//------------------------------// // XXII: The Clash // Story: Empty Horizons // by Goldenwing //------------------------------// “And then I said, ‘I believe in you! Do you believe in me?’ And Rarity held that wagon together all the way down!” Pinkie Pie made a series of dramatic fwooshing sounds as she waved her hooves through the air, pantomiming a wagon bouncing through heavy waves. “Shucks,” Applejack breathed. “Ya mean to tell me that y’all were actually on the island when the thing fell?” Rarity shuddered. “I still don’t believe that we made it out of there, even with Pinkie Sense.” “Oh oh, and I’m so glad you guys got my invitations!” Pinkie cheered. “I didn’t realize that I had lost them for days! And Twi didn’t give me so many of those weatherproof envelopes that I can just pull them out of my mane, y‘know.” “And it’s a good thing we found ‘em, too,” Rainbow said. She poked at the cake crumbs on her plate with a fork. “Twilight just about lost it when we realized the island was missing.” “We all did,” Fluttershy added. “Speaking of,” Applejack said, straightening up and scanning the busy garden with narrowed eyes. “Where did that filly go and get off to?” “She said she needed some air,” Rarity said. “The poor dear seemed awful stressed.” She neglected to add that she had caused much of that stress herself. “Air?” Applejack echoed. “We’re already outside!” “My Lady?” Rarity’s ears perked up as she turned to see Pontius approaching the table. He came to a stop a respectful couple steps away, dipping into a stiff bow that he awkwardly swept across the five seated mares. “Ah, good evening, darling,” Rarity said. She turned to her friends with a wan smile. “Have I introduced you ladies to Pontius here?” “You haven’t.” Rainbow leaned over the table with an excited grin. “But that doesn’t mean we didn’t hear you two are engaged!” Fluttershy’s gasp cut off with a sudden gag. She thumped her chest with a hoof, spitting out a half-chewed wad of cake. “What?!” Applejack gave Fluttershy a few hearty pats on the back as she turned a suspicious gaze on Pontius. “I had been doin’ some mighty wonderin’ about that myself. What’s the story here, Rarity?” “Did you finally meet the stallion of your dreams, Rarity?” Rainbow squished her cheeks together into an exaggerated kissy face before breaking down into a raspy chortle. “I didn’t know you were into younger ponies.” “Hey, don’t make fun of Pontisnick-snack-a-cracker!” Pinkie said. She bounced out of her seat and pulled the wide-eyed Pontius into a tight hug. “He’s a good pony!” “Uh, t-thank ye, Pinkie,” Pontius said. “It’s a pleasure t’ meet my Lady Rarity’s companions.” “It’s very nice to meet you, Pontius,” Fluttershy whispered. She kept her eyes on her plate. Rainbow Dash had devolved into quiet snickering, while Applejack’s withering gaze remained fixed on the young stallion. “Now now, girls, be nice,” Rarity said. She gave Pontius a quick, encouraging smile before turning back to her friends. “It’s a political arrangement is all. It’s not a big deal.” “Not a big deal, huh?” Applejack arched a brow. “Whoa, what? Political arrangement?” Rainbow floated out of her chair, dashing over the table to Rarity’s side and lowering her voice. “Do ya need me to beat him up for you?” Rarity gave Rainbow her best sit-back-down-please smile. “Not now, darling.” “So, later then?” Rainbow asked. Rarity let out a polite little laugh and gave the pegasus a friendly little shove, speaking slowly through clenched teeth. “Everything is fine, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow cocked her head. “We’ll talk later.” With a lazy roll, she drifted back over the table and plopped back into her seat. Rarity let out a breathy chuckle as she turned to Pontius, who was in the midst of a feeble attempt to pry Pinkie off of him. “So, Pontius, these are my charming friends.” She pointed to each in turn. “Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. There’s Twilight Sparkle, as well, though she’s not here right now. And this here is Pontius, girls. My fiancé.” Pontius dipped his head to the mares as they were introduced. “Lady Rarity is a very graceful mare. She’s an example t’ nobility everywhere.” Rarity saw the confusion on her friends’ faces at the word ‘nobility.’ Her pulse quickened as she realized that they weren’t yet aware of her newfound status as a Countess. Luckily, none of them questioned it outright. A loud, rising bugle cut through the chatter of the crowd, drawing all eyes to the top of the manor’s stairs. An aging pegasus in a crisp orange uniform lowered the horn raised to his lips, drawing in a deep breath before throwing his voice over the yard with surprising volume. “Duke Titus of Canterthusia, Fifth Lord of Pikes, Victor of th’ War of Nettle Aggression, Liege of th’ Eastern Counties!” The pegasus dipped his head and flared his wings, stepping back. At the same time, Duke Titus stepped forwards to stand between the towering marble columns carved into the likenesses of his progenitors. A thick white robe embroidered with a pattern of glittering orange pikes was draped over his back, and a pike-and-shield had been sewn into the silk of the vest he wore over his polished breastplate. “My ponies!” Titus called. “How do ye find th’ festivities?” An appreciative round of cheers and hoof-stomping applause rose up from the villagers scattered over the garden. Rarity joined in with polite clapping of her own, shooting the reluctant Applejack and Rainbow Dash pointed looks until they joined in. Pinkie Pie’s ecstatic whooping could be heard over it all. “Good!” Titus shouted, quieting the crowd. He passed his gaze over the party, a small smile on his face. “Ye have worked hard ‘n honest fer yer Lord, and ye deserve this reward!” Again, the cheers. Behind her, Rarity heard Rainbow Dash saying, “But I thought this whole thing was Pinkie’s idea?” “Pinkie’s work, too,” Applejack added. Titus waved for silence, and the villagers were quick to comply. “I have an announcement t’ make today, and I expect ye each to celebrate twice as hard, and t’ work th’ same when ye return t’ yer homes.” A nervous tingle passed through Rarity. She fluffed her mane with a hoof, her eyes darting between the ponies around her all looking up to their lord. She knew what the announcement was, of course. She had expected that Titus would have some motive for allowing Pinkie to throw her party besides friendliness. Once he told the world about the deal she had struck with him, there would be no going back. Word would race from village to village, to the ears of the neighboring nobility, across the island and from there across Equestria. Anybody who cared to know would learn that she was betrothed to Pontius, and she would be locked in. “Ye all know my son, Lord Pontius. Some of ye have met th’ beautiful Countess Rarity, who recently aided him in capturing th’ very band of outlaws who have been harrasin’ ye for th’ past two months. And ye’ll be pleased t’ hear that those very outlaws’re sittin’ in my dungeon this very moment, wonderin’ if they should jump or not!” He paused to give the crowd some time to jeer. Some of them glanced over to Rarity. She answered the looks with a thin-lipped smile. “As of yesterday, Countess Rarity is betrothed to my dear lad Pontius! And ye’re all to return here within th’ month to witness their wedding!” The crowd was louder than ever before. Rarity turned back to her friends and saw them each clapping and cheering with varying levels of excitement and suspicion. A few villagers approached her table with slurred congratulations and well-wishes, and she answered them all with a smile. The cheers grew louder, rising in pitch, and for a moment Rarity looked up to Titus thinking she had missed something he’d said. She frowned as she saw him shouting at the soldiers that had been standing in front of the columns to either side of him. They were all crouched low, looking towards the gate. Rarity flinched as the night was illuminated by a flash of light from the far side of the garden. Through squinted eyes she saw chunks of stone arcing through the air before crashing back onto the crowd, and it was at that moment that Rarity realized that the cheers hadn’t gotten louder. They had turned to screams. She jumped to her hooves, trying to see the source of the explosion through the rush of the crowd. She caught glimpses of grim-faced ponies in green uniforms surging through a cloud of acrid smoke against the far wall, running down the fleeing villagers. Another explosion flared up, this time from the wall nearest her table, and she was knocked to the grass by the shockwave. “My Lady!” Rarity spat grass out of her mouth, looking up to see Pontius hovering protectively above her. “We must get ye inside!” “What’s happening?” Rarity asked, rolling to her hooves. “Nettlekiss!” Pontius hissed. “Th’ coward mare is attacking us during a festival!” Rarity shrieked as a chunk of stone fell onto the table her friends had been sitting around, shattering it like a toy. A sharpened speartip jutted out of the rubble. The ear-piercing report of gunfire skipped across the yard. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!” Fluttershy was on the ground, hooves and wings over her face. “C’mon, ‘Shy, ain’t time for panicking yet!” Applejack said, heaving the shivering pegasus off the ground. “Stay on y’all’s hooves, ya hear? We gotta get outta here first!” A trio of soldiers in orange tabards broke through the thinning crowd at a gallop. Two of them veered off, charging into a group of approaching Nettlekiss soldiers, while the third came to a stop in front of Pontius. “My Lord, My Lady! Come with me!” A persistent ringing lingered in Rarity’s ears from the most recent explosion. She clenched her teeth as she looked back to her friends. Pinkie Pie was helping Fluttershy along, while Applejack was in the middle of an argument with Rainbow Dash. “Consarnit, Rainbow, will y’all cool your jets for once in your life?!” “I’ve been training for this, AJ!” the pegasus shot back. “I’ve got to find Sabre—she has my wingblades. Don’t worry about me!” With a powerful beat of her wings, Rainbow swept her tail out of the way of Applejack’s jaws and disappeared into the chaos of the night. “Damn that filly!” Applejack turned back, meeting Rarity’s gaze. “Y’all stick together and stay safe, ya hear? I’m gonna go catch that mare and knock some sense into her!” “Applejack, wait!” Rarity reached out, but the cowpony was already gone. With green-garbed soldiers closing in, she had no choice but to follow Pinkie and Fluttershy back towards the safety of the manor. Gava floated in lazy circles from on high, watching as the throngs of partying peasants collapsed in the face of the sudden assault. Firebombs thrown from the deck of the Roc’s Screech twinkled like shooting stars as they crashed into the garden below, the flames catching onto carefully trimmed bushes and trees and turning them into towering gouts of fire. She scanned the burgeoning battlefield with a veteran eye. The defenders were still trying to get into formation and escort wounded peasants to safety. It didn’t look like any of them had noticed the airship hovering overhead yet, even as it continued to bombard the yard. She spotted Sea Sabre and Flintlock cut off from Titus’ forces and carving an aggressive path back to safety. Her wingtips twitched at the thought of diving down to confront her old enemies, but she held back. She had other business to attend to first. Titus stood on the steps, barking orders at his soldiers as an assistant approached with armor plates to supplement the breastplate he wore under his silk vest. He waved the armor off, beckoning instead for a pair of wingblades, and held his wings out while the deadly weapons were secured to his sides. He pushed the assistant back the moment he was satisfied, shouting some nonsense as he led a charge of six soldiers forwards into the melee. Gava did one more lap above the battle before folding her wings in and allowing herself to fall. She angled herself towards the Duke’s back like an arrow, extending her talons for a quick, killing blow from above. Her beak twisted into a predatory grin as the wind tugged at her feathers, carrying the scent of pony blood. It was time for a hunt. An orange-clothed soldier looked up at the last moment, face paling as he met her eyes. He shouted something indistinguishable over the roar of the wind and tackled Titus, pushing him away from the strike. Gava scowled as her talons dug into commoner flesh. The soldier’s scream was cut short as she severed his windpipe and spine before rolling off of his collapsing body. She bounced back up in an instant, flaring her wings out to catch her mid-air and drawing her revolver. The Duke let out a snarl as he turned to the fallen soldier. His eyes traveled from the fresh corpse to the killer. “Griffon!” “Pony.” Gava lined her revolver up with his head and pulled the hammer back. “My Lord!” Gava grunted as a soldier slammed into her from the side. She rolled with the blow, using her weight to swing the white-coated pegasus mare underneath her. The mare’s wings flapped uselessly beneath the griffon’s weight as Gava stuffed her revolver into her belly and pulled the trigger three times in quick succession. The mare went still. The smell of cordite stung at Gava’s senses. She turned around, leveling the gun for another shot, just in time to see Titus launch himself at her with a wordless roar. He lowered his head, barreling past her outstretched arm as she pulled the trigger. Gava cursed, dropping onto her back and scoring her lion claws across the metal covering his belly before kicking him over her head. The pegasus twisted mid-air, using his wings to ensure he landed hoof-first before throwing himself at her once more. Still on her back, Gava brought her gun around for a snap shot. The barrel spat fire, and a blossom of red burst from Titus’ chest. The impact threw him off balance, forcing him to the ground. Both fighters scrambled off the ground. Gava aimed center mass and pulled the trigger, but instead of the booming report of gunpowder she was rewarded with the barely audible click of the hammer striking an empty chamber. “Seems yer out of rounds, griffon.” Duke Titus coughed blood as he spread his stance. “Think ye can handle an old warrior without yer toy?” Gava scowled as she slid the revolver back into its sheath. Looking around, she saw ponies of both colors clashing in isolated pockets, but none paying attention to them. “And you’re out of lives. There’s nobody left to save you.” “My great grand-uncle killed a griffon, ye know.” The Duke said. The rain bounced off his bloodied armor with quiet applause, catching the flickering glow of the burning shrubbery. He took a step closer. “I’m lookin’ forwards t’ addin’ a trophy of my own next t’ his.” “And I’m looking forwards to giving you a painful death,” Gava said. Taking a single step back, she crouched low to the ground and pounced. The Duke stepped to the side, raising a wing to slice through her flank, but she was expecting as much. Gava snapped a wing open and twisted mid-air, talons digging into his exposed shoulders. Titus pushed into the pounce with a grunt, slamming into Gava’s chest and knocking the breath out of her. She fell onto her back just long enough for the pegasus to get a cut in on her belly before one of her paws kicked out, the claws scraping across his face with a splash of blood. He grit his teeth and stumbled backwards, trying to shake the blood from his eyes. Gava threw herself at him paws-first, throwing him onto his back as her lion claws sunk into his chest. He glared up at her through the blood and rain as she lifted a taloned hand for the killing strike. She answered with a cocky grin. “Nice try, little pony.” “Gava!” Gava looked up, eyes narrowing towards the raspy voice that had called her name. The rainbow blur racing towards her was easy to pick out even in the chaos of the night, and she jumped off of Titus with a powerful kick, narrowly avoiding the rainbow-maned pegasus’ charge. “Can’t you wait just two seconds?” Her eyes shot open as the pegasus reversed direction with a single flap of her wings. She spread her own wings, pushing herself to the side to avoid the second charge. “Didn’t you learn your lesson last time?” The pegasus re-angled for a third charge. Gava braced herself to accept the blow, ready to use her greater strength and size in a grapple, only to squawk in surprise as her opponent twisted mid-air and delivered a rising kick to her jaw. Stars burst in her eyes. The wind tugged at her feathers, and she wasn’t sure if she was falling or not. She let instinct take over and splayed her wings, slowing her movement. When her vision cleared, she was hovering a dozen feet over the battlefield with an angry blue pegasus in front of her. “Okay,” Gava said, rubbing her jaw. “So you’ve learned something.” “My name is Rainbow Dash,” the pegasus said, leveling a hoof on her. “And I’m gonna make you hurt.” “That so?” Gava eyed Rainbow’s stance. Fiery, but far more controlled than before, and familiar. She began to fly a slow circle around the pegasus, turning side-on to hide the holstered revolver on her chest behind her spread wings. She pulled it free, holding it close, and flicked the cylinder open. “Sabre’s been teaching you?” Rainbow grinned. The glint in her remaining eye made for a harsh contrast with the plain black of her eyepatch. “She has.” She spread her wings wide, showing off the polished edges of her wingblades. “Those look pretty sharp.” Gava opened the ammo pouch next to her holster and began fishing out rounds. Hours of practice came into effect as she started slipping them into place without looking. Just keep talking a bit longer, Dyejob. “I’m surprised Sabre lets you play with them. You accidentally cut anything on your blind side yet?” “Shut up!” Rainbow snapped. “You’re a monster. I’m here to put you down.” “Not very creative, are you?” Gava asked. The third bullet slid into place. “You called me a monster last time, remember? When I ate your eye?” Rainbow just growled at her. The hatred in her gaze was murderous, and for a second it looked as if she was about to attack. With six bullets in the cylinder, Gava flicked it shut and pulled the hammer back. Rainbow’s ears twitched at the click of the gun cocking. A moment of alarm flashed on her face as Gava began to lift her arm. A strong gust of wind blew by as the rain grew heavier. Rainbow threw herself forwards just as Gava pulled the trigger. The flash from the barrel lit the sky like lightning. Like lightning, Rainbow had closed the gap. Gava cursed as the pegasus slipped past her outstretched arm and raked a blade down its length. She drew her injured gun hand back as she lashed out with her other talon. Rainbow danced away from the strike and Gava snapped off a second shot. She hissed as the recoil jarred her wound while the bullet went wide. “Hold still, you gaudy chicken!” Gava closed the distance before Rainbow could recover from her dodge and lashed out with her talons. Rainbow pulled back as expected, and Gava pressed on. She knew that she couldn’t let up. The pegasus had almost been a match for her with neither training nor weapons, and now Gava didn’t even have the tight confines of an airship to throw her weight around. For the first time that night, she felt the thrill of uncertainty. The hunt had become a battle, and the adrenaline in her veins was rapturous. She aimed the revolver in one direction, landing a solid kick on Rainbow’s wing as she dodged away from the anticipated shot. Rainbow grunted, thrown to the side by the blow, and dipped down just as Gava pulled the trigger again, parting her mane with the shot. Rainbow swept in with one wing extended for a slash. Gava threw herself into the attack, locking her free talon around the pegasus’ neck and squeezing. “Gotcha.” The pegasus lashed out with all four hooves as she struggled to breathe, but Gava had the reach advantage. She brought up her hind legs and raked her claws over her prey’s gut. Rainbow screamed, using her wings to twist herself around and break Gava’s grip. In the same motion she extended both blades, scoring a pair of deep cuts across Gava’s belly. Gava pulled back, panting. She raised her gun for a shaky fourth shot, but Rainbow knocked her aim off with a powerful gust of wind from her wings. Combined with the recoil of the gun, Gava nearly lost her grip on it. She let out a bitter chuckle as the hardening rain bit at her wounds. She clutched at her bleeding stomach with one hand while the other holstered her revolver. “Really? Fuck you.” “You’ve still got some bullets left, don’t you?” Rainbow asked through clenched teeth. Her wings faltered, and she dipped dangerously before recovering. “I’ll let you shoot yourself if you ask nicely.” Gava let out a shrill eagle cry as she launched herself forwards. Rainbow tried to dodge, but her injured wing was too slow. The two collided mid-air and tumbled to the ground in a ball of biting, kicking, and cutting. “Oof!” Gava’s injured hand went limp as they fell onto an armored body, and Rainbow seized the chance to roll away. By the time Gava had regained her bearings and scrambled off the ground, Rainbow was already standing on shaky hooves. Gava clacked her beak as her injured leg threatened to give way. I need to end this now. Movement behind Rainbow caught her eye, and she scowled as she recognized Sea Sabre and Flintlock galloping towards them. “Rainbow Dash!” Sabre shouted, drawing Rainbow’s attention. “Get out of the way!” “I’ve got this, Sabre!” Rainbow yelled back. She returned her eye to Gava’s. Ah, fuck this. Gava spread her wings, thankful that she hadn’t taken any injuries to them. “You lucked out this time, Dyejob.” Rainbow tensed as if ready to pounce, only to stiffen as Sabre called out again. “Rainbow, you’re in the shot!” Gava pushed off the ground and threw herself into gaining altitude. A trio of shots from Flint’s repeater tracked her through the sky. The first two went wide, and the third clipped her hind leg. A hiss escaped her as she dove into a cloud of smoke. She closed her eyes and held her breath, using her natural senses to angle herself upwards. She burst out of the cloud a few seconds later, dirty and wounded, but alive. Scanning the sky, she picked out the shape of the Roc’s Screech pulling away. She frowned, looking down, and realized that the fight was already over. The last of Nettlekiss’ troops either turned tail and fled or threw themselves to the ground in surrender as Titus’ surviving defenders seized the burning yard. She let out a heavy sigh. Those little ponies sure went fast. Despite her pride, Gava recognized that she was in no shape to keep fighting. She angled herself towards the Screech, replaying the fight with Rainbow over in her head. A brilliant lavender light illuminated the sky, and Gava was pushed back by a sudden gust of wind. For a brief second, the rain seemed to abate before returning twice as hard. A sense of dread overcame her as she squinted into the light. The Roc’s Screech fell out of the sky in two parts. Gava saw a ball of flickering purple and rolling black floating in the sky for just a moment before, with a flash, it vanished. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness…” Fluttershy’s panicked murmurs were barely audible beneath the sounds of battle outside. The crack of gunfire, clang of steel, and wet crunch of bones shattering underhoof all competed to be heard by Rarity’s ears. The fires laughed and cackled over it all, the flames spiraling ever higher as they claimed more and more of the garden. The heat had begun worming through the stones, heating the air inside and sucking it free of moisture. Rarity winced as she rubbed a hoof over the stiff, dry hairs of her coat. She tried not to look at the dry blood baked into her dress. “There must be some way we can help,” she said. “It doesn’t feel right sitting here while those ponies fight for us.” “I-I’m okay w-with s-sitting h-here,” Fluttershy whispered. “I d-don’t want t-t-to fight.” “We should be safe here for now,” Pontius said. Rarity turned to watch him pacing across the hall, his head fixed in the direction of the foyer. “My father’s soldiers are well-disciplined.” A cry of pain echoed down the hall. Rarity climbed to her hooves, ears angled towards the noise. “Was that inside?” The call came again, louder this time. “Somepony’s calling for help!” Pinkie said. “We must lend aid at once,” Rarity said, starting forwards. “Come along, girls.” “Lady Rarity.” Pontius stepped in front of her, face grim. “Ye should stay here where it’s safe.” “Didn’t I tell you before that I don’t need coddling, darling?” Rarity asked. She tried to step around him, but he matched her movements. “Get out of my way, Pontius!” “My Lady, I’m responsible for—u-uhm.” Pontius paused mid-sentence as his clothes began to glow a sparkling blue. With a smooth motion of her horn, Rarity picked him up by his clothes and moved him to the side. “If you can follow behind and protect us, dear, I’d much appreciate it.” She gave him a wry smile before turning back to the source of the noise and following it down the hall. She didn’t have to walk far. A pair of soldiers in torn orange outfits had collapsed in the dining room. One lay still on the polished floor, his breath coming in quick bursts. The other leaned over him, forelegs pressed over a wound in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. “Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy crossed the distance to the two soldiers in a single winged bound. “What happened?” “Shot in th’ barrel, my Lady,” the healthy soldier grunted. “Must of hit somethin’ bad, way it’s bleedin’.” “Pinkie Pie!” Fluttershy shouted. “Go to our rooms and get my critter care kit, please!” Pinkie zipped up to her side and snapped off a crisp salute. “Yes, ma’am!” Rarity approached the injured soldier as Pinkie disappeared in a flash of motion. A jagged hole, rimmed with blood, had been torn in his scarred breastplate. “We need to get this off of him. Hold him still, dears.” Her horn glowed as she felt over the soldier’s armor with her magic, found the belts securing it in place, and loosened them enough to pull the breastplate off. He grit his teeth and groaned as his wound was jostled. Pontius cleared his throat behind her. “My Lady, is there any way I can help?” Rarity glanced up. “Open the door to the foyer, would you, Pontius?” Pontius gave her a puzzled frown, but complied. The indicated door opened with a quiet creak, and he jumped back with a yelp as a trio of large draperies tugged themselves free from their windows and raced into the dining hall, each glowing the soft blue of Rarity’s magic. “See if you can find anymore wounded,” Rarity continued, returning her eyes to the soldier bleeding beneath her. The window drapings turned lazy loops in the air above her as she ripped a piece off and held it out for Fluttershy, who began to apply pressure to the wound. “Actually—” Rarity looked up once more. “Where does your father store his drinks?” Pontius made for a cabinet near the head of the table. “He keeps them in—ah.” He stopped mid-step as the cabinet’s doors flew open and a line of bottles labeled in expensive scripts floated out. “Thank you, dear. Now could you see about those wounded?” Rarity asked. Fluttershy cooed comforting words as she doused the injured soldier’s bloody gash with alcohol. “My Lady, I cannot—” “Right, of course, you can’t leave me. Silly me.” Rarity rolled her eyes and gave a slight shake of her head. She looked up to the uninjured soldier, who was staring at the dancing drapes above him in open-mouthed awe. “Excuse me, darling. Hello?” The soldier blinked as if waking up, meeting her gaze. She gave him a sweet smile. “Thank you. See if you can find anymore wounded and bring them here. We’ll take care of them.” After a few moments, the soldier licked his lips and straightened up. “Yes, my Lady.” “And she said any more wounded,” Fluttershy added. She narrowed her eyes at the soldier, who took a step back. “I don’t care what color they’re wearing. Understand?” “Uh.” The soldier looked to Rarity. Rarity gave him a little nod, still smiling. “Do as she says, please.” With a hasty bow, the soldier ran out of the dining room. Rarity returned her attention to her work, using her magic to fish the pieces of shrapnel out of the wound. Fluttershy drew in a deep breath. “Pinkie Pie!” she bellowed. Rarity winced as her ears rang. “Here!” Pinkie appeared beside them, laden down with a pair of saddlebags stuffed to the brim. “I picked up some extras along the way! I hope you don’t mind.” As she spoke, she pulled a miniature cupcake out of one bag and stuffed into the injured pony’s mouth. He struggled for a brief moment, swallowed, and then seemed to relax. “Oh, thank you, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said. She accepted the bags with a blush, setting them down on the ground and pulling out a needle, some colorful pink thread, and a roll of band-aids with happy smiling butterflies on them. Rarity, sensing that her part was done, stood back to give Fluttershy more room to work. She took a deep breath, content, and ignored the new bloodstains on her sleeves. Pontius approached her, his voice low. “My Lady, the Duke wouldn’t approve of you helping Nettlekiss’ soldiers.” “I’m not concerned with the Duke’s approval, Pontius,” Rarity said. She looked to the door to the foyer as a fresh pair of wounded limped into the dining hall. “Just stand guard, please.” Whatever he said in response, she made a point of ignoring it as she went to help the new arrivals get situated. Time began to blur together as Rarity allowed herself to get lost in the work, doling out alcohol-soaked dressings to Fluttershy and clearing ruined clothes away from the injuries they hid. Pinkie kept spirits up as the hall grew more cluttered, sometimes disappearing for minutes at a time before returning with an unconscious soldier on her back. More and more green began to mix in with the orange, and soon there was a pocket of a half-dozen Nettlekiss wounded huddled in one corner, the healthiest of them leering out at the rest of the room like watchful guardians. The sounds of battle outside grew quieter, the sweat soaked into her coat grew thicker, and the sleeves of her dress grew bloodier. Eventually Rarity decided to just rip the sleeves off her dress altogether. Clearly, the universe did not want her to wear dresses anymore. She made a mental note to begin phasing less constricting articles of fashion into her wardrobe. It was no wonder that Titus and Pontius seemed to always be wearing armor. “Make way! Make way!” Rarity looked up as a group of four older soldiers trotted into the hall, a heavyset stallion splayed over their backs. She rushed over as they set him down, fresh bandages floating behind her. “Where is he hurt?” “His shoulder,” one soldier said. “He’s lost a lot of blood!” “He was unconscious when we found him,” a second soldier added. “We failed him.” Rarity frowned at the strangely servile tone in the soldier’s voice. Several already treated wounded began to gather around, all whispering anxiously among themselves, and she was just about to tell them to give her some space to work when she rolled the wounded stallion over and realized who it was. Even unconscious, the fury on Duke Titus’ face was palpable. A wide bullet hole had been punched through his armor on one shoulder, and one side was so heavily dented that it was a struggle for her to remove it from him even with her magic. She spared a moment to examine the six thick gouges carved into the belly of the armor. They couldn’t have been caused by a pony weapon, could they? Rarity’s blood ran cold as the trance she’d fallen into while working fell away, replaced by a sudden, focused clarity. Griffon claws. It couldn’t be coincidence. Twilight had arrived that very day talking about the griffon bounty hunter that had harried her across the horizon since their separation. Gava had something to do with this sudden attack. Rarity was sure of it. And I let Twilight walk out there alone. Rarity’s breath hitched. Her face felt numb. Stupid, stupid, stupid girl. Pinkie Pie’s voice came to her as if through a haze. “Rarity? Are you okay?” Rarity looked up to meet her friend’s concerned gaze. What about Applejack and Rainbow Dash? Had all three of them been captured while she was hiding inside? A double door that led deeper into the estate was flung open with a great crash. Rarity turned, staring in confusion at the dozen green-garbed soldiers that swarmed through it. That’s odd, she thought. None of them are wounded. Then one of them reared up, hooves clad in studded steel, and crushed the skull of the wounded Titus soldier that stood to challenge them. Shouts of alarm raced through the room as ponies hobbled by bandages and burdened by wounds scrambled to grab discarded weapons before they were cut down. On one side of the room, the wounded Nettlekiss troops were suddenly turned on by the Titus soldiers they had been sharing their uneasy truce with. On the other, the disorganized and unequipped Titus wounded were cut down by the sudden rush of green-outfitted ambushers. Rarity was bumped every which way by the crowd. There were too many for her to even hope to hold with her magic. “Pinkie Pie?” she called. “Fluttershy?” She heard a quiet mewl of a response, but couldn’t find the source. She turned as something tugged on her dress, pulling her back. Pontius. “Get to the rear, my Lady!” he said, pushing her away from the collapsing line. Rarity tripped over something, falling backwards. She didn’t look, but it was wet and warm. Any confidence that she had developed hunting bandits in the woods and fending off bounty hunters in corner stores evaporated as her senses were overwhelmed by the rising pitch of battle. She heard a giggle and caught a glimpse of Pinkie Pie leaping through the air. Something reared over her, and she flung it away with a wild burst of magic. There was a loud crack, and the room begin to fill with a thick white smoke. Rarity scrambled to her hooves, sucking in the smoke as she gasped for air. It dragged across her lungs like sandpaper, and violent shivers wracked her body as she keeled over once more. She rolled onto her belly, thinking to crawl to safety. The smoke wasn’t so thick low to the ground. Once she got out of the chaos she could find her friends. Rarity heard a solid thud as something collided with the back of her head, and her world fell into darkness. Ana took a moment to catch her breath as she came to an intersection between two hallways. She leaned against the wall, idly inspecting her charges. Three Gifted, trussed up and ready for delivery. The gas had more than done its job, throwing the already chaotic dining room into a frantic free-for-all. And so she had slipped in and slipped out, quietly incapacitating her targets. “What do you think?” Ana asked, looking to the yellow pegasus shaking like a leaf besides her. She’s even more adorable in pony. “Think we’ve got some more time before they start searching the place?” Fluttershy said nothing, although she did manage to squeeze a high-pitched “Meep!” out past the rope gagging her muzzle. “Yeah, you’re right,” Ana said. “There’s no time to waste. C’mon, pick up your hooves. We’re in this together.” She tugged on Fluttershy’s lead rope, guiding her through the halls at a brisk pace. Behind each of them they dragged another pony. Pinkie Pie, covered in bruises and scratches but otherwise no worse for wear, hummed a little ditty past her gag as she was dragged across the floor in Fluttershy’s wake. Ana tried not to look at her, because everytime she did was met with a disturbing lack of disgust, betrayal, anger, or fear. Even with the extensive ropes hogtying her, Ana couldn’t help but feel like she was being played. Lady Rarity was granted the pleasure of being Ana’s deadweight. With all the blood soaked into her tattered dress, there had been a moment where Ana worried that she had taken some grievous wounds during the battle, but a quick inspection had shown all the blood to be belonging to other ponies. And so Ana had secured a small mask soaked in chloroform to her muzzle and hauled her along. She certainly wasn’t going to risk the powerful mare waking up in transit, and the magic-nullifying ring passed down by her father was one of a kind. “She’s a lot heavier than she acts, isn’t she?” Ana asked as she led Fluttershy through a dusty study. She received another squeak in response. “Oh, relax. I’m sure you’ll be fine. You seem like the sort to follow directions. Hold up.” Ana raised a hoof, tugging the pegasus with her behind a crooked bookshelf. Fluttershy shivered behind her in almost total silence as they waited for the sound of passing hoofsteps to rush out of earshot. “All right, let’s move.” “Meep!” Out in the open once more, Ana traced the steps she had plotted to reach her exit point. The halls were empty, every soldier caught up in the fight out front and every servant entrenched in the deepest bolt hole they could find. Leading the small team of Nettlekiss troops in the backdoor had been trivially easy. I wonder if any of them will make it back out? “Look, almost there,” Ana said, looking to Fluttershy and pointing to the shattered window ahead of them. “Can you carry that weight, by the way?” A collection of stuttered noises escaped Fluttershy’s mouth that sounded almost like a squeaky, “Uh huh.” “Great. You go first, through the window here. C’mon.” Bending down, Ana shouldered some of Pinkie Pie’s weight and helped push her through the window behind Fluttershy. That done, she pulled Rarity up onto her back and then climbed through. She landed in the garden next to Fluttershy without a sound. “Let me tell you, Fluttershy, don’t get involved with nobles,” she said. She pointed towards the flickering red glow blooming around the far corner of the mansion. “See that? A few dozen dead at least, over some silly feud. They’re nothing but trouble. Be smart and stick to yourself as best as you can.” “Eeeeee.” “That’s the spirit. You ready to fly?” It was at that moment that Pinkie Pie began to tremble. Ana arched a brow, turning to the mare. Every part of her was shaking to its own tune, moving with vibrations so powerful that she began to bounce up and down on her back. “Hey,” Ana said. “Stop that.” “Mmmm!” Ana looked to Fluttershy. Whereas the pegasus had been frightened before, now she seemed to be stricken with terror. “What is this?” Ana demanded. She looked between the two mares. “Do I have to knock you out?” The rope came loose from Pinkie’s mouth, shaken apart with the strength of her shivers. “It’s a doozy!” Fluttershy let out a shaky whimper. Ana frowned, looking around. She recalled a single occasion when Pinkie had referred to a doozy in the past tense. A faint alarm bell rang in her mind. “Stand down, ya rascal!” Ana didn’t even bother looking towards the newcomer. She flared her wings, slicing through the ropes that held her to her charges with the sharp claws on their tips, and crouched down to take flight. She pushed off with force, ready to turn on her assailant as soon as she gained the altitude advantage. She squeaked as something yanked her back by her tail. Ana hit the grass hard. An instant later, a hoof like iron was pinning her down. She looked up into the sweaty, freckled face above her. It growled down at her from under its hat. “And just what do y’all think yer doing?” Ana coughed. She flapped her wings in an attempt to gain leverage, but the iron hoof didn’t budge. At last she relented. She laid her head back and watched the stars twinkle as columns of smoke spiraled through the rainy night. “I could ask you the same thing.” The pony easily recognizable as Applejack arched a sage brow. “Y’all’re trying to abduct my friends.” “Would’ve gotten away with it if you weren’t hanging out in the backyard,” Ana shot back. A quiet voice whispered something to the side. Both mares turned to Fluttershy. “D-d-did you find R-R-Rainbow?” “She’s alright, ‘Shy. Despite her and Gava’s best attempts to make it otherwise.” Applejack shot Ana a meaningful glare. Ana blinked up at her. “Don’t blame that on me.” Applejack nodded over to Pinkie Pie, who was currently wriggling around the yard like an enthusiastic fish. “Y’alright, Pinkie?” “Oh oh oh, here it comes!” Pinkie exclaimed. She bounced nearly two feet in the air. “The doozy!” She landed back on the ground with a squeal. She lay still. The rain pitter-pattered off of Applejack’s hat. “Is it over?” Fluttershy asked. “Oh,” Pinkie Pie said. She looked to Ana, her voice suddenly somber. “Sorry.” Meeting Pinkie’s gaze, Ana was overcome with a sudden wave of dread. An instant later, a flash of brilliant lavender lit the night sky. The bushes whispered their alarm as a wave of hot air rolled over the estate. Ana looked up and, for the second time in her life, she felt her world drop out beneath her. “Oh, fuck,” she whispered as she watched her home fall out of the sky in two parts. “She broke the ring.” Get up, little flower. Twilight groaned as she blinked her eyes open. The grain of the wooden floor she was lying on slowly came into focus. What happened? We were overpowered. You should not have held us back. A pulsing pain lingered in Twilight’s horn, matched by a queasy nausea in her gut. She turned her head to look around and groaned as both maladies redoubled in strength. What did you do to me? I would have saved us, just as I saved us from the creature of fire. It is your cowardice that brought this. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and turning her senses inwards. Her magic had built up inside her. It had been summoned for a spell and built up in preparation only to be forced haphazardly back down with nowhere else to go. It still skulked about within her, leaving her with a sickening case of arcane indigestion. She opened her eyes and tried to lift a hoof to her horn, only to be stopped by the chains tying her legs together. She winced as the links cut into her fetlocks, jerking her hoof back. Twilight went to tug on the chains with her magic. Nothing happened. A spike of panic drove itself into her heart as she tried again. She put more power into the third attempt, her breath coming in quick gasps, and noticed a white glow coming from her horn in place of the usual comforting lavender. Right, the ring. She remembered the brief glimpse she’d gotten of the runes engraved on it. Dampening enchantments. We could break it. Together, no prison can contain us. Twilight grit her teeth, deigning not to dignify the suggestion with a response. Instead she focused on her surroundings, moving slowly so as not to cause her nausea to act up. She was in a bare wooden room with a sparse spread of hay scattered over the floor. A steady swaying sensation in her gut told her that she was in an airship, and the creak of the wood reinforced the conclusion. Rain could be heard bouncing off the hull. She rolled over. A narrow wooden hallway waited on the other side of a set of sturdy bars. A thin unicorn stallion with a cool blue coat was seated within, his eyes fixed on her. Several seconds passed while Twilight waited for him to say something. She ended up speaking first. “Where am I?” The stallion arched a brow. “You don’t recognize it?” Twilight frowned. She scanned the little prison once more, searching for anything familiar, but came up blank. “Should I?” “Heh, interesting.” The stallion fished a sugar cube out of a cup by his side and popped it into his mouth. “You nearly killed me here, along with everybody else on board.” Oh. “This is Gava’s ship.” “There you go.” The stallion’s head bobbed in a slow nod. The silence returned. Twilight grunted as she tried to twist out of her chains, but they held her firm. “You’re a lot weaker than that cowpony.” Twilight glared up at him. Set us loose! the Other demanded. We will show his corpse true strength! “What?” the stallion asked. “I’m just stating the facts here.” “Why are you doing this?” Twilight asked, returning to her futile attempts at escape. “Doing what?” “Holding me here! Working for that monster, Gava. Any of it!” Twilight huffed as her anger began to bleed into sorrow. She let her head fall back to the floor and tried to stifle her tears. “What did I do to deserve this?” “Who says it’s about you?” Twilight sniffled, looking at the stallion through teary eyes. He leaned back and rubbed a hoof on his chin. “Okay, maybe it’s a bit about you,” he admitted. “But you’re taking it too personally. Gava likes chasing things. That’s just in her nature. You’re a hard catch, and that gets her excited. She’d lose interest the instant she caught you.” He shrugged. “The rest of us are just kinda following along.” In a quiet voice, Twilight asked. “What’s your name?” The stallion arched a brow. “Topgallant.” “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “Why are you doing this, Topgallant?” Topgallant blinked. He regarded her with some surprise for a moment, and then broke out into a quiet chuckle. “What are you trying to do, charm me? I’m not going to let you out because you asked what my name is in a sincere tone.” Twilight could feel the Other’s irritation as it rolled about inside her. End this charade! Give yourself over to me, and I will grant us freedom over this worm’s corpse! Twilight closed her eyes as her lips curled back into a snarl. Shut up! I don’t need your help! You needed it to save us from the creature of fire. You killed her. I would have rather died. Bold words from the little flower that summoned me to save her when faced with death. Her snarl turned to a growl. “You’re wrong!” She blinked her eyes open, instinctively raising a hoof to cover her mouth as she realized she had spoken aloud. She winced as the chains pulled her leg back. Topgallant cocked his head. “Honestly, I’m not even sure how to react to that.” Twilight turned on him with a glower. He looked back with a curious bemusement that only fanned the flames of her outrage. After several seconds she spoke. “Where are my friends?” Topgallant didn’t say anything. He just held her gaze as he slowly pulled another sugar cube out of his cup and popped it into his mouth. “Answer me!” Twilight screamed. She struggled in vain against her chains, filling the hall with the sound of the jingling links and her own impotent snarls. “Why should I?” he asked. She paused, her breath coming in heavy gasps as her ears angled towards him. “You’re my prisoner, and my job is to watch you. What reason could I possibly have to answer your questions?” He is wasting our time. Why do you insist on letting this mongrel toy with us? Twilight grew still. She stared at him with as much hatred as she could muster. The steady beat of the rain against the ship’s hull grew stronger. “If you don’t answer me, I’ll—I’ll break out of here and m-make you.” Topgallant just continued to watch her with that same cool gaze. He licked his lips before picking out another sugar cube. Twilight clenched her jaw. She assumed that Gava’s ship didn’t have multiple brigs, and therefore her friends couldn’t be stashed elsewhere aboard it. They either weren’t captured yet, or had been and were being taken off to Celestia knew where. Perhaps they were fighting even still. Perhaps Applejack had finally taken one wound too many, or Rainbow Dash had pushed things too far. Her pulse began to quicken as she imagined Gava killing a cowering Fluttershy just to make a point, or Rarity laying in the grass in a blood-soaked dress, or Pinkie Pie’s cry of shock when she ran out of luck. You understand, don’t you, little flower? It’s the only way. It’s the only way. How could she sit there on the cold wood of her cell, straining against iron chains with hooves used to idle days beneath open books? Could she look her friends in the eyes and tell them that she had done everything she could, when all she had done was ask her jailer, one of the very ponies that just spent weeks tracking her across Equestria, to explain himself? Yes! Release the magic inside us! She closed her eyes. The fading ache in Twilight’s horn resurged as she began to draw upon her magic. Basic magic safety taught that one should never call on magic without a plan for how to use it, and Twilight cast this aside. She did not know how she would use the magic, but she knew that she needed it. Her friends needed it. Princess Luna, still deep asleep aboard the Argo, needed it. And wherever Celestia was, she would need it too. Who are you? I’m your mentor. I’m your guide on the path to our true potential. “Uh, what are you doing?” Twilight opened her eyes. She was still in chains on the ground, but a pale white glow from the base of her horn was flickering around the room. The glow began to flash brighter, highlighting the concern in Topgallant’s eyes as he stood to regard her. Please don’t hurt my friends. We wouldn’t dream of it, little flower. The ship groaned around her. Twilight’s horn burned with energy as the white glow was joined by a high-pitched keening wail that seemed to come from every direction. Hot, sticky tears dripped down her cheeks. Topgallant shoved himself back against the far wall, sugar cubes bouncing everywhere as he knocked his cup over. “What the fuck!” Twilight turned to meet his wide eyes. “Run.” He nearly tripped over his hooves as he rushed out of sight, voice raised in a shaky shout. “Everybody get off!” Twilight could feel it now. The Other stretched and grew inside her from the small ball of darkness that had lingered in her gut ever since she first drew its strange magic inside of her. It filled her whole body out, reaching down to the tips of her hooves and the end of her muzzle. It touched every part of her, soaking her in its chill warmth. It stopped only at the base of her horn. She marveled at the strength of the barrier. The ring on her horn would have been a powerful item even in her own time, and a small part of her was saddened by its coming fate. She wondered how Gava had come to acquire it. Nothing can match our power. She was a giant trapped inside a paper prison. With a thought, it was brushed aside. The ring shattered. The Other’s gleeful laughter echoed in her mind as it reached the tip of her horn. The blinding white glow turned lavender, broken only by red-tinged tendrils of blackness.