Slave to Desire

by libertydude


The Invasion

BANG!

The wheel covered in glittering opal dipped into the pothole. The royal carriage jostled, its contents bobbing up and down for half a second before settling. This elicited a grunt from its inhabitant, who quickly readjusted the crown upon her head and smoothed the now-rumpled pillows she sat amongst. Her hoof felt the sleek silk of her surrounding violet comforts, which made up the majority of her carriage’s interior. The rest consisted of a bed tray table covered with crumbs from a daisy sandwich and the curtains separating her comforts from the outside world. Her other hoof crossed over the smooth gold that made up the crown’s body, before coming to a rest at the center. A large hole remained at the crown’s middle, a holder for a large jewel that no longer remained. A deep sigh escaped the wearer.

I gave up the Pegasus Crystal for the good of ponykind, Queen Haven thought. I was willing to compromise on that, no matter how fabulous it looked on me. She gave a contented look to her back, where feathered white wings fluttered. But I actually got something out of that transaction. Now they’re making me-

“Maretime Bay is just ahead, Your Highness!” a booming voice called from the carriage front. Sergeant Blitzwing, sitting atop the carriage’s front, was the voice’s owner.

Haven blinked, vague annoyance upon her face. “Understood, Sergeant!” she replied before sitting up. She stuck her face through the separating curtain and squinted. The harsh beams of sundown were already starting, a problem amplified by the bright reflections upon the ocean the carriage skirted alongside. Yet even these beams could not hide the settlement now in sight. A long cluster of two and three-story buildings followed the shoreline, each painted in varying hues of blue, yellow, and purple. Brick streets zipped between each line of houses like a life-size maze. Vague dots bobbed up and down the streets. Above all of this sat a large industrial factory, whose sign could just be made out in large type letters even from the distance:

CANTERLOGIC INDUSTRIES

PROVIDING HARMONY INSTEAD OF HATE

Haven snorted. They nearly start a war between the races and now they act like they’re an innocent babe, she thought. Why didn’t they have to disband in the name of unity?

Haven’s face scrunched in disgust, and she threw herself back into her carriage. Why do I have to be the only one who gives something up? she thought, teeth gritted.

She launched herself back onto the pillows, unspeakable curses about to come flowing out of her mouth. Yet her tongue held, for she detected a faint scent of vanilla starting to fill the carriage.

Haven sat back up. “Who released that scen-?” She stopped, frozen by the being in front of her. She was a light purple unicorn with aqua-colored hair. Protruding from her mane was a sharp-angled horn. A wide smile filled the mare’s face.

“Hiya, Queenie!” she squeaked.

“Ack!” Haven fell back, falling deeper into her pillows and her legs flailing in the air.

“Gotta whiff of my new vanilla perfume, huh?” Izzy said, taking a deep breath. “Aah! Such a great smell!”

“Miss Moonbow!” Haven barked, regaining her feet and smoothing her hair. “Are you trying to cause a succession crisis? I nearly had a heart attack!”

“Oh no! Do you need an aspirin for that? We can stop at the pharmacy on the way into Maretime Bay!”

“No, I do not,” Haven said, readjusting her empty crown. “What I need is a calm environment where ponies don’t pop into my carriage out of nowhere.”

“Oh, I see. You’re one of those “I Hate Surprise Parties” kind of mares, huh?”

“No, I’m one of those “I Hate Surprises PERIOD” kind of mares.”

“So that’s why you threw us in prison when we first came to Zephyr Heights!”

“It was certainly a reason.” A quick sigh escaped Haven’s lips. “Why are you here, Miss Moonbow? I thought you and Princess Starscout were working on the Unification Day preparations.”

“Well, we were going over the last minute plans for the Unification, but then I saw your carriage coming near the lighthouse.” She pointed to the tall red and white structure sitting on the high shoreline. The glass from the top of the lighthouse reflected as brilliantly as the water did. “And I said I should go say ‘Hi’ to you so that you didn’t feel too lonely because Zipp and Pipp were staying in Zephyr Heights to run things and you might feel sad and maybe even pull out of the Unification Ceremony because you can’t merge city-states on bad vibes, y’know, and if you pulled out, then Bridlewood might pull out too and then Maretime Bay and then a gigantic bloody civil war would happen and really kill the mood we’ve had going for three years.” She hopped up and stood proudly. “So, here I am, your Officially Unofficial Unification Ceremony Ambassador to make sure that frown is upside down for your whole visit! Ta-da!” She thrust herself into a pose, forelegs open as if for a hug. “So…how am I doing?”

“You are improving my mood exponentially,” Haven said in a tone closer to a growl than actual words.

“Fantastic!” Her ears shot up. “Ooh! I think we’re here!” She grabbed the curtains and pulled them open. The sunlight didn’t pierce the carriage as much, for Izzy pulled the curtains facing land rather than the ocean. A view of the street appeared, with ponies walking along the bricks and concrete. Tradesponies hawked their wares from wooden carts loaded with snow globes and other memorabilia regarding Unification Day. Most seemed to be utterly enthralled in their business transactions, with only a few glances spared for the carriage and its inhabitants.

“Not even a parade,” Haven grumbled.

“Oh, do you want one?” Izzy said enthusiastically. “I can round up a few of the Canterlogic employees! Miss Moonstead gave them the day off to prepare for the Unific-!”

“Forget it! I just…urgh!” Haven fell back onto her pillows and threw a foreleg across her eyes. “Please just let me suffer these last few hours of sovereignty in peace!”

“Don’t be silly!” Izzy said, landing on the pillows beside Haven. Her forelegs crossed behind her head. “We’ll suffer toget-“

BANG! The carriage’s back right wheel shook hard.

“Woah!” Izzy cried, rolling in the pillows.

Haven lifted her head and grimaced. “Watch those potholes, soldier!” she called out. “I’m in a bad enough mood already, and a sore back won’t help!”

BANG! The left rear wheel gave the same shake. A long screech filled the air, and the carriage vibrated with each lurch forward.

Haven rolled her eyes. “With the way today’s going, of course the carriage wheels would break. I’ll probably have to…” She gave a small shiver. “…walk to the hotel.”

“Don’t worry, Queenie!” Izzy said, putting her hoof around Haven’s neck. “The streets here are very nice. You won’t even break a swe-!”

BANG! The front right wheel gave next, and the carriage stopped.

Haven groaned, then thrust the curtains open. “Sergeant!” she barked. “What is going on he-?”

She froze, horrified at the sight around her.

Ponies were dashing every way they could. Some jumped over the carts they had just been frequenting, the goods spilling everywhere and smashing atop the concrete sidewalk. Haven and Izzy, herself now drawn to the sight, gasped as blurs of motion swooped down upon the fleeing ponies. In a flash, the ponies were gone, the last thing the duo seeing was the ponies’ legs kicking in the air as they blasted upward.

Izzy shot a look toward the front of the carriage. The seats were empty where the coachstallions had once sat. Her eyes shifted to the back wheels, which now sat broken. Three slashes cut diagonally through each wheel. She turned back to Haven and noticed she still stared forward as if in a trance. Izzy followed her sightline. A light blue stallion in grey armor laid sprawled upon the ground. His helmet sat a few feet away, still spinning from the impact that had ripped it off.

Yet for as wretched as Sergeant Blitzwing looked, it was the light yellow creature stooping over him that elicited the sharp gasp from Izzy. The being looked like a bird on the front half of its body, with a white head like an eagle and claws of a falcon. Its back half looked more akin to a pony, with long legs and hooves clicking upon the sidewalk. Both halves looked ragged and emaciated, flesh barely pulled over the bones.

Izzy scrunched her nose. She could smell the creature from several yards away.

“Drink this, my lovely,” the creature cackled. The tone sounded female, though tinged with an easy cruelty. “It will make you feel better. It will make you handsome.” She removed a small glass bottle with a glowing emerald liquid inside. She uncorked the vial and lifted it to Blitzwing’s mouth.

“Hey!” Izzy cried out. “Leave him alone!”

The creature looked up at them. For a moment, hatred filled her face. Then she relaxed into her previous joviality.

“New friends,” she whispered, barely audible over the screams of the few ponies still fleeing. “New friends to play with. New friends to work with.”

Izzy looked toward Haven. The queen still gave no impression she was even lucid, still staring at the creature and her crippled sergeant in silence.

“Um, Queenie?” Izzy squeaked. “I’m starting to get the feeling this lady doesn’t want to be friends in the good way. Should we skedaddle before she has us in a saddle?”

Haven made no effort to move or speak. She just stared at the creature now starting to make its way back toward Blitzwing.

“New friends stay put,” the creature said, wagging one of its yellow talons. “Need to make other new friend handsome again.” She lifted the vial to Blitzwing’s lips.

“Stop!” Izzy cried, rushing out towards the two. Not a second after her hooves hit the ground, she let out a fierce scream.

The same blur she and Haven had seen lift ponies into the sky came down upon her. Hard claws grabbed her rump and her hair, hoisting her into the air despite the intense pain burning through her scalp. A grey form filled her vision.

TWACK!

Izzy felt herself falling to the ground. Through the tears had built up from the pain, she could see the bricks of the road coming closer. She threw her hooves out to break the fall, even though she knew it would break her legs. She closed her eyes and braced for impact.

TWOOMP!

Izzy’s body stopped. She opened her eyes and gasped. Haven held her in her forelegs like a bride by a groom, one hoof under the back and the other under the knees. Haven’s wings fluttered, soft fwiff-fwiffs filling the air with each flap. Her crown glistened in the setting sun and sent sparkles dancing upon the ground.

Yet something had undeniably changed with Haven. Her face, normally plastered with an arrogant smirk or exasperation, stood in a placid glare. The creature below her seemed as unnerved with the queen’s face, shrinking back toward the ground in equal parts surprise and fear.

A faint whisk came from above them. Izzy looked up just in time to see two more of the creatures, one tan and the other white, zipping toward them in a flash of movement. In less than a second, they would be upon the duo.

Izzy didn’t even get a chance to blink before she was flipped in the air. She tumbled above Queen Haven and gasped as the scene below flashed before her eyes in the same way as flipped photos, her twist spinning her face toward the sky and then the ground and back to the sky again with each revolution.

On the first turn toward the ground, Izzy could see Haven rear her back right leg.

On the second, the first creature careened earthward.

The third, the second creature grasped Haven’s hair.

The fourth, Haven grasped the creature and rolled her body backward. The creature, unprepared for the maneuver, let go of Haven and tried to rebalance itself.

On the fifth, Haven pushed the off-balance creature into the building closest to them. A sharp gasp escaped the creature as its face slammed into the solid brick wall.

On the sixth spin, Izzy landed back within Haven’s arms.

“Woah!” Izzy gaped. “I didn’t know you could fight, Queenie.”

If Haven heard the compliment, she did not register such. Her eyes were scanning the sky, tracking all the blurs descending upon Maretime Bay. Then, both mares’ eyes fell back toward Blitzwing and the initial creature. The latter gave a furious hiss and launched herself up at the duo, wings beating against the air in a furious rhythm.

“Catch,” Haven said in a bored tone.

Izzy felt herself thrust forward. She waved her legs furiously about, horrified at the snarling face and grimy talons thrust toward her face. To her surprise and relief, the creature seemed to want to avoid contact as much as Izzy did, for she readjusted herself to zip just below the startled unicorn.

Just as she started to reassume her ascent, the creature found two hooves impacting the top of her skull. Her avoidance of Izzy had opened her up to an upper assault from the scowling queen. Now it was Haven’s wings who beat loud enough to be heard, her legs pushing the creature all the way down to the sidewalk.

CRACK!

The creature landed flat upon her back. Haven, using the creature’s body as a launching pad, pushed off to return to her flight. Zipping back toward the still-hurtling Izzy, Haven grabbed the unicorn’s tail just before the unicorn could slam into the concrete.

“Wow,” Izzy said, her face hanging barely an inch above the sidewalk. “You’re putting all those Kung-Hoof instructors to shame!”

A sharp grunt came from Haven, who let Izzy fall flat on her back. “Let’s resuscitate Blitzwing and then-“

A slight movement in the corner of her eye caused Haven to jerk backwards. A light blue hoof punched the air in front of her, followed by a maddened chuckle. Haven fell back to the ground, her stoicism falling away into genuine terror.

Blitzwing stood before her with a mirthless smile. While his body still looked the same in his armor, his limbs jerked and twisted in a way that made his body spasm with each step. Unmistakable madness filled his face.

“Your Majesty,” Blitzwing said in a hissing voice. “Please come with me. She has so much to show you.”

Haven’s eyes shot back toward the yellow creature she’d just dispatched. The glass vial around her neck now sat empty.

Haven returned her gaze to the maddened soldier. “Sergeant Blitzwing, snap out of it!” she barked in an authoritative tone. “You are a soldier for Zephyr Heights, not these hippogriffs’ master!”

“She’s your master, too,” Blitzwing mumbled, twitching with each step. “She’s everypony’s master. They just need to see.” His eyes hardened. “You need to see.”

He leaped forward, forelegs clutching for Haven’s throat. The attack caught Haven off-balance, and she fell to the ground before she could flap her wings. Her body landed hard upon the sidewalk, dazed just long enough for Blitzwing to land atop her. His hooves wrapped around her throat. Haven’s back legs kicked, but his knees pressed against her stomach. No room for her wings to flap, she found herself staring up at the frenzied face of her once-loyal soldier. Blackness began to swim in her eyes.

“Wakefulness shall bring enlightenment,” Blitzwing cooed. “Go to sleep, Your Majesty. She’ll make your dreams come tr-“

CLANG!

Blitzwing fell to the side, a second wound appearing on his head. Haven sat upward and gasped, both for air and in surprise. Standing in front of her was Izzy with Blitzwing’s discarded helmet, now with two matching dents.

Izzy smiled. “You know things are getting crazy when we’re using helmets to attack heads!”

Haven’s relief quickly gave way to concern. The blurs swooping down into the city had started to thin above them, but they were replaced by a mass of hippogriffs descending toward them at the street level.

“Come on!” Haven said, shooting up into the air. She swooped down toward the crumpled creature, nabbing the now-empty vial hanging from her neck. She then grabbed Izzy with their previous bridal carry. They shot toward the nearest alley, the howls of their pursuers coming from the main street.

“Moonbow!” Haven barked over the rushing wind and angry cries behind them. “Do you know somewhere we can hide?”

“Oh yeah!” she said. “Take two rights here and go straight on until Morning.”

“What?!”

“Morning Bar and Grill. It’s a little place nopony really goes to anymore. Our not-so-friendly friends won’t check there.”