//------------------------------// // Fourth Lesson- Tidying up Loose Ends // Story: The Magnificent Six // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// Fourth Lesson- Tidying up Loose Ends The citadel guards swarmed over the warehouse, freeing the respective colts and fillies from their webbed prisons, and escorting them out of the building. Several goblins and other unsavory creatures in the area were being detained and questioned, while the guard unit commander briefed Twilight Shine on the current situation. "Most of the webbed up victims appear to be unhurt, ma'am." He explained. "So far, there are no signs of the lead goblin, or this gangster colt your friends described." "Very good, lieutenant. Make sure these colts and fillies are safely delivered back home to their families." Twilight ordered. "Also, please inform the margave that we have successfully shut Fort Dash's slavery ring down." "Yes ma'am!" The stallion saluted, and left to fulfill the tasks assigned to him. Twilight trotted back over to several of the makeshift cots the guards had set up, on which Surprise and Glory were currently resting. "Hey, how are you two doing?" The pink filly asked, as she trotted up beside a concerned Poesy and Firefly. "I'm just okie dokie, Twilight!" Surprise grinned energetically, as if nothing had happened. "Though I'm getting kinda bored just laying here! Think they'd let me go play a game?" "You're lucky ta be alive, after that creepy crawlie webbed you up like that!" Firefly snorted. "Doncha realize ya almost got eaten, ya loony?" "Well, I'm all right... other than a bunch of sticky webbing in parts of my mane." Glory sighed. "I think I'm going to need a bath to get all of this gunk out." "We're just glad the two of you aren't hurt." Poesy sighed, nuzzling her two friends. "Who knows what we would've done if that big nasty had eaten you!" "That was a very brave thing you did there, Poesy. Standing up to that uggo like that." Firefly looked back at the creature, which was now bound up in it's own webbing, ready to be shipped back to the forest of shadows. "Shame it cost you your wings, though." "Oh, I'll live without being a flutter pony, girls!" The yellow earth pony giggled. "Besides, I'm already starting to hear the flowers singing again!" "I'm just glad we were able to save most of those foals... though I did hear those brutes say they were nearly ready to ship them off to their buyer!" "Which is something I just don't get!" Twilight snorted, as she began to pace. "What use would the dark lord have for a bunch of your ponies, who are to small and weak to be slaves?" "That's just it, Twilight! Those big meanies weren't sending the foals to Tirek!" Surprise spoke up suddenly. "Wait...WHAT?" The pink unicorn asked, stunned. "I thought those villains said they were shipping them off to Midnight Castle!" "That's what we thought, too." Glory replied. "But we overheard that awful colt say they were shipping the slaves off towards the volcanic mountains near Dream Valley." "The mountains near- oh no!" Twilight Shine's eyes went wide. "Girls, we need to get to the royal paradise, as soon as possible! We have to warn the council of princesses, all of Ponyland could be in danger! ... "I want to thank you and your harmony candidates for all of your help, Princess." The margave told Cadence, as the two watched several of the happy colts and fillies reunite with their parents in the courtyard below. "Without your aid, several of my loyal subjects would have been punished for misdeeds they did not commit." "I am pleased we were able to be of assistance, my good margave." The alicorn replied. "But are you certain you wish us to leave so quickly? These attacks on your city, that caused you to need the shield for protection-" "That is a Fort Rainbow Dash problem, Cadenza." The margrave snorted dismissively. "Besides, you and your fillies are needed in the capital,if I'm not mistaken." Taken aback by the curt response, the alicorn princess only bowed to her hostess. "Thank You, old friend. It has been an honor visiting your city." Out at the far end of the Palace complex, Firefly was saying her goodbyes to a very old and dear friend, as well. "Now you take care of yourself Medley, you hear?" The pink Pegasus told her friend. "I'' be back to check up on ya, as soon as I get a free moment!" "Aww, you don't have to worry about me, Firefly!" The jittery Pegasus giggled, glancing over her shoulder at the colt behind her. "With Ice Crystal here to look after me, I'm sure I'll be just fine!" "You better treat her right, soldier!" Firefly warned, eyeing the guard who had been comforting Medley earlier. "Cause if I ever hear you made her cry, I swear I'll make you cry! Ya got that?" "Yes, m'am!" The colt replied nervously, flexing his wings nervously. "I got myself reassigned to Fort Dash, for just that purpose!" Turning back towards Medley, the two friends embraced both trying to hold back their tears. "Goodbye, Firefly... I'll miss you." "Bye, Medley... see ya again soon!" .... As the great magical shield of Fort Dash lowered behind them, the small entourage of teenage fillies and colts made their way out onto the open road once more, ready to trot on to their next adventure, "So the margrave is shutting down the stickleway, and sending all the races slumming there back to their own communities?" Glory asked, shaking the last bits of spider webbing out of her mane. "Yep, the whole slum is to be razed, and be replaced by an orphanage for parent-less foals." Fireball replied, doing his best to lick Glory's mane clean. "But what about the Ponygans?" AJ asked, trotting beside Lightning. "They gonna be welcomed back into society?" "The Fort Dash herd feel very remorseful about what happened, now that they know the truth." Lightning nodded. "Those alicornists should have no trouble re-ingratiating." "So we headin' to the capital now, huh?" Surprise asked, zipping around over the heads of the others. "I can't wait! I always wanted to go to one of the big parties they hold there!" "Good grief, doesn't she ever calm down?" Thunderbolt whispered to the others. "I really think that filly should lay off the caffeine!" "What she needs, darling, is a good boyfriend like the rest of us have." Glory whispered back. "But I haven't see any colt that could keep up with her insanity!" "I don't think she's even interested in colts, Glory!" Firefly giggled quietly. "I think she's in love with insanity itself!" "The only guy who woulda been as chaotic as her was Discord." Applejack joked. "Too bad he turned bad again after Fluttershy reformed him." Trotting at the back of the group, Tornado finally decided to speak up. "Well, you ask me, Surprise should-" The colt was suddenly cut off, as Twilight and Firefly both turned to give him an angry, iron stare. The cold, unforgiving gazes of the two fillies convinced Tornado that it was best to remain silent for the time being. "Um, excuse me, your highness.... but how are we going to be traveling to the Royal Paradise?" Poesy asked, hopeful she would get to see Steamer again on the Ponyland express. "Well, as all of you know, we have already traversed Ponyland by land and air." The alicorn replied. "Therefore, there is only one remaining way to see the rest of our fair land!" The group followed her off the main path, and tortted down a side road that led to the rainbow river. After a short wait, the small group suddenly saw the white sails of a large wooden sloop-of-war, billowing gently in the afternoon breeze. "Hm, it appears captain Barnacle is right on time." Cadence whinnied with a smile. "He and his stallion crew are not known for their punctuality." "Oh my, A sea cruise!" Poesy squealed in delight. "I've never been on a ship before!" "Simply fabulous, darling!" Glory agreed. "I hope they have have first class accommodations on board." "I hope they have a party deck, for lots of games and dancing!" Surprise zipped around excitedly. "Cool! I wonder if the crew knows any pirate stories!" Firefly exclaimed, looking out at the approaching ship excitedly. "Oh great, I just love traveling by water." Applejack grumbled to herself. "At my age, I'll probably get seasick!" "Ohh, I've heard of Captain Barnacle, he's from dream Valley." Twilight noted. "Well, as long as we are going to warn the princess ponies, it doesn't matter how we get there." As the vessel slowly glided it's way downstream, the eleven ponies prepared themselves for the next exciting leg of their journey. ... "Man, I can't believe those witches live in a creepy place like this!" Out at the edge of Dream Valley, Lucky and the apple cross goblin made their way towards the volcano of gloom. Appalled at desolate wastes Hydia and her children called home, both criminals agreed they wanted to sped as little time as possible here. "Wow, can ya believe we actually worked fer these mooks?" Lucky snorted, as they walked up the pumice-strewn path that led to the cavern entrance. "What da these old crones want with a buncha kids, anyway?" "Witches use little ponies in their spells," The goblin hissed approvingly. "Souls of innocent are powerful magic!" "Dat's really creepy, ya know that?" The gangster colt snorted. "Anyways, I hope dose witches understand why we had to flee Fort Dash... barely made it away from all dose guards!" It was at that point, that the two noticed several figures in cloaks and shadowy robes appearing at the edge of the valley, converging on the same volcano entrance the two of them were headed towards. "Hey, who the heck are dose palookas?" Lucky asked, confused. "I-I know that one!" The goblin yelled, his eyes going wide. "That's Beezin, the goblin sorcerer who can bring objects to life to kill his victims!" "Yeah, yer right!" Lucky agreed, recognizing more familiar faces from his past criminal dealings. "And over dere, dat's Sonombula, da witch who steals mare's youth!" "And that- that's Katrina!" His companion yelled, pointing at an anthropomorphic humanoid cat-woman. "The alchemist witch who draws power from her putrid potions!" "Hydia's called the whole order of gloom together!" Lucky shrieked, his dim witted brain finally realizing what was going on. "The witches must be planning something big!" "Yeah!" The goblin gulped, as they followed the coven of sorcerers into the cave. "I just hope we're not gonna wind up on the wrong side of that plan!"