//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: The Next Chapter // by Some Leech //------------------------------// “Get - Rrrgh - offa me!” Cozy growled, trying in vain to wriggle from beneath the stallion. His size and weight, augmented by his armor, left her attempts to escape fruitless. Though she couldn’t see much, she heard a second quartet of heavy hooffalls coming from the door. “You got her already?” a gruff, incredulous voice asked. “Yeah. You got the cuffs?” the stallion atop her questioned, shifting slightly. “Right here,” the second pony replied, accompanied by the sound of metal jingling. With a pair of hoofs pressed to her sides, Cozy found herself rolled over and thrust into the air. As sudden as the movement was, she was finally able to get a decent look at her assailants. Sheathed in the armor of royal guards, with golden filigreed heavy plate, there were at least two of them - the earth pony who’d tackled her and a similarly adorned unicorn moving in her direction. She wouldn’t be surprised if there were more, since soldiery typically didn’t travel in pairs. If she had to hazard a guess, there was likely at least one pegasus waiting somewhere unseen. It wouldn’t make sense to send a team to capture her without somepony capable of giving aerial pursuit. Her chances of making a getaway were slim, given the circumstances, but not impossible. Held aloft, watching the unicorn trot nearer, she ceased her struggle. Appraising the two heavily clad stallions, she took stock of the situation. The horned equine was of slender build, with a mauve coat and alabaster mane and tail, while the earth pony below her was significantly muscled and covered in sandy hued fur. Between their immaterial and physical strength, her wits were left to prevail. It was a long shot, and she’d only have a split second to pull it off, but she had a hastily concocted plan. Timing would be everything, so she resigned herself to wait for just the right moment. Sorcerously unclasping and moving the irons towards her, the second stallion’s horn blazed with magical power; just as the cuffs came within reach, she struck. Bending at her waist, she sank her teeth into one of the two hooves holding her; the split second the stallion’s grip upon her slackened, she flapped her wings and executed a front flip. Snatching the levitating irons from out of the air, she deftly clasped them around the earth pony’s forehooves and flitted towards the stairs. Disabling one of the stallions would buy her a few minutes, at best, although it was better than nothing. Glancing over her shoulder, watching the two guards bicker and fight to unlock the cuffs, she rocketed to the second floor and slammed against something warm and soft. The unexpected impact sent her reeling off course and into a wall, before falling to the stairs below. Quickly pushing herself up, wondering what she’d hit, she found Flurry peering down at her. “W...what is going on?” the alicorn asked, looking between the diminutive mare and the duo of guards. Shaking off the rough landing, Cozy flew behind the Princess for cover. If Flurry was half as confused as she seemed, there was a pretty good chance that her guest had been unaware of the ambush. Peeking over the alicorn’s back, she thrust a hoof towards the soldiers standing by the entryway. “They tried to beat me up and put me in chains!” she whimpered, slightly exaggerating the truth. “First of all,” the unicorn began, finally freeing his compatriot, “we did not try to beat her up. Secondly, you’re now facing charges of resisting arrest and assault on a royal guard.” “She bit me!” the earth pony grumbled, blowing on his hoof.  “Emblem, Sigil, explain yourselves,” Flurry softly demanded, staring down at the two armored stallions. While she continued to use the alicorn as refuge, Cozy couldn’t help but be marginally impressed. There’d been a subtle shift in the Princess’ tone, the slightest undercurrent of steel, when she spoke. Her eyes danced between the pair of stallions, the door, and the windows she could see. Despite having gotten herself away from immediate harm, there was no guarantee that another trap would be sprung. “Your majesty, we’re simply following orders. We had no intention of harming the filly, you have my word,” the horned stallion explained, his eyes locked on the small pegasus behind the Princess. “Is this true, Emblem?” Flurry pressed, shifting her focus to the earth pony. Removing his crested helm, he nodded. “It is, Ma’am. Now if you’d both come with us, we’ll escort you to the castle…” The Princess paused for a moment, peeked over her shoulder at Cozy, then looked down at the two ponies below. “I hardly think any of this is necessary. If I’m -” “Ma’am,” Emblem interjected, “you will accompany us to the castle…” It was fast, so subtle that Cozy barely noticed it, but the ranking earth pony glanced at his fellow soldier and gave an almost imperceptible nod. They were up to something, however she couldn’t quite say what. The Princess tensed, the muscles on her shoulders and back tightening, as she took a deep breath. “I order you to leave,” Flurry commanded, almost resignedly. “You’ve broken into someone’s house, assaulted a child, and -” “Whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t…” Cozy barked, squinting down at the unicorn. Though it was faint, his horn had briefly flickered with power. The quartet of ponies stared at one another in an overbearing, nearly stifling silence. Slowly, the earth stallion stepped to the base of the stairs and gazed up at Flurry and the tiny mare she was sheltering. His cold, unyielding eyes stayed locked upon them, as he donned his helmet. “There are two pegasi on the roof and a unicorn out back. Neither of you are leaving here unless you are in our custody. I don’t want to resort to force, Princess, but I will if you leave me no other option…” Emblem whispered. Drifting to the step upon which Flurry’s forehooves rested, Cozy’s mind raced. They were outnumbered and, if she had to take a blind jab about the Princess’ combat prowess, outgunned as well. Shuffling over, resting a bit of her weight against the alicorn’s foreleg, one ear swiveled up and back. “Emblem…” Flurry murmured, taking a step down the stairwell towards the officer. “You have to realize how absurd this is. If you’d just take a moment and explain -” “Duck!” Cozy squawked, heaving all of her weight into the Princess’ forelimb and sending her toppling forward. A periwinkle mortar of energy blazed just over their heads, right where the alicorn had been standing, before arching downward and slamming against the stallion at the foot of the stairs. Driven back by the blast, groaning incoherently, the stricken soldier took a faltering step and collapsed to the floor. Everything went deathly still, for the briefest of moments, before the room exploded into action. With at least one unicorn to her back, and a second magic wielding pony in the living room, Cozy took flight. Whizzing over the banister and into the kitchen, she abandoned the alicorn. Regardless of if Emblem hadn’t been fully truthful or not, getting away still wasn’t going to be easy. Sailing by the oven, flicking every knob as she passed, she grabbed a salt shaker from the counter. Reversing course, unscrewing the top of the shaker as she went, she soared back towards the kitchen’s entrance. Coming to the doorway, hearing hooves storming in her direction, she lobbed the container of salt at the archway and right into Sigil’s face. The stallion cried out, blindly unleashing spellwork into the kitchen as the pint-sized pegasus zipped over his thrashing head. The Princess was gone, disappeared from the stairs, although the sound of clashing sorcery from above gave some clue to the alicorn’s whereabouts. Gliding up to the second floor, she followed the sounds of arcane combat. Squared off against one another, in the short hallway that divided the upstairs, the alicorn and second unicorn clashed. A beam of their perspective magics connected them, each pushing against the other, lighting the corridor. The soldier stepped back, as the Princess trudged forward. Even if Flurry wasn’t a skilled combatant, there were few who could contest with the raw, mystical power of an alicorn. “M...my Princess, please!” the stallion blubbered, his magic on the cusp of being overwhelmed. “Then just stop! You’re the one who started this!” Flurry growled. Gritting her teeth, she stamped her hoof and increased her arcane output. In a flicker of light, the unicorn was left in a glimmering bubble of energy.  The guard scowled and discharged his horn, sending a bolt of energy to wildly ricochet around his confines and into his flank. Yelping in surprise and pain, he fell back and sent the spherical cell to roll into one of the bedrooms. The prison wouldn’t last forever, but at least it temporarily dealt with one of the goons. “He is so fired,” the Princess snorted, turning away from her defeated foe. As she spotted Cozy, she rushed over to the small mare. “A...Are you alright?! I don’t know why they’d -” “We have to get out of here now!” Cozy interrupted, shaking her head. “If there aren’t already more on the way, there will be soon.” “I...What…” Flurry stopped dead, sniffing the air. “Is something burning?” “There’s no time!” Cozy hissed, fluttering up to the Princess’ face. “We need to make a break for it!” The alicorn uncertainly nodded and ignited her horn, before she intervened. “No, we can’t teleport - at least not yet. You’ll go somewhere familiar and they’ll know it. Running is our best bet.” “H...how did you?” the Princess stammered, taken aback. “Just trust me and get ready to do exactly what I say,” she grunted, bringing her muzzle beside the alicorn’s head. With a bubbled guard possibly within earshot, and others likely lurking nearby, she couldn’t risk anyone hearing her. Swiftly whispering her scheme to the Princess, she drifted away. “Got it?” “I...I think so?” Flurry mumbled uneasily, clearly unsettled by the tumultuous turn of events. “Good. Now run!” Cozy yelled, wheeling around and dashing for the front door. Her plan to ignite the kitchen, after at least one of the soldiers had been incapacitated, had worked far better than she could have hoped; one pony was injured, another blinded, and a third was trapped within Flurry’s shield. With several guards within the soon to be blazing structure, any remaining centurions would have to prioritize a rescue over a pursuit. Charging through the front door, with the Princess galloping behind her, Clozy raced outside. Scanning the heavens, she scowled; a trio of pegasi were descending towards them at full speed. Luck definitely hadn’t been with her, though she’d accounted for the possibility. Screeching to a halt, she leapt back to Flurry’s side. “Now!” she screamed, praying the alicorn wouldn’t fold under the pressure. The world went white, drowned out by a brilliant golden flash. Cozy froze, plastering herself to the Princess’ leg. Her heart thundered in her chest, though she dared not breathe or move a muscle. Blinking rapidly, fuzzy shapes and movement gradually came into view. She and Flurry were right where they’d been before, standing not but two dozen paces from Anon’s home. Angling her head ever so slightly, she peered up at the large mare beside her. The alicorn’s eyes were wide and unfocused, and her breathing was fast and shallow, but she stood unflinching. Shifting her focus, she watched the three pegasi pause, shouting to one another, before bolting into the house. “Slow,” Cozy softly instructed, tenderly stroking Flurry’s leg. “Just stay slow…” Forcing herself to trot at a snail’s pace, she moved before the Princess. While there was no guarantee that Flurry would follow her, she was partially relying on the adrenaline coursing through the alicorn. Her unexpected accomplice’s better judgement was likely shaken, but she’d followed her orders to the letter. Hearing the soft hooffalls behind her, she led the way. First and foremost, they needed to get some space between themselves and any soldiery in the area. The mock teleportation, a combination of a star blaze and invisibility spell, had served its purpose. With the guards more than likely having assumed they’d winked themselves to another place entirely, all that was left was to clandestinely escape on hoof. Periodically glancing back to her guest, Cozy silently trotted down a path leading away from the home. While the entire chaotic event had only lasted a hoofful of minutes, it had felt much longer. She had many, many questions for the shaken alicorn, although they would have to wait. Taking metered breaths, she fought to calm herself and reflected. Playing and replaying the events of the attack, in her mind, she searched for any glimmering nuggets of information. Flurry had not only recognized two of the guards who’d accosted them, but one had even referred to her as my Princess. The stallion’s mention of orders was probably the most unsettling part, leading her to a conclusion - either grievous miscommunication and ineptitude was rampant amongst the royal guard or there was some scheme afoot. Caught up with her thoughts, she froze mid-step. “Wait,” she hissed, holding a hoof out and motioning for Flurry to stop.  She listened, her ears swiveling towards the noise. It was coming from the opposite direction of Anon’s house and it almost sounded like something running. Soft and rhythmic, the pounding growing closer and closer. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be any sort of quadruped - no, the gait was all wrong for that. Cozy’s eyes swept over the hillside leading towards town, looking for any sort of movement, when she finally saw it. Cutting through the underbrush, moving at a fairly impressive clip, a figure ran up the gentle slope. Watching it move, it only took her a second to realize who it was. He was too far away to notice his expression, being several dozen paces off, but he was definitely moving with a purpose “Anon!” Flurry cried, her spell dissolving and leaving the pair of mares out in the open. Anon’s pace faltered, as he looked over in their direction. “Flurry?” he shouted, changing course and slowing marginally. “Great...Just great,” Cozy sighed, as the alicorn cantered past her. “Anon! We were...A...and then they just burst in. I tried to…” the Princess babbled incoherently, rushing over to the man. “Woah woah woah! Just calm down a second,” he huffed, panting slightly. Dropping to one knee, he brought himself to the alicorn’s eye level. “Are you ok?” he inquired, looking Flurry in the face. As the Princess nodded, he turned his head towards Cozy. “And you?” “I’m fine, but we really shouldn’t stick around here,” Cozy exasperatedly muttered, continually searching for any sign of pursuit. “We were attacked by guards and -” “Wait, what? Attacked? Where?” Anon blurted, glancing between them. “Guards,” Cozy repeated, “at your house. We managed to get away, but they’ll be looking for us. Do you know of anywhere away from prying eyes? Maybe with a friend outside of town or in the woods?” “Hold on, guards attacked you?” he asked in disbelief. “I saw some smoke on my way back and I came running! Are you sure they were guards?” “It’s true, they did,” Flurry affirmed, solemnly shaking her head. “We were having tea when it happened. T...there was a fight a...and…” she sniffed, her eyes beginning to water. “Ssssssssssssh,” Anon breathed, leaning in and wrapping one arm round the Princess’ neck. “It’s alright now. We’ll get this - Mmmph!” A bolt of opalescent energy struck his shoulder, a heartbeat before a second and third slammed into his back. Sheltering the alicorn with his body, he reached out and shoved Cozy away. It wasn’t an outright punch, but he used more than enough strength to send her reeling. Tumbling back, the pegasus landed under in shrub. Struggling to right herself, Cozy squirmed about in the bush and fell to the ground. Shaking off her disorientation, while she pushed herself to her hooves, she looked over and went rigid. As Anon rose, taking care to shield the Princess behind himself, he turned to face his assailant - no, assailants. “Stand down,” a unicorn ordered, flanked by two more of his horned kin - a second stallion and a mare respectively.  “Not before you explain yourself,” Anon barked. Cozy hadn’t realized it until then, but the back of the man’s shirt had been blasted clean off. Tattered and singed, the fabric hung from around his neck and shoulders, though that wasn’t what held her eye. His flesh, while a bit reddened, was still wholly intact. Despite being unsure of the exact spell the magic wielding pony had used, it didn’t make any sense. As far as she knew, combat sorcery was comprised of two classes - those that could cripple or gravely wound an opponent and those which were significantly less dangerous. Given the state of his garb, she was left to presume whatever Anon had been hit with had been the former. She was so caught up trying to figure out exactly what had happened that she failed to notice the one of the backup soldiers readying a second attack. “Cease fire!” the commanding officer said, waving to the pair beside and behind him. “Anon, that filly is being charged with treason, as well as a number of other offenses,” he blared, leveling a hoof in Cozy’s direction. “I’d really rather do this peacefully but, if you leave me no other option, we will use force.” Anon visibly tensed, though Cozy couldn’t see his face. “You say that after you throw the first punch?” he growled. “Final warning…” the officer snarled, his horn going alight. The two soldiers behind him did the same, as a brilliant aura surrounded them. “Don’t…” the man coldly intoned. Putting his strong foot forward, he clenched his fists. “As if - Buck! Fire! FIRE!!!” the lead unicorn bellowed, as Anon sprinted forward. Cozy watched in abject awe, as a cold chill ran up her spine. Somehow, defying all logic, Anon stormed at three trained soldiers with little more than his bare hands. Shrugging off magical bolts and rays of power, he charged headlong into the onslaught. There was no shield, no arcane barrier, the man simply weathered the barrage as if it was little more than a stiff breeze. The trio of unicorns, either paralyzed in fear or disastrously overestimating their abilities, stood their ground. Closing the gap with startling speed, Anon stooped low and rammed a shoulder into the lead stallion. Throwing his full weight into the blow, knocking the pony to the ground, the man changed course and barrelled into the mare. With his momentum barely dulled, he outright tackled the smallest of the three unicorns. Grunting, as she was bowled over, the mare swung a forehoof and nailed Anon in the jaw; regardless of whether the blow had been guided by skill or plain dumb luck, it staggered the man. The engagement turned into an all out brawl, as the two rolled around exchanging kicks and punches. With one sentry wounded and a second scuffling with Anon, only one of the unicorns remained standing. The lone soldier’s eyes were glued on the fight, either too reluctant or too shocked to join the fray, while he ignored the Princess and pegasus nearby. He was open, oblivious to his surroundings, and he was about to learn a hard lesson. Creeping towards the alicorn, Cozy did what she could to avoid any sudden movements. There was the potential to surprise and overtake the remaining guard and she was not about to let it slip through her hooves. She inched closer, watching the Princess’ face, until they made eye contact. “Shoot him,” she mouthed, pointing a wing at the stallion. Flurry cocked her head and knit her brow. “Shoot,” she silently repeated, gesturing to the center of her forehead, “him.” Extending both a wing and a foreleg towards the armored pony, she finally got her point across. Flurry lowered her head and leveled her horn at the guard. A ball of radiant golden light sailed from her, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye, and splashed against the unicorn’s cuirass. He stumbled, his attention immediately shifting to the alicorn and her pint-sized companion. Snatching up a small rock, Cozy took to the air and flew away. She wasn’t too keen on being caught in any potential crossfire between the Princess and the warrior, though that wasn’t the only reason for her departure. Keeping low to the ground, swinging wide, she flanked the stallion, took aim, and hurled the pebble. “I’m over here!” she taunted, as the stone clanged off his armor. His head whipped around and he angrily scowled at her. As his lip curled and the glow about his horn intensified, a beam of energy sent him sailing into a bramble. His armor was scorched, he coughed a gout of smoke, and went limp. As jarring as seeing the hitherto timid Alicorn’s fury was, the victory was short lived. Flying over the downed officer, something snagged Cozy’s leg. “Got you, you little -” Clang!!! The unicorn’s helmet rang loudly, as the tiny mare bucked with all her might. His teeth seemed to chatter wildly, his eyes rolled back, and his grip slackened as he collapsed. “Stay...down…” Anon wheezed, unsteadily getting to his feet. The mare he’d been tousling with, while a little roughed up, was still conscious. He loomed over her, dusting himself off and glaring down at her. His shirt had been reduced to shreds and his pants had a sizable hole in one leg, yet he seemed relatively unharmed. “Cuff her, quick! Flurry, get the other stallion and do the same, before he wakes up!” Cozy shouted, drifting to the ground and pulling the irons from the officer’s hip.  Gritting her teeth, she pulled his forelegs together and clasped the metal around them. With the cuffs securing the guard’s limbs together, she grabbed his key and flung it into a bush. The Princess flew past, headed towards the stallion who’d been blasted, while she heard the mare Anon was dealing with cursing and grumbling; in less than a minute, all three unicorns were shackled. “Anon, Flurry, bring those other two soldiers over here and set them together,” Cozy stated, looking between the man and alicorn. “Why? They can’t hurt anyone now,” Anon commented, raising an eyebrow. “Because they’ll let the others know we went to Yakyakis - Grrrrrrrr!” Cozy furiously growled, facehoofing. “Just hurry up!” Anon and Flurry didn’t budge, each staring at the little mare with disconcerted shock. It was only when she smiled and winked, after making sure the only conscious guard couldn’t see her face, did they move. Hauling the trio of unicorns into a close circle, the man, alicorn, and pegasus stepped back. “I heard the Crystal Empire is great to visit this time of year,” Cozy chuckled, grinning up at the Princess. “A...And don’t come looking for us!” Flurry ineffectually growled, evoking her power and sending the trio off to the far-flung north-land capital. With the sentries dealt with, having earned themselves a moment’s respite, the three looked to one another. Flurry, while seeming shaken, appeared alright; Anon, on the other hand, was a different story. Though he was breathing heavily, the only obvious injuries he bore were a hooffull of cuts, scrapes, and swelling on his cheek where the unicorn had landed a blow. Throughout all of Cozy’s travels and studies, she’d never heard of any creature which was outright immune to sorcery; even Tirek, having the ability to absorb magical energy, hadn’t been completely resistant to mystical attacks or manipulation. There were what looked to be very minor burns where he’d suffered direct hits, as she studied him closely, although they didn’t appear any worse than a sunburn. Meeting his eyes, she nodded. “Thanks…” Her gratitude seemed to bleed away a bit of Anon’s bitter resolve, leaving his shoulders to wilt slightly. “Don’t worry about it. Is my house -” “Even if it’s not razed, you can’t go back. If there are any soldiers left there, which I presume there will be, you’ll be detained and questioned. It would only be a matter of time until the three we sent to the Crystal Empire send word about your involvement,” Cozy sighed. “Until we can figure out what’s going on, it’s probably in your best interests to stick with us.” “Wait, us?” Flurry blurted, stepping closer. “I...I didn’t do anything. Maybe we can go and talk with them to work out this misunderstanding.” “There is no misunderstanding. They said I was under arrest for sedition and conspiracy to commit regicide, not to mention that they were under orders when they refused your command - no, there’s something foul afoot,” Cozy murmured, furrowing her brow. “How can you be sure?” Anon asked, crossing his arms over his nearly bare chest and staring down at her. “Because it’s me,” Cozy weakly chuckled, shaking her head, “and I’d know a scheme when I smell one…”