//------------------------------// // Daybreak: Evening Visitor // Story: Sigil of Souls, Stream of Memories // by Piccolo Sky //------------------------------// “And now, without further adieu, Ms. Fluttershy will be taking some of your questions.” As the official stood to one side, Fluttershy steadied herself on once more being faced with a crowd of people, this time reporters as well as citizens, with many of them raising their hands. In spite of all eyes on her, she tried her best to stay calm even as her heart began to pound. Moments later she heard the fateful noise. “Yes, you there ma’am.” One of the civilians in the front row lowered her hand, looking somewhat uncomfortable. “Ms. Fluttershy, my husband’s sister developed one of these…these…Promethian Sigils two weeks ago. She’s been confined to the house ever since and turns away all visitors for fear that she’ll attack someone. Are you ever scared about the same thing happening to you?” Fluttershy swallowed a lump. She nearly meekly answered ‘yes’, but paused momentarily before she took a deep breath and spoke calmly. “Actually, I’m very grateful for this ability. It’s allowed me to help my animal friends like Angel Bunny, and it’s given me the ability to make a real difference in helping the world. I might even learn how to cure all of the animals that have been affected by the Light Eaters completely.” The woman paused, seeming to think this over, before she eased back down into the audience. Mentally Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. The official looked over the audience again and picked another. “Ah yes, you there sir.” “Ma’am, what do you think of the rumor going around that the reason there’s more of these signal things on people’s hands is because there’s a coming of Harmonium just around the corner?” “Uh…” she stammered momentarily, before again swallowing and taking a deep breath. “That’s a very interesting theory, but I’m afraid that I’m not here to comment about that. I am only here to help people better understand individuals with Promethian Sigils, and how we’re not monsters or freaks but people just like you. And just like you, we’re trying to understand what’s going on in the world too.” The man looked a bit disappointed at lack of answer, but nodded and eased down. Fluttershy almost risked a small smile at having handled another one. The official looked over the crowd once again. “Yes. You there with the Fillydelphia Flyer.” The reporter called on leveled a critical glare at Fluttershy, along with several around her. She instantly felt her tension rise just from that. “Ms. Fluttershy, it’s clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that Trottingham intends to conscript all individuals with Promethian Sigils into military service for what is no doubt the next major military conflict. The attack on Manehattan proved that. What do you have to say about the alleged rumors that Manehattan is using this entire Manehattan Doctrine order as an excuse to easily do the same and to gain military superiority over all of its neighbors, including Fillydelphia?” Many in the crowd lowered their hands and focused on Fluttershy’s answer for that. She herself swallowed and let out a tremble. Her knees almost knocked as her face paled. For a few moments, she flustered at the question. “Well…I…um…” Finally, her eyes glanced backward, to behind the curtain for the stage she had walked in through. She quickly caught a glimpse of an individual making a gesture and mouthing words loudly to her in an attempt to trigger a memory. On seeing that, her own mind clicked. Fluttershy looked back out and firmed up. “Do you know what?” she answered almost challengingly. “I’ve been hearing a lot of talk against Manehattan over the past few days of my tour. However, most of the people I’ve heard that talk from don’t have any plan at all for people who have Promethian Sigils beyond quarantine or imprisonment. Manehattan was kind enough to treat me as a human being, which is much more than I can say for most of the other governments who have yet to follow suit. If other nations are displeased with Manehattan becoming a safe haven to all those with Promethian Sigils, they’re more than free to open their own borders to them. In fact, I would welcome it. Until then, I hardly think making wild accusations is a substitute for inaction.” The reporter frowned but was clearly cowed by that, as were her supporters. A few of the sympathizers in the audience even looked enthused, with a couple even giving her some applause for her response. As for Fluttershy, she nearly swooned in relief at having dealt with that, but glanced back to the side of the stage again at the one who had given her a hand. Smiling and offering her own clapping, Rarity winked at her. “I must say, darling, that was your best one yet. You’re really getting a knack for it.” Fluttershy blushed and bowed her head, letting her hair fall over her face and pausing in her brushing of Angel’s tail. “Oh…n-n-not really. All I’m doing is just following your advice…” Seated across from her in the steam carriage, Rarity let out an airy laugh and waved her hand. “Oh, pish-posh, darling. There’s nothing to it when you have time to think clearly about a well-worded and themed response. It’s the presentation before a live audience that’s key, and you absolutely landed it.” “Really…I’m just glad today’s over already…” she half-mumbled, glancing outside the window. “And that we’re staying some place not so crowded. I don’t really like how most of the Fillydelphians were staring at us on the way in.” “We can’t quit now, dear,” Rarity responded. “Thanks to you, I’ve been able to stay hot on the heels of that lout from Manehattan.” On that note, she began to reach for her handbag and pull out a list. “I have three names already. After tonight, I’m sure to find another stop on their route.” She laughed again. “This is almost too easy! They must have never expected a seemingly unarmed lady to go snooping about for their operation.” Fluttershy said nothing, only continued to watch the world pass by. Although this area was still fairly well populated, it was also just outside of the urban area of a major city in Fillydelphia. Here, the larger buildings gave way to smaller ones interspersed with larger houses from the older and richer members of the town. They were just passing through a business square and into the residential street, and with the lateness of the day people were already thinning out although the sky was indicating late afternoon rather than evening. They continued to get the occasional dark look from a resident, but by now crowds were so thin and out from the major urban areas that most either paid them no mind or gave their carriage an indifferent look. She muttered uneasily. “I beg your pardon,” Rarity spoke up, “but is something wrong, dear?” “It’s just…well…there’s still people out there giving us the…um…uh…” “The ‘stink eye’?” “Uh…yes.” “Try not to pay it any mind. It has nothing to do with our Promethian Sigils; I’ll tell you that. If I had to guess, it would be because of the Manehattan insignias.” Fluttershy turned back to her. “Manehattan?” “Well, I don’t spend all day hiding behind newspapers without reading a few. National tensions are running a little high right now between the two countries.” Hearing that, Fluttershy gulped nervously. “And…and we’re representing Manehattan…while in Fillydelphia…” “Oho, don’t worry about that, Fluttershy,” Rarity laughed off. “Our countries aren’t fools. Fillydelphia still needs Manehattan for its economic connections, and Manehattan still needs Fillydelphia for its military. We both know full well abandoning the other would leave us an easy mark for Trottingham. We may talk a big talk and bluster, but our alliance isn’t going anywhere.” Fluttershy said nothing, other than a small mutter that sounded almost like “I hope you’re right”. Not five minutes later, they passed through a set of rather solid iron gates patrolled by what looked like Manehattan soldiers; a fact which made Fluttershy clutch Angel a bit tighter. Soon after, they went through a smaller market square before turning a corner for a carriage path leading up to one of the manor houses in particular. Not the nicest one, but definitely up there. Two stories tall with very old trees growing in a spacious yard adjacent to a thicker forest, and looking more rustic and homey than most of the residences in the town. It already getting ready to light up its lamps in spite of the early afternoon, and several Trottingham and Manehattan envoys alike were gathered in front of it; including the same official who had presented Fluttershy earlier. He was smiling and looking rather pleased as the carriage halted at the front steps. Not long after, one of the envoys came and opened the door for them. Somewhat hesitantly, Fluttershy, still holding Angel, made her way out. Rarity far more readily followed behind her, but the official greeted the former first with an earnest grin. “Very well done work today, Ms. Fluttershy! I think that was your best one yet!” Turning a deep red, she shrank into her shoulders. “Um…thank you.” The official looked up and behind her. “And many thanks to you as well, Ms…. Oh dear, I’m afraid your name has slipped my mind again…” “Spade, darling,” Rarity answered without missing a beat. “Shadow Spade.” “Yes, Ms. Spade. Your speech coaching has done wonders for this tour. Manehattan owes you a very great deal of gratitude as well.” He turned back to Fluttershy so that he could face both women together. “Now then, we are currently within the grounds of the Manehattan embassy within this region of Fillydelphia, so feel free to make yourselves at home and be at ease within the gates. This house just happens to be the home of the Manehattan ambassador, and since he has currently returned to Manehattan he has been gracious enough to offer to your tour the lay of the grounds for this evening. Feel free to help yourself to whatever is inside. There are three lovely cafes within the embassy grounds that serve both Manehattan dishes as well as Fillydelphian flavors, and since the wooded areas are in the interior this is a prime location for unwinding with a forest walk.” “Um…thank you,” Fluttershy meekly answered. “Yes…” Rarity answered somewhat more hesitantly. “Thank you very much.” “Well then, I’ll be seeing you. Have a lovely evening ladies. You deserve it.” With that, the man gave a gracious bow to either woman before replacing his hat and starting off down the trail. The rest of their small retinue began to unload their luggage so that they could park the steam carriage. Fluttershy had noticed the trepidation in Rarity’s response, but she said no more and simply set out for the porch leading into the manor. After a short time, Fluttershy turned to the road again to await the second carriage hauling the rest of her animals before she could do the same. It was some time before Fluttershy had everyone tended to and unloaded. Fortunately, it seemed the ambassador’s estate had a place for horse stables that were currently vacated, allowing her to house the bulk of the animals there with ease. Angel alone accompanied her inside. She saw that the inside of the house was quite lovely as well. Wood paneled, rustic, well-furnished, and very new looking. The entire front spread out open wide with a staircase against either end leading up to the second floor, where a spanning balcony adjacent to the doors to several rooms looked down over a bannister on the floor below. The two envoys assigned to her were already making their rounds on the bottom floors, now that all the unloading was done. They directed her to one of the second floor rooms for that evening’s bedroom, and soon she was headed up and inside. She had scarcely opened the door when she heard a humming from within, and on opening it up she saw Rarity just inside. The room that she had been given was rather spacious. Big enough for two separate beds and a full vanity, the latter of which Rarity was making use of at the moment. Fluttershy found herself astonished yet again to see she had managed to somehow either scare up another outfit or keep it hidden until then, because she was wearing something different from when she came in and was well into the process of making herself up and changing her hairstyle. Having seen this behavior before, Fluttershy let the door shut behind her before she headed over to the bed that had her own few things nearby. “You’re heading out again tonight?” “Of course, dear. I told you I needed to,” Rarity answered. “Tonight especially. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to keep my ear to the ground on our trips into Fillydelphia until now, but here, now that we’re in a city that’s more out of the way, as it were, I believe that cad will be making contact with a member of the Horned Trip this very evening. With any luck, they’ll try to make the deal in the backwoods of this town tomorrow night. I’ll either get a more promising lead or perhaps I’ll be able to stop the exchange personally.” She let out a quiver and a grin. “Ooo! I must say, I used to abhor violent conflicts, but after everything I’ve been through this is getting me excited!” Fluttershy, however, looked a bit confused. “But, um…we’re only staying in town the one day…” “Oh, I think I’ve managed to take care of that,” Rarity responded, doing one last touch up on her blush before turning around and facing the woman. “Um…you did?” “Why yes! Well, it was that gentleman who greeted us’ suggestion, but I thought it was smashing and said you’d be all on board. Rather than moving on to the next town so quickly, he thought what would be an even better idea would be if you would finally have the chance to show how your power is nothing to fear by helping some of the locals.” Fluttershy’s pupils shrank and she gulped. “Um…uh…already? I-I-I know we mentioned that we might do that, but…” “And the best thing of all is…you’re going to be helping children!” Now Fluttershy really did go white. “Wh-wh-what?!” “Oh, don’t be that way, Fluttershy. This will be perfect! Fillydelphia has so many children that ended up getting hurt from Nighttouched attacks that they have a local hospital nearby that specializes in pediatrics. You just head over there tomorrow and work your magic, figuratively and literally, and I’ll have all day to take care of my business! No need for speeches at all!” Fluttershy blinked. Her initial shock began to wear off. However, unlike how she normally would have reacted, she didn’t tremble or cringe. While she kept looking tense and fearful, her eyes drifted to the floor and stared at a spot on it. “I mean, you’re so good with animals already. This won’t be any different. The children will probably be more nervous about you than anything. All you need to do is-” “Why did you do that?” Rarity paused, a bit taken aback to have been cut off. Fluttershy hadn’t looked up, but her fear was leaving her. A new emotion, one that Rarity hadn’t seen before, was starting to come over her. “I beg your pardon?” Fluttershy breathed in and out several times before she swallowed. She suddenly looked up, and Rarity was nearly frozen on the spot. Her eyes possessed the same intensity as her “Stare”, or at least a portion of it, as she looked at her. And it felt like something was gripping Rarity’s chest and almost clenching. “You scheduled me for this without even asking me!” she half-shouted. “I’m letting you come along with me! You don’t get to say where I go! Especially when they’re places I don’t want to be!” Rarity was speechless. While the words made sense, to suddenly see Fluttershy revert to such passion, enough to where she was turning her own power on her, made it impossible for the designer to respond. She could only stare back, unable to look away from Fluttershy’s eyes, and make stammering sounds as she was unable to form any words. However, it didn’t last too long. The woman seemed to realize what she was doing, and when she did her face broke. Her eyes became normal again, and Rarity let out a gasp like something had just gotten off of her. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” Fluttershy quickly apologized, rapidly becoming meek and timid again as she cringed and bowed her head. “I’m really sorry… I didn’t mean to…” Rarity honestly needed a moment or two to stabilize herself before she was able to offer a weak, and somewhat forced, smile. “It’s…it’s alright, darling. Noth…nothing to worry about…” she spoke a bit more breathlessly than she liked. “You’re right… That…that was out of line for me. I just…I didn’t know you had such strong feelings about that.” Fluttershy didn’t answer. She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled, keeping her head bowed and looking away. Rarity finally eased up and risked a wider smile. “I’ll tell you what… I’ll hunt down that official first thing this evening and tell him the arrangement is off.” She began to push up from the vanity. “I’ll do it right now, before he has a chance to make any plans. I’ll run him down if I have to.” The woman sighed. “No…no, it’s alright.” “Really? Are you sure? I didn’t mean to pressure you into this…” “It’ll be fine…” Fluttershy quietly answered, sounding more resigned than timid. “I…I knew I’d have to use my power sometime on this tour. It might as well be now.” “Are you absolutely certain?” Fluttershy paused a second more, but finally nodded. Rarity finally exhaled. “Alright. I won’t do anything like that again.” She reached over and took up a wide-brimmed hat she had hanging from an edge of the vanity, the last piece of her ensemble. She rose soon after, but kept the hat in her hands as she looked on at Fluttershy. “Should I tell your entourage that you’re ready for supper?” She shook her head. “No…I’m not that hungry.” “Er, not because of what I did, are you?” “No…” “Alright then. I’ll be back later this evening. You’ll probably be asleep.” “Ok…” Rarity gave her another long look, but finally put her hat on, turned, and headed out the door to the bedroom. Soon it was swinging shut again behind her, and Fluttershy was left alone with Angel once again. The silence in the room lasted for a short while before the rabbit looked up at Fluttershy with an expression that almost seemed anxious. He pulled himself off of her lap and continued to give her that look after a time, but nevertheless she kept staring at the floor for several minutes. More than long enough to hear Rarity go down the stairs and out the front door herself. She let out a long exhale and looked up, noticing that the sun had lowered more and was now vanishing under the horizon. She finally turned back to Angel. “I’m not that mad. I know Rarity meant well… I just…wasn’t ready.” The rabbit continued to stare at her. After a moment, it poised and stamped a foot, as if upset. Fluttershy went wide-eyed. “Are you crazy? I couldn’t do that! Not to Rarity! The last person in the world I’d tell is Rarity!” Angel let out a noise. “No! I won’t! I couldn’t! I…I…” She paused, beginning to cringe again and wrapping her arms around herself. Angel made another sound. Fluttershy sighed. “You’re right… I don’t like it, but you’re right… But…but I just can’t… Not now… I just wish…I just…” She closed her eyes and cringed in a bit more. “I just wish I could go back to before this all started sometimes…” Angel let out an angry growl. She winced and closed her eyes. “No…you’re right. I might be nervous all the time, but I still like being here. I still like having…having them. Even if only Rarity is here I know the others are still out there. That’s the whole reason I went on this tour. But…but it’s not any easier now than it was then. At least I was in control back in that basement. At least I didn’t have to worry about-” Fluttershy was cut off as a rather loud clamor, loud enough to echo through the walls, sounded from outside. She sat up in a snap and turned her head to the door along with Angel. A second later, the latter began to hiss. Fluttershy herself stood up but stayed still a moment, until she heard the sound of the two men assigned to her. She heard both of them go into motion and to the front door. Another clamor sounded before she heard the door open and shut again, followed by their fading footsteps down the porch. A third clamor resounded after that, making her a bit nervous. For a moment, she hesitated, thinking of stepping back and perhaps even hiding under the bed. However, she swallowed and steadied herself instead, and, taking up Angel in her arms again, began to make her way to the door to at least try and see what was going on. Very slowly, she reached it and grasped the door handle. As she turned it and began to pull, gunshots rang out. She let out a panicked yelp and recoiled, but in doing so she yanked the doorknob in such a way to cause the door itself to swing open wide. The result was the upper floor and balcony was exposed. The windows on the front of the building were fully revealed, but with the rapidly setting sun all she could make out was growing shadows of the surrounding trees. She let out another panicked whine as she heard two more gunshots. This time, she nearly turned and ran back into the room, but before she could Angel squirmed loose, hopped out of her arms, and began to bound over to the bannister for a better look. “Angel!” she cried, almost immediately clasping her mouth shut in case something unsavory had heard her. She looked around nervously for a moment, her body hesitating, deciding whether or not to make a move. Finally, mustering her courage and whimpering all the way, she put her head down and rushed out of the door to the balcony bannister. She reached over, scooped Angel up, and in another moment would have rushed back into her room. Before she could, the front door flew open. She screamed and froze on the spot again, but got a double shock when Rarity came in almost stumbling. Much to her alarm she had activated her Anima Viri. One of her sleeves was torn, a bruise was against one side of her face, and blood ran down the other cheek. “Fluttershy!” she cried. “Fluttershy!” The woman stammered a moment, but got enough of her bearings to look over and call down. “Rar…Rarity?” Her eyes looked up to her, wild and panicked. “Fluttershy, run! Get out of here! As fast as you-” That was all she got out before a force strong enough to splinter the door frame along with the door itself burst behind Rarity. She cried out in pain as her body was sent flying forward into the house and under the balcony, well out of Fluttershy’s view. The woman gasped in horror, cupping her hands to her mouth. She remained rigid as the source of the blow slowly walked through the remains of the door opening and inside the room; transfixed in terror of it. The figure itself was clad from head to toe in armor, but it wasn’t like any of the steam soldiers that she had seen from Trottingham. Nor was it like the armor that the royal guard had worn. It seemed of a more traditional basic plate style, and yet it also seemed new. Strangely new, and strangely unique. Like the metal wasn’t quite a type she had ever seen before. Neither was the interlocking plate design, which, combined with the close fit, seemed to allow as easy mobility as if it was fabric. It fit so closely that Fluttershy was able to tell, based on the figure, that it was an adult female. The only parts that protruded were around the wrists and about the helmet. That part was sheer and centered around a visor that showed nothing but darkness within. Aside from that, the only other things that stood out were strange etchings all over the suit like runes, and a headdress that splayed out like a strange swallowtail butterfly made of the same metal. Scarcely had the figure walked through the door, her boots thudding loudly on the wood, when she stopped. The visor snapped upward and focused on her. Fluttershy gasped and quickly recoiled. She nearly turned to break for the room, but her mind made her hesitate, telling her there was no escape in there… Before she could think any further, the armored figure crouched and leapt. To Fluttershy’s further horror, she easily sailed off of the floor, through the foyer, and around to land right on the balcony a mere ten feet from her. Fluttershy let out a panicked squeal as she dropped Angel. She began to back up as she shook all over, holding her hand up. “M-M-Member of my house, I come to command… No…no…” The figure, never looking away from Fluttershy for a moment, began to advance. “House of my m-m-member…no, that’s not…” The figure had already closed half the distance. Trying to speed up, Fluttershy only succeeded in catching the back of one of her feet on a loose floorboard and falling back on her rear. She continued to scramble back as the shadow of the figure started to fall over her. “M…M…My…. Of…” She was too frightened. She couldn’t even focus on the words anymore. The figure itself was nearly upon her… Rarity’s voice suddenly cried the flame spell Twilight had taught her from below. In response, a trio of spheres of flame shot up from the floor below, striking the side of the figure. Fluttershy gasped again and looked over the side. Although she looked even more wretched than before, Rarity was standing up again and aiming a new rapier at the figure like a wand. Unfortunately, that single spell seemed to already be too much for her as she breathed heavily and let her hand fall. As for the figure, flames burst against her armor and faded…and she didn’t even shift weight. As soon as the third eruption was done, she paused only enough to turn and look over the railing, espying Rarity from up above. Before she could make any sort of move against her, however, Angel suddenly leapt out of Fluttershy’s lap. With as much speed as he could muster, he leapt up to the nearby wall, made contact, bounced off of it, and went sailing for the side of the figure’s head; clearly meaning to strike a blow to knock her off balance. An instant before making contact, one of the figure’s hands shot up and around and seized the rabbit perfectly by the scruff of the neck. Angel’s hind legs were left suspended and still extended for the figure’s face, before it let out a shocked squeal on seeing itself halted in midair. Without looking away from Rarity, the figure raised her other arm, aimed her wrist down to the first floor, and then let out a loud “pft” noise. Fluttershy caught a brief glimpse of what looked like a pill-sized capsule shoot from the wrist like a bullet… Moments later, she screamed as a loud explosion went off beneath her, bursting forth enough to bathe a quarter of the lower floor in fire. Rarity, miraculously, must have known it was coming, because she turned and bolted for it, but she still cried out as she was flung off of her feet and into the nearest wall. Even so, when she collapsed to the floor, she was still dangerously near the fires. Fluttershy nearly called out for her but before the sound could come out she saw the figure move again. Like he was nothing more than trash, she snapped her arm around and flung Angel behind her. The rabbit gave another cry as he went sailing through the air before smacking into the other side of the balcony so hard that Fluttershy heard the knock. “Angel!” The rabbit didn’t answer. He merely went limp and slid off the wall to the floor. Once there, he lay there…unmoving. Fluttershy stared at this in shock for a moment, but only a moment. Her face changed; filling with fire and passion the likes of which her friends had not yet seen. Her shuddering and seizing ceased. Instead, she focused fully on the figure and nearly growled. “How…dare…you!” In a snap, she leapt up to her feet and held her hand in the air. “Member of my house, I command you to come to me! Little Sunshine—Philomena!” As the figure turned back to Fluttershy, her aura erupted. While her clothing was still transforming into a white robe, she reached out and seized one of the balcony posts. With her growing strength, she pulled it out in one stiff snap, and it rapidly turned into a staff long enough to grasp with both hands with a knobby, gnarled end. She wielded it in front of her like a club just a moment before she let her fury carry her forward. In a show of violence that would have shocked her in a better presence of mind, she hauled the staff back and let it fly against the side of the figure’s head. Not stopping there, she whipped it back and struck against the other side again, and then a third time against the first side. She nearly struck a fourth time, but as she swung out again she heard a whistling sound. The figure’s hand shot up and, quite easily, caught the knobbed end in her gauntlet. Fluttershy’s momentary rage faded as she went wide-eyed, fresh fear seizing her. She may not have been as strong as Applejack or Rainbow Dash, but with her Anima Viri equipped she was still far stronger than almost any other human being. Yet her strikes against the head of the armored figure had done little more than dent and mar her staff. And right now, she found herself being held perfectly and easily with one hand. A moment later, the figure clenched her own fist. Like it was no more than a handful of crackers, the end of the staff began to fracture and crumble into bits of wood in her hand. Fluttershy gasped at the display of raw strength and, as a result, failed to even react when the figure snapped the end of the staff off with one hand before shooting out with her other, seizing Fluttershy by the throat, yanking her off of her feet, snapping her around, and throwing her clean off the balcony and through one of the windows. Fluttershy was still feeling pain around her neck when her wits recovered enough from smashing through the glass to see the ground rapidly approaching, right before she collapsed and went for a tumble. Even with her added power, it was still extremely painful; not the least because she had been cut several times by the glass on the way out even with the protection of her thick robe. She practically bounced once as she rolled a bit further before halting, but even then she felt pain all over and her senses were dazzled. She let out a small moan and struggled to look up. Her eyes focused on the front of the ambassador’s house, seeing the bright flames from the fires inside shining through all of the windows. Yet she stared only a moment before a shadow became framed by the fire, and as her wits continued to clear she soon saw the armored figure hop out from another window and land on the yard. She began to approach her. Petrified all over again, Fluttershy could only gasp and whine as she struggled to get up and pull herself away… Yet the figure only got a few steps closer before suddenly snapping around and to one side. As a result, she dodged a thrust from Rarity’s rapier as the woman lunged for where she had been. Nevertheless, she quickly recovered, pulled back, and got her sword ready. Beaten and dirty, and a bit singed, she nevertheless stood her ground. “I’m afraid we aren’t finished, dear.” Without another word, she lunged forward with another thrust. The armored figure didn’t back up this time, simply sidestepping her instead. When she followed up with a side slash, however, she was forced to take a step backward, and Rarity quickly moved in with more thrusts to the side and torso. Nevertheless, as she kept advancing and slashing and stabbing, the armored figure never lifted her arms. She simply continued to step back or sidestep. Finally, Rarity drove a thrust for the armored figure’s neck. As expected, the figure rapidly dodged back, but this only made her smirk before shouting. “Lightning bolt!” Instantly, a spark of electricity snaked down the edge of the rapier and struck the figure right in the visor. Rarity almost laughed at how perfect of a hit it had been, but she didn’t relish the small victory. Instead, she quickly reared back just enough to aim another thrust for the chest, and drove her weapon forward. What happened next was so fast Fluttershy couldn’t make it all out, but what Rarity had been so eager to do after landing her hit had occupied her attention so much she failed to notice her opponent never balked at the cantrip. Instead, once again, the figure snapped up a hand. It closed in a fist around the tip of Rarity’s rapier. Instantly it was as if the sword was encased in cement, for it halted right where it was…much to Rarity’s surprise. She was left frozen in mid-lunge, stunned for a few seconds, before she struggled to pull her blade loose or drive it in. She succeeded in neither. The figure calmly reached up behind her head with her free hand. She grasped the end of one of the “swallow-tails” of her butterfly-like array and drew it out. The sound of metal sliding against metal resulted, and both Rarity and Fluttershy were astonished to see a long, gleaming, razor-edged ribbon-like length slowly be drawn from behind her head. She continued to let it lengthen out for several moments, before she snapped her arm; instantly freeing a whip’s length before she brought it around in a crack. Rarity cried out in alarm and backpedaled, but still held onto the grip of her sword. It hardly mattered. As the crack of the ribbon went down, it gleamed with a reddish light, and an instant later Rarity stumbled backward and almost lost her footing all together. When she regained it, she blinked in surprise and held up her rapier defensively again…only to see that she only had half a sword. The severed broken hilt was gleaming with heat and she gaped as she saw the armored figure simply toss aside the first half still in her palm. With another crack, the razor whip was to one side of her, snaking out and gleaming with the same light. She reached her opposite hand to the other side of her head, and with another snap and a flourish, a second whip was in her other hand. Both seemed to sizzle as she faced the designer, and all she could do in response was stammer and shake in growing fear. “Rarity! Run!” Fluttershy finally found the strength to yell. Whether it was fear or loyalty to Fluttershy that made Rarity pause was unknown, but she hesitated. It wasn’t until the armored figure raised up one of the whips and swung it about that she finally let out a panicked noise and turned to flee. She only got three steps before the first whip lashed out. Fluttershy saw the clothing along Rarity’s back easily raked open, and a red mist erupt from behind her. Rarity let out a cry of her own, this one of pain, before she was rooted in her spot by the sudden trauma. Her stumble gave more than enough time for the figure to snap the other whip around. This one, mercifully, didn’t slash her like the previous one had, but it still snaked out and whipped around her, lashing around her upper arms and forearms and binding them against her chest. It wrapped around three times until it had her seized, and with a sharp tug yanked her back to her feet. Rarity turned her head around in shock, trying to see what she was planning on doing, but she had no further time to react as the woman snapped her whip back and plucked Rarity off the ground as if she weighed nothing, hurled her over her head, extended her out to full length, and then smashed her body against the ground. She cried in pain from the rough impact, being left stunned just as Fluttershy had been. With a single snap, the razor whip was dislodged from Rarity and seemed to recoil back to the armored figure. Yet no sooner had she gotten her free when she aimed her wrist at her again. “Rarity! Get up! Move out of the way!” Fluttershy’s alarm cry fell on deaf ears, as the woman was too dazzled to move. She barely even managed to writhe before another one of the small capsules was fired. It wasn’t a direct hit, but it hardly seemed to matter. It impacted just to the side of the designer, and on eruption the explosive force carried her off the ground and flung her body sideways into the nearest tree truck. The impact was so hard a crunch went out, and Fluttershy, for the life of her, couldn’t tell if it was the tree or bone. All she knew was that Rarity was totally limp when she fell off of trunk. “Rarity!” As horrified as she was for her friend, Fluttershy’s attention was diverted as soon as she heard metal on metal again. She let out another panicked whimper as she saw the figure was now approaching her again; menacingly twirling both whips. She hesitated momentarily, glancing between the approaching figure and between Rarity. The latter needed help, but she knew there was no way she could get there quickly enough to do anything, and no way she could overcome the armored figure… Before she could think of what to do next, the sound of the metal sliding and the crackling of fire from the house was broken by loud screeching. She didn’t have a chance to look for the source before it appeared. A swarm of five birds swooped down and began to flap and dive bomb around the head of the armored figure, in particular going for her visor with their claws and bills. In spite of the meager assault, between the five of them and their fury and speed, it was enough to stop her in her tracks. She slowed to a stop with her whips and glanced about in what seemed to be puzzlement. Fluttershy, however, recognized the birds as her own. She leaned up, but continued to hesitate; not sure if she should move now or if they would soon be assaulted in the same way Angel had been attacked. A moment afterward, the figure began to raise one of the whips again. However, the birds suddenly split in five directions. The figure snapped its head up, distracted by that, and as a result failed to notice the bear charging up yard straight for her. She managed to turn to it before it made contact, only to take a claw swipe as it reared up and smacked her across the side of the head. Finally, a blow seemed to be struck that even she couldn’t ignore. Her head wrenched to one side as she staggered back two steps, which was shocking enough as the blow would have taken it clean off had she been a normal person. The bear bellowed in rage as it reared up, stretching over her, and then threw its bulk at her. Its claws slammed on her shoulders as it tried to wrestle her to the ground… Fluttershy didn’t watch any further. She finally snapped out of it with this newest arrival and turned fully to Rarity. While still sore and hurt, she pulled herself up and quickly dashed to her side before crouching down next to her. Much to her dread, she was breathing but only in a queer way. Even hearing it made her cringe. She extended her hands over her soon after and tried to call to mind the spell that Twilight had told her… A bellow from the bear distracted her. She turned and looked, and to her surprise the armored figure, in spite of being much smaller than the bear, was actually staying on both feet and wrestling with it. The bear lunged out and clasped his jaws on her shoulder region and tried to wrench her down, but not only did his teeth fail to find purchase in the armor but she kept twisting and moving around, her whips still extended, and prevented him from getting good leverage on her. The birds circled about, struggling to find a way to intervene but finding none. Swallowing, Fluttershy forced herself to look away. She closed her eyes and concentrated, and finally began to speak the healing chant. She just began to hear the sounds of bones slowly rejoining on Rarity when she heard a loud metallic clicking. It was enough to make her open her eyes and look back to the armored figure, just as she got one hand free from wrestling with the bear and swung it to the ground. Another capsule went off and at her feet, but this time when it erupted it instantaneously blanketed the entire area around her in a thick fog; so dense that Fluttershy could almost not even see her shadow through it. The mist lingered around her as the birds and bear alike flew into it, and after only a second or two saw each of the five birds go limp and fall out of the sky. As for the bear, he slowed down considerably in his movements. His paws slowly slid off of the figure’s shoulders, and soon he was heaving and slumping on his own two feet. He looked like he was barely able to keep standing. The mist began to dissipate slowly, but the figure didn’t wait. Leaping again, she cleared herself out of it in one nimble bound and snapped both of her whips. Swinging one around in an arc over her head, she let it fly with a crack across the snout of the bear. That seemed to “snap him awake”, but at the same time a red cloud of mist erupted, and he howled in anger and pain as he staggered back. He nearly braced himself to charge again, but the figure quickly lashed out with another whip. This one raked over his brow. It made the bear growl and shake his head furiously before covering his eyes for protection. With the bear thus distracted, the figure lashed out with both whips at once. One of them snaked out and wrapped around his legs, lashing them together. The other went around his torso and arms, pinning them to the sides just as they had been with Fluttershy. If the bear would have reacted, she didn’t give him time. Digging her feet in, she snapped back with both arms and yanked the bear forward and into the air. In spite of having to weigh hundreds of pounds more than her, the bear snapped back and past her body, and she quickly leaned in the opposite way and pulled the whips taut. Seconds later, she began to swing around with him, yanking him about like he was a hammer throw. And just like a hammer throw, she whirled him about only in one complete revolution before snapping her arms down and letting him fly. The bear was sent into the air as if he had been fired from a trebuchet; hurtling through the woods and smashing into and through several tree branches before vanishing into the growing darkness. Fluttershy heard his rather loud impact moments later. In an instant, the armored figure spun back around and focused on her. She gasped and tried to react, but the figure wasn’t “pacing herself” anymore. With a crack of a whip, she lashed out with one of her bladed weapons, and Fluttershy squealed as she found it soon wrapping around her torso once again. She hardly had a moment to even feel her arms pinned tightly against her before the whip was snapped back, and she was yanked up and flung right toward her. She barely had time to cry out before the armored individual snatched her out of the sky by the neck, quickly clasping into a choking throttle. Fluttershy, wide-eyed, horrified, bound, and unable to breathe, could only hang there in her one hand as she glared at her with her black, soulless visor. For a moment, she remained hanging, fearing whatever would come next and helpless to do anything about it, knowing no one was left to aid her… For what seemed like an eternity the visor stared at her without reaction, but finally the figure’s free hand snapped up and twirled itself around. The other whip seemed to recoil at that, retracting back into her hand until it was the same original length it had been. With a fluid movement, she raised it and replaced it behind her head. Immediately afterward, she reached out and extended her palm over Fluttershy’s bound arm…in particular over her Promethian Sigil. Fluttershy, too petrified to look down, only gagged and hung there, but she saw what seemed like a small reddish, purple, and violet glow emit from where the hand was. She feared it was some sort of attack or magic, and nervously waited for pain to come. It didn’t. Instead, after a few moments, the glow died, and the figure’s whip immediately loosened. Her grip opened at the same time, and Fluttershy let out a gasp as she was dropped to the ground. She landed in a heap, taking in one ragged breath, but then quickly reared up and scrambled back and away. Yet the figure was fully ignoring her now. Retracting her other whip, she began to walk past Fluttershy and straight for Rarity. The woman clutched for her throat and rubbed it painfully, but on getting enough of her bearings and seeing that she was approaching the helpless woman, she tried to call out. “W-w-wait… Wait…” Even if her near-whisper croak had been audible, the figure wouldn’t have halted. Soon she was at Rarity’s body and crouching next to her. Fluttershy struggled to scramble forward at that, desperate to do something…anything…to help her friend… However, she slowed down and halted in confusion soon afterward. The figure made no finishing move or further offensive move. Rather, after replacing her second whip, the figure reached down and picked up Rarity’s limp hand that bore the Promethian Sigil. She held her opposite palm over it and, this time, Fluttershy saw the light emit from the bottom of it. Not only that, but some sort of lines, similar to the ones that were traced whenever they put on their Anima Viris, went out and etched along the surface of the sigil. It did so for several seconds, but then stopped. As soon as it did, the figure let her arm fall limp, stood again, and then simply turned and began to walk away in the direction of the woods. Fluttershy blinked, now thoroughly puzzled. She turned to her own Promethian Sigil and held it up. It certainly didn’t look any different, and she was still wearing her own Anima Viri. She wondered what that had been about… Her thoughts were interrupted once again as she heard a pair of loud gunshots. She squealed and dove for the ground, looking up in panic. The armored figure had already gone a considerable distance, but she made out sparks going off against the back of her. They had to have been from bullets, but it was like they were shooting a tank. The figure didn’t even stumble as she kept walking away. Two more bullets soon went off with the same result. Cringing and trembling, Fluttershy looked behind her. She was just in time to see the two envoys, both looking bloody and bruised but able to limp and keep moving, slowly stumble forward with their guns drawn. They fired a third time, but after that both of them clicked as their five-shot chambers were empty. They cursed soon after, but considering their wretched condition they couldn’t chase any further. That became even clearer when, as soon as the figure reached the tree line, she crouched and leapt up into them. She vanished once within the branches. One of the envoys swore as he shoved his gun back in his holster. “We lost her!” “Get the gate watch and have them contact the grand chancellor’s aide! We need to get to him before the Fillydelphians start asking about this!” The first sighed, still in quite a bit of pain it seemed, but nodded and turned to do as he was told. Fluttershy herself was stunned a bit longer before looking around. With all that had just happened, she hardly knew what to do or where to go first. Finally, she turned to Rarity again. Swallowing around her pained throat once more, she crawled her way over to her. In moments she was resuming the chant of her healing magic again. She heard more sounds of bones slowly reknitting by the time the opposite envoy managed to hobble over to them. “Ma’am? Ma’am? Are you al…” He trailed off, but speaking to her had been enough to distract her and make her look up. She caught him backing away a bit fearfully, looking to one side of the house. She froze—thinking it meant that their attacker had returned. Yet when she turned in the same direction, she saw it was only the bear slowly making his way back to them. He was much calmer now, but also limping along, and she winced on seeing that his nose and forehead had long cuts across them from where he had been whipped. He let out a mournful growl. “Oh Harry! What were you thinking? You could have been killed back there by that dreadful person!” she called to him. “Look at your poor nose! Come over here and…” She froze soon after. “No wait… Angel! Where’s Angel?” She spun back to the ambassador’s house, but by now, much to her horror, the bottom floor of the home was filling with fire and smoke was belching out continuously. Already, it looked like it was impossible to get back inside. Her heart seized with fear for a moment… A rabbit’s howl sounded from nearby. She looked back to the ground. Much to her relief, she saw a trio of raccoons approaching her, and one had a somewhat dizzy-looking but otherwise intact rabbit astride his back. She clutched her chest in relief. “Oh…thank goodness!” Soon after saying this, she began to hear bird cheeping as well. She looked back over to where the armored figure had used her last capsule, and saw the five birds from earlier were beginning to pick themselves up. Apparently, whatever had been used on them was only a knock-out agent or drug of some sort. She let out a massive sigh before she let her hands fall. “Everyone’s ok… I was so worried. I thought that…” A small moan came from Rarity. On hearing it, Fluttershy leaned up again. “Oh…I…I guess everyone’s not quite ok yet…or could be better… Focus, Fluttershy…” Extending her hands once again, she resumed her chanting. Fortunately, she had already done some of the work already. And surrounded by her animals and with no more threats nearby, she was able to be calm enough to put her full attention into it. It only took about a quarter of a minute before Rarity’s moans became more distinct noises, and soon after her eyes cracked open. “Ugh…” Fluttershy cut off the spell and lowered her hands as she leaned in. “Rarity! Are you alright?” She blinked once, slowly. “Just…get me my usual latte, Ms. Pommel…and I’ll be ready for the next wave of orders…” “Rarity!” The woman blinked again, snapping her head once, and her wits fully came back to her. In an instant she leaned up with a gasp and began to look around frantically. “Merciful heavens! What happened? Where’s that quasi-next-generation-steam clad figure? Did we win?” Fluttershy quickly put her hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright, it’s alright… She’s gone.” Rarity blinked a few times, before seeming to get her wits fully back. She looked at Fluttershy in puzzlement when she did. “Did you say ‘gone’? As in…?” “She just left. After…after, um…” “After what, Fluttershy?” She looked a bit uncomfortable, but held up her hand with the Promethian Sigil. “After she, um, held out some sort of light to our sigils. Once she did that, she looked like she didn’t care about us anymore. She just walked off and ignored everything else.” “Just…just walked off? Just like that?” Fluttershy cringed a bit. “Well, to tell the truth, I don’t think any of us were really doing anything that could stop her…” Rarity paused, before her own look began to grow uneasy. “I suppose you’re right. To be honest,” she grimaced, “we should probably count our blessing that she did leave when she did. I don’t even remember how badly I was struck but I’m assuming it was fairly severe if I woke up with you casting your healing magic over me…” She cringed a bit herself. “I’m almost afraid to ask which way she went…or if we should try pursuing her…” Fluttershy swallowed a lump in her throat. She shook all over just thinking about that idea. “I…I…I think maybe we should tend to everyone who’s hurt first. Harry and Angel don’t look too well. Neither do the men who were with us…” Rarity nodded back. “I quite agree. And, um…perhaps while we’re at it, we should see if we can do something about that burning house before it completely goes up in flames.”