The mission is going perfectly.
Dune, proud commander of the Union's Finest, stoically observes the goings-on of the main deck from his spot in the captain's quarters. His many soldiers work as a well-oiled machine, ensuring their flight goes as smoothly as can be expected through a storm such as this. The Invincible Wraith is a difficult airship to manage, but the crew does so with an efficiency that makes even the gruff leader glow with pride.
He had been skeptical when this mission was proposed, unsure of how powerful one Equestrian colt could actually be, even considering the stories about the devastation wreaked in Canterlot. Still, Colza had persuaded him and his superiors, leading to where they are today, heading back after a perfectly-executed mission.
To be sure, foalnapping is rather deplorable, but Dune finds the present war situation bad enough that he's willing to try just about anything. All the risks involved in this course of action__losing the support of Equestria as a whole being foremost among them__pale in comparison to what rewards have been promised.
An unstoppable weapon. And all we have to do is take advantage of the work some other individual has done. What's one more cog in the machine for the sake of the Union?
A knock at his door gains Dune's attention, causing him to turn and speak with a deep, gravelly voice.
"Enter."
The door opens, revealing the Finest's only remaining private, who stands at attention as he salutes solidly.
"Private. Have you informed Colza of our imminent landing, as you were instructed?"
The stallion gulps nervously, greatly affected by his commander's Presence. Dune raises an eyebrow as the private responds with a thousand-yard stare.
"Sir, yes, sir!"
Dune sees it in the stallion's eyes: A deep disturbed demeanor dominates his face. The private has seen something he is not meant to see and heard something he isn't meant to hear. The commander can only guess what the mare has been up to, if her obsession with the colt is indeed any indication. Colza is so engrossed with him that rumors are spreading about how she still has his blanket with her, all these years later. She has been doing her part, then. A shame I had to send the least experienced among us to interact with her, but what's done is done.
"Dismissed, private. Return to your post."
Dune will worry about the cost of therapy for the poor sap after the war is finished and Saddle Arabia is swimming in the blood of what rebels dared oppose the Great Union. The shaken private nods and turns away, leaving with a noticeable wobble in his step. The commander sighs tiredly, returning to face the window as his face slowly regains its stoic expression.
He squints, though, when he spots something beyond the airship's stern: A bright light is showing through the edges of the storm, and a rainbow-colored streak is heading straight for them. Dune's jaw drops as he finally recognizes the speeding object through his pair of binoculars.
Ponies! We've been found out!
The commander's expression hardens and he readies himself for battle, pressing the black button on his desk to engage the Invincible Wraith's intercom.
"Soldiers, to battle stations! We have company approaching on our stern! Prepare for battle!"
The Union's Finest is about to face the struggle of their lives. One might think that the low number of enemies reduces their threat level, but Dune knows better than that, when Equestrians are concerned.
If they only sent three, then they think that's all they'll need.
All too soon, the ponies land.
They landed with fury.
Rainbow Dash felt more alive than ever, speedily depositing her passengers and rushing to the nearest enemy, landing a flying kick straight to the jerk's jaw.
Starlight Glimmer immediately set to firing off high-power beams of magic, sending scores of assailants flying and covering her two allies with ranged support.
Bon Bon hit the ground rolling, dashing forth to meet the first wave of soldiers head-on, striking out with fiery passion and earth pony strength to land devastating blows.
The equines of Saddle Arabia were reduced to mere cannon fodder under the Equestrian onslaught. The ponies' magic was simply too potent for their comparatively meager resistance. All three mares were masters of their mana in all but name, having practiced and cultivated it for untold years.
Pegasus magic allowed control over wind currents and air pressure, giving Dash the ability to bring tornadoes and bolts of lightning to bear at will.
Unicorn magic was as versatile as it was volatile, allowing Starlight to not only cast offensive spells, but also slow the enemy's reflexes and lend power to her companions.
Earth Pony magic afforded immense resilience and immeasurable strength to its wielders, which, combined with Bon Bon's intense training, made her a force of utter decimation in hoof-to-hoof combat.
In comparison, the Union's Finest were a collective of highly experienced equines that trained with a wide array of weapons. One thing those armaments all had in common, though, was that they were designed for battle with other members of the same species.
They simply weren't prepared to deal with mana.
In short, the fight simply wasn't meant to be, and the Saddle Arabians learned exactly why nocreature had dared to wage war with Equestria for so long.
Breathing heavily and mildly sweating, the three ponies regrouped during a pause in the onslaught, each taking note of the state of the 'battle'. The Saddle Arabians' larger forms lay in unconscious piles spread randomly throughout the deck of the airship. Somehow, the mares had managed to restrain themselves enough to avoid killing any of them, though some of the attacks had definitely come close. Hasty movement throughout parts of the airship revealed some of the soldiers still up and likely regrouping as well, having realized they had no hope of winning a straight battle.
"We need to split up." Bon Bon stated firmly, having been the first to fully regain her breath and looking her companions dead in the eyes. "Cover more ground. It's the only way to find Darkest in time." In time for what, exactly, none of the three knew, but they still felt the inexplicable sense of urgency that had been present during the last half-hour.
"Can we take them on if we separate?" Asked Starlight, her brows creasing with worry as she rubbed at her slightly-sore horn, which was steaming from the energy of her spells.
"We got most of them already." Reminded Dash as she gestured at the battlefield from where she hovered in the air, her frown relaying her impatience. "So long as none get the drop on us, we should be okay."
With affirmative nods all around, the ponies separated, rushing to different sections of the airship at their respective top speeds in search of their friend.
Starlight Glimmer galloped straight for the upper decks, her horn freshly charged and a battle-ready grimace adorning her face. She was running with the assumption that__as a high-priority prisoner__the Arabians would want to keep her patient in a higher, more defendable location. Stolen glances behind her revealed Bon Bon likely thinking along the same lines and traveling to higher decks, if on the opposite side, while Rainbow Dash headed towards the bow, presumably to search the cargo hold.
The airship__which Bon Bon had stated was probably either the Invincible Wraith or the Indomitable Spectre on the trip here__resembled a cross between a regular seafaring vessel and a zeppelin. The counselor found herself immensely grateful for the chance she and her fellow ponies had had to talk and strategize during the insanely-high-velocity flight. Luckily, she had remembered a spell (or rather, modified/combined a few) that let them hear one another even while traveling at supersonic speeds.
Without Bon Bon's knowledge, there's no way I'd be able to navigate this beast of a vehicle. Rising suspicions of the whereabouts a simple candymaker could obtain that information aside, Starlight was appreciative of the opportunity. Especially so when she arrived at what she now knew to be the captain's wing, deciding to search there as it was both the closest and among the most probable locations for her quarry.
A sudden chill crept down the unicorn's spine and she froze in place, her eyes bulging as she found herself unable to move. Loud hoofsteps echoed through the room she had paused in, and Starlight was just able to make out a shadowy figure entering it. Shortly after doing so, the stallion crossed into her field of view, allowing her to better assess him: Incredibly tall, with bulging muscles that seemed to want to pop out of the sandy, tannish coat which held them in while piercing, icy blue eyes regarded her in turn.
"Ah, so you are affected by my Presence, then. I'm relieved." The Saddle Arabian sat, his shoulders easily resting at twice the height of Starlight's head while a sardonic smirk formed across his muzzle. "Our magic takes much time and dedication to use, you see. I'd hate to have all my efforts nullified by one pony." The counselor struggled, glaring fiercely after finding her eyes the only part of her body able to respond to her mental commands.
The captain__for the stripes and badges on his black uniform identified him as such__let out a mirthless chuckle, rapping the side of Starlight's muzzle with one giant, pink-sand-covered forehoof. The unicorn gasped for air as that muzzle suddenly responded to her urging, panting for a few moments as the stallion merely sat watching her.
"You Equestrians have it so easy," he continued while the mare composed herself, "what with how you can use your magic right at birth." His smile gained a malicious quality as she remained silent, still glaring at him for all she was worth. "It's a pity that you're rendered helpless when faced with true dedication. My Presence is the most powerful form of Arabian magic possible, completely nullifying any part of your brain activity I desire. You're more trapped sitting next to me than a cockatrice's next meal is, fresh after a staring contest." Finally having had enough, Starlight raised an indignant eyebrow, channeling all the magic she possibly could.
"You think I don't know what dedication is? You think I was simply born with magical prowess?" A steady trickle of mana was all she could muster at first; a tiny stream leading from the reservoir of her inner pool and into the great chasm that was her horn. "Your ignorance knows no bounds. I've trained for the majority of my life to reach this level of skill, and there's been one driving force propelling me the whole way." That stream, though, was becoming larger with every second she thought about just why she was here. "And do you know what that is?" The commander blinked disdainfully, gesturing at her flank while doing so.
"Your special talent. Don't think I don't recognize an ancient Arcane Sigil when I see one." He squinted at her, the discomfort she felt from the action far overshadowed by gratuity for the distraction. "The Sign Of The Star is as powerful as it is mysterious. Nocreature has ever discovered its true meaning. It could easily have compelled you to train in magic, as you say." But Starlight squinted in turn, the inner stream now a rushing channel of mana as she boldly stared up at her adversary.
"Wrong. On both counts. The Sign Of The Star is powerful, yes, but only as a protector. And it wasn't what made me dedicate years of my life to the field of arcane study." She had the commander's attention now, she could tell. Oh, to be sure, his tells were hidden with near-perfect skill, but she could still detect his raised eyebrow and the subtle inward lean of his head.
She was a trained therapist, after all.
"No, what made me train so diligently was the thought of helping creatures in need." What had been a steady, tiny trickle of mana was now a raging river of raw power, beginning to fill the chasm with incredible speed. "The driving force behind my every action was the feeling__the knowledge__that someone out there required my help." All too soon, Starlight's horn was filled, charged with all the power it would ever need. "What gave me purpose was the thought that somewhere, creatures like you were hurting others. I'm gonna put a stop to that. Right...now."
It was over within the slightest fraction of a second. The commander had absolutely no time to react, to shut down the furious activity taking place within her brain.
Starlight Glimmer stood triumphantly over the unconscious body of her enemy, gazing down at him with no small amount of disdain. Still, time was short, so she quickly moved on (after placing magical bindings around his form, of course) to the next section of the ship, resuming her rushing gallop.
She could only hope that the small detour hadn't taken too long, and that soon, one of the three mares would find her patient.
"I'm going to say this one more time: Tell me. Where Darkest. Is."
She giggles easily at the repeated question, shifting in place as her rough bindings begin to irritate her coat in several places.
"I've told you before, obstacle: He's not here, anymore. I got rid of him."
The obstacle stomps in frustration and rage, snarling at her with an expression more fierce than she's seen from it.
"Don't you play games with me, you...witch. I know he's here.
The obstacle has impressive self-control, she'll give it that. Staring into its eyes, she can't help but smile daintily, deciding to finally give it more information.
It's not like that'd help, anyway.
"You don't understand: Darkest is gone. I ensured that Knight is all who remains, because I like him much better."
The obstacle takes a shocked step back, and she can practically see the cogs turning in its poor, confused head.
Oh, the things she could do to that head. They'd help her escape, to be sure.
All she needs to do is reach out with her magic...
The obstacle gives her an unimpressed look and she purses her lips in annoyance.
Right. It's immune. That's how I got captured in the first place.
"I took the liberty of removing some other things, as well. Poor Knighty was under quite a lot of manipulation from you ponies."
The obstacle looks completely shocked and she can't help but continue, a wry grin forming as she confesses her deeds.
"That charm he was under is completely gone, now. All told, he was putting his trust in a lot of things he shouldn't have."
The obstacle is beginning to look quite horrified, and her grin is gaining a more sadistic quality the longer she goes on.
Clearly, I'm defeated. This does not stop me from having some fun along the way, though.
"Oh, I've had the time of my life with that cutie. His pleading screams were just simply..."
She licks her lips.
"...delicious. And there's no hope for him or you, now! He's way too far gone!"
She giggles again__in a slightly crazed sort of way__as the obstacle's gaze falls to the floor, its thoughts completely silent.
"Oh, you can certainly try, but he's been broken beyond repair. Need me to spell it out for you? B, R, O, K, E, N. BRO-KEN."
From the corner of her eye, she sees a rainbow-colored streak beginning to head towards her, but she doesn't care.
She's far too engrossed in her gloating to so much as think of anything else.
"There's no undoing my work now! You're too late! I finished up just as you arrived! Oh, and I had the most fun possible while doing it. I don't think there's anything mo-"
A hoof (cyan colored, she's able to observe in the milliseconds she's allotted) makes impact with the side of her head at a simply unnecessary speed.
Blackness.
The Saddle Arabian foalnapper crumpled to her side in a blue heap, sprawled out as far as her excessive restraints allowed. From the very edges of her vision, Special Agent Sweetie Drops watched as Dash landed with a satisfied huff, fluttering her wings slightly in efforts to utilize the leftover adrenaline.
"I told you to stay out of this." The earth pony tonelessly stated, causing the pegasus to recoil and shamefully rub her neck before her expression changed and the hoof slammed to the ground.
"Yeah, well, I just couldn't hear any more of that whorse's screeching, okay?" Sweetie would have felt shocked if she could feel anything at all, absently guessing Dash's out-of-character cursing to be remnants of the mental manipulation.
"Just...stay here, okay?" Numbness prevailed throughout the agent, even as the cyan mare finally obeyed instruction for once upon noticing her demeanor.
Sweetie Drops knew exactly where her quarry was; the abductor's nearly-unnoticeable glancing in his direction had been as obvious as anything to her. She plodded into the room, still hollowly considering the taller mare's words.
You're too late.
Suddenly, she felt: The most pure, raw, overpowering form of grief dominated her very soul as she spotted a lump of red and white in the far corner of the room, laying there unmoving as if thoughtlessly deposited. She rushed over, guilty tears springing to her eyes as she collapsed next to his tiny, vulnerable form.
Knight looked worse than she'd ever seen him. Worse than he'd been after she saved him from the hydra. Worse, even, than when he had cowered in town square after escaping Canterlot for the second time, hiding from Ponyville within the safety of his barrier.
She had watched, then. Helplessly watched as his condition continued to grow worse. Watched as he fought the demons he'd been forced to live with for every single day of his Celestia-forsaken life.
She would do more than watch, now. Sweetie Drops could help, if even in some small amount.
She gently__slowly, caringly, lovingly__lifted the unconscious body of her dear friend, cradling him against the front of her barrel. A deep, primal, protective instinct welled up from somewhere within her being as she held him, lightly stroking the damp curls of his ruined mane.
Special Agent Sweetie Dro-
No.
Bon Bon wept.
It was a simple action, yet all the more heartfelt for it. Little droplets of water fell from her shining eyes onto Knight's little form, adding to the wetness that covered him already.
Outside, the Invincible Wraith finally left the storm, and the sounds of distant thunder ceased as the rainfall faded away.
That was outside, though. A whole other world surmised in one simple word. The 'outside' was a place unto itself, completely separate from where Bon Bon and her friend were.
They were in a world of their own, and its storm was still very much alive.
The mare cradled the colt and wept, her tears becoming the pitter-patter of rain and her heaving cries the sharp crack of thunder.
This storm didn't fade. It wasn't deliberately cleaned up by a team of pegasi. It failed to calm at all, retaining its immense power until the bitter end.
This storm was contained. It was gathered up and placed behind the stoic bars of training and self-control.
Sweetie Drops stood, sniffling only slightly as she carefully placed Knight on her back, absently rubbing at her puffed, swollen eyes before plodding out of the room she didn't bother to identify.
And only a determined grimace adorned her face.
Starlight Glimmer was quite surprised when Bon Bon trotted up to her: The earth pony showed physical signs of having cried recently, but body-language-wise displayed no such tells of anything being amiss. This befuddled her counselor senses quite thoroughly, and for good reason.
The unicorn was even more surprised, though, after hearing the statement which came out of the frowning mare's mouth.
"You need to take Knight from me."
This was the last thing she'd have imagined would come out of the candymaker's muzzle: The way Bon Bon had been giving the evil eye to anypony who dared to so much as look at the lump of colt on her back suggested strong feelings of personal responsibility for his safety. Even Dash had been scared away when she asked one too many questions, speedily departing with a hasty "I'll scout the area!" after witnessing the mother of all glares.
"He needs medical attention. You're the only one who can teleport, and he can't handle Dash in this state."
Starlight found herself nodding dumbly, lifting Knight from the earth's pony's back and feeling the last dregs of her mana being spent in the process. The way Bon Bon longingly eyed the colt as he floated in the air, looking as if she were fighting the urge to snatch him back into her forelegs, only increased the lilac unicorn's rising suspicions that some certain...feelings were at hoof. As a mother, she makes an excellent candidate. Perhaps even the best. Whatever the case, Knight's definitely going to end up with parents after this, no matter what the princess says.
It was exactly then that the airship finally left the last of the storm, emerging into an open, clear blue sky. Light from Celestia's sun flooded the immediate area, with every last visible shadow seeming to disappear under the intense brightness. Neither pony paid this much mind, though, remaining enthralled in their conversation.
"And what about you?" Starlight found herself asking with a raised eyebrow as she situated her patient on her own withers, Bon Bon giving her a warning glare as she did before shaking her head.
"Me? I have an airship to land."
In Ponyville, a certain mostly-white foal was rushed for the third time in his short stay to the hospital following a flash of cerulean magic. He was admitted with several glances sent his way that were all-too-familiar, and the one who brought him quickly sought after the resident princess to explain what had happened.
On the very border of Saddle Arabia, its finest airship coasted to a safe__if rough and bumpy__halt, the one commandeering it fiddling with the communications before reaching a channel that was all too familiar. The request for assistance went well, and help was said to arrive in a matter of minutes.
In Canterlot, two unicorns rummaged through thousands of files' worth of information before one of them triumphantly held up a nondescript binder, waving it in the other's direction.
"Stormy! I've found it!"
The mare grabbed it rather roughly out of the stallion's grasp, her eyes greedily poring over its contents as she nodded to herself.
"Well done, dearest. This is simply perfect."