//------------------------------// // Dark Tides (Part Four) // Story: A New Era // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// Skystar was rooted to the sandy beach with fear, as she looked upon the family member she didn't even know she had until moments ago, grinning at her wickedly. "You... you're Typhoon, aren't you?" She asked nervously. "That I am, dear niece." Typhoon smirked. "And look at you. Last time I saw you, you were just this tiny little foal. And now, here you are, all grown up, and looking just as lovely as your mother." Skystar glanced at the water, angling to jump back in and thus evade her evil uncle. But before she could make a move, Typhoon grabbed her wrist, twisting it back. "Ahhh!" Skystar yelped. "Don't go getting any ideas, kiddo." Typhoon hissed. "Just play along like a good little heir to the throne, and this'll all be over before you know it." "What are you going to do?" Skystar growled, struggling in vain to free herself. "To me? To my mom?" "If your mom's smart, absolutely nothing." Typhoon declared. "But if she's not, well... that would make me very upset. And nocreature wants to see me upset." He started dragging her away from the beach. "Now, let's get things all set up for my little meeting with Novo..." Back at the palace, Novo was frantic with worry. She and Twilight were in Skystar's room. Twilight was levitating an old plush toy of Skystar's in her magic (as the tracking spell worked best when a long-held and dearly loved possession was involved). As Twilight focused her magic, Novo paced around the room nervously. "How much longer?" Novo suddenly asked, fear pushing her voice up a few octaves. Twilight flinched, her concentration shaken by the sudden interruption. "I know you're worried about Skystar, your highness." She acknowledged sympathetically. "I am, too. But I can't cast the tracking spell if I'm not allowed to concentrate." "...Sorry." Novo shook her head, trying vainly to clear her mind. "Please, proceed." Twilight closed her eyes, and once again focused her magic upon the toy, tapping into the connection it had to Skystar. Suddenly, her eyes opened, and glowed a bright white. "Contact." She said quietly. "I'm starting to get a trace on Skystar." Her brow furrowed as she concentrated more. "She's not in the village, or the surrounding waters... But I'm getting a sign of her on the mountain, beyond Harmonizing Heights..." "What could Skystar be doing there?" Novo asked, dreading the possible answer. "I've almost locked onto her position..." Twilight assured Novo, her horn glowing brighter than ever. "Just a little more..." Suddenly, Stratus barged into the room. "Your highness!" He called out. The shock of Stratus' sudden appearance broke Twilight's concentration; the plushie dropped to the floor as the spell dissipated. "No! I was so close!" Twilight groaned. Novo looked with dismay at the dropped toy, then turned to face Stratus. "This had better be extremely important, Skyranger." She snarled at the guard. "O-of course, your highness." Stratus quaked with fear at the Queen's anger. He held up a piece pf paper. "We just found this letter that I think you need to see." Novo took the letter and began to read. Hey, Novo, it's me again. There's been a change of plan. Instead of me coming for the Staff of Stratosphira, I want you to bring it to me. Why should you do this, you ask? Simple: I've got Skystar. Meet me at the cliffs, same time, same place as before. No guards, just the staff. And I mean the Staff in full working order. No tricks. You give me the staff, I give you Skystar. Do we have a deal? Novo lowered the letter, trembling with both fear and anger. "Where did you get this?" She asked Stratus. "It was attached to an arrow somecreature fired into the ground by the front gates." Stratus answered. "I see..." Novo said quietly. "What are your orders, your majesty?" Stratus asked. "I... I..." Novo stuttered. "Your highness, we need a decision." Stratus urged. "I know." Novo said nervously. "But this isn't a choice we can take lightly." "Take lightly?" Stratus repeated. "You're not seriously considering actually giving that maniac the Staff of Stratosphira, are you, your highness? Princess Twilight's protection spell must remain in place. The damage he could cause with the staff otherwise-” "I know!" Novo yelled. "But Skystar..." "With all due respect, your grace, we must focus on the big picture." Stratus urged. "Are you saying Skystar shouldn't be part of that big picture?" Twilight spoke up. "Because I strongly disagree on that!" "No offense, Princess, but this is Hippogriff business." Stratus said coldly. "It's none of your concern." "Skystar is my friend." Twilight retorted. "So I'd say this is absolutely my concern." "Well, I say-” Stratus began. "That is enough, Lieutenant Skyranger." Novo cut him off. "Twilight may not be a Hippogriff, but in my palace, her opinion matters as much as anycreature's." "But your majesty-!” Stratus spluttered. "Enough." Novo said firmly. "I already lost my husband. I will not lose my daughter too." She gritted her beak in determination. "If Typhoon wants the staff, we'll give him the staff." "For the record, I simply must register my disapproval." Stratus spoke up "Your disapproval is noted, Lieutenant Skyranger." Novo declared. "But I have made my decision, and am prepared to face the consequences. Now, we need to hurry. Midnight isn't too far from now..." Novo left the room, followed by Twilight, leaving an incredulous Stratus behind. As midnight neared, Novo flew up Mount Aeris, carrying the Staff of Stratosphira (with the protective ward removed) in her claw. While she complied with Typhoon's demand for no guards to join her, she was flanked by Twilight, who was all too willing to support her in her hour of need. As they landed at the familiar location, Novo couldn't help but feel a melancholy chill run down her spine. She hadn't even been near these cliffs since that awful night, and had hoped that she never would again. But that hope had been dashed, and she had no choice but to return to the place where she had irrevocably lost a piece of her heart. "Are you okay?" Twilight asked. "As okay as I can be, considering the current circumstances." Novo said flatly. "Are you sure you can handle this?" Twilight inquired, concern all over her face. "Honestly? No." Novo admitted. "But I have to do this. For Skystar's sake." "But you don't have to do it alone." Twilight assured her. "Not while I'm on Mount Aeris." Novo managed a smile, in spite of the graveness of the situation. "Thank you, Twilight." She said gratefully. "That means a lot to me." "How touching." A voice that was all too familiar to Novo rang out through the night. Novo and Twilight turned in the direction of the voice. Typhoon approached them, carrying a dagger in one claw and dragging along Skystar with the other. The Princess's claws and beak had been bound in rope, but she was otherwise unharmed (to Novo's relief). "Oh, Novo." Typhoon declared. "You've barely aged a day since we last saw each other. Let me guess, you've been getting some fancy royal beauty treatment, right?" "I'm not here to play games, Typhoon." Novo tried to keep her voice calm. "I'm here for my daughter." "I see you've brought a guest to our little family reunion." Typhoon glanced at Twilight. "Don't even think of using that pony magic of yours, missy. If I see that horn of yours so much as spark..." He tightened his grip on Skystar, simultaneously holding the dagger against her face as he leaned her near the edge of the cliff. "...She'll be sorry. Understand?" "I understand." Twilight glared coldly at Typhoon. "How are you still alive, Typhoon?" Novo demanded to know. "I saw you and Tropic go over the cliff. There was no sign of either of you." "I didn't expect there to be." Typhoon growled. "That idiot brother of mine sent us crashing into one of those crags below. Darn near broke every bone in my wing." He indicated his mangled appendage. "I passed out from the pain. Next thing I know, I'm waking up on some deserted island, coughing up what feels like half the ocean. Figured the currents must've carried me out there." "The currents... of course..." Novo said to herself. "And since deserted islands aren't exactly big on medical supplies, I had no way to fix my wing." Typhoon said bitterly. "So I couldn't fly my way out of there. I had to wait for a ship to pass by, which took years. After I got back to dry land, I bided my time, planning my revenge." He chuckled slightly. "But wouldn't you know it, when I finally decided to return, I found Mt. Aeris under siege from the Storm King's forces." Novo narrowed her eyes, still remembering that terrible day all too well. "What rotten luck, huh?" Typhoon smirked. "I bailed on that scene all too quick, and waited once more. When I finally came back, I found the Storm Guard gone, and Mount Aeris empty. As you can imagine, I assumed the worst had happened; that all my patience had ended up being for nothing, just because some whackjob despot had gotten there before me." "Is that all that mattered to you?" Novo growled, outrage overriding her curiosity. "You thought our entire race was gone, and you only cared about losing the chance to enact your petty revenge?" "Pretty much." Typhoon shrugged. "I was about to give up right then and there. That is, until I saw a Seapony popping out of the waters near Basalt Beach." Skystar's eyes widened, the young princess rightfully guessing that it was she Typhoon had spotted, during one of her secret trips to the surface. "It was easy for me to piece together what happened after that." Typhoon declared. "I'd heard stories of the Pearl of Transformation, so I figured you'd used it to escape. I also figured you wouldn't stay under forever, so once again, I waited. And one day, my patience was rewarded; I saw Seaponies heading to the beach and changing back into Hippogriffs. Once you all got settled back into things, that's when I decided it was time to make my move." He sneered triumphantly. "And that's what's led us to this very moment. At long last, all that waiting, all that patience, is about to pay off big time." "Is it?" Novo snarled. "Is possessing the Staff of Stratosphira really going to make all this suffering worth it?" "Oh, I think it will." Typhoon grinned. "Once I have that staff, I'm going to use it to sweep this entire mountain clean. Then do the same to the ones still living underwater." "You can't!" Novo growled. "I can, and I will." Typhoon spat. "I'm going to erase every reminder of my suffering. Every reminder of being rejected by you, betrayed by Tropic, and remembered by every Hippogriff as a monster. I'll destroy it all. After that, I think I'll find a new home, and the staff will allow me to make myself king of wherever I end up. At long last, I'll have the throne I always deserved." "You really are a self-centred, powerhungry monster, aren't you?" Novo growled, utter disgust in her voice. "I can't believe I ever had feelings for you, you vile, rotten-” "Ah-ah-ah." Typhoon held the dagger closer to Skystar. "Throwing insults at me isn't going to do Skystar any favours. I've much rather you throw me the staff. Speaking of which... it's time for our little trade." "Yes." Novo nodded. "Release Skystar, and the staff is yours." "No, no, no." Typhoon shook his head. "That's not how this is gonna work. You give me the staff, and after I give it a little test drive to make sure it still works, I'll release my darling niece." "And how do we know you'll keep your word?" Twilight demanded. "You're just gonna have to trust me." Typhoon jeered. "Who knows? Maybe I'll spare the three of you from the destruction that'll follow... If you stop stalling and give me the Staff NOW." "Okay..." Novo reluctantly stepped forward, holding out the staff. Typhoon's eyes sparkled with wicked glee. He moved the dagger to the opposite claw, then reached out with his now empty primary appendage. Despite the cold dagger against her neck, Skystar knew that she couldn't allow Typhoon to get the staff. She didn't have the strength to break the brute's grip, but what she did have was her shard of the Pearl of Transformation (Typhoon clearly having believed that her Seapony form would have little chance of escaping him on land). She touched the shard, and transformed. ”Huh?" Typhoon was surprised by the sudden change, but maintained his grip. "Nice try." He sneered. "But this is already over." Skystar smiled, then whipped her piscine tail upwards, striking her uncle's mangled wing. "ARRRGH!!" Typhoon screamed, in utter agony from the strike to his shattered wing bones. The pain caused him to not only drop the dagger, but release Skystar. "Skystar!" Novo gasped, moving the staff out of Typhoon's reach and reaching for her daughter at the same time. All of a sudden, the world seemed to go into slow motion; Skystar spread her wings, ready to fly away from her wicked uncle. But before she could take off, Typhoon grabbed her wing with one claw and her neck with the other. "You little..." He growled, cold fury in his voice. Skystar tried desperately to shake free of Typhoon's grip. But in doing so, she lost her balance. Tripping over a nearby rock, both she and Typhoon tumbled over the edge of the cliff. At that moment, the world seemed to return to normal speed. "NOOOO!!" Novo cried. It was as if history were repeating itself; Skystar and Typhoon were tumbling toward the sharp, unforgiving crags. But just before they hit, they froze in midair, surrounded in a magenta-colored field of magic. Novo, looking over the edge of the cliff, let out a heavy sigh of relief as Twilight lifted her passengers out of danger. Once they were above solid land, Twilight moved Skystar away from Typhoon and set her down. Novo rushed over, tearing away her daughter's bond and hugging her tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe." Novo wept shamelessly. "I'm so sorry for what I said to you. I should have never..." She dissolved into distraught sobs. "It's okay, mom." Skystar also wept as she comforted her mother. "It's okay..." Meanwhile, Typhoon was still being held above the ground, and he was not happy. "No, no, no, NO!!" He screamed, limbs flailing in every direction as he struggled in vain to escape. "I was so close! And I distinctly said no magic! No magic! Put me down!" "Just a moment..." Twilight eyed a tree in the distance, and willed the creepers hanging from it to snake over and entwine themselves around Typhoon's body. Once that task was done, she lowered her captive to the ground. "There. All done." "You think this is over?" Typhoon snarled. "Not even close! I'll have my revenge if it takes me the rest of my life, you hear me?!" "You're going to be spending the rest of your life behind bars, Typhoon." Novo said coldly as she and Skystar joined Twilight. "You will never hurt our family ever again." "Wanna bet?" Typhoon spat. "Just you wait. You're all gonna pay, just wait and-mph!" His tirade was cut off by Twilight directing the creepers to entwine around his beak. "I think we've heard enough from you tonight." Twilight glared. "I couldn't have put it better myself." Novo smiled. In due time, the three royals returned to the palace (handing Typhoon over to the guards and returning the Staff of Stratosphira to the vault enroute), and were standing together in the throne room. "Thank you for everything Twilight." Novo smiled gratefully. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for saving Skystar." "You don't need to repay me for anything." Twilight smiled back. "It's just what friends do." "And Skystar." Novo turned her daughter, regret on her face. "I am so sorry I never told you what happened to your father. It was such a painful experience for me, one that has haunted me ever since. I didn't want to burden you with such awful knowledge." "I understand, mom." Skystar sighed. "I can't say I agree with your decision, but I understand why you made it." "I almost lost you." Novo suppressed a sob. "I already lost your father. If anything ever happened to you, I, I don't know what I'd do." "Oh, mom." Skystar hugged her mother. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. Just... no more secrets, 'kay?" "That's fair." Novo smiled, wiping a tear from her eye. "No more secrets. From now on, we will be completely open with each other." "Well, in that case, you should know that I snuck out of the palace to talk with auntie Ocean Flow about what was going on with you." Skystar admitted sheepishly. "I see." Novo raised an eyebrow, partially amused by Skystar's newfound truthfulness. "You do realise we're going to have a long talk about that later, don't you?" "I figured." Skystar smiled. "But honestly, I don't mind the idea of being grounded again, just as long as I know why it's happening." "Oh, believe me, you'll know exactly why in future." Novo chuckled. The two hugged each other tightly, still so happy to be together again. Twilight couldn't help but smile at the display of mother/daughter happiness. "This calls for a celebration." Novo declared, as she and Skystar finally parted. "I'll have the royal chefs prepare all your favorites for breakfast." "Oh, boy!" Skystar beamed. "Smoked kippers and kelp pancakes!" "And you're more than welcome to join us, Twilight." Novo smiled. "The chefs will prepare anything you wish." "Well, after the night we've been through, I could use a good meal." Twilight nodded. "Something to tide me over on the trip back to Equestria. Okay, I'll have some pancakes with maple syrup, and a side of grapefruit." "Consider it done." Novo declared. "For a friend like you, I can do less." She turned to Skystar. "Skystar, would you like to hear a little about your father?" "Of course I do." Skystar smiled. "What was he like?" "He was a kind, gentle, and caring Hippogriff." Novo smiled nostalgically. "And so shy, too..." Twilight joined Novo and Skystar as they made their way to the dining room, Novo continuing to reminisce about her late husband, and how much he meant to her. As harrowing as the last few days had been, it was clear to Twilight that the experience had strengthened the bond between mother and daughter, forging new trust and command. And Twilight couldn't be happier for them.