//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Aftermath // Story: Octavia's Eleven // by Tumbleweed //------------------------------// All the mares were crying, and it was all my fault. I'd always joked that there would be a long line of heartbroken mares at my funeral, but to actually see such a sight was far less gratifying than I had originally thought it'd be. Princess Twilight tried to keep it together, to look strong in front of the other ponies, but she wasn't doing a very good job of it. Carrot Top was a little more composed, though she leaned heavily on the shoulder of her friend the mailmare. The rest of the crew wore varying expressions of shock and/or despair-- even Bon-Bon shed a silent tear or two, and she never liked me much to begin with. Not that I could blame them-- the Spitespire exploded with a bone-jarring thoroughness, venting untold tons of pressure in a single, catastrophic instant. While the eruption was 'small' enough that the lava hadn't reached the Interlocutor, nor the ponies aboard, it was still the sort of hellish catastrophe that nopony could have survived. Nopony but me, at least. I limped up behind the mourning mares, dragging the antique shield against the gravel behind me. Somehow, the racket of rocks on metal didn't get their attention, so I cleared my throat to get their attention. “What's the matter, ladies? Somebody didn't get hurt, did they?” It would have sounded more heroic if I hadn't coughed up a few lungfuls of soot right afterward. “Flash?!” Princess Twilight moved faster than the other ponies, dashing up to my side in an instant. Eyes wide in stunned disbelief, she scooped me up in her front hooves. “You're here! You're alive! You're--” Princess Twilight's royal nostrils twitched slightly, now that she was close enough to smell my particular 'cologne' of acrid smoke and sweet wine. “You're drunk?” “Not yet.” I tried not to wince as Princess Twilight hugged me tight enough to jar my already cracked bones. “But it's still early.” “But ... but ... I saw you die!” “Not exactly.” I weakly pushed Princess Twilight's hooves away. “You saw me fall into the volcano. I just, ah, improvised with a few choice items from Diamondback's collection.” I shook my foreleg free of the shield's straps, and let the heavy thing clatter to the ground. Princess Twilight stared down at the thing, and gasped. “Netitus! Of course! But even its protective magic can only go so far ... “ “Which is why I hid inside the cask of Chateau de Cheval. Between the thick oak and the shield, I was thrown free in the explosion.” I nodded towards the shattered wreckage of the barrel a little ways behind me.* It was a tragic thing, to see so much fine wine lost upon the volcanic rock of the Dragon Lands, but I'd at least guzzled down a good couple quarts once I smashed the head of the cask open and hid inside. This, of course, left me wondering if the blurring of my vision was from the booze or from the concussion. I neglected to tell the Princess about that part. *Flash's account of surviving Spitespire's eruption is remarkably similar to the infamous 'refrigerator chapter' of one of the later, post-reboot Daring Do novels. While surviving a volcanic explosion by hiding inside a barrel seems ludicrous on the surface (though perhaps no more ludicrous than some of Flash's other exploits), it's entirely possible that Netitus' protective aura was able to extend to the barrel by using its metal bandings as a sort of accidental etheric circuit. Such a thing, while improbable, is not impossible. If I hadn't witnessed Flash's survival myself, I probably wouldn't have believed the story either. “Oh, Flash.” Princess Twilight sniffled. “I'm so glad you--” “SIEZE THEM!” Drake Diamondback shouted, loud enough to be mistaken for an aftershock of the volcano's eruption. Snarling and gnashing his teeth, Drake Diamondback pulled himself from the collapsed rubble of the volcano. Or he tried to, at least-- several thousand tons of volcanic rock was enough to slow even a dragon of his size down. As it was, he only had one arm and his serpentine neck free. “KILL THEM ALL! I'LL PAY DOUBLE THE WEIGHT IN GOLD OF ANY PONY BROUGHT TO ME!” Diamondback's claws dug parallel trenches through the rock as he clawed his way out. “NO, TRIPLE!” At that, the other dragons (who had mostly been treating the volcano's eruption like a pleasant spring shower) stopped whatever they had been doing, and started prowling towards us. With bared teeth and stoked flames, the dragons surrounded the Interlocutor. From the corner of my eye, I saw Carrot Top brace herself, muscles tensing to leap into action. To be honest, I would've given even odds on a fight between Special Agent Golden Harvest and any single dragon you could find, but I knew even she couldn't fight the whole damn horde of them. Thanks to Princess Twilight, Carrot Top didn't have to. Without a moment's hesitation, the Princess set her horn to glowing, and a thick pink dome materialized over us, keeping the dragons at bay. “That should buy us some time.” Princess Twilight said, panting. A few of the bolder dragons battered and roasted the force-dome, but the shimmering barrier held. “That's it!” I said, perhaps a little louder than I should have. Then again, I was half concussed and half drunk, so it was really impressive that I was capable of speech or thought at all. “You said buy us some time!” “What are you talking about, Flash?” Princess Twilight blinked and tilted her head to the side. “Watch.” I said, and walked up to the edge of the barrier, picking out the largest, angriest one (which was damned difficult, let me tell you). I rapped on the forcefield, and cleared my throat. “You there! With the bad dentistry!” I said, and sure enough the beast brought his head down my way. He immediately spewed up a long band of flame, but it slid harmlessly from the Princess' barrier. “Sentry, you idiot, you're just making them mad!” Carrot Top yelled from somewhere behind me. Somehow, her frantic tone was reassuring-- a reminder of the strangeness that I'd come to accept as 'normal.' Still, I ignored her, and continued my chat with the dragon on the other side of the barrier. “So, Diamondback says he'll pay you three times the weight of any pony you bring him. In gold, yes?” The dragon nodded. “Did you ever consider just where he's getting that gold? I mean, right now, his entire hoard is underneath the better part of a mountain.” I pointed over towards where Diamondback still struggled and clawed at the rocky earth to get free. “Honestly, you'd be better off just going down into your holes and digging the gold out from under him while he's still stuck.” The dragon blinked and stopped hammering on the dome. It took a step back, waved its fellow reptiles over, and started up a hushed, growly-voiced discussion. Soon enough, the dragons wordlessly left, scrambling down into their various tunnels and burrows. “I can't believe that worked.” Carrot Top muttered as she walked up beside me. “Neither can I.” And, with nothing actively trying to kill me, the last of my strength leaked away, and I promptly passed out. “Flash.” Somepony said. “Flash, are you awake?” “Unfortunately.” I cracked an eye open, and there was Princess Twilight, looking lovely and worried and more than a little haggard. At the sight of royalty, I instinctively tried to stand parade-straight-- only for a fresh wave of pain wash over me, my many wounds making up for all the time I'd been able to ignore them. “Stay still.” Princess Twilight said, resting a hoof on my chest. “You really went through the wringer back there.” “All in a day's work.” I said, with depressing familiarity. I managed to get both my eyes open, and realized I was back on the Interlocutor, holed away on a bed in one of the cabins. The faint thrum of the engine rumbled through the airship-- I could feel it even through the dozen or so yards of gauze I was wrapped up in. Certainly a step up from the Dragon Lands, at least. Though this in turn made me realize something. “Wait. What happened to Diamondback?” As the last thing I needed was an angry dragon to come howling for my blood, especially with me in such a sorry, wounded state. “Don't worry. We're safe.” Princess Twilight said, “I had a ... chat with Drake Diamondback after you passed out. Seems that he didn't have any friends to dig him out of his hole, and, like you said, he didn't have the gold to pay anyone to do it. So, out of the niceness of my own heart, I offered to help him out. Though I maaaay have made him swear not to hurt any pony ever again in exchange.” “You did?” “It was Carrot Top's idea, actually.” I almost said 'of course it was,' but bit back the comment at the last moment. To judge by Princess Twilight's guileless nature, she thought it was just a spur of the moment suggestion, and damn if I was going to give away Special Agent Golden Harvest's secret identity. “But ... that's not why I came to visit.” Princess Twilight scratched at the back of her neck, suddenly nervous. Even in the faint light of the cabin, I could see her blushing. “Flash, I ... I wanted to thank you for everything you've done. You really are one of the bravest, most selfless ponies I've ever met. But ... you're too brave.” “I am?” I said, momentarily bewildered. “You were ready to die for me, back at Spitespire ... and ... I just can't have that on my conscience. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful, but you've made me think about a lot of things that I hadn't considered before. At least, not before I got these.” She puffed out her wings and wiggled the ends of her feathers. “So, once we get back to Canterlot, I'm going to transfer you back to your old unit. And then I will explain to Princess Celestia that I don't need a bodyguard*, no matter what some stodgy old traditionalists think.” *Astute students of history may note that Princess Twilight Sparkle did eventually have a unit of the Royal Guard (the 5th Cloudsdale Air Hussars, to be specific) assigned to her. However, she has never used these ponies in any sort of military capacity. ** “It's good to be a Princess, I suppose.” “Not as good as you might think.” Princess Twilight said with a wan little smile. She closed her eyes and pulled in a deep breath. “Flash, these last couple of days have been wonderful ... except for the part where Drake Diamondback tried to kill us, but that's not your fault. But ... I have responsibilities, as you do. As much as I'd like it, I don't think there can be an 'us,' Flash.” “Ah.” I said, and tried not to sound too relieved about it. Instead, I splayed my ears back and did my best to look emotionally wounded (as opposed to physically wounded, which I already had down pat). “I understand.” **However, I should note the 5th Cloudsdale Air Hussars have been instrumental in several disaster-relief efforts over the years, and should be commended for their loyal service. “You're not mad at me?” “Not at all. You're absolutely right-- it'd never work out between the two of us. It may hurt now, but it'll be for the best if we go our separate ways.” “Oh, Flash!” Princess Twilight pulled me into a hug, teary-eyed. I cried a little too, on account of the jolt of pain the squeezing sent through my bruised and battered body. “Maybe if things were different ... no, no use thinking about that now.“ She sniffled a little, and leaned back, looking into my eyes. “Thank you, Flash. For everything.” And with that, Princess Twilight kissed me gently on the brow, then left. I settled back onto the bed, wincing as I put a little too much weight onto my left wing. By the time the pain settled into more of an ambient ache, my second visitor arrived. At the sound of hooves on the deck, I looked over, and cracked a grin. “Took you long enough. I was wondering when you'd show up.” “Some of us still have to keep up appearances, Sentry.” Carrot Top said. She laid down the little picnic basket she'd brought with her, and pulled up a chair next to my bed. She took a pair of tin mugs out and filled them with ostensibly medicinal brandy. We clinked them together, and I gulped mine down in a single, much-needed gulp. The warmth of the sweet apple liquor was a welcome distraction from my multitude of burns, bruises, and broken bones. Wordlessly, Carrot Top refilled my mug, and I set to sipping that one. “You know,” I mused, swishing my brandy around, “I've been thinking.” “For once.” Carrot Top said with a playful grin. “I get it that Octavia's cello was priceless, and that she would do nearly anything to get it back. But ... well, getting no less than two of Equestria's most skilled Secret Agents involved? Not to mention the Princess of Friendship, along with the most handsome and heroic and generally likeable royal guard in all of Canterlot? Seems a bit ... overkill, don't you think?” “We recruited who we needed to.” Carrot Top said. “Oh, yes. All part of Secret Agent Sweetie Drops' master plan. And it worked. Too well, I think. I mean, not only did we recover the Phoenix Stal, but we also came out with an ancient magical artifact on top of that. Not to mention however much gold the Flimflams got away with.” “Actually, Princess Twilight's invoked the royal right of marque on that-- she claimed the majority share of the loot for the crown, and is planning to donate it to charity once we get back to Canterlot.” “Another suggestion of yours?” “I may have mentioned it in passing.” Carrot Top said. “I suppos that's coincidental enough, so long as you ignore the part where we happened to humiliate and depose a ruler who opposed to Dragonlord Ember's rule. Seems a bit ... convenient, don't you think? Not to mention plausibly deniable.” “Sounds like you've been hanging out with me too long.” Carrot Top kicked her brandy back, and then winked. “As a Special Agent, I can neither confirm nor deny any theories or allegations.” “So that's a 'yes,' then.” I said. “Damnation, I have been hanging out with you too long.” “Are you complaining?” “A little?” I said. “But ... and I'm just throwing this out here, wouldn't it be nice if we could spend any amount of time together without deposing tyrants or saving Equestria from certain doom?” Carrot Top smiled roguishly. “Where's the fun in that?” “You're right.” I said, and let my head flop back down onto the pile of pillows behind me. “I bet Fancy Pants is just waiting back in Canterlot with another 'important mission' for us. Joke's on him, though-- state I'm in, I'll be out of commission for weeks. If Fancy Pants thinks I'm in any condition to go haring off for crown and country, he's got another thing coming.” “I'll have a word with Fancy Pants when we get back. Make sure you have enough time to recover. Although ... “ She trailed off. “Although?” I leaned forward. “I'm not sure if it's a good idea to leave a 'hero' like you alone, especially in the state you're in. Maybe you'd need a bodyguard of your own? Somepony who could keep an eye on you without raising any suspicion.” “Somepony like Special Agent Golden Harvest?” Carrot Top set her mug of brandy aside, and put a surprisingly gentle hoof upon mine. “I can't confirm or deny that either.” So ends the fourth volume of the Flash Sentry Papers.