“Twilight, I understand wanting to help these ponies.” Applejack stared at the militiaponies and then back at her. “But I think we got bigger problems to deal with! Besides, how would we even help them right now?”
“We are waiting, princess!” Grape Donut called loudly backed by his ponies with muskets trained on them. Almost a dozen barrels aimed at her and friends, certainly loaded with magical subduing bullets but that wasn’t the point.
Rarity thankfully, like the others remained quiet and patiently ready.
Twilight bit her lip and her eyes shifted nervously among the ponies in front of her. She had heard both of them but wasn’t sure how to deal with the situation and found herself in a bind she didn’t know how to get out of. Those weren’t new in her life, but she needed time to think and she wasn’t preemptively prepared for the situation as she usually was.
She had made an argument as well as a small show of ‘princessdom’ to stall, but she was quickly running out of time.
She knew she and her friends could defeat these ponies in a fight even if they were already at a disadvantage, but then… How would they feel? It was an awkward situation to be in! She had to hurry too because Princess Celestia would notice the commotion eventually, and right then she would not be able to confront her. The sooner she left the better. She preferably should go already on her journey because she would need a lot more evidence than she had if it came to an official hearing. Which is what would happen if she ended up being captured too soon.
That is considering the Princess didn’t do something to her, and she still rather not think too much of all the things an evil Princess Celestia could do to her.
At the same time, she felt she had to do something about these ponies. If they just beat them and left, they would be left even worse than they already seemed to be. Wouldn’t they? The worst part of it was that she wouldn’t be sure how to proceed even if she had everything in her favor.
She knew that she would eventually find a way of dealing with that satisfactorily, but she didn’t have the time… Lord Donut already seemed like he’s patience was exhausted.
“Lord Donut!” She finally called. “Listen to me! We are on an important mission and you must let us go! I promise that we will get things right as soon as we’re back.”
“Do you take me for stupid, Princess?” He only got angrier. “This is your last warming!”
She scowled. Great time he had picked to start doing his job. It just so happened that she was starting to run out of her patience too! Things could only get worse from there.
“Halt!” A familiar voice called from the sky and Chocolate Velvet dropped out of the blue, both figuratively and literally, standing close to Grape Donut’s ponies and drawing everypony’s attentions with his flamboyant display of large wings and shiny golden armor over his flowing white and blue robes.
“Princess Celestia finds herself extremely disappointed, Twilight Sparkle!” He pointed at her in such a dramatic display of attention-grabbing theatrics the princess imagined Rarity must have felt her title for drama-queen threatened. “Her Highness could not believe the mayhem you have created!”
Her eye trembled a bit. “That I created?! It’s all because-“
“Hush!” He shouted petulantly and standing on his hind legs. “Whatever you think you are doing is irrelevant! Were it not for you this would have been a perfectly fine day for Her Highness’ subjects of Ponyville!”
Back on his fours he turned around, letting his mane and robes flail around making him seen even bigger and addressed her while looking at the assembled ponies. “Now because of you and your retinue, ponies are pointing hooves and yelling at each other! Harmony weeps at such display of disarray.”
“Harmony weeps…” Applejack sighed. “For pony’s sake.”
“But!” Twilight caught and quieted herself, finally understanding what he was doing. He had managed to get the attentions of the general populace assembled nearby and had a similar effect on Grape Donut and his ponies too.
“No quarter for your insolence young princess!” He stared back at them and she shut her lips, but… Oh boy… Was he lucky she couldn’t put him in his place right then. “Had you and your misguided gang surrendered at first opportunity, as is expected from distinctive members of the nobility in such a situation, you would have spared the town of this most disruptive commotion!”
“He is enjoying this far too much…” Rarity mumbled to Twilight, unamused. “Really…”
The worst part is that some ponies seemed to be agreeing with him!
Finally, the alicorn turned to the line of militiaponies keeping his muzzle high. “Lord Protector!”
“Sir?!” Grape Donut started. “Yes! Your Highness?”
Her Highness expects Ponyville’s Finest to ensure that this situation is dealt with and order is restored with the utmost celerity!”
“Absolutely, your highness!” The pony thrust forward his chest, as much as his tight barding would allow, at least. “As the princess commands!”
“Outstanding! I shall leave you to it, then.” He jumped a little hop, flapped his wings, gained height and flew over the houses.
There was a moment of silence.
“I thought he was going to help us…” Semolina Pudding, like the others stared up the rooftops where he had vanished.
“Typical Canterlot. Doesn’t matter. It’s our job.” Their commander spat on the ground and then stared again at the princess and her group of friends. “You have been sufficiently warned! Have at them, ponies!”
In that exact moment a large magic energy shield manifested in front of the group of ponies backing the princess. A solid, curved wall of purple energy marked with the design of the star within a shield topped by three stars. The crackling of muskets signaled the assembled ponyvillians to spread in barely contained panic amid screams and even louder thundering hooves. Magical crystal bullets exploded harmlessly on the shield with a sequence of bangs and soft flashes.
A purple body shot up to the sky, the young dragon flew away between the houses with a white bundle and the pink pony dragged the crystal pony away, so fast Grape Donut barely noticed it. Muskets were fired again and two of his militiaponies fell to the ground with gasps as the magic in the bullets exploded on their faces, away from their barding, and released their subduing magic. Smoke rose from the Princess’ guards’ muskets at either side of the shield.
He didn’t have time to think, but figured they still had the advantage. His own ponies drew their batons and he was actually proud at the way they kept the formation. They would wait for his order to charge.
He also noticed that the orange pony, ‘The’ Applejack, charged towards them from one side of their magical shield and, from the other side, ‘The’ Captain Shining Armor also charged at them. Both were unarmed, it seemed, though the orange one had a holstered firearm in her barding and a greatsword. She didn’t seem keen on using them though, and he had no idea how an earth pony could use a greatsword effectively.
“Captain Armor!” The unicorn guard of the Princess tossed him her halberd and he caught it in mid sprint with his magic. The thing spun its momentum off in his magical grasp next to him while he closed the distance, pointing the butt side of the weapon towards his ponies.
They were two. And his ponies were more than ten. Grape Donut was perfectly convinced that they could beat these two for a starter especially after Twilight’s two guards had discharged their muskets.
“Charge them!” Grape Donut cried, but it was followed by cracking thunder in the sky. A storm of magical projectiles rained on them spiraling down from the purple alicorn who held her scepter next to her, high above.
His ponies where bombarded with a hail of exploding purple light and scattered, driven to panic by bright flashes and loud bangs. A broken formation, completely ineffective and still being hit by the princess’ magic.
Gunfire came from the back. He didn’t even know how, but both Ladies Rarity and Starlight Glimmer were BEHIND his line and the white unicorn moved like a ghost, blinking out of existence for an instant while his guard hit nothing but the air and then had his muzzle smashed by the guard of her hoof-held rapier when she reappeared. And next to her, the pinkish unicorn tied three of his ponies back to back with a spell. Complete with a bow.
It was near this moment that Semolina realized that she was not one of the fighters, should not be in the middle of all that, and did the only thing that she really could: dropped to the ground with a shriek and covered her head under the scary magic. Grape Donut though, thought fast and jumped on top of her to be hit in her place by the princess’ magic.
The result was that he found himself immobilized by a large pink ball of bubblegum. It smelled of tutti-frutti, but most importantly he realized they were hopelessly outclassed. The orange pony threw one of his against the ground and then kicked another, sending him reeling back. The scuffle ended when Captain armor tripped his lanky brown earth pony guard with the butt of his weapon and then pinned him to the ground with it holding the weapon with his hooves for leverage. Cleverly, his pony didn’t resist.
Half his ponies, including himself were stuck inside stupid bubblegum balls, and the others cowered a safe distance away or had surrendered.
“Hurry!” Twilight cried from above, pointing with a hoof and her friends broke into gallop, accompanied by her and Spike right above, as well as Pinkie Pie and the crystal pony maid, seemingly coming out of nowhere.
“I’m not prepared to do this sort of thing!” Miss Calcite did her best to keep up in her uniform, and Pinkie giggled, keeping next to her.
“Get them!!” Grape Donut did his best to remain still, but his bubblegum casing kept rolling around with him. “Get up and chase them! Go! GO!”
His shouts ended when the rolling ball shoved his face on the ground, but a few of his ponies did manage to find the courage and followed his orders. They would have to gain quite a significant ground in their chase, but they were not out yet. A part of his mind allowed him dreaming they could still stop their quarry. Even if they couldn’t, they would still try.
Far ahead, Spike flew next to Twilight and handed her the happily cheering baby, whom Twilight smiled at while quickly looking her over. She seemed to be alright.
“Twilight!” Applejack called her from the ground as they ran between the houses and the group divided itself in the narrow spaces. “What about Rainbow and Fluttershy!”
“They’ll have to catch up!” But she thought for an instant. “Rainbow will be fine! When the ship is moving, we’ll look for Fluttershy! Right now, we have to reach the Magic of Friendship and hope the crew kept her!”
***
Chocolate Velvet followed Celestia in a quick trot in between the ponyvillian houses, also using the small alleys, but different ones as they meant to go to the Militia Headquarters instead of chasing Twilight and her friends.
“I’m not sure this is going to work the way you intend, Celestia!” He nervously followed the quick pace she imposed. “The local militia can’t catch Twilight!”
“Of course, they can’t.” She didn’t stop or look back at him. “Twilight and her herd are seasoned adventurers with the best enchanted equipment we could make. Not to mention that they are constantly training and participating in our weekly sparring sessions. I never intended for them to succeed.”
“But… Twilight will escape!”
“Temporarily, yes.” She remained as calm as ever. “But Chrysalis said they are going to Griffinsky, the Lion’s Fortress in Snow Mountain hold. The only way they can reach it in Twilight’s airship is through Manehattan. They’ll need supplies and stopping at Manehattan will be enough risk already. Snow Mountain is to the North-East, and though griffon lands cover most of the eastern continent, she knows that she must go straight there because she is running from me and the Chancellor is desperate for support. He would invest in capturing a wayward princess for my favor.”
He listened quietly, still following her.
“She won’t make it to Manehattan, though. We will ambush them near Baltimare. Unfortunately, the Bordello of Candy is closed, but I’ve made reservations in a local casino resort!” She giggled and pranced excitedly in place for a while. “The guards will love the idea and Twilight, Cadance and their friends can relax for a while before we have a conversation. After all, if I went to Twilight now, she would feel cornered and could confront me. It would turn very ugly.”
“But, perhaps most Important…” She stopped at an intersection and looked around to see if anyone was around, them looked back at him. “We have to figure out what happened here.”
He was confused. “I thought you said that it was that they couldn’t seek to fulfil their destinies.”
“The Animus Imperative, yes.” She turned to him. “But I should have been aware that there was something wrong in here. I am willing to wager a significant amount of cake that somewhere along the administrative chain somepony was comfortable letting them be miserable because trying to fix the issue was going to involve a lot of work and bring attention to them filling their saddlebags with public security funds.”
Since he simply stared expectantly at her she went on. “Royal Treasury money for Ponyville’s militia is coming down to Ponyville through Canterlot County and complaints about the militia should be going up, but they never reached me. If the militia is not being useful, the local administration is going to reduce their funding because local resources can be used in any way they want. But that would be noticed by the Canterlot County administration and they would need to figure out what is going on, and then adjust the amount of money that is directed at Ponyville for public security, and also report to the Royal Treasury so that we stop putting money were it isn’t needed, because County and Royal resources can only be used for what they are destined. The whole system is coordinated by the administrations, they are supposed to communicate to each other, making each other’s job easier.”
“Well, if nopony knew that Ponyville Militia was wasting resources, then these would keep being transferred, but since they would not be needed at their destination, nopony would notice if they vanished. Not to mention that complaints are stopping somewhere in the chain. Complaints create noise, you know.”
“It could be somepony in the Ponyville Mayor’s office, it could be Lord Protector Grape Donut, but it could also be somepony in the County Militia Administration. It could be the archduke. It could be somepony in the royal treasury. It could be Shining Armor, since he is the one that gives me the reports from every branch of the Royal Guard and Local Militias. I believe the problem is with the County administration, because their inspectors report directly to the head of their department, so the Lord Protector for the County could be in trouble.”
Then she put a wing over his armored back and grinned like he was his buddy about to do some mischief. “So, here is what we are going to do: I have sent Crucible Wings to delay the airship. And you will join the militia and make sure that they don’t lose too badly… They need some motivation. Meanwhile, I will be in the Militia Headquarters or the Mayor’s Office, rallying my ponies to audit the whole thing.”
“What if I manage to capture Twilight?” He asked and gave him the smuggest of smiles and poked his chest with a hoof.
“Then I will get you something special, Sir Chocolate Velvet.”
***
While the majority of Ponyville’s local militia was ordered by their Lieutenant to converge and engage their targets in the streets, those were the ponies involved in the ‘Teleporter Fiasco’, as Semolina called it. The ones that held the damn thing and never even got involved until their boss told them to stop wasting time there.
The truth is that the ponies that had been sent to the Princess’ palace didn’t engage her and instead kept a standoff observation of their target. Nothing to do with the fact that she left the palace accompanied by two Royal Guards. Not at all. Later, they rejoined with the others.
The ponies sent to Sweet Apple Acres never arrived, instead remained with the ones in the teleporter because that seemed like less of a hassle than dealing with the Apples.
The ponies sent to Carousel Boutique never reported back and Grape Donut feared the worst. They probably went for lunch or something like that…
Other ponies that hadn’t reported in yet were the two pairs sent to Fluttershy’s cottage and to Rainbow Dash’s cloud mansion. The first pair was expected to succeed in their mission of apprehending the shy pegasus, but the second pair was pretty much considered out of action already.
The thing is that, despite his initial lack of faith in his mission and troops, Grape Donut knew what he was doing, after all, at one moment, he was very motivated with his career. So, when he found in town an old acquaintance from his time studying everything there was to know about military doctrine, he asked for a favor.
Because of that the two pegasus guardsponies of Ponyville were supposed to lay a watch over their resident Wonderbolt’s mansion and wait for his friend’s arrival. And so, they did. One a light gray male with a soft electric blue mane cut in the mohawk style, and the other a deep blue female, with a red and white long mane. Both wore their ‘pegasus-cut’ leather barding, complete with wheellock pistol on a holster and magical stunning baton.
They laid on a nearby cloud keeping watch over the cloud mansion. They hoof-made a small mound behind which they could hide and rest their front legs while holding their spyglasses. The ones issued by the militia weren’t very good or pretty, but they got their job done.
“I’m not seeing her on the upper floor.” The male one said in a calm and low voice. “Do you see her Candy?”
His answer was a soft snore.
“What? Candy?!” He looked to his side and was greeted by the sight of the cute blue mare laying on her back and snoozing without a care in the world. How she managed to sleep with the barding on he’ll never know but stared hard at her and called her in the loudest whisper he’d manage. “Candy! What the hay! Wake up!”
She started for an instant and stared at him. “What?! Is she out already?!”
“No! You’re sleeping!” He was almost angry. “Come on! This is our chance!”
“What?” She rubbed her eyes and barely seemed to focus on him.
He couldn’t decide if she was just still sleepy of if she really had forgotten what they had come there to do. “Candy! We gotta watch Rainbow Dash! If we do this right, Princess Celestia is gonna say nice things about us, we’re gonna get more funding and we’re gonna get better equipment! Ponies will like us more! Mayor Mare might even authorize a raise in our salary!”
“Yeah, yeah… I know.” She righted herself to lay on her belly, fumbling with her barding for a while until she found her own spyglass. “I just don’t think it’s going to make that much of a difference, you know?”
“What do you mean?” He watched as she held a sad face and brought her instrument to her eye rather disinterested in whatever she might ever see there.
“Canterlot doesn’t care about us…” She lowered her spyglass for an instant. “Sorry to burst your bubble. Really. But we won’t get more funding or fame. There’s somepony in Canterlot that’s dinning every night in a fancy restaurant thanks to us and money that should be coming to us.”
“Wow.” His eyes widened. “Do you really think so? I don’t know… Gramma always told me that Princess Celestia watched over us from her palace in Canterlot.”
The mare rolled her eyes. “Yeah… She’s too busy making sure that the rich ponies get richer so that they keep supporting her. How else do you rule a nation for… Heck… Thousands of years?”
“Geez, you’re very cynical, know that?” He frowned in a small display of annoyance. “Just because there are a few annoying ponies in Canterlot, it doesn’t mean that all of them are bad, or even that Princess Celestia is in cahoots with them or something like that. The princesses are perfect and everything they do is for the good of Equestria even if we don’t understand it right away.”
Then it was Candy’s turn to show a frustrated expression. “Let me know when you grow out of childhood crush on the princesses. Then we can discuss about us trying to apprehend one of their friends because the Big Mare in Canterlot decided we should. Twilight is probably missing her tribute or some horseapples like that.”
The pegasus mare then frowned deeply and spoke in a low, serious voice. “I hear they do all sorts of weird parties and orgies in those fancy airships of theirs… It’s the sort of thing too much money will do to you. It’s disgusting…”
“Yeah… I need to grow up, right?” The other pegasus deadpanned, but suddenly the cloud shifted a little and they turned around to see a big, scary griffon standing next to them. Emphasis on ‘scary’.
While she squeaked like a rubber toy, her partner gasped and let his spyglass fall through the cloud.
“Kept you waiting, huh? Are you with the Ponyville Militia?” He asked in a rough voice, the typical voice you’d expect from a hardened veteran. For some reason.
Griffons were big by the definitions of most ponies, and also scary by the same definition and, when they had the attitude to match, they were doubly scary. This one was all that and gray bodied, with their typical white head were a bizarre scar went up the right side of his face through his eye that was covered with a black eye-patch. His left eye seemed perfect, though. They didn’t know if its natural color was that icy gray or if he, somehow, had such a hardened and cold look about him that his eye seemed so. It made sense in the head of a pair of intimidated ponies.
He seemed ready for business too, wearing a black studded leather armor complete with metal plated armbands and leggings, not to mention gloves that allowed his claws through. The two ponies didn’t know why he carried weapons because those claws and his intimidating presence seemed more than enough to put out anything, but he had a collection of them. He carried one of the famous griffon revolver muskets on his back, on his side he had one of those new and fancy revolvers, though the revolver itself wasn’t adorned in any way. Finally, he had a knife across his chest.
He looked like a soldier, not like a law enforcement officer. That rubbed Candy Crush in the wrong direction.
For a second or two he simply stared at the two until the female pegasus cleared her throat and smiled awkwardly, offering a hoof. “Ah… Yes! We are with the Ponyville Militia! I’m Candy Crush. And he is Flight Worthy.”
The griffon bumped her hoof with his fist but spoke coldly. “I’ll have to report you to your superior officer for gossiping on watch duty.”
‘Definitively military…’ She grunted internally. ‘At least he didn’t catch me sleeping…’
The two ponies though, exchanged a glance, and then Candy insisted. “Hum. So, you’re our contact, right? What do we call you, then?”
“Flying Snake.”
“Oooh… Cool name.” She laughed awkwardly. “Were did you get the cool scar to match?”
“Don’t we have a job to do?”
“Oh! Yeah! Right! Uh…” While Candy Crush fumbled with her words, Flight Worthy approached the griffon with a more professional demeanor.
“Our mission is to apprehend Rainbow Dash. We’ve been scouting her mansion and she hasn’t left yet. She’s supposed to leave for Ponyville soon however, since her friends are waiting for her in Princess Twilight’s airship dock. We also have seen her through windows, and she seemed like she was getting ready to leave, grabbing stuff and such.”
The griffon hummed after acknowledging the pegasus and surveyed the building. “I’ll infiltrate from the top. You two create a diversion at the entrance.”
Candy Crush immediately realized she was getting the short end of the stick, the one that usually got beat up and was rewarded with a pat on the back, but before she could complain her companion had his chest all puffed up under his barding, looking like he belonged on the Royal Guard with a headful of all those words they used to make a pony do stupid things like ‘duty’ and ‘honor.
She simply sighed to herself and followed her companion to the door, waiting while he banged on it with his hoof. “Rainbow Dash! Ponyville Militia! Open up!”
There were a few seconds of silence, when Candy Crush eyed the top the cloud house and saw the griffon sneaking in through a window. Eventually, the answer came from inside. “Why?”
“Because you have to! It’s an official order from a royal-sanctioned law enforcement authority!” Flight Worthy shouted back and put his ear to the icy door only to have it smash against his face and throw him off the steps.
“Open enough for ya?” The blue pegasus chuckled like she had made a good joke and Candy Crush immediately drew her magical shock baton, holding it in her mouth and quickly taking the chance while her target was distracted. It was one quick and fluid motion that would’ve filled Royal Guards with jealousy.
Surprisingly, she also did manage to hit her target with its crystal point, completely surprising Dash, but nothing happened other than a small click. The two stared at each other, confused for a second, before the militiapony prodded her with the baton a few more times, without better results.
“Oh, for pony’s sake!!” She grabbed it with a hoof and shook it angrily.
At least Rainbow Dash had remained where she was, staring at the thing as much as Candy was, more curious than anything. “Wanna try again?”
The militia pony snarled and tried to hit the other in the head with the thing in her heel, but she was nowhere near as fast as Rainbow Dash, who jumped in and headbutted her causing both to roll down the steps. The baton fell through the cloud and Candy hoped to whatever gods might be listening the griffon wouldn’t take long to help when she landed on her back with Rainbow Dash over her.
Out of options under her opponent, she bit at Rainbow’s mane and pulled as hard as she could, bringing her down over herself and caused the surprised pegasus to yelp painfully. That earned her a kick on the belly that, even under the barding’s protection knocked the air out of her.
“Now you’re gonna get it!” She had lost her grip on the other’s mane and Rainbow pushed her against the cloud, making it a weird fluffy hole she was stuck on. She couldn’t even see it, so fast it all happened, but she heard when her assailant’s hoof connected, and bone broke with a harsh jolt of pain all the way to her neck.
Candy’s hooves found her muzzle with another jolt of pain and a muffled cry. She prepared to receive another hit, but what happened instead is that the griffon tackled the pegasus and tumbled away with her.
Mid-tumble he drew his knife and tried to hit his target’s jaw with its butt, but before he could connect she kicked him with all four legs at his midsection and flew away, landing a good distance from him, watching while he recovered himself. She kept a fighting stance, with flared wings and pawed at the cloud menacingly. “Who the hay are you?!”
He stood on his hind legs and stared back at her while he sheathed his knife. “Crown-Registered mercenary and bounty-hunter. You’re in contempt with Ponyvillian Local Militia and I am under contract to take you in. Now stand down before I hurt you bad!”
“Heh! Make me!” Her muzzle flashed a cocky smile.
His eyes narrowed in concentration.
His hand flew faster than any griffon’s and drew his griffon-made revolver. Fast as lightning it shot its five magic ball bullets and all five of them collided on the icy wall the pegasus literally pulled out of the cloud in front of her. That she then kicked and turned into thousands of sharp ice shards that showered against the griffon. Stupid… He was old enough to know not to fight a trained pegasus on a damn cloud.
“Dammit!” He grunted with a wing over his face. Feathers froze and shredded, his whole wing burned with cold and hundreds of diminutive cuts.
Next thing she had flown away with her cocky laughter.
A rainbow trail led inside her house, her bedroom he remembered, and then towards Ponyville. He thought of giving chase immediately, but the blue pegasus from the militia had not climbed out of the cloud yet, and she could be injured; so he went to her, finding her laying on her back, holding her muzzle in her hooves and with a bloodied barding.
“You’re injured give me your hoof.” He laid by the hole in the cloud and reached with his arm, pulling up the injured mare.
“You okay?!” The griffon gave her some space after she had stabilized herself in a sitting position with one heel over her muzzle.
“Bitch broke my muzzle!” She stared at the blood on her heel. “I can’t believe this! I don’t get paid enough for this! Oww…”
“Baton malfunctioned?” He was checking his own flight feathers but noticed the pegasus seemed to be in undue pain, so he turned his attention back to her. “Let me see.”
She raised her muzzle a bit for him to see. “It’s not that bad. Hold still. It’s broken, alright, but your militia’s doctor should be able to set it.”
“Pfft. Our ‘doc’. He went to Canterlot after he had got enough credit with the Canterlot University and never returned.” She grumbled angrily. “We go to Ponyville’s hospital when we’re injured.”
“Get a hold of yourself soldier. Job’s not done yet: she flew to Ponyville. The rest of the militia must be getting ready to assault her meeting point with her friends.”
“Yeah, yeah…” While the griffon grabbed his revolver rifle, she went to Flight Worthy, still out cold, laying on his side with barely a scratch and a small bruise on his cheek. She rolled her eyes… She got punched and headbutted resulting in a broken muzzle. He got hit by a giant door and barely got a bruise.
She kicked him in the belly through the barding and he yelped more in surprise than in pain and stared at her. “What happened to your muzzle?!”
“Rainbow Dash kissed me. What do you think?! Get up already, she flew to Ponyville.” She turned her back to him and walked toward the griffon. Really didn’t want to know how her face looked like right now.
Fortunately, the griffon was already done working his flight feathers and was ready to go. “Can you fly?”
“Yeah.” She grumbled some more. “Not like I got a choice anyway.”
“Stop complaining.” His berating deep voice almost made her recoil. “Your technique was sloppy. Had it been a real fight you’d be dead now.”
She didn’t answer. Simply jumped off the cloud and took flight ahead of the other two.
***
Brisk Bronco and Marble Hoof walked the small trail out of town, bordering the forest and were very happy with the job they had gotten. Capturing Fluttershy ought to be the easiest task of this whole operation. Both earth ponies, one was a larger than the typical specimen, with yellow coat and orange mane going with his eyes. Would’ve been impressive looking if not for his dulled colors and near constant pissed off expression. The other was a deep brown with a sand-colored mane and green eyes with white hooves, hence his name, and was much comelier, not to mention a normal size.
While the first was known for being aggressive and often intimidated ponies by threat of violence in the random jobs they actually got in the Militia, the second was levelheaded and remained one of the quasi-professional militiaponies, even if he had some weird ideas. He was one of the last members to join and still retained some semblance of sense of duty. He liked to think that was the reason the Lord Protector had paired him with his partner, for example.
That is, Brisk Bronco was never a very sweet and nice pony, but he could swear he had gotten worse when things started going south in the militia, and his strength started serving more as a liability than an asset. He knew his friend wasn’t bad or anything, but he did have a short temper and often didn’t seem to understand basic things about living in a community.
Soon the pair reached Fluttershy’s Cottage and all her animals seemed to be apprehensive over something. Maybe they realized their caretaker was going to travel for a while?
While Marble hoof stopped to look at a pair of squirrels hurrying up a tree, the other went up to the door and violently banged on the door, yelling like a deranged psychopath.
“Open the door Fluttershy! That is an order!”
“Dude! What are you doing?” The other held his hoof on his own. “Are you crazy?! That is not how we approach a suspect!”
“She’s not a suspect, bro!” Simply banged on the door again. “She’s a criminal that we gotta apprehend and she’s a mare. Gotta show them who’s boss. They get uppity if you don’t put them in their place.”
“Gee… And I wondered why Blackie left you.”
He banged some more on the door. “Fluttershy! Open this door before you regret it.”
“Man, how did you pass the ‘de-escalating approach’ training?”
“I showed that pansy-flank instructor who’s a savage brute.” He smiled to himself. “Yeah… Showed him good.”
He was going to bang at the door again, but it opened. They didn’t see the yellow pegasus they expected, though. Instead, it was a light-green earth pony mare with a messy reddish mane and purple eyes in a very relaxed expression.
“Dude. Your aura is like… All aggressive. Do you need something to relax?”
“Who are you?” The big earth pony stared her squarely in the eyes. She simply blinked slowly.
“I’m Tree Hugger. I’m taking tea. Herbal tea. With my friends. Do you want some?”
“I don’t want no tea!” Brisk aggressively put his hoof on the doorframe. “Get Fluttershy out here, now!”
Marble gave up and sat to the side, massaging his forehead in frustration while the pony by the door seemed unfazed. “Fluttershy’s a little scared right now. Of you. So, could you like… Stop yelling and such?”
“Lady, get your friend out here before I go in and smash your faces in for interfering with militia business!” Her mane waved about with his angry shouting, but her face remained serene.
“Be right back.” She stepped away from the door and turned inside. “Discord. This pony wants to smash your face in.”
“Great… Will you let me do the talking, please?” The smaller and frustrated pony pushed the other back to see the draconequus standing before the door when next he looked.
He raised an eyebrow and petted his beard. “I don’t recognize you two. Who are you, again?”
“Ah…” Marble raised his hoof, all friendly and smiling. “Hello, Mister Discord. I mean… Lord of Chaos, right? Hello! I am Marble Hoof. Nice meeting you!”
When the creature simply stared critically at him the pony went on. “You see, we’re here to invite Lady Fluttershy to come with us. She’s needed at the Ponyville Militia Headquarters. That is all!”
Then he gave Discord his most friendly and confident smile.
The Lord of Chaos narrowed his eyes, though. At that Fluttershy appeared from the door, smiling sheepishly. She wore two robes, and the one on top seemed to conceal light barding, if Marble hoof could thrust his eyes. Over her back, her saddle had several pouches and straps with all sorts of containers and she also wore a pair of matching saddlebags.
“Fluttershy, my dear… I believe you said you would be going on a trip with your friends?” He still stared at the two militiaponies.
“Yes.” She grinned awkwardly. “That is why Tree Hugger will be caring for my animals.”
“Where are you going, again?” He looked at her. “Last time I saw you with this outfit, the diamond dogs had uncovered some old monster in a mine.”
She simply hummed quietly. “Well, it’s an adventure.”
“And yet these two… Dumbbells for Brains and Smarmy Hooves, came here to take dear little Fluttershy to Ponyville… Wearing barding and with these shooting sticks ponies call pistols. Because you’re needed at the militia headquarters.”
The two simply nodded.
“Sounds fun!” He concluded with glee. “Let’s go!”
“Discord!” The pegasus called frantically. “Wait!”
He snapped his fingers and all four of them vanished in a flash. Tree Hugger simply, calmly, closed the door.
***
Those of the militia that were not in condition to chase Twilight and her cohort right away returned to the headquarters, as was the standard procedure. They would care for what injuries they had suffered, nothing too serious, such as bruises, one chipped tooth, a small cut, a few mildly burnt coats and copious amounts of tutti-frutti bubblegum.
Despite his embarrassment of being rolled around inside his bubblegum casing, Grape Donut was aware that his ponies were really doing their best, even properly setting up assistance for those more injured when they arrived in the offices area, an effort Semolina, as the one that actually wasn’t injured in any way, took the lead on. It felt magical to see things working like they were supposed to, for a change.
They were soon joined by his contact the bounty-hunter griffon, and his two ponies sent after Rainbow Dash. Semolina quickly went to see Candy’s broken muzzle because Flight Worthy’s bruise wasn’t too serious. The griffon said he’d himself tend to his burnt and scrapped wing. He did go talk to the Lord Protector, though.
“Thanks for coming, Snake.” The pony said, offering him a pack of ice and them going back to removing the sticky substance from his coat. “Did she give you trouble?”
“I was stupid. Underestimated her.” An ointment over his wing’s muscled parts alleviated some of the burn. He looked around for a few seconds. “What is the situation? The Princess seems to have hit you tough.”
“We would be dead if she meant it.” The pony sat on the floor with a frowny expression. “They’re not out of the town yet or the ponies that chased them would be back by now… We must go… They’re probably at Twilight’s dry dock.”
“I’ll be on it as soon as I can get my wing ready to fly.” The mercenary was wrapping bandages over his wing and his disposition surprised and made the pony think of how much that thing must’ve hurt, and he wondered where the griffon got the motivation to keep going. Oh, yeah… Sort of the problem with the militia. Right.
The door opened and a Royal Guard pegasus came in, all white and blue with his golden barding. He brought all attentions to him when he simply stood by the door. Then the Princess entered, and the ponies gasped. She was followed by Sir Chocolate Velvet, who closed the door behind her.
Ponies bowed before her and she gently responded the act with an ostensive nod of her own before she spoke. “Lord Protector, your ponies are chasing Princess Twilight to her airship. She means to escape the town.”
He rubbed his hooves together, suddenly completely overwhelmed by his self-consciousness of the present situation. But before he could say anything, she continued. “The ship will take some time to power its magical engines, I am told, and your ponies can still join those who chased them and are, no doubt, attacking the airship right now, before she leaves her berth.”
He swallowed his insecurity. “Yes, your highness. We’ll redeploy as soon as we offered first aid to our injured.”
The princess nodded, looking around at the ponies doing their best not to stare and busy themselves with getting ready to go back out there. Then Semolina came to Grape Donut with a very worried expression. Honestly, it almost scared him that she called him by his actual name.
“Grape! Candy Crush’s not well… I mean, her muzzle is broken. She needs to go to the hospital and get medical help.”
He frowned a little. It was very fortunate that, of all that happened, it was only their ‘pretty pegasus’ that had a more serious injury. He worried, though, if it would leave her with any sort of scar or deformity… She wouldn’t take it well. Then he noticed the princess was near his pony. “That is gonna be a problem. The hospital is probably full of scared ponies and the odd injured in the stampede. She may have to wait.”
And that made things worse, because he knew her injury should be tended to fast.
Meanwhile, Celestia approached her slowly and stared curiously. The beautiful blue pegasus sat atop one of the desks and held a wet cloth to her muzzle. She looked away from the princess, but Celestia took it as shame. Her beautiful face had a very swollen and dark colored muzzle, that also seemed a little offset to the side.
“Chocolate.” The princess looked back at her knight, whose ears perked up at the mention of his name. “Her muzzle is broken. See if you can help her.”
He quickly trotted up to her taking the space Celestia left for him and reached for the cloth with his magic. “Don’t worry. I was a doctor before becoming a knight.”
He looked at her now exposed muzzle and the pegasus shifted her eyes to Semolina, standing nearby. The latter shrugged and put on the desk a tray with first aid supplies she was carrying. Candy resigned to remaining still and let the alicorn examine her, which he did by touching her with his telekinetic magic.
“It’s an incomplete fracture.” He stared intently at her muzzle and she blushed a little. “I can set it in place. Now I’ll cast an anesthetic spell. Hold still.”
Suddenly her muzzle ‘clicked back in place’ and she squeaked, more in surprise than in pain. The alicorn quickly rolled up some of the bandage with some sort of ointment and placed the two rolls inside her nostrils, them covering and fixating her muzzle with more bandage on the outside. Then he stepped back.
“Try to keep it still. I’ll write a note to the local doctor in the hospital… They’ll give you pain medication, a healing potion, and a medical leave.”
“Yes sir… Thank you.”
Semolina put her hooves on the desk, staring at the pegasus and then at the Prince-Consort. “How the hell did you become a knight after becoming a doctor?”
He chuckled a bit uncomfortably. “It’s a long story.”
She felt it a better idea not to meddle.
Meanwhile the princess had noticed the griffon that seemed out of place in the middle of all the ponies. She smiled warmly at him. “I thought I would find you next to the Lion.”
He dismissed the notion with a hand gesture. “The guy is an idiot, princess… Doesn’t take a much brighter griffon to realize that he wants nothing with our species and its greatness, but with his own.”
“I see. Well, I am glad to see you here, anyways.”
“I met with the Lord Protector some years ago, Princess. Of course, at the time, he was a bit different. But we talked a fair bit… He wanted to learn about law enforcement and griffon fighting techniques. Today I was going through town, tracking down another griffon and we met. He asked some assistance with the situation. It felt like helping an old friend…. He grew on me when we talked some years ago.”
The griffon looked around and no one seemed to be paying attention to them. “They’re in a bad shape, princess.”
“They are…” She agreed discreetly. “Would you be available to hire as consultant? If I remember correctly, you were good at pacification efforts during the war.”
“Huh. I’ll have to think on it and talk to the others, but we’ll see, princess.” He nodded before testing his wing. “Most likely yes, and I think I’m good. I’ll talk to them and join the deployment.”
The princess nodded to him and he went his way between the desks and then Chocolate joined approached her. “I’ll be joining them, Celestia.”
“Good luck.” She smiled. “Don’t be afraid to use you magic.”
“So… Uh…” He started grinning awkwardly and shifting his eyes. “Could you disable Twilight’s ship for me?”
“Oh my! A noble knight asking a damsel for help? What is the world coming to?” He didn’t seem too pleased with her quip, so she stifled her giggling. He did have too soft a spot for her opinions of him and sometimes took jokes too seriously. “No. Getting our plan to work is more important than your ego right now.”
He dropped his ears and made a sad face at her, but she didn’t pay it any attention. He was like an insecure child sometimes. It was that silly ‘proving himself’ thing that made her wonder if he thought she didn’t know how to judge character and needed him to prove something to be worth her attention. Tiresome and unalluring. “Your insecurity is also very unbecoming in a crown-sponsored knight.”
She tolerated it though. It would work itself out, eventually.
And he was going to mention that Twilight had made fun of him because of the shockroach. But… Oh well.
“I’ll just join them…” He said, pointing with a hoof and walked away.
***
The group of ponies rushed through the town, reuniting when they entered the open field of the suburban area that kept to Twilight’s airship dock. One thing particularly worried Twilight: she hadn’t seen Celestia since she’d left in the library. Neither had she seen any of her Royal Guards, except for Chocolate Velvet. She either had some sort of stratagem about to be deployed or she had intentionally taken a step back because of the situation with Ponyville’s militia.
Either way they were likely to face the final opposition before leaving town. It even felt good that she was playing a part in dealing with this silly problem with the local militia. She just hoped that it actually worked.
It was a little weird because even if Celestia would let others do their job, she would usually lead from the front, and that made Twilight very, very anxious. The bad thing was that if she managed to learn anything about warfare, it was that if you didn’t understand what your opponent was doing, then, most likely, you were being led into a situation that benefited your enemy. The really bad thing was that she had learned that from the Princess.
Fortunately, the big doors of the airship’s hangar were in sight and there was no sign of problems. She looked to her side where Shining Armor was still holding onto her guard’s halberd. “I think we’re gonna make it! The crew said they would keep her engines running and we left all we’d need in there.”
“Pinkie and I managed to bring a cart full of supplies.” Applejack galloped right behind them. “It’s not much, but I reckon we can manage until next stop. Wherever that might be.”
It dawned on Twilight that even if they managed to leave, they would be hunted and ambushed along the way. Probably all the way to the Griffon lands, and if they were lucky, they might disappear from Celestia’s immediate grasp there. If there was such a thing as escaping her grasp, but that is also where they would find themselves under threat from griffon separatists. That was, if Shining Armor was correct about all the problems in there. Maybe she could claim diplomatic protection from both sides and use her rank to reach the Lion without too much trouble. With that thought, it occurred to her that she didn’t really have much of a plan. Would she arrive and simply ask if he had anything about Grigor?! It was a start, she supposed.
But, of course, they’d have to leave Ponyville first.
They reached the large wooden hangar and came in trough the side door. Went past what would be the administrative parts that Twilight never bothered with and soon reached the airship’s berth. Much to Twilight’s panic, she could not feel the magic energy the ship should be radiating, nor could she hear her engine’s low hum.
Before she could say anything, though, the captain appeared on the railing and waved an anxious hoof at them. “Princess! Ship’s engines be down.”
No, really?
“What do you mean ‘down’?” The crew quickly put out the access plank for their passengers and the captain met them on the deck.
“A pony sneaked ‘board and shut’em off!” He said. “Looked a Royal Guard! Got ‘way too!”
“Great…” She growled with her ears folded back while Spike hurried, taking Miss Calcite and Flurry Heart to the more protected cabin and the others hurried to other places in the deck, generally looking around with anxious faces.
It had probably been Crucible Wings. Figures the Princess would try to do something about the militia but wouldn’t leave it all in their hooves. “How long?”
“Couple minutes!”
“All right. It will be fine!” She massaged her forehead. “And we’re still missing Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy! Tell your crew to arm themselves, Captain. We may have to defend the ship in the dock. And don’t wait for anything: as soon as she’s ready to go, go!”
“Aye, highness.”
The pegasus hurried to his place at the wheel where he could communicate with the ponies working in the lower deck. Suddenly she remembered something important. “Oh my gosh! The letter!!”
She flew and rushed past ponies and the doors into the cabin where Spike was with the baby and the maid, straight to the place between her desk and cabinet where the briefcase with the letter was. Seeing it was not enough: she opened it and there was the letter, still safely preserved in enchanted crystal sheets.
She breathed a little easier. Crucible probably didn’t know to steal the letter. Had he done that; her mission would be needlessly more complicated. And, she was about to relax when Starlight called for her. She left the briefcase and rushed out to the railings to see her friend standing in the entryway to the empty administrative area.
“Twilight! They’re here!” She waved her hoof about in the general direction of Ponyville. “They’re here!”
The princess flapped her wings and placed herself hovering over the deck. “Pinkie! AJ! Barricade the side door! Rarity, help us hold the main doors!”
She waved at Starlight to help her and met the other two at the bow where all three of them charged their horns and began fortifying the door with a spell that took the form of a light purple set of chains, complete with a padlock that clicked into place.
“Hum… Won’t we need to leave…” Starlight stared at Twilight. “Through there?”
“They’re gonna try to kick down the door! This way we’ll, at least, hold them long enough to get the ship ready to leave.”
“If you say so…” The other didn’t seem too convinced and Rarity stared at the thing worryingly, but Twilight didn’t have time to reply.
There was a blast outside and a several musket shots. She flew down to the ground level and stopped at the sound of another blast and saw both ponies, Pinkie and Applejack, coming towards her. “What the hay?”
“They have grenades!!” The pink one held Twilight by her barding. “Grenades!!!”
“Suppose they’re a mite angry.” The other stood next to Pinkie and Twilight pointed at the ship with a hoof.
“Get onboard! We’ll defend her from the deck! The armory has muskets and pistols!” She flew up again while the two rushed by the access plank, that was later recovered by the crewponies. “Capitan! We have to go!”
“Not yet!” He had his hooves on the wheel, but the ship was as dead as a piece of junk.
“Twilight! Get down!” Something pulled her hindleg down and a bullet whistled past her. Two of the militia ponies stood by the door that led to the administrative section, their squadmates gave them new, loaded muskets from behind cover and Shining Armor reinforced the ship’s railing with this personal shield spell, taking place behind it with both of Twilight’s Royal Guards, all three of them with muskets from the ship’s armory. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity joined.
“Don’t shoot yet.” He said. “Let them charge first.”
Two more shots exploded harmlessly in the shielded railing and four others of the militia ponies broke windows in the offices and took positions by the low walls, suddenly putting the ship under near constant salvos of musket fire. Ponies dropped to the deck and kept low.
“They’re just wasting magic bullets…” White Leaf held her musket in her legs and her back to the shielded railing.
“It has just occurred to me that they’re wasting taxpayer money.” Applejack complained next to them with an angry frown.
“Well, Darling… Technically, we are all are stealing taxpayer money by using our barding and weapons against the Crown…” Rarity held her pistols next to her, by the orange pony’s side.
“Didn’t Twilight buy this ship with taxpayer money too?” Pinkie added
“All I know is that I pay taxes all the time in my farm.”
“Girls… This is not the time!” Twilight yelled over the racket the muskets created.
“Convenient, isn’t it?” Pinkie glowered at her and the princess rolled her eyes.
Suddenly a rainbow trail fell from the ceiling and Rainbow Dash was crouching next to them, with the casing for her barding and weapons on her back. “Hey guys.”
“Why aren’t you wearing your barding?” Twilight stared at her and the pegasus shrugged.
“Had some trouble along the way.”
“Did you see Fluttershy?!”
“Nope!” The pegasus shook her head. “But I came in through the roof hatch and I saw a bunch of ponies coming this way, I think they might be the whole militia, including a mean griffon bounty hunter.”
“Watch out!” The captain called from the improvised battlements and as if on cue, something exploded on the ship's hull, something else exploded in the air and, finally, a small green, fizzling ball fell on the deck.
Ponies screamed and jumped out of the way as far as possible, but Shining Armor’s horn ignited and formed a small shield around the object. When it exploded, it did so with a dull thud.
Immediately, the unicorn grimaced and took a hoof to the side of his head. “Magical concussion grenade… They’re not issued to local militias. Only the Royal Guard uses them.”
The cacophony of musket fire continued, and the smell of powder bothered them very much, but Shinning raised his head just enough to look, while Rainbow stood low with the others.
“Just how many loaded muskets do these guys have?” She asked angrily.
“They’re probably shooting pistols too. And reloading them at the same time.” The orange pony pushed her Stetson back into place. “They might not know the ship can be restarted, or something. If they did, they would already have tried to rush aboard.”
Shining Armor returned to their midst, down on the deck. “It’s Prince Charming.”
Rainbow poked him in the shoulder with a dirty smirk. “You know you used to be ‘Prince Charming’, doncha?”
“Absolutely, Rainbow Crash.” His riposte came as fast as was expected from a Royal Guard.
“They called him ‘Princess Bait’ in the Academy.” Twilight giggled with the others. “Hey, is it true Princess Celestia got you to her bedroom in the graduation?”
“What the hay!” He cried. “Of course not!”
Twlight smirked mischievously. “They say it was motivational.”
White Leaf shook her head. “The story goes, actually, that it was more of a Jus Primae Noctis thing at the wedding.”
“Who have you guys been talking to?! This is nuts!” He cried.
Another volley of grenades exploded, this time none over the railings, but it cut short the conversation. Ponies flattened against the flooring and Rarity wailed at them. “Focus, please!”.
Suddenly a hook caught on the railing. Shining Armor took the musket in his telekinesis and raised to shoot it, followed by the two other royal guards and friends, but they were surprised by a volley of small grenades. Ponies screamed again and Twilight protected her friends with a shield while the captain protected the two guards with his.
Next two ponies jumped aboard, they wore the militia leather barding and carried pistols in their mouths. Rarity, the closest, shot the first with one of her pistols and wacked the other in the head with the side of her rapier. Both were rendered stunned or unconscious and she took a step back, while re-holstering her pistol (with a spinning flourish) and taking stock of the situation. Other ponies were boarding the ship from other points and her friends rushed to defend the deck. She saw herself alone against a big gray earth pony who didn’t think twice and swung his magical shock baton at her exposed head.
He was so slow Rarity simply took a step to the side and promptly smacked his face too with her rapier and he was out in one hit. She looked at her weapon and whined, though. “I swear Stark Aria is beginning to bend with all this improper use.”
“It’s an enchanted sword, Rarity.” Twilight tied the four legs of one of the assailants with a spell before turning to Rarity with an annoyed expression. “It doesn’t bend.”
By the ship’s bow Pinkie quickly pushed a climbing pony off the railing with the butt of her firearm and Applejack shot her musket at another. Then three magical projectiles exploded next to them and sent both ponies flying back, but also knocked their muskets to who knew where. They quickly got to their hooves again, and found themselves standing near the huge brown alicorn that jumped over the railing wearing his golden armor, complete with chained mail over his head and neck, a vicious looking cap over his horn and his white robes over the plated armor and fully plated leggings. He held a kite shield, white with the crest of the Royal House on it and a longsword, all shinny white, with a blue crossguard. It all weighted so much Applejack could swear she felt the floor tremble.
“Whoa, Nelly!” She cried, barely dodging a swing of his sword. “Twilight! Shining! Help!”
Pinkie produced a few small black balls from the pouches in her barding and cheerfully threw them at Chocolate Velvet. They exploded harmlessly on his armor but staggered him back and he lost the tempo of the use of his sword and shield. In the same moment, Applejack stood on her hindlegs and drew the firearm from her barding, a lever-triggered revolver. Black with mother of pearl handle adorned with her cutie mark, and with a golden lever. She held with her hoof bent over her cannon, pulling the lever while she pulled the hammer with the other hoof, shooting a salvo of five magic bullets straight at his chest, neck and head.
He sat and shook his head a couple of times. Shinning came out of nowhere with the telekinetically held halberd and thrust its butt at his chest, but the alicorn caught it with his shield and deflected it to the side. The captain was open for a riposte and his sword in position. But he caught himself, not willing to actually injure his friend with a thrust of his sword. Hitting someone with the flat of the blade was bad enough, and if he struck with the edge, he might even kill him. A thrust would be a death sentence.
Then Twilight flew from the other side, away from his eyes that focused on her brother, and thrust her scepter at him with a force spell, sending him flying across the deck. He fell flat on his back, lost his sword and shield, and barely rolled out of the way when Twilight flew above and shot several magic projectiles at him. Her horn shone, as did the gems in her Element of Magic, filling the poorly lit hangar with purple magical light. Despite missing him, the small missiles dented the deck’s flooring.
He jumped and righted himself with his huge wings and was the last in the ship, except for the gray griffon flying overhead shooting his revolver at Pinkie Pie and hitting her on the forehead. A small light shone where the magical bullet hit, but she never felt it’s effects.
“What?” She looked around, confused.
“Be careful, Pinkie!” Applejack started next to her.
The griffon banked his flight to the side and dodged shots from the ship’s crew, aiming his revolver and shooting at Shining Armor, who didn’t wear any barding with hard to penetrate shielding enchantments, but the bullet stopped at a magical barrier of his own making.
Twilight rushed past her brother. “Rainbow! Get him!”
There was just no avoiding the pegasus. She took off too fast, flew too fast and tackled him too fast. He did however manage to grapple with her midflight, and landed a punch on her belly, grabbed one of her front legs about to immobilize her, but she spun around and they hit the hangar’s wall with his back and her weight against him. Fortunately for him, she wasn’t very heavy.
He never saw the spinning kick she landed on his face and that sent him against the wall again, though.
In the deck, the alicorn raised a pure, flat amber magical shield against a volley of musket balls fired his way. Apparently, a huge alicorn in golden barding drew a lot of attention. He looked for his sword but couldn’t find it. Twilight rushed low, under his shield wall, with her wings open, dragging her cape and robes, and swung a sword at his feet. The thing gleamed over the reflective floor of the ship with a purple light and whistled through the air almost too quick for him to react. He kicked at the sword and deflected it away with his armored shin. Sparks flew and the thing dented his armor, but he reared over her, shooting an amber magical beam at her.
She would have giggled at it if she had had the time. Instead she deflected it with her horn and threw it back at him. Hit in the chest he staggered, and then she and blast him with her own magic beam. Hit squarely in the chest again he flew backwards and fell on his back through the wall of the administrative section and next to a group of tired militiaponies.
He sighed loudly laying on his back. “Don’t be afraid to use your magic, she said…”
He caught sight of Grape Donut yelling at his ponies to stand up and assault the ship again but didn’t have time to watch. He stood and jumped through the hole in the wall, then jumping and flapping his wings to reach the ship again.
Starlight saw him and grimaced, shooting magic out of her horn in a reflex, he tried one of the techniques Celestia and Luna had taught him, blocking with a wing, spiraling and changing direction, but her magic still connected and closed him on a pink bubble that caused him to crash in the main mast in an awkward way with his neck.
She squeaked, but soon saw he was fine and turned to fight a new wave of attacks by the militiaponies coming up the ship’s berth and jumping at the railing by the aft. “They don’t give up!”
Twilight looked at the alicorn to be sure he would try anything too soon and he was stunned, but indeed, their assailants didn’t seem to give up already. Applejack still resorted to fighting mostly hoof to hoof next to Pinkie who… What the hay was she doing with that rubber chicken?! Though it really shouldn’t at that point, it baffled her that Pinkie managed to knock out one of the militia’s ponies with a rubber chicken!
Rarity seemed to be leading a group of the crewponies holding the ship’s wheel and her two guards had placed themselves on the access to the lower decks. Shining Armor wrestled one pony’s baton out of her grasp by the bow. And then, hit her with it.
Rainbow was fighting hoof to claw the griffon on main mast’s rigging. She couldn’t believe the balance they had, but that was an intrusive thought. She worried at the realization that she and her friends were used to fighting monsters that they felled with one or two strikes of their rather deadly weapons. Not to mention that Applejack had a few bruises and cuts, meaning her barding’s magical shielding was beginning to fail. She was tiring and her own magic couldn’t power her barding’s. They weren’t used to protracted fights like this one and were also using their weapons in an awkward way. They had to win this soon or they would be too tired to defend themselves.
Then, Chocolate Velvet stood and found his sword. She grinned at him. “Nice sword. Did you name it?”
He frowned under his chainmail. “You know very well I can’t name an ordinary sword, Twilight; and you know I don’t have the rank to use an enchanted weapon. You’re being a jerk today, you know that?”
She giggled to herself. It was so easy to get under his skin. He swung his sword at her, and she batted it away to the side with hers, while she also tried to grab his away from his telekinetic grasp, but he shifted his body with the sword to keep it close enough to keep it under his grasp.
“Sorry. I also don’t have a shockroach for you in the ship.” She couldn’t see his face under the mail, but his eyes said enough of how angry that got him. He swung his sword heavily at her but missed when she stepped to the side and then thrust at him with her scepter.
He almost fell again but flapped his wings and charged his horn. His sword swung at her from afar under a particularly strong telekinetic grasp. It was in that moment that Discord appeared out of a bright flash next to Fluttershy and the two militia ponies.
Ponies gasped in horror at the sight of his sword stuck trespassing Discord’s head. Rarity fainted next to the captain, who held her. Twilight shrieked covering her eyes with her wings and ponies simply stopped fighting, staring with varying degrees of disbelief.
“You know, this actually does hurt.” Discord said in a flat tone with the sword sticking harmlessly, and rather comically out of his face.
The alicorn shrieked. “I swear I didn’t mean it! I was aiming at Twilight!”
“You wanted to hit my friend with a sword?”
“No!” He shrieked again. “I mean yes! But it’s not like that!”
“Do you… Hum… Need any help, Discord?” His yellow pegasus friend asked from below.
“No, Fluttershy, thank you. Twilight, what did you do? Why are you ponies trying to kill each other all of a sudden?”
“Aaaah…” She said as nervously as her eyes shifted to the side. “It’s complicated.”
“Wait a second!” The obese Lord Protector of the town raised a hoof, next to Applejack and a couple ponies of either side. “Can I order lord Discord’s arrest? Or is he kind of out of my jurisdiction?”
Applejack laughed. “It would be fun to see you try.”
“Anyway…” Grape Donut went on. “Which side are you on?”
“Well, I suppose I’m not on the side poking me with a metal stick.” He pulled the sword out with a pop and made it vanish. “Which side am I on, Fluttershy?”
“Oh, Twilight’s side, Discord.” She cheered a little.
As if on cue, the airship’s engines resumed their low hum and flooded the area with their magical radiation.
The princess grinned. “Get them off the ship, Discord!”
He summoned a pirate’s bicorn hat, an eyepatch and held a hook with his left hand. “Aaar. It’s the plank for ye, ponies!”
“Nonsense! “We’re still on the fight!” Grape yelled angrily only to notice his ponies and griffon friend sitting on the ship’s berth. “Come on!!”
“There are not enough Bits in Equestria to make me fight Discord.” The griffon said. “Sorry, Grape.”
“Ah, whatever.” The fat pony walked with heavy, angry steps and jumped off the ship, leaving only the chocolate colored alicorn near the bow. He rubbed his hooves together and lowered his ears meekly.
“Can I have my sword back?”
“No.”
“But…”
“OUT!”
Discord didn’t need to yell again, especially not with the fire and brimstone. He jumped off the ship in a heartbeat.
“Alright then!” Twilight grinned and directed her magic towards the seal they created over the main doors, effortlessly dispelled it and opened wide the doors. Looked around, making sure all who should be on the ship were indeed. Rainbow had a few red scratches but seemed perfectly fine. Satisfied, she pointed a hoof at the captain.
He was still holding Rarity, with her flirty eyes and giggling at him. Twilight didn’t feel like telling him to ‘punch it’ anymore.
“Can we go, please?” She pleaded.
The pegasus let her friend be and resumed his post by the wheel. “Right’way Princess!”
The magical engines roared, and the ship almost immediately overcame inertia, accelerating towards the open doors. From the railings, Twilight saw the ponies from the militia, sitting on the boardwalk of the dry dock, next to the griffon and next to Chocolate Velvet. The ponies looked angry. They stared at her ship in the same way a defeated hoofball team would look at the winners. The griffon looked professionally devoid of outward expressions of his feelings. It probably was just a job that went south for him. Chocolate Velvet, though, looked both humiliated and angry. She knew it was a dangerous combination and it surprised her because she hadn’t seen it in him before.
In all the months he lived with the princesses and routinely met with her, he always took the little jokes and quips in stride and laughed with them. In fact, he quite reminded him of his brother, in all the best ways. He was proud in his place and she could see what the Princess saw in him: a kind heart, a sense of duty and of honor, a love for the knightly ways that struck Celestia’s romantic vein.
She never wanted to hurt his feelings. When had that happened?
She smiled awkwardly, trying to look friendly and did her best to cheer him up. “Don’t worry Velvet! It will work out for you, eventually!”
She didn’t have much time, anyway, to worry about him. The ship was departing, she had Discord onboard her airship and still needed to figure out her investigation.
The ship hovered a few inches above the ground, accelerating fast. A few Militiaponies, some four of them looking to enter the hangar by the now opened doors jumped out of the way, and others came from inside shooting at the hull to no effect.
“Whooee! We did it!” Applejack cried and ponies celebrated all over the deck, jumping and bumping hooves as the airship started gaining altitude over the city.
“Where to, princess?” The pegasus captain asked with a bright grin on his face, behind the wheel.
Twilight thought for a second. “Cadance can catch up to us. So, uh…”
She ran up to the bow’s railing and looked around with her heel over her eyes. “Manehattan! We should avoid Canterlot’s proximity, though. So, keep us straight, a little to the right for now.”
His expression turned sour. “That not how ye call a maneuver, lass.”
“Oh. Excuse me!” She looked back, with her legs on the railings. “I thought that it you job to speak ‘fancy shipish’!”
The other ponies laughed around the deck, punctuating the good vibration at their victory. Things seemed much more relaxed now, with the ship several hooves above the town, flying at a comfortable speed for agile maneuvering, should it be needed.
***
Inside the empty hangar, ponies gathered their magical subduing batons, pistols and muskets, left to the side during the fight or dropped one of the many times the princess’ friends had beat them into submission. The air smelled of burnt powder and a few curious ponies started showing up, staring from outside the large doors.
“I’m actually proud of you guys…” Grape Donut’s voice called his ponies’ attentions to him. He was a bit sad, a bit proud, indeed, but mostly, he was satisfied. “We actually did our best.”
“They kicked our flanks, chief.” The lanky brown earth pony said casually. “Gee… I think Captain Armor wiped the floor with me three times today.”
The others laughed. It was a low, unenergetic laugh that died abruptly, but it was a laugh.
“It wasn’t a fair fight.” The griffon swatted the dirt off his armor. The bandage in his wing was filthy with dirt. “The Princess and her friends are formidable opponents on their own right, Captain Armor is probably the best knight of the Royal House and Discord… Well… There was nothing to do. If he hadn’t shown up, we might have won. They were getting tired and making mistakes.”
To Chocolate it didn’t look like they were making mistakes, it only looked like they had kicked their flanks, period. And made fun of them, in his case.
He stared at the griffon with his back to him. What exactly was that feeling? Was it anger? Frustration? Disappointment? Probably a combination of those. Did Celestia tell the griffon to say those things to these ponies? What was the point of it? They still got beaten. Maybe it was a ‘pony thing’ he didn’t entirely understand yet.
Though, he kind of did. These ponies felt useful again, even if they lost. That was the point of that whole theater he put in front of the town. They were doing what they were supposed to do. It seemed that their head weren’t very complicated. Well, he was doing what he was supposed to be doing too, but he didn`t feel satisfied, proud or even sad.
That feeling was betrayal.
Be got beaten, and it was not a fair fight. He didn`t have a chance. Like these ponies, did she know that he couldn’t ever capture Twilight? Had she manipulated him? Yes, that was it. It did feel a bit like she had toyed with his feelings to get him to do what she wanted.
Something flipped in his head and it didn’t seem anymore like Twilight was teasing him anymore. Like a friend. No, she was making fun of him. Suddenly it seemed like, all those months, he had been lying to himself that he was beloved and not the proverbial third wheel. It occurred to him that she wasn’t being friendly, and neither were all of them.
Did she, by the way, even like him? She and her sister covered him in gold and silver and in caresses. Now it felt like it was it only to parade him about like an accessory, the incompetent knight that looks nice.
They praised his noble heart and his desire to serve. Celestia said he’d be her own royal knight. She said she made him for her. It suddenly felt like all of them were making fun of him. That they told him what he wanted to hear. When did his memories of Celestia’s angelic laughter turn to mocking cackle?
Did he even stand a chance at his mission? Sure, ‘the plan’ worked. But why did she say that she would reward him with he managed to capture Twilight? For how long had she laughed at his innocence after he left?
Well, could he capture Twilight? He had to know. It seemed like a lot hung on it now.
A sword lay on the dirt floor under the ship’s berth. Where did that sword come from? It wasn’t a fancy one: a sword, dropped at the dirt floor under the ship’s berth. She wasn’t his expensive… ‘Unnamed, unenchanted, boring longsword’, but it was a sword. A well-maintained, properly oiled, arming sword that probably belonged to one of Twilight’s ponies and probably wouldn’t be missed.
He couldn’t remember ever pouring so much purpose and letting so many feelings drain into his magic. It probably made his aura shine a bit too brightly, and that was why the griffon saw seen when he reached for it with his magical grasp. They stared at each other and the griffon nodded at him. He nodded back at the griffon.
What went through the griffon’s head? Discord still likely was on that ship. Those ponies that showed them who’s boss would still be there. Why did he decide he’d come with him?
Both galloped through the large hangar doors and the prince removed the chainmail cowl of his armor, leaving it behind when they jumped. Their mighty wings flapped, and they gained speed and altitude. He didn’t care Discord was on the ship, that Shining Armor was on the ship. He was going to complete his mission, or he would drag that damn ship down with him to the pits of Hell.
***
Rarity approached Twilight while the ship turned, slightly banking towards port side, but not enough to threaten any pony’s balance. “Twilight, I wanted White Leaf and Raspberry Pancakes to stay in Ponyville. I wished for them to keep watch over my family. I was quite worried with the way those ponies treated me… I fear they might try to… Retaliate.”
Twilight shook her head. “I don’t think it should be a problem, Rarity.”
“The Princess is in Ponyville and she’s likely to sort the whole situation.” Then she put a hoof on her chin. “Actually, that might even buy us some additional time. But, regardless… I don’t think that our friends are in any sort of danger, Rarity.”
“Well, if you say so, Twilight. I do hope that you are right. Sweetie Belle is too innocent to deal with some sorts of ruffians.”
“Don’t you worry, Rarity!” Applejack joined then. “The Apples are there and they’ll lend a hoof if yours have need of it.”
A claw tipped finger touched the princess’ shoulder and she turned to see Discord. Their old foe turned beloved friend. The Sprit of Chaos. Emperor Grigor’s Mad God. The one Chrysalis said had driven ponies insane and brought the world to the edge of destruction.
He was right there!
“Mind telling me what is going on, Twilight?” He had his arms open and his voice sounded frustrated. “This flying thing of yours is giving me a headache.”
But before she could say anything, they heard one of the pegasi keeping watch on the deck. “All hooves hoay! We got flyers astern low!”
The ponies and draconequus gathered in the back of the ship and stared at the brown alicorn and the gray griffon. The former furiously flapped his wings and gained ground on the airship, carrying a sword in his magic and galloping in the air like he was possessed. He climbed above and behind the ship while the griffon maneuvered to approach from above too, but from the other side and drew his revolver musket.
“How fast are they actually flying?” Applejack asked Twilight, but she was simply watching worryingly. Had Celestia been there, she would’ve said Twilight was ‘doing her thing’. Understanding the problem.
The armored alicorn closed the distance and charged his horn, willing his magic power into the blade, along with all the shame and humiliation. An angry scowl in his face and a raging grimace along with a fiery determination. His magic propelled the sword with a shout of pure fury and the blade ripped through the air like a shot from a ballista in blazing amber magic.
Present passengers watched with huge eyes and expectant expressions as the weapon drew closer and closer to the airship. It flew straight and proper, like inevitable destiny.
It plinked in the housing for the central engine of the starboard wing and dropped like a rock.
Faces turned to disappointment.
“Lame.” Said Pinkie. “Pfft… Get on our level!”
“I don’t get what the princess sees in him.” Rainbow added with a bored expression.
“We’ll, he is very persistent.” Rarity offered.
“He’s too dumb to give up, is what he is.” Applejack concluded and turned around.
“He does look handsome.” Fluttershy said hopefully.
Discord snapped his fingers and a comically large anvil was tied to Chocolate’s neck and pulled him down screaming.
Twilight stared from the railing while he fell with his wings bent upward and the griffon dove after him. She understood what was wrong, but this time there was no chance to try and fix it… A simple talk might suffice, but Royal Guard airships might soon close in pursuit or Princess Celestia herself could show up. Or Discord might decide to leave.
“Don’t worry, Twilight. He’s tougher than he looks.” Her brother said next to her. And she knew that, but she didn’t know if Chocolate Velvet knew that. Or even if Shining understood her thoughts.
It was so unfair… She was so happy for helping those ponies and her friend was out of her reach.
The Princess then pushed it all out of her head and turned to the “Mad God”. “Discord, we need to talk.”