Steel sang, and another swath of soldiers finished their fall as Valey danced her way through the halls of upper Stormhoof. It wasn't even a fight. She had yet to get a tear on her stolen dress, swaying her hips as she juggled the sword between hooves, mouth and wings against wave after wave that never survived to communicate and always used the same predictable tactics. The hallways were chaos. At this rate, she was going to incapacitate every last soldier in Stormhoof.
Consequences weighed briefly on her mind as she continued her push. Could anyone stop her? Not these guards, certainly. With the amount she had felled, she was starting to feel she could recognize which class they had been part of by the opening techniques they used. But she couldn't blame it all on Starlight's sword. Even a sword that could end things with a single strike still had to get that blow, after all. She wasn't even using the darkness, walking loudly in plain sight and inviting all the attention she could manage.
Was she just this good? Valey held her own prowess in high regard, but in the Flame District she had proved a match for slightly over a dozen specialists. This was an entire army, supposedly belonging to the most militarized province in the Empire. So why were they dropping like flies? Where was their command structure, their crisis response, their ability to field power players and coordinated tactics when mooks weren't working? This couldn't be on her. Everlaste was bad. She almost wanted to find these griffons' commander and drill some tactical lessons into them...
Another wave fell to routine reaction, their behavior so simplistic she didn't even need to pay attention to counter their moves. Did Everlaste know their troops were a joke? What about Stormhoof? Had things always been this way? If Everlaste was the best in the Empire, and Everlaste was this weak, how did the Empire even hold itself together? Unless Garsheeva was doing to Everlaste what she had done to the Defense Force in Ironridge, and weakening her provinces on purpose to prevent them from doing serious damage when they fought...
Valey's brow began to fold in concern as she explored more and more what was unfolding. No, if this was Everlaste's best, then they couldn't be the strongest. She had fought stronger herself, in every round of the tournament. Randorf and Pierre? Grandpapa? Even the foes from the second round could have done massive damage to this army on their own, never mind if they teamed up and coordinated smartly.
What if Garsheeva knew that, and the tournament had been set up as a countermeasure? If she ruled a country that had strong warriors running around and she wanted to keep tabs on them, what better way than to offer them a prize for fighting? Learn their styles, understand their tactics, and above all get a solid lock on their motives and what they cared about above all else. But the tournament was ancient. If she was onto something, this would have been the way things were for centuries. And she remembered Wallace talking about the Empire's history of nonstop house warfare.
She paused in a corner, letting the Everlaste troops come to her instead of continuing her search. As cunning as that would be, it didn't make sense. Why go to the trouble of keeping watch on ordinary ponies and griffons who had the skills to be dangerous, but let the sphinxes wander around and do what they pleased? The Empire wasn't a haven where nobody could hurt each other, and unlike her in Ironridge, Garsheeva had a lot more power and didn't have to resort to sabotage. She could just put her paw down and break up any warfare by force... and she hadn't before when it occurred anyway.
So that idea had holes. But Everlaste's guards were still incompetent, far worse than her opponents in the tournament. Someone had to know that. Did Gazelle know it? According to Felicity, he made the power situation into a big deal, and spent a lot of effort justifying it being scarce. But how were the lights an important security hole when anyone could just walk in and smash through the defenders anyway? Anyone with a caliber of skill that dozens of warriors all held in the arena just next door...
The lack of power was a back door for batponies to attack the castle. But the front door was wide open, and all Gazelle cared about were the lights.
...And there had been a trial run months ago to see what happened when she tried to assault the tower. Valey suddenly had a bad feeling that however flimsy that front door was, she was knocking it all the way off, and wasn't the only one planning to invade Stormhoof that night.
"I surrender."
The next wave of guards charging Valey stared at her suspiciously, skidding to a halt and leveling their spears. "Like you're going to catch us off guard," one warned, eyeing the trail of paralyzed soldiers in her wake.
Valey twirled her sword. "Yeah, good thing you won't be the one to enforce it. I'm staying right here, and you all can either watch me, join the rest of them, or go get someone more important than a new recruit. I wanna speak to your boss dude."
"Our job is protecting the command structure from degenerates like you," another Everlaste griffon spat.
"No, your job is to protect this fort and everyone in it." Valey shook her head, dropping the sass. "Every single dude I've mowed down here has attacked me first. I want my friend back, to punch Gazelle in the face, and then to get out of your manes and leave you all in fighting shape in case this fort gets sacked and looted by anyone else."
The guards didn't back down, another wave running up behind them. "That is an open declaration of violence against Empire royalty," one declared. "Our lives are already dedicated to the service of the Empire. We will stop you."
Both waves charged as one, and Valey waved her hooves frantically. "No, bananas, go get backup! Tell your boss where I am! Stop being bad at this!"
Her outburst got one or two hesitations, but the rest didn't falter. Valey flipped among them, delivering a kick or two as she passed, not about to incapacitate any more of the castle's meager defense if she could help it. "Stay alert! I'm not the only one here! Don't waste all your effort on me!"
Valey tore through the hallways, abandoning the pretense of fighting and just dodging and kicking through every group she came across. Where would Gazelle be, and where would he have put Felicity? Those suites she had stayed in? She knew those. They... looked like the rest of the castle, and she had no clue how to find them.
Further up was her answer, gliding up staircases and dodging around corners. "Felicity!" she yelled as she flew, making it plain to everyone why she was there. "I'm coming for you! Everyone else had better stay out of my way!"
She rounded a corner on the outer shell of the building, windows revealing driving rain and crackling lightning, and ran straight into Lord Stormhoof.
"Whew." Valey wiped her brow, landing. "Been looking for-"
"Do you think attacking my castle is a joke!?" the muscular sphinx roared, drawing a broadsword attached to his military uniform. Behind him, a line of personal guards and at least one griffon that was obviously a general readied their weapons as well.
Valey took a step back, keenly aware that she was being chased by everyone she had left behind. "Yeah, it is, and that's a big problem! I thought you would have fixed stuff after last time." She brandished Starlight's sword defensively. "But I'm not here to make a point about it. I'm here because Gazelle just killed one of my friends and stole another, and I'm out for blood. Turn both of them over and don't try to stop me, and I'll leave the Empire and never bother your castle again."
Lord Stormhoof held his sword in a ready stance. "Felicity?"
"That's the one." Valey nodded, ears pressing back at the sound of talons against marble behind her.
Stormhoof snorted. "And you resort to haste, lawlessness and force."
"Well, the law hasn't exactly done a lot for me in the past," Valey retorted. "And given how strong its supposed enforcers are, I can't see it helping much even if it wanted to, either. If you didn't want to run a society that's everyone for themselves, you should have thought harder about how capable you are at keeping things fair."
Lord Stormhoof leveled his blade at her and swiped.
"Woah, hey!" Valey backflipped out of the way, the crowd of Everlaste guards skidding into sight behind her. "Listen, don't fight me! I dunno why, but Gazelle goaded me into trashing this place and I'm one hundred percent sure someone else is going to be rolling through who's a lot less altruistic than me! If you waste all your energy on me, you're going to have a bad time!"
"Then depart immediately." Another swing came, angling for her head. The sphinx was advancing, forcing her into a close-quarters situation... or towards the waiting Everlaste guards. That meant he expected a counterattack and had an answer.
"Not until I get what I came for!" Valey sized up Lord Stormhoof's stance. Weak to attacks from the bottom... but her cutie mark wasn't warning her about the idea of striking low, which implied he either had an error in his fighting or was expecting her to call it as a bluff. Maybe a limp paw would get him to cool down? She lunged in a low, horizontal arc, seeing the parry incoming. She knew she could slice right through his blade, and even if she couldn't, he had to overextend to make the position work...
Suddenly, at a speed impressive even to her, Stormhoof withdrew his parry and stomped, catching the flat of her blade and forcing it to the ground with his weight. As Valey gasped and tried to react, his tail was already in motion, snatching the sword by the point, flipping it, catching the hilt and throwing it like a knife through a window and into the storm.
Valey blinked twice, and then her frown hardened. "Okay, that belonged to a friend. Not cool. I guess I'm going to town on you after all."
"Surround her," Lord Stormhoof ordered to the Everlaste troops, his own guard forming an impenetrable wall behind him, spears readied to stab anyone who flew above and crush them against the ceiling.
"No, you!" Valey backflipped forward in a streak of satin, still wearing her stolen dress. The dress's folds actually concealed the positioning of her legs and the precise angle of her body, which could be a major advantage against a skilled opponent... but she would think about that later.
Stormhoof brought his sword up to defend his face like a shield, but Valey reached under it, kicking his chin before darting under him, latching onto his uniform, sliding on her back across the smooth castle floor and flipping up around his side onto his back. Using him as a pivot for her momentum, she smashed a hoof into the side of his head, the broadsword spinning about to seek her but her own motions too quick. Valey slammed his back, then twirled around his neck, caught her back against the wall and kicked him with all four hooves. Now he was between her and the Everlaste goons.
"I will pummel each and every last one of you!" Valey threatened loudly, the Stormhoof guard still forming a tactical wall to her back. "And I won't stop until you give me Felicity! You want your fort to be defenseless against whoever else Gazelle has taking advantage of this ruckus, that's on you to surrender!"
"You are making yourself an enemy of the Empire," Lord Stormhoof warned. "Surrender immediately."
"Give me Felicity," Valey demanded.
"Surrender."
"Well, well, well. What have we here?"
The first and last voice Valey ever wanted to hear again sounded from behind the Stormhoof guards, and Valey whirled to see Gazelle strolling causally up behind them, a contented grin on his face. "She can take you all, by the way. I don't advise provoking her further."
Lord Stormhoof breathed heavily. The general at the rear of the Stormhoof guard detachment instantly rounded on Gazelle. "Don't do anything to escalate this."
"Who, me?" Gazelle fluttered his eyelids innocently. "Well, I can't blame you for thinking it, but that's the opposite of why I'm here. You see, Lord Everlaste and his family are currently sitting in their quarters behind an absolutely tiny squad of minions. He simply begged me to go out and get some reassuring news on the night's condition, and I'm having trouble finding it. Those troops right behind you and the ones guarding their liege's door are, best as I can tell, the only members of the Everlaste garrison left on the island, save for a pawful of reduced rainy-weather curfew patrols. In fact, the front doors have been hanging open for who knows how long, and nobody's even around to close them."
He slicked back his mane with a paw, preparing to push through Lord Stormhoof's personal guard. "In short? For the love of everything in your tower, stop ticking her off and give her what she wants so she fights on our side!"
Lord Stormhoof snorted. "Leave, Gazelle. You've helped far too much already."
Valey raised a threatening eyebrow at Gazelle. "Unless you're going to tell me Senescey somehow isn't dead, the best you can hope for is me leaving you alone."
Gazelle whistled innocently. "Maybe let's cross that bridge when we come to-"
POW!
A barbell flew like a boomerang, catching Gazelle in the flank and shoulders and sending him flying into a wall, where he slumped, dazed.
The barbell was followed by a single pair of massive hoofsteps, and a huge, buff pegasus walked around a corner and into sight, standing on his hind legs. "HMM." Randorf stood over the prince, surveying his handiwork as Valey and all the guards gaped. "IS THIS SATISFACTORY?"
"Good job," a dainty little voice replied from out of sight. Valey stared as a filly padded around the corner, her fur golden and two ribbons in her lengthy mane. She wore a dress that was understated yet dignified, looked about Starlight's age, and had wings, paws, sharp fangs and all the trappings of a sphinx. "Big brother, you're in big trouble."
Gazelle dizzily groaned.
All the guards instantly knelt, Stormhoof and Everlaste alike. The generals bowed too, and even Lord Stormhoof composed himself slightly. Valey just blinked. "...Who are you?"
The filly drew herself up, posture so perfect she cowed everyone in the hallway despite being half their height. "Princess Gwendolyn of Grandbell, first in line to be empress and right now, defender of my constituents. Big brother, wake up."
She slapped Gazelle across the muzzle with a little wing, earning a grunt. "L-Lyn?"
Gwendolyn frowned at him. "I heard from a friend you were messing around in Stormhoof and putting this castle in danger, so I came myself. Whatever you're doing here, call it off if you don't want it putting me in danger too."
"What the...?" Gazelle's eyes focused. "Lyn, no, this is a war zone! Who brought you here?"
The princess pointed at Randorf, nearly a dozen more creatures filing out to join him who all struck Valey as seasoned warriors... Likely high-level tournament fighters. She smiled. "Creatures with good hearts who were willing to help when their princess told them their country was in need. Now then!" She rounded on the existing guards, clearing her throat as the Stormhoof cabal stepped aside and cleared her a path.
"...Princess." Lord Stormhoof finally bowed too, still bristling with anger.
"Uncle Garland. Rise." Gwendolyn nodded. "I know you too, Admiral Valey." She pointed a wing at Valey. "As of right now, my army and I are this castle's new front line. If my brother doesn't like that, he can make sure nothing happens to us himself. Whatever you have been fighting about so far, I formally apologize for anything Grandbell had to do with it and my brother will as well, but you will stop now. This is unbecoming of the empire my parents left me."
Lord Stormhoof shuddered... and then stood. "I apologize. Having my castle cast in disgrace caused my anger to rise."
"Wonderful." Gwendolyn primly turned to Valey. "And what about you? You are the one everyone was fighting, weren't you?"
"Yep." Valey nodded. "And I'm still not leaving until I have what I want, but I'm not gonna fight anyone who doesn't attack first."
"Acceptable." The princess nodded. "State your terms."
Valey blinked. "Okay, so first off, Gazelle killed one of my friends and I'm ticked. He needs to pay for that. Second, he stole Felicity and probably has her somewhere in this castle. I want her back." She pointed at Lord Stormhoof, then at the window with a broken slit in the center where the sword had carved a clean passage through. "Third, he kicked my friend's cool sword out a window. It's kind of important and really dangerous in the wrong hooves, so I want it back. Also, out of everyone here how come the kid is being the reasonable one?"
A brief look of intense frustration passed across Gwendolyn's face before reverting to her usual diplomatic grace. "Where is Felicity and what does she mean, 'stole'?"
Gazelle coughed, getting to his paws. "Felicity is in a secure location, and won't be going anywhere any time soon as she's presently expecting the newly-deceased Lord Gyre's only possible heir..."
The princess's brow furrowed. "Lord Gyre is dead? And this isn't the first item on all of your agendas?"
A Stormhoof general raised his head slightly. "With all due respect, Princess, Gyre is not an endearing province and Gondolus Gyre was not an endearing lord. Everyone cares more about the security risk implied by his assassination than the fact that he's dead."
"Fine. Whatever." Gwendolyn scowled. "Gazelle, let Felicity go. There is a law on the books that consorts of deceased lords may be counted as part of their estates, but can't be held captive by them. This is illegal."
Gazelle curled his lip. "Lyn, this is a hypothetical warzone that could be crawling with assassins or sarosian invasions or who knows what at any moment. You belong somewhere safe. I do what I do for you, now trust me to know what I'm doing!"
The filly sighed. "Randorf, hit my brother again. He's being stupid."
As Randorf kicked and Gazelle dodged, Valey sidled uncertainly closer to the griffon general. "He's not worried about getting in trouble for attacking... You know, the high prince?"
The general didn't look up. "She can pardon any crime that isn't a heresy."
"I'm sorry about this," Gwendolyn added, padding towards Valey. "My brother is too good at making creatures mad for his own good. I'll get through to him. In the meantime, he was saying things about this castle being invaded. Is there anything you can tell me about what we might be defending from?"
Valey shrugged, now at an awkward peace with the Stormhoof and Everlaste guards. "Couldn't tell ya. He was talking about batponies, but that could mean anything. For all I know, he-"
"Alright, alright, I give!" Gazelle squalled, tired of dodging mighty blows from Randorf and two others. "I'll take you to Felicity! You can have her, alright!? Have fun making me Lord Gyre..."
"Wonderful." Gwendolyn perked up, striding back to her recruited gladiators. "Valey with me, please. Uncle Garland, do what you can for your castle's defense. We will be right back."
"Here we are," Gazelle sighed, carefully unlocking a door and shooting a glance at his sister. "Now, since tensions are already high, I figure we ought to get this out of the way here and now..."
The door swung aside to reveal a dim room with two waiting forms. Felicity was there... and Senescey sat at her side.
"Buh?" Valey blinked. "Wait, you're still..." She turned to glare at Gazelle, who was grinning sheepishly.
"It was a paralysis gun," Felicity sighed. "Listen, darling, we have a lot to tell you, and-"
"Explanations will have to wait," a new voice said, a side room lighting up to reveal Meltdown and several unicorns. "This is a bad place and time."
Valey instantly bristled. "This had better not be a trap..."
Gwendolyn's sharp eyes shot between the unicorns and Gazelle. "Explain."
"Teleportation guild." Gazelle shrugged, holding out his paws. "Yes, I admit it. Chains were yanked. A lot of grievances to be aired, probably all at yours truly. But I have what I want, this night has overall gone magnificently despite the tiny little hitch of my dear sister showing up, and now it's time for everyone in our act to exit stage left." He pointed to the unicorns. "That lot have a teleportation lock on your airship, and some of the best range we have. Been setting it up for days now. In short, they're your ride home. On the house, and as a show of good faith I'll even go with you so you can grill me all you like about what just went down. Take your new friends, flee the Empire, I don't care. This, my little ponies, is where I give you an all-expenses-paid ticket out of drama llama land."
Valey frowned. "What about the whole I don't wanna be Lord Gyre thing? You're suddenly helping us get away? What?"
"Like I said, time for explaining later. Time's wasting away, must get back to your friends, chop chop!" Gazelle clapped his paws.
Gwendolyn frowned suspiciously at the teleportation unicorns. "Where will you take everyone?"
The unicorns bowed. "The Immortal Dream airship, which has been moored in this castle's harbor regularly over the last month."
"They're trustworthy," the princess announced, poking Gazelle. "You, though, are staying here and helping clean up this mess you made."
"Ah ah ah!" Gazelle waggled a paw-claw. "I only raise tensions, remember? I'm simply rotten at de-escalation. And in case this lot don't trust me enough to take me up on my free ride, I'm going on ahead. You all can live with me running around on your airship, or come along to stop me."
"Nope. No." Valey put her hoof down. "You are not making a mess on our boat tonight."
"Oh, I'll try not to party too noisily." Gazelle winked... then grabbed Gwendolyn under a wing. "And you, little tyke, are coming with me."
"H-Hey!" The filly struggled, but couldn't break free. "I'm defending this castle! Don't-!"
Gazelle clapped a paw over her mouth, nodding to a unicorn and then whispering loudly and crossly in her ear. "Not. A war zone. For fillies."
The unicorn reached them, and in a burst of light they were gone.
"UHHH." Randorf looked at where the princess had been.
"Well, great." Valey aggressively slumped. "Hey big guy, good fight this morning. Take care of this castle, and all. Taxi!" She marched up to another unicorn, checking her mark for danger. "After those three!"
Felicity and Senescey moved for the teleporters as well. Only a heartbeat before the three of them were gone, Valey realized she never had caught back up to Larceny after all.