//------------------------------//
// MA2-C2: The Crystal City 
// Story: A Deer Named John - Teapot Tales 
// by Tael_Spinner 
//------------------------------//

John

I jolted my head up and quickly looked around. My heart was thumping heavily in my chest. When I found myself still on the train with Comet Streak fast asleep on the seat beside me, my fear began to fade. Sombra wasn’t standing over me, sneering down on my just transformed body. I could no longer see his crown with its symbol of a disc and curved horns either side of it just behind his horn.
Spotting more of my friends in the carriage with me, I took a quick head count in an attempt to settle my nerves further. Right. Good. All here. No one stuck wearing a mind-controlling helmet.
The rocking and clatter of fast-moving train wheels on iron rails helped a little. We were still on the train heading north from Canterlot. While snow flew past the closed windows, inside the carriage was comfortably warm. I rubbed at my face with a hoof, forcing myself to awaken fully. I was still a deer. A very tired deer who was getting sick of the nightmares of the very unicorn we were heading to potentially confront. His green eyes edged with wisps of purple still haunted my dreams, even after so many months had passed.
I took a deep breath. Then another. No. We weren’t to confront him. We were to help in the search for the teapot. Just that. Only that. If Sombra was somehow waiting for us at our destination, it was the guards with us who would confront him. Our presence was more an advisory one. Very little danger. The guards would be with us. As I talked myself down from a panic attack and my heart gradually slowed its frantic pace, my gaze eventually settled on one friend in particular.
Cremator.
After spending a lot of the trip to Canterlot bouncing with energy from the announcement that she and Boo were going to try dating each other, the dragoness was now passed out on the seat next to her now girlfriend. Boo, in her usual disguise as a plain brown pegasus, simply sat watching her, a slight smile on her muzzle.
Boo was far more subdued than Cremator. At least she wasn’t as tense as she had been the moment members of the Guard had boarded the train. Clearly, she still worried about the reaction of others to her Changeling self. Boo’s smile grew when she glanced at Cremator. I was probably projecting, but I guess my best friend not making any fuss about Boo’s true form played a part in her becoming comfortable enough to say yes to the dragoness.
At least Cremator wouldn’t be bugging me every other day for my thoughts on them possibly dating anymore. I smirked to myself. She really was lovestruck.
A pale purple glow caught my eye, lighting up the otherwise dim carriage as the train steamed on through the night. There was Spears slowly walking the length of the carriage, checking on our group and the two other former humans along for the ride. The gryphon with the satchel stayed as far from the light of Spears’ horn as possible. Like most of us, she was taking the opportunity to sleep before reaching our destination.
Jackie and Shield Breaker however… Well, let’s just say they were as excited as any school kid would be when heading on a field trip. And the whiter gryphon, Drake if I remembered her name correctly, had joined them, revelling in the enthusiastic discussion. Their current topic, from what snippets I caught, had to do with something called Crystal Ponies. Whatever they were. The continuous giggles and whispers of the now trio frequently drew Spears’ attention, leading him to try and keep things quiet.
I could feel the corners of my mouth curling up just a little. Like with everything he had done since we had met, Spears always had the safety of others in mind. I gave a soft snort at a memory. Even if it meant unintentionally being a threat he had protected others from at one point.
Thankfully that didn’t last long. I smirked to myself. And to think, all it took was to go on a dangerous mission which ended with us freeing other former humans who were in the same circumstances as my sister, foster brother and the rest of our friends. I giggled quietly. Nothing big.
My smile softened as I watched Spears trying to deal with Jackie and Shield Breaker especially now that Drake had joined them. My sister and foster brother spent more time out of their seats than sitting on them as the train steamed onward.
Whatever they knew about what awaited us at the end of the line clearly had them excited. Spears did his best to try and keep their expectations low as he attempted to warn them of what they could face when we entered the city; a city, if what we were told was true, which had only returned from myth and legend yesterday. Of course, Jackie and Shield Breaker weren’t really listening, but Spears still did his best.
It was times like these which reminded me that they still had the minds of fourteen-year-old humans in the bodies of what could be considered young adults in this world. Even so, Spears was handling them well.
My cheeks warmed as I continued to watch the show. It was like seeing a father as he struggled with twin sugared-up toddlers. I giggled again. Even as he failed again, I could see that, with a little more experience, Spears would make a good father, rolling on the floor, laughing as he used his magic to wrangle foal and fawn alike.
My eyelids drooped and my smile grew dreamily at the thought and images brought with it. Yeah. Maybe a unicorn colt who could grow into the image of his father and a fawn to grow into a slender doe like me-ee-ee–
My eyes snapped open wide. My heart was racing and the warmth in my face was rushing into the rest of my body. What the floristry– Did I really just think that?!
Flicking my head violently from side to side, I did my best to shake those thoughts out of my mind. When I stopped, my chest was heaving as I struggled to ease the speed of my heart. It didn’t help very much.
I quickly looked away, searching for anything else to refocus my thoughts on. Maybe even someone to talk about it with. My eyes found Richard. He was watching the rest of our group, except me and Comet Streak, as we were the quietest. Richard’s expression wasn’t quite a scowl, but it showed a fair amount of distaste for what he witnessed.
Okay. Probably shouldn’t raise it with him. My gaze moved on. Definitely not Jackie. I couldn’t tell him I was feeling… I shook my head again and caught a glimpse of Comet Streak sleeping beside me. No, he’d probably turn it into a joke and so would Cremator. A sibling and two friends. All three of them would make my life a nightmare if what I could be feeling turned out to be true.
Then I spotted Boo. Softly smiling at Cremator as the dragoness rolled and punched the air in her sleep. Clearly proud of whatever was happing in her dream. Boo though. I focused on her. I wouldn’t exactly call her a friend yet, but she was dependable and didn’t seem like the kind to dangle a joke over another person’s head forever simply for raising something possibly of a personal nature.
I let out another breath to steady myself then nodded, trying to force a little more of the flighty deer in me to calm herself. Only thing to do now was find a way to talk to her without Cremator overhearing. Especially now that Cremator was almost stuck to Boo with glue.
A shuffle of clothing caused my ear to twitch in search of the source. I frowned at the distraction but followed it to see Ochre making his way down the aisle in the middle of the carriage. He stopped and touched at the brim of his hat when he caught me watching him.
“Looking flighty there, Miss,” he said.
I felt my cheeks pinch at his words. “Just…”
I frowned. “Fighting off instincts?”
“Nothing to be ashamed of, even ponies get nervous when deliberately charging into danger.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “You don’t look scared.”
“Right now?” Ochre chuckled softly and shook his head. “I’m worried but more for you and your friends than what can happen to me. I know where my limits are.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Part of my job is to assess your…” He paused as he thought over his next words. “Your… adoptive brother? Shield Breaker.”
“Foster brother,” I corrected.
The older unicorn’s expression grew pensive. “I… don’t know what that is. Is it like adoption?”
I sucked on my lips in thought. “Mmm, sort of. It isn’t as official and gives his family the chance to get him back if they can prove they can look after him themselves.”
Ochre continued to stare at me.
“Not that they want him back, in his case,” I added.
“Huh.” Ochre’s face grew even more stern. His eyes fixed as if he was watching his thoughts play out in front of him. With a glance across at where Shield Breaker, Jackie and Drake were still talking, Ochre adjusted his duster coat to one side, then took the seat across from me.
“Interesting,” he murmured. His eyes shot up to meet mine again. There was a hardness in them, a lot of weariness, but a spark of hope glinted as he posed another question. “So, your parents are responsible for him?”
I shifted on my seat, taking care to not disturb Comet Streak beside me. “Yes and no. The state is in charge until either his parents are able to take him back, someone is allowed to adopt him, or he turns eighteen.”
Ochre nodded slowly. His voice grew as hard as the look in his eyes. “From what I overheard, and, as you say, his parents aren’t interested in taking him back.”
All I could do was nod in sad agreement.
Ochre leaned against the back of the chair in a posture I rarely saw any pony take. With front legs spread across the top of the back rest like arms spread wide, it was strangely human. He gazed over his shoulder at Shield Breaker, muttering to himself. I only caught a few pieces of words, even as my ears turned to focus on him. Something about Shield Breaker being like somebody else. I thought I caught part of a name, but not enough to ask.
“Sorry,” I said, breaking the relative quiet which had descended between us. “You didn’t fully answer my question.”
Ochre shook off his melancholy and turned his attention back to me. “Apologies, Miss. I am here to instruct and assess Shield Breaker. Ensure he is able to use his magic safely. I am also here on behalf of the Hunter’s Association.”
He nodded to me and continued, “Even if the Royal Committee is looking into it, other humans transformed by Sombra are frustrated with the slow progress so far. Many have requested the Association look into how they were brought here, how they were transformed, and, if possible, how to return home. That is what I am doing.”
Ochre gave a faint smile. “Much like the Guard has made use of the knowledge from both your dragon friend as well as you. The two of you have first-hand experience. You have found the teapot Sombra uses before. Why wouldn’t they think you to be knowledgeable experts?”
I frowned at his response. His choice of words was interesting. Maybe he had picked it up from being around Shield Breaker and Comet Streak so much in the past few months?
“We’re seniors in high school,” I replied. “People don’t normally just listen to us. They see us as kids.”
Ochre shrugged. “Here you all look like full grown ponies. And yaks and deer.”
With a quick glance at Cremator, he added, “Maybe not the dragon. They can get a lot bigger as they age.”
Looking at me, he added, “It makes sense from that perspective.”
“I’d also say it was more Boo’s stealthy skills which helped us most the first time,” I pointed out.
“Is probably why she is here and not removed from the train in Canterlot,” Ochre murmured under his breath. He eyed the others in the carriage behind him before turning back to face me. Slipping his front legs from the back of the seat, he leaned forward, fixing me with a hard stare. “There are many who are stuck in this world, Miss. More than you will probably ever know. People who can never see their families again.
“Along with the other requests of the Association, I have passed one of my own. To help those in need with surviving this world and in getting those who can return to their homes and world to do so.”
Ochre slid onto his hooves from the seat and adjusted his hat. “Like your earth pony friend and the two gryphons, I want to help them all as much as I can. Even if it means facing a dangerous unicorn from the darker times of Equestria’s past.”
He touched a hoof to the brim of his hat again. “Rest well, Miss.”
I opened my mouth to respond but Ochre was already back in the aisle of the carriage and making his way to check on Shield Breaker, a strangely wistful glint in his eye. Whatever he started to say as he approached Shield Breaker was swallowed as the train whistle wailed in the night.


*  *  *


Yawning from how little sleep I had on the train, I stepped onto the platform and had to quickly gather my hooves before they could slip in four different directions on the icy surface. Something which was made even harder as I squinted from the bright sunlight reflecting off the surrounding snow.
A heavy thump behind me had me peering back to see Jackie flat on his stomach. He let out an annoyed huff that tickled the fringe hanging in front of his nose. The claws on Cremator’s toes screeched against the surface of the platform as she did her best to help Jackie back onto his hooves only for one of the unicorns among the guard to assist with his magic.
A unicorn guard walked between us, apparently assessing everyone’s condition and readiness. He passed Comet Streak as the bat pony did his best impersonation of a cat as he stretched out his front legs, flexing his spine low before shaking out his hind legs. Of course, the similarity ended the moments Comet Streak flexed and flapped his wings, momentarily hovering above the cold ground.
“Brisk,” he said, smiling as his hooves lightly touched down again.
I smiled. At least he looked well rested after everything he had done in the last few days. Like all of the former humans among the group, including myself, Comet Streak now wore a woollen scarf and hat which Cremator had forced onto him. When asked about it, Cremator explained it had been a special request for all former humans by the Mayor of Ponyville and Rarity. Sort of a “Welcome to Winter” gift for those with nothing who were new to the town.
Richard, even in his bright orange woollen clothing from Cremator, looked miserable and annoyed. Not that he never looked annoyed lately. While he shivered on the edge of the station platform, he stared off into the distance.
Boo did her best to simply blend in with the group. It wasn’t overly effective as members of the Guard gave her withering looks. Even Shining Armor continued to give her the pony equivalent of a stink eye while keeping himself positioned between her and Cadance. Not that Boo ever moved anywhere near the Princess except when Cadance deliberately approached us.
“Thank you, all of you, for being so willing to help,” Cadance said.
“You’re welcome, your Highness,” Drake beamed, fluffing out her chest feathers. “You can count on us.”
Cadance covered a giggle with a hoof and rolled her eyes.
A unicorn guard who had been overseeing the unloading from the train, approached Shining Armor, snapped to attention and saluted. “All are present and accounted for, Captain.”
“Good,” Shining Armor nodded, his attention, like Richard’s, was drawn to something in the distance. Cadance stepped a little closer to Shining and lightly draped a wing over his back in a kind of hug. They exchanged a look followed by a light touch of horns. It was a short moment and, once it was over, Shining Armor was back in his mode as Captain of the Guard.
“Form up,” Shining barked. “Civilians in the middle. Guard around them and wings in the air. Let’s move.”
Once we were all arranged as instructed, the pegasi among the guard took to the air, then flew in formation overhead as the mass of mostly ponies left the station platform. As we began the march at Shining’s order, the train let out a whistle. I glanced back in time to see the locomotive spin its wheels on the frozen rails before gaining traction and starting to back out of the station.
We were to be here alone, I guess. Well, us, two royal ponies, two former humans turned gryphons, nine pegasi from the Guard and twelve of their unicorn compatriots.
As we moved off, I could tell we were heading toward a city of some kind in the distance, just… it was like there was an early morning fog obscuring much of it. Even as we got closer, the hazy nature of the place remained.
“It looks like a fantasy town waking up from a dream,” said Cremator.
“Not far from the truth really,” Ekks muttered, her gaze sweeping across the area. She held her satchel close with a wing, guarding it and herself as she warily watched our surroundings.
Entering the streets, my hooves swished through a slowly thinning mist. Lightly tinged with purple, it hugged the ground, giving everything an otherworldly feel. I caught a glimpse of Shining Armor checking the underside of his raised hoof as some of the mist trickled from it as if gathered and then falling like water.
“Some kind of a miasma?” he wondered aloud, shaking the last of it from his hooves.
“It could be a residual effect from whatever spell Sombra used to cast the city out of time,” Cadance offered, just as intrigued by the strange nature of the mist.
“Maybe we should have brought Twili,” Shining chuckled. “She’d be running around trying every spell to test it.”
Cadance gave her husband a hip bump and a sly smile. “You don’t need to tease her, even if it would be true.”
“I can’t believe we get to see it,” Jackie beamed, bouncing past the Princess. Drake and Shield Breaker bounced along after him.
Looking around us, Jackie wasn’t wrong. The city, of what we could see, was very beautiful, even if the towering castle tended to reflect sunlight in my eyes whenever I looked directly at it. It was a relief that, although we were under escort from members of the Guard, the streets themselves were quiet. My worries for them were unfounded with the city being so lacking in activity.
Unlike Drake, Ekks looked more subdued and focused as she walked near the edge of the group.
“Hey, I was wondering,” I said, stepping closer to her. “Why were you and Drake with the guard already when we arrived in Canterlot?”
“We were working with them, trying to locate Sombra’s hidden base,” Ekks replied. “The one where we were transformed. We chose to help with this mission when we heard of the chance to regain the teapot.”
I could feel my eyebrows forcing themselves to touch. “Why the base? I don’t think he’d still be there after he started attacking towns and cities.”
The gryphoness stared at me, surprise filling her eyes. “If he left hurriedly, there could be things left behind. Especially the…”
Whatever she said next drifted past me as my gaze caught Spears trotting past. My thoughts quickly returned to those I’d had about him on the train. I glanced around in search of Boo, but she was walking alongside Cremator, the dragoness doing her best to make her laugh, probably to ease the tensions of her being around members of the Guard again. With Cremator there and in a comedic mood, I chose not to broach my thoughts about Spears with Boo just yet.
I caught sight of Spears again as he was speaking with Shining Armor. From what I could hear, it was about movements now that we were in the city. Other guard unicorns moved in close as Shining Armor called to them before giving them fresh orders.
Shining Armor looked to the nearest guard unicorn. “Move your squad ahead with Silent Wing and Rust Feather. Keep checking the side streets and we will rendezvous beneath the Crystal Castle. But stay on guard, followers of Sombra could still walk the streets.”
“Sir,” the unicorn nodded mid-step before trotting forward with two other armoured unicorns. They were joined by two of the pegasi flying escort. With less ponies in the air, Drake and Ekks took to their wings, simply filling some of the gaps made by those who moved ahead. Wait. I blinked and looked to my right at the now empty space there. Wasn’t I talking with Ekks just a second ago?
“I hope the layout is as the Princesses described,” Shining murmured, like me and so many others among our group, still glancing at every new street we approached. “We need to establish a command post and it would be the best location until we get a better grasp of the situation on the ground.”
As we made our way along the wide boulevard, I caught glimpses of ponies in the windows of the houses lining the sidewalks. The moment they spotted our group, mostly made up of armoured ponies, the ponies in the houses quickly slammed the shutters on their windows.
“There are definitely residents present,” said one of the nearest guard unicorns. His attention, like mine, was drawn to a quickly shutting front door as our large group strode closer. “Hard to tell if they need assistance when they keep shutting themselves in at the sight of us.”
“Not a very welcoming lot,” murmured another unicorn.
“You shouldn’t judge them,” urged Princess Cadance. “If what my aunts say is true, these ponies have suffered greatly under their previous rulers. Seeing a military group such as this would easily make them skittish.”
I couldn’t help but agree as my ears continued to twitch in search of any unexpected noises.
As we drew nearer to the towering crystal castle, an enormous structure with its glistening blade-like spires which pierced the sky, I noticed the strange mist had thinned enough for me to see the ground along with my hooves again.
While I watched and listened to Jackie and Shield Breaker who bubbled in excitement at the sight of the castle, a shadow passed overhead. I turned to see a guard pegasus falling back to approach the royal couple.
Gliding in from above, he then flapped his wings to stay aloft as he hovered near Shining Armor. “Three approaching from the south-west, Captain.”
All members of the Guard, along with Ekks and Ochre, on hearing the pegasus, immediately turned their heads in the correct direction. The rest of us who weren’t so acquainted with directions in this city and world, myself included, looked around in confusion before following the leads of the others.
From what I could see, three cloaked forms trudged out of the low-level mists on the road we had already walked. Two unicorn guards stepped in front of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, their horns alight with magic at the approach of the trio.
Another two of the pegasi guards flew low toward the trio but then widened the gap as they circled around to escort them closer to our group.
I swear I could feel the tension radiating from the guards as they stood ready for anything from the three who unexpectedly approached. For the trio in cloaks, all they did was continue trudging forward, their heads and withers drooping as if they had been traveling for a long time. The presence of the pegasi escorts didn’t seem to bother them as they came to a halt in front of the group; the two unicorns still between them and the royal couple.
Of the three, the one in the lead pulled back their hood, revealing a pair of dark goggles covering his eyes, before saluting. This stallion’s coat was a mix of white and splotches of brown, Leopard Appaloosan if I caught a murmur from Ochre correctly.
“Specialist–” The lead pony paused. He scrunched his nose while his teeth temporarily refused to open. With a little shudder, he forced out more words. “Blaster, dispatched by Major Iron Hammer, Sir,” the lead pony declared. “Originally assigned to the search for King Sombra’s forces. We force marched from north of Salt Lick City to assist once news of the return of Crystal City reached our Major.”
“Of course,” Shining nodded. “Any sightings of Sombra and his army around Salt Lick City?”
“None, Sir. We kept to the ground to remain undetected and didn’t pass near the city itself.”
“A pity,” Shining frowned. “Once we’ve established quarters, I recommend you all get some rest.”
“Thank you, sir,” the lead pony replied. He nodded to his companions. “Searing. Scorched.”
Without a word from the two still wearing their hoods, they fell into step to the side of the group.
As we continued on toward the castle, Shield Breaker gave voice to a question as he slipped in alongside one of the two fully-cloaked newcomers. “What’s with the cloaks and goggles?”
Others in the group had clearly been thinking the same as they continued to steal glances at them, their ears turning in the direction of Shield Breaker’s question even as they watched our surroundings.
The one Shield Breaker had asked let out a low sound of annoyance or anger; something which felt like a mix between a grunt and a growl. Shield Breaker stepped a little wider at the response while the other fully-cloaked newcomer leaned close to their partner and whispered something I didn’t catch. It did have the effect of appearing to calm them, though. Of the three, only the one who had spoken to Shining Armor gave a clear response but not before a shudder shook his body.
“Sorry,” Blaster apologised. “We were at the siege in Vanhoover fighting–”
Blaster instantly stopped talking even as he kept pace with us. His cheeks puffed out a few times and the muscles of his jaw visibly strained. Another shudder rippled through his body before he continued speaking, his topic drastically changed, “We’ve been walking for days. My friends are tired and sore.”
He looked at Shield Breaker, adding, “The snow is cold and reflects the light in our eyes.”
Ochre trotted up between Shield Breaker and the cloaked pony, leaned toward my foster brother and half whispered, “Not every soldier enjoys recounting the things they have seen and done in battle. You should never pressure them.”
I watched the faces of the nearest guards. Their expressions varied greatly. Some appeared stunned, others tensed their jaw muscles, not unlike the stallion in question. I felt my ears droop and moved up to walk on the other side of Shield Breaker. Clearly the other members of the Guard had heard Ochre but did their best to keep it to themselves.
More movement in dark windows caught my eyes, but, whenever I looked directly at them, the shutters slammed closed. Felt my shoulders droop. Approaching them wasn’t going to be easy if windows and doors kept being shut in our faces. As if reading my thoughts, I startled, a shiver running up my neck at the musical voice of Cadance unexpectedly right next to me.
“So much fear,” she said. “All crafted by one unicorn. No pony deserves to live like this.”
I nodded silently, my gaze still moving from window to window, the pegasi and gryphons often sweeping into view on their patrols.
We weren’t far from the end of the boulevard and where it opened into the wide plaza around the base of the crystal castle when a chill swept in on a newly risen breeze. The purplish wisps of mist and miasma that remained around us were whipped away from the ground and scattered into nothing in the sky. I couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of Jackie’s long fur blowing about as the wind continued to rise.
Very glad to not have a mane needing to be held back, I turned to gaze back in the direction from which the wind was blowing. I paused a moment and my smile fell, spotting dark clouds moving in from the west. Although the clouds were low, they were growing fast, particularly in their middle.
“Storm coming,” I called to the others as I began to look away. A flicker of light, maybe some lightning hinting at the growing strength of the distant storm, drew my attention back. As I focused on the cloud again, the middle part of it rose up like a rearing pony, its shape rolling in tighter, as if it were forming the giant head of a pony.
“Must have swept in over Quebuck,” someone called back. I didn’t know who.
I was too entranced by the huge image forming over the edge of the city; watching as wisps of cloud washed back like a mane streaming in the breeze. In front of the mane, a curved horn emerged then stood proud, pointing to the greying sky above. I heard the clop of a hoof beside me, but I was too transfixed on the sight of the storm as it took on more features; a hard masculine muzzle, a solid strip of a crown across the forehead and a symbol at its centre.
I froze on the spot, my breath caught in my throat. I knew that symbol. A disc flanked by what looked like two curved unicorn horns. It plagued my nightmares. My hooves trembled and the fur on my back stood on end, but I couldn’t look away. My throat and lungs started to ache as my body simply refused to breathe.
“What is that?” a pony asked from somewhere nearby.
Finally forcing the air out of my throat, my words were weak in my ears. “Sombra.”
As if my gasped word had called to it, the huge cloud unicorn turned its head, opened its fanged jaws and let out a rumbling mix of a thunderous chuckle. “There…”
Its voice was chilling and with it, the wind grew stronger. Like that one word of recognition, the wind sank deep into every inch of my body.
“Lieutenant Spears,” Shining Armor barked. His horn was glowing with magic as he stepped past me into view, his attention fixed on the form in the distance. “Get the civilians to the castle.”
Spears turned to me but I didn’t need instruction. I simply nodded at him, turned and bolted. Even with the sound of the rushing wind rising in my ears, I could still catch the heavy clop from Spears’ hooves as he galloped.
I dared to look back. Barely noticing Spears, I saw the base of the cloud hugging the ground as it swept into the streets and the far end of the boulevard we had just walked down.
I forced myself to face forward and focus on my run. My hooves were much lighter than those of any pony, barely clicking as I skipped along the pavement. Much of the group was running ahead and alongside me.
Another glance behind. Wherever the cloud had brushed the ground, it quickly rolled up and away, following the main mass. On the ground where it had touched down, however, now strode ponies and other creatures in the helmets from my nightmares. Flying just above them was any pony with wings or gryphon, also in helmets.
Spears darted in behind me, his horn glowing with magic. after checking behind himself, his eyes caught mine and he shouted, “Keep running!”
I nodded. Not that I needed to. I didn’t really need the order, either. The pegasi guards patrolling above our group swung around in formation before swinging back through the space between us and the force of creatures now charging up the boulevard behind us.
It wasn’t long until our few winged defenders met their mind-controlled adversaries in the air. Hooves clashed with helmets but none came loose as the pegasi guards threw themselves at the attackers on the wind. Even Princess Cadance took to the air, sweeping aside lunging attacks with magic and hooves alike.
Behind us, I spotted the rear most guard of our group, so focused on the pegasus swooping in from his left, the unicorn never noticed the gryphon. With its talons spread wide, before it struck, it drove him into the pavement of the boulevard.
Speaking of gryphons. When the first flyers descended on us, I watched in awe as Ekks kicked off the ground, flipping feet over head. In the process, she kicked an attacking pegasus so hard it never had a chance to tackle its original unicorn target. The helmet burst from the head of the pegasus. Helmet and pegasus were sent crashing to the ground when Ekks lashed their snout with her whip-like tail.
Ekks instantly had to dodge again as a helmeted gryphon shot through where she had landed, barely missing her but slashing the strap on her prized satchel.
The satchel slipped from her shoulder and flew into the air. A stray wing struck it, tossing it into the flowers in the front garden bed of a nearby townhouse. Ekks screeched in anger and dived for the satchel, quickly assessing it.
Unable to re-sling it over her shoulder, Ekks landed over the top of her satchel, snarling and swiping at any who tried to catch her as if she were a mother protecting her fallen child. To get Ekks moving again, Drake swooped in, snatched the broken satchel strap in her beak then, with a flap of her wings, shot onward toward the castle; Ekks quickly giving chase.
Reaching the relative shelter of the plaza beneath the castle shortly after the two gryphons, all I could do was struggle to control my heart and breath. Myself and all of those who had not been plucked away by the airborne forces could do little but watch the remaining unicorns of the Guard surrounding us as they tried to strike away each assault with their magic.
My attention darted around, frantically trying to spot each of my friends in the hope they were already here. I felt a small wave of relief when I saw Jackie was already here, busy fending off attackers with his horns. Shield Breaker was working his magic alongside Ochre. Even Richard had already made it, albeit with Cremator standing on his rump, slashing at those who came too close with her claws.
Boo was the furthest away. Nowhere near the plaza, she was doing her best to keep a group on the ground led by grey-blue unicorn from reaching the plaza. She darted about, keeping low to the ground while dodging the magic slung at her. The only time the grey-blue unicorn came close to snatching her, Comet Streak swept in from the side, knocking the unicorn off his hooves with a heavy shoulder charge that left even me wincing in sympathy.
Boo swooped in alongside Comet Streak, who now held a hoof to his shoulder from such a hard hit, and worked on escorting him the last few yards to the plaza under the castle. They were joined by Cadance who was carrying one of the few now freed pegasi in her magic before carefully laying the small mare on the ground in the middle of our tiny spot of relative safety.
Her gaze swept across us. I caught only a flicker of worry in her eyes as she assessed the situation.
Shining Armor galloped in with the final few stragglers; the three cloaked newcomers, Blaster, Searing and Scorched. While Shining looked focused, the other three just looked exhausted. Considering they just had to run after a forced march across some length of the country I wasn’t familiar with, it wasn’t surprising to me.
“Any losses?” Shining asked while catching his breath.
Someone spoke but I didn’t hear them clearly as two terrible roars suddenly ripped across the city, echoing in the space above us beneath the castle. Shining, Cadance and Cremator all stopped what they were doing, looks of dread on their faces. It was a dread I soon shared as we all turned toward the still looming cloud formation of Sombra, a formation which had taken on even more of the dark unicorn’s features since I had last glimpsed it.
There, in the sky, with the smaller red humanoid one flying above the enormous yellow, were the two remaining dragons under Sombra’s control. As the pair dived closer, smoke trailed from the jowls of the yellow one. Both puffed out their chests as they drew in huge breaths, much like I had seen Cremator do when preparing to breathe fire.
My heart sank.
The attacking pegasi and gryphons parted. Cadance stepped up beside Shining Armor. I glanced at Jackie. There was a flash of intense light and I ducked my head, squeezing my eyes shut to protect them.
The temperature suddenly rose, but only uncomfortably instead of searing, stripping the chill from my fur. I couldn’t feel flames engulfing my body. Daring to peek and find out why I was yet to turn to ash, I glimpsed the last of the flames as they spent themselves on the ground beyond the ring of unicorn guards.
It was then that I noticed the dome of magenta magic. Transparent in appearance, it spread across us like a shield, protecting all of us from the flames before the two dragons swooped by; the yellow barely missing the supports of the castle as it passed.
Looking around, it didn’t take me long to find the source of our survival. Shining Armor and Princess Cadance stood in the middle of the circle, unmoved. Their horns, pressed together, were engulfed in the glow of their magics. I let out a breath then sucked in another when I saw the huge cloud form of Sombra shift its posture.
Sombra’s massive form lurched forward and started to bend toward us. With his mouth wide open and unleashing a wordless bellow down on us, he was like a giant leaning in to take a bite out us or even the Crystal Castle itself.
Cadance and Shining Armor barely moved. They only braced themselves, and each other, as the form of Sombra loomed near. With Sombra’s huge un-equine fangs closing in, the glow around the horns of Cadance and Shining pulsed once then burned even brighter.
In that moment I realised, the flash of light from earlier hadn’t been the flames erupting from the mouths of the dragons, but the combined magic of a unicorn and an alicorn being unleashed.
The dome suddenly lurched up and outward in every direction. Sombra, seemingly expecting the action about as much as I had been, slammed face first into the dome. The blow didn’t even shake the magic being poured into it. The dome simply kept growing wider, pushing back the ethereal form of Sombra along with it. Even his troops, none of whom had tried to flee, were forced back when it came into contact with them.
In moments the shield covered several blocks in all directions and continued to expand. It didn’t stop until it the farthest ends of the boulevards in every direction were safely held within the dome and Sombra and his troops were left stranded in the snow outside.
I couldn’t help but stare in awe. Even what remained of the fog had been stripped away, leaving the city within the dome to stand in what now resembled a relatively sunny day. I quickly checked my friends and found them mostly unhurt and about as impressed by the feat of the two royals as I was; even Richard, who looked incredibly relieved.
Shining Armor, his horn still glowing, drew in a long breath, steeled himself, then let it out. He looked to Cadance, whose horn was also still glowing with magic, and they shared a smile. Once the moment between them had passed, Shining Armor turned and addressed the rest of the guard and we civilians. “Injury reports, then security assessments.”
All members of the Guard raised a hoof each in salute then broke to carry out their orders. As for the rest of us, after we had a chance to gather our senses, it was time to get to work.