//------------------------------// // Chapter 16: The Stand Off // Story: Adventures in The 6ix // by Wiz Ahmad //------------------------------// XAVIER POV TORONTO TRAFFIC I knew I had a good amount of patience, but I was on the brink of leaking in my panties at this point from fear and anticipation. It’d been almost half an hour and we weren’t any close to the CN Tower, at least from what I’ve seen. There were a lot of trees along the road we were cruising down and the taller buildings weren’t any help either. But I could still make out the thin spire of the tower’s tippity top. “I’ve been in this city since you were old enough to drive,” Rodney boasted. “I’m confident we’re close.” “I sure hope so.” In the distance, the sound of police sirens could be heard, as well as the rush of wings – indicating something was flying very fast. Someone like Rainbow Dash. ZACK POV RIPLEY’S AQUARIUM “"Whoa, whoa. Slow down. I think there's been a misunderstanding." Zack said slowly. Darn it. Everyone would be so finished if this doesn’t go how he wanted it... " Put your hands in the air!" one of the cops yelled again. Slowly, Zack raised his hands above his head. His legs were tense as a cable underneath him, clearly a reflex in preparation for a battle. Not today, bro. I hope. The officer motioned for him with his gun to move away from Skystar. Reluctantly, Zack cautiously stepped to the side, focusing on coming up with something resembling a plan. He didn’t want anyone to get trigger happy, or the place would be a bloodbath. Not many would care if he died, but the sight of Skystar and Pinkie lying in a pool of their own blood in the media would incite a remake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. For now, the last thing he wanted was for anyone to get their hands on Skystar. There wasn’t anything he could do for Pinkie – at least, not at the moment. Bracing for the puncturing stab of a bullet, Zack bravely parted his lips and spoke. “This is Skystar – Princess Skystar. She is a close friend of Pinkie – whom I kindly ask you to release from under your foot. She has nothing do to with this fiasco.” The lead cop released his foot a little, but kept a lock. Zack wanted him to fully retract his foot, but didn’t want to escalate the situation further through demanding. So he kept talking without any room for a response, thus staying somewhat in control. “Now I know you all are a little upset, quite tense, but please, remain calm. This is all one huge misunderstanding. Admittedly Pinkie and I have been a bit negligent, and Skystar ran off to the aquarium to have fun – only in a manner that broke rules. I was upset – just as you all are. The difference between y’all and I, is that I have forgiven her on account of ignorance. Must feel good having those guns in hand, ready to instantly end innocent lives however the heck you please. Isn’t it?” To Zack’s surprise, one officer seemed to nod, though it was too slight to tell. “Now there are two ways we can solve this: Either you shoot and kill us all, claiming one teenager, one cute pink pony who did nothing wrong, and a hippogriff princess who got a little carried away – all as threats to the national security of Toronto who deserved to be filed with bullets and die in a pool of their own blood, or you can let me talk with the aquarium staff and hopefully resolve this, since they were too hot-headed to confront me first-hand in the first place. I’m responsible for these two… creatures. They may look like figures of fantasy, but they talk and are sentient with caring, loving, friendly hearts. Just like you and I.” “I’ll let this one go,” the lead cop said, pulling his foot off Pinkie’s neck. “But you’re still under arrest. I’ll let you talk with the aquarium staff, but in handcuffs.” Zack sighed and shrugged. “I’m all yours, so long as my friends are free.” With a sigh and a heart feeling heavier than the concrete steps he stood under, Zack flung his wrists behind his back as handcuffs were slapped on them. But not before giving a quick signal to Skystar and Pinkie that meant one word: “Run.” Fortunately, they seemed to recognize it, despite it being so subtle. “Skystar!” Pinkie called out. Recognizing the danger and fear in her friend’s voice, the brave hippogriff princess ran down the steps, in spite of the cops still standing by around the area, with some assisting in Zack’s arrest. Gripping Pinkie firmly, Skystar spread her wings, ready to take off and hide… only to hear the sound of guns cocking. “Hold it, you two! Where you think you’re going?” “Where they SHOULD go. Safety.” A booming voice came from above as a dark purplish blur came shooting down from the aquarium’s rooftop, slamming into the pavement so hard the ground shook and cracked with fury, sending shockwaves of fright through everyone, including the cops. “It’s been some time, but here we meet again. With the SAME circumstances.” Tempest’s voice split the air and cut it like a knife. “Y’all got possessions of guns. Must feel good having such powerful marvels of technology that can end an innocent’s life in seconds whenever the heck you feel like it.” Without waiting for a response, Tempest continued on. “I am Tempest Shadow, the same creature who blasted her magic into one of your kind’s chest and rendered him unconscious. I have… had a rough past. I lost everything in an accident –” she pointed to what remained of her horn “– and found myself wandering. The only way I could prove myself to be better than what I used to be was through brute force, given my abilities. I served under a treacherous master whom I put all my trust in to restore what I wanted back all my life. I was given a name and a place, and got ordered to fight and destroy, and conquer.” As if to squash any doubts, she fired a quick zap at a nearby bush branch, charring it to a crisp. This only resulted in one officer firing in panic. Tempest winced as the bullet grazed her shoulder pad and fragmented against the concrete far behind her. “Hold your fire,” she requested, lowering the potency in her voice. “Now I know you have a responsibility to serve and protect your city and its inhabitants, but what exactly does that entail? Hurting and threatening to kill innocent creatures simply because they’re different than you? Because you can’t understand them?” Not wanting to be left out, Pinkie added in a sad voice, “How can you be liberating your land by bloodshed?” Tempest resurrected the merciless, venomous tone in her voice. “Look, I’ve fought too many wars and caused a great deal of harm to too many innocent lives. It’s gotten to the point where without fury, I still can’t figure out who I am and where I fit into the world around me, whether it be my native land or this land of yours. And your hostile, hurtful, and heartless behavior isn’t making it any better.” “Look into my eyes, all of you!” she bellowed, locking her gaze like a sniper, then relaxed her tone and body posture. “Do you really think killing or capturing innocent creatures whom you don’t understand is going to do any good for humanity, let alone this city? The media is watching, you know.” After what felt like half an hour but was in fact only three minutes, the police relaxed and lowered their weapons, allowing Tempest Shadow to breathe and restore the peace within her body. For a moment the air was so silently still you could hear rust chipping. Eventually, one officer spoke. “Why?” “I am a guardian and a fighter, but I fight only to protect those whom I love,” Tempest replied. “Tell me, if you were once a villain who failed to steal an artifact from a kingdom but later found yourself on another journey to recover and redeem yourself, wouldn’t you retaliate in defense against someone who injured said kingdom’s ruler’s daughter?” “Well… I… yes, I would be angry.” “Well there you go,” Tempest said, casually holding up a hoof. “You know, I had the power to kill him, but I didn’t. Because that’s the pony I used to be, but not anymore. Give me every reason not to be a savage and I never will be one again. Ever.” Bravely, one of the cops stepped right up to her and held out his hand. Tempest then held out her hoof, albeit reluctantly, and shook the cop’s hand gently. “We have a deal –” “So long as it applies to all of you,” Tempest corrected, managing a smile for the first time since she’d left the shop.