close when the trees started to be burned or of house pets that couldn't run fast enough. Captured then killed.
Additionally, a larger pyre wore a more grim message, destroy natives periodically to show prolonged suffering. Skyfall saw it all before as it was an age old tactic to turn views of a larger populace through shock alone.
Acres of grass were now smoldering stretches of ashen dirt. The vibrant center that was Ponyville was nearly too different to compare. Smoke blocked out much of the low hanging sun, leaving a dusk to darken the town. Guards walked the streets, scanning, looking for stragglers. There was little aside from the charred remains of animals and ponies alike, destroyed grassland, and the burned away forest. Some houses were burned out shells and two large prisoner camps were on opposite sides of the town, leaving a third to take up what used to be the cargo depot of the Ponyville Guard's barracks.
"This is horrible."
"You must be Skyfall." A monotone voice said from the shadows, snatching Sky's attention.
"Who're you?" Skyfall asked looking into disinterested eyes. The smoke and fire dimming his senses, it took him longer than he liked to see who spoke to him.
"Maud."
"You're not a guard." Skyfall relaxed, seeing a mare wearing a singed frock, recognizing her.
"No. I am here to bring you to my cave."
"This is suddenly taking a very kinky turn." Skyfall squinted.
"Growl." Maud said, no emotion whatsoever.
"Did you just..." Skyfall started to ask if she tried to counter quip, however, the disaster behind him stole that light-hearted moment. "Why your cave?"
"Sif is there." Maud turned away and left, only looking back briefly. "She told me to relay: "he's useless without his bitch biting his ass.""
"Well, she's not wrong." Skyfall chuckled, knowing only one being spoke like that and would have as little tact as to send the message along with a random mare. Picking up on her features, he remembered a photo Pinkie shoved in his face repeatedly and the affiliation was more clear. "Lead the way, Ms. Pie."
The fogged forest went from nearly bleak to clear with their distance from Ponyville growing, Maud led Sky through a small opening in the ground at the base of an enormous rock, cautioning him about his size and the hole as she did.
"So, you live in a cave?"
"Yes."
"I've never seen you in Ponyville before." Skyfall said. "Pinkie speaks a lot about you, but didn't mention that you lived at the town's limits."
"She knows I like my privacy." Maud said. "She tells me you like the same."
"I see, that must be why she kept her distance from me when I first arrived." Skyfall mused. "I heard she can be very invasive at times."
"She gets excited." Maud turned her head. "But lately, that has been replaced with more docile moods. Something I surmise you're at fault for."
"I hope so." Skyfall said before bumping into Maud, who had turned and stopped before Skyfall.
"Do not impose your will over my sister." Maud said, eyes still relaxed and disinterested.
"Your sister is her own mare." Skyfall side stepped the awkward mare and continued walking. "I merely respond to her, it's Pinkie that sought me out. I assume she came to you after my questions regarding the moral choices of saving a group of ponies over another."
Maud walked behind Skyfall, silently.
"With being one that keeps her emotions in check, I assume you are very upset by this." Skyfall looked back, receiving no sign from Maud. "Can I get a blink, something?"
"She came to me." Maud said.
"You disapprove?"
"I disapprove." Maud said before they walked headlong through bushes and into a cave system. Its twists and turns brought them through illuminated tunnels and finally to light.
"Because it's morbid or because it questioned your sisters intellectual and moral judgement?" Skyfall stopped before a large chasm, decorate with foliage and waterfalls. "Whoa."
"Mr. Skyfall." Maud said. "My sister likes you and that's enough for me. However, please leave Pinkie out of all plans that you are currently forming." She turned and walked down a set of stairs to a small, purple colored gazebo. A large white wolf rested, her paws hanging off a ledge and into a pool.
Skyfall raised his brow. "This much time has passed, can these ponies be so distrusting?"
Maud's return roused Sif from her sleep, a light whine escaping her as she twisted to edge herself away from the pool. She looked up and grinned slightly at Skyfall.
"Sif, are you okay?" Skyfall asked, at last seeing flecks of blood on her fur. "How did this happen?"
"Yes I am and the blood isn't mine." She winced and Skyfall's hug. "But I have bruised ribs. Fury really is every bit the terror I believed him to be."
"Well, we'll make sure to take advantage of surprise." Skyfall brushed dirt from Sif's fur.
"Sky." Sif whimpered quietly. "I'm afraid to tell you, but. He has Sunset, Twilight, and some of the others."
"What!" Skyfall shouted, causing Sif to shoot her ears back. "Explain."
"There isn't much to explain." Sif sighed. "Twilight flew into a fit once she saw Ponyville. Taking advantage of that and the Spirit's need to help, she talked them into helping her rush Ponyville the second they saw an opening. Farhaven is locked up tight, leaving us stuck between the two." Sif caught Sky's glance to Maud, who was resting on a pillow, staring at them. Ignoring his subtle warning, she continued. "I tried to stop them, but Twilight Sparkle is head strong. In the end, me saying "it's what Skyfall would want" wasn't enough to sway them. I think she tried to throw her title around to stop Fury."
"That filly..." Skyfall said, cursing to himself about her recent bought of bossiness.
"We left half the Spirits with Twilight's other worldly friends in a nook beneath a tree near where they entered. Grover seems to be watching over them and moving patrols around in circles.
Sitting slowly, Skyfall cursed again. His attack force cut in half and the potential for royal leverage now gone wore heavy, heavier than he'd like to admit.
"Thoughts, my lord?" Sif asked.
"Does Maud know?" Skyfall asked.
Subtly, Sif glanced to Maud. "I think so. She knows more than I thought she did, but she doesn't talk about it."
"Okay." Skyfall rubbed his eyes, believing it safe to assume she knew everything at that point and respected that she knew the situation to be dire enough to keep secrets, or at least not confess unsolicited truths. "Maud, can you keep this between us?"
She stood and walked over to Skyfall's side. "If you save my sister, I will help you in any way possible. Your secrets aren't my business."
"Do you understand what that might mean?" Skyfall asked. "Having never met me, are you sure you want to promise such a thing?"
"I don't care." Maud said firmly.
"I think, coming from a mare of your stony exterior, I might actually believe you." Skyfall said, turning to sif with a relieved sigh. "What about the Elements? Do you have any information? Dead? Unit strength?"
"It's bad." Sif said. "Fury attacked us himself, not even rousing his guards. He let Twilight go on and on, letting her get angrier and angrier. When he decided he had enough, just transformed and killed some of the Spirits in an instant. The others were beat down and captured with little effort. Twilight tried to strike, but he backhanded her through a steel door. She's alive, her shield saw to that, but she looked shaken."
"What about Sunset and the Elements?"
"I saw her stand down. She wasn't a match for that thing." Sif said. "She was very shaken up from what happened to you on the other side of the portal and hesitated. She ended up being a liability to one of the Spirits that was struck down. Four of the Elements have been captured and are being kept hidden away. I presume at the castle. Applejack and Fluttershy made it to Farhaven and are also being kept hidden away. " Her voice fell quiet, knowing not to discuss Golden Heart's actions and in lieu changed the subject. "Was it true? What happened to you."
"It is, but I'm going to have to explain this when we get more time." Skyfall shifted under the rub of his armor, having had no time to fasten it down properly. "And you? How'd you escape?"
"I knew this would happen. Revolver and some of the more seasoned Spirits stayed back with Twilight's friends despite her friend's protests. I hung back and ran the instant he attacked. I encountered a few guards and tore them down as I ran before a large one broadsided me with a hammer. " Sif shook her head. "This can't be a head on fight. Not one we can win, at least."
"I don't intend for it to be." Skyfall said. "There was a reason I tried to increase the foliage in density and size around Ponyville. It seems Fury created a counter measure for that too."
"So how are you going to attack?"
"I'm going to have to infiltrate them. When I was given control of Ponyville, I recovered the layouts for the town and its utilities so I could avoid destroying plumbing so the town's ponies wouldn't catch on." Skyfall said. "I didn't plan ahead for such a way in since I believed it easier to just zip around Ponyville from tree to tree, striking at guards from the dark. With the green being burned away to cinder, makes it much more difficult."
"Tell me." Skyfall said. "Who else is here? And what kind of hardware are we faced with. Also, I know you have troop numbers."
"Grave is here. Somewhere." Sif said, a tinge of distaste in her mouth. "The other two aren't, no idea if they're hanging back. As for equipment, I know you saw the two warships and flame throwers. They have basic weaponry; long distance and close quarters. Nothing too special to be honest, just a lot of seasoned guards."
"I suspect it's his entire guard force. Fourth Stable was the smallest, but that's meaningless here." Skyfall said, silently noting their strength. "I know Unfaithful is likely in the human realm. As for River's End, she's probably providing continued finance for this as well as pulling large number deals while this is going on to muddy the financial facts once this is over. Typical Bureaucratic smoke screening."
"So, do we smash and grab?" Sif offered. "Lure the main force away from Ponyville and have a few spirit teams move on the prisoners at the same time and run?"
"No." Skyfall said, sitting against Maud's couch. "Fury will see that coming."
"What about sneaking in as a guard to cause this setup to malfunction?" Maud said.
Sky and Sif turned to the hardbody mare.
"That's a good idea." Skyfall accepted. "But instead of espionage, we could do one better."
"Like what?" Sif asked.
"We turn their weapons back on them." Skyfall said. "Fury will likely be unable to control his temper. Especially when he sees me and learns what I did to his wife."
"What..." Sif prompted.
"What?"
"What did you do to his wife?" Sif squinted her eyes, looking him up and down. "You didn't copulate, did you?"
"Okay, how am I supposed to answer that?" Skyfall deadpanned.
"I don't know, you're the one saying you had sex with his wife."
"No I didn't, you did. I said-"
"Yeah yeah, so you and your sister-in-law had promiscuous incestual relations." Sif flipped her paw, feigning disgust, attempting to get a rise out of Skyfall.
"I did not bang my sister-in-law."
"You implied you did."
"Because Honey is disguised as her!" Skyfall defended.
"So you had your wife dress up as your sister to get your sick kicks, you-"
"I've had enough of your sass." Skyfall cut in. "I swear, I'm going to spank you."
"Oh no, I'm next on your sick sexual crusade." Sif rolled onto her back, pretending to swoon.
"You two are very odd." Maud said, earning shocked expressions from Sif and Skyfall having forgotten she was there. This only sent both beings into rambunctious laughter, their emotions from the situation having been to stirred to do much else.
As the laughing died down, Sif took a deep breath. "So, what now?"
"We need to regroup with the Spirits that stayed behind. With them, we get put thoughts to action." Skyfall said. "Twilight getting herself captured makes this infinitely more difficult. Chances are, Fury knows my identity and will out me when the time is right, prolonged conflict won't bode well even if we win. That is, if Unfaithful has reached him or if he figured it out by himself."
Sif stood and winced, earning a firm hoof from Skyfall. Silent protest of her body sprang forward as she pressed on his hoof, causing her more pain.
"No, you must stay here. Heal. I'll go and find the others and bring them here." He turned to Maud, looking for any silent ques before talking. "Is it okay with you that we use this cave as our situation room?"
Maud blinked and looked to the vast chasm opposite the space. "I've sealed many of the tunnels leading here except the one we entered and one other. Use this place as you will." She turned and walked through a doorway cut from the rock into a tighter living area, but was followed closely by Skyfall. "Yes, Mr. Fall?"
"Maud, I need to know what information you might have." Skyfall looked back to Sif who had reluctantly accepted his command. She grumbled to herself, bringing a small smirk to Sky's face due to her adorable scowling face.
"I don't have much." Maud said. "Zecora and a few others escaped. From what I can see of their camps is a few others did as well."
"And the Elements?"
"They're at the castle, like your friend said." Maud pulled out a small map as she sat onto a lush, purple pillow. She pointed from place to place. "I've been looking for a way to get in and save Pinkie, but I would get us both killed. I caught a glimpse of them through a hall window as they were being moved from room to room, they look unharmed."
"So they're moving them around to prevent advanced raid planning." Skyfall thought aloud. 'It looks like Fury has had this planned out for some time. Ponyville's layout makes it hard for any military force to take and hold it. Its round schematic and valley location scream unholdable and vulnerable to air bombardment. Ponyville was a trap, centuries in the making.'
Maud bore into Skyfall's expression, trying to read his thoughts. He chewed his lip as his eyes darted back and forth around the map like a stallion possessed. Having kept her confidential conversations with Pinkie a secret from everyone, she knew that the Elements had trouble with the silver stallion, but she only saw just that. A stallion.
"Maud, can I trust you to watch over Sif?" Skyfall asked, his eyes remaining on the map.
"Yes. I don't have any medical training, but I can help her move around and concentrate on getting better."
"That's all I ask." Skyfall turned to leave. "She'll heal up before anything happens, but she needs rest. If she gets restless, offer to play a game with her."
"Like fetch?" Maud asked, getting a chuckle from Skyfall and a snort from Sif.
"No, a board game if you have one." Skyfall exited Maud's place and walked toward the secret exit. "I will be back with the others. Hopefully it goes well."
Three hours later
Maud rolled the dice and cursed, having to now pay Sif three hundred dollars in hotel fees. She watched Sif count the money in victory before the limp body of a bull fell through the entrance like a pinball on its hopeless fall past the bumpers. He collided with the shore of Maud's pond and let out a pained hiss, gripping his side with both hooves.
"You didn't have to hit so hard." Revolver groaned.
"You lied." Skyfall emerged from the shadows with Spirits and mortals in tow.
"Just a little. I was following orders."
Maud and Sif looked on as the disguised Spirits trickled in with the six people-turned-ponies in tow. They each wore a different emotion from scared to unsure.
""I was following orders" is never a good excuse." Skyfall mumbled as he passed, eyeing Revolver's side arms. "You all had firearms stashed away in the trucks."
"They helped us out of that fight." Revolver rose to his hooves.
"Yes, but in doing so, you broadcast our location to the entire scouting force running through the forest!" Skyfall shouted. "That's a basic rule! Aside the fact that those guns complicate an already unknowable situation, we have to now worry about preventing hand cannons from becoming commonplace."
"I don't-" Revolver tried but was cut off.
"I know you don't see the reason behind censoring them, this has always been the argument. But in a world of magic that's been weaponized, it's one more thing that kills indiscriminately. It's harder to trace, anyone can use it, and worst of all, it can be stockpiled for mass genocide."
"It can protect!"
"So can magic!" Skyfall roared. "At least with magic, a skilled paladin can trace and locate the caster. A bullet is nameless, we don't have the technology for firearm projectile analysis. You're creating chaos..." He stopped, remembering Discord was reformed but was suspiciously absent from the raid. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he turned back to Revolver. "Listen. I'm not blind to a firearm's potential. In this situation, it gives us a leading edge. But you must see that they will sway this world into developing like ours did. Maybe the magic in this world can prevent them becoming what they were, but the chaos coming will destabilize the planet. Earth knows this, which is what baffles me."
"I disagree, my lord." Revolver said, knowing that Skies long stood against bringing in technology from the time before. "Lady Earth seems to have a plan, but I can't speak about the details of it. Sorry."
"I am loathe to allow them, but they will save more life here."
"So we have your blessing?" Revolver asked.
"You don't need a blessing." Sky said, offering his hoof in agreement. "Just keep in mind what they are."
"Yes, sir." Revolver said and grabbed Sky's outstretched hoof, grasping firm in his acceptance. "What's the plan?"
Skyfall looked at the rag-tag group of Spirits around him and motioned them forward with his wing as he ascended Maud's stairs that lead to her living room.
"Sif!" A small, manila Woodland Unicorn called as she crested the top to see the large she-wolf.
"Hi, Melly." Sif smiled. "I see you took your chance at mischief the second it was given."
"Naturally." Melly smiled wide, yelping at the Minotaur's hand that poked her flank.
"Greetings later." He said, nodding toward Skyfall who was waiting patiently to start.
"Thank you, Anthem." Skyfall stood at Maud's stone dinner table and motioned her forward after noticing she held various maps and charts. He eyed the quality as they were rolled out. "These are to locate the samples of rock you take around Ponyville?"
"Yes."
Looking over the maps, he nodded in approval as he started with a gasp of air. "How many of you served with me in conflict?"
Revolver, Melly, Anthem, Aria, and a Hippogriff named Sea Shard raised their arms. The rest in the room voiced whether or not they server against Shattered Skies or with another major Spirit.
"How many of you still love the mortal races enough to risk your lives?" Skyfall asked.
The room fell silent at the question. Spirits were immortal, but never impervious. If a Spirits were to be dealt a strong enough blow in any form, then death would come for them as it does for everyone else, but their disguises were always more vulnerable. This being a problem with assassins during the Spirit trials, many remained in their Spirit form only to then be pursued by the hunters guild and their silver weapons.
"We aren't attacking in full regalia?" Revolver asked.
"No, doing so would see us losing the battle. Even if we win." Skyfall said.
"Uh, explanation?" Melly chimed in.
"The Maker saw annihilation with her limited sight if we attack the mortal forces as full Spirits. The world will see Spirits returning and attacking Ponyville, nothing else." Skyfall said. "So I ask again. How many of you are willing to risk your lives?"
No arms climbed to the task, only looks of defiance.
"So you came expecting an easy victory?" Skyfall asked.
"No, my lord." Revolver spoke. "But we don't want to die. We haven't had a fight like this in so long that it almost new to us. Everyone back at Aileron had reservations about this, but knowing this puts it in a new light. Your ability to fight came into question at the meeting that Earth held." He lifted his hat and swept his mane back firm against his head, hating that he had to be the one to relay information. "With all the misinformation going around, we don't know who you are anymore and from the reports that many of the higher ups have read, you don't either. We aren't dying for mortals and we aren't dying for a Spirit trying to fight another losing battle."
Passing the lack of confidence, Skyfall raised a brow. "So, you're going to remain neutral?"
Revolver looked around, the silently appointed voice of the group. "I think so, Sir. I'm sorry."
"Fine." Skyfall turned to leave and paused at the stairs. He spoke without turning, cold orders flowing from him like steam from ice. "I'm sending survivors here. You will protect them as Spirits without being seen. Failure of you to do so and my possible survival will see you re-exiled."
Ignoring the looks that beamed at him in shock, Revolver opened his mouth with a snarl. "You can't jus' gon' and order us around like that. If we don't wanna' protec-"
"You will protect who I send here, or their fate will result in formal charges for you." Skyfall's body glowed from the Effigy within, broadcasting his will and desire to carry out his threat. "Being so cowardice proves you aren't who I meant to bring. Now, remain."
Without another word, Skyfall left and was followed by three mares and a small filly.
"He has the Effigy?" Revolver thought aloud as he sat down.
"He does." Sif said, earning the room's attention. "You know he may execute you should you resist. I suggest following the order you were given."
"He can't just exercise his will over us, Sif." Melly complained.
"He can and he will." Sif said. "You saw the ships and the soldiers, you know how serious this is. That, and his child is here in harm's way."
"His child?" Melly asked.
"The one everyone thought he lost. She's alive and by his side constantly." Sif said. "You all know he is fighting his siblings and trying to keep his family alive and well. Even Lady Crystal."
"We heard she was alive too." Revolver said. "A very curious thing considering Honey's body was recovered. We can't just regrow bodies at will."
"Sky knows this. He verified it's her, but he's keeping his thoughts close to the chest." Sif admitted. She rose to her paws and made her way toward the cave's opening. "I'm going, I trust you'll do the right thing."
"What do we do?" Twilight's human turned pony counterpart asked. "Is there nothing we can help with?"
Sif eyed the pony and knew that each of them were not the real Elements of Harmony, but dopplegangers. She hadn't inquired as to their origin but knew they were from the other side of the mirror, as to why Skyfall brought them was beyond her.
"You, and your friends will remain here." Sif said, cutting the tension with her voice. Looks of defiance rose up from the human mane six, but faltered at Sif's great stare. "You, like when Twilight tried to attack Ponyville, would only be a liability. I haven't the time, nor patience to explain it, but the fact that there are now fewer of us should serve as testament to the gravity of what I say."
"We can help." Applejack asserted, still shaky on her unfamiliar hooves.
Not being one for talking around the issue, Sif grumbled. "You will remain, and when this is over, who knows? You could help immensely." Sif rested her head. "But now you're weight, not a tool. Even I can see that. Perhaps prepare salves and bandages for survivors."
As the cavern fell to silence, Maud set cool drinks on the table and summoned a board game. "Anyone up for a game?"
"Sky!" Adagio called from behind Skyfall.
"Go to the cavern and wait!"
"No, I want to help!" Adagio shouted back. She had to admit to herself it shocked her to shout. Having been away for so long, and the circumstances in which she was expelled, she long believed that she was passed helping anyone that wasn't within her own circle. She looked back to who followed her and saw no-one, her lifelong companions had already turned back. In the time it took to look forward, two golden eyes bore down upon her.
"Are you sincere? Or you just trying to gain favor. You and I have had our spots in the past, I don't believe you are being overly forthright."
"I don't blame you. Frankly I don't really have a reason to be here behind you, however, when thinking clearly, even though it's hard to in a mess like this, I want to. If for no other reason than to help Twilight."
"And what is purple prose have to do with this?"
"I've spoken with her a few times now, as much as I loathe to admit it, especially to you, there seems to be some shift in mortals that I can get behind." Adagio said, her stare not moving from Skyfall.
"Really? And what was it that you talked about?"
"She came to me with questions and I didn't see any reason to hold back any information. Why would I? The council's been long dead. You saw to that."
Ignoring her snide remark, Skyfall pressed. "How much did you tell her?"
"Enough. Just enough to satiate her questioning, and enough to not piss you off when you found out." Adagio smiled nervously, uncertain of what he would do but only received an incredulous looking return.
"I'm not a tyrant, Adagio." Skyfall winced. He knew his reputation wasn't the best, not referring to the soul eating Herald of Disaster that everyone made him out to be in the history books.
"Never said you were a tyrant, but you are secretive, or so I hear."
"I swear, everyone just wants to get my business. Just can't let him retire. I sever ties, everybody thinks you become a hermit. Wonderous." Skyfall sat down, and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he does when things agitate him.
"Listen, you need help and I'm offering it. I'm not here to die, but I'm offering to help and in more ways than just standing by and erecting a barrier when necessary. And hopefully when this ends, if this ends, you'll recognize that and let me stay. Maybe even forgive our... my history." Adagio sat, waiting for what would possibly be her future boss to finish his silent freak out.
"It's not like I have much of a choice. I guess I'll have to involve you in my plans. But as a word of warning, we're facing a real demon, running won't save you." Skyfall turned to her fully, and let a moment of silence pass between them and acted as he does to people he wants to understand. "This is going to be a very difficult task. We aren't going in guns blazing like Twilight did, nor are we going in as a hero. You and I are going to infiltrate the camp located in the barracks."
"Why not just go to the camp that's farthest away from everybody? Why go to the one that's most heavily guarded?"
"Because it doesn't make sense. Imagine you were the leader of a guard Force trying to lure an enemy into a trap? You would place an enticing Target, in this case being the camp, on the very edge of your occupation. You would have it set up in such a way that made it look as if it was inconsequential. Minimal staff very loose fitted shackles. He knows this, that's why it's there, it's a trap." Skyfall tapped his hoof trying to look at all angles, no matter which way one sliced it, all camps were traps, it was just a matter of choosing the weakest one.
"So you go to the most heavily guarded one?" Adagio asked, not following. Some Spirits knew more than others about certain topics, that's just how it was. Someone interested in music wouldn't research culinary techniques, let alone wartime strategy. The older a Spirit was, the more they had time to dedicate to certain topics, they don't just magically know they actually had to learn the field.
Skyfall chuckled, looking around at the dimly-lit crystals along the wall. Deciding this is a good as places at as any to come up with a strategy with what was possibly his only Ally for infiltrating the bases, he shoved his hoof in the dirt, tracing lines like a child in the sandbox.
"Please look at my diagram, I know you are not too accustomed to wartime strategy judging by the look on your face, but I'll try my best. The camp on the outskirts, as I said, is a trap-"
"It's a trap." Adagio said in a Gruff voice.
"... yes. Anyway, it being on the outskirts gives the illusion that it's lightly guarded which is what makes it a trap, now the guard Force has burned away a lot of the forest and much of the grass leaving me virtually blind. He knows it's a foolish move to attack the Guard base, even in some sort of last moment ditch effort chess move it's stupid. That's where the middle camp comes in, that is where a lot of the sensitive hostages are going to be. Namely the school foals, the elderly, and any visitors that were here when the seizure for occurred."
"So where do you want me?"
"I would say for you to go into town and pretend to be caught, but I know that's going to get you killed." Skyfall said and moved through the different possible outcomes. "At this point they're not taking hostages that are found after this lockdown. They know we've arrived, Twilight saw to that with her little attack. If she hadn't have attacked I would have a few more options. But now it's gotten worse."
"She doesn't strike me as a leap before you look type of individual. Even passed her own book smarts." Adagio said. "I stayed back with her friends and my friends and everything just happened in the blink of an eye."
"From what I read, she was very meticulous but meeting her friends turned her more Reckless." Skyfall paused, surprised that he was having a civil conversation with someone who used to be his enemy. But that's kind of the nature of life. Change and change are the only two constants.
"Are you thinking on that whole changing change thing again?"
"Don't you have a prom to be ruining somewhere?" Skyfall said, drawing Ponyville from memory in the dirt.
"Wise ass. Continue with your little plan." Adagio laughed, softly striking a small rock to scuff part of his map playfully.
"Anyway, I don't know where to place you in this plan. You can't go on oversight, there's no communication ability. You can't infiltrate by yourself, that will get you killed."
"My Lord, I know you're not overly familiar with my abilities. I can remain just out of view when I sing certain spell laced songs, it helped me in the past with hunters, but that's because I'm not a fighter, not in the traditional sense anyway." Adagio Shrugged at Skyfalls amused look. She wasn't a fighter. She did participate in Battle of the Bands, but that's singing.
"That won't help you with infiltrating the base though or with any of these camps, I know they have some sort of spell negating effects the closer you get to the camps. I saw their paladins, with the thousand years I've been gone they must have created dictionaries of new spells that I cannot comprehend as of yet. It'll be hard enough for me to get in." Skyfall scratched his chin thinking of some way Adagio could help. "I have an idea, I won't force you into it but it would help even if only a little. I have some acquaintances that live on the outskirts. one lives on a farm one lives in a tree the other one lives in a cottage. All being on the outskirts, where patrols are bound to be thin, allowing you much more maneuverability to get around these ponies. If in the action you want to take out a few and thin their forces, that would help."
"If it means you smile upon my position after all this is over that I'm glad to help."
"Adagio, I don't hate you. You made very bad decisions in the past, we all have, me included. It's not what you say that makes me dislike you, it's what you do. It's been a thousand years, A lot can change in that time. Who you were then was who you were then, so far you seem to want to help, so I accept you for that. I just hope you're doing this for better reasons than to just look helpful."
"Yeah me too." She sat there, not thinking, just absorbing the situation as a light hum vibrated through the walls. It happens every few minutes, cannons were pointed down as scout ships flew overhead, just a possible scare tactic the enemy used to demoralize those in hiding.. "So what do we do now?"
"Once we actually get to Ponyville, it won't take that long. This isn't some story where it takes four days to infiltrate by crawling on your belly. I just need to get to the command camp, once I do, I can finagle our comrades out of that camp and funnel them into the forest. That's going to throw them off kilter, it'll surprise them. At that point, Fury would have to respond in force believing he's been duped. That and he's already off-kilter due to me banging in his wife."
"You h-what?!"
"Okay I didn't literally bang his wife, it just looks like that." Skyfall held up his hooves trying to placate the surprised look Adagio gave him.
"Okay but how do you do that, do you think you just fall for that?"
"I do. It's too shocking, that's what makes it believable. That or the worst case scenario is that he was going to use her as cannon fodder anyway. In which case he will still respond just to save his image in front of his soldiers. What soldier respects a commander that just accepts his wife's infidelity?"
"Okay that sounds too complicated and too dumb to work."
"And that's why it's going to." Skyfall said. "Tricks like that worked all the time during the Spirit war."
A thick, heavy pressure fell on the area, causing both Adagio and skyfalls ears to pop. Usually one could feel werful magic spells, but for one to be so extreme for their ears to pop alarmed them.
"We should get going." Skyfall said using his wing to Snuff out the plans in the dirt. "I think the end game just began."
"After you, my Lord."
"You're not getting away with this." Twilight said, eyes glaring toward the armored stallion looking out a window, one of many that lined her own study.
"Little miss, I'm not a comic book villain. Yelling your last final attempt at reason never works in real life." Fury turned to the bound princess. He looked at her as she was laid against the couch, still struggling against her bonds. "Your little attack cost the lives of a few of your pieces. I told you that night that you should just sit and wait for your little savior to appear but you've done nothing but try to escape. If I didn't have use for you, you and all of your friends be dead already. That's the only sad part here is that you don't get to learn that lesson."
"Pieces? Lessons? What is wrong with you? Aren't you the princess's sworn captain of the Guard? Why are you doing this?" Twilight demanded again, not expecting an answer.
"I remember seeing you the first day you started school. It's guard custom for higher-ups to make an appearance at that little Institute. I really thought it was much use considering what that Institute was really for, but who was I to argue?" Fury moved to Twilight's desk and unlatched his armor, removing it with a resounding thud. He looked at Twilight with eyes that burned orange, knowing she had enough experience with spirits to know how to identify when one was staring directly at her. "I would sit here and tell you all about your friends, history, and about how the entire time you've been here hunting spirits they've been running circles around you almost quite literally. But you've proven again and again, over and over, that you. Do. Not. Listen."
Twilight scowled and silence.
"We separated all your friends and their families into rooms here. None of you have any pertinent information regarding anything." Fury scoffed. He rested in a large chair, taking a very long breath of relaxation, soon, he began to root through the desk. "You know, since this began I really haven't had time to just sit and take this all in. With all the meetings I have I don't really get to pay attention to what happens here. Probably should have considering how long this plan has been in prep. But, what astonishes me the most is you and the relic that is the Princess, and that whole mother-daughter mentor thing you have with her. It's some twist of fate that she trusts you as much as Shattered Skies trusted her."
"What does that mean?" Twilight narrowed her vision. She knew there was a lot she didn't know, nor did she believe she really wanted to. Deep down she hated the thought that her mentor might be someone capable of the atrocities that she's overheard since she began her little mission to take down skies.
"I realize this is all confusing to you. Had you been less of a cur, I would have told you all and more. But we have a guest." Fury smiled, lifting is hoof and curling is slightly to maneuver a rune around Twilight's Mosel, effectively stopping her from talking.
The door opened, no knock no jostle of the handle, revealing a pink haired Mare. Taller than most and clear to see that she wasn't your run-of-the-mill Pony. She glided in once she made eye contact with Fury, a smaller Shadow of black close on her heels.
"You know, I was wondering when you're going to finally make your move and come in here." Fury said resting his head against his hooves with his elbow upon the desk. "And you even brought Sombra."
"Cut the nonsense, Fury." The mare barked. "Explain, now."
"Explain what? Do you not recognize an occupation? I swear I've met some dumb monarchs in my time, but you seriously are up there." Fury's once professional and respectful attitude toward royalty was obliterated by the hateful look and non-caring mood that was now present.
"I'd recommend that you watch your tongue. I will burn it out, again." Her eyes gravitated toward the shocked Pony on the couch.
Twilight was not that simple, she knew there will always be stuff she didn't know and that somehow something will always come by to shock her. She took advantage of Adagio's willingness to share the information nobody else would. But to see someone she believed to be her mentor, now she knew was her mentor in disguise, that look could only come from the princess. Furthermore, the implication Fury just spoke only meant that this has happened before. As Twilight looked, she saw the slow panic move into Celestia, they both knew that Twilight figured it out.
"And thus, the First Pawn Falls." Fury angered his expression. "I told you, all those years ago. You kill your Pawns when they get too smart."
"Things have changed, Fury." Sunny said under her breath.
"Yes, they have."
Fury shifted to one arm, examining the princess. "I once considered bedding you. Had I not had orders not to, I'd see you bearing children every other year. Aside from your immense power, that's all you really good for." He chuckled at Celestia's indignant look, making it clear that he was eyeing more than just her face. Looking then to Twilight, viewing her in the same predatory way. "Once all this is over, you both are likely to live. It'll be a much different world but you two will be treated well. Strong mares breed strong soldiers."
"You've gone mad." Sunny said. "I can help you."
"Mad? No, I'm being realistic, you're living this fairytale and I'm done. One thousand years, I've drifted, came and gone and allowed this, this false peace... You're a talking figurehead that only equates to a big gun, a nuclear deterrent."
"I guess I've lost some of my mojo, I'm monologuing." He turned in Twilight's chair and looked out at the camp set up in front of the castle, then to Sunny. "Had you actually listened to my brother when he warned you, you might have been able to do something, but now you're a hostage like everyone else."
"We'll see about that." Celestia tensed trying to release her power and revert back to her true form. She hissed and growled trying to fight against a suppressive magic, fighting so hard that's sparks of lightning arced from her body striking the wood and fabric around her, blackening it. With an exhausted breath she looked to Fury in shock. "What is this?"
"Are you serious? Do you not recognize it or you just asking out shock?" Fury asked rhetorically as he stood and walked over to Twilight. He caught the questioning look of Twilight and then turned to her. "Should I fill her in, Celestia?"
"Please don't."
"Have you figured out why you can't use your magic yet? I know you've tried, you look at your horn, you tense up you sigh, you get let down." Fury scowled, bringing his lips up into a smile and shifted his vision between princess and pupil before running his hoof over the cutiemark of the latter. "There is so much you do not know. You couldn't even be trusted with her secret identity." He examined the increasing Panic on Celestia's face and strode back to the desk. "Couldn't even be trusted with the secrets of how Spirits used to be identified and captured. First, you cancelled out the magic by rooting the Lay lines across for non spirit magic in an area. Send the population into a frenzy, then anyone who could still use Magic is a spirit. However that's not what stops our beloved princess from using her magic that's the other side of the algorithm."
"Fury stop."
"I have no reason to. Why should I drag this out any longer, I don't benefit from it." Fury let his own sense of debauchery out from a look. "Unless there's something you can offer me that I can't just take. Which as of now you'd be completely powerless to stop me from exercising any sort of will over you. Keep that in mind and be quiet."
Understanding the silent check of power, she remained silent.
"See, even a being as powerful as this realizes that this little maneuver of ours truly cripples." Fury looked to Twilight and dispelled the runes from her muzzle.
"What's the other part of the algorithm?" Twilight ask avoiding Celestia's hurt expression.
"Turning the population against the spirit. There's not much one can do to dampened Spirits power. They're strong physically and magically, but mentally every single one of them is flawed. And that spirit of the forest that you ignored all advice to seek out is one of the most flawed creatures ever made."
"But why does Celestia's Magic not work?"
"Because she's not a spirit, you nitwit. Just because someone can disguise himself doesn't mean they are spirit."
Ignoring the insult, Twilight glared at Fury. "You sound like you know a lot about spirits and hunting them."
"Of course I do. You should really stop trying to ask questions to answers already given to you." Fury rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, ignoring Sombra's vain attempt at a judging look. "Celestia was the one to figure out how to root Spirits out. This entire situation in Ponyville is just a mirror of a technique she perfected over centuries. And sure, you can bring up the debate about the sword or the Swordsman, about which is worse. But what of the sword maker?"
"At the end of the day this is all just philosophical nonsense. You, your friends, their families, Celestia, even this town were all just a means to an end. What's worse, nobody ever asks why Celestia granted a bunch of backwater farmers an expanse of land next to what was hailed as a nightmare Forest. You have only ever existed to lure shattered Skies into a trap, both mentally and physically."
"I've only held out this long in the odd chance he might be alive. Unfaithful went against our orders and attacked you all when you were in that Realm. I haven't heard from her since but I highly doubt she's dead. Spirits have a weird way of coming back from the dead. You never know if they're really actually gone." Fury looked at Twilight long and hard. "To answer your question completely, Sparkle. Ruin a spirit mentally and that places them in a state where they don't want to survive. It's too much of a hassle to do the round-robin with them. Be a hero, you destroy them, they come back to foil your plans, repeat."
"But why destroy them? Me and my friends-"
A loud slam fell upon the desk Starling Twilight. "Do not start a friendship talk. I've had to sit through enough of Celestia's readings of your lessons. Nice peace-time moral talk, what happens when somebody doesn't want to be friends? Do you just accept to go your separate Ways? What if they're hungry and don't want to live under your rule? They come after you, then what? Zap them with some lights and they go away for a year? That's another rinse repeat situation. You eradicate your enemies, making friends with them one day only means inviting snakes into your bed the next."
"You're wrong."
"Celestia cursed you with everlasting life. For reasons that allude all of us, certainly wasn't brought it for anyone's approval. But you'll see, from my bedchamber, but see nonetheless." At seeing the look of disgust on Twilight's face, Fury Shrugged. "It sounds macabre, but by being with me you'll be safe from what is to come."
"You're going to plunge the world into chaos?"
"No. Everything's going to squared away and reorganized. We will take control and remove the last of the spirits from other continents. But aside from that ,the world will be indistinguishable from what it is now. Or at least Equestria will be. But beings like you and the princesses will be kept on a shorter leash but you'll be safe, well fed, and happy."
"And Pregnant." Twilight sucked her teeth
"I would never force you into it. I could, all too easily I could, but that's more Graves fetish. In time you would want to, especially once you see it my way." Fury's voice lost its harsh tone. "I am not above taking multiple lovers, you two will be happy."
"I doubt that. Your view is wrong and twisted." Twilight fired back. She rested on the couch with a smile. "It's not my job to fix your worldview. You will screw up eventually, if I've learned enough from Spirits it's that their names somewhat mirror who they are. All I have to do is wait."
"Interesting." Fury said. "It looks like you spent a lot of time around my brother. You're beginning to speak like him too."
"Your brother?"
"There's so much you don't know." Fury chuckled. "The one at the epicenter of all this, Shattered Skies, is my older brother."
Twilight didn't change her expression, it made too much sense to. What was certain, is that her questions would be answered eventually, all she had to do was wait.