"I approve." Tempest Shadow nodded along with the recounting back in Seaquestria. It was hardly surprising that the warrior mare was up for storming the beaches. The grin on her face spoke volumes of the misery and woe that mare could conjure at any given moment. I was thrilled I'd gotten her to swap sides. Magically poofing in a new limb will do that. That said, why she wasn't imprinting on Discord since he did the hard part is beyond me.
"You would," I agreed.
"Well, it's nice to know the ex-commander of the opposing military force we are about to siege is happy with these complications," Blueblood said. The poor ambassador was being shown what happens when one extends their governmental authority from jolly cooperation to aggressive negotiations.
"She would," Bright echoed. Since we'd returned to the ship, he'd buried his muzzle in his notepad.
"Still, this won't be easy."
Skystar sat aboard the Incandescence, messaging her temples. She had her head to the skies, scanning for some invisible sign. It was nice to have the extra numbers. Skystar's rescue squad was small, but they were well-versed in the terrain and the blindspots on Mt. Aris. They'd had years to perfect, sneaking back and forth. Brook rejoined us and looked almost half as antsy as his princess.
"To be fair, we are two and zilch on defeating crazy tyrannical jerks. So, that should count for something, right?" I asked.
"Except both of those fights were seven-on-one. This time, we have an entire island to take. Actually, that said, we've gotten pretty lucky on that front so far." Spade said as he tapped the tip of his namesake on the deck. He tapped a tune the whole while.
"True," Thorax said.
"Well, that's why we have Sombra. He's been in a few battles over the years. Right?" Bright asked.
"That would be accurate, yes. Between Tempest, Skystar, Sabre, and I, we have far better odds than one would think. Isn't that right, Tempest Shadow?"
Tempest grinned. Her horn crackled with arcane energy. The soft blue of her aura was a sharp contrast to her darker coat and mane. "I look forward to crushing Starlight and her ego into the dirt. She has always been a snake. This is just a justified reason to bury her."
"I am beginning to like this mare. Unfortunately, This Storm King found her first. She would have made a fine servant," Nightmare mused from her prison. I rolled my eyes. She would take to Tempest like fish to water. My inner thoughts were drawn to a halt as the conversation on the airship continued.
"Yeah, she's always been kind of a freak," Grubber added. He offered a look to his boss, who was too busy justifying the plethora of war crimes she could get away with.
"That is another concern. Starlight is a loose element. If she beats us to the island, knowing we most assuredly would follow. Then they would have plenty of time to shore up with the added numbers."
"Blueblood, please. We all know precisely what that would mean.
Sabre rested a hoof on Blueblood's shoulder. The latter goes silent, and the former takes in multiple sharp breaths.
"Then, we'll just have to beat her there. Right? Thorax said. He smiled, though it seemed more in habit than conviction.
"Guess so," I agreed. "So, Princess, what's the secret to getting on the island without sounding the alarms? The more we know, the better the preparations, right?"
"Right, sorry. This is all just a bit much. I know I volunteered."
Skystar looked to her comrades.
"We all did, Your Highness," Brook said. The other Seappogriffs added their own resolve. Skystar smiled, if only a bit. She took a deep breath and stood to her full height.
"Right, well, then, we don't have any time to lose. We'll have to go under before we come into sight. If the lookouts see the airship, we'll never get in. As long as we go in quiet, an underwater tunnel system leads deep into the mountain itself. We come out there, and we'll have a brief element of surprise. We'll have to act quickly from there on."
Sombra nodded. "From there, we'll need to divide and conquer. If we strike multiple points, we can disrupt the chain of command and crush the nerve center of the waiting Storm King's forces before they have a chance to counterattack." Sombra looks to Tempest. "Commander."
"It's not that complicated, honestly. The Yetis are more muscle than brains. Why do you think The Storm King had ponies leading his army. He can't be bothered to do it himself, and too few lieutenants have enough common sense to do more than hit things and breathe."
"And that is a roast," I said.
"Not half bad," Spade said.
"Scathing," Nightmare agreed.
"Right, so I assume there are at least a few thinkers on the island if you could manage to leave alongside Starlight simultaneously, yes?" Blue asked.
"Or, they didn't expect to be gone long," Thorax added.
"Both,"
Tempest shrugged. She waved at our collective. "To be honest. I expected to crush any resistance with relative ease. Ponies aren't exactly apex predators. You much prefer peace to war."
"You say that as if you weren't a pony yourself," Sombra said.
"I lost that piece of me a long time ago."
I clapped my hooves, drawing everyone's attention.
"Now, now, this is a judgment-free zone. Tempest is a friend now. There is no need to shame her for her past. Right, Sombra."
I narrowed my eyes and extended the last syllable for several seconds. The King huffed and looked away but said nothing more. Tempest seemed nonplussed and offered another shrug. Grubber gave me a thumbs up. I was glad to see the hedgehog was warming up to the group.
"So, who are the targets, the ones who run the show? Come on, I need faces and quirks and backstories. My audience demands it."
Bright had pulled up and hovered in front of Tempest, a pen being waved in her face. The sneer she wore, combined with the sparks sizzling from her horn, said more than enough on her thoughts of Bright's apparent disregard of all things private and space-wise.
"Bright," Blueblood said. His own magic flared up as he pulled Bright back down beside him. The thestral crossed his forehooves and grumbled about no respect for art. "Please, Commander, if you would."
Tempest let her magic fade, even as she eyes Bright warily. "I can name three. If those morons are disposed of before Starlight gets to Aris, we have a real chance of success. If not, we may lose our one and only opportunity altogether. We have no room for mistakes."
"Sounds fair."
"Having targets is useful, but not if we don't make it past the front door. Coming up from the Seaquestrian's secret tunnel gets us into the mines. Though we lack a map or the time to sneak past every yeti in the fortress of theirs." Blueblood said.
"Map junkie," Spade said, cracking a smile as Blueblood snorted defiantly. I rolled my eyes and motioned to Tempest.
"Actually, I wonder. If the yeties don't have long-reach communications, couldn't you walk in with them none the wiser?"
"Unlikely. Starlight, in fact, has means to communicate with nearly any and every base under Storm King's control. She's an insufferable egotist but isn't stupid or inept."
"Damn, there goes the easy way."
"If war were so simple, it would not be an art, would it not?" Nightmare asked. I didn't have nor desire to create an answer to her question. That was a slippery slope straight down the rabbit hole, and I was no Alice.
"If we possess an accurate gauge of where the three lieutenants will be, I may be able to teleport to their location. Perhaps with one or two passengers. If I split our forces between the three locations, we can handle all relevant personnel in the most quickly and efficiently."
"That would be helpful," Thorax said.
"Agreed, between myself and…" Skystar looked to Tempest and shivered. "...The Commander, we should be able to divvy up the most likely and discreet locations for each group."
"I'll get my tools," Blueblood said. He was gone before anyone could argue. A pep in his step as he whistled a nonsensical tune.
"Between him and Bright, we may have a pair of talent addicts among us," Spade said, earning an indignant huff from Bright Pitch.
"The plan is coming together. But what do we do once the lieutenants are dealt with? I doubt the Yeti's are just going to surrender." I said.
"Skystar," Sabre said.
"Yes?"
If we split to engage the fortress high forces, can your group cause a distraction? Nothing risky, just enough to draw the attention of the nearest yeti forces. If they are half as dumb as Tempest says, they won't suspect any subterfuge. It weakens any defenses the lieutenants may have in play."
Sabre gazed out into the distance. He was plotting every step taken with almost no intel at his disposal. He didn't earn Captainship on hero nepotism alone. It may have helped a little.
Tempest followed Sabre's gaze to the horizon. "With no leadership, they are liable to panic, and once panic sets in, curtailing the mindless brutes will be simple. Yeti's response to power. We have more than enough between us to keep them in line."
"It's true, the Storm King really put the fear of the strong in them. I almost feel bad for what the boss will do to them if they don't surrender," Grubber said. That earned a dark chuckle from Tempest.
"Skystar, if you would be so kind as to follow me, I'm sure Blue is ready by now. Tempest, could you come as well?" Thorax ushered the two away with little fanfare. That left the rest of us to our own devices and preparations.
"So, once again, I must bear witness to your frailty. You should seek to usurp control. To sow panic with no end goal leads to nothing gained. I pity how willing the likes of Sombra and even this Tempest Shadow are to cater to your allies' weakness."
There she was, like a cricket on my shoulder. I sighed and made my way to the deck railing. I gazed down into the passing waves. "You aren't completely wrong. But we're not going to kill them or whatever is going through your head."
"Fie, I say. Why should one slay what they can command? Break the yeti's will and force their subservience. Such simple creatures lack the necessary fortitude to resist."
"Well, that's better than genocide, I guess."
"You assume so little of me, whelp. If not for my power, you would have long since perished. We are stuck with one another, regardless of our own wishes. That is an unfortunate truth even I can not deny."
I gasped. "Careful, Nightmare, your humility is showing."
"May those you hold dear burn for your mockery," Nightmare responded. Her grin was less of a threat and close to but not quite teasing.
I was left caught off guard. I had nothing to respond with. All I could do was blink in surprise. The smile Nightmare wore shifted to smug, and as if the heavens themselves shone down upon us, the feeling of shock vanished.
"Whatever you say, Nightmare…" I said. I swallowed a lump in my throat and struggled with my following words. "...And thank you."
It was Nightmare's turn to look surprised. "For?" she asked.
"Saving Sabre, and then helping on the pirate ship. You could have just sat there and done nothing. But you didn't. So, thank you."
Nightmare Moon scoffed but did not look away. She stared deep into my eyes and down to my soul in the most physical, metaphysical way she could. Which was also her soul, frankensteined as it was.
"What type of god would I be if I did not protect my subjects? You owe me nothing but your allegiance. Your thanks are wasted on such trivial matters."
"Right, of course, how silly of me. I will henceforth keep that in mind, oh wise and divine Nightmare," I said. I gave my mind mate a deep, sniveling bow. To which she grinned in triumph.
"As you should. I have a feeling you will need my divine grace all too soon. Though I wretch at the reality, my power is weaved into your very being. A mortal has no place wielding such power."
I hissed. On that point, she was most likely correct. The more powerhouses we had on our side, the better. Even with the extra troops from Skystar, we were still utterly outnumbered and outgunned. Nightmare's power would help, but it alone couldn't solve everything. The fact it was mixed up with me made it all the more uncertain. I wouldn't speak to any sort of divinity, but Alicorn magic wasn't something I had any business wielding. I didn't even have normal magic, so Nightmare's was almost mind-melting.
If we could free Celestia and Luna, we might have had a chance of outmuscling Starlight and The Storm King's main forces. Well, there was also Discord. He'd pop in if the situation were genuinely unwinnable, but as much as I respect and like Discord, he was utterly ruled by whims. We all have our vices. Some are just more inconvenient than others.
"We will crush this petulant scum that dare claim himself royalty and the vapid witch he employs. They will rue the day they attempted to claim my kingdom. As well, to make away, with those of whom I share divine providence."
Nightmare vowed to the empty void around her. Her thoughts so loud I found myself mouthing along back in the Incandescence." It was only after she finished that something clicked in my head. I chuckled and smiled wide at Nightmare Moon. She'd slipped, and now, she was at my mercy.
"Shared?" I asked.
She realized what she said and wordlessly mumbled to herself. She looked about like she suspected an exit might appear slowly to hide her shame and embarrassment. She was met with no such luck.
"Care to explain?" I asked.
"Sharing divinity does not make us equals," Nightmare said.
"But the fact you share anything and seek to avenge them says more than you would have liked, no?"
Nightmare stomped, wings flared, fangs bared. "Silence."
So, I did. I sat there, grinning ear to ear, as Nightmare Moon shook in rage. She could lash out and curse all she liked. But she could not take back what was said. Nor, what it meant.
"Star."
I blinked back to reality. Sabre stood beside me. "Yeah?"
Sabre took a deep breath. "We need to talk."