Chapter 22
“This city is shaped like a royal crown?” Spark asked as the trio crested a hill, finally able to see the city before them.
“Ah, that’s Isse, the Capital of Hijern,” Mallogory said, frowning. “That means we are indeed very far from Frokinko. At least four days by train.”
Scamp looked the crown-shaped city over, shaking her head. The design was completely ridiculous, like they were trying to show off how powerful they thought they were.
“Anything we should know about this place?” Scamp asked as they continued forward.
“Yeah, don’t piss anyone off. They don’t mess around in the Capital City,” she warned, keeping her eye out for anything dangerous as they walked through the dark scenery.
“Feel like that’s directed at me,” Scamp said with a sly grin as her wife turned and gave her a wink.
“Just don’t be a hot head, love,” she chuckled as she reached over and gave her chin a little scratch.
Scamp side stepped over and bumped her flank against Mallogory’s leg. “Careful with those claws, sexy.”
“Guys, I’m still here,” Spark said from behind them, causing them both to laugh.
The two women just leaned into each other as Scamp stood up on her hindlegs, throwing a hoof around her wife’s lower back. They continued walking at a casual pace, speaking in low tones to one another.
Spark shook his head with a smile, letting them have their moment.
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“Back up,” the guard said, glaring at them as he stood in front of the gate, his fancy uniform making him look like a real piece of shit in Scamp’s opinion.
The trio stopped before him as he looked them over, then looked at Mallogory. “What are those things?”
“Those?” she asked with a smirk as she looked at Scamp and Spark. “They’re just my exotic pets. Bought them off of a government guy some time back.”
The guard nodded with a chuckle, “they sure are ugly looking. Especially the burned one.”
Scamp’s eyes narrowed, but Mallogory’s hand came down on her head, giving her a pat. “Watch your words, guard boy. Do you know who you’re speaking to?”
“No?” he began, now looking a tad bit unsure of himself.
“Yes, exactly. How about you watch your tone before you have to find out,” she said in a practiced ‘high and mighty’ tone.
“No, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am,” he said, standing up straight, deciding to play it safe.
“Now, point us towards the train station,” she said in an authoritative voice.
The guard turned to the right and pointed through the gate at a street beyond. “That street will take you to the train station. Should I call anyone for you?”
“No, we’ve got it from here,” she said, walking through the gate with the other two following close behind her.
“Strange creatures, those are,” the guard commented, but was ignored by all of them.
Scamp smirked as she quickly caught up to Mallogory and raised an eyebrow up at her. “Really? You used your dominant bedroom voice?”
“Worked, didn’t it?” she asked, sticking her tongue out at her.
The two began to get handsy again, rubbing against each other.
“Guys, please, wait till you’re out of sight,” Spark begged, but they ignored him. So he just averted his eyes, looking at the over the top buildings around them. Luckily no one else was out, so their trip to the train station was spent walking in silence, except for the two of them whispering to each other.
Upon arriving at the train station, the trio was pleased to see that a train was currently there.
“For once, some real luck,” Spark said, moving to catch up with them as they finally stopped leaning into each other.
“Alright, same game, different audience,” Mallogory said as she stepped ahead of them and pointed to a spot by some benches. “You two wait there and I’ll get the tickets.”
“Do we even have money?” Spark asked, but Mallogory just laughed as a few items appeared in her hands. “I still have some money I had from before I left here.”
“You kept all that?” Spark asked, getting a laugh out of Scamp.
“My beloved wife is a bit of a hoarder,” she said, followed by Mallogory flipping her off and walking to the building that housed the ticketbooth.
Spark smiled at the interaction, “you two are still just as fun as always.”
“Yeah,” Scamp chuckled, turning to him. “We just do whatever we want, and that somehow makes the other happy.”
“And you both still look like you’re in your thirties, so it just makes the interactions so much funnier to watch.”
She struck a pose with a wide smirk, “looking good for forty six, huh?”
“Looking VERY good for forty six,” Mallogory laughed as she returned to them.
“Thanks, babe,” Scamp laughed as she and Spark walked over to her. “Got them tickets?”
“I do indeed, got us a cabin, since we’re going to be on this stupid thing for four days,” she said, looking just as displeased as the other two at a four day train ride.
“Bleh,” Scamp muttered as she shook her head. “Guess it could be worse.”
“I mean, we could have been on the other side of the planet, so count yourself lucky,” Mallogory said, waving for them to follow.
“This is going to be the most boring four days of my life,” Scamp muttered as they neared the train.
“Don’t jinx us,” Spark said with a chuckle.
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Champion stared up at the night sky, eyes locked on the split moon. He had not moved in hours, as he was still on the mountain side, thinking.
He’d probably be there for a long time after as well, as he didn’t know what to do now. He just wanted to be alone to think, sort things out.
“This isn’t right,” he muttered to himself. “This isn’t how the story is supposed to go. I’m the protagonist after all…”
“So narcissistic, yet so true,” a voice said from behind him, causing him to grow as he stood up and turned to face the unwelcome intruder.
A beautiful female unicorn stood before him with a calm smile on her face. She looked unremarkable, with a simple spell book as a cutie mark and dark red fur. Her mane and tail were white.
“Leave,” he said, willing to give her a chance to walk away alive.
“Star Chaser,” she said calmly, a smile on her face. “Or do you actually prefer Champion?”
“It’s Champion,” he growled, eyes starting to glow purple. “My patience is running thin right now. Go.”
“I have a deal for you,” she said, ignoring his glowing eyes.
“I’m not interested in a deal with an old mare,” he said, no longer caring as his eyes flashed and a beam blew through the mare. Yet, she didn’t move or seem affected as the beams just phased right through her, leaving her unharmed.
“Are you done?” she asked in amusement, brushing off her chest as a show of disrespect.
“What do you want?” he growled, not pleased she was still alive.
“Like I said, a deal,” she said, walking over to him and stopping a few feet from him.
“And what kind of deal are we talking about?”
“The kind that benefits you more than it does me,” she said with a large grin.
“I’m listening,” he said as he waved for her to continue.
“Good boy,” she laughed, her horn flashing as a few statues appeared behind her.
He looked at them with a raised eyebrow, then to her. “What is this?”
“I will provide a way for you to get everything you want, and all I ask in return is all the Holy Energy in all the Bronies. Namely Lance’s.”
“And how do they factor into this?” he asked, pointing a hoof at the statues. “I don’t need help to achieve my dreams.”
“You do if you want to remain the good guy in the eyes of the people,” she countered, then her horn flashed again as an item appeared before him. “I also will give you this, it’ll help you with your little… love problem.”
He eyed the item, then her, “what is this exactly? Who are you?”
“A friend,” she replied evenly. “I’ve tried gaining what I want by helping others, giving them what they desire most in exchange for their Holy Energy. But only a few took this deal, like that dragon Brony. Now no one is taking my deals, so I’m changing my tactics.”
“Why are you after the Holy Energy? The last one to try that was Nightmare, and we all know how that went,” he said back, standing above her with narrowed eyes.
“I have my own reasons,” she said, smiling up at him. “I’m offering you the chance to take everything you want, and still be seen as the hero. How’s that sound?”
He huffed, but the thought did entice him as he looked out at the scenery before him, and the two cities. “What is this plan of yours?”
This caused her to smirk as she turned to face the statues. “Simple. I’ve already spoken with each of them, and they’re all in agreement with this plan, they just need someone from the Royal Family to break them out of their stone prisons, and we can begin.”
“Let’s say I agree with this plan of yours. How does this help me at all?” he asked, stepping around her to stare at the statues before him, knowing them well.
“They’ve all agreed to listen to you and only you, and once you gain control, all they ask is to be allowed to do what they desire most,” the mare said from behind him.
“I’m still not convinced.”
She sighed, sounding a bit annoyed. “If you must know, they will be attacking everyone down there, and then you will come in and save them. And if the Princesses somehow disappeared in that time, then no one would suspect you.”
“You’re telling me to kill my own mother and aunt?” he asked, glaring at her.
“The thought hasn’t crossed your mind?” she asked with a knowing smile.
“Of course it has,” he growled, eye twitching. “But to actually do it…”
“You can rule, with your Queen at your side,” she said, seeming to slither around to his left side. “It’s what you desire most. It’s what you deserve.”
“You are right about that at least,” he said, looking at each statue again. “So I accept this deal and all you want is to take everyone’s Holy Energy?”
“That’s all,” she confirmed with a wide smile.
“Can that one even be controlled?” He asked, pointing to one in particular.
“Him? No, of course not. But he has his own reasons for going along with this plan. He’s very respectful of you though, which I can confirm are his true feelings. All of them in fact respect you, and want to willingly help you.”
This caused him to smirk, “okay. Last thing. Are they willing to not play around this time? They each lost because they were not violent enough.”
“Trust me,” she said with an evil look on her face. “I’m personally going to grant each one of them a boon. They’ll be formidable foes indeed.”
“And who are you to be granting boons like that?” He asked, glancing at her.
“Me? I’m unimportant,” she said with a chuckle. But at his continued stare, she bowed. “I am known as the sorceress Lilith.”
“Okay, Lilith, I’ll play along with your game. But don’t think your magic tricks can keep you safe from me if you betray me.”
“Betraying you is not in my best interest,” she admitted, laughing. “This will be a mutual agreement, with me acting as more of an advisor than a partner.”
“And that item, how does it help me get Azure Moon to be my Queen?” He asked as he looked at the little orb floating next to her.
“Simple, it just makes your desires manifest and will force her to be yours.”
He frowned, “ I want her, not a mind controlled version of her.”
“Oh it’ll be here,” she assured with an evil look on her face. “This’ll just make her want to obey you. She’ll be herself and all yours.”
“Perfect,” he said with a smirk. “Alright then, Lilith, we have a deal.”
The area around them darkened as her eyes flared as a crazy smile overtook her face. “Excellent! Release them from their prisons of stone and metal!”
Champion turned to the statues, all stone except for one that was made of metal. His father and his friends were responsible for each of them being locked away, so he knew the correct way to get them out.
“Release!” He roared in his Royal Canterot voice, shaking the whole mountain.
All four statues began to shake as lights began to weep through the cracks. With a shattering sound, the four beings broke from their prisons and fell forward onto the ground.
“Finally!” A Pegasus yelled as he stood up, rubbing his neck and flexing his wings. “They froze me in such a stupid pose! And it hurts!”
“Stop whining,” another growled as it stood up, standing taller than the others. It flexed its claws and smirked.
“Out of all of us, you are the least useful,” a tall pony said with a calm yet smug sneer on his face.
“Hey!” The Pegasus yelled but was cut off by a glare from the other two.
“Ah, we finally meet,” the last one said as he walked over to stand before Champion. “It’s good to finally meet someone in the family who isn’t useless.”
Champion stared at the beefy and bulky male before him, a smirk sliding onto his face. His father did not do this guy justice in his descriptions.
“Yes, it’s good to finally meet you, Grandfather.”