Spike and Ember flew the ponies to Zephyr Heights, which was probably the most secure location. Not to mention the fact that it was the only city that wasn’t controlled Opaline now. Bridlewood was in a forest and quite easy to get to. The hoofull of Pegasi that had escaped with them flew behind with a few Earth Ponies and Unicorns that they’d managed to save before the defenders of Maretime Bay were overwhelmed. Unfortunately, many of the Pegasi soon had to touch down, unable to carry their passengers all the way like the large dragons could.
“We need to go down! We can’t leave them!” Sunny said.
It was unlikely Opaline would be able to catch up to them at this distance. She’d would have few if any Pegasi that could fly. Though she did have Right Light, so that was one at least.
Flurry nodded. “Take us down! We’ll walk the rest of the way.”
Ember sighed. “It would be quicker if we left them behind!”
“We can’t take any chances for their safety,” Spike told his mate. “We have to stick together.”
Ember sighed but didn’t argue. She was in truth glad they were finally back among ponykind and able to make new friends. All of her first pony friends had passed away including Twilight Sparkle. She was still blunt at times but she would help her new friends.
They walked the rest of the way. Any of them that could still walk anyway. Hitch was very badly injured along with a few others that were on Spike or Ember’s backs. Sunny still had the burns from Opaline’s surprise attack, but she was able to walk without too much trouble. Fireforge Destiny walked at her side.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Not really,” Sunny said. “I just lost my home… again!”
“Again?” Fireforge asked.
She looked at him. Of course, he didn’t know what had happened.
“A while back, my lighthouse was broken down when an Earth Pony tried to declare war on Pegasi and Unicorns. We had to rebuild it and-
Sunny suddenly remembered something that had been in the Brighthouse. Or rather, two somethings.
“Oh no! The Unity Crystals! The Lantern!” she exclaimed. “They were in the Brighthouse!”
“Oh, about that…” Zipp’s ears fell.
She explained about Right Light’s betrayal.
“Oh no!” Sunny said. “Now Opaline has the Unity Crystals!”
“She still probably isn’t strong enough to take the magic yet,” Misty said. “She’ll need a lot more power than she has!”
“You sure?” Zipp asked.
Misty nodded. “She said she needs a LOT of power before she can take the source of all magic in Equestria. She’ll have to take it from a lot of ponies or dragons. Either one.”
Flurry Heart nodded but looked uncertain. “My aunt Twilight was once empowered with the magic of my mother and Celestia and Luna! That was enough power to be equal to a large number of ponies in Equestria. I may not have as much magic power as they did back in the day, but its still greater than a fair number of ponies put together. If Opaline manages to capture me or Sunny and take our magic, she’ll be much closer then if she absorbed smaller amounts from less powerful ponies.”
“Which means we can’t be captured,” Sunny said.
Flurry nodded.
Fireforge wrapped a wing around Sunny. “I won’t let that happen. I’ve seen what my… mother is capable of. I’ll do what I can to help”
Sunny managed a smile at him. Despite her initial reluctance to believe he could change, Flurry smiled and thought maybe it could work.
Sunny sighed though. “I should have transformed into an alicorn right away! I let Opaline beat me!”
“Its not your fault honey,” Flurry said nuzzling her daughter.
“We almost had her!” Zipp cursed. “We were finally winning until magic vanished! We were so close!”
“It was all that jinxy traitors fault!” Izzy said.
“Yeah!” Rufus agreed. “The next time we see him we’ll give him what for with our awesome power!”
Everypony nodded, though they felt discouraged with their latest defeat. If they didn’t win soon, they could lose it all.
“But what about the lantern?” Sunny asked.
“I… didn’t see Right Light with it,” Zipp said. “Maybe it was still in the Brighthouse when Opaline set it on fire?”
“You mean it was… destroyed?” Sunny asked horror-struck.
“No, even if the lantern is destroyed the primbeem power could channel into something else,” Flurry said.
“Something like what?” Izzy asked.
They all had no idea.
…
As the Crystal Brighthouse burned, the blue purple flames created by Opaline soon reached the lantern by Sunny’s bedside table. As it burned, the magic inside exploded and spread around the entire building. The flames went out and light shined into the sky as the Brighthouse, which was visible as black and burned for a moment, took on a new form. A pair of towers sprouted out of its sides, giving it a more castle like appearance, albeit a dark castle that was black but still had the stain glass windows.
Opaline saw the magical flash in the distance as she flew over Maretime Bay, admiring her victory. She gasped as she saw the new castle.
“Oh, a new fortress!” she said with an evil grin. “Don’t mind if I do!”
She flew over and saw the inside was black, purple, and blue from her fire. It was still filled with smoke. She opened the door and all the windows to release it.
“The lantern exploded to save Sunny’s home and replace it with a castle,” Opaline realized aloud. “But all my fire magic must have caused it to take on a form more to my liking!”
She chuckled. “I’ll have to get my potions and set up a new magic pool in here to look at my enemies through. Though, that might not be necessary. They could only be in two places now most likely. Bridlewood, and Zephyr Heights.”
She thought for a moment, then realized the latter was more likely as the two Pegasus Princesses were from there and it was much more secure than that filthy forest town. She could burn Bridlewood to the ground easily if she wanted to. Though that would be excessively destructive and she had no desire to destroy it entirely. She’d lose so many potential resources there such as ponies, magic, and timber. She hadn’t had a problem with destroying her sworn enemies home, but it might be a good idea to avoid setting even one house on fire around there.
“Seems I’ll have to target the home of the Pegasi next,” the evil alicorn said. “This maybe difficult with the mountains around it.”
She got to the top floor where the Unity Crystal hand once been and saw her army gathered below the Brighthouse, or perhaps it should be called… the Darkhouse now? She’d have to redecorate it to her liking but this would make a fine base for the time being. Perhaps even permanently, that would add insult to injury if she were to actually live in Sunny’s home. She smirked before thinking.
“My army won’t able to fly, unless I were to give them their magic back… just temporarily,” Opaline put a hoof to her chin before laughing. “Nah! Only those that are truly worthy and loyal to me can wield magic.”
She then flew down to her army which also held captured ponies. She spotted an Earth Pony mare with an aqua coat and orange mane.
“You!” Opaline pointed her hoof. “What is your name and occupation in this backwater city?”
“Uh, Jazz Hooves and I’m a hooficurirst!” the mare said. “Please don’t hurt me!”
“I won’t!” Opaline said. “Though I can’t speak for my head torturer!”
Dirty Fighter laughed as he walked up to her side. Opaline then looked at Jazz with a smirk.
“Give me a good hooficure, and I won’t let him hurt you,” she said.
Jazz shuddered. Then a Pegasus with a finely combed mane walked out defiantly.
“You wanna hurt her you gotta go through me!” Rocky stated angrily.
“Oh, a dashing hero to the rescue huh?” Opaline as she bared down on him. “And what is your name and occupation?”
“I’m… Rocky Rift, her coworker and… coltfriend!” Rocky said backing up.
“Ah, you do hooficures as well?” Opaline asked.
“Mane is more my line of work,” Rocky said shuddering, his courage gone.
“Well, you can do my mane well she does my hooves,” Opaline said. “Unless you’d prefer to try and fight me for your freedom?”
She flapped her wings and they and her horn lit up in fire. Rocky gritted his teeth in fright.
“No, then kneel before me or I will have my torturer make you watch as he hurts your marefriend!” Opaline said.
Dirty approached Jazz who shuddered fearfully. Then Posey Bloom suddenly limped into view. She and the other captured ponies such as Windy, Dahlia and the Pipsqueaks had been escorted back to Maretime Bay once they got word of her victory. She had some partially healed wounds on her body.
“Do as she says Rocky!” Posey advised. “It will be much worse if you defy her! Trust me, I know.”
Seeing her state, Rocky relented.
“Please, don’t hurt Jazz,” Rocky said bowing reluctantly. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Good,” Opaline said. “First I’ll take your cutie marks, and then you WILL GIVE ME A MANE STYLE AND HOOFICURE FIT FOR A QUEEN!”
…
The Mane 6 (at least those that could still walk) and their allies made their way to Zephyr Heights at last. The Pegasi managed to use their wings to get themselves and carry on ponies over the mountains and entered the hills surrounding the city. They then continued onto the Royal Palace. Queen Haven was outside waiting for them.
“Oh my darlings!” she exclaimed as she saw them. “Are you alright? What about your friends?”
“We’re fine Mom,” Zipp said. “Mostly anyway.”
“Sunny got hurt a bit though,” Pipp said. “And so did Hitch! He’s even worse!”
Queen Haven gasped as she saw the stallion on Spike’s back with Sparky putting a claw on him in concern.
“Bring him and any injured to the castle infirmary!” she commanded. “And hospital if need be!”
They did so. Hitch was put on a stretcher and brought into the infirmary. Some of the other ponies that were too injured to walk were brought in as well, and others were taken to the hospital in the city. Sunny was inspected by the Pegasus nurse who rubbed a cloth dampened with healing salves on her chest where Opaline had shot her, Misty and Zipp near her. Pipp stood by Hitch’s bed with Sparky, Izzy, Rufus, and several critters that had followed them. Hitch was soon wrapped in bandages that had been laced with healing ointments.
“Well, he’s not in any danger of bleeding out but it will be at least a few days before he’s able to walk comfortably again,” the nurse monitoring the stallion said.
Pipp had mixed feelings about that. She was glad he wasn’t in critical condition but sad he was still so hurt.
“He’ll be okay, then?” she asked.
“Eventually,” the nurse confirmed. “We’ll have to keep him in here though.”
Pipp looked at Hitch who opened his eyes.
“Pipp?” he asked.
She nodded and put her hoof on his. “I’m here, Hitch.”
He winced as he tried to get up.
“You need to rest Mr. Trailblazer,” the nurse said.
Hitch, being a follower of rules, laid back down immediately.
“You’ll be alright,” Pipp assured him as she nuzzled him.
Zipp smiled at her sister and her coltfriend, but then the sting of the recent betrayal of Right Light entered her mind. She sighed.
“Excuse me, I need a moment to myself,” she said.
She made her way to her old room here. She closed the door behind her, and finally let it all out.
“I can’t believe I was so fooled!” she sobbed. “Right Light was just a bad pony the whole time! How could I not see it?”
She fell onto her bed and sobbed lightly. She wasn’t as dramatic as her sister but this was a pretty hard blow.
After a while, there was a knock on her door. She wiped her eyes not wanting anypony to see her crying and called, “Come in!”
Her door opened and Thunder entered the door.
“Hey, Zipp,” he greeted.
“Oh, hey Thunder,” Zipp said.
There was a moment of silence. Then Zipp finally spoke.
“So, I guess with Right Light’s defection to Opaline you’re now my only remaining suitor,” Zipp said.
“Guess so, unless you decide to hold another race or something to find more,” Thunder said. “I’m sorry about what happened.”
Zipp gazed down at her bed. “I just can’t believe I didn’t suspect him! My instincts are never wrong! I knew there was something off about Misty but… not him!”
“He was probably a much better manipulator then Misty ever was,” Thunder said.
“Maybe,” Zipp said. “Guess we got to stop him and Opaline and all her other minions now. Hopefully we’re not too late.”
“Well like you said, never give up,” Thunder said giving a small smile and offering her his hoof.
She took it and he pulled her off of her bed. She let off a final sob and wrapped her hooves around him. He slowly returned the hug with a blush.
“You’re an amazing pony, Zipp,” Thunder said. “I know you and your friends will find a way to stop these villains. And I’ll do my best to help.”
There was the sound of hoof claps and both of them looked to see Zoom Zephyrwing in the doorway.
“Congratulations Thunder, told you you could win her heart,” Zoom said.
“Uh, not sure I have yet,” Thunder said.
“Yeah, not quite,” Zipp said. “But you are now my number one suitor!”
He smiled at that.
…
Night soon fell over Zephyr Heights. Hitch slept in the infirmary of the castle. He wasn’t alone though, Pipp had decided to watch over him. Sparky and several critters were there as well, along with the injured here. How things had come full circle, they’d become a couple through him looking after her, now their positions were reversed. He was the sick… or in this case, wounded one between them. Sparky was asleep along with most of the critters while Kenneth the bird stood at attention.
Then Hitch opened his eyes.
“Uh,” he groaned then saw her. “Oh, morning Pipp.”
She looked at the clock nearby and giggled. “Its actually only 10 pm so not quite morning yet.”
“Oh, ha ha silly me!” Hitch managed a laugh.
He then sighed. “But now I’m so rested I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to sleep!”
A snore from another wounded pony nearby sounded, and Pipp had to agree. How any of them could sleep in here was beyond her. She looked at Hitch and an idea occurred.
“Come on, lets go to my room,” she said.
She took him by the waist and managed to lift him out of bed. Even though she was the smallest of their group of friends she still had surprising strength. She flew them to her room which thankfully wasn’t too far and they settled on her bed.
“Whoa,” Hitch exclaimed. “You sure you can do that?”
She giggled, “Hitch I’m a princess of course I can!”
Pipp then looked at him and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. He wrapped his hooves around her waist and they laid on bed.