//------------------------------//
// Chapter 40: Drizzle 
// Story: Caverns & Cutie Marks: Our House Now 
// by TheColtTrio 
//------------------------------//

    Purple Heart was sat upon the throne in Canterlot Castle, gazing at nothing. But for his breathing, the chamber was quiet. Far too quiet. Diegetic sound from outside was muffled. All Purple Heart could hear without straining his ears was his own breathing and heartbeat. Without blinking, a thread stretched from his shoulder to flick open a window, letting a gentle breeze and sounds of the outdoors in. Bird song echoed through the chamber and the tension in Purple Heart’s body left.
    “Ye carpin’ heck,” he groaned, sagging back on the throne. “I’m starting to remember why I don’t play Paradox games. All this waiting around. Nothing ever happens unless there’s a notification to worry about.” Once his words stopped echoing around the chamber, Purple Heart went back to staring at nothing, letting the wind and bird song lull him into a near comatose state of peace and quiet.
    Time passed and Purple Heart continued to stare blankly at nothing, mind devoid of all thought. Occasionally, a rogue or random thought would float through his head. Every single one refilled his body with tension and added to a mounting pile of stress that demanded release or attention at the very least.
The perturbed regent exhaled violently and stood, walked a few paces from the throne and lay down, tucking his forelegs under his chest. He remained seated in such a fashion for several seconds, only to grunt in annoyance and slump onto his side, his back presented to the entrance of the chamber. Time elapsed for a briefer period than before and he rolled onto his back, legs resting on his chest and flank as he let gravity take over. Barely a second passed when he stood, rolling sideways onto his hooves. His eyes raked over his body and a sneer curled his lips.
“Nothing’s comfortable,” he groused, sitting petulantly on his haunches. “I don’t get how ponies deal with it.”
“Your majesty! A word, if I may!”
Purple Heart looked up, brow furrowed at the owner of the shrill declaration. A spindly female unicorn walked hurriedly towards him, trailed by a pair of earth ponies carrying sheaves of papers who in turn were pursued by a trio of royal guards; presumably the ones the intruders had slipped past.
“Your majesty! It is urgent that I speak with you!” the female unicorn cried as she skidded to a halt before the dais, dipping her head in a hasty bow to the monarch.
“Clearly,” Purple Heart drawled as he stood tall before his ‘subjects’, “as it somehow lent you credence to barge directly into the throne room without even a ‘by your leave’.” He arched his brow at the unicorn and then looked pointedly at the royal guards behind her. The unicorn didn’t follow his gaze, but did gulp, loudly enough that the sound echoed around the throne room.
“M-my apologies, y-your majesty!” the unicorn stammered, trembling where she stood. The mare was vibrating so much that her hooves lifted from the floor and returned to meet it, generating a noise not unlike a sudden bout of rainfall. “I-I-I was hoping to have an audience with you regarding a construction project in the city!”
“Well, since you’re already here, I suppose such a discussion can take place,” Purple Heart mused. The mare’s shaking ceased and a joyful smile stretched her face. “However-” the smile vanished. “-please ask for entry instead of barging in when you have urgent tidings in the future? I may not be so accommodating.” With a short dismissive gesture to the guards, the purple earth pony sat on his haunches at the edge of the dais, peering down at the silent trio of ponies.
The unicorn swallowed loudly again and closed her eyes, bringing a glow of pale white magic to her horn. Purple Heart reflexively flinched and was just barely able to prevent his strings from lashing out at the spindly pony. Several papers floated forward, carried by the mare’s magic, for him to read. A quick glance at the sheets gave Purple Heart next to no context on the situation. He nudged one of the papers to the side and peered past them to look at the mare. Her gaze met his and the two stared at each other for an awkward moment.
“Excuse me, Miss...” he trailed off, his blinking a silent prompt for the unicorn.
“Oh! Sign! Miss Terri de Sign, general contractor and building planner,” de Sign introduced.
Purple Heart nodded slowly, internally slack-jawed at the name of this spindly unicorn.
“Miss de Sign,” he said. “Would you care to provide context to all this?” He waved a hand at the floating papers. “I’m sure I would eventually be able to parse through what you’ve presented, but for the sake of expediency, perhaps you could simply tell me what the problem is?”
De Sign nodded hurriedly. “Ah, yes I could,” she said, taking a deep breath. “The root of the matter is that these are requisition orders for materials to construct a new apartment complex in the Southern Quarter of Canterlot.” The sheets moved in a flurry and paused before Purple Heart, allowing him to make out quantities and pricing for various building materials and the requisite ponypower needed to commence construction.
“And this concerns you for some reason?” he asked lightly.
“Exactly!” cried the unicorn. “I myself have plans set aside for developing this particular plot into a school for the Southern Quarter! Plans, I might add, that have been in the Canterlot Library’s Archive for the past six months! My plans were approved first by Princess Celestia and I am quite interested in finding out why my project has been sidelined and replaced!”
Purple Heart blinked once, dredging up past conversations with aides, advisors, and other ponies of note he’d had the [dis]pleasure of interacting with for the past few weeks.
“Unfortunately,” he replied, “I cannot recall anypony putting forth a request for developing the land you speak of. Nor,” his eyes flashed and the outrage on the mare’s face vanished, “do I think I ever would have as I am certain there are particular officials that are suitably trained for such an occurrence. Therefore, I suggest you take it up with them, the ponies financing this-” he waved at the papers arrayed before him, “-and whatever guild or department oversees projects of this nature. Good da-”
“YOUR MAJESTY!”
Purple Heart’s eyes flashed again and he glared over the heads of the first group of ponies that turned in surprise to see a pair of colts, one blue and one green, storming into the throne room. Again, the trio of royal guards were in pursuit, looking harried and panicked as they followed the new pair of intruders.
“YOUR MAJESTY!” the two colts roared as they brushed past de Sign and her assistants. “We demand an audience!”
Purple Heart rolled his eyes skyward and groaned. “I doubt Celestia had to deal with this bee-ess,” he muttered.
“YOUR! MAJESTY!”
Purple Heart lowered his gaze from the ceiling and eyed the two newcomers with obvious distaste. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed de Sign, her assistants, and the guard ponies flinch at the look in his eyes.
“Yes?” he replied frostily.
“WE-”
“Shout once more in this room and I will personally see you flung from my balcony,” the Regent interrupted. The two colts, both pegasi he noted, balked and blinked at each other in confusion and no small amount of arrogance.
“But,” one said, quietly to Purple Heart’s  “we’re both pegasus.”
A score of strings burst forth and Purple Heart barely managed to cease their assault before they bound the two idiots. He did let a grin flash across his face and relished the fear in the colts’ eyes.
“I’m sure my guards could acquire some bindings to make your descent less safe,” Purple Heart assured. “Or, you can quiet down and wait your turn. It's entirely your choice.” The two colts gulped loudly and bowed their heads bashfully.
Purple Heart grinned again. “Excellent,” he chirped, turning back to de Sign. “As I was saying-”
“Hey,” de Sign interrupted, glaring at the two colts. “I recognize you...” The colts shared a confused look again and looked at the spindly unicorn.
“Me or him?” they chorused.
“Yes.”
“...Okay...”
“You’re the Bray Brothers, aren’t you? Mike and Hale Bray?”
The two colts frowned. “...Yes?”
Several papers floated over to the pair. “The ponies that put in material orders for a construction project in the South Quarter?” continued de Sign.
“Yes?”
“Is there a point to all this?”
De Sign didn’t answer. Instead, she shrieked furiously and dove at the two pegasi, her magic trapping them in place so she could more easily harm the stunned colts.
Purple Heart exhaled a heavy sigh and glared at the melee rapidly grow to include the guard ponies and de Sign’s attendants. The scuffle continued for about a minute when Purple Heart decided enough was enough. An invisible string flicked out behind him and darted through the door behind the throne. Blank faced, he stood and strode down the steps of the dais towards the combating ponies. A hoof lashed out at him blindly and he grabbed it with his own, yanking the pony out of the growing dust cloud and binding them with strings.
The scuffling ponies, not actually seeing their new adversary, instinctually tried to assault Purple Heart when they noticed the disappearance of Mike Bray. Within short order, the remaining brawlers were bound and subdued, save for the frazzled guard ponies who nodded thankfully to Purple Heart as they hurriedly straightened their armour. Eyeing those held captive by his threads, Purple Heart scowled deeply as he met the eyes of each one in turn. He grinned internally at the fearful eyes looking up at him.
“I know I am not the best monarch you have had,” he said softly. “However, current events-”
“A word, your majesty, if I may?” asked Top Class as she strode into the throne room, followed by most of the senate. Purple Heart’s jaw clenched, his strings involuntarily squeezing his captives while he looked up to meet Top Class’ gaze.
“You ponies have the worst timing,” he hissed quietly. Aloud, he addressed the Madame Speaker. “What can I do for you, Madame Speaker?”
Top Class pulled forth a scroll from her coat and unrolled it with magic, holding it before her. “Senators, let me leave no doubt regarding my feelings about Beekler Alfreeves’ future as Regent of Equestria,” she stated. “Owing to his short tenure and incompetence, I find him personally responsible for leaving our nation ruinously unprepared to face the present False Alicorn peril.” She stared directly at Purple Heart, ignoring the mutters of agreement from the cohort of senators behind her.
“We are at war, Regent Alfreeves. At war. And leaving aside whether you are fit to be a leader in peacetime, you have proven yourself incapable of leading us in wartime!” The senators all voiced their agreement, loudly this time.
“Therefore, in the country’s interest your majesty, abdicate! Step down and let us find a new leader!”
The senators let loose a roar of agreement that filled the throne room. Purple Heart let a small trickle of surprise and fear cross his face and noted the smug look of triumph on Top Class’ face. Internally, he was jumping with glee and relief. This would suit his desires nicely.
He released the two colts, de Sign, and her attendants. Then he turned, looking dramatically at the throne. Then he began to speak.
“Madame Speaker, senators,” he rumbled. “I understand you do not want another Prince. But it seems you’ve been given one. I sympathize with you. I did not want to be a Prince or Regent, but I had been chosen to be one. Perhaps you would take a little moment to sympathize with me. It's true, I have little experience in government. But then have you more? I, at least, have served with the royal family who have ruled this country before the senate was even a thought in their heads! I've observed it working more closely than any of you. Is your experience better than that?”
He turned, eyes hard as he looked at the assembly of ponies before him. “Senators, I shall do nothing unconstitutional. I shall not appear at the next session of the Senate where you may confirm me in my position or not, as you wish. So, if it pleases you, explain your reasons to him, not to me!”
    With that, he strode forward, parting the dumbstruck sea of senators with his passing as all of them gawked at the pony stepping onto the dais. As he passed Top Class, he gently shut her gaping jaw and whispered, “thank you.” Then he left, leaving the throne room staring at a healthy, hale, and whole Blueblood.


* * *


    “Agaerh guide me,” Solosun, the griffon leader, muttered, his head laying on the improvised desk. He let his mind drift as a claw idly traced cracks in one of the planks making up the writing surface. “This is a lot like my plan right now, isn’t it?”
    “Pardon?” the other griffon in the room asked, having fallen into their own thoughts a while ago.
    “My generously titled desk,” Solosun said, thumping the planks and causing them to shift on the crates they rested on. “Like my plans. It’s ramshackle and slapped together out of broken pieces.”
    “At least it’s functional,” Solosun’s second-in-command groused.
    “The desk or my plans?” The griffon leader bit back sullenly. “I suppose it doesn’t really matter, the reply would be the same. Barely and only because of constant attention.”
    “Like the River Clans say, we’ll find our new level.”
    “In time for the next disruption.”
    “Well, how do we calm the waters?”
    The griffon leader looked at his subordinate before sighing. “That I don’t know. Probably carefully?”
    “Sounds more like we’re in a boat that has to navigate a tumultuous river.”
    “Congratulations, we now know what metaphor to use in describing our situation.”
    “At least I did something!” the officer in the room snapped back before trying to hurriedly backpedal. “Ah, that came out wrong. What I meant was- what I should have said- I’m-”
    “Frustrated by the lack of action and leadership? I’ve heard the same grumbling around the camp. I’m old but my ears still work well enough. Let me use your metaphor to frame the big picture and maybe it’ll help you see why we’re stuck.” Solosun sat up in his chair and took a moment to think. “We’re in a rowboat going down a stretch of rapids. One side of the river is the Equestrian Royal Guard and the other is the Bowgunners. We’re trying to stay in the middle, but the rapids keep throwing us towards one side or the other, putting us in danger of crashing into them.”
    “I guess that kind of makes sense, but why is the Royal Guard one of the banks?”
    “Because our end goal is to become legitimate mercenaries. We can’t do that if they won’t work with us. We have only half the leverage we were hoping to have and they want us to give the half of the artifact we have now, not later when we have both halves.”
    “And the Bowgunners because they want our half of the artifact and to probably just wipe us out.”
    “Correct. During all this, both sides of the bank are waiting eagerly for us to smash against the far side. So now I’m trying to figure out how to navigate our boat to safety while letting banks throw the water at each other,” Solosun finished, laying his head back on the generously titled desk.
    “So... how do we make the Guard think we’re fully on their side?”
    “We help them fight the Bowgunners and we keep our half of the artifact by saying that we need it to keep the Bowgunners from trying to use theirs against us.” The second-in-command thought for a few moments.
    “And how do we get the other half of the artifact from the Bowgunners?”
    “We take easy shots at them and use chances to weaken them while trying to let the Guard soften them up. However, weaken them too much and the Guard gets the other half instead of us.”
    “It sounds like we have a plan now, sir,” the second-in-command said, prompting a laugh from Solosun.
    “We’ve had a plan for a while. What we lack is the strategy or minutiae. Now go get the other unit leaders; it’s time to start finding what we lack,” he ordered. Watching the griffon leave, Solosun leaned back, his mind already spinning several more ideas around.




* * *

    
    Trixie Lulamoon had done a lot of things during her career. A lot of very exciting things and a lot of unsavory things. Even some questionably legal things. Actually, a lot of questionably legal things, now that she thought about it.
    This was the first time she was trying to get caught doing them, though.
    The blue-furred mare stood outside of Twilight’s Castle, staring up at the structure with a sceptical expression. Sure, she had agreed to help Wits make amends with the Princess of Friendship, but she had expected something along the lines of ‘deliver this heartfelt letter asking her to meet me in a neutral location’. Not…
    She sighed. Wits had a point. After letting him into Twilight’s castle before, the alicorn would be suspicious if Trixie just showed up on her doorstep. It was better to let Twilight set the tone and the stakes of this.
    “Still,” she muttered. “Breaking and entering? Not exactly a great and powerful sort of plan…”
    Trixie reached out with her magic, wrapping her magenta aura around a nearby bench. With a sharp tug, the bench came loose from its holdings and floated through the air towards her. With a muttered apology, Trixie sent the seat flying through a window. She winced at the loud crash it made, even as she began casting her next spell.
    Teleportation into Twilight’s castle was nearly impossible after Trixie brought Wits in with her last time. A direct physical projection resulting in inverse defenestration, on the other hoof, was something no-pony expected. One quick teleport 500 yards above Twilight’s castle, followed by a moment-maintaining portal, resulted in her sailing horizontally through the newly formed hole in the castle wall. The showpony tucked and rolled, landing in a perfect 3-point pose without so much as a scratch. “And they said those hours of practicing dramatic entrances would never pay off,” she thought, brushing off her cape.
    Trixie paused. “Huh,” she muttered. “I should’ve been captured 10 seconds ago.” She looked around. Her entrance had landed her right in Twilight’s bedroom, but the alicorn princess was nowhere to be seen. The bed was still perfectly made, aside from some stained glass that was now scattered around the room. “Well, let’s make this look good.” Trixie hefted the bench again with her magic, propping it against the door. “Oh no, Trixie’s barricaded herself in Princess Twilight’s room. Whatever will we do.” She considered her handiwork.
    “...I’ve spent too much time around Wits End,” Trixie sighed. “Well, Twilight’s gotta have an alarm on her castle at this point. All I have to do is wait until she gets here, and then I can explain everything.” She tapped her hoof on the padded carpet. “Yep, just wait and don’t touch anything. Wouldn’t want the Princess to get too suspicious…”
    To her credit, it took Trixie a full five minutes before she started snooping about the room. “Did she really have to get another of these?” she whined, holding a green amulet in front of her face. “I thought this was supposed to be one of Zecora’s doorstops…” The showpony tossed the stone back into the drawer she’d found it in, and moved to a desk. “Ooh, now here’s something.” She picked up a hardcover journal acorned by a red and orange sun; one that she could sense was practically overflowing with enchantments as she flipped it open. “What is this? Some sort of auto-scribe spell linked with a long distance sending spell and… directed through a magic portal? Did Twilight come up with this herself?”
    “I would’ve preferred a smartphone, to be honest.”
    Trixie whirled around to find a red and orange unicorn seated on the upturned bench behind her. “How did you-”
    “Teleportation spell. I got a hall pass.”
Trixie narrowed her eyebrows. “I saw you around when I was visiting Starlight. You’re… Noonday Light?”
    “Sunset Shimmer,” the mare corrected. “But that does remind me that I wanted to check the census records to see how many ponies have that naming theme.” Sunset paused for a moment, making a mental note before she continued. “You know, if you were trying to sneak in without anyone noticing, you really oughta work on your secret plans more.”
    “Trixie was trying to make a bunch of noise so Twilight Sparkle would come find me,” Trixie deadpanned.
    “Oh.” The two mares stared at each other for a beat. “Good job, then.” Another beat. “Twilight ain’t here, though.”
    “So I’m beginning to notice. Are you going to try and beat me up in the name of friendship? Or maybe banish me to the moon?”
Sunset thought for a moment. “Depends. Why are you breaking into Twilight’s bedroom in the most obvious way possible?”
“...You’re never going to believe it.”
“Does it have to do with Wits End?”
“...Yes.”
“Then I’ll keep an open mind. Try me.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt…” The showmare took a seat on the edge of the desk. “Wits End wants Twilight’s help in getting the alicorns to stop fighting.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“...Trixie expected you to make disbelieving sounds of denial.”
“I got stuck in an adventure with those three boys before. They saved my world—well, the world I call home—and my friends. Heck, Wits saved me from getting trapped in the same limbo the rest of them got stuck in.”
“So you believe that he doesn’t mean any harm?”
“I believe that he got in way over his head and needs someone to bail him out,” Sunset said bluntly.
“He seems to get that reaction from everypony he associates with,” Trixie mused. 
Sunset raised a forehoof. “But isn’t Wits in control of the alicorn forces?”
“Only by the slimmest of margins. It’s threatening to fall apart any day now, and if that happens…” Trixie hesitated.
Something seemed to click inside Sunset’s head. “He’s been holding back. That’s why he said he was putting his effort into falling so he could get back up back then.” She looked at Trixie with new understanding. “That’s why he’s been making those strange decisions lately. He’s trying to lose.”
“He’s been trying to lose from the very beginning. That showdown he had with Twilight before the alicorn invasion? That was supposed to be the end of it, before P.I.S.S. stepped in and handicapped the Elements of- Are you alright?”
Sunset had been taken by a fit of giggles. “Sorry, sorry,” she managed. “It’s just- Is that really what the panel is called? I thought Spike was joking when he filled me in.” She cleared her throat, trying her best to look somber again. “Continue.”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. “In any case, the plan is for Trixie to get captured by Twilight Sparkle so that she can feel like she’s in control while Trixie convinces her that Wits needs her help.”
“Seems a little over-complicated to me.” Sunset paused. “I’m in.”
“....What.”
“Your secret plot to make Wits and Twi kiss and make up. I’m in.”
“...Why?”
“Why?” Sunset sighed as she stood. “Well, for one thing it just makes sense to get the alicorn invasion out of the way. Equestria’s going to Tartarus in a tack-harness, and removing the threat of alicorn stormtroopers making their way through Canterlot will help to alleviate that.” She trailed off for a moment before her horn began to glow, and Trixie recognized the magical signature of a cone of silence draping over them. “And for another, maybe this will help with whatever’s been eating Twilight.”
“Eating Twilight? What do you mean?”
Sunset seemed worried for a moment, double-checking her spell before she continued. “Ever since we cast that spell to bring those boys back from Limbo, Twilight’s been acting more and more… out of character, I guess. Her messages to me have gotten more and more erratic. Broken grammar, strange usage of certain words, references to things that don’t make any sense on Equestria; those sorts of things.”
Trixie frowned. “That… doesn’t sound like Princess Twilight.”
“Exactly. I had to go to Spike for the full story, but apparently this has been getting worse and worse as this whole fiasco’s been going on. Maybe with Wits off her mind, she’ll go back to normal.” Sunset paused. “Or, maybe Wits will have some idea on how to help her. I don’t know. But I do know that two of my friends need help, and this is a way to help both of them at once.”
“What if I’m lying?” Trixie asked.
“Then I’ll banish you to the moon with the power of friendship,” Sunset said plainly.
“And if this is all part of Wits’ plan to conquer Equestria?”
“Then you’ll have someone to talk to on the moon. Are we doing this or what?” The fiery mare held out a forehoof.
    Trixie hesitated. After a moment of thought, she shook the offered hoof. “Thanks.”
    “Awesome. Now, about your plan to be captured.” Sunset trotted over to the desk next to Trixie, opening up the journal. “I think it’s good, except it sucks. So, let me do the plan, and that way it might be really good.”
    Trixie blinked. “Wow.”
    “Instead of trying to get captured, you need to earn her trust. You’re a reformed minor villain, so everypony is rooting for you to do a hoof-face-turn.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Because I’m a reformed major villain, and my life is an endless after-school special.” Sunset stopped on one of the most recent pages. “Here. Twilight’s told me she’s trying to build a spell to remove any influence the villains from Discord’s game might be having on the boys. She needs a more recent magical signature from them to make it work, though. If you show up at her door with Wits’ signature and an apology, she’ll listen to you.”
Trixie read over the exchange Sunset was highlighting with her magic. “Huh… That is a better plan. I guess that’s why you’re the major villain.”
“Reformed major villain,” Sunset grumbled. “You get the signature, and I’ll make sure Twilight’s receptive to listening to you.”
“How will you do that?”
“I’ll have some help.” Sunset picked up the bench and opened the door, letting Spike fall through. “Hi, Spike.”
Spike picked himself up, trying to regain some dignity. “It’s not eavesdropping if somepony’s trying to break into the castle,” he said defensively. “What do you mean you’ll have help?”
Sunset shot Trixie a smirk, then turned back to the young dragon. “You like comic books, right?”
“That single fact has made me remarkably relevant recently, yeah.”
“Well,” Sunset continued, “the way I see it, this is kinda like a special operations thing. Operation Twilight Relief, or something like that.”
Spike raised an eyebrow. “I suppose so…”
“And if we’re running an op…” Sunset trailed off in a tension-building manner. “I’m gonna need someone to help run things. Like a... ‘guy in the chair’. What do you think, Spike?”
    A moment passed. Slowly, Spike’s face lit up, a wide smile spreading across his face. “Guy in the chair.”
    

* * *


    The minotaur leader grunted as his second-in-command tugged at the bandages to keep them tight. “Are we done yet?”
    “If you want to die of infection, I could stop now. Otherwise, stop bawling like a calf and let me finish. Sir,” O’Tor replied, yanking on his bandages again just to make him grunt in pain again.
    The room’s silence was only broken by grunts and the O’Tor’s use of medical supplies. “We’re gonna need more medical supplies. The casualties have been light, but we’re running out and the guard has kept us from prioritizing our pillaging. We might even have to buy some.”
    “Some bandits we are. We have half of a powerful artifact and we can barely even pillage the weeds from a town, let alone anything valuable,” Grood grunted.
    “We still have our strength.”
    “Not with those birds picking at us while the ponies try to stomp us into the mud.”
    “You forgot that we only have half of the artifact.”
    “Not for long. I’ve got a few plans to fix that. The first and most important thing is to not let those feather headed birds get too comfortable with the Guard. The more we can get them to pick at each other, the less they can pick at us.” Grood looked at his second-in-command when she gave a short laugh.
    “Sounds like you’ve pillaged your plans from our mysterious leader,” she snorted, a large smirk on her face.
    “He didn’t have time to do it properly the first time, but you have to admit he made it work fairly well the second time around,” Grood grunted.
    “You're sulking that he pulled the wool over your eyes, aren’t you?”
    “Minotaurs don’t sulk. I’m just acknowledging that he’s more dangerous than we thought he was. I’m not going to let him do it a second time.”
    “Rumor has it he was seen on a train headed south into the Heartlands,” O’Tor shared, getting a bark of laughter from her boss before he grunted in pain. She smirked as she fixed the bandages, his sudden movement having shifted.
    “Probably trying to regain control of his magic. I suspect he’ll be back to try and regain the Orb’s pieces and finish his plan. Whatever that was.” Grood resisted his urge to shrug. “At least we’ll have time to deal with our own problems before he adds himself back to that running total.”
    “If he’s smart, he’ll probably just go find a new artifact to use for whatever he was upto. If there is one thing this world is awash in, it’s old artifacts of notorious danger. Maybe we should do the same.”
    “You sound like you have a plan.” He grunted in pain as she tightened some bandages. “Just tell me the plan, Tor.”
    “We have half an artifact of power, but I have a thought of how we can turn it into a whole one. Sombra apparently had some old armouries. The pony guard Shining Armor has been trying to find and empty them. Rumor has it you need some serious magic to open them. I figure even half of the Orb still has to have some power, maybe it’s enough.” She finished packing the medical supplies away.
    “Even if we don’t find more artifacts, the gear should be more than enough to tip some scales. If nothing else, Sombra knew how to supply his troops,” Grood said, standing up. “Let's do a little pillaging.” He doubled over as O’Tor lightly jabbed him in his bandaged wound. “Fine, I can have the honor of leading the pillaging.”