//------------------------------//
// 15 - Disaster Area 
// Story: Velvet Underground 
// by MagnetBolt 
//------------------------------//

They were caught in a circle of guards, holding back the ash-covered victims of chaos magic on one side and the scared townsponies on the other.
“Do you think the pooka knows she’s here, or did it send ponies out to every town around here?” Velvet whispered into Night Light’s ear, watching the dazed-looking slaves standing uneasily on burned hooves only a few paces away.
“The other pooka said she could smell alicorn magic,” Night Light said. “But it couldn’t place it, exactly. Maybe it can tell she’s somewhere in the area.”
“Maybe,” Velvet agreed. “It would have come for her, right?”
“I don’t know.” Night Light watched the guards gently trying to push the crowd of townsponies away. “In Veneighs it was the only one that ran away. Coldplay came right at us, and Breathless was apparently waiting in the museum to see who came by.”
“You think it’s smarter than the other ones?”
“It’s definitely using a different strategy,” Night Light said. “She’s making us come to her. Every other pooka hasn’t been afraid to fight us on our own turf.”
Velvet nodded.
“Hey, you two!” Sunset yelled. “Get your things.”
“What things?” Night Light asked. “The books I didn’t lose when the cafe collapsed are at the bottom of the ocean.”
“It’s a metaphor!” Sunset snapped.
“No one has ever used that as a metaphor.”
“I happen to be a trendsetter,” Sunset retorted. “Just get ready to go. We’re leaving.”
“Right,” Velvet nodded. “So what’s the plan? Some kind of big ritual spell? No offense but I don’t want to just go in blind this time.”
“We’re not going to fight it,” Sunset said, quietly.
“What? But- it’s going to kill ponies!”
“I know that!” Sunset snarled, then looked away. “It’s the smart thing to do, though.”
The ground trembled under them, a crack splitting open across the road, pebbles bouncing down into darkness and vanishing, so deep it was impossible to even hear them hit bottom. In the harbor, waves splashed as high as buildings, boats overturning and washing ashore.
Above them, the sky darkened with streaks of dark clouds. Flakes started to fall.
Night Light caught one on his tongue and blanched, spitting it out. “Ew. It’s ash!”
“The pooka can’t really be this strong, can she?” Velvet asked.
“There was already a volcano there,” Sunset said. “It takes a lot of effort to start a fire using sticks, but it doesn’t take much work to stoke a fire that’s already burning, even if it’s just embers.”
Velvet nodded. “That’s… surprisingly wise.”
“Somepony has to be an adult,” Sunset said. “I’m Cadance’s teacher. That means I have to be smarter than she is. Which isn’t hard.”
“Everypony calm down!” Cadance called out. The crowd wasn’t listening, the curious crowd rapidly turning into a riot. Ponies pushed each other in every direction, shouting about whose fault it was, about what they should do, and then just yelling to yell.
One of the guards shoved a pony back when he tried to push through the cordon. A second townspony took offense and threw a rock, the stone hitting the guard just above the eye, drawing blood.
Spears were lowered. Another rock was thrown.
“Stop!” Cadance shouted, loud enough to be heard over the crowd. She flew into the air, shedding grey ash as she hovered in the air where everypony could see her. “What are you all doing?!”
“They are helpless before the fires of the earth,” the head cultist called out. “They can feel it instinctively in their bones. We, too, were filled with the terror of it, the helplessness we all have before the earth’s might.”
“These guys are a little crazy with the whole dark mistress thing,” Night Light muttered.
“Wise words from a cultist,” Velvet teased.
“Give us the alicorn or be wiped away!” the cultist yelled.
The crowd started muttering at that. Velvet could see them turning the thought over in their minds, whispering to each other, sneaking glances at Cadance. Trying to act like they weren’t discussing sacrificing one pony to save themselves.
The guards clearly saw the idea infecting the crowd, though. They closed ranks, trying to hold the crowd back.
“Why do they even want you?” somepony in the crowd demanded.
“What did you do?” another voice asked.
A third voice joined them from the press of bodies. “Freak!”
Cadance’s flight faltered, her wings freezing for a moment.
The crowd quieted as if aware they’d crossed a line.
“It’s my responsibility to keep all of you safe,” Cadance said, not needing to yell to be heard now. “Ever since this happened to me, I’ve wanted to find a way to pay all of you back for the kindness you showed me as a foal. Princess Celestia told me that the most important thing a ruler can do is be willing to make difficult choices.”
“She better not be doing something dumb,” Sunset muttered.
“I’m going to go and face the monster myself,” Cadance said. “If it wants me, it can have me. I can’t ask you all to bear the risk if I don’t do what it’s demanding.”
“And there we go,” Sunset snapped. “Doing something dumb!”
“All of you go and return to your homes,” Cadance said, loudly, trying to ignore Sunset. “Pack only what you can carry and the Royal Guard will help you evacuate until it’s safe to return to your homes.”
Ponies started shuffling off, and the tension bled away.
“Where are we going to evacuate them to, Ma’am?” one of the guards asked.
“You’ll have to improvise,” Cadance said, apologetic. “If you can spare the soldiers, try to warn other towns around the area.”
“You think the rumbling and smoke isn’t enough warning?” the guard joked. “That’s going to leave us stretched thin, Ma’am. We’ll send four ponies out as heralds to get the locals moving, four with the townsponies here, and four with you.”
“None of you are coming with me,” Cadance said.
“We swore--”
“If Princess Celestia was here, she’d be ordering you to take care of her little ponies and ask you to let her worry about taking care of herself,” Cadance sighed. “I know I don’t compare, but give me the same benefit of the doubt.”
“You’re insane!” Sunset yelled, stomping her little hooves. “You don’t know anything about fighting! You can’t beat a monster like that!”
“Probably not,” Cadance agreed.
“Even if it keeps up its end of the bargain, and it won’t because it’s not as stupid as you are, it’s going to eat you and your magic and then things are gonna get worse! It might even get too strong for Celestia to beat it!”
“The prophecy didn’t look good,” Velvet added. “A shattered castle falling into the water, fire everywhere, ponies running around in confusion…”
“At least there aren’t any castles in town,” Cadance said, smiling a little. “Maybe all that trouble will happen somewhere else.”
“Maybe, but it’s going to happen,” Velvet said. “I’ve never been wrong before.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” Cadance took a deep breath, then started trotting towards the docks. “I’m going to have to borrow somepony’s boat to get out to that island. I don’t want to fly with all this ash coming down.”
Velvet followed, Night Light trailing behind.
“Tie up those ponies!” Sunset snapped at the guards, pointing to the charred slaves at the edge of town. “We’ll figure out what to do with them later!” She chased after the others after asserting her authority, livid with anger.
On the short walk to the shore, there was damage everywhere. Roof tiles fallen and broken, cracked windows, gardens being covered by ash, the street itself cracked and warped. Ponies tried not to look at them as they passed.
“What a great town,” Velvet muttered.
“They’re just scared,” Cadance said. “I can’t blame them for that. I’m scared too.”
“Sunset isn’t wrong,” Night Light added. “We’re going to need a plan before we leave.”
“What? You can’t come!” Cadance stopped, looking back at them with fear in her eyes for the first time. “You might get killed!”
“And you’re not risking anything?” Velvet asked. “You said you’re not a Princess yet, so you can’t order us around. I’m going with you. So is Night Light.”
“I am?” Night Light asked. Velvet glared at him. “I mean, of course I am.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Cadance said, quietly.
“It’s what any decent pony would do.” Velvet smiled. “You’re going to have to help us with the boat, though. I don’t think Night Light is going to be able to do much without an instruction manual and I’ve never been a sailor.”
“Come on,” Cadance said, with a little more energy, leading them to a small boat at the end of the dock, just a little bigger than a rowboat, with a simple sail and rudder. She hopped onboard. “Just ignore the fishing rods unless you want to try and get lunch on the way.”
“I’m not that hungry,” Velvet said, hopping after her, almost immediately losing her footing and falling into Cadance. The lean, athletic unicorn held her up, wrapping a wing around her to help stabilize her.
“Careful,” Cadance warned. “You need to get your sea legs.”
Velvet blushed and laughed. “Yeah.”
Night Light very carefully tried to back into the boat one hoof at a time, as if afraid his weight would cause the whole boat to capsize.
“You’re all dumb,” Sunset said, from the dock. “You’re going to end up getting killed!”
“You don’t have to come with us,” Cadance said.
“Well I’m not coming!” Sunset snapped.
Cadance steadied Velvet, then flew up to the dock to stand next to Sunset, kneeling down to the filly’s level and hugging her.
“Thank you,” Cadance said. “I know you never wanted to come here. I just wish I was able to make up for coming between you and Celestia. You still did your best to teach me, and I wasn’t the best student.”
“W-what are you doing?!” Sunset demanded.
“I might not have a chance to say sorry later,” Cadance said.
“Idiot!” Sunset sniffled. She shoved Cadance away. “Now if I don’t go I’m going to look like a jerk!”
“That’s not what I--”
Sunset pushed past her and jumped onto the boat, the impact making Night Light fall over the side and into the ocean. She plucked him out of the water and stepped up to the bow before turning to address her small crew. “You better come up with a better plan before we get to the island, or I’m gonna turn this boat around!”