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// Bandit Busting 
// Story: Quest for Harmony 
// by SonicSpeedster97 
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The trek into the Saubalt Forest was pretty harrowing; the woods were dense and only a small amount of light shone through the canopy as the girls slunk toward the bandits’ camp, though the Darkvision Sunset, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike had made things much easier as they weaved between shadows.
“We should probably have a plan for when we reach the camp,” Twilight suggested. “Spike, you slip in as quietly as you can and get a lay of the land; pass along what you see to me with our telepathic link while the rest of us find cover. Then once we know what we’re up against, we surround the camp and move in.”
“Good call.” Sunset nodded. “Think it’ll be enough?”
“Only one way to find out,” Rainbow smirked, doing her best to move quietly in her chainmail (Rainbow Dash – Stealth roll [at Dis. due to Chainmail] 17 & 10), but it wasn’t going well. She was certain at least one or two of the bandits would hear her and by extension the others.
(Sunset Shimmer – Perception roll 22) Sunset did her best to put it out of her mind as she quickly picked up the telltale sounds of boisterous male laughter not much farther ahead. Quickly she raised a fist and prompted everyone to stop. “There they are,” she noted and pointed through the foliage, indicating a small but impressive ramshackle camp in a small clearing of the woods.
“I still don’t get something,” Pinkie noted in innocent confusion. “Why do these guys think some girls they captured are gonna be entertaining? I know I’d put together a great party for them.”
Rainbow looked at Pinkie with a surprised look on her face and simply shook her head. “Oh Pinkie Pie, you poor innocent soul…” she said breathlessly.
“What?” Pinkie asked.
“Never mind; let’s just do this.” Rainbow shrugged as she reached for her swords.
(Rarity – Perception roll 15) Rarity quickly extended a hand in front of Rainbow to stop her, and subtly pointed up near the perimeter of the camp, indicating a rather brutish-looking human patrolling very near them.
“Everyone down!” Sunset quietly hissed, prompting everyone to quickly hide in the underbrush. (Full party Stealth roll – Sunset Shimmer 17, Twilight Sparkle 19, Spike 6, Applejack Nat 20, Pinkie Pie 12, Rarity 14, Rainbow Dash [at Dis. due to Chainmail] 21 or 16, Fluttershy 13), but Spike didn’t hear quickly enough and sort of stood there in the open for a while, (Bandit Passive Perception 10) allowing the human to suddenly spot him.
Spike froze in fear for a second before he hissed at the bandit and scrambled toward a tree, trying his best to act convincingly wild. (Contested Roll: Spike rolls Stealth 9, Bandit rolls Insight 8) The bandit appeared confused at first, but shrugged after a moment and moved on with his patrol, leaving Spike clinging to the side of the tree.
Once the bandit was gone, Spike and the others finally allowed themselves to breathe. “Whew. That was way too close.” Rainbow whispered.
“Agreed.” Twilight nodded before gesturing to Spike to continue to scout the area. Spike quickly nodded and took off from the tree, flapping up into the canopy and looking out over the camp.
(Spike – Perception roll 12) His pseudodragon eyes helped him see a great many things; an array of tents in a loose oval shape – one somewhat more well-appointed than the others; presumably for the captain of these bandits – a heavy cart parked near where the girls were hiding with what looked like a cage mounted to it, and a campfire in the center of it all. There was undoubtedly more he wasn’t seeing, but he passed the images he did see along to Twilight with his familiar’s telepathy.
Twilight nodded at the images and turned to the others. “Okay, so now that we know they have perimeter guards, that kinda messes with my plan a little.” she shrugged. “We’ll have to do this another way.”
“Well, I hate to say this, but Fluttershy’s the best at hiding; I think she should go in first,” Rainbow suggested.
“What?!” Fluttershy whisper-yelled in fear.
“Hey, I said I hated to say it.” Rainbow countered.
“Shush!” Rarity hissed quietly. “We are not sacrificing Fluttershy to possibly get captured.”
“I wasn’t suggesting we do that.” Rainbow pointed out.
“Okay, this is going nowhere.” Sunset rolled her eyes… before they landed right on one of the tents, which looked very simply built out of scrap cloth and broken branches. “But I think you might be onto something, at least.”
“Ya got an idea?” asked Applejack.
“Eh, the beginning of one.” Sunset shrugged as she looked at her left hand, her fingertips glowing with low heat. “Phoenix sorcerers can spark anything to flame with a touch. If I can get in close enough to one of those tents to light it on fire without anyone seeing me, I think that might be enough of a distraction. Then when the bandits scramble to put it out, you guys all move in and we take care of business.”
“Now there’s a solid plan.” Rarity nodded. “Good luck, darling.”
“Thanks. Might need it.” Sunset nodded as she snuck subtly toward the back of one of the tents. (Sunset Shimmer – Stealth roll 8) Unfortunately, her bright coloration didn’t do her any favors as a dwarven bandit was walking out the back of his tent in his underwear when Sunset was trying to sneak past.
The two froze and locked eyes for what felt like an hour, both in confusion and embarrassment as they realized what was happening. “Uh…” Sunset simply said breathlessly. “If I let you go do… whatever it is you’re going to do, do you promise you won’t tell anyone I was here?” (Contested Roll: Sunset Shimmer rolls Persuasion Dirty 20, Dwarf Bandit rolls Insight 11)
The dwarf just looked around in confusion and simply nodded to her as he went on his way past Sunset, letting her return to her sneaking. “Phew. Can’t believe that worked,” she muttered to herself as she moved on, away from that dwarf’s tent. (Sunset Shimmer – Stealth roll 12)
This time, she was able to get further into the camp without much trouble as the remaining bandits were either too busy or too far away to notice her. From there, she reached the back of the bandit captain’s tent and – chancing a look around the corner into the middle of the camp – saw several of the bandits shoving a young girl around the central fire, all laughing at her expense as she whimpered in fear, wearing only torn clothes. “Ooh, I’m gonna have more fun doing this than I thought,” she smirked wickedly to herself, her fingertips burning with heat as she pinched the cloth wall of the tent (Sunset Shimmer uses Ignite ability), the heat quickly smoldering on the cloth before it became a small blaze, quickly growing up the side of the tent.
As the fire grew, Sunset dashed straight back into the brush behind the tent to hide (Sunset Shimmer – Stealth roll 12), snickering wickedly as she heard the bandits starting to panic at the fire, including the human bandit captain who ran out, clearly already singed from the flames. (Bandit Captain -5HP – 60HP)
The other girls heard the panicking as well and watched the camp scrambling to action. “That’s our cue.” Rainbow smiled.
“Allow me to give us a proper introduction, darlings.” Rarity smiled as she pulled her bow from her back and knocked an arrow, aiming at one of the half-orc bandits who had his back turned. (Rarity Attack roll 16 w/ Longbow – Bandit-6 AC 12 – Bandit-6 -7 – 4HP)
The arrow sailed from Rarity’s bow with a quick and quiet twang from the bowstring before burying right into the back of the half-orc’s neck. “Grah!” he growled in pain as he reached and grabbed at the arrow in pain. With a snarl, he looked where it had come from and was surprised to see the girls all charging toward the camp as Pinkie sounded a charge on a flugelhorn.
(Roll Initiative! – Order as follows: Twilight Sparkle Nat 20, Rainbow Dash 22, Bandit-7 19, Bandit-1 18, Bandit-6 15, Bandit-2 13, Bandit-4 12, Bandit-3 11, Rarity 11, Fluttershy 8, Applejack 8, Bandit-8 7, Pinkie Pie 7, Bandit Captain 6, Spike 5, Sunset Shimmer 3, Bandit-5 Nat 1)
Twilight quickly grabbed the tome at her hip as she charged and flipped it open, seeing it was indeed her Spellbook, filled with incantations for the spells she’d chosen for her character. “C’mon, c’mon… Ah, this one oughtta work.” she smiled as she noted the spell at the bottom of her second page. The writing was a bit confusing until she recognized it as Celestial, the runes suddenly shifting before her eyes to give her the pronunciation. Quickly running it over in her mind a few times, she closed the tome and leveled her staff at the nearest bandit. “Malleus Voltarinum.” (Twilight Sparkle Spell Attack roll 23 w/ Witch Bolt: 1st Level – Bandit-4 AC 12 – Damage Roll 6 – Bandit-4 -6HP – 5HP) The crystal in Twilight’s staff crackled to life as a bolt of blue energy shot from it and arced into the bandit, striking him in the chest with a massive surge of electricity.
“Nice one!” Rainbow smiled as she clicked her heels, prompting the wings on her boots to spring to life and let her take flight, soaring to the middle of the camp and landing only a few feet from the campfire as she drew her swords, spinning on her toes to strike at a few of the human bandits. (Rainbow Dash Attack roll [Finesse] 17 w/ Shortsword – Bandit-3 AC 12 – Damage Roll 9 – Bandit-3 -9 – 2HP – Rainbow Dash Attack roll [Finesse, off-hand] 17 w/ Shortsword – Bandit-8 AC 12 – Damage Roll 5 – Bandit-8 -5 – 6HP) Her blades sang as she spun, her momentum letting the blades rend the bandits’ leather chest pieces in clean slices, sending them toppling back with blood oozing from their chests.
One of the half-orc bandits saw this and snarled as he raised a vicious scimitar, charging at Rarity. (Bandit-7 Attack roll 15 w/ Scimitar – Rarity AC 14 – Damage roll 3 – Rarity -3 – 8HP) Rarity did her best to avoid the strike, but the half-orc’s blade got in a good strike against her left hip, making her squeal in anguish as she tried her best to balance herself on her rapier.
Another dwarf raised his own blade and charged against Applejack (Bandit-1 Attack roll 8 w/ Scimitar – Applejack AC 12), but Applejack simply hefted her hammer to deflect the blade away from her on its shaft.
The half-orc Rarity had shot scowled at her angrily as he raised a small crossbow. “Let’s see how you like it, elven bitch.” he snarled as he pulled the trigger. (Bandit-6 Attack roll 7 w/ Light Crossbow – Rarity AC 14) Rarity saw the bolt coming however and deftly leaned back out of the way, letting it coast cleanly through an open loop in her hair with no damage before it shot into a tree.
Another half-orc charged toward Pinkie with a simple overhand strike (Bandit-2 Unarmed Attack roll 11 – Pinkie Pie AC 13), but she weaved out of the way of his strike without even really trying to.
The human Twilight was striking with her spell looked back at her and scowled as he tried to muscle through the bolt and move to cover behind a few crates, but Twilight kept the spell trained on him. Angry, the bandit drew his own crossbow and fired it at the witch (Bandit-4 Attack roll Nat 20 w/ Light Crossbow – Twilight Sparkle AC 11 – Damage roll 6 – Twilight Sparkle -6 – 1HP), striking her right in the gut and making her scream out in pain and fall to her knees, though she fought hard enough through the pain to keep the spell going.
One of the bandits Rainbow had struck saw this and took the opportunity to swing at Rainbow with his sword (Bandit-3 Attack roll 7 w/ Scimitar – Rainbow Dash AC 16), but Rainbow barely even flinched as the blade streaked across her chainmail, though she did cast a look of death at him.
She wasn’t the only one; Rarity had also seen Twilight get hit and tightened her grip on her rapier. “Very well. If we shall receive no quarter, then neither shall we give it.” she scowled honorably as she raised her blade at the bandit who had just slashed her. “En garde!” (Rarity Attack roll [Finesse] 12 w/ Rapier – Bandit-7 AC 12 – Damage Roll 13 – Bandit-7 -13 – -2HP) Rarity lunged violently yet gracefully and plunged her blade straight through his leather chestplate, impaling her nimble blade straight through his heart. Her face went paler than before as she saw the light leave his eyes and quickly drew her bloodied blade from his chest, letting him fall to the ground.
(Fluttershy Constitution roll 6) Fluttershy was instantly disgusted and more than a bit frightened at the sight of the blood and violence around her and against her friends, and while she tried her best to stand strong, she couldn’t help herself as she slid into the brush behind her, trying her best to hide (Fluttershy Stealth roll 12), but just like Sunset, her own bright hair made it hard for her to truly stay hidden. With no better options – and feeling anger well up within her – she swung her staff to strike the ground (Fluttershy Spell Attack roll Dirty 20 w/ Thorn Whip – Bandit-2 AC 12 – Damage Roll 6 – Bandit-2 -6 – 5HP), causing a large thorny vine to suddenly erupt from the earth near the bandit that almost hit Pinkie and lash across his face, leaving many small gashes that bled profusely as he growled in anger and gripped the wound.
Applejack smirked and hefted her hammer against the bandit that almost hit her (Applejack Attack roll 23 w/ Warhammer – Bandit-1 AC 12 – Damage roll [Versatile] 5 – Bandit-1 -5 – 6HP), bashing him straight on the left arm and breaking more than a few bones from the sound of it as he recoiled in pain, grasping his limp and shattered arm.
The other bandit Rainbow Dash struck snarled and tried to swing at her (Bandit-8 Attack roll 7 w/ Scimitar – Rainbow Dash AC 16), but she deftly deflected his blade with the shield-like backing on her left gauntlet without breaking a sweat.
Pinkie Pie meanwhile jumped into the air (Pinkie Pie Acrobatics Check 15), landing piggy-back on the half-orc who almost hit her and swung her hammer down into his face (Pinkie Pie Attack roll 16 w/ Light Hammer – Bandit-2 AC 12 – Damage roll 2 – Bandit-2 -2 – 9HP), crunching his forehead and sending him reeling pain as he tried to reach up and grab at Pinkie.
The bandit captain, seeing all this unfold, scowled as he drew his own scimitar and dagger from his belt and charged into the fray, swinging wildly at Rainbow Dash. (Bandit Captain Multiattack roll {1} 14 w/ Scimitar, {2} Nat 1 w/ Scimitar, {3} 16 w/ Dagger – Rainbow Dash AC 16 – Damage roll 6 – Rainbow Dash -6 – 5HP) His first slash with his scimitar bounced off her chainmail and made him whiff his second strike with the blade, but he managed to find a soft spot with his dagger and plunged it into her back, making her scream in pain.
Spike saw all this happen from his perch on the tree and quickly swooped down to the bandit captain, his pointed tail whirling down ready to strike. (Spike Attack roll 16 w/ Stinger – Bandit Captain AC15 – Damage roll 4 – Bandit Captain -4 – 56HP – Bandit Captain Constitution Save 7 – DC 11) The bandit captain roared in anger as Spike’s stinger plunged into his body and released a powerful poison, burning inside his body before Spike quickly flitted over to Twilight’s side. “Twilight! Are you okay?”
“Guh! I’ll be fine, Spike.” Twilight groaned, trying to ignore the pain from the bolt in her stomach and focusing on her spell.
“Alright, enough is enough.” Sunset snarled as she dashed from her hiding place into the center of the battlefield, heat burning through her body. (Sunset Shimmer uses Mantle of Flame ability) Sunset roared with strength as a massive swirl of flame surrounded her body, her eyes glowing like burning coals as bandits around her all looked on in awe. Sunset then spun her staff in her hands and raised it above her head before slamming the end down hard into the dirt at her feet, (Sunset Shimmer casts Thunderclap) letting out a resounding boom of thunder (Bandit-1 Constitution Save 4, Bandit-2 Constitution Save 12, Bandit-4 Constitution Save 10, Bandit-5 Constitution Save 7, Bandit Captain Constitution Save 10 – Sunset Shimmer Spell Save DC 13 – Bandit-1 -3 – 3HP, Bandit-2 -6 – 3HP, Bandit-4 -2 – 3HP, Bandit-5 -3 – 6HP, Bandit Captain -5 – 51HP), deafening a good portion of the bandits in the camp for a moment as the swirl of flame surrounding her caught more tents on fire. “Who else wants some?!” Sunset roared, her fire pulsing with each syllable.
One of the bandits her thunderclap had hit growled as he raised his sword and charged her (Bandit-5 takes Fire Damage of 5 from Mantle of Flame – 1HP), the fire licking at his body as he swung at Sunset (Bandit-5 Attack roll 7 w/ Scimitar – Sunset Shimmer AC 11), but Sunset quickly raised her staff again and deflected it away, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Twilight, still in pain from the bolt in her stomach, snarled as she poured on more energy with her spell (Further Witch Bolt Damage against Bandit-4 -3 – Bandit-3 0HP), electrocuting him and making him fall to the ground, dead. Finally, Twilight cut off her spell and let herself drop to her knees in pain as she clutched at her wound.
Spike quickly scrambled onto her shoulder in concern and called out. “Rainbow Dash! Twilight needs help!” he called.
Rainbow could see that and quickly used her boots to fly upward to try and escape the reach of her opponents. The two bandits and their captain tried to get in some lucky strikes against her (Bandit-3 Attack of Opportunity roll 13 w/ Scimitar – Bandit-8 Attack of Opportunity roll Nat 1 w/ Scimitar – Bandit Captain Attack of Opportunity roll 9 w/ Scimitar – Rainbow Dash AC 16), but their blades all whiffed right by her and one even dropped his right on his foot, point-first (Bandit-8 takes 3 extra damage – 3HP). Rainbow ignored that and quickly swooped to Twilight’s side, but quickly realized something; she had no idea how to heal her. “Uh… how- how do I do this?” she asked in worry.
“Just… just touch me and focus.” Twilight gasped in pain. Rainbow did just that, laying her hands on her friend’s shoulder and concentrating on the desire to heal her. (Rainbow Dash uses Lay on Hands – expends all points – Twilight Sparkle 6HP) Twilight groaned as she gingerly pulled the bolt from her stomach, feeling the wound close where it had once been though it was clear it would need more than that to heal fully. “Thanks, Rainbow.”
“Don’t mention it; no way are we getting killed in our first fight,” Rainbow assured.
“We’ll see about that.” the bandit with the broken arm yelled as he charged toward the two, easily giving Applejack an opening as she swung her hammer. (Applejack Attack of Opportunity roll 14 w/ Warhammer – Bandit-1 AC 12 – Damage roll [Versatile] 8 – Bandit-1 -8 – -5HP) The hammer slammed into his back with a resounding clang and sent him flying into the nearest tree, limp as a dead fish.
“Another one bites the dust,” Applejack smirked as she tipped her hat up.
The half-orc with the bolt in his neck snarled as he drew his scimitar and charged at Rarity, swinging hard toward her midsection (Bandit-6 Attack roll 6 w/ Scimitar – Rarity AC 14), but Rarity deftly deflected it with her rapier and stood at the ready.
The other half-orc tried to grab Pinkie from his shoulders (Bandit-2 Grapple [Athletics] Check 8 - vs. Pinkie Pie Acrobatics Check 16), but Pinkie just jumped upright on his shoulders, making his hands miss and land perfectly where Pinkie then stomped on his fingers. “Gah! Ugh, you little bitch!” he growled.
“Hey! Language!” Pinkie pointed out jokingly, lightly kicking him in the head to tell him off.
One of the bandits Rainbow had been fighting – the one who dropped his sword on his foot – kicked the sword to the side and drew his crossbow, aiming it at the paladin. (Bandit-3 Attack roll 8 w/ Light Crossbow – Rainbow Dash AC 16). The bolt flew straight toward Rainbow, but she quickly raised one of her swords and it bounced off the flat of the blade. “Nice try, pal. Try again for a piece of silver?” she smirked, only annoying the bandit into a roar.
“I think not.” Rarity noted as she quickly leaped in front of him (Bandit-6 Attack of Opportunity roll 13 w/ Scimitar – Rarity AC 14), just barely dodging the strike her previous opponent tried to get in as she moved (Rarity Attack roll [Finesse] 12 w/ Rapier – Bandit-3 AC 12 – Damage roll 11 – Bandit-3 -11 – -9HP) and piercing this fellow’s chestplate and undoubtedly his lung since he lost his breath as he fell to the ground when Rarity pulled her blade.
Fluttershy could see that Rarity and Twilight were still hurt, so she jumped from her hiding place and moved to offer help. “Here, let me finish that for you Twilight.” she insisted and waved her staff over Twilight’s still not quite closed wound, quietly chanting as a green light glowed from her staff. (Fluttershy casts Healing Word – Twilight Sparkle regains 8HP – Twilight Sparkle 7HP) As the light moved to Twilight’s wound, the skin pulled further closed until it simply looked like almost a long papercut.
“Thanks, Fluttershy.” Twilight nodded as she pulled herself to her feet. “How are things looking?”
“So far so good.” Applejack smiled as she hefted a javelin from her back and aimed to throw it at the bandit captain. (Applejack Attack roll 18 w/ Javelin – Bandit Captain AC 15 – Damage roll 5 – Bandit Captain -5 – 46HP) The javelin flew far and true and stuck itself right between the bandit captain’s shoulder blades, making him growl in anger.
The remaining bandit who had attacked Rainbow quickly charged with his scimitar, trying to finish what he and his ally had started against the paladin (Bandit-8 Attack roll 16 w/ Scimitar – Rainbow Dash AC 16 – Damage Roll 3 – Rainbow Dash -3 – 2HP), finally getting in a good hit as he slashed at her left arm. “Gah! Okay, rude!” she remarked in pain.
“Super rude!” Pinkie agreed as she slammed her hammer into the face of the bandit she was standing on. (Pinkie Pie Attack roll Nat 20 w/ Light Hammer – Bandit-2 AC 12 – Damage roll 6 – Bandit-2 -6 – -3HP). The impact caved his nose and eyes in and sent him stumbling back, limp and dead. Pinkie quickly had to jump to avoid falling on her butt (Pinkie Pie Acrobatics roll 21) and landed perfectly on her feet right next to Applejack. “Ta-da!” she cheered.
The bandit captain snarled as he charged toward Sunset Shimmer, intent on ending this here and now. Rarity quickly saw this and sheathed her sword in favor of her bow, which she promptly fired at him. (Rarity Attack of Opportunity roll 10 w/ Longbow – Bandit Captain AC 15 – Damage roll 11 – Bandit Captain -11 – 35HP) Just like before, the arrow flew true and hit him square in the left pectoral, knocking him off his charge a bit, but not enough to make him stop as he reached Sunset. Just like his minion, the flames surrounding Sunset licked at the captain (Bandit Captain takes Fire Damage of 5 from Mantle of Flame – 30HP), but he ignored it and swung at Sunset with his blades. (Bandit Captain Multiattack roll {1} 22 w/ Scimitar, {2} 2 w/ Scimitar, {3} 8 w/ Dagger – Sunset Shimmer AC 11 – Damage Roll 4 – Sunset Shimmer -4 – 5HP) The first strike cleaved at her arm, but she deflected the following two with her staff, the metal pole clanging against the blade.
Spike liked where this was going and quickly took to the air again, soaring toward the bandit Rarity had just dodged, his stinger once again at the ready. (Spike Attack roll 19 w/ Stinger – Bandit-6 AC 12 – Damage Roll 4 – Bandit-6 -4 – 0HP) The poison shot through his body, and clearly it was enough because once Spike swooped away, he fell to the ground.
Sunset smiled through her flames as she saw that and quickly spun her staff at the bandit captain’s legs (Sunset Shimmer Attack roll 21 w/ Quarterstaff – Bandit Captain AC 15 – Damage roll [Versatile] 7 – Bandit Captain -7 – 23HP), knocking him to the ground on his back. Sunset quickly leveled her staff at his throat, her eyes still burning as flames surrounded her. “Surrender or die. Your choice.” she scowled menacingly. (Sunset Shimmer Intimidation roll [at Adv. due to fire] 15 or 14 – Bandit Captain Charisma Roll 13).
The captain looked around at the state of things in his camp as the tents burned; his men littering the field, powerful-seeming warriors ready to strike, and a flaming sorceress standing above him with her staff at his throat. He didn’t really have many options. “Ah, fuck it. Fine; I give up.” he rolled his eyes and raised his hands in surrender.
The remaining two bandits were shocked by this turn of events, but they knew they weren’t in good enough shape to oppose it, so they dropped their weapons and raised their hands as well.
(End of Combat)
Rarity quickly grabbed some rope from hers and Rainbow’s backpacks and tied the wrists of the two bandits while Sunset allowed their captain to his feet for Applejack to bind with her lasso, the fire surrounding her quickly fading. Fluttershy sighed in relief this was so easy (Fluttershy Passive Perception 16), but then her elven ears twitched at the sounds of branches and twigs cracking and closing in. “More are coming,” she said quickly.
“The perimeter guard.” the captain noted.
Rainbow scowled and walked over, pointing one of her swords at his throat. “Tell them to give up or you’re dead.” she threatened. (Rainbow Dash Intimidation roll 11)
The captain gave a relenting sigh as two more humans, two half-orcs, and the dwarf Sunset had just run into all suddenly arrived in the camp. “Put your weapons down or your boss gets it!” Rainbow called.
“Do it.” the captain ordered, earning confused looks from the perimeter guard. “Do it!” That more serious order prompted the guards to drop their blades and crossbows and raise their hands.
“Tie ‘em up and put the fires out,” Sunset ordered simply. Fluttershy, Twilight, and Pinkie all grabbed the remaining rope to tie the guards up and lead them to the middle of the camp before the whole group quickly started extinguishing the fires burning around the camp, leaving only a smoldering ruin.
“Keys, if you please?” Rarity asked the captain, clearly meaning the keys to the cage for the women.
“In my coat, inner left pocket,” he said simply. Spike quickly scrambled to the pocket in question, keeping his stinger at the ready in case anyone wanted to try anything funny before he slipped out with a ring of keys clasped in his beak-like mouth, which he handed to Rarity who moved to open the cage.
Rainbow smiled as she looked at the girl hiding behind a crate nearby, where she had been since the fighting started and she was released from the tossing fight near the campfire. “Lemme guess; Eva?” she asked. The ginger-haired girl shrunk away in fear from the paladin, so Rainbow sheathed her swords. “Relax, your brother Maccus sent us.”
She appeared surprised by that. “M- Maccus?”
“Yeah. C’mon, we’re getting you home.” Rainbow assured, helping the girl to her feet and leading her to the others. Fluttershy quickly pulled a blanket from her pack and handed it to Eva, who quickly wrapped it tightly around herself like a cloak.
“Now talk; who are you guys?” Sunset asked bitterly.
“Just a bunch of out-of-work mercenaries out for a bit of fun.” the captain shrugged.
“Ya wanna try that again, pardner?” Applejack remarked, swiftly pulling her javelin out of the captain’s back, making him shout in pain. “Ah can always put that back where Ah found it.”
“Alright, alright.” the captain groaned in anger as he watched Rarity let the womenfolk free from the cage and retrieve her arrow from the half-orc. “The bandit act was just for show. We’re slave traders.”
Sunset was surprised; with the exception of King Sombra, slavery had been unheard-of in Equestria since before the age of Princess Platinum. “So then why did you rob Impekka?” asked Rainbow.
“Didn’t want the folk there to get too suspicious.” the captain explained.
“All right, how about this; who do you work for?” asked Twilight.
“I don’t know.” the captain sighed. But Rarity didn’t believe it, so she simply plucked her arrow from his chest, making him grit his teeth in pain. “It’s the truth, I swear! Only a handful of the higher-ups in our organization have seen the boss, and I ain’t one of ‘em! We got our orders from a lieutenant in Bagnon; haven’t seen them since.”
“And exactly what ‘organization’ is this?” asked Rarity.
“I can’t; they’ll kill me if I tell ya.” the captain insisted.
“We’ll kill you if you don’t.” Rainbow pointed out.
“Well then, it seems I’m strapped for options, doesn’t it?” the captain shrugged.
Sunset rolled her eyes in annoyance at that… before she saw something on the captain’s finger; a silver ring that looked like an eye with a milky-white pearl in the center. “Hm…” she hummed thoughtfully as she reached down and pulled the ring off his finger. “Well, this oughtta help.”
“So what happens to us?” the dwarf from earlier asked.
“Do you have to ask?” Rainbow asked. “We march you back to Impekka and throw you in jail.”
“Pfft. Why make us wait? Just kill us now.” the captain rolled his eyes.
“You don’t get off that easy.” Twilight insisted as the girls stood their prisoners up. “Now get moving.”
None of the slavers moved an inch, so Applejack hefted her hammer into her hand. “That weren’t a suggestion.” she insisted menacingly.
“Move it!” Rainbow ordered, poking one of them in the back with her sword. That finally got them moving back toward the village, the liberated women right behind them.
(Sunset Shimmer Insight roll 18) As they walked, Sunset looked and noticed the trauma in Fluttershy’s eyes after what had just happened, so she placed a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Fluttershy; we can take a break after this. Hopefully, we won’t have to worry about big fights like that for a while, but if we do, do what you did here; stay in the back and back us up with healing and defense. Can you do that?”
“Mmhm.” Fluttershy whimpered with a nod. Sunset knew this whole thing was hard on her – it was hard on her too – but she’d help her friends get through it. Plus, if she got to use those fire powers more often, that’d just be a win in her books.