"MINCE PIES, MINCE PIES, COOKIES AND MILK! PINKIE HAS THESE AND RARITY HAS SILK!" Sweetness and Ruby sat there, clapping their hooves together in Sweetness's own form of Patty cake. "BOOKS AND FACTS ARE TWILIGHT'S THING, WHILE BIG MACINTOSH IS THE APPLE KING!" The fun was childish yes, but Ruby felt in a childish mood. After the stress of their journey up to Canterlot and then the added misery from her kiss with Seed she had decided the hell with maturity for now, it seemed to help Sweetness, so she was going to give it a try herself! "Rainbow's flying is the very best, while Fluttershy makes animals her personal guests!" Though both enjoying the chant, they were both beginning to lose interest, even the entertained looking Angy seemed to be losing interest.
Her eyes wandered towards the steps that led to the landing, the ones that she'd watched Thor head up with Archy and her cousin. She regretted not hugging him, she'd been so overcome by seeing Sweetness safe and sound that she'd not even attempted to embrace the stallion she... Angy halted her train of thought. What was she about to finish that thought with? She frowned at the amber flames as she thought, she knew she liked him, not sure when it started, but she knew. So now those feelings were getting worse? Or better? Or whatever!
"HELLO EVERYPONY!" The girls all jumped, turning to look in the direction of the voice, their jaws all dropped. Angy and Ruby's were a little more approving than Sweetness's but no less impressed! On the landing three stallions were in plain sight, one pegasus wearing a black and gold suite of armour hovering a few feet above the other's heads, a unicorn, his dark colouring dead set against his red trimmed silver armour, his horn protruding from a hole beneath the plume of the helmet, and an earth pony, looking the grandest in an armour trimmed with the purest looking gold. Ruby couldn't take her eyes of off Apple Seed, the fact he'd left as... well as Apple Seed, and had now come back like this! This impressive, amazing, almost regal looking warrior pony! Angy was in similar fits of speechlessness, staring at Thor, his bright aqua mane highlighting the dark armour he boar perfectly.
"G-g-guys?" Angy choked eventually stuttering unbelievably like her mother. "W-where did you get those?"
"From me." Shining Armour's voice rang out around the hall, though he couldn't be seen near the three stallions. They all glanced around, trying to spot him, and with a cry from Sweetness they found him stood over a balcony overlooking the hall. With the light hitting him in such a way, the stallion looked tired, far older than he should, but his stern look was one of a soldier on a mission. "These suites should help the boys keep you all safe as you go through the outlands and find your parents." He winced, his battle with Dying Armour clearly taking its toll finally after the long day. "I'm going to get started with searching the grounds for any survivors. If I'm not here at dawn, head off without saying goodbye , you need to keep going!" This all seemed news to Archy, who watched his uncle from the other end of the hall with a crestfallen look on his face. Before he could even speak up, the captain ended his speech before turning and handing into the bowels of Canterlot. "Get some rest, some food, then head out in the morning. " Then he was gone.
His dramatic words almost shattered the light hearted atmosphere the girls had created before. Leaving them all in an awestruck silence. As the echoes of the older stallion's hoofsteps faded into nothing, the three stallions began to make their way to the fire a little less chauvinistic than before. They all carried small sacks that the girls hadn't noticed before, hopefully containing their supplies. Once they came close enough, Sweetness tried to reignite the happy mood of before.
"What is that stuff!" She cooed as she came basically appeared in front of Archy, making him jump.
"Uhhh... Armour?"
"I KNOW THAT SILLY FILLY!" she laughed, poking the chest piece of the stallion's suite. "It's too shiny to be normal armour!" She took her second hoof and began poking the chest of the stallion with that as well. Archy laughed.
"Sweetness!"
"What? It makes a funny noise!" It was true, with each rap on the armour a subtle 'Ding' emitted from the metal plate. Archy laughed harder as Sweetness picked up the pace, until the noise resembled that of a fire bell. The others began to laugh to as they watched the pink limbs becoming a blur as they poked as fast as possible, and Sweetness's tongue sticking out slightly in concentration. Most of all they laughed at Archy's expression, though laughing, the metal was beginning to vibrate vigorously, jostling the young stallion's head side to side.
Seed bent down and slid the sacks off his back as he watched the spectacle, chuckling as he did. But as he took a breath, he heard a far more effeminate giggle to his right. He looked over, through the flames of the fire and saw Ruby. Her eyes had tears in them with joy at the sight of the vibrating Archy. It made Seed glad, to see she was feeling better than before he left.
Ruby felt eyes on her. She glanced to her left from the sight of Sweetness's unintentional torture of Archy, and looked through the flames of the fire and found two soft green eyes watching her. They weren't harsh or horrible, they were round and caring. It was Seed, he stooped with his neck still lowered from releasing the sacks on his back. He seemed like he had simply forgotten to stand again, or had been distracted. She gave the stallion a smile, she felt some of the sadness from before melt away from the concerned look in those emerald eyes.
Ruby gave him a small smile, one which possibly suggested an apology. He didn't want one, in fact if anything, he wanted to apologise to her! It was only when he felt his forehead beginning to burn did he realised he was still stooped close to the flames. He straightened up and returned the smile.
"Hey! Look what I found on my way back here!" Archy cried, finding a reason to escape the unrelenting poking. He zipped away in the direction he had come from when he first met up with the group when searching for Sweetness. Moments later he came back with a gramophone, just like the ones that they had all had back in Ponyville. Sweetness squeed with joy and bolted towards it, snatching it up and placing it carefully on a table. She delicately placed the needle on the record and almost immediately it came to life with one of her favourite songs.
"Woooo! Party time everypony!" She laughed as she began to dance furiously. Archy laughed and flicked his head back hard. In response the armour clinked, and the helmet shot to his back, and the other pieces of the suite shot up to his back releasing him from their protective cover. Sweetness stared in awe, her mouth making the perfect shape of a circle as she cried, "Ooooooooh!" Archy smiled and with a glow of his horn pulled it off of his back and began to dance, if not a little reservedly.
"Hahaha! Now this is a party!" Thor laughed, flicking his head back to release the gold and black suite. As soon as it was loose, he shook it off onto the floor and grabbed Angelica's hoof.
"WohwaitThorwhatareyoudoing?!" She rushed before being pulled into the centre of the room by her fellow pegasus to dance.
So amerced were they in their dancing, they didn't notice a platinum and purple unicorn heading towards the entrance to the hall, followed by an armoured orange stallion. Ruby came out into the chilling air of the outside and gave a little shiver, she glanced back and saw Seed following her out. She quickly looked away, trying to hide the faint smile that spread across her face. As he approached, Seed was blinded by a burst of light in the west. He winced and shielded his eyes. When he had recovered, he squinted and saw the light was the sun setting over the mountains of the outlands. However, something else caught his eye. On the balcony to the right of the entrance steps, profiled by the light of the setting amber sun, stood Ruby.
A stray lock of her mane fell over her eyes, slowly, she reached up and brushed it back again before glancing up at the farm stallion. The smallest of nervous smiles spread across her lips as she looked at him. The look gave the drained stallion newfound energy, and he used this energy to walk over to the balcony. "Hey." He said casually as he came over and rested his forelegs on the banister.
"Hi." She said quietly, somewhere beneath her normal voice, Seed was sure he could sense an undertone, but it wasn't misery. "So, that's where we're going then?" Ruby asked, Seed followed her gaze to the distant mountains of the desert lands.
"Yeah..." Seed mumbled, losing a little of his confidence.
"Our parents are out there?"
"Yeah." Seed looked back at the peaks again, leant in and pointed. "That one!" he said as he gestured to the clearly talest mountain. Ruby gave a shaky laugh.
"Well it helps that we know where we're going I guess..."
"Yeah, makes a change!" 'Stop saying 'Yeah you dolt!' Ruby laughed at the comment.
"What you mean you didn't know we were going to Zecora's? Or through a tunnel to Canterlot?"
"Nope! Must have missed that memo!" The two laughed a little harder now. Then once it died, a meaningful silence rained over the two.
"Ruby..."
"Hmm?"
"You know..." Seed suddenly had a lump in his throat the size of a dragon egg! "About what happened in the storage room..."
"Oh don't worry!" Ruby rushed, suddenly blushing. "It's ok, I was stupid, I shouldn't have tried to kiss you! I just suddenly got this weird feeling, and then I... just kind of... did it." She was rambling as she usually did when nervous.
"Wait, no, don't apologise! I wanted to kiss you!" Seed amended as fast as he could, leaving Ruby struck dumb in surprise.
"Y-you did?"
"O'course I did!" Seed cried, a little louder than he meant to. His volume made Ruby jump, but smile as well. Then she frowned.
"Wait... if you did... then why did you stop me?" It was just like Thor had said! Seed gulped and made a note to punch the pegasus for not telling him this sooner, so this whole mess could have been avoided!
"Well..." Seed began, "It was 'cos... well, we were trying to find Sweetness." Ruby closed her eyes, a look of self loathing spreading across her face.
"And you wanted to find her safe and sound." She finished for Seed.
"Exactly!" Seed exclaimed, overjoyed that she understood. Yet her eyes stayed shut, while her face shifted from understanding to obvious misery. "Ruby?" He asked, coming up beside her leaning in to check she was ok.
"I..." She choked with a cracking voice.
"You what?" Seed pushed.
"I...I can't do this Seed! This whole thing! I thought once we got here..." She looked up at the smoking castle, Seed saw the tattered spires reflected in her big green eyes. "I thought everything would be all better! Like with our parent's stories. Canterlot was always safe!" She looked back at Seed, tears not far away. "But now..."
Seed stretched out his forelegs, and Ruby accepted the embrace without question. "But now we gotta make it safe again." Seed said simply. His muzzle buried in Ruby's soft swirling mane. His words made Ruby stir, and she looked up at him, a look of a mare completely lost.
"How? I can't do anything to save Equestria, Celestia! Listen to me! Who should have to say they need to SAVE EQUESTRIA!"
"We do." Seed said, still holding her close, locking gazes with the beautiful mare. "Jus' like our parents. Who are waitin' for us to get our flanks over there t' save'm!" Ruby gave a shaky smile, then it sank back to a frown.
"But, what if they're... not... waiting..." Seed didn't let her finish the thought. He cut her off with a sudden and strong kiss. Ruby's eyes flew open in shock. She pushed him away, not far, but enough for their lips to part. "Why... why did you do that..." Seed gave a shaky smile.
"Well, Ruby... you know... I've been crazy 'bout you for years!"
Ruby stared, then smiled, swooping in for another kiss.
As their lips met, the sun sank behind the mountains in the west and its rays gave one last desperate attempt for life. They sprang forth, almost brighter than ever through the shattered windows of the entrance hall catching the eyes of all those inside.
"Earrgh!" Thor grumbled, shielding his assaulted eyes with a wing. As he parted it's feathers slowly to see what was blinding him. He spotted the two out on the balcony through the gaping window. He gave a small proud smirk and looked away, but his was the only subtle reaction. Angy gasped in surprise at the sight but quickly silenced herself, leaving herself to beam happily for both her cousin and close friend. Archy laughed triumphantly punching the air with a foreleg and toppling backwards due to the unrelenting force of Karma. Sweetness irrupted into fits of girlish giggles at the sight, wiggling her legs in joy at the sight. Thor's smirk broke into a massive grin at the other's reactions, and he mustered all his strength not to let his growing pride force him into zipping up to Seed and tackling him to the ground in pride.
When Ruby and Seed pulled away finally, the world seemed to come back into focus, just enough for them to hear the commotion inside. They both turned their heads to investigate, and simultaneously realised what had happened. Ruby's cheeks flushed deep pink, and Seed suddenly became a lot quieter, if not without a small smirk of happiness and unavoidable pride. The two glanced at each other nervously, then with a gentlecoltly offering foreleg, Seed invited Ruby to head in before him. Her lips curled in a bashful smile, and she did so.
And as the last of the light faded and night set in. The group all gathered around the fire, and began to relax and rest, preparing for the adventure that had only just begun.
.....
Have to escape!
Need to get pack to the hive!
To the lair!
Away from that damned city!
Away from that cursed pony of a father!
Dying Armour's strength was dwindling, he'd been flying for far too long. He'd first headed for Ponyville, in the hopes of finding his fellow changelings taking residence there, however there was no sign of them!
Why was he so tired? This week? Had the fight with his father-NO!- the captain been that hard? Or had it simply been the sudden pain of loss that had shot through his heart? Through the night he flew, after Ponyville, he headed for the outlands. The years of rigorous, almost unbearable, training had turned into a machine. Once given a purpose he would pursue it, with laser focus. Once he got to the lair he's find his mother and ensure she was ok. She'd been in Canterlot, but if she was in that much pain that Dying Armour felt it himself, his fellow changelings would take her back, if not by carrying her, then sacrificing their lives by gifting her with their love, granting her power to teleport such a far distance!
Find mother!
Help her!
Get revenge later!
The cloudy peaks of the night covered mountains were a welcome sight, and as Dying Armour descended towards the opening to one of the many catacombs into the mountain, he breathed a sigh of relief. The cold air within the narrow tunnels was a welcome change to his sweat covered skin. He panted, slowly regaining strength as he continued, now no longer in a rush.
As he came out through the tunnel exit and into the wide open cave of the changeling lair, he cried out. "Mother?! MOTHER?!" He zipped across the air, over the heads of the many changelings on the floor, chattering and sniggering as the always did, over to the ledge that the queen had adorned with material she had obtained in her recent conquests. It was the grandest part of the cave, however, when he reached it. Dying Armour gaped in horror at what he saw lying across the ledge.
Discord!
The draconequus opened an eye as the changeling/pony half-breed approached, as he lay there supposedly sleeping.
"Oh..." He mused. "Your still alive."
"Of course I am!" Dying Armour growled to the cocky creature, the only thing he hated more than his own father! "Why wouldn't I be?"
"You could have been outmatched." Discord said simply, reaching up and picking his teeth the tip of his tail.
"What by that stallion? Pfft!" Dying Armour laughed. Realising he'd been momentarily distracted by his pride, he resumed his previous train of thought. "Where is my mother!"
"Hmmm. Well she was... outmatched." A devilish grin spread across his lips.
"WHAT?! BY WHO? THAT FOOL OF A CAPTAIN? THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"
"Oh nonononoooo, calm down my dear little freak..." Discord purred, leaning up on his elbows, stretching his legs out behind him as he did. "By me."
"WHAT?!" Dying Armour screamed, exploding in an instantaneous bout of anger. He shot straight for the Draconequus's throat, but his path came short when he was blocked by two drones who slammed into his front, barging him back.
The chimera smirked from behind his personal guards, giving a cynical wave to Dying Armour. "WHAT DID YOU DO DISCORD?!" the commander of the changelings screamed.
"Simple," Discord moaned drolly. "I took what is rightfully mine..." He vanished in a flash of light, and reappeared seconds later, his face pressed hard against Dying Armour's. "Power." He finished darkly. Armour backed away and swung at the draconequus with his razor horn. But as it was about to strike. The chimera simply vanished, only to reappear on his seat on the ledge.
"So you killed my mother?" Dying armour growled, nothing but pure loathing in his voice.
"Oh... lighten up!" Discord laughed. "If anything it was a mercy killing! She was bound to run out of love eventually, then shed suffer, at least this way she simply..." His eyes glinted an even darker shade of red than usual. "Bled out." Dying Armour irrupted again, surging forward he struck the first protector in the face, and gashed at the other with his horn, once the path was clear he shot forward like a bullet. Only to be sent back by an explosive push of air sent by a flick of the draconequus's wrist.
After he had recovered in the air, Dying Armour looked up, only to see his fellow changelings all glaring at him. Twelve instead of two now hung in the air, guarding the dreadful twisted creature.
"What are you doing?" He screamed, addressing the entire cave. "He killed our queen!" No response came, only the same hateful stares.
"That's the thing about power..." Discord smiled, even from this far away Dying armour could see the glint of his fang in the dull light. "Those who have it, order, those who don't..." He snapped his fingers, and a swarm of twenty changelings shot into the air and straight for the hovering outcast.
They streamed past, all slicing and cutting, screeching with bloodthirsty glee as they assaulted the last sovereign of the old regime. Armour had no chance to escape or defend, he could only cry out as his supposed family dug deep and tore at his flesh in thick meaty chunks. Another click of the twisted fingers, and the assault was over. The large changeling almost fell, but his dragonfly wings buzzed furiously, managing to secure him after a heavy drop.
Armour now looked out of cut, bleeding and bruised eyes. His unusually red blood creating a scarlet veil over his vision. "You see?" Discord addressed the shrieking masses. "Red blood..." he looked up and locked gazes with Dying Armour, who with a heavy heart knew that the next words would exile him forever. "... Just like a pony." The seething mass beneath Armour irrupted in furious cries of anger. Now without prompt, they all surged for the solitary outlaw.
"BROTHERS! NO! PLEASE!!!" Armour shrieked, shooting the draconequus one last hateful glance before shooting back up into the catacombs followed closely by the deadly swarm that had once been his family!
.....
"Hey...Psssst... Sweetness?"
It was night, the cold wind had come fast through the gaping windows of Canterlot castle, leaving the entrance hall in an almost deadly chill. If not for Archy's spell on the fire, it would have gone out long ago leaving the group to freeze. The six lay almost in pairs. Thor and Angelica slept close to the fire, holding each others close and braving the flames for a warmer sleep. Apple Seed and Ruby lay further away, still in the vicinity to gain the benefits of the fire, while still staying cool as they slept, her head resting gently on his foreleg beneath her. The only two left were Archimedes and Sweetness, the latter of which was now fading back into reality from the land of sleep by the call of her name.
"Uhhh... huh? Hello?" She said, her voice barely more than a whisper. She looked up to see Archy's dark eyes gleaming back at her in the fire light. "Mmmmm...Archy?" She murmured blearily rubbing her eyes, clearly confused by this sudden awakening.
"Hey." He smiled, giving her an almost apologetic smile. "I've got something for you, I couldn't really give it to you before my uncle dragged us off, plus, Thor would have a field day if he saw me giving you a gift." He smiled bashfully, but Sweetness's confusion vanished at the word.
"Gift? You got me a gift!" She beamed, springing up into the air, scooping her legs up beneath her and landing quickly on her rump. Archy stared for a moment in disbelief, then shook his head and continued.
"Yeah, I found it in the library..." Sweetness looked slightly less excited suddenly. Archy reached back to a small pile of debris, there was a crack in between two of the stones, and it became clear that as Archy reached into it, the crack made a perfect storage area. Sweetness began to rock back and forth giddy with excitement. "I know we made you feel kind of bad today, and I'm really sorry..." Archy began as he retracted his hoof from the crevice. "But when I was looking for you, I found this, and I thought... maybe... it'd just make you feel better to have something with their faces on it.
Without further explanation, Archy handed over the sheet of paper. As she took it, Sweetness instantly recognised her father's face. It was the same as the statue. Sweetness's lips parted as she stared at the thin sheet, running a hoof over his twisted face.
"P-Pappa..." She whispered, her hoof strayed over to the pink mare beside him, beaming her usual happy smile. "Mamma."
When she looked back up from the page, her eyes were gleaming with the hint of tears. "A-Archy..." She smiled, pushing the pearly liquid into small blobs which then escaped and ran down her cheeks. "I love it!" She whispered, before springing forward and hugging the unsuspecting stallion hard.
"Heh..." Archy smiled, hugging her back gently. "It's ok, I just thought... it was something to help, if you could see your parents whenever you wanted..."
She pulled away, tears vannishing, replaced by her usual happy demeanour. "I LOVE IT!" She backed off and closed her eyes, beaming brightly. "I've got something for you to!"
"Really?" Archy frowned. "What is it?"
"I dunno silly! You gotta decide!" Sweetness scooted over to sit beside the stallion beside the fire. "Anything you want, anytime, anywhere, no matter how hard it is! I'll get it!"
"Sweetness... you don't have to..."
"Nope." Sweetness giggled. "But I want to anyway! You're my friend after all!" Archy grew a little reserved.
"Ummm... even after everything, me not telling you about your... about Discor... about... Ponyville." She had just come back to them, he wasn't about to re-open that can of worms again unless completely necessary. Sweetness seemed to ignore what Archy was obviously about to say., still holding onto her beaming smile.
"Yup! Friends fight, but that doesn't mean you're no longer friends, right?" Archy's worry ebbed away, replaced with a smile.
"Right." He confirmed, before he began to return to his sleeping place, as did Sweetness, her new picture nuzzled between her face and forleg as she cuddled it, and drifted back of to sleep.
.....
Not soon after the two fell asleep, two eyes retreated from the gloom. He was glad to see them safe, but refused to celebrate until his sister and her friends came back home.
Shining Armour didn't want to wake the children, especially after they'd grown so calm after their travels filled with danger and death. He didn't want to give them the news that his search of the western wing of the castle had found not a single pony alive. He gave a sigh, and headed to the east wing, ready to begin the whole process again.
His hooves echoed as he passed through yet another shattered doorway and walked down another deserted hallway. His heart was heavy with sombre and miserable thoughts, both fictional and real. He worried of what they'd done to Twilight, all the gruesome tortures plagued his mind as he wandered. That was the fiction, the reality came as he looked out a window looking back over the castle grounds and towards the outlands. the plain deserted desert stretched out beyond in the cold night, and there, in the distance, only a mass of darker black against the almost inpenatrable night, were the mountains.
As he stared and pondered whether he should go with the youths, the smallest hints of orange began to dot across the sky, as the sun finally began to rise. He had only enough thought left to recognise it's early rise. It was to be expected if the princess had been captured, or worse... killed. Now that twisted creature had control over the days and nights most likely.
For one desperate second, his mind thought a dreadful thought. "Take that spawn of his! that supposed pony he had with Pinkie and call for him until he comes!" He shook his head, amazed and horrified at the thoughts. "It's war, he attacked Canterlot! War needs hostages! Who better than the enemy commander's daughter!" Again he tried to shake loose the dreadful thinking. That child back there was perfectly innocent, why blame the daughter for the actions of the father! Why punish her.
As he watched the fast rising sun, he tried to understand why he was thinking such terrible thoughts. Maybe it was losing Twilight, or maybe Caidence's absence, or the dreaded secret of his past coming back in the form of a deadly enemy, whatever it was it was a dark place that scared him, and he hated it.
With a sigh of exhaustion, he began to move away, left alone, searching a dead castle for something that could bring him hope that Equestria -his home- could come back to him.
.....
As those first few rays reached the castle, leaving one stallion to mope and wander. Those same rays were seeping through the windows of a jail cell, set deep in the mountains high in the outlands to another stallion to see.
He looked up, his tattered coat catching in his shackles. His dark tired eyes almost burning in the light. With shaking hooves he pushed himself off of the dirt encrusted stone floor, and hobbled towards the window his bindings clanking with each agonising step. With a tremendous effort, he reached the window in time to collapse forward and grab the bars ahead of him in time to steady himself.
When next he looked up, his strength was almost sapped already! With a pained look between the bars, he stared across the scarce wasteland towards the distant grey mountains, to Canterlot. And with dread in his heart he saw smoke, rising in plumes, thick enough to be seen this far away. Suddenly, new strength irrupted within him.
"No!" He whispered, before the rumbling began again. As the changelings in the bowels of the mountain screamed for some new unknown reason.