Though we'd only been away for a few days, Quilt had begged me to visit, so Frill and I had teleported to her and now sat in the living room of her tiny house in Ruffleton. She and Cozy had returned to the village after my departure since they weren't really part of the staff, and Graggle had been reorganizing the castle to suit the needs of the military. Currently, Quilt was to my left and Frill to my right, and both were competing for space on my lap.
"So, why are you volunteering at that unicorn school?" Quilt asked as Frill shoved her face away.
"Not volunteering. Professor Ponder offered me decent pay if I took part in his class on supernatural and dark magic creatures," I explained, relaxing in my seat and staring at the ceiling.
"Sure, but what'd'ya need the money for?" Quilt insisted and she pushed back on Frill's hoof, squawking and nearly tumbling to the ground when Frill yanked it back.
"I've been wondering the same thing, but he won't tell me," Frill replied, giving me a critical leer. "We haven't even been together a month, and he's already keeping secrets." I smiled and scratched her neck, earning a happy hum from her.
"Sure, but you'll like this secret," I said before my smile fell. I looked to the side and saw Quilt pulling my other hand with her teeth. I rolled my eyes and started scratching her as well. "It's been informative for me too. For instance, that business about getting inside that apartment without an invitation was a benefit of being a vampiric sorcerer since the 'invitation ward' only counts for natural entryways, not magical ones." She hummed and slid forward onto my lap, butting Frill with her head as she did so.
"Also, that business you told me about magic affinities, and all goes deeper than I realized."
"Mm, what'cha mean?" Quilt purred before Frill stretched and bopped her on the snout.
"Oh, sorry," she cooed and rolled onto her back further onto my lap, shoving Quilt off.
"Well, Twilight helped Ponder with a demonstration of how blood lets me steal affinities," I explained, holding the snarling Quilt at bay before she could pounce on Frill. "Turns out that I was hitting my 'spell bottle-neck.'" That calmed Quilt down, and her ear twitched as she gave me a look of curiosity.
"What's that?"
"Once a unicorn, or any spell caster I guess, starts learning spells, if they aren't in their affinity they steadily lose the ability to cast them," I smiled at her. "Sort of like how illusions are already kind of clunky for me." She looked up and tapped her chin in thought.
"Huh, so you actually have an excuse for sucking at illusions," she hummed. She furrowed her brow and turned to me. "But you've drank my blood, and I'm great at illusions." I nodded.
"Anything I get from blood besides being fed only lasts until the next sunrise, at least according to Ponder," I shrugged. "So that's long since over." Her eyes shifted as she considered the information, and then she jolted and gave me a concerned look.
"Are you getting enough blood?" She hastily demanded. I flinched at her tone, and Frill sat up.
"The princess is feeding him just fine, though she definitely can't provide as much as we got here in Woollachia," she explained, drawing Quilt's attention. "Canterlot Castle has a lot of imported meat for visiting delegates who eat such things, and she has her staff drain the blood anyway." Quilt looked back at me, and I nodded and knit my hands behind my back now that they were free.
"Of course, I can't just grab a bottle of the stuff whenever I want, but that was always more of a luxury," I shrugged. "Probably for the best I cut back anyhow." Her ears fell back, and she looked off to the side.
"You saved the whole scruffing country from the Diamond Dogs, and they just kicked you out," she grumbled. I pulled her into a hug, which failed to make her smile. "They could've at least waited till after Mid-year Sheer." I raised an eyebrow and looked at Frill, who gasped and held a hoof to her mouth.
"Goodness! I almost forgot!" She cried, causing Quilt to wriggle out of my grip and stare at her.
"How?! As hot as it's been lately, it shouldn't be possible to just forget," she cried with disbelief. Frill humphed and looked away with her nose in the air.
"I've been busy with my new ram-friend, thank you very much!" Quilt rolled her eyes and shook her head before looking at me.
"Can you believe her?" I blinked and looked between the two of them.
"The fuck is 'the mid-year sheer?'" I asked. They blinked and shared a look before laughing.
"Right, sorry," Quilt said between giggles. "Mid-year Sheer is the hottest day of the year in the middle of summer, so everywooly shaves off their wool and then hold a big celebration for making it halfway through the hot season."
"It's the most important holiday in Woollachia, Peter," Frill added, wrapping her foreleg around my arm, and nuzzling my shoulder. "Traditionally, it's also when ewes pick who they're going to spend the winter with." I nodded with a hum and held her hoof. Quilt gagged and shook her head.
"Who cares about that?" She sat down and held her hooves to her cheeks with a wistful leer in her eyes. "The beer. The cheeese." She moaned and slowly fell to her side against me. Frill snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Well, sounds pretty neat. When is it?" I asked, nudging Quilt off of me, causing her to theatrically collapse on her other side with a louder moan. Frill hummed and rested her head on my shoulder.
"This Friday," she replied quietly. "But if you can't be there, I don't want to attend." I looked down at her and rubbed her hoof.
"I don't want you to miss out on something cause of me." She nuzzled my shoulder in response and closed her eyes. Quilt slowly rolled to a sitting position and tapped my other shoulder, directing my attention to her clock by the front door.
"Didn't you say you had another class to do?" She asked with a sad smile. I hummed and rocked my head.
"Yeah, Twilight's helping Ponder do a demonstration on alchemy's effect on vampires," I sighed. "She's reproduced some of Candy's weirder potions, as a matter of fact." Quilt nodded and hugged my arm.
"What kind of potions?" She asked before releasing me.
"Well, the one she was most excited about was, aw hell, what was it?" I closed my eyes in thought, then snapped my fingers. "Right, you mix some vampire blood in, then feed it to a body drained of blood. Immediately resurrects them as a ghoul in their service."
"Wow!" She huffed. "How'd he come up with that?" I shrugged, cradled Frill, and stood up.
"Guy was something else, at least according to Twilight. She's been poring over his notes ever since Blueblood found them." Quilt shot to her hooves and reared up on my leg.
"How's he doing, by the way? He talk about me?" She tilted her head with a hopeful smile, causing Frill to giggle. I smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, he said to wish you well when we got here," I said. She scowled and beat her hoof against my hip.
"You should've opened with that!"
"My mistake," I ruffled her head wool and winked. "Tell, Hasty, Sunbeam, and Cozy we said hello."
"Divination is a legitimate and very practical form of magic, Peter," Twilight griped as she walked just ahead of me down the castle hall. I shrugged and continued shuffling the cards we'd used during Ponder's class.
"Don't doubt it, I was just saying that the whole 'Is this your card?' routine probably wasn't the best showing of its features," I explained. She snapped her wings and fluttered up to eye level with me.
"It was for theatrics! Education can be fun!" I smiled and raised a finger to retort when I saw a guard rushing toward us from further up the hall.
"Princess Twilight, Mr. Harlow!" He yelled, causing Twilight to land and turn to him. "Come to the throne room, quickly! Princess Skystar has been found!" Twilight gasped and we both took off towards the throne room. Our magic worked in tandem and hurled the doors open once they were in sight, allowing us to come to a sliding stop and then-
"Heck of an entrance, Prince Walking Corpse," came a greeting in a cool, condescending tone I immediately recognized. Celestia, Luna, Coralbeak, and Skystar were there too and one of them said something. But I was too focused on him.
Slowly, deliberately, I entered the throne room, and he turned and walked towards me. We very quickly found ourselves standing face to face.
"Van Katskills," I hissed, clenching my fist.
"Nosferatu," he chortled. I briefly looked him over and saw he was unarmed.
"No knives today?"
"Here on peaceful business," he leaned with a smile. "Happy to change that if you like."
"That's enough," Celestia declared, suddenly appearing and separating us with her wings. "You will set aside your animosity for the moment." We both looked at her and the serene expression on her face, which didn't match the firm tone with which she spoke. Karl took a step back, and I relaxed my fist.
"Sorry, Celestia," I murmured. She hummed and returned to her throne while Karl and I shared a final look before he approached the throne. I took a breath and looked down at Twilight, who gave me a concerned smile. Together, we walked towards the throne, giving Karl a wide berth. As we did, I finally noticed the pile of bags he must have brought with him.
"Now, let's have no more harsh words and hear what Mr. Van Katskills has to say," Celestia said as she sat down next to Luna. "If you would?" She gestured to Karl who bowed with his arms folded.
"Right, so as I was saying, Bubsy deployed me to liberate the dear Princess Skystar from Adam, who it turned out we knew the location of all this time," he said with a curt nod.
"It was crazy!" Skystar suddenly blurted out, tugging on Coraltail as she spoke. "All of a sudden, the guards of my cell went running, and then the bars got sliced up and Mr. Katskills pulled me out!" I looked from her to Karl, who wore a genuine smile at Skystar, but it quickly turned maniacal when he saw me staring.
"Where was she being kept?" Luna asked, at which Karl hissed a laugh and reached into one of his bags.
"At the Storm Isles," he pulled a severed hippogriff head from the bag and held it up. "Alongside this lout who was in cahoots with the vampire." Twilight gasped and Coraltail cried out.
"Admiral Tide Claw!" He whipped around to Skystar. "This cannot be true?" His expression hardened when she nodded, averting her eyes from the grisly display.
"He actually welcomed me to the island when Adam brought me there," she murmured.
"And for that, he died!" Karl fell into a cackling fit as he stowed the head and slid the bag towards Coraltail. He snapped and pointed a finger at all of us. "But that wasn't all I found out!" He opened his other bags and began pulling books and papers out.
"Adam flew the coop once I started laying into his grunts, but as a result, he left behind a lovely set of gifts for us!" He held up a black book with golden ink on its cover. Celestia gasped at the sight and quickly swept it up in her magic as he presented it.
"The stolen tome!" She cried. "You-"
"BUT WAIT!" Karl screamed, causing her to flinch. She furrowed her brow and gave me a strange look before turning back to Karl. "There's more." He snickered and grabbed one of the papers which unfolded to reveal a map with marks all over it. He spread it out on the floor and stepped back with a theatric sweep of his paws.
"This here seems to be what Adam and his crony were using to scheme up their movements and those of their allies abroad," he bent over and tapped one of the points. "All of whom he kindly named. Here's Tide Claw, and there's Catrina." He tapped a second point further to the maps' left, which had 'Abyssinia' in big bold letters. He swept his paws out and bowed back away from the map, allowing Celestia to sweep it up too.
She wore a look of shock that everyone else shared, myself included. I shook my head in bewilderment and stared at Karl. Once again, his easy smile turned malicious when he met my eyes.
"This is incredible, Mr. Van Katskills," Celestia said while looking between the map and the book. "I cannot adequately express my gratitude for this!"
"Indeed, but that does raise the question," Luna added with a critical leer. "What does the Catican expect in return?"
"Yeah, and you said you guys already knew where Adam was, but your boss didn't tell us," Twilight said with a scowl. Karl nodded and hummed.
"Wasn't my call, and I'm not even sure what changed," he rocked on his heels with a smile. "But it's not like I was aware of how much we knew. Bubsy kept it all a secret from me since he knew if I knew, I'd've hunted Adam down ages ago."
"If Bubsy's so secretive, why would he approve of you sharing all this information with us now?" Twilight pried.
"Oh, that's the fun part!" Karl snickered and leaned towards Twilight with a single claw pressed to his lips. "He didn't." Twilight and I shared a look.
"Why the heck are you sharing this with us without his approval?" I asked, giving him a critical glare.
"Hah! Cause pissed me right off. Our scouts had Adam's location all this time, and he didn't tell me 'cause he was waiting on one of you to make a deal with him," he declared, clutching his paws at the open air and snarling. "Said it'd be a waste to slay him for no pay!" He made a subdued grunt of frustration. I furrowed my brow and looked at Celestia, who spared me a moment's glance before focusing on Karl.
"Of all the lousy lowdown, greedy," he ranted and paced the floor. "The Catican's supposed to be better than that!" He folded his arms and let out a feral huff, before turning to us with a smile.
"So yeah, you have fun with all this! I need to get back to the Catican to make my report," he kicked most of the bags towards the throne but fished a stack of papers out of one. "This set especially is very entertaining. Think Adam was writing this himself!" He leafed through and hummed.
"'All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the field,'" he read aloud with a theatric inflection, slowly stepping towards me as he did. "'The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever.'" He hummed and made an expression of amazement.
"I like that! Reminds us of the temporary nature of life," he slowly leered at me with that hateful smile. "And how natural it is for it to end." He raised an eyebrow and dramatically handed the stack to me with a wink. I considered lighting it on fire when Twilight gasped and yanked it from his paws.
"Adam wrote this?" She whispered and began reading the stack. Karl gave her an annoyed stare before meeting my eyes. We held each other's gaze for a hard minute before he smirked and slithered back.
"You have Queen Novo's thanks for your efforts, Karl van Katskills," Coraltail declared.
"And the coalition's as well," Celestia added. "Truly, I thank you for this."
"Aw, weren't nothing! I live for the hunt," he cast a toothy grin my way before leaping out the door and vanishing with a cackle.
"Asshole," I said under my breath. Coraltail stepped forward and looked up at Celestia.
"I must send word to the queen at once," he declared with a bow.
"Yes, and we must contact our fellows in the coalition," Celestia replied, looking over the map with a critical stare. "If this map is genuine, we now know who has betrayed us for the enemy." She looked at me.
"Peter, I would like you to be ready to teleport to one of our allies, seeing as you should have no trouble clearing the distance. All we need do is arrest just one of the traitors and use their blood bond with Adam to hunt him down." I gave a firm nod.
"Sure thing, I'll let Quilt know," I frowned and hummed. "When you think that'll all go down?" She studied the map again.
"Perhaps tomorrow you can make the journey, and then, depending on how long it takes to assess the legitimacy of these claims, the hunt for Adam can take place a day after that," she declared, looking back at me. I snapped my fingers.
"Awesome, 'cause I was aiming to take Frill somewhere tonight."
"How's that?" I asked once I finished Frill's left braid. She hummed and appraised herself and the new dress I'd gotten her in the mirror before smiling.
"Perfect. Thank you, Peter," she leaned back in my lap and nuzzled my chin before giving me a critical leer. "Though, I wish you'd tell me what I'm getting so dressed up for."
"Why don't I just show you?" I wrapped my arms around her and teleported us to Blueblood, who was waiting in a dark box seat overlooking an only partially crowded theatre. Frill shook her head from the sudden warp and looked around us.
"Ah, there you are Master," Blueblood greeted, rising from his seat and handing me the theatre's program. "As you can see, everything's ready."
"Peter?" Frill murmured as I set her in one of the seats and took the program.
"Fantastic. Thanks, buddy," I chirped and took my seat. He bowed before slipping through the curtain and leaving us alone. I sighed and smiled at Frill, who raised an eyebrow at me.
"So, this is what you've been planning, hm?"
"Yep. The day after we moved in, I heard them practicing and did some asking around. When I heard what this performance was, I knew I had to take you here," I pointed a thumb at the curtain Blueblood had left through. "Blueblood helped me set it all up, and the cash I've been getting was paying him back for getting us in. Despite his objection that he do it for free." The lights over the theatre began to dim and the curtains on stage were rolled back. Frill sighed and smiled.
"Well, fine. But what's so important about this-" The music kicked in with a familiar tune I'd heard from her music box, and her attention immediately snapped to the stage. She watched in wonder as the lights lit up the set, revealing a scene I knew she recognized: A pony mare in a convincing sheep costume wandering a forest alone, seemingly unaware of the tall stallion dressed as a white deer spying on her.
"Cariburn and Ewesult," she gasped.
"Not bad, huh?" I asked, leaning over and nudging her. She turned to me and I wagged a finger at the stage. "See, I didn't know that music box was based on the stage adaption of that book you love until I heard them practicing it."
She stared at me evenly for a hard minute, occasionally turning back to the stage before finally giving me a teary-eyed smile and falling onto my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her and rested my head atop hers while we watched the show.
The moon was high in the sky by the time the play ended, so I flew Frill up to the highest point of the castle and rested on it with her curled up in my lap.
"This was lovely, thank you, Peter," she said after a few minutes of star gazing. I curled one of her braids around my hand.
"Even if we weren't a couple, you deserve nice things like this," I replied. "Speaking of." I leaned forward slightly to look her in the eyes as she looked back at me.
"I think you should go to the Mid-year festival." She blinked and frowned.
"Peter-" I shushed her with a finger.
"We're going to be hunting Adam over the weekend, so you'd be here on your own anyway. You might as well go hang out with Quilt and Cozy." She scrunched her muzzle and stared hard at me for a moment before murmuring and laying her head down.
"Fine," she turned and reached up to bop me on the nose. "But if you get back early, you come pick me up right away!"
"Only if you're not having fun," I replied. She gave me a critical stare before humping and relaxing on my lap.
"I won't."
"You might."
"Fat chance." I scooped her up in a hug.
"Just think the beer and cheese, like Quilt said." She scoffed and tapped me on the head.
"I barely drink, you motherscruffer." I jolted and looked at her in surprise as she failed to suppress a grin.
"Hoh hoh HOH!"
The following morning, while Frill was still sleeping, I'd been summoned to the throne room with Coraltail by Celestia to discuss what her communications with the rest of the coalition had yielded.
"Glass Jaw?" I gawped and blinked. "You're joking?" Celestia shook her head and held up the map.
"He's the younger brother of the Minister of Ironclad, and according to Minister Coal has been known as something of a schemer," she explained, gesturing at the minotaur city of Ironclad on the map with a wing. "So it's not too shocking to him that he turned traitor." She rolled the map and smiled.
"Still! We must offer him a chance to defend himself, at least according to United Cities legal traditions. However, Coal seems certain, so he's the best for you to go after for a quick resolution." I exhaled and shook my head.
"Were you able to get ahold of Calaeno?" I asked and put my hands on my hips.
"Oh yes, she'll be along by this evening," Celestia replied. "She asked me to tell you the ship is handling quite well and to thank you again on her behalf." I clapped and stretched.
"Great. I'm going to rush Frill back to Woollachia real quick, then I'll be off to the United Cities." Celestia furrowed her brow and nodded, but Coraltail raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you sending her there?" He pried. I shrugged and smiled.
"I'm going to be busy this weekend anyhow, and there's a festival this Friday. So, I figure she can have fun there with Quilt and Cozy." Coraltail furrowed his brow and slowly nodded.
"I see. Well, good luck to you, Mr. Harlow."
"So, run the plan by me again?" Quilt asked as we brought the mixture to a boil. While dropping Frill off with her, she suggested I bring her the materials for the potion she used to find Candy through his blood bond.
"Once we get someone with a blood bond, we'll use your potion to turn them into a compass effectively, and Calaeno will sail the Elements of Harmony and me after him," I declared, earning a nod from Quilt but a grumpy squeal from Cozy.
"Why's it gotta happen so close to Mid-year Sheer?" She grumbled.
"Can't be helped," I shrugged and ruffled her head to her incredible outrage. I snapped my hand back before she could enact whatever dark machinations the look in her eyes suggested. "Look at it like this, you might not be there to stake the last vampire, but you'll be keeping Frill company." I smiled and gestured to the ewe at my side who was leaning against me with a sad look.
"And that's way more important to me, at least." Cozy grumbled but nodded and approached Frill to nuzzle her, steadily drawing a giggle from her.
"Y'know, now that you've said it, I sort of just realized," Quilt said as she added some crushed flower petals to the brew. "Adam only ever turned Verko into a vampire as far as we know, didn't he?" We shared a look and I hummed as I magically heated the basin she was using.
"Yeah, Karl would've mentioned any other vampires, I'm pretty sure."
"Good!" Cozy declared. "Four was always three too many, and that's only cause you're well-trained." I raised my eyebrow at her but then tilted my head.
"Hey, where's Sunbeam?" She flinched and rolled her eyes before scowling.
"Graggle's been pulling all the guards back to Ramstead for some kind of training regimen or something," she sighed and kicked the floor. "He wanted Sunbeam and Hasty involved, too. Haven't seen either of them since, so they must be pretty busy." I furrowed my brow and considered sneaking up to see what Graggle was up to.
"Alright! It's ready!" Quilt chirped. But it would have to wait. Working together, we quickly filled a few bottles of her potion before I picked up and hugged Frill.
"Alrighty, I'll see you soon," I whispered. She murmured something into my shirt and nodded. I set her down and gave Quilt a scratch on her ear.
"You girls have fun."
"Bye, Peter! Hurry back!" Quilt replied.
"Give that creep one for me!" Cozy added.
"Love you, Peter," Frill said quietly without looking at me.
"Love you, too."
Minister Brass Jaw roared as he chased Glass Jaw around the parliament floor with a wooden board. Glass Jaw hollered as he dove through the other ministers, who cheered on Brass as he barreled after his brother. From my place next to Coal, I had a perfect view of the two brothers tumbling to the ground and crashing through someone's desk.
"So, what happens now?" I quietly asked as Brass pinned Glass by the throat. Coal hummed and nodded.
"Now, the interrogation by his city's minister, Brass obviously, begins," he snorted as the board cracked down, drawing a shriek from the younger minotaur.
"Is this how you handle all criminal disputes?" Coal bellowed a laugh and shook his head.
"Not at all! Only treason and breaking of a familial promise or bond," he raised an eyebrow at the two brothers as Brass hesitated and leaned in with an ear to his brother. "Both of which Glass is accused of." He turned to me and folded his legs before jabbing a finger in the open air.
"Now, typically, we would have a pre-trial where evidence and statements of the accused's character are collected," his pointing hand opened and swept to the brothers. "In this case, Glass was ejected from his seat in this government for embezzlement, coercion, and conspiracy. In fact, it was the Storm King's invasion that saved him from prison time." I pursed my lips and nodded, but before I could pry further, Brass stood up and thrust his board into the air.
"He admits it!" The entire cabinet of ministers burst into cheers before Glass was hauled and then hurled to the floor in front of Coal, who immediately adopted a more severe posture and snorted. Glass rolled onto his hands and knees and stared at Coal fearfully while his brother came stomping up behind him.
"Is it true, Glass Jaw? Have you betrayed the United Cities to the vampire Adam?" Coal asked firmly and evenly. Glass whimpered and pressed his head to the ground.
"Yes, it is true," he moaned and shook his head. "I beg the mercy of the cabinet." A chorus of boos filled the room until Coal held up a hand.
"Honorable Ministers, this tiny idiot has failed the United Cities, but he may yet be of use to us," he dramatically held a hand out at me. "Peter Harlow can draw intelligence on Adam's location from the traitor if we let him deliver him to Canterlot."
"Do it now so we can kill him!" Someone yelled out to a cacophony of cheers. Coal and I shared a look.
"I'll need to keep him alive for a little while to find where Adam is," I explained, holding up my hands. "After that, I'll get him right back to you all." Coal nodded and held out a hand to the congregation.
"Does that sound acceptable? Shall we vote?" The minotaurs grumbled and rapidly huddled into smaller groups, which Glass leered at in fear. They whispered amongst themselves for a moment before all nodding and grunting in tandem and facing Coal.
"We accept! Kill Adam first, then we kill Glass!"
"The motion carries!" Coal declared and pumped his fist, causing Glass to collapse with a whimper.
"If all goes well, this is the last rodeo. You sure you don't want in?" I jeered and nudged Capper as we walked side-by-side to the conference room. He shuddered and held his paws up.
"Nah, I've met my quota on getting stabbed for the year. Besides, I was only ever supposed to be the guy who drums up directions," he tugged on his coat.
"Fair enough. What're you going to do now?" He hummed and knit his paws behind his head.
"Well, Celestia offered Calaeno'n me a pretty hefty reward for our part in all this, so I 'spose I'll just hang out until payday." I nodded as we reached the door.
"Fair choice," I gestured and the door flew open. Inside, Celestia, Luna, Twilight, her friends, Calaeno, and Blueblood were waiting and greeted us. Sitting with his arms crossed in a chair at the center of the room was a very pissed-off Glass Jaw in the middle of a salt circle we'd prepared for when I got him here.
"I'm not doing anything until I have your word you won't let those maniacs kill me!" The minotaur huffed. Celestia sighed and shook her head.
"I can only promise to advocate on your behalf, but I cannot interfere with the United Cities' justice system." Blueblood stepped next to Glass and drew his attention.
"What you should really keep in mind is you're only alive while the Master finds a use for you," he raised an eyebrow and gestured to me with his head. "If you won't be useful, he might just give you back to them." Glass grit his teeth and looked between me and Celestia, before hugging himself and muttering. Celestia tilted her head.
"May I take that as your willingness to begin?" Glass grumbled and sighed.
"Yes yes, fine!" He looked her in the eye. "But I haven't even heard from him in days!"
"Just relax and drink this," Twilight replied and hovered Quilt's potion to him. He flinched at the bottle and gave Twilight a suspicious scowl before taking it. He murmured and looked at Celestia who nodded, at which he exhaled and quickly threw back the potion.
"Alright, what-" Luna and I worked in tandem and mesmerized him before knocking him out. Celestia swept the salt away and we woke him up. He blinked and scanned the room. "What'd I miss?"
"Call Adam, and tell him we wish to speak," Celestia demanded. He flinched, but when I nodded my head he replied in kind and focused for a minute. Celestia hummed. "Well?"
"He's.." Glass tilted his head. His eyes shifted around, and then he looked at me. "He says he's waiting for you and the Elements."
"Where?" Celestia pressed before I could react. His eyes remained fixed on me.
"He says you'll find him in a cave in the southern badlands, far to the east of the Changeling Hive," he scanned the air again. "He'll light a fire to let you find him." Twilight and her friends shared a look.
"He wants us to find him?" Rainbow huffed.
"Why?" Fluttershy added. I looked at Celestia, who wore a severe expression.
"A trap, perhaps," she said quietly. Glass jolted and narrowed his eyes.
"He says he wants the Elements to destroy him, not the vampire. He won't resist." A tense silence gripped the room, and Celestia and I shared a bewildered look.
"Well! If that brute wishes to tussle, I for one intend to give him what he asks for!" Rarity declared.
"Darn tootin'" Applejack added with a stomp. "And if'n he wants to make it easy on us, all the better." Glass scanned the air and leaned back in his seat.
"He isn't saying anything else." I stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder.
"Where is Adam?" He blinked and his eyes shifted around.
"I, uh.. South and West. There's a canyon, and.. a cave, I don't," he gave me a wary look, which then mirrored at Celestia. She hummed and turned to me.
"It is three days to the badlands. The sooner you leave, the sooner the legitimacy of his surrender may be revealed," she held a wing out to the entire group. "Be quick and be safe, my friends. Bring Glass Jaw with you as planned to keep track of Adam."
"If he's giving up, shouldn't we bring him back here?" Fluttershy meekly offered.
"It sounds like he's planning on going down out there, so I wouldn't be surprised if he starts a fight," Calaeno retorted.
"Still, it's all kind of strange, if you ask me," Twilight hummed and held a hoof to her chin.
"As Celestia said, it may merely be a trap," Luna declared. I took a breath and cracked my shoulder.
"Guess we'll find out."
She'd only had it for a couple of days, and my old airship was already completely unrecognizable thanks to Calaeno and her crew's aesthetic choices. The sinister black balloon had been dyed red or replaced, and the dread-inspiring grey hull was now a motley assortment of colors, much like her old ship had been.
Even though it was my gift to her, I couldn't deny it stung a bit seeing the ship peeled free of its malevolent looks. As Calaeno and I paced the deck in the moonlight, I pondered how visible we would be from a distance especially now that we were sailing over the barren wastes of the badlands.
"Think he's really out here?" I idly queried and leaned on the railing. Calaeno joined me and hummed, scanning the dark horizon.
"Hopefully. I'm sick of this cat-and-mouse game he's pulled us into. I'm ready to get back to hunting for treasure and scuffling with haughty merchants." I chuckled and turned to her.
"That's your plan once we're all wrapped up? Straight back to piracy?" She scoffed and nudged me.
"It's been my calling for as long as I can remember," she folded her arms on the rail and stared into the open sky with a wistful smile. "The Storm King took it from me, so of course I'm eager to get back to it."
"Fair enough."
"What about you?" I blinked and looked at her. She leveled a concerned stare my way. "What are you going to do once Adam's dead?" I frowned and looked out at the sky. I hadn't thought about that at all. I leaned on the rail like she did and hummed in thought.
Once Adam was dead, what did that mean for me? If the Remnant fleet was still functioning, the dragons could handle them. The coalition would probably be dissolved. I wasn't welcome in Woollachia for the time being. I rested my chin on my crossed arms and idly rubbed my thumb along my other fingers. Then I smiled and snapped my fingers.
"Gonna take Frill somewhere nice again, and talk it out with her," I said with a nod before standing up straight. Calaeno hummed and patted me on the shoulder.
"Good choice."
"Captain!" The lookout cried. "Smoke to the south!" We both snapped to attention and leaned over the railing. Even from this distance, there was plainly a pillar of smoke rising into the sky.
"No fucking way," I huffed. Calaeno laughed and pulled a whistle from her coat, and blew into it. Within moments, Blueblood, Twilight, her friends, and the entire crew were on deck and staring out at the signal to our south.
"How far is that?" Twilight asked Calaeno, who was looking at the sight through her spyglass.
"Hm. We should be right on top of him in two hours," she replied before stowing her glass. "Best get everything ready." Twilight nodded and teleported a box to her side, which she and her friends gathered around. I watched with curiosity as the box opened, and a set of necklaces and a tiara floated out of the box, and then onto each of them. Each item had a jewel that matched each of their cutie marks.
"Those must be the Elements I've heard so much about," I said, drawing their attention to me. Rainbow grinned and puffed her chest and her Element out.
"Sure are! These-"
"Peter?" I blinked at the sudden call from Quilt, but before I could reply she kept speaking. "Peter, I'm so scruffing sorry. I got knocked out out." My jaw fell open and my eyes shifted around.
"What?"
"They attacked Ruffleton and trashed the whole place. Cozy got hurt trying to fight them and they smacked me with a club when I tried to help her."
"Who?!"
"The Catican, early today." Those mother- "Peter, they took Frill."
Everything went cold. I was suddenly very aware of everything around me and could hear the heartbeats of everyone onboard the ship. They were saying something to me, but I couldn't hear them over the beating.
"They left a message with Shawl. They want you to come to the Katskills alone. If you don't, they're going to kill her." I think I stopped breathing then.
Eternity is wasted on hatred, Mr. Harlow.
"I don't know what the guards are doing. Shawl sent for help, but the castle gate is locked. I'm so sorry, Peter." My head swayed and I gripped the rail to keep my balance.
"Peter?" Twilight squeaked.
"But if you can't be there, I don't want to attend."
"I made her go," I whispered.
"What?" Twilight asked.
Eternity is wasted on hatred, Mr. Harlow.
"I put her there."
"Here on peaceful business. Happy to change that if you like." I clenched my fist on the rail.
"Love you, Peter."
"Eternity is wasted on hatred." I jolted and looked back over my shoulder. The First was there, though smaller and less imposing. "But a single day is nothing in the face of eternity."
"Good point."
"Peter, what's wrong?" I looked back and saw everyone a few feet away from me with looks of fear and concern. Blueblood and Twilight were the only ones still in arms reach. I looked at my hand and saw I'd crushed the railing.
"You can kill Adam without me, right?" Through the corner of my eye, I saw Twilight flinch and look back at her friends.
"Uhm," she murmured. "You can.. put it like that, yes."
"Good. I gotta go. Something happened in Woollachia," and before they could say or ask a single syllable, I was gone.