Rainbow Dash lay into the Painted One with everything she had, but it still wasn’t enough. His tattoos glowed as his skin toughened against her hooves. A solid punch to her gut nearly sent her into unconsciousness, but she held on by the barest thread. She took to the air, and Insurgo rushed beneath her to bite her tail. He dragged her back into his range, where he returned her bludgeoning with one of his own.
Scootaloo charged at him, the Bolganone tucked under one wing. Rumble shuffled after her, leaving the changelings to struggle against Dissero. The queen’s guard fell one by one, never to a fatal blow, but incapacitated all the same.
Scootaloo shut her eyes and stretched out with her magic. She felt movement beneath the floor. Currents. Running water within pipes. She used her magic to stop up the flow, holding it back against its will. Metal groaned. Seams leaked. Pressure built.
Insurgo clobbered Rainbow Dash upside the head. She slumped to the floor in a heap. He turned to face Scootaloo and Rumble, his face a cruel snarl. The snarl faded away when he saw the look in Scootaloo’s eyes: That of pure, unbridled, unrestrained rage.
The pipe burst. A stream of water spewed from broken marble, colliding with the Painted One’s torso. The dye in his coat began to run as it grew damp. Beyond that, the force of the pressure breaking through the solid flooring skyrocketed him straight to the ceiling. He fell to the floor in a bundle of soggy cloth and aching muscles.
Scootaloo nodded. “You’re washed up, dip-wad.”
Rumble leaned against the wall, gazing at his girlfriend with what could only be pure awe. “That was frickin’ amazing. How—?”
“Been practicing my magic. Getting pretty good at the whole ‘phenomenal cosmic powers’ thing.” Scootaloo placed the Bolganone on the floor so that she could pick Rainbow Dash’s head up. The orb rolled towards Rumble. “Dash? Hay, Dash, can you hear me? C’mon, snap out of it.”
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. She gave Scootaloo a hazy grin. “Hay, Squirt. Did I get him?”
Scootaloo brushed dripping bangs from Rainbow’s eyes. “Ha. Yeah. You got him.”
Rumble slumped down to reach for the Bolganone. “But who’s got us—?”
Insurgo’s hoof snapped out to touch the Bolganone. In a matter of seconds, the water around him was boiling, turning to a cloud of steam to conceal him. The fiery orb glowed as he reeled back, ready to cast his spell. “Let your ashes scatter to the four w—!”
A javelin pierced straight through the Painted One’s shoulder. The Bolganone fell from a limp hoof. Two more javelins appeared to the left and the right Insurgo’s head, coming together to choke him. He collapsed onto his side, where breath was allowed to return in a whoosh of air.
Shining Armor stepped into the mist, a squadron of javelins hovering in the air around him, guided by his magic. Sturm and Drang flanked the Prince of the Crystal Empire, one holding a spear, and the other outfitted with clawed boots. Shining Armor gave Insurgo an appraising glance, after which he gave Scootaloo his full attention. “Have you guys seen my son?”
“Aw crud!” Rainbow Dash tried to stand, but immediately collapsed to the floor. Scootaloo helped her balance on her feet. “He went into the room and disappeared! There’s like this freaky robot thing fighting the changelings! He’s with the queen!”
Shining Armor might have sworn under his breath, but it was too soft for Scootaloo to make out. “Are there any more of these guys?”
“Just one, sir.” Rumble stood at attention as much as his bruised, bloodied body could manage. “That we know of. He’s got a frost orb he called ‘Fimbulvetr.’ I think they’re trying to kidnap the changeling queen.”
“Not on my watch.” Shining Armor gently pushed Rumble into a sitting position. “You stay here and recuperate, soldier. We’ll take care of things from here.”
He charged into the mist, the javelins flying in his wake. “They’re not getting their mits on any of my children.”
***
Silver Lance pulled himself to his feet by gripping the edge of a chair. His head pounded. The Painted One’s kick and the subsequent slide across the room really did a number on him. He could already feel a lump forming on the top of his head.
But more important was the queen. He looked around the room and found no sign of her or the Painted One leader. The door to the balcony was frozen over, but he didn’t feel like anybody was on the other side. He couldn’t sense their hearts at all. It was empty.
Through the suite door, Silver could see the other changelings laying on the floor, rumpled and battered, but still alive. The changeling commander didn’t look good. Worse than usual. Every inhale came with a wince. Every exhale ended in a cough. Silver could feel their hearts crying out for help, or seeking their queen, or fearing what would come next.
Silver frowned. The Royal Guard should have arrived, right? Some soldiers should have come to their aid, shouldn’t they? And where was the automaton? The frost-infested hall still had several icy spikes jutting from the walls. A fog settled over the corridor. He could hear voices coming closer, but he couldn’t recognize them yet.
He looked around for something—anything—he could use to defend himself. Silver lit his horn, grasped an icy spike, and pulled with all his might. The thing shattered in his telekinetic bubble. He tried again, using a gentler grip, and pried another spike from the wall. It wobbled in his grasp. He couldn’t quite get a handle on its weight or balance. He held it regardless.
A voice touched his heart, just at the edge of his perception. It was a whisper, dark and hissing. “Son of the Sun and Moon. The sight of you blisters my eyes.
Silver raised his eyes to the ceiling. Dissero looked back. The automaton shifted its legs, poising itself to strike. But for the moment, it kept still. “Your death would be nothing but beneficial to Queen Cicada. And yet, you are my best bet for escaping alive.”
Silver’s eyes grew wide. He held the icicle like a spear. “That’s nice to know…”
The automaton dropped from its perch and landed with its legs surrounding Silver Lance. The young colt screamed and ran from the makeshift prison. Dissero scrambled after the colt, the cogs within his inner workings whirring loudly. Silver realized too late that he was running away from the voices, which had risen to shouts. To turn back was stupid. To slow down was likewise. He had to outpace the automaton with all his might, or he’d be a hostage.
The cannon atop Dissero clicked into place. Magic built up on its tip.
Silver Lance swallowed. Maybe he’d be worse than a hostage if he couldn’t get away.
Up ahead, the corridor became an enclosed bridge that spanned between the castle’s many towers. There was nothing but a straight hallway, down which the automaton would surely catch up. The windows were of solid glass, too strong for a normal pony to break. But maybe…
Silver slid to a stop, spinning to face Dissero. He chucked the icicle in an arc that had no hope of hitting the mechanical monstrosity. Dissero acted on instinct and fired at the oncoming projectile. The icicle evaporated in an instant, and the magic blast continued unabated towards the window beyond.
The sheer power of the magic shattered the window in an instant. The fragments of glass tumbled down, down, down to the courtyard below. Wind rushed into the bridge as the warm night air met the controlled coolness of the castle. Silver huddled by the newly-created opening, hoping that a wrong step could send the automaton over the edge.
He was disappointed to find that Dissero’s cannon was still aimed at him, ready to turn his body into dust.
There was nowhere to turn. There was nowhere to hide. Nothing to shield himself with. Silver Lance covered his eyes and braced himself.
A fleet of lances harried Dissero from every angle. None of the blades could pierce his armor, but they were able to throw him off balance, redirect his aim, and generally annoy the automaton. Shining Armor charged shoulder-first into Dissero’s side, knocking him to the floor in a tangle of bladed limbs. “Lance! Get out of here!”
Silver Lance looked behind himself, into the open air. He found exactly what he was hoping to find: A small ledge along the length of the bridge, used by repairponies for access to the outside of the enclosure. On the far tower wall, a ladder could be seen, which reached a balcony a few floors below.
With the inside of the bridge too dangerous, and little reason to stay put, he heeded his father’s advice and crawled onto the ledge. He winced as he heard a bladed leg collide with enchanted armor, accompanied by Shining Armor’s shout of rage.
The window just ahead of Silver exploded into pieces. The colt halted, but he was still close enough for the fragments to cut into his face. Dissero attempted to crawl through the newly-made hole, but a blast of Shining Armor’s magic dragged him back inside. Silver hustled as fast as he dared, each glance downward sending waves of dizziness through his body. Maybe it was the blood loss, maybe it was the imminent death, but he was finding it harder and harder to put one hoof in front of the other.
Shining Armor’s face crashed against one of the windows, and the prince uttered several very adult words. The automaton took a step back to angle its cannon at the stallion. Silver Lance pounded on the window. “Dad! Look out!”
Silver ducked just as another window was blasted into oblivion, showering him with vicious shards. The automaton climbed through, its bladed legs seeking Silver’s flesh. A jab missed by inches, a slice bit into his foreleg. He sent a feeble spell through his horn, but there was no strength behind it.
Shining Armor pushed Dissero from behind with all of his might. The automaton flipped end-over-end, but its front two legs latched onto the ledge. Silver couldn’t move; each leg stabbed deep into either side of him. A third leg rose to rest against his throat, the keen edge drawing a drop of blood.
“Tell your father,” the automaton said to Silver’s heart, “that if he allows me to leave, you shall live. If not…”
Shining Armor stood up and called his javelins to his side. He came to the window in a breathless rush. “Lance”
Silver tried to swallow, but the blade was too close. He felt it dig in, little by little. “Dad…”
Shining’s face instantly stormed with red-tinged hatred. “You let my son—!”
“He’ll let me live if you let him go.” Silver couldn’t see through his tears anymore. He shut his eyes completely, reaching out with his heart to feel his father’s. He felt power, and confidence, even if it was overshadowed with fear.
He also felt Dissero’s heart. He felt a conniving thought enter the automaton’s soul. The gears whirred. The plating shifted. Magic moved from the heart to the back of the Painted One’s artificial shell.
The cannon!
Dissero was going to kill his dad!
“No!”
Silver Lance kicked out with his hind legs. He felt his hooves collide with the automaton’s face. The entire mechanical structure of the Painted One shuddered and shifted. The legs gripping the ledge slipped. Another kick his just as solidly as the first. Silver saw the third leg sliding for his throat and jerked back. The blade traced a deep cut along the length of his body, dragging him along with Dissero. Silver Lance entered freefall.
Shining Armor reached out and caught his son. The young boy held on for dear life as he was pulled back aboard the bridge.
Dissero’s legs clawed at open air. His last thought before hitting the ground was to curse Shining Armor’s entire family. The automaton shattered into fragments of machinery and sparkling shards of crystalline heart.
Shining Armor scooped up his youngest child. He held Silver Lance close to his chest, whispering quietly to the young colt. “It’s okay, Lance. It’s okay. You’re safe. We’re both safe. You did good buddy.”
He was cut up, he was battered, he was scared out of his mind, but the boy was alive. The young colt shivered against his coat, breathing short and light. “Are you okay, Dad?”
“Yeah,” Shining said with a light, breathless laugh. “We’re both gonna be just fine.”
***
Button Mash had two thoughts paramount in his mind as he kicked the dragoncopter into high gear. The first was to find Ahuizotl, and by extension, Sweetie. The second was to stay close to the mountain-turned-castle, to cut down on potential stray shots broadsiding him.
Both thoughts flew out the window the instant a cloud of dragoncopters swooped down to hound his tail. Dr. Caballeron’s near-panicked voice was quick to inform him. “We’ve got company! Move your dock or lose it!”
Button jerked the controls to the side. A few of the enemy ships kept flying forward, while the rest continued their pursuit. He chanced a glance at them, nibbling his lower lip. “Maybe they think we’re friendl—”
The crackle of energy lanced past his head. He faced forward and put all possible speed into the dragoncopter’s forward movement. “Not friendly! Bogies! Bogies on our six!”
Caballeron’s voice reach a higher pitch than Button thought possible. “That’s what I just said!”
“Then shoot back!” Button Mash pulled back on the yoke. They shot skyward, coming near to the castle’s spires. Overhead, he could see the many legs of the Hesperus Mactans gripping the walls. Jolts of magic spun through the guts of their dragoncopter as Caballeron returned fire. One of their foes spiraled to the lake as a smoking wreck. “Great shot!”
“Don’t encourage me!” Caballeron continued to pump the trigger mindlessly as he turned towards Button. “Why the blazes are you flying towards the flyder?”
“I’m not!” Button pulled the controls to the side. He slid neatly between two of the parapets. “I’m trying to lose them!”
“You’ll lose more than them if—”
“Trust me on this!” The crash of metal on stone revealed that the enemies were far less maneuverable than he was. Perhaps it had something to do with Cicada controlling them? Slower reflexes? Or just less likely to worry about self-preservation? In any case, it was only good news to him. “Lay on the firepower!”
With a roar of pent-up frustration, Caballeron continued his rearward bombardment. “I! Hate! Flying!” Spittle flew from his mouth as he scowled towards Button. “Earth ponies were not meant to fly!”
Button looked ahead and saw a large window. The stained glass and iron framework had been blown away by the battle, allowing him a clean shot through the tower. He set his jaw and ducked close to the windscreen. “Then today we’re pegasi.”
Caballeron turned to spew more bile at his pilot. When he saw their destination, his mouth fell open. He lowered his head onto the chest rest, still blindly pumping the firing pedal. “We can’t fit through there, you maniac!”
Button glanced to their wings. A rough estimate of their size and how large the window should be made the passage possible… if barely so. “I’ll pull up if it looks like it won’t go through.”
“You won’t have time!” Caballeron pumped the pedal at a feverish rate. “We’re dead and it’s your fault!”
Button bit his lip. He twisted both yokes to the left, and the right wing lifted up. They passed through the window without a scratch. The dragoncopters following them weren’t nearly so lucky. Three of them slammed into the wall before the rest got the hint to pull away. Button yanked the control pads back, slowing and stopping their pace. There was only one window in the tower. “No exit. Okay. Maybe a bad move.”
“They’re still right outside!”
“Yeah, but, like, less.” Button looked down. The tower didn’t seem to have any floors, just decks where a flyer could rest on their way up. Near the bottom, an open door led to a hallway. He sent their ship towards the base of the tower. The hall was wide enough for two dragoncopters to fly side-by-side. Perfect. He kicked the wings into gear and sought out another window.
“Ahuizotl is getting away—”
“No he’s not.” The buzz of mechanical wings on the wind itched the edge of Button’s ears; the Painted Ones had entered the tower. “We’ll find him. We just gotta be alive to do it.”
“You don’t say—?”
“Doctor, if you’ve got a better idea, then please…” Button glanced over his shoulder for the faintest of moments. “Let me know.”
They exited the hall to find themselves in a large room. It seemed to be an unused ballroom, with dust cloth thrown over a few pieces of furniture, and cobwebs covering a long banquet table. Button smiled to himself. He pulled up and left the dragoncopter hovering just over the entrance, out of sight of the hall. Two by two, the enemy fighters zipped into the room, spreading out in a search pattern. Once they’d passed by, Button shot back the way he’d come. Within moments, they were up through the tower and out the window.
“Alright,” Caballeron said. “Maybe you’re not completely crazy.”
“It’s these fighters,” Button said, surveying the side of the mountain. “It’s like they don’t have a mind of their own. They’re acting like the AI in the video games I play.”
“Ay, aye?”
“Artificial Intelligence.” Button shrugged. “Running on predetermined patterns. Acting according to pre-set conditions.”
Button frowned at the Hesperus Mactans as it shifted its weight. Its guns blazed, and an Equestrian airship turned inside out. “Controlled by a central authority.” He sighed. There was nothing he could do to disrupt the Painted One’s flagship. He could only control his search for Ahuizotl and leave the battle to the true warriors.
He pulled around and got a good view of the total height of the castle. Amid the grays and blacks of stone and brick, a bright flash of blue and white made its way down the sloped mountainside. Button’s brow furrowed. The mad god himself lay in his sights. But also, unfortunately, Sweetie Belle. He took his foot off the firing pedal so that he couldn’t make any horrific mistakes. “I got them.”
“Good.” Caballeron pointed. “Because they’ve got us! Bogies at five-ten!”
Button and the doctor shot forward. Button kept them close to the mountain to minimize angles of approach. They sped past Ahuizotl, kicking up dust. Button could see the shocked look on the monster’s face for a brief, all-too-satisfying moment before they were beyond his reach.
“Now we’ve just gotta keep close.” Button Mash licked dry lips as the wind beat into his face. “They wouldn’t want to accidently blast their leader off the mountainside.”
***
Martial Paw thrust his sword into the air. A lightning strike thundered forth to cleave an armored, beetle-shaped Strutter out of the sky. The Painted One pilot screamed as he fell, lucky enough to have survived the strike, unlucky enough to have no means of flight.
Care Carrot flew close to the side of one glowing, floating stone. Too close for Martial’s liking. He tensed up as the rock lightly bumped the hull of the airship. “Take it easy!”
“You take it easy!” Care spun the ships wheel hoof-over-hoof. Her horn lit with the makings of a spell, which she released in an arc. A distant Strutter burst into flames and slipped into the lake. “I’m a guard, not a frickin’ pilot!”
“I don’t expect finesse!” Martial shot her a smile as he shot down another armored flyer. “I expect to arrive alive.”
“Take what you can get.” Care angled the prow to head for the next set of cover in their little leapfrog mission. She pulled a lever to adjust their speed. “I’ll be happy if we get there in one—”
She was silenced by the shriek of magic slicing the air. The floating stone beside them shattered straight down the middle. Shards of enchanted stone peppered the deck, alongside their two patients. Care leaned against the wheel as she found their pursuers.
The Hesperus Mactans itself bore down on them.
Care pushed the lever as far forward as it would go. “Horseapples! How’re they already after us?”
Martial swallowed hard. He looked to the sword in his talons. “She saw Euroclydon’s power. She knows Andean’s alive.”
“Who’s ‘she?’”
“Not important right now!” Martial leaned over the railing, pointing the sword forward. “Fly! Fly, fly, fly!”
The Hesperus Mactans flew on its vast, honeycombed wings. Wind shifted a dozen different directions as the massive flyder grew closer. Its seven remaining legs flailed at the pegasi soldiers that harassed it, knocking several from the sky in a single swing. A dozen cannons shot at the Vanishing Point, narrowly missing the envelope that held it aloft.
The flutter of wings drew Martial’s attention. The captain of the Blitzwings, Crested Barbary himself, alighted the deck of the Point. “Fly north!”
Martial tilted his head. “What? Away from the fleet? We have a medical emergency!”
“Towards that!” Crested swung his saber northward. “You’ll have cover to reach the fleet from there!”
Care offered up no argument. She spun the ship’s wheel with a desperate swing. The Vanishing Point lurched off its previous path. The glowing stone cracked to slivers in its wake as the Hesperus Mactans missed its mark.
The Corona hovered into view. Martial could see sparks flying from the metal spike on its prow. The Felaccian flagship pointed itself towards the Hesperus Mactans, offering the narrowest possible target. The spike unleashed a bolt of energy upon the flyder, and the enormous Strutter shuddered under the assault.
Care let out a shout. “The hearts!”
“What?” Crested Barbary moved to Andean’s side. When he saw he couldn’t do much for his sovereign’s wounds, he sheathed his sword and pulled the volleygun from his back. “What are you saying about hearts?”
Martial held onto the rigging to prevent himself from being thrown into the ether. The Vanishing Point bucked and swayed, caught as it was between the two warring superpowers. “The enemy’s airship is powered by hearts that have been held hostage. We need to cripple it without destroying it.”
“How do you suggest that?” Crested waved a dismissive talon. “Never mind. I’ll board the flagship and let the princesses know.”
“Princesses?” Andean stirred from his place strapped to the deck. “They were… supposed to flee…”
“I meant Luna, of course, Your Grace.” Crested grabbed his beak to hold it closed. He shot a glare at Martial, bobbed his head in a nod, and took off.
The Hesperus Mactans turned to face its newfound foe. Cannonfire lanced through the canvas core of the Corona, while its clawed legs reached for the canopy. A new wave of defensive firepower forced the flyder back, but the Strutters pulled off their randomized assault to direct their full attention on the Felaccian Flagship.
Their path to the Equestrian fleet was, for the most part, open.
Care adjusted their angle of approach, signaling the deck crew with a few flashes of her horn. “We keep trading one problem for another.”
“Maybe so.” Martial unbound Blankety Blank and cradled the changeling. Once they’d touched down on the ship’s deck, he passed his patient to the waiting hooves of a medical crew. He set about tying down the Vanishing Point, allowing a more equipped medic sturdy purchase to work on Andean.
Martial and Care walked to the aft of the airship to watch the Corona duke it out with the Hesperus Mactans. Fire and thunder weaved together in a web of death and destruction. Ponies and griffons gave their lives to defend the griffon homeland, while Painted Ones died by the dozen in the name of their mad god.
“Lady Carrot?” A low-ranked medic approached Care. “We have King Ursagryph and Specialist Blank in the med bay. The doctors are working their magic as we speak. You’re free to rejoin the fight, Lady Knight.”
“Thank you.” Care Carrot stepped away from the ship’s wheel to help Martial untie the Vanishing Point. “We should start heading back for the castle.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Martial spooled rope and made his way for the airship’s controls. “We still have to wait for Button’s word, but we can still make half a trip.”
“And maybe do some damage along the way?”
“Indubitably.” A thought entered Martial’s head. He acted upon it before the moment could pass by calling out to the medical officer. “Medic! Which ship is Princess Luna aboard? We need to speak with her!”
The medic gave Martial a rueful grin. “She and the Ponyville girl teleported aboard the Corona. I don’t think you’re getting in there anytime soon.”
Martial sighed deep within his chest. The melee around the airship in question only grew more intense. “Yes. I suppose not.”
***
Luna and Apple Bloom appeared in a shower of blue sparks. Luna strode off almost immediately, while Apple Bloom had to take a few minutes to ease the dizziness. A black-feathered, crow-faced griffon bowed to the princess as she passed. “Your Majesty Luna! Please, please talk some sense into the princesses!”
“Chamberlain Corvus, I—” Luna rolled her eyes and brushed him away with a wing. “Are any of the lords aboard?”
“Nay, princess. They were following Andean’s orders and escaped.” Mellori Corvus skittered after her, black feathers flaking in his wake. “The very same orders that the princesses are defying!”
Luna opened the door to the canopy with a spell. She was greeted with two smiling faces. “Princess Luna!”
“What are you two doing?” Luna’s voice was stern, full of as much urgency as she could spare. “You are heading directly into the eye of the storm! You could be killed!”
“More than we have already fallen today, Your Majesty!” Corona spread her red-tinged wings in a halfhearted effort to appear larger. “If we didn’t fight, if we called for your aid and left you to die for our sakes, what sort of princess would I be?”
“A living one.” Princess Luna stared directly out the viewscreen and found herself face-to-face with the Hesperus Mactans itself. The green glow of changeling magic burned within its crystalline eyes. She scowled at the abomination. “Tell the crew to have the ship back away from the flyder. Our greatest advantage right now is our low profile. We can match it for range, but it is a far easier target.”
Chamberlain Corvus bobbed his head repeatedly. “Mm! It shall be done!”
Luna knelt down and scooped Stella into a winged hug. “I am glad the two of you are safe.”
Corona joined the hug on the opposite side. Luna held the two young princesses close, never taking her eyes off the enemy. “We shall win this battle, but I need the two of you to do as I say. Understood?”
“With all due respect, Princess Luna,” Corona said, pulling away, “I am not without skill in leading the army myself.”
“But you are inexperienced.” Luna stood up and walked to the radio. She sat and listened to Corvus relay her orders. “I seek only to guide you, not usurp you.”
“I will accept your guidance.” Corona smiled, a knowing grin that reminded Luna altogether too much of her father. “If you accept my capability.”
“With gratitude, Your Highness.” Luna turned to see Apple Bloom make her way into the observation room. “Ah, Apple Bloom. This is Princess Corona and Stella of Felaccia. And their Chamberlain, Mellori Corvus.”
Corvus gave Apple Bloom the slightest of waves. He focused hard on the earpiece, nodding agreement though it benefitted nobody.
Stella ran as fast as she could to tackle Apple Bloom right in the chest. “Yes! I got to meet another Cutie Mark Crusader! This is so gawrock!”
“Uh.” Apple Bloom regained her footing quickly. She patted Stella’s head with a soft touch of her hoof. “The pleasure’s all mine, Princess Stella. I guess I’m pretty popular ’round these parts?”
Corona’s wings shivered, but she kept some small amount of decorum. She bowed her knee and lowered her head. “It’s an honor to meet you, Apple Bloom.” She grinned, letting out a tiny giggle. “Yeah, you’re kinda a big deal.”
“Neat.” Apple Bloom looked to Luna, still petting Stella, but allowing a worrisome expression overtake her face. “So what’s our next step here, Yo—”
“If I may?” Corvus lowered his microphone and earpiece. “Captain Crested Barbary just boarded, and he seeks an audience with all three princesses.”
“Send him up.” Luna moved to the center of the room to stand beside Corona. Apple Bloom took a seat by the viewports, observing the battle and chewing the edge of her hoof. Stella hopped on Corona’s back, hiding between her older sister’s wings.
Crested Barbary ran into the observation room. He didn’t waste time bowing. “The king is alive. He has been placed aboard the Pogonia for medical treatment.” He raised his talon when Corona tried to answer him. “More urgent is the news that the enemy flagship is powered by your missing hearts, Princess Luna. If we destroy the ship, then we will kill countless innocent people.”
He narrowed his eyes at Luna. “It was for this very reason King Ursagryph acted against Ahuizotl.”
Luna winced, folding her wings tight against her sides. Of course Ahuizotl had used the hearts in such a way. All of the deadly machines were powered by hearts. Their wills linked by Sweetie Belle’s song. The rough estimate, judging by the flyder’s power output, was that around two-hundred hearts were held hostage within.
“We have to board it.” Luna spoke quietly, less to communicate and more to mull over the thoughts. Suss them out. “We have to board it and retrieve the hearts in person.”
There were no expert teams of specialists ready and waiting. The Knights of Harmony—what few were in Felaccia—were pursuing Ahuizotl or recuperating aboard the Pogonia. Centurion Stonewall led the main force personally. The Blitzwings were scattered across Roc.
Apple Bloom frowned at Luna from across the room. “When y’all say ‘we,’ is that the royal ‘we,’ or the general ‘we?’ I’m thinkin’ it’s the former.”
“I mean me, Apple Bloom.” Luna looked to the Hesperus Mactans, which seemed even closer than before. She grumbled and barked an order to Corvus. “Tell the engine room to pull us back. We need space between us and the enemy.”
She spread a wing and laid it across Apple Bloom’s shoulder. “I fear I may be the only creature capable of surviving the retrieval process. I need you to stay here with the princesses.”
“All due respect, Your Majesty…” Apple Bloom stood and cinched her saddlebags tight. “I came to help. You’re gonna need a few hooves to carry all those hearts.”
“You can help most by staying behind—”
“No, that ain’t it.” Apple Bloom clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “Why’d you even bring me if’n you’re just gonna stick me in the background an—”
“Your Majesty!”
Luna shut her eyes and lowered her ears at the sound of Corvus’ grating voice. She turned to berate the crow-faced chamberlain for the interruption.
The Corona rocked with the force of an impact. Luna spread her legs to catch herself. Corona pulled her spear from her back, jostling her sister loose with the movement. Apple Bloom grabbed the window to brace herself. Crested Barbary helped a toppled Mellori to his feet.
Luna sucked in a deep breath. The Hesperus Mactans had outpaced the Corona by a long shot. The flyder had come close enough to the dirigible to dig its clawed legs into the canvas and wootz skeleton of the airship. The changeling technology ripped through the airship with vicious delight, a foal tearing open its Hearth’s Warming Eve gift. Griffon engineers flew from the wreckage, some caught by the flyder’s cannons, some by the Strutters buzzing around the flagships.
Luna all but screamed at Corona. “Get out of the ship!”
The scream was met with equal ferocity. “There’s no time!”
And the young princess was correct; the Hesperus Mactans was upon them. The mandibles flanking the flyder’s face separated and pierced both sides of the observation room. Luna began to weave a spell with her horn: A teleport strong enough to carry the lot of them to safety. But there were too many calculations to go through, too many numbers to finalize. She modified the spell on the fly to encase the room in a strong bubble of magic.
The walls caved in, and the Golemium mandibles crashed against Luna’s magic. Gears wailed as they were stripped clean of their teeth. The pressure in Luna’s skull was tremendous, unlike anything she’s felt since the eclipse that had defeated a hurricane. The Hesperus Mactans seemed to rage at Luna, the flagship having taken on a life of its own. The mandibles bit down harder, harder, ever harder. A claw reached up to scratch at the bubble of willpower keeping the six of them alive.
“Fall, princess!”
Luna heard the voice in her heart of hearts. It echoed in the depths of her soul, chilling her to the core with its callous demand.
“Why won’t you fall?”
The Corona fell away beneath them. The structural integrity compromised, the engines failing, and the crew having abandoned ship or died, it dropped into the lake engulfed in flames. Still Luna remained in place, her shield refusing to give way. Her very soul refusing to give in.
“Return the sun to those who earned it!”
Luna saw red gather at the edges of her vision. Shadows crept around her, enveloping her shield, slithering across the bodies of those she protected. “You think I didn’t earn it, creature? You think I have not struggled and bled for it? You think I have not given my life to its responsible use?” She snapped her teeth and sent a bolt of magic through the air to reinforce her spell. “You think I have not fought to keep it out of the reach of the likes of you?”
The reply was a monstrous roar. The mandibles clamped tight enough that the metallic jaws began to bend. Sparks both magic and mundane flew as the bladed edges bit into Luna’s shield. The pressure built up to the point where the princess couldn’t see straight. The world wavered in and out of focus. She narrowed her attention on one point. One spot in particular. They couldn’t stay where they were. Her spell would fail, and then they would be dead. She had to find a way out.
Or a way in.
Beyond the mandibles, a mouth opened. It was filled with sharpened, rotating spikes, but also a door to the interior. Luna sighed; even the jaws of death seemed a better alternative to being crushed.
She gathered the shadows to herself, scooped the others up with her, and performed a short-range teleport. The mandibles clanged together with the sound of a thousand bells. The six of them reappeared in a shower of blue sparks near the door. It was a sliding door, split down the middle with a seam. Luna rushed forward, not letting the pain in her head slow her movements. She pressed her hooves into the seam and pulled with all her might. Apple Bloom ran up to grab one side, while Crested Barbary took the other. Between the three of them, the mighty wall of metal moved a centimeter at a time.
Luna took a deep breath in and lit her horn. At her bidding, a clump of ice grew at the top of the doorway, several meters thick. The door’s cogs and pistons screeched in protest. “In! Everybody in!”
Stella and Corona slipped through first, their small bodies fitting through the gap easily. Corvus pushed himself through next, with Crested Barbary following soon after. Apple Bloom had to nearly bend in half to squeeze into the tight space. She needed a push from Luna just to get her hind legs inside. Luna allowed the shadows to encompass her entire being. She slipped through the door as a tendril of darkness, then reformed into a solid body on the far side. The ice cracked, shattered, and allowed the door to snap shut.
They found themselves in the depths of the mechanical beast. Several hallways led to who-knew-where. Iron clanged. Energy pulsed. The low lights of the interior of the Hesperus Mactans bathed all in a ruddy glow.
Mellori Corvus all but hid behind Crested Barbary. “I’m afraid I’m a bit out of my element, Your Majesty.”
“Princess?” Apple Bloom pointed to large cords bolted to the ceiling. “Them look a bit like power cables, like y’might see in Twilight’s lab. I’ll betcha they carry magic from the hearts to the different parts of the flyder.”
“I would imagine you are right.” Luna tapped her teeth together as her mane swirled haphazardly around her face. “In other words… all rivers lead to the ocean.”
“Right. We just gotta follow one.” Apple Bloom pulled a face as a thought occurred to her. “An’ then find a way to escape this crazy contraption when the lights go out.”
“Leave that to me.” Luna took a step towards a path that angled upwards. “I shall find the creature piloting this garbage heap and force them to ground it.” She looked to each creature in turn. “While you gather the hearts.”
Corona gripped her spear. “I’m coming with you.”
Luna shook her head without looking back. “I need you to protect the others—”
“You are visibly exhausted, Luna.” Corona slapped her spear butt against the floor plate. “You expended far too much power with that shield to win a fight against whatever ancient evil is driving this… this monster. You need someone to watch your back.”
Luna turned, regarding Corona with a light scowl. “And your sister needs someone to watch hers.”
“I’m coming with you.” Corona narrowed her eyes. “Whether I have your permission or not.”
“If you were to die,” Luna snapped, “I would never again be able to look your father in the eye!”
“And if you were to die, neither my father nor Celestia would ever recover.” Corona pointed her spear, flaring her red-tinged feathers. “Neither of us are expendable, Luna, but neither can we lay down our arms. We have to fight. Together.”
Luna shut her mouth tight. She looked to Apple Bloom, who could only give her a sad shrug.
Mellori Corvus cleared his throat and patted Stella’s head. “If it’s all the same, I would be overjoyed to watch the little angel’s back. Aheh. Heh.”
Stella drew her short sword and swung it in an artful flourish. “I can take care of myself, too, you know! You’re not the only Ursagryph onboard!”
Crested Barbary checked his volleygun, then double-checked that the bayonet was secure. “I’ll make sure they get out, Your Majesty. Count on it.”
Apple Bloom glanced around the room, her ears low. She gave Luna an unconvincing smile. “Well, we’ll get those hearts all collected up before you know it. You two just go an’ lay down the law.”
Luna stared down the corridor towards the bridge. She let out a huff, glancing at Princess Corona. “I suppose this is a stern reminder than I am not sovereign in Felaccia?”
“I am the acting queen.” Corona gripped her spear’s haft, the wood shaft squeaking against her skin. “But I know I could never succeed without your help.”
“Then we rise—” Luna spread her wings and flew down the corridor. The flap of feathers behind her said that Corona had done the same. “—and meet whatever challenge lies before us.”
***
Confuto shoved Chrysalis towards the beetle-shaped Strutter in the castle courtyard. The young changeling stumbled right onto her face. The chilled remnants of her wings flaked off. The wound was dreadful, but not mortal. Her back plates had peeled away from the force of the magic and the cold. The white flesh could be seen beneath the cracked carapace, vulnerable and fragile.
The Painted One grasped her beneath her foreleg and practically tossed her on board the vessel. He rested himself on the pilot’s seat and flicked various switches to power the Strutter up. The clawed legs retracted. The shells covering the hex-patterned wings opened up and became shields for the occupants. Two heavy cannons hummed to life. The Strutter rose into the air.
The vehicle jolted to a stop. Confuto nearly fell from his seat. He glared at the battlements surrounding the courtyard. There, at the corners of the massive wall that surrounded the castle: Electromagnets. The castle’s new anti-air defenses. Soldiers manned the disk-shaped devices; two were in range to keep the Strutter locked in place.
With a grunt of rage and frustration, Confuto yanked both control yokes to the side. The Strutter twisted and yawed in midair, never breaking from the magnetic grip, but twisting to a new position. The cannons barked. A bolt of magic power shot into the darkness and impacted the surface of one magnet. Two more shots flew, and the magnet cracked right down the center. Magic and magnetism crackled around the castle walls as the device was ripped apart by its own natural forces.
The second electromagnet was a far easier target. Two shots was all it took to disable the device, with a similarly spectacular result. Confuto pulled both yokes up, gaining altitude while staying out of range of the other two electromagnets on the west side of the castle. He’d done it. He’d finished the mission with acceptable casualties. Ahuizotl would be pleased. Queen Cicada would be most pleased.
He smiled at the changeling queen shivering in one of the passenger’s seats. “Please make yourself comfortable, My Lady. It is a three-day trip back to Fel—”
The ship halted, a far more violent stop than before. Confuto smacked his nose against the control console. He looked around for more electromagnets, but found none in range. He pulled the yokes this way and that, but there were no twists or turns. Not even a wiggle. The ship stayed in place, as solid as a rock.
He pulled the Fimbulvetr from beneath his cloak and menaced Chrysalis. “Is this your doing? Speak!”
Chrysalis wiped tears from her eyes. She seemed much calmer; distressed, though on a different level than life-threatening. She looked around the Strutter and pointed to the pink glow that shimmered around the edges. “No. It’s hers…”
“Who are you—?” Confuto snapped his mouth shut and raced to the edge of the Strutter. He looked down to the ground and saw a single, solitary pony.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza stared directly into his soul, her eyes overtaken with a blinding white glow. Her magic aura lit up the entire courtyard. Her wings spread wide. Her hooves stood in a wide, anchoring stance. The Fimbulvetr was ripped right out of his hooves and smashed against the ground. The force of a winter storm surrounded her, but every flake melted when it came within a meter of her.
Confuto screamed. He leaped towards the controls and pushed the Strutter to its limit. The engine whined. The heart at the center of it all screamed in pain. The armored shell bent and warped as the wings were pulled off their foundations. Plates came apart. Ancient screws removed themselves from their holes. Joints came undone. Confuto felt the floor of the Strutter fall away, but he remained suspended in Cadence’s magic.
Chrysalis was lowered slowly to the ground, where she collapsed at Cadenza’s hooves.
Confuto reached for a control yoke, but it was pulled away from him. The Strutter hovered around him in pieces, disassembled to its base components. His cloak flapped in the chilled wind.
His teeth chattered as he whispered. “Let the earth tremble…”
The individual bits of the Strutter came back together as a jumbled, crumpled mess. They wrapped around Confuto and sealed him within a prison of solid metal. Cadence propelled the orb of trash into the ground. Shards of Golemium spread out from the impact. She lifted the orb and brought it down again. And again. And again.
“Once,” she said, “for each of the children you hurt tonight.”
The crumpled wreckage lay still and silent, having become little more than a tomb for the High Priest of the Painted Ones.
The wind died down. The shimmer of magic faded. Chrysalis covered her face with her hooves, too afraid to move.
Cadence sighed. She knelt down in front of the young girl and brought her face close. “It’s alright. You’re safe now.”
Chrysalis shuddered. She curled up on herself, tears pouring down her cheeks.
“The doctors have examined your guards. They shall all make a full recovery.” Cadence tried to smile. She tried really hard. She failed all the same. “Even Bugly. Though I suppose his eye doesn’t regenerate.”
“How can you call me safe,” Chrysalis II said, “knowing what I am to you?”
Cadence closed her eyes tight. She swallowed the lump rapidly forming in her throat. “I—you are the sovereign of an allied—”
“You hate me…” Chrysalis’ voice was hoarse. Raw. Broken. Her blue mane, so like Shining Armor’s, flowed around her ears in an unkept mess. “I feel it every time you look at me. You can’t hide it.”
Cadence winced and looked away. Her heart beat in her chest, resoundingly loud. Unquenchable. Unmistakable. “I… I refuse to hate you anymore, Chrysalis. It’s not fair of me. I hated what I thought you were… But what I think of you has no bearing on who you actually are.”
Chrysalis II’s bright blue eyes blinked. Soft sobs choked their way out of the young queen.
“You are the sovereign ruler of the changelings.” Cadence sniffed, rubbing the tip of her nose so as not to dribble. “You are leading your people on to a brighter future. You are the master of your own destiny.” Cadence fought through the pain. She needed to speak the truest statement. The one that hurt the most to admit. “You are my husband’s eldest daughter. That makes you family. No matter the circumstances of your birth. No matter the actions of your mother. That does not define you. It does not control you. You are you, Chrysalis, and you are beautiful.”
She reached out and touched a tender hoof to Chrysalis’ cheek. “It was wrong of me to hate such beauty. And it is wrong of you to deny its power.”
Cadence spread her wings and enveloped the girl. She touched her cheek to Chrysalis’ forehead. “You are free from our expectations, Chrysalis. Free from our prejudices. Free from your mother’s deeds. Lead your people the way only you can.”
The Princess of the Crystal Empire didn’t know whether Chrysalis accepted the embrace, or just didn’t have the strength to pull away. Whatever the circumstances, she knew that the both of them needed the hug dearly. “I can say that you are safe, because I will do everything in my power to give you the opportunity to live your life.”
Her eyes met Chysalis’. Both full of tears. Both full of regrets. “I’m so sorry that I hurt you for so long,” Cadence said. “Never, ever again.”
Peace fell upon the courtyard as the two of them found solace—however slight—in each other’s presence.