//------------------------------// // Chapter 35: ...Hope is Found // Story: Never Lucky // by Ferris the 1st //------------------------------// I jumped backwards to avoid the flashing steel of Sunslayer's blade. The usually somewhat refined gryphon was coming at me like a wild animal with a number of feral noises and it was all I could do to keep such a short distance between us. I hadn't had much chance to observe his fight with Martial beyond the final moments, so experiencing his frenzy first-hoof was an experience. Then he started cheating. Winking out of existence, he appeared beside me and planted a hind-foot into my skull. I spun like a top and flailed out one leg instinctively and found a curtain that came loose with a little persuasion. Another avian cry sounded off and, thinking fast, I tossed the curtain toward it. The fabric caught Sunslayer full in the face and allowed me to quickly roll out of his warpath. Letting loose a guttural growl, he slashed the curtain to pieces with his talons and glared at me. I couldn't help the sarcasm dripping out of my mouth, “don't you know how much that costs,” diving forward, he took a swipe at me, “okay, we'll just bill you!” Pushing me back further and further, Sunslayer appeared to be trying to push me into one of the walls, but I wasn't about to let that happen. I tried to dive to one side only to find my hoof caught in a firm grip as Sunslayer yanked me in the reverse direction and sent me sprawling. The gryphon was on me, fast as lightning, his blade coming down toward me. I flailed about, trying to find something to defend myself with and when my hoof connected with something, I quickly swept it up in front of me. As Sunslayer's blade connected with the Reach, the blade sparked with light and the two of us found ourselves skidding away from one another. Somehow, I managed to keep my hold on the spear as I rolled away, slamming through a pair of double doors and into the sunlight. I'd rolled onto a massive balcony that could probably have held the entirety of the barracks comfortably. Around me were what appeared to be various dining tables and chairs, but I didn't get much time to appreciate it. With another vanishing act, Sunslayer was upon me and forcing me to react to his attacks. The only problem was that the more flustered the gryphon got, the faster his attacks came and the more often he simply warped around me. While a few quick tugs of my talent kept me from taking a strike to something vital, I was way out of my league and the few return thrusts I attempted with Reach were useless. I had to get away from him and make my way back to Celestia. If I could somehow get the spear to her, maybe she could regain her power and bring it to bare against Sunslayer and his friends. The problem there was that the mad creature was Tartarus bent on carving me into pieces. I was starting to seriously wish that I knew how he had gone fire mode with the spear! I was finally at the end of my rope as I was forced to hold Reach defensively across my chest to block an overhead strike. The gryphon didn't look it, but he was strong and he was pushing my back against the stone railing at the edge of the balcony. I was doing everything I could to keep the edge of his blade away from me that I didn't notice his free claw moving down until his talons sank into my exposed belly. The pain was... excruciating as he sank them in and gripped onto something inside of me. My grip slackened and he pushed in closer, driving his claws in deeper and extracting a cry of agony from me. He was peering at me through his mask with a predatory glee, “Can you feel that, Lucky Signs? It looks like I finally got something good.” He squeezed and I cried out again, this time coughing a bit of blood across his mask. Withdrawing his claws, he curled them together and punched me in the same spot, forcing me to curl around the blow and drop my weapon. Letting me fall to the floor as blood began to pool around me, he retrieved the weapon, re-igniting above me as he glared down at me. With a flourish, he turned the blade toward me, “You came so close, colt. Closer than any have for some time and that infuriates me. You are neither a great warrior nor a powerful mage. You have no right being the one to come so close! Who are you to stand here as my final fight!?” While I was too busy trying to suppress the urge to cry as I clutched at my wound, something did. As his rant filled the air, it felt like all other noise vanished and I heard Celestia's voice fill my mind... Perhaps I can not die by age or disease, but I still bleed like you. I looked down to my blood as it escaped my fragile body. As I did so, Sunslayer continued to rant, “You're nothing! A nopony, but by the stroke of luck, you defy me time and time again! You are nothing without your luck! Just... die!” A ghost of Luna echoed from within my mind, Cutie marks have always been a mystery that even after thousands of years, my sister and I still know almost nothing about. I can not tell you why you have yours or why it affects you so. What I can tell you is that it doesn't detract from who you are... “You will die here,” Sunslayer declared as he snarled a command that caused Reach's blade to glow molten orange, “because your luck... has finally run out...” A final voice spoke out between us, It is not a separate part of you, Lucky Signs. It is you and you are it. Staring up at Sunslayer's wild eyes, I felt... right. Like something had just slid into place. It was a simple thought... I was Lucky Signs. With a soft breath, I watched Sunslayer strike down toward me. In response I raised a front hoof and struck out... and the tower beneath us shook. I watched the sky explode in a shimmer of rainbow colors that expanded beyond my sight, but what mattered was the aftermath of the shockwave. Standing on his hindlegs for the strike, Sunslayer's stance wasn't able to save him from being thrown off course. The heated blade of Reach stabbed into the ground next to my head and hissed as it sank into the ground. My hoof slammed into his beak with an equal measure of gravity and my own strike. With a grunt and hiss of frustration, both of his talons flew to his now bloodied nose, his signature mask clacking to the ground nearby. Forcing myself to my feet I noted two things. First, Reach cooled off really quick and second, Sunslayer's airships were not alone in the air. Streaking through the air were the sleek, blue uniforms of the Wonderbolts leading flights of pegasi armed with storm clouds. It was like his allies had kicked a hornet's nest and were now dealing with the consequences. It didn't make any sense considering that the Wonderbolts were based in Cloudsdale miles away. I returned my gaze to Sunslayer as he finally moved his talons from his face. The first thing I found going through my brain was that he looked younger than I thought he would. The legitimate hatred in his gaze took away from the innocence of it all though. His eyes quickly took in the situation and he grit his beak into a furious expression, “I'll admit, I didn't expect you to have time to rally them for battle before getting here. I thought that even if that mare managed to limp her way to Equestria fast enough that she'd come straight for Canterlot.” I shrugged, “Don't look at me, feather-head. We did come straight to Canterlot.” “Regardless,” he spat, “it doesn't matter. I have my prize and with it in claw, I will raise this world against you. You can't stop me from leaving, Lucky Signs.” He had a point, considering my condition, but I put my hoof on Reach's handle as he twirled his saber. I scrunched my face in confusion as I pulled at the haft only to find that the ground had cooled as well, leaving the blade stuck fast. Sunslayer laughed, “Too bad. Maybe if you knew ancient Equestrian, you'd know how to activate the enchantment and have a chance at beating me. I'll be taking my spear now...” He started toward me while I was deep in thought. My eyes were tracing the length of Reach and I saw something odd that made me smile. “Maybe I can't stop you from leaving,” I murmured past the pain, “but you're not leaving with this magic.” Leaning down, I pressed my shoulder against the spear and shoved for all I was worth. A web of razor-thin cracks crossing the handle gave way under the force of a grown stallion and with nothing to brace upon, the weapon snapped in half, spraying splinters all around me. A pulse of magic sprang forth, throwing me over the edge of the balcony and I barely managed to catch myself before falling to my end far below. A feral roar of defeat split the air around me before Sunslayer's face appeared over the balcony, filled with fury and madness. Reaching down, he wrapped his talons around my throat and lifted me to eye level with him. The tip of his blade pressed to my throat... … a silvery lance burst through his chest. His eyes slowly moved down toward it in shock even as Martial Cadence's face appeared next to his own. With a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, she murmured in a sultry manner, “Teleport away from this...” Withdrawing her lance, Martial quickly grabbed me and hauled me over the balcony as Sunslayer staggered away. His saber hit the ground as he stumbled a few steps, turned back to face us, and then fell backwards. Tumbling over the edge, the gryphon vanished from sight. Sunslayer was gone... I was feeling... good, oddly. I'd lost track of the pain a while ago and now that the adrenaline was starting to run dry it felt like everything was fading. Martial had my face in her hooves, making me look at her as she shouted something. I chuckled at her, “Why are you... yelling? We... won.” My world faded to black...