//------------------------------// // Peace Through Force // Story: Rainbow Dash Around the World // by MagicS //------------------------------// They were now close enough to where the Lost Isle of the Lizard People was finally visible to the naked eye of those on the Bosche fleet without the use of any spyglass or telescope. Well, “visible” was still a bit of a wrong way to put it. The fog was still there covering the entire island, but the fleet could now see the fog and knew the island was right there behind it. The weather had grown steadily worse the closer they had gotten, with the sky turning gray overhead and the ocean waters themselves becoming murky and choppy. It was no deterrent whatsoever to Admiral Bin’Tavy as he stood at the bow of his Junk. Not even the giant whirlpools that supposedly swirled around the island, protecting it, was enough of a reason for them to turn away. Not when they had such a grand prize awaiting them. He smiled. The glory of Bosche would become even greater once they were done here. Their brilliance and fortune shining even brighter for the entire Grand Ocean and all the Hundred Kingdoms to see. One day, he promised to himself, one day he would bring Bosche into an age where it eclipsed even the vaunted memory of the Golden Empire. These soon-to-be slaves, these long forgotten, unique slaves, would be one of many steps. And once that griffon was dead, their primary enemy when it came to prowling the ocean would also be gone for good. With the pirates smashed and new revenue and slaves from the lizards, Bosche could work overtime to expand. Truly today would be a great day in the history of Bosche, there was so much about to be accomplished. And it would all be thanks to him. Glory to the Emperor, glory to Bosche, that was what truly mattered, but Bin’Tavy was certainly taking a fair bit of pride in this mission himself. “Senax. A while ago, back when I was in the True North, I met a friend who hated violence and fighting even more than you. What he wished for more than anything was a world where no one would have to fight anymore. But, as much as it hurt him to admit it, that world doesn’t exist today. I think one day we can make it—or our kids can make it if we all keep believing in friendship and harmony and make sure to pass it down to them—but it’s still not the world around us right now. I’m sorry, I know it hurts, I don’t like having to do this either, but if it’s to help you, my friends, and to stop pointless violence like what’s been going on here? Then yeah, I’m going to fight.” “Is there really nothing else that can be done? I wanted things to be different. I didn’t want to be like how my ancestors were out here.” “It’s okay, Senax. Sometimes you just have to do this. At least you know you did your best—and that’s more than a lot of ponies can say.” “Uh, I know you two are having a little moment here, but we’re kind of in the middle of something,” Daylight said. While Rainbow Dash and Senax hugged, to the left of them Daylight had put up a blue shield to stop the lizards from jumping atop and subduing them while to the right, Godfrey held off the others with his own bulk and strength. Gilbert and Breakwater were both ready to back Daylight up, knowing shields like this weren’t her forte. All the lizards around them were back to being just as agitated and antagonistic as before—no one wanted to talk anymore. Unfortunately, peace was off the table for now. “Sorry—just had a few words to say,” Rainbow Dash sighed as she stood up. She looked over at Godfrey as he held the other line. “Remember, there’s still no killing.” He rolled his eyes. “Yes, I remember. Am I allowed to talk again by the way?” “Shoot your mouth off all you want, this shouldn’t take long and it’s not like you could make the situation worse,” Rainbow said. “Please,” Senax said from on the ground beside her. “Please don’t be too hard on them.” “We won’t be. I promise,” Rainbow Dash patted her head. “Raaagh! Kill them! Kill outsiders! Liars! Liars of Ponyseidon!” The red-spotted lizard yelled as he watched his forces still being held at bay. He ran off to the side, to the edge of this level of the pyramid and started to shout below in his loud hissing language. Rainbow and Godfrey were at a loss but the others could understand his words: “All lizards! All hear me! Come and fight! War, war! Destroy the outsiders! Destroy the false others on the mountain!” Down below, the lizards of the city heard his manic shouts and the dark orders he yelled to them. Panic erupted, the young and the elderly, the female lizards, they reacted like a volcanic eruption was happening under their feet. A lot of the crowd dispersed and ran off to the rest of the city, mothers grabbed their children and looked for somewhere safe to hide. The reaction from the male lizards of fighting age was the opposite. Though surprised at first, though some of them still had that name, “Ponyseidon”, ringing inside their heads, the orders from their leader took over. Many of them grabbed whatever weapons were available, and those that couldn’t didn’t care. Already the bottom of the stairs were blocked off by the enraged lizards and it didn’t take long before they started to climb up the pyramid. “We’re going to have a problem soon!” Daylight said. “Then let’s deal with these ones up here quick—and don’t let the leader get away if he tries to run!” Rainbow said. She glanced at Daylight. “You can turn off the shield, stay by Senax and keep your eyes on the leader.” Daylight nodded and lowered her shield, conserving her magic. “Okay.” “Sounds like a plan!” Godfrey said and tossed away the lizards that were trying to get past him. Once the shield was gone, the lizards from the left tried to rush in. Breakwater and Gilbert were not exactly good fighters but all they needed to do was hold things for just a second as Daylight stepped back to cover Senax and Rainbow Dash stepped forwards to help them. One lizard reached his hand out toward Gilbert’s throat when suddenly his vision turned from normal to a fuzzy blue blur. The next thing he knew he was flying backwards until he collided with the wall of the pyramid and fell over in a slump. “Breakwater, Gilbert. You can both hang back too,” Rainbow Dash said as she walked past them. She wasn’t looking to join or fight with them. They were all just hers to protect right now. “There’s no reason for either of you to be put in danger, Godfrey and I will take care of this part.” Godfrey cracked his knuckles as he grinned maliciously at his half of the lizards. “Oh thank you, I’ve been wanting to have some more fun after all that walking and talking.” Rainbow Dash wasn’t smiling. Even as the rest of the lizards in front of her hesitated to attack after seeing what she had just done. There was nothing to be happy about. She looked across the faces of the lizards here and realized she recognized quite a few from the hunting party that had tried to kill her and Godfrey just earlier. “I’m going to give all of you a chance, because I don’t want to fight you and this doesn’t need to be happening. Just turn around, throw down your weapons if you have them, and walk away. Stop listening to your crazy leader. If you’ve got any ability to think for yourselves, then now’s the time to do it. Listen to Senax, listen to me, there’s no reason for you to fight like this—with us or with the other lizards here. Might be hard for you to believe, but we want the best for all of you. And no matter what, we’re bringing peace to this island. It’s up to you now to choose how that peace comes about.” She didn’t think she could’ve gotten them to stand still and listen to that, so she had to take out that one lizard first to get them to stop and reconsider what they were doing. It was Rainbow’s last attempt at handling this without anymore pointless violence. “Hiss!” One lizard loudly hissed and charged her. It only took one. The attempt with talking things out was over with and her intimidation didn’t work either. Time for her hooves. The first lizard got himself punched in the face with enough force to knock him out in one blow. Two more came at Rainbow Dash from the side but she flapped her wings and jumped over them. They weren’t used to fighting her while she could fly—or any sort of enemy while they could fly—and it showed. Not like it mattered even if they did have that experience. With her wings free, without any chains bothering her or linking her to Godfrey, Rainbow Dash was an entirely different pony. With another flap she flew towards the rest of the advancing lizards at high-speed. It almost looked to her as if they were moving in slow-motion and she was able to glide right through their ranks before most of them could even blink or realize what was happening. Her natural speed and agility combined with the way of moving and lack of wastefulness she had learned at the Archipelago turned her into an impressive weapon. Lizards like this couldn’t match up. To everyone watching it would’ve looked like some rainbow serpent had just slithered through the entire squad of lizards and then they just started falling over one by one. Rainbow Dash was doing it as calmly and simply as possible, never hitting one of them more than she needed to, never being excessive. She had a promise to keep with Senax. And this had to be finished with quickly. The red-spotted lizard saw this happening and gaped in both confusion and fear at Rainbow Dash when she finished her lightning flight and came to a stop. The sound of Godfrey tossing a few more lizards to the ground then also grabbed his attention and he squawked in disbelief at the powerful griffon effortlessly manhandling his other troops. Godfrey could’ve easily been done by now but he was relishing in getting to crack some skulls. At least he was listening to Rainbow Dash and not killing any of them. That was about all she could ask for from him. Seeing what was going on now, and how his forces actually up here on the same level of the pyramid as his him weren’t going to cut it, the leader tried running to the tunnel leading further inside the pyramid. He was immediately blocked off by both Gilbert and Breakwater running in front of him. Thanks to Rainbow Dash, they certainly had an easy job of making sure he didn’t escape. “How dare… how dare!” The red lizard started yelling louder. “Everyone… fight… fight here! Come here!” Shouting and noise from the stairs increased, the mob running up it to help their leader was only drawing closer. “Um, we’re going to have to do something about this very quickly!” Gilbert said. “Just because we’ve stopped their leader from fleeing doesn’t mean much with that army coming up here to help him!” “Can even you fight an entire city, Rainbow Dash?” Breakwater asked as the leader lunged at him and the earth pony had to start physically restraining him—it was good the lizard leader clearly had no fighting ability of his own. “Off! Off! Invaders! Scum!” The leader yelled as he tried clawing at Breakwater while Gilbert helped pacify him. “I dunno, maybe if I really let loose here,” Rainbow Dash frowned and started walking away from the now unconscious lizards all around her. Godfrey on the other side finally got bored of the weak opponents and decked the last lizard that still had the courage to be fighting him. He yawned and looked over at her and the others, raising an eyebrow as if to ask what they were going to be doing now. If he was concerned by the army coming up the pyramid he didn’t show it. Truthfully Rainbow Dash wasn’t too worried about it either, since she didn’t plan on actually fighting them all. She made her way towards the leader, and meanwhile Senax, Daylight, and Godfrey all came to join her so the entire group could circle around him. Angry as he was—he knew he couldn’t really do anything either. He turned from face to face, glaring at all of them, before finally stopping at Senax and giving her the most withering of glares possible. Senax couldn’t help but take a step back and wilt slightly under the gaze before Rainbow Dash laid a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. “Why don’t you tell him again what you want. But this time you’ve gotta let him know he doesn’t really have a choice,” Rainbow said.