//------------------------------// // 10 - The Drake // Story: Sunny Starscout and The Mystery of Magic // by OneLonelyPickle //------------------------------// Sunny hated the smug, evil grin on Sir Bastion’s face, but a large moving object distracted her from the corner of her eye. It was a wagon coming from the direction of the Forbidden Zone, if Sunny’s sense of geography was correct. Sunny’s expression became curious. Sir Bastion saw her face and turned toward the oncoming wagon. “Make way, make way!” cried one of the stallions pulling the wagon. It was brand new, Sunny surmised, and definitely expensive. It was a wagon of wood painted a blinding white, embellished with raised streaks of gold along its edges. It was shaped like a distorted gourd, with four well-coiffed stallions dressed in black suits, ties, and white undershirts pulling it. Somewhere inside the wagon, the door and windows of which were hidden to passersby by lush red velvet curtains, a pompous voice cried out. “What’s the trouble, Cornelius?” Sunny cringed at the snotty accent. She looked at Hitch who just shrugged. The white wagon came to a stop, the four stallions pulling it realizing that Sir Bastion and company were not going to move. Indeed, they may have been put off by the fact that Sir Bastion, encased in his bronze armor, didn’t move a single muscle. “The trouble,” Sir Bastion replied, “Is that you are on a road of the Realm expecting to pass through a Knight’s caravan so rudely, without stating your purpose here.” The pony inside the wagon hastily exited. He had one finely groomed black eyebrow pointed upward. “W-who are you?” he asked, voice failing. Sunny scanned his appearance. He was odd looking, but perhaps only to Sunny, whose idea of rich was the merchants who wore silk robes with funny hats. The stallion before her wore a white suit instead, with a black tie and a white tophat to complete what must have been a dapper ensemble to other ponies. His coat was a dark grey, and his eyes a piercing green. Sir Bastion closed his eyes and brought a hoof to his chest. “Dear page, please tell this outsider who I am!” Nate Chivaltarry seemed to emerge from nowhere as Sunny remembered he existed. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “T-This is Sir Bastion Titaneous, Left Hoof of the Protector of the Realm of the Earth Ponies!” The rich pony frowned and shook an errant hoof. “Excellent! Then I have a bone to pick with you!” Sir Bastion rose an eyebrow. “Oh?” The rich pony raised his head so his chin was level with Sir Bastion’s eyes and he made a “hmph!” noise. “Indeed. Why is the southern Realm so unprotected as of late? Those Diamond Dog raiders have become more than the monthly nuisance — I’ve lost 30% of my revenue because merchants trading under MY brand have been accosted, and Castle Rockhoof has done seemingly NOTHING to stop it!” Sir Bastion, of course, did not break his signature smile, but Sunny saw a few veins pop up on his neck. He closed his eyes and shook his head, chuckling. “Goodness me… and why, for the sake of all Equestria, would you think I care what some outsider from Trotonto has to say about what happens in the Realm?” Sir Bastion looked to his soldiers, who also chuckled. He turned back to the rich pony, who took a step back in response. “And what is worse — I am quite aware of who you are, White Hat. You trade with the Hornheads and Featherfreaks!” Sunny’s eyebrows raised and her mouth opened. She knew that name, as uneducated as she maintained herself. White Hat’s stamp was all over Maretime Bay. White Hat glared at Sir Bastion for a moment, before he realized that the stallion he glared at could pound his face into the dirt within a second and not break a sweat. White Hat swallowed hard and moved to re-enter his wagon. “V-very well then… see if I care if you starve without the trade you so condemn! And I suppose you also think that if the Diamond Dog corsairs start to raid the Abyssinian trade ships, we’ll just plant our own wheat and oats?!” Sir Bastion shrugged. “We will make do, as we have always done. The Earth Pony, at least who lives in the Realm, is hardy and tough.” He yawned. “Now please get out of my way. Go back to where you came; you will go no farther today. You have upset me.” White Hat gritted his teeth, a bead of sweat coming from under his namesake. “B-But I’m expected in Bogharrow by tomorrow morning! If I don’t make it, the resigning of my contract wi—” Sir Bastion sighed and ground a hoof into the dirt. He laughed once. “But if you do not turn around right now, White Hat, I am going to send every single one of your beautiful little teeth flying through the air, and you after them.” White Hat’s pupils shook like fried egg yolks. He stumbled into his wagon. “You’re insane! You’ll condemn this entire country with your nonsense! I’ll be sending a strongly worded letter to your Protector, mark my words, and my associates will be at Castle Rockhoof by week’s end to lobby against your position! Cornelius, turn us around at once!” And so the four stallions pulling the wagon pulled to the left and turned around, galloping back to where they came. Sir Bastion strode toward the Barge as if nothing had occurred, laughing heartily. “Hey.” Sunny felt Hitch nudge her shoulder. “Look behind us. That’s the result of Bastion’s moods.” Sunny turned. Not too far behind, a long line of wagons and merchants and other travelers patiently waited. Hitch continued. “If anyearthpony tries to get past Bastion — well, I guess I don’t have to explain it to you. That White Hat might have a point.” “Why does everypony put up with him then? He’s a total jerk!” Hitch made a sighing noise from his nose. “You know Earth Ponies. If everyearthpony is safe, then they don’t really care what the Earth Pony doing the protecting does. Most, anyway. The ones who speak up are probably in that wagon.” Hitch motioned toward the prison wagon. He sighed. “I just wish he didn’t keep all the other travelers away… I’d like to talk to some new mares…” Sunny rolled her eyes. She watched White Hat’s wagon rumble down the road back toward the Forbidden Zone. She turned to Hitch. “I’ve heard of that guy. White Hat – so he lives outside the Realm? In Trotonto?” Hitch nodded. “Yeah, he has a place in one of those big uhhh skyshifter things. Whatever they’re called – I don’t like the big city. I take it that’s your dream home, since the Hornheads and Featherfreaks are nearby.” Sunny glared at Hitch. “Hey! They’re Unicorns and Pegasi; I’m trying to get ponies to use the correct terminology!” Hitch chuckled and shook his head. “Oh Sunny – sweet, innocent, naïve Sunny.” Sunny fumed harder and Hitch threw his mane up. “You have about as much a chance of getting anyearthpony to change how they talk about you know who as I do of getting Sir Bastion to stop smiling.” Sunny puffed out her chest. “We’ll see, Mr. Got Banished! And good luck convincing the Protector you should get to go back to the Castle! I bet you got the boot because you wouldn’t stop harassing all the mares!” Hitch frowned. “Hey, there were SEVERAL mares I did not flirt with! I have restraint, Sunny Starscout, I’m not an animal!” Sunny groaned and shoved past. Izzy stared forlorn at her friend below. When Sunny calmed down and looked up to match the gaze, she winked at Izzy. The two shared a smile. “Cheer up, little doll.” Izzy grabbed something from her bag and held it up. “Do you like it? Sorry, it’s a WIP, but it’s going to be a big stuffed rabbit when I’ve finished.” Sunny cocked her head and forced a smile. It looked like a dark blue lump of yarn. “Oh yeah Izzy! It looks, uhh, bunny-ish!” Hitch caught up and made a face. “Is that a deflated cat?” Sunny hoofpunched Hitch in the side. “Ow!” Izzy giggled. “It’s okay, Sunny; you ponies will see. It’s going to be my best one yet…” she giggled nervously. “Diamonds are formed under pressure, and all that.” Izzy gulped and looked ahead. Sunny and Hitch did the same. The entourage reached the docks of the Brimstone Barge. The scent of brimstone assaulted Sunny’s nostrils. She coughed and gasped – others did the same. Luckily, since Sunny’s gag was gone, she could breathe through her mouth – but the air tasted foul all the same. To board the Barge, ponies – and / or the wagons they rode on – would need to ascend a wide, metal gangplank that connected the dock and the Barge. Sir Bastion and his soldiers boarded ahead of the prison wagon, with the Knight ignoring all the salutes from the dock soldiers as he passed them. “Ahhh,” Sir Bastion exhaled happily and put a hoof to his armored chest, then closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. “Smell the air, prisoners? That musk of brimstone?” The only reply to Sir Bastion was glares — Sunny’s worst of all. The Knight continued. “That means we have boarded the Brimstone Barge: your one-way ticket to the punishment that awaits you!” Nate the page, standing next to his master like a mouse beside a proud lion, cleared his throat. “F-first there is the reeducation, and if that doesn’t work, then the punishment comes—” “Yesyesyesyes, Mr. Correctorhooves.” Sir Bastion shoved a hoof in his page’s mouth. Sir Bastion sighed. “Why must you ruin the moment for me, dear page?” Sir Bastion thrust a hoof in Sunny’s direction. “Soldiers! I want her in the Special Happy Fun Cage!” A few of the soldiers turned back to Sunny, who immediately became defensive. “Fat chance!” Sunny protested. “I bet that cage is anything but happy and fun!” Sir Bastion roared with laughter, head pulled back so far Sunny was sure it would snap off his neck. Once the Knight collected himself, he wiped a tear away. “Nonsense! It is the picture of happy and fun - for me! That is why I named it the Special Happy Fun Cage, after all. Soldiers, hop to it!” And so, after everypony, the wagon, and its bulls were brought up onto the Barge’s main deck, Sunny was shoved into a cage far too small even for a mare of her size. She felt rusty iron bars tight against her flank, and one of her hooves was awkwardly sticking out of the front. Sunny’s cheek pressed painfully against the bars. “Bastion! This is cruel and unusual punishment, and I won’t stand for it! What about the Constitution? What about the Rights of Pony?! Nopony deserves this!” Sir Bastion, from the other side of the Barge, chuckled and replied in his booming voice. “Someearthponies do! Such as yourself, Ms. Starscout.” Sir Bastion turned to Hitch. “Trustblubber!” Hitch’s face drooped downward. Sir Bastion continued. “Get your former marefriend to apologize to me in a genuine tone and I will consider letting her out.” At that, Hitch turned and smiled cheekily at Sunny, who just growled. “If she starts shouting again, we will attach her cage to the loading crane and dunk her under the water until the bubbles stop!” Sunny looked at the tall crane near the ship’s center, having learned what it was and what it was for. She gulped. Sunny tried her best to break out of the cage with pure muscle power — she strained her muscles until they were enflamed with pain, but to no success. She shriek-whined in her frustration. Hitch appeared and screwed his mouth into something of a confused grin. “This isn’t your best look, is it?” “Can it, Casanova! You think this is funny?” “Hey! Y’know, you might think that’s an insult, but the real Casanova is an inspiration to flirtatious studs like me the world over! And no, as a matter of fact, I do NOT think you being stuck in the Special Happy Fun Cage is funny.” Hitch couldn’t hold back a muffled laugh from the back of his throat. Sunny glared. “Okay, fine, it’s kinda funny!” Hitch cleared his throat and then looked at Sunny’s hooves, his demeanor becoming sad. “Even if I wanted to, what do you expect me to do in this situation? If I let you out, Bastion will dunk ME in the river, not to mention I’d have to kiss my reunion with the Protector goodbye!” Hitch hummed with realization and looked up. “I would much rather kiss the Protector. She’s a looker, but she has this serious thing going on. I’m more a fan of the cute and cuddly types.” Sunny grunted and struggled against the cage. “I don’t care what your type is. And I don’t care that I’m stuck in here. I will never, EVER apologize to THAT jerk! All I want is for you to take your almost-as-smug face somewhere else if you’re going to joke around.” Hitch sat down and sighed. “You’re right. It was in bad taste; I’m sorry.” Sunny closed her eyes. “No, it’s okay. I’d probably laugh at you too if you were stuck in this thing.” “Hey now...” Moments later, a long, deep blow of a ship horn erupted from above and behind the pair. Smoke began sputtering out of the smokestack at the other end of the Barge, not far from where Sir Bastion was standing with a smile on his face, looking out to the distance. Sunny took in her surroundings as best she could while being confined in the cage. The deck was grey, crude steel, as were the low walls of the ship. Sunny could just barely see where the wagon was on the deck and it looked like it was chained to a large piece of steel where it was loaded — it would not be going anywhere. The bulls were laying down and resting. Sunny couldn’t see Izzy or any of the prisoners, but she imagined they were not all sunshine and smiles. Beyond the left side of the Barge (from Sunny’s perspective) was the bank of the river. Evidently, the Barge was almost as wide as the span of the river. She could see a cobblestone road running adjacent to the river. Just beyond that, a thick line of trees created a wall of bark and dark shade, much more pronounced as all the land was tinted orange from the fading light of the setting sun. Lastly, Sunny noticed the huge paddle wheel. She tried to relax by watching the great wheel lift up water as it creaked and turned. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the water and the wheel, and blocking out the talking of the soldiers. As much as Sunny wanted to give Sir Bastion a piece of her mind for the entirety of the boat ride, she knew he really would drown her if she tried. That jerk isn’t changing his mind anytime soon, assuming there is a brain up there in his skull. I need to relax. Okay - my speech for the Protector. What am I going to say? Sunny’s belly grumbled loudly, knocking her from her inner thoughts. She winced from the pain her body was in, but also relished that she no longer had to trudge along with irons around her hooves. Even being stuck in the most uncomfortable cage imaginable, she felt the urge to have a nap. Maybe… just a quick… doze… Sunny’s eyelids were so heavy that she couldn’t open them if she wanted to. The dream world came fast… Foggy visions of a perfect Equestria, of Pegasi flyers making colorful streaks of cloud in the sky, of Unicorns raising the sun, and Earth Ponies (as crazy as Sunny thought it looked) tilling the ground and raising crops filled Sunny's dreams. A glowing white city appeared on a mountain, and the dream became so clear Sunny swore she was transported there. And then, in the dream, Sunny looked to the sun, and it flared up and became larger. Brighter. Sunny shielded her gaze and saw a winged figure flying in front of the sun. Flying toward her. It got nearer and nearer, until... A cry of terror rang out. “OFF OF STARBOARD! LOOK OUT!” Sunny’s eyes fluttered open and she strained to look around her, forgetting how impossible it was earlier. She moved her eyes and saw nothing but ponies moving to and fro. Then, on the river bank, something caught her eye. A figure wearing a strange, full body outfit had shot a rope from its side at the Barge. The rope had a sharp end which connected with the Barge’s crane with a metal bang. The figure was pulled toward the Barge by the rope. Cries of the soldiers came from all directions. Sunny heard Sir Bastion roar. “UNICORN ATTACK! TO YOUR HOOVES, SOLDIERS!” Sunny was frantic and strained as much as she could to see what was going on. She heard scurrying, shouting, and a weird wooshing noise followed by more screams. The bulls that pulled the wagon could be heard bellowing low pitched cries. Hitch shouted and rushed forward with a stomp. “Unicorn attack! Charge!” Sunny struggled some more and called after him. “Wait — Hitch! Let me out!” It was to no avail. Hitch’s cries continued for a few seconds, then they turned into fearful shouts as he galloped back to Sunny. “Unicorn attack! Run away!” “Let me out!” Sunny repeated. “I’m a sitting duck in this thing!” Sunny waited for Hitch to decide what to do as the fighting continued near the middle of the deck. Eventually, she felt Hitch's hooves against her body on the side, but they were not grabbing her, as she discovered, but bending the bars of the cage. When they were opened enough, she slipped out. Quickly, Sunny collected herself and stared at Hitch with saucer eyes. “I meant… I meant get the key! How the hay did you do that?!” Hitch smiled sheepishly. “Uhhh, I used to eat all my oat flakes as a kid?” Sunny’s legs gave out and she collapsed in pain. Hitch hovered over her in worry. “Sunny! What gives?” Sunny groaned and Hitch noticed the marks near the ends of Sunny’s hooves from the chains Sir Bastion had put her in. He looked back to the commotion, then at Sunny. “We need to get you out of here,” he decided. A screaming cry broke through the air. It was Izzy. “RYE RYEEEEE!” Sunny’s ear twitched as she remembered the name – she forced herself onto her knees and looked toward the center of the ship. Seeing the figure up close, it looked more like a pony-sized dragon - at least, what Sunny figured real dragons looked like. Picture books had large creatures with huge wings, talons, tails and rows of teeth. The figure in front of her had green scales covering its body and four legs, down to its booted hooves. It had no wings, but its head had large yellow eyes with green irises and large black pupils. A tall mane of light brown came up from either side of its head. It took a defensive stance and bared its large fangs. Sunny saw that a strange bark colored, dual pronged horn came out of the figure’s head. Is that what a male Unicorn horn looks like? That’s definitely not the same as… “IZZY!” The figure’s roar was fiercesome, and strained, as if it was in great pain. Sunny felt like cowering before it, though. Then she remembered the situation. “Rye Rye! That must be the guy that Izzy was talking about!” she thought out loud. Hitch swallowed hard. “Oh yeah? W-was that a demon from her nightmares!?” Rye Rye was flanked on all sides by soldiers keeping their distance from him. Reddish-purple flames erupted from his horn, covered his entire body, and reached out toward the soldiers. With another roar Rye Rye’s flames enveloped several soldiers and shoved them backward hard enough to cause dull metal thuds when some of them hit the Barge wall. Afterward, thin purple flames covered their bodies. “ARGGGH GET IT OFF!” one soldier cried, patting herself all over to no avail. The others screamed and hollered. Sunny noticed others rolling around with the flames on them. No matter how much they rolled, the flames seemed to continue to burn the soldiers without relent. Their stone armor did little to soothe the pain. “Wh— MAGIC?!” Sunny screamed, sounding way more excited than worried. Hitch answered just as frantic - but definitely more worried than excited. “No! Hornhead trickery! It’s got to be his suit. Hornheads don’t have magic anymore!” “IT’S THE DRAKE!” Sir Bastion shouted and leapt down from the upper deck of the stern. He was all smiles. Hitch grabbed Sunny and pulled her towards him, up some stairs, and onto the upper deck closest to them. Sunny complained. “Hey what gives! Izzy is down there!” Hitch’s disposition became serious. His pupils shook. “If we stay down there, we’re going to die. That’s no Rye Rye – that’s Rylar the Drake! He’s one of the Guardians that protect the Five Tribes!” Rylar pointed a hoof at Sir Bastion, who stared back with a wide-eyed, insane expression. Smoke and vapor poured out from Rylar’s maw as the soldiers followed suit with Sunny and Hitch and cleared the main deck – the wagon prisoners were at the mercy of their position. Izzy was hanging tight to the wagon and sobbing, watching the events unfold. “Release her!” Rylar’s voice sounded demonic, Sunny could not deny. “Release the Honored Voice’s sister, and I will stop the flames on your soldiers from burning them down to their bones!” A glint hit Sir Bastion’s eye. He seemed to stand a little taller, a little prouder. The heat did not seem to bother him at all, even as he stood just a few feet from its source. He spat out a reply. “Foal! You truly think my soldiers would not give their LIVES for the good of the Realm?! And you must be mad! There is no Hornhead FILTH among us here!” Rylar pointed a hoof at the prison wagon. “Don’t be mad, Titan! She’s right there! Do you think I’m stupid?” Sunny swallowed hard. Dread slithered through her veins. The idea that Sir Bastion was going to find out about Izzy turned Sunny’s blood cold. Sir Bastion slowly turned to the wagon. His eyes fixated on Izzy. “IZZY!” Sunny screamed and broke into a trot. She rushed down the stairs, ignoring the heat. Sir Bastion ignored Sunny and narrowed his eyes at Izzy. In a single second he rushed at the wagon and tackled the Unicorn mare through the wood, sending her flying into the Barge’s wall. Both Rylar and Sunny shouted her name again. A white sunhat flew up and then gently hovered down onto the main deck of the Barge. Sir Bastion stared at Izzy’s revealed horn. His neck stood up with veins, and his smile strained to grow larger. “Hornhead! Right under my snout! A Hornhead!” Rylar roared. A fireball of purple and red flame shot from his maw, as well as a sustained pulse of flames from his strange horn, all towards Sir Bastion on the remains of the wagon. The prisoners jumped out of the way, but Sir Bastion half-turned toward the incoming flames and took them head on. Sunny ran as fast as she could to Izzy’s side. The Unicorn’s eyes were closed, and her body limp, but she was still breathing. Sunny scooped Izzy onto her back and hobbled back to the stairs of the bow’s upper deck. Hitch waited at the top. “Are you crazy?! Sunny, she’s a Hornhead, and Rylar wants her!” As if on cue Rylar leapt at Sunny with a demonic shout. Hitch’s face became pure fear. “SUNNY!” Sunny turned just in time to see Sir Bastion jump in front of her and take the full brunt of Rylar’s attack. But though the Drake could have crashed right through the Barge as if it were paper, he did not make Sir Bastion move an inch. Rylar grunted and collected himself. “I remember her horn now! And your horn, too, Drake! It was a few months ago… I should have pursued you then!” The two stared each other down. “This time, you will both be dragged off to the castle and I will personally ensure your interrogation and punishment!” Sunny couldn’t move. Despite the heat, her body felt cold. The heat and flames from Rylar grew, and so too did his anger, if the grumbling and growling within his throat was any indication. His draconic face changed form and shape – instead of green, it became dark blue, and its mane glowed and pulsed as if on fire, purple and blue. “I’LL BURN YOU TO CINDERS IF YOU HURT HER! THIS IS GOING TO BE WAR, TITAN!” Sunny scurried up the stairs and collapsed at the top, Izzy falling from her back onto Hitch. “Bah – g-get off!” Rylar’s roars were truly monstrous, and Sunny felt at that time more afraid of him than Sir Bastion. She could scarcely look down at the two figures, as Rylar’s flames were just that bright. But Sir Bastion stood tall and unwavering at the base of the stairs. He laughed his usual mocking laughter, as if he were facing an ant and not the terrifying beast that Sunny saw. “If I am not mistaken, that Hornhead wench must be Isabella Moonbow – and that would make her the Warlock King’s sister!” Sunny turned to Izzy. The small, sleeping face of her new friend looked suddenly regal and majestic. Or maybe it always had, and only then did Sunny understand why. Sir Bastion shouted again. “This is perfect! Just perfect! I have been looking for something to really give my muscles a workout! But let us not destroy the Barge.” Sir Bastion cracked his neck as Rylar glared at him, waiting for the right moment to strike. “Will you come fight me on the river bank willingly, or shall I force you there?”