Pick Shield’s hoof hovered over the button, the golem-stallion’s eyes narrowing as the sun began its downward journey. There was no ceremony; no time for any of that. The last of the munitions were loaded, the last of the creatures reporting ready. Hammer, Knife and her squad, two of the other best groups the Organization had. Even though having Hammer and Knife on the mission together was a risk; both were too valuable to lose. Yet their potential replacements were not ready.
I wish I could go with them.
Someday.
The operation depended on everycreature doing their job. While Pick could fly their flagship the most efficiently, the smaller two vessels were necessary for speed and subtly. They still packed a punch but traded firepower for swiftness.
More than enough to blast through that shield regardless.
Depressing the toggle, the Fleet Commander’s mouth widened into an eager grin as the two ships powered up. Their leyline-engines hummed, then scaled up into a roar that made every creature’s limbs vibrate.
As the ships began to pick up speed, Pick’s jaw clenched, eyes starting to dampen.
Go get my brother. Bring him home!
“Toxic will be here safe and sound by the ‘morrow,” Varti rumbled, the Yak having stayed silent until now. “Gelliana too. Those ships can practically fly themselves, and between all of those creatures we have a battalion’s worth of fighting experience.”
Pick nodded, hooves trembling slightly. He had to ask.
“And the contingency plan?” he whispered, Varti looking over to the Fleet Commander in apparently-genuine shock.
“Pick, did you really thing I’d let those ships leave without installing it?” the indignant Professor asked. “As well as two backups if my attempt failed? Hammer and Knife have the triggers; but they don’t know what specifically they’re for, only when to use them. However, even if they aren’t used, then automatic deployment can also occur if parameters are met. If things go badly our enemy will pay dearly for it.”
That seemed to calm Pick, Varti looking over towards the path that led down from their cliff-side viewing spot.
“I’ll leave you two to it,” he said softly, beginning to trot back to his lab. Pick thought he had misspoken, repeating a word until a feathery body gently pressed against his side.
“You holding up ok?” Salina asked her coltfriend, Pick letting out a shuddering breath.
“As well as I can. I just want them to be safe.”
“You’re doing your best, that’s all anyone can expect.”
Pick looked over to her, his head shaking back and forth.
“I should be on those ships,” he admitted, “but…”
“You have done so much, Pick,” Salina said softly, reaching over to give her special somepony’s hoof a squeeze. “Trust in your friends. It’s a hard lesson to learn.”
The hippogriff was pleasantly surprised when the physically-reserved pony abruptly leaned in to rest his head against her feathers, closing his eyes as he took a few deep breaths.
“I’m just worried.”
Salina couldn’t say anything else other than nod in agreement, hoping the hug she wrapped Pick up in could calm his nerves. Judging from his contented sigh, it did the trick.
And yet the hippogriff couldn’t help but notice the fire in her coltfriend’s eyes.
Please bring them back safely.
The hippogriff silently sent her request to whatever entity watched over the island. Salina still wasn’t sure if that meant this Clari or Fide mare…or somecreature else.
Well, they needed all the help they could get.
“The rescue is underway?” Fide asked, Varti nodding as he watched the readings and live feeds from the two airships.
“Yes. Hooves crossed this works,” the Yak muttered to himself.
“And yet you have measures in place if-”
“We have contingencies,” Varti butted in with a growl. “Ones I hope never to use. I trust every creature on that ship to do their job and do their very best. But sometimes that isn’t enough. If the worst should happen, I’m not about to leave Toxic or Gelliana with nothing.”
“I meant no offense.”
The hint of genuine hurt in Fide’s voice made Varti’s ears flip up. The yak glanced over and saw the mare actually looking rather contrite, eyes glancing to the ground.
“I’m sorry Fide,” Varti said in a more subdued tone. “We’re all just very on edge. That wasn’t fair or nice to you. Not as a friend in the slightest.”
To his everlasting surprise, the mare actually smiled at that, her usual scowl quickly replacing the gesture however.
“Thank you, Varti,” she replied, “I admit I do not pick up on hints or tension rather well. Actual emotions yes, but an overall feeling, not so much.”
“It’s fine. I just-we’re all worried.”
Fide nodded in agreement, the mare walking over to poke a console with a hoof, one that showed a very specific security feed. Creatures were still loading munitions, golems trotting to and fro as magic-infused metal sparked with power.
“Does one of the contingency plans involve that?” she asked, Varti actually chuckling darkly.
“It does. And I don’t think I’d be able to keep Pick on the ground if that’s the case. No, I think he’d command it himself if we fail. But with a bit of luck and hope that’s all conjecture. Toxic and Gelliana should be here safe and sound by tomorrow.”
“You have not informed Celestia or Luna.”
It was a statement, not a question. Varti shook his head as Fide examined the communication logs.
“We can’t. This gives them genuine deniability and avoids leaks. It keeps Equestria safe.”
Fide let out a hum at that.
“I think they would appreciate that gesture, after they are angry for a few minutes of course. Mortals are like that.”
Varti couldn’t help but laugh at that, Fide’s words a nice distraction from the coming night.
“Hmmm. Definitely strawberries.”
“Strawberries?”
“Strawberries with that really fluffy type of cake.”
Gelliana couldn’t help but sigh at Toxic’s words. He was correct after all.
“Ok, that does sound really good. Maybe this was not the best game to play before you take a nap.”
His limbs still being unreliable, Toxic let out a grunt as he leaned against Gelliana’s side, shifting to a more comfortable position.
“Perhaps. But at least we have our ration packs so we aren’t starving.”
“I would love some fresh stuff though.”
He couldn’t argue with that, the pony letting out a frustrated yawn.
“I hate being so tired,” he muttered darkly. “I get fifteen hours of sleep and still nod off during the day. It’s not normal.”
“It’s not like you’re…I dunno, poisoned or anything,” Gelliana remarked with a roll of her eyes, a concerned smile spreading onto her face. “Get the sleep you need. At least you’re not bored.”
“I’d prefer to stay awake. I like talking with you.”
Toxic’s honest words spoken in a subdued tone made Gelliana’s heart melt. Not that she was a terribly resilient target against such things. But the fact he was so unabashedly straightforward with stating such things…
“Wow. You really are on a hair trigger for those feathers.”
Glaring at Toxic, Gelliana tried to smooth down her fluffed-up exterior.
“I blame you.”
“I regret nothing,” the stallion retaliated, head held high as he smirked. “To the end of still talking, there is something we could try.”
“Oh?”
Toxic gestured to the small satchel at the end of his makeshift dirt bed, a crystal poking out from the canvas container.
“If you are up to it, I’d…like your help,” the stallion admitted, ears flattening against his head. “I don’t want to add another thing for you to do. You’ve already dmmgffffff.”
The pony’s words trailed off as Gelliana reached over and gently closed his mouth with a set of claws.
“Tox, we are not playing a game of ‘who helped the other more,’ ok?” she said, Toxic’s eyes widening at the surprising amount of force behind her words. “Not now, and not ever.
"I love you. If you need help, I’d be a lousy partner if I ignored it,” Gelliana’s feathers fluffed up as she spoke, her own determination seeming to surprise the gryphoness. “If I need help, I’ll ask you. We help each other. That’s how we’ve gotten this far.”
Leaning his head forward to nudge Gelliana’s cheek, Toxic let out a tired chuckle.
“You’re right, of course,” he admitted. “I’ll try to work on that. It’s hard though. When you get stuck in the loop of always helping others, to ask for your own help is…difficult.”
“Well, there’s your homework for the next few years,” Gelliana said happily. “And I’ll work on it too. This is a rough spot I need to help you get through. I’ll have a patch I’ll need your help with in the future. So just take a rain check on all of it if that makes you feel better. When I’m having a rough patch just pamper me.”
“That’s fair enough.”
Toxic nuzzled his gryphoness affectionately, giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek as a dopey grin began to slide onto his face.
“Love you, Gells.”
Gelliana could see the sparkle in her stallion’s eyes as she melted; not that she didn’t want to, but why did he have to be so darn adorable?
The fact that she managed to surprise him with a rather fiery kiss was a guilty pleasure of hers. She hoped that never got old. Her stallion let out a surprised but muffled *eep* as Gelliana yanked him close for a brief moment.
“And I love you, you goof.”
She thoroughly enjoying the dazed look Toxic had after her kiss. She reached over to retrieve the item, but the stallion apparently wasn’t about to let her have the last laugh.
“You do know that the look you give me at times is extremely alluring, right?” he asked seemingly innocently- at least until Gelliana spotted a familiar smirk on his lips.
“W-what look?”
She couldn’t help it, her flustered stammer breaking through.
“I think I know how it’s described. Oh, how is it…”
The gryphoness knew something was coming. Now he was just leading her on and that made it even worse. Of course, Gelliana absolutely loved it- not that she’d let Toxic know in the moment.
“I’m sure it’s mentioned in some of those romance books you love to read…” he paused, not able to contain that roguish smirk. “I believe they’re called ‘Bedroom eyes.’”
There was an almost audible snap in the air as Gelliana’s feathers stuck out, the gryphoness glaring at the cackling stallion as she sputtered.
“I DO NOT! Y-you! I…” she tried to form a rebuttal, but being quick with her words had never come easily. And in this case, she had to settle for lesser responses as the Gryphoness pouted. Or at least she tried to. The fluffy feathers and bright blush on her cheeks didn’t help her be intimidating, coloration around her eyes or not.
“I most certainly do not give you that look! That is a bold-faced lie,” she stated flatly as Toxic gasped for breath in-between chuckles, the stallion wiping a few tears from his eyes.
“Oh? Ok then. If I’m lying…” he said with that smirk that still made a shiver run down Gelliana’s spine, “then look me in the eyes and say that I’m lying. That there’s noooooo truth to it. If you do, then I’ll believe you.”
Gelliana’s eye twitched, the gryphoness glaring at the stallion who was starting to laugh again.
“You are awful,” she grumbled, “where is the canteen again? Or maybe SMAL can divert a waterfall to cool you off.”
“Oh, so I’m the one who needs to cool-”
“Don’t you even start,” Gelliana warned with absolutely zero venom behind her words, the gryphoness glaring at her stallion who was now looking rather proud of himself.
“I wiiiiiiiin,” Toxic proclaimed, leaning over to nudge Gelliana. “It’s all in good fun you know.”
She let out a frustrated sigh at that, but the gryphoness refused to let him have the last word. Again. He was just too good at making her a feathery mess of blushing emotions. Nine times out of ten, Gelliana would be left as a stammering mess. She had to seize the few times that the tables could be turned.
Reaching over to snag a satchel, Gelliana paused right next to Toxic’s ear, a mischievous smirk on her beak.
“You may have won the battle, but I’m going to win the war.”
She wasn’t entirely sure what a sultry tone sounded like; it wasn’t as if the gryphoness had much practice. But judging from the fact that Toxic immediately let out a soft *eep*, she figured that it had been fairly spot on. The fact he was now staring at her with wide eyes made Gelliana grin; right before he doused them both with a nearby canteen.
“For the record, that was for me more than you,” he grumbled. “You…that was a low blow.”
“All’s fair in love and war!” Gelliana chirped happily, her heart fluttering as a rather dreamy expression flickered across Toxic’s face. “So, I think I win.”
“For the sake of my sanity and to hopefully spare myself any embarrassing hallucinations, I admit defeat.” As Gelliana’s eyes widened, Toxic looked rather sheepish and a bit shocked as his words resonated. “I, uh, that is a fair concern of mine. That would…oh dear…change of topic? Please?”
Gelliana couldn’t help but giggle, Toxic’s cheeks being a near eggplant-purple with a blush.
She couldn’t resist.
“Goodness Tox, I’ve helped bathe you at least three times in the past weeks. I’d say we’re close enough for me not to be too worried about too much.”
To her amusement, Toxic buried his head under his forelimbs, shaking back and forth.
“Um, we’re not that close, Gells. Not like…I mean…”
“I’m just teasing Toxic. I get it.”
Judging from his reaction, it was a valid concern. Her curiosity would have to wait for now. But she could register a guess of what he was talking about; and she appreciated his forethought.
“So, you wanted to try this crystal thingy? That helps with bad dreams, right?” Gelliana asked, “uh, and I assume you wouldn’t want me to use it during hallucinations.”
“Oh, definitely not,” his reply was rather quick; the stallion shaking his head to get his thoughts back on track. “Hallucinations are different; this isn’t just about my potential pride being ruined. Hallucinations are the product of an ill mild; be it from an internal or external factor. So, to draw you into that would be a bad thing. But for dreams it would work nicely. But then again, I’ve never really…” his voice drifted off, the stallion now appearing rather uncomfortable.
“I mean, we don’t have to.”
“No, just…” He had a slight smile on his face, hoof drawing circles in the ground.
“What?” Gelliana inquired, not entirely understanding.
“The answer is going to make you fluff again.”
“I’m prepared,” she retorted, the stallion not able to contain a smile.
“I’ve never had someone I trust enough to try it. I mean, I’ve only had it for half a year, ish, but I never considered I’d find someone, not for a long time at least,” he admitted. “And yet I’m happy to try it with you. It’s a bit overwhelming. And I’m scared.”
Gelliana’s feathers smoothed down at the last few words, the gryphoness snuggling close to her stallion at that. She could count on one set of claws the times Toxic had admitted that out loud.
“Scared? It’s just a dream sharing thing, right? I don’t want to invade your privacy or anything.”
“No, I’m scared for you.”
She blinked, the stallion using what little strength he had to lean over her back protectively, eyes slightly closed as he enjoyed the sensation of her feathers.
“I love you, Gells,” he whispered, “I don’t want you to see my nightmares. I have dealt with them. I don’t want to share that pain, to spread it. I’m afraid of hurting you. The things in my dreams are beyond words; disasters, fears. I’d never forgive myself if I hurt you with that.”
Gelliana didn’t have an immediate reply to that. It was both a very valid point and a very endearing one.
“I want to help, but I admit that I have thought the same thing,” she sighed. “I’m willing to take that chance regardless. But perhaps there’s somewhere in-between we can meet?”
“How so?”
“Well, it’s a magical…thingy. Could SMAL modify it to have like, a filter? Maybe I’ll just see blurred images? The fact you want to protect me is very sweet, but I am not about to stand by when I can help. So, we need to have a compromise.”
The pony couldn’t argue with that, Toxic letting out an affirming grunt.
“That’s not that bad of an idea, actually. When SMAL gets back we can have her modify it perhaps?”
Gelliana nodded, her beak turning down into a frown as Toxic abruptly began to shiver.
“P-ponyfeathers,” he hissed, “looks like my b-break is over; stars above it got cold. And what is that sound?!”
“I don’t hear anything, Tox,” Gelliana said softly, hugging him close as the stallion curled into a ball, teeth grit in pain.
“It’s so loud- world is starting to spin…Gels?” he asked, voice reduced to a whimper. Gelliana hugged Toxic close as his world began to fade. She couldn’t imagine how terrifying it must be. Toxic had asked her once the other day; only once. It was a request that was branded across her heart.
‘Please, just don’t leave me when it fades.’
Gelliana made a promise; and she wasn’t about to break it. She would be there when the poison robbed Toxic of this reality, and would be there when he woke up.
As he slipped into a daze, something shook the entire shelter, a deep growl resonating through the stone. Toxic let out a babbling cry, hallucinations starting to take hold. Gelliana yanked him over and wrapped a set of claws around his mouth.
The magic near the entrance sparked and frayed as the shield was breached, the gryphoness hauling the prone stallion around the slight stone corner as he struggled weaky, cloudy eyes darting this way and that.
Something heavy padded across the dirt, a foul stench filling the air.
Their shelter wasn’t a safe haven any longer. It had just turned into a cage.
SMAL had to suppress a surge of something as locator beacons reached her awareness; data transmissions from two vessels nearing their location. Her core processes were running faster than she would have liked, sparking a sensation of…unease? She wasn’t sure. Things were off within her mind- no, her processes. Both. She couldn’t dwell on it.
It had taken her hours to move back to the hideout. Every physical movement or teleport alerted those things to her presence. She couldn’t risk a direct recall back to her core. The day had been quiet, the Director sleeping peacefully as night fell, Gelliana completing a few more minor first aid courses. The Entity had to only hope the creatures hadn’t discovered the hideout’s energy signature. There were many more than she anticipated, and infinitely more sensitive to magical fields.
“Gelliana, we must be careful,” she said, appearing in the hideout with a flash. “There are unknown creatures who-”
Her words cut off as SMAL took in the immediate situation. Her previous hopes of finding the hideout as a safe haven were abruptly shattered. Her form faded to become nearly invisible, combat protocols kicking in immediately.
Gelliana was currently holding Toxic in a bear hug, clamping her claws around his mouth as the stallion struggled to speak, eyes clouded with a toxin-induced hallucination. She had him pulled around a rocky corner, hiding them from immediate sight from…
SMAL’s sensors abruptly crashed, the construct forced to rely on primitive sight alone. Whatever it was put off enough distorted magical energy to wash out her more sensitive equipment.
The creature let out a growl, looking this way and that. The serpentine but barrel-like body was propelled by six matching legs, the two most forward having grasping ‘paws’ that could function as hands. The skin was never one color, warping between various shades of blue, red, black, and purple like a chameleon. The head was split nearly in half with monstrous jaws, a dozen eyes flicking over the shelter from their places on both the body and head positions.
“We know you are there…” the creature hissed, forked tongues lashing out to taste the air. SMAL began to dump energy into one of her limbs; enough to fry whatever this thing was in the blink of an eye.
No other creatures alerted her sensors at least in the immediate area of the shelter, so they should have a moment before...
The creature turned, five of its eyes narrowing as it cleared the slight rocky outcropping and stared at Toxic and Gelliana. Its mouth widened into a smile, and then began to spread wider as it lunged forwards to bite.
A blast of energy tore through the creature, the clean hole dripping with magical gore as the stone behind it melted. SMAL prepared another blast, but a swipe from the creature sent her form scattering, chaos energy scrambling her sensitive systems.
Gelliana saw an object to her right, sent skittering across the floor by the creature moments ago.
She just needed time.
Releasing her hold on Toxic, the gryphoness bunched her muscles as Toxic began to babble incoherently, nearly yelling nonsense words as he collapsed to the ground. She jumped across the stone, claws desperately grasping for the piece of metal.
Hang on, Toxic! Use that voice of yours!
The creature abruptly grasped its head in pain, sunken ears assaulted by Toxic’s altered voice. With a disturbing crackle of tendons and bone, the creature’s form shifted, eyes refocusing as its ears vanished, eliminating the constant pain.
Its serpentine form bunching it launched itself towards the prone stallion; Toxic’s cloudy eyes staring at the creature in shock.
Gelliana had heard accounts of where time appeared to slow; but this was different. Time actually did slow, magical sparks running across her claws as she gripped the breastplate.
She didn’t even know how to use it; only that it could help.
Just help me save him!
Her movements feeling like they were being pulled through thick fudge, Gelliana pressed the piece of armor to her breast. Her hindquarters were already bunched, launching her towards the chaos-serpent. If nothing else, at least she could knock it off course…
The fear that threatened to consume the gryphoness abruptly faded, a warm, secure comfort spreading from the top of her head to the tip of Gelliana’s tail. Segments of metal began to spread out from the breastplate, each piece joined together like a dragon’s scaled hide. As she drew back a clawed fist aimed at the creature’s eye, metal whipped its way across her arm. Feathers and fur were hidden under armor, jagged spikes forming along her draw-back forelimb.
Her vision blinked; things abruptly becoming much clearer, her head softly cradled in a metal helmet and crystal visor.
Comparing the energy in her limbs to a caffeine wave couldn’t come close to accurate. Blazing with a pink fire, the lighthouse, wings, and flower engraving on the breastplate vented flames outwards, leyline energy bursting from their depths as the gryphoness adjusted her aim.
GET AWAY FROM HIM!
Time began to speed up again, Gelliana letting out a battle-cry as the creature’s eye began to turn and focus on her, widening in genuine shock.
Three jagged metal spines erupted from the armor around her fist, plunging into the creature’s face as Gelliana threw her entire weight in the strike.
The creature shrieked; face crushed by the now-tripled weight of the gryphoness. It lashed out with a set of claws, metal screeching as it grabbed Gelliana around the waist.
To the gryphoness’s surprise, there was no fear. Just a fire, an anger she had never felt before. The fact her stallion was lying prone behind her defenseless…
Reaching down with her armored claws, Gelliana tore the clawed hand that held her bound in half, the creature letting out a roar of pain. Striking upwards with her fist-spikes, Gelliana’s claws located another item that had been tossed around in the scuffle.
As a blast from the newly-reformed SMAL blew off the creature’s hindquarters, Gelliana twirled the combat knife and buried it up to the hilt in the creature’s skull, giving it a vicious twist and feeling bone snap and crunch.
Why won’t this thing die?!
Gelliana’s eyes widened as the creature began to regrow its damaged parts, hindquarters and all. She jumped onto the creature’s fanged head, barely missing the snapping teeth.
“SMAL! Lightning bolt!” the gryphoness cried out as she grabbed the combat knife and forced it deeper and back towards the creature’s spine.
Immediately understanding, SMAL charged another blast and fired as Gelliana jumped off the creature.
The combat knife served as a perfect lightning rod, SMAL sending increasing amounts of power directly into the nervous system of the chaos-creature; or whatever passed for such a system. It writhed and shrieked only falling still after a good long moment. SMAL kept firing until the creature’s body began to turn to ash until she finally stopped.
“Is it dead?” Gelliana gasped, a flicker of fear returning to her breast as the creature moved. Even with its body burned to a crisp…
“Doubtfully. It shows disturbingly high regenerative abilities. We must leave. Gelliana. I need authorization to take charge of my core,” SMAL stated, a hint of panic in her voice. “I can then operate completely independent of this location.”
“Huh? Yes! Do it! Whatever authorization you need, take it! We need to get out of here, but where?”
SMAL smoothly withdrew her core crystal, placing it where her heart would be with an approving nod.
“Stand close. I will teleport us; grab the packs and affix this to the director…please.” It was clear that SMAL handed over the cloth gag and limb restraints with regret to the gryphoness.
Securing the emergency pack on her back, Gelliana wrapped the gag around Toxic’s mouth, the stallion struggling this way and that despite the restraints. He couldn’t walk; but the restraints at least prevented him from hurting himself or anyone who wanted to help.
“I will carry the Director. His restraints have a quick release if needs be. But we must be quick and quiet,” SMAL directed, Gelliana nodding. “Please follow my lead, Gelliana. I have scouted escape routes with hiding places,” she paused, ears flattening to her skull. “I am asking you to trust me more than you-”
“I trust you, SMAL. Let’s go,” Gelliana interrupted with a tense smile, the artificial mare’s demeanor brightening.
“Thank you. And congratulations, by the way. That armor is most impressive.”
The three creatures vanished, Gelliana having taken a last regretful look at their previously safe haven. She wasn’t sure where they would go now.
Goodbye cave number two.
Reappearing under a series of tree roots, SMAL carefully sent a few energy tendrils out from her body, then nodding in approval. The darkness was only lit by the faint tint of the shield far above them, the stars muted and dimmed.
“We are clear for now. I do not know how long that will last,” she whispered. “We should move towards the exterior of the shield. Have your gas mask at the ready; I will affix it to the Director if needs be. My scans indicate your armor has only basic filtration capacities. Gas levels are stable at miniscule concentrations for the moment.”
They began to creep through the undergrowth, Gelliana’s nerves immediately fraying. The previously lush forest was now grey and dead. The bark was blackened, small bushes seeming to be made of ash.
The gas no doubt.
They traveled in silence for half an hour, no words said other than SMAL reporting things to be all-clear. They then had to pick up the pace; apparently it had taken that long for their incapacitated ‘friend’ to get back in contact and alert the others. Toxic slumped across SMAL’s back like a bag of wet fruit, the dazed stallion clearly not seeing the world around him and only occasionally mumbling through the gag.
“Movement is increasing in the distance. They do not know what direction we have gone; my masking spell has been successful,” SMAL reported softly.
“Odd. Some are staying still. I do not under-” SMAL’s eyes widened, ears perking up as she paused. “Gelliana, I am picking up a signal.”
“From who?” the gryphoness asked looking up at the sky as SMAL smiled.
“Last Light.”
Knife Twist adjusted her armor as Hammer guided the scout ship closer to the looming shield, her squad standing at the ready.
“Once the homing beacon is activated, we won’t have much time,” Hammer relayed. “The SMAL unit should provide us with a pinpoint location, but that can also be seen by the enemy. This is after we blow a hole in their shield. Any questions?”
Nobody spoke; Knife Twist slotting in a knife into its scabbard.
“Then let’s get them. Stand by to breach.”
The ships didn’t even slow down as the blue crystals on the prow began to ignite. Sending a constant stream of leyline energy straight ahead, it dug into the magical shield with ease. The second ship followed suite, the two vessels easily burrowing through the protective barrier and soaring out over the forests.
“No gas detected, and we passed through smoothly,” Hammer stated to both the crew and to Varti, the Yak listening in. “That took much less power than anticipated. Could their shield have weakened over time? No countermeasures detected.”
“Unknown. Just be careful,” the Yak stated.
Knife was immediately on edge. If there was one thing she had learned during her time in the guard, when things went too smoothly, that meant one of two things.
Either they were very, very lucky, or all Tartarus was about to break loose. She hoped it was the former rather than the latter. Hammer seemed to agree; the experienced stallion’s brow furrowed as the ships slowed down slightly.
“Stand by for homing beacon deployment!
Initiating the program from his lab, Varti grit his teeth as he stared at the sensor readouts.
“Come on…” the Yak muttered.
SMAL’s forelimb abruptly lit up, the unit angling it skywards.
“Homing beacon activated. Stand by, Gelliana,” she reported proudly. “It is rather conspicuous, but it is only used when help is….”
The mare’s eyes abruptly widened in horror. Gelliana was about to ask what was wrong, but it was plain as day.
Lit up in the distance across the forest were dozens of other beacons.
“Got it! It is marked on your display. Templars, deploy!” Hammer barked, Knife and her squad smoothly diving off the ship. No sooner had they left the ship than their visors became cluttered with additional signals, each moving around and scrambling the original beacon.
“Hammer, what is this?!” Knife barked, the squad angling their flight to a more dangerous, flat trajectory.
“I…Varti?!” the stallion asked, the Yak’s voice immediately replying.
“It’s a trap.”
Knife looked down towards the nearest beacon, her heart abruptly freezing over.
In a clearing, a conglomeration of…something writhed like a bunch of worms. Odd, black and pink magic sprayed this way and that; it hurt to look at. What Knife was able to see was a large arm rear back.
“Incoming!”
Dodging the thrown projectile, the Thestrel turned to watch it slam into the side of the ship, shields sparking angrily as the magically-coated boulder nearly took off one of the guiding sails.
“You’re being scrambled,” Varti barked. “Get out of there! They are all decoys!”
“We can’t leave Toxic!” Hammer interjected.
“That strike almost took out the ship! I don’t know what they’re lobbing at you, but a scout vessel can’t take it! I can’t tell which beacons are real or not; they’re all being duplicated and spread out. We don’t have the time for me to sift through them all. Pick another one if you must, but then get out of there!”
The ships angled to dodge a volley of boulders, Knife biting the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood.
It was a trap.
Angling towards another beacon, the Thestrel quickly veered off; a dozen sets of eyes peering at her as fanged mouths opened eagerly from the dead forest below. One of the creatures held a small metal-bound crystal, the copied beacon radiating skyward from it.
“Back to the ship!” she ordered, dodging one of the now-numerous boulders being hurled from the ground up at them. One of them now connected with the second ship, a piece of side paneling being blown off as the vessel listed slightly. The airships weren’t about to tolerate a one-sided battle, however, as magical blasted tore from crystal projects towards the creatures below.
While the initial volley only burned a few of the monstrosities, the explosive ballistic bolts that followed tore limb from torso and set the forest ablaze.
“Get out of there!” Varti bellowed over the communications array, Knife and her squad tumbling onto the deck.
Hammer sent the ship cutting back towards the shield’s perimeter. Knife’s sharp eyes saw the stallion’s face fall, head hanging in defeat.
Varti shoved the panic down that threatened to consume him. Toxic and Gelliana were out there, amid an enemy that had anticipated a rescue and played them like a fiddle.
His hooves flying over the large keys, the Yak’s eyes narrowed as he depressed a large button, the force causing the crystal to crack.
“Countermeasures activated,” Varti growled.
Let’s see if you anticipated this, you shadow-sucking parasite.
The belly of the two ships abruptly opened, a series of panels being blown out by explosive rivets. Spreading out like maple seeds, the small items spun through the air and abruptly began to spread. No larger than one of the Yak’s hoof-sections, the pieces of crystal fluttered down to the ground with careless abandon.
On impact, the items sank into whatever they touched; rock, soil, or plant matter. Burrowing a forelimb-length down, they quickly vanished from sight.
The other items deployed were not nearly as passive.
Igniting with a thunderous roar, a series of crude rockets sped towards the distant mountain fortress. Noisy and belching black smoke, the extravagant fireworks slammed into the rock wall with seemingly little impact other than a bit of blackened stone.
However, the large crystal sections that the rockets had been carrying burrowed deep into the mountain unnoticed. Only a rapidly-cooling section of stone marked their entrance.
A few other items floated down on small parachutes; crates that settled carefully on the ground below with various supplies. One such crate opened on its own, a softly-glowing crystal abruptly vanishing with a magical *pop*.
Hammer looked at the thousands of sparkling devices with wide eyes, blinking as they dispersed across a huge area beneath them. What in the world were they?!
“Uh, Hammer?” Knife asked, the stallion shrugging.
“I don’t know. I think Varti had something planned, hence the triggers we had.”
A cacophony of pained screeches then met their ears. Pulling up a magnified image from one of the many cameras on the ship, Hammer stared in shock at the scene below. What looked like lightning began to course across sections of the ground, the stallion smirking at the sight.
“Looks like we’re leaving them a parting gift.”
Whenever one of the crystal seeds touched one of the shadow-creatures, it still dug into their mutated bodies, at first without any apparent pain from them. At a remote signal from the Yak, the crystals linked with the leylines, effectively turning into massive relays for raw energy.
Dozens of the creatures writhed on the ground in agony, the energy tearing their forms literally in half before the crystals were ripped out, the devices glowing white-hot from the discharge. Quite a few didn’t regenerate, their bodies burned from the inside-out.
“Lay down some cover fire as you leave, Hammer. Only in areas with the creatures. Give Toxic and Gelliana some chaos to run,” Varti instructed.
“Understood; Knife, your squad handle the ballistae!” Hammer barked, the stallion grabbing what appeared to be a glorified water-balloon launcher.
The satchel of grenades the pony also retrieved abruptly made the launcher significantly more intimidating.
SMAL shut down the beacon, Gelliana starting to hyperventilate.
“T-they…” she stammered, “it was a trap.”
“It appears to be so. We must move, quickly,” SMAL stated, noticing how the fallen crystals simply bounced off her form, as well as Toxic’s and Gelliana’s. With a sudden burst of energy, SMAL’s vision wavered, the mare actually staggering.
“You alright?” Gelliana asked, SMAL nodding and actually smiling. She pointed to the disappearing crystals with a hoof.
“Those are multi-function crystals,” SMAL explained briefly. “Among other things, they can act as sensor relays for my own systems. They give us a chance to evade any threats, letting me see them coming from much farther away. If necessary I can detonate them to take out threats.”
Gelliana gulped, noticing how there were literally thousands of such crystals.
“I mean, that’s good, I think?” she ventured to say, SMAL nodding.
“Very good. It means that Varti had a plan in case this rescue failed. They are giving us as much help as they can, given the circumstances.”
As they quickly trotted along, the distant THUD of explosions was heard; the ships making clear the Organization’s anger was understood. The equally far-away shrieks indicated that even if the creatures weren’t easily killed, they were not happy.
And as long as they were distracted, that was more distance put between the three and them.
SMAL stumbled again; this time her form flashing a soft crimson.
“Uh, SMAL?” Gelliana asked, the mare shaking her head.
“We must keep moving.”
The fact the entity’s form abruptly began to flicker every few moments didn’t ease Gelliana’s nerves, SMAL refusing to elaborate.
However, it was not more than ten minutes than when SMAL abruptly stopped, her ears flicking this way and that.
“We are being hunted, Gelliana,” she said softly, beginning to trot at a faster pace. “Please, follow closely.”
“W-what!?” the gryphoness whispered. The distant growls and howling pricked at the terrifying and primal memories she had. Except now she would have gladly taken Timberwolves over those things.
“The sensor net is picking up dozens of contacts. We cannot outrun them and they likely zeroed in on the rescue beacon,” SMAL stated as they came to a large stream, banks muddy without live vegetation to hold it in place. “I cannot teleport us, as they will track it. The only option is for you both to hide and I will lead them away. Magic cannot conceal us here, not completely, and we cannot fight our way out.”
“H-hide?! Where?” Gelliana asked, fear now threatening to paralyze her. It was too much, too fast…
SMAL set Toxic down, gesturing to the muddle shoreline.
“I will lead them away with an illusion spell; I do not know if I can return. I will try to give you as much time as possible,” she explained. “There are small holes along this bank- hide there!”
Sketching a rune on the ground, SMAL tapped it and made sure it was glowing before it faded.
“That will prevent them using magic from locating you in this area, but that is all I can risk.” The mare was actually now appearing nervous, ears and eyes darting across the dark, dead forest.
“Just keep him calm. I…” SMAL said, words failing her. “I do not have other options. All I can do is try to lead them away. I do not know how long that will last.”
A strange calm settled over Gelliana. It wasn’t a happy sort of calm, but a clear, urgent sense of what had to be done, along with a nagging melancholy. There was no argument; there was only one option.
“Thank you, SMAL,” Gelliana said softly, hauling Toxic over towards the riverbank. There was one last question on her mind, however. “You’re, you’re not ok, are you?”
SMAL’s eyes widened, her gaze then drifting to the ground.
“I am not,” she admitted softly, “The contact from the chaos-creature has destabilized my energy matrix and the errors are becoming exponential. I do not know how long I can remain cohesive to act as a diversion.”
Gelliana’s beak quivered. Even if she didn’t understand the technical aspects, she could read between the lines.
“Well, SMAL, if we don’t meet again for…a while, it was nice having a friend here. Thank you, for everything,” Gelliana said with a genuine smile.
SMAL looked up at her, eyes wide and flickering with genuine emotion.
“You are welcome. It…was nice having a friend,” she said softly, the mare then galloping off. With a flash of magic, her form split into two. Gelliana watched as ‘she’ carried Toxic off in the distance at a rapid pace. Hopefully, the illusion would hold.
Hang in there, SMAL. I don’t want to lose you, and I don’t mean as only a helpful golem.
The previously-clear sky was now dark, a light rain starting to fall.
Gelliana’s sharp ears could pick up movement getting closer, and that made her task all the more urgent.
How to hide…
It only took a moment to realize the holes in the immediate area were far too small, at least initially. Created by a large rodent or badger most likely, long since abandoned or worse. But…
Gelliana quickly excavated one of the holes amidst the mud under some dead tree roots. Placing the barely-conscious pony inside, she covered his eyes with a scrap of cloth before then burying the stallion until only his nose and mouth was visible. Expanding the remnants of the hole, Gelliana scooted in next to the buried pony, shoving her pack to the side as she scooped up wet mud to cover herself. At least she had a visor, but that was mostly covered by mud.
Soon, all that remained visible was the barest hint of clear crystal and the mouth and nose of a stallion, the long tree roots hanging over them as the howls crew louder, almost sounding like a bunch of wolves baying for blood.
Then it stopped. All Gelliana could hear was her heart thudding in her ears along with the rain smacking into the ground.
Without so much as a hint of sound, a serpentine body slithered down from the bank, carefully examining the surroundings. Three more creatures appeared from the dark, rainy atmosphere, slowly searching this way and that.
They were trapped.