//------------------------------// // Stratia Engagus // Story: Hurricane Trinity // by Lovesick-Ded //------------------------------// HURRICANE TRINITY An MLP Extended-Universe Story Written by M.J. Hopper CHAPTER THIRTEEN “Hmm…” Skystar gave her beak a brief tap as she looked up from the book she was reading, pondering for a moment. “Okay, so…from what I have learned, ‘Penance’ is kinda, like…a magic-infused weapon. It’s kinda more for protection than anything else…uhhh…” She looked back down at the book and squinted slightly. “Says here that it was forged with the ashes from one of the former Caprine prophets…ewww.” Sticking her tongue out in disgust for a moment, she looked down at the pendant itself, which was currently still around her neck. It was strange for her…normally she was a bit too rambunctious to wear jewelry of any sort, but, for some apparent reason beyond explanation… This felt comfortable on her. The necklace was a near-perfect fit, and despite its intricate and heavy-looking design it flowed well with her neck and body; it was often, if not always, in the perfect position whenever she would move. She had been awestruck by this at first, and for awhile had attempted to get it to shift or feel strange in some manner, but no…it stuck fast on her, and it was actually nice to wear for a change. Although, she had yet to truly test out what Penance could do…she had been worried originally that she would mess up somehow, and therefore had slipped into the royal library to read up on its history. She took a deep breath. The lore may have been oral tradition, but, at least the information on the weapons had been written down… Penance was, apparently, another holy-based weapon that had been wielded by a Caprinian prophet and was forged from a former prophet’s ashes to strengthen the energy it gave off. It was normally not used for offensive combat (much to her relief); instead it was designed to protect the bearer and others by giving the ability to conjure a shield of pure light energy that deflected a majority of common attacks, if not all. The “all” was still in the air however, as she knew that whoever this was…they must have used it to attempt to save Royden, and failed… “Why, though?” She muttered to herself as she flipped to the next page; her bright blue eyes skimmed the surface, looking for answers. “Penance is a holy weapon…if anything, it should have deflected Argon’s blow against Royden, unless—” “Skystar!” “Eep!” Skystar snapped the book shut, her eyes growing wide as she heard her mother’s voice from outside the library’s doors; she quickly slipped the book back on the shelf and fumbled around her neck to attempt to undo the clasp on Penance and remove it, but found that she, in fact, could not. The clasp held strong against her resistance, refusing to budge even when she clawed at it or gave it the hardest tug. “Ugh! C-come on…Mom can’t see me like this…!” “Skystar!” Novo’s voice repeated; the door creaked open and the young Hippogryph princess had no choice; she immediately leapt behind a nearby bookshelf and ducked down, tucking her claws into her neck in an attempt to conceal the necklace. It would most likely not be enough, but at least it would delay the coupe de gras, so to speak, in time for her to fully explain… A shadow fell over her, and she looked up nervously into her mother’s eyes, grinning a bit and consciously tucking her neck in further. “H-hey, Mom,” she stuttered, although she was attempting to hold her composure as best as possible. “Uh…what are you doing here?” “Looking for you.” Novo raised an eyebrow slightly, taking a step to the side as her tail brushed against the bookshelves. “What are you doin’ in here, anyway? You normally don’t come to the library unless…well, one of two things, really.” Skystar’s eyes shifted to the side; she could swear that beads of sweat were beginning to appear on her forehead at this point, the tension was so thick. “Uhh…and, um…what would…those two things be?” she squeaked, tucking her head in the furthest it could go and staring up at her mother. Novo frowned. “Either you want to know about something in the outside world…or you know you’re gonna be in trouble and you come here ‘cause you think it’s the last place I’m gonna look.” Skystar winced; that had been WAY too accurate of a statement for her liking, especially right now. Novo raised her head slightly and looked down at her. “Which is it, Princess Skystar?” “It…uh…” The beige Hippogryph’s heart was pounding against her ribcage, and she began to tremble as Novo’s stare pierced right through her. She was absolutely terrified, near-petrified even, of what was going to happen next…but, she knew that she would not be able to hide things much longer, especially if she had to do this turtle-act all the time. She squeezed her eyes shut. “…Both…?” Novo eyed her with a hint of curiosity, before drifting her stare down to Skystar’s throat, currently tucked in and covered by her front claws; regardless, she could still see a hint of something there. Her irises seemed to quaver. “What’s that around your neck…?” “Mom…I…” The pressure pushed down on the little Hippogryph from all sides, and she could take it no longer; rising upright, she stood firm and pushed out her chest, revealing Penance. “I-I’m a Chosen, all right?! Th-this necklace spoke to me.” Something in Novo’s eyes seemed to flicker, before it dimmed into solid anger. “No…” She raised her head and frowned callously. “You…you can’t be one, Skystar. That’s not possible.” “B-but…!” Skystar’s eyes wavered with disbelief; she knew that her mother would be angry with her for taking it, but saying she wasn’t a Chosen...? She could feel the faint sting of tears beginning to well up in her eyes, but made a strong attempt to blink them back, and raised her head. “M-Mom…I’m not lying to you, at all. The…the necklace…Penance…it spoke to me, and it called out my name back when we were—” “Listen to me.” Novo’s voice was eerily quiet for once while chiding her, something Skystar was not quite used to. The snow-white Hippogryph narrowed her eyes. “The Hippogryph race has a duty to uphold…we cannot be Chosen. Our duty is to protect the Titanfall’s history, not to run head-first into an inevitable bloodbath.” She lowered her head. “I…I won’t allow you to do this.” “Mom, if…if I’m a Chosen, th-then…” Skystar whimpered a bit; she could sense a heavy veil of despair over the older Hippogryph, and the tears were becoming harder and harder to hold back. She sobbed a bit and lowered her head, squeezing her eyes shut as the saline liquid began freely streaming down her cheeks. “Why…why can’t you just accept…?” “Because that is the way things are.” Novo’s tone was almost apathetic as she spoke these words, but, she knew that there was a different source of reasoning for her viewpoint, even if it WAS currently being suppressed within her psyche…she was terrified, deep down. Indeed, it was true that Skystar had managed to fight her own battles and win before, but…she was still fairly young for a Hippogryph, and her only daughter, at that. Not to mention, the Land of Trinity was currently a complete warzone right now; at least, it had been last time she had checked, anyway… And Argon. A shiver worked its way down her spine as she thought about Skystar attempting to face that monster. Storm back when he was under rule was intimidating, for certain, but Argon... She couldn’t bear to face the thought of it. Skystar, however, continued to vehemently retaliate. “No, it’s not!” she declared, glaring at her mother through the tears. She sniffled slightly. “What we are enlisted to do doesn’t determine the way things are. The way things are…are what the gods ultimately determine. What we CHOOSE to determine. A-and…I…I won’t let you take it back from me…w-without a fight!” She had spat out the last word without even considering what it meant, and by the time she did realize, it was far too late. The little beige Hippogryph looked up at her mother nervously, trembling a bit despite herself; Novo eyed her for a moment before sighing and shutting her eyes. “Skystar…” There was a brief moment of silence, before the older Hippogryph opened her eyes at last. Her tone was calm this time, surprisingly, and her lids were lowered as if she were relaxed, even. “I know that what I am saying is, in fact, correct…but I know that you have a strong sense of willpower. Even if I speak like this a thousand times, you’ll defy me just as many, if not more.” Her gaze drifted toward the window nearby, at the open sky. “There’s…really only one way to determine this.” Novo’s sudden disposition seemed to throw Skystar off a bit, and the younger Hippogryph tilted her head slightly. “Wha…what would that be?” “Penance is a special type of weapon, Skystar,” the Queen told her daughter, still gazing out at the blue expanse ahead. Her eyes wavered a bit, but she held firm; this was something she needed to do. “It wasn’t created to attack…rather, to defend, and protect. If you were a Chosen wielding this power, well, then…” She sighed and shut her eyes, lowering her head slightly. The sun shone down on her feathers, giving her a regal air. “It would be your job, ultimately, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Should the time come, you must be willing to serve as their protector…their shield. In order to accomplish this…you need the proper mindset.” She turned to look at her daughter, shaking her head. “…And, I really don’t think you have that right now.” “Wha—” Skystar’s eyes widened slightly, and she pulled her head upright, shaking it frantically. “M-Mom! I have what it takes…I KNOW I do! J-just…” She sighed and her helpless expression returned as she allowed herself to relax a bit. “I…let me prove it to you…l-let me prove, that I HAVE what it takes…” “Then allow me to test your mind, Skystar, along with your abilities.” Novo’s eyes opened, and she suddenly seemed heavily determined. Her folded wings spread themselves ever-so-slightly. “Outside, in two hours. I take it that’ll give you plenty of time to prepare.” When Skystar still appeared lost, she stepped off toward the door, before turning a bit to continue eyeing her. “I am issuing an official royal challenge, right here and now. Princess Skystar, of Hippogriffia…” She sucked in a breath and winced a bit, shutting her eyes tightly before fully turning and looking forward at her daughter; the determination was now hard as stone and clearly evident in her expression: “I challenge you…to Stratia Engagus.” * “…Okay, run that by me again, now?” Capper raised a brow as the small group sat atop a small ledge outside the Citadel, looking over at Skystar, who appeared incredibly anxietic. Shortly after the confrontation with her mother, the little Hippogryph had called the party to a location near where the challenge would be taking place, and was attempting her best to explain to them what was about to happen. They seemed not to understand, for the most part, and Capper was especially confused for whatever reason; this was apparently not going the way she had planned. “Strata-what, and you said it’s like, a duel or something?” Skystar sucked in an irritated breath and attempted, for what felt like the thousandth time, to explain: “It’s Hippogryphian for ‘Sky Duel,’ basically. It’s been a set tradition in our race for centuries, and is normally used to prove a creature’s worth, for whatever reason. Though, we haven’t had one since, like, a hundred years ago, according to what Mom had told me in the past…” She furrowed her brow slightly. “I don’t understand why she’d issue one towards me.” “Yeah, it’s an utter mystery.” Storm, who was sitting off to the side of the group, rolled his eyes slightly, his head cupped in one hand. “Probably REALLY doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that, you know, you’re wearing a sacred artifact around your neck right now.” “Storm, for the gods’ sake, cut her some slack.” Celaeno eyed the white-furred creature with antipathy before turning her attention to Skystar, her expression softening. “Hey, look. I know that it’s kind of intimidating that Novo is doing this…but, it has to be for a good reason, right?” She smiled warmly and brought a talon to her chest, clutching it into a fist. “She’s your mother, after all. She wouldn’t do this to intentionally cause you harm.” “I…well, yeah…” Skystar blushed a bit and looked off to the side, dragging one front talon across the ground bashfully, before bringing it to her neckline. “There has to be a reason why Penance decided to choose me. And, I’m gonna prove that to Mom, no matter what.” Her ears then flicked directly upright as the loud melody of trumpets echoed across the sky; she turned her head back toward the open patch of land near the Citadel, her legs shaking a bit. The other citizens of Mount Aris were already beginning to gather, and soon murmurs and whispers accompanied the blasts. “Speaking of which…” “Hey, you can do it.” Capper placed a paw upon her shoulder and gave her an encouraging grin, along with a sly wink. “If you really are a Chosen like me, then, y’all got this in the bag. Show her what you can do when y’all have Penance on your side.” “C-Capper…” Skystar’s eyes glittered for a moment, before she blinked and rattled her head slightly. “I…th-thank you so much! I’ll give it my all, you wait and see!” She smiled nervously, her face flushing a bright pink hue, before spreading her wings and taking flight toward another plateau stationed across from the Citadel. Novo, her brilliant wings spread wide, floated down around the same time, landing gracefully and folding them with ease as she raised her head. Her expression was cool and calculated as she eyed her daughter. The younger Hippogryph attempted to open her mouth to speak, but the trumpets blared again, drowning the words while they were still forming in her throat. She shut her mouth, flabbergasted, and looked over in time to see another Hippogryph general land near the edge of the plateau; his coat was a seafoam green and his mane a bright blue flecked with hints of gray. He stepped forward, chest thrown out, and boomed loudly: “Citizens of Mount Aris! Your Queen, the beautiful and virtuous Novo, has called you all here for a truly exceptional event!” He glanced back at the two before continuing. “Today marks the date of the first event of Stratia Engagus, our sacred tradition of worth, since over a century ago. Our very own Queen Novo has challenged her beloved daughter, the adventurous Princess Skystar, to a test of agility, wits, and will! Who will come out on top, we do wonder?” “Yeah, we do wonder…” Storm muttered in boredom; Celaeno elbowed him in the ribs. “OW!” “The match will begin on my signal!” The seafoam Hippogryph raised his head and brought up a talon to the skies; Novo braced both front legs, readying herself, as Skystar positioned herself beside her, her heart feeling like it was going to drop out of her chest at any moment… Time seemed to stand still for what seemed like minutes on end before Skystar saw the general’s talon come down and the cry of “GO!”; Novo immediately took off into the sky, front legs held to her chest in an effort to gain early momentum. Skystar spread her wings and followed, her heartbeat still crashing against her ears and her body shaking. She made an attempt to force herself into a state of tranquility, slowing her breath a bit. N-No…can’t be nervous…can’t mess up… She tried to keep pace with her mother, following her upward, higher and higher into the sky; the wind stung her eyes but she kept them open for fear of losing sight of Novo for even one second. They seemed to climb higher upward into the atmosphere, past a sea of clouds, before… Skystar’s eyes shot open in shock as Novo suddenly veered to the side and swiftly turned herself around, heading downward directly toward her daughter, talons outstretched; the younger Hippogryph yelped and swiftly dove downward to the side, narrowly avoiding a strike. Skystar looked down toward the ground, her mouth open in utter disbelief as she attempted to understand the situation. Is Mom…ATTACKING me…?! Novo growled a bit before whipping around again mid-air, beelining toward Skystar a second time. “Skystar!” Her cry was audible even through the roaring of the wind. “Prove your worth!” She threw herself forward, attempting a lunge; Skystar shrieked in terror and dodged again, covering her head with both talons as she looked up toward Novo. Her breath was all but caught in her throat. “M-Mom, stop…!” Her cries fell on apparent deaf ears as Novo attempted a third downward strike; the terrified little Hippogryph was nearly petrified and as a result could not fully dodge the attack. She yelped again as Novo’s claws raked her ear, not enough to cause permanent damage but enough to draw a thin line of blood from the scratch. She shivered mid-air, clutching at her ear, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She truly did not understand; why was her mother doing this to her…? There was really no time, at this point, to make sense of what was taking place, she decided; all she knew was that Novo was serious about this, and she would need all her willpower to go against her mother’s tactics. Sucking in a breath, she looked down, as Novo approached her for a fourth strike, teeth bared and talons at the ready. No, Mom... Skystar gave a loud cry of determination and lunged downward in an arc, bringing her front claws down upon Novo’s plumage and pushing her downward, accidentally shredding one of her feathers in the process. Novo grunted and her eyes flicked toward the torn feather; she glowered a bit, darkly, before rearing her head up and raking at Skystar’s back legs. The younger Hippogryph flapped her wings, picking up speed as she attempted to get away from the snow-white pursuer. This wasn’t going to work…they appeared to be equally-matched so far, and Skystar was certain that she would run out of energy before her mother did— Penance. The realization hit her like a sack of cement, and she glanced down at the necklace, currently in its idle state. Of course…if she were to use her artifact, she could ward off Novo in time to get a few strikes in; she was absolutely sure that this would win her the match, as a result… But how did she activate it? Penance was a magic-based artifact, which meant that she needed to draw its power out in some way, shape or form. She had remembered reading something about it back in the library earlier, but panic clouded her mind in a dense fog and she struggled to grasp at that one thought that would bring her knowledge. Nothing came to mind, however, and she found herself panicking slightly; if she could not properly activate Penance— “Don’t you run from me!” She felt a strong gust as Novo shot up above her, looking upward in time to see the talons closing in yet again. Gasping for breath, she fell back to one side, and flipped backward, zooming in the opposite direction frantically. Damn it, she couldn’t run from Novo forever…she had to think, and think properly. Still, nothing came to mind; nothing that would even be remotely of use. She groaned, lowering her head in fatigue as she forced her wings to push her forward. This process was using up way too much of her energy, and she already felt like she was going to fall directly out of the sky, but she pressed onward. Novo gave chase, coming up behind her, eyes narrowed in concentration. “I…I need to concentrate…myself…” Skystar could barely get the words out, her lungs were working so hard. She struggled to catch her breath. “There…has to be a way…I can…activate this thing properly…” Touching the gem in the center of the necklace, she squeezed her eyes shut and attempted to focus every ounce of her remaining energy in on the artifact… Nothing. “Please…” The young Hippogryph opened her eyes, looking down at the deadened necklace beseechingly. “Please, activate…I can’t do this on my own—GAHH!” She cried out in pain and surprise as Novo’s claws ripped into one of her wings, shredding several feathers in the process; the white Hippogryph raced past her, hints of plumage still caught between her claws. Skystar whimpered, attempting to keep herself aloft; she could feel pain surfacing in the injury, but she knew that if she fell, it was all over. She forced her wounded wing to flap, as she looked down toward the ground, tears blurring her vision. Why…why won’t it work for me…? I’m a Chosen…I’m a CHOSEN…!! The necklace continued to remain lifeless, and the Hippogryph could feel her hopes crumbling into dust as the pain from moving her wing grew unbearable and it forced itself to a halt. Unable to support herself with only one wing, Skystar began to fall back toward the Citadel grounds, the tears from her eyes surging upward into the sky as she descended rapidly. She was overcome with too many emotions at once; her vision began to fade as she reached toward the sky with one talon in a frantic attempt to regain her control. No…I can’t let it end like this…I can’t…let it END… The last of her consciousness slipped away, as she felt something break her fall, cushioning her in its soft warmth before the darkness descended upon her. She could hear someone calling her name, in the distance, but she didn’t want to leave the comfort of the painless abyss… * “Skystar.” “Ughhh…” The little Hippogryph could feel the world of the waking returning to her, after what seemed like an eternity; she stirred and pushed her eyelids open slightly. “Who…who is…what’s going on?” Capper’s face faded into view, along with Celaeno’s; both of them looked concerned beyond belief. She could now tell that she was lying on a bed of hay in what appeared to be the Citadel’s infirmary. “Hey, y’all are awake…thank gods. Novo hurt your wing, but, she tells us she didn’t really mean to cause y’all to fall like that. She managed to catch ya before you struck the ground, at least…” He sighed and looked away for a moment, his whiskers trembling a bit. “What happened, anyway? You seemed to be doin’ pretty good, up until that one moment where y’all seemed to stop…” “I…” Skystar’s mouth trembled and she looked toward the ground. “I…couldn’t activate Penance…in time to save myself…” Tears welled up in her eyes and she attempted to blink them back, only to openly sob and have them flow freely. She felt utter despair at her own words. “Wh-why couldn’t I do it…? I…it spoke to me…I’m a Chosen, aren’t I?!” “Skystar…” Celaeno sighed, folding her arms across her chest. “I…I really don’t know what to say. Penance may have spoken to you, yes, but if you can’t activate it properly, then…” It didn’t really take a whole lot to understand what the parrot woman was attempting to suggest, even though she could not bring herself to say it directly. The young Hippogryph whimpered, emitting another heartfelt sob before covering her face with one talon, the defeat evident even without words to accompany it. Capper frowned, taking her free talon in his paw and caressing it sympathetically. “It’s okay,” he advised her, his gaze soft and understanding. He knelt beside her, bringing his other paw down along the curvatures of her face gently. “Look, maybe there was just somethin’ wrong with the way y’all went about it, y’know? There might still be a chance y’all can do this, Skystar.” The little Hippogryph looked up into his bright green eyes, sniffling a bit. “Never give up hope, okay?” “C-C-Capper…” His empathy only caused the tears to flow more freely now; she clenched her teeth, her head lowered as the ground became spotted with the saline eye-water. The young Abyssinian frowned, his ears lowering slightly, as he drew closer to her, attempting to calm her down. Celaeno frowned and looked off to the side, appearing guilty, as Storm and Grubber, who had been standing near the doorway the entire time, watched the scene unfold. Storm appeared lost in some sort of reverie or memory, while Grubber looked upset, his ears flattened against his skull as he listened to the young Hippogryph princess’s sorrowful gasps. All the while, one figure stood apart from the rest; one that was eyeing them, Storm in particular, with nothing more than pure venom and malevolence. Its eyes glinted as it slowly turned and walked away; it could care less for the dramatic aftermath of what had transpired. It much preferred to think about what was yet to happen. Things would be better this way.