Reformation... It's a Pony Thing

by Lets Do This


On the Southern Shore

The late-morning sunlight shimmered brilliantly on the vast expanse of White Bay, on the southern coast.

Sam the Basking sat beneath an overhang of basalt cliffs, looking out on a small bend of sandy shore and the rolling gray-blue ocean waves beyond. He hoped his relief would arrive soon. The sand blowing in the wind made his fins itch. His gills felt like parchment. He would have given anything to go take a plunge in the waves for just five minutes. But Bruce would not like that. And one did not make Bruce the Toothed unhappy... even a land-shark like Sam knew that. The Great Whites had connections inland. There wasn't a place Sam could go that would be far enough away from them.

Where was this Strife character, anyways? He'd arranged for a dropoff, then hadn't shown for days. That was another thing Bruce didn't like: he expected punctuality, professionalism. If Strife didn't come soon, Bruce was liable to take out his anger on the only targets available... like Sam himself. Sam wished his relief would show up. Then it wouldn't be his problem any longer.

Movement up the beach made him turn to look. Finally, he thought. Here was the promised herd of ponies, roped together and hobbled. They were being driven steadily along the shore by two tall parrots and a squat hedgehog. Which was troubling to Sam, as Strife had always been accompanied by a couple of boar enforcers from Klugetown. And where was Strife himself?

Still, it wasn't Sam's worry, so long as the goods got delivered. Though why it was a requirement to deliver live magic-wielding creatures was beyond him. Wouldn't it have been simpler to just deliver their horns?

"Took you long enough," he groused, as the ponies and their captors came closer. "And where's Strife anyways?"

"Something came up, very last-minute," the hedgehog said. "Some kinda side-deal he needed to wrap up. He paid us to bring these ponies here for him. Now what do we do with 'em?"

"Put 'em in the cage over there." Sam pointed a fin at a small cave beneath the overhang, which had been fenced in by driftwood bars lashed together with sturdy sea-cord.

"And then where do they go?" The hedgehog stared around at the sandy beach and cliffs. "As far as I can see there's nothin' around here for miles!"

"What do you care? Strife's paying you, right?"

"Yeah, well... I always like to have the whole picture, ya know? Just so I know Strife's payin' me enough, right?"

Sam shrugged. "When the ponies are all here, I send a message by gull to Bruce, and Bruce sends the pickup crew for 'em."

"Oh yeah, Bruce..." The hedgehog said, nodding. Then he looked puzzled. "Uh... Bruce who?"

"Bruce the Toothed?" Sam replied snidely. "Only the top loan-shark of the entire White Bay?" He gestured with a fin at the sweep of ocean beyond the shore.

The hedgehog stared at the ocean, wide-eyed. His small shoulders drooped. He seemed suddenly at a loss.

Sam stared suspiciously at him, and then at the group of roped ponies. "Hey, aren't there supposed to be more of these ponies? I only count five of 'em."

The hedgehog didn't reply. Instead, the lead pony of the group looked up. And Sam suddenly noticed the pony wasn't just a unicorn. It was an alicorn... and it wasn't wearing a suppression ring on its horn.

As he watched, the horn lit up, gleaming a brilliant magenta.

"Oh, you counted right!" Twilight said. "And now I'd like to know exactly what message you were to send to Bruce to request this pickup crew."

The five ponies all rapidly shrugged out of their rope bonds. The pink one in back stotted happily in place, completely unworried.

Feeling trapped, Sam glanced around and started backing away. "Uh... oh yeah? And what if I don't feel like talking?"

He heard a loud WHUMP behind him, followed closely by a pair of heavier thumps. Turning, he found himself facing a tall, maroon pony in full battle-armor, accompanied by two hulking, furred soldiers, who had all just leapt down onto the shore from the cliff edge above.

"You know..." Tempest's broken horn fizzed and crackled dangerously, "Strife didn't feel like talking either." She gave Sam a vicious-looking smile. "Trust me... you don't want to make the same mistake!"

Sam sighed unhappily. Why me?, he thought.

Shortly afterward Twilight and Tempest stood at the edge of the beach, staring out across the ocean.

"Okay, Princess," Tempest said. "Now what do we do?"

"Now..." Twilight replied unhappily, "we go to the Hippogriffs, ask to speak with Queen Novo. We're going to need their help if we're chasing kidnappers who live under the sea."

"And if it turns out Queen Novo is behind all this... or is simply looking the other way?"

"Let's... just hope it doesn't come to that."

Tempest was silent for a long moment. "You know the Hippogriffs aren't going to be happy to see me and Grubber again. They might just imprison us on sight."

"I'm not sure Queen Novo will be happy to see me either," Twilight said. "But look, we're both going to have to face the music sooner or later. Might be easier if we do it together."

"Whatever you say, Princess. I'm your bodyguard... I'll go where you go."

"You're a friend, Tempest," Twilight corrected her. "And thanks."

"Hey, Twi!" Applejack called. "Looky here! This cage ain't empty!"

One of Tempest's soldiers had torn open the cage door, revealing a dirt-smudged and frightened-looking hippogriff with a pink coat and pinions and a light-blue striped mane. She looked up in amazement as the ponies untied her and helped her up.

"Um, hello?" she said, looking around at them all uncertainly.

"Don't worry, you're safe," Twilight said. "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, and..."

"Omigosh! The Princess Twilight? That is so amazing! You know, Princess Skystar talks about you all... the... time! It is so cool to meet you for real! I just can't even...! Wow!"

"Uh... thanks?" Twilight said, "And you are...?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot you don't know me. I'm Silverstream. I've been a seapony most of my life, but I just started living on land as a hippogriff -- long story -- and it's a-ma-zinnng! My aunt's going to be so pleased you rescued me!"

"Your aunt?" Twilight asked, a little unnerved by Silverstream's near-breathless enthusiasm.

"Queen Novo, of course! I thought everyone knew that!"

Tempest and Twilight exchanged a glance.

"Well..." Tempest finally said. "That might help..."