Chapter 5: A Planned Encounter
I excuse myself from Twilight Sparkle’s company and quickly round up Tak and Trixie. Neither seems terribly eager to leave the festivities, but my urgency is clear and they reluctantly bid our hosts good night and return to the wagon with me.
“Just what is so important you had to interrupt Trixie’s drinking? She was about to best that lunatic Pinkie Pie!”
Ensuring the door is closed and locked behind us I turn to my companions. “I have found the thief. Her name is Jennifer. She is in Canterlot until Sunday as a guest of Princess Luna. Can we reach her without drawing the princess’ eye?”
They exchange an unhappy glance. “Umbra if she’s personal friends with one’a their princess’ we should definitely not be messin’ around with th’kid. It don’t matter what she did, Luna an Celestia ain’t exactly the types to take someone gettin’ in the business of th’ponies they take a personal notice in well.”
To my further irritation Trixie nods. “He’s right Umbra. Upsetting them tends to ah, get one punished. Severely. Like turned to stone or locked in the moon for millennia.”
I feel my anger rising now. “If you refuse to assist me I will travel to Canterlot and deal with this myself!”
Tak heaves a resigned sigh. “No. No you don’t have to do that Umbra. This is important to you so it’s important to me. I have a few contacts from my hive in Canterlot. I’ll put out some feelers and see what I can find out, alright?”
With a curt nod I look to Trixie. “And you?”
She frowns and sighs as well. “I won’t hurt anypony unless they attack us first Umbra. I’m trying not to be that pony anymore. I’ll go with you and help if I can do so without hurting anypony. That’s the best I can offer.”
I am not entirely pleased with her offer. Trixie has powerful magic and would be useful if the human creature decided to attack but hearing Twilight’s tale of my unicorn companion I do not wish to force her back down a dark path. “If that is how it must be Trixie. Thank you. Tak do what you can.”
Casting me an unhappy backward glance he ducks out the door, disguised wings flapping as he takes to the air leaving Trixie and I alone. She is regarding my with an unhappy look. “If you have something to say, say it. Do not sit there staring at me.”
She bristles at my tone. “Fine. You’re being an idiot. I met this Jennifer human briefly and she’s not the thieving murdering sort. Whatever happened with your fellows and this Bleeding Heart pony I know no harm was meant by her. You’re making a huge mistake Umbra, the sort of mistake I made with the alicorn amulet. No good can come from revenge.”
Her words are wise and her advice sage. However at the time I was too consumed with my anger to pay them any heed. I give her a harsh glare. “If you do not have the spine to assist me in this endeavor tell me now that I may properly plan for your absence.”
The hurt that flashes in her eyes causes an uncomfortable pang in my chest. I nearly take back my harsh words. Nearly. “I said I’d be there and I would. For Tak. This girl may be nice enough but she’s dangerous if she faced down Discord and walked away from it and I don’t want him getting hurt because he’s caught up in your revenge scheme. After this.” She almost falters but steels her resolve. “After this I think it best we go our own ways. I don’t like this side of you Umbra and I don’t think I want to be friends with a pony who acts like this.”
I flinch back as if struck. “…very well Trixie. If that is what you think best. I believe I will sleep outside this evening.”
She does not move to stop me as I leave the wagon, barely managing to keep from slamming the door behind me. So what if Trixie is leaving? I do not need her. I have Tak.
I am pacing angrily before the wagon now, shooting it occasional angry glances. Then a though occurs and I slow. What if Tak chooses to go with HER? They have been spending much time together and despite their arguing I know they enjoy one another’s company. Whenever Tak has spoken with me of late I have been more rude and dismissive than usual. He could very well choose to depart with the unicorn when we go our separate ways.
With a grimace I climb beneath the wagon and lay flat on my belly preparing to sleep. Tak will not leave me. I am sure of it.
***
“Umbra. Umbra!”
I jerk awake, than knock my head against the wagon just above me. Groaning softly I climb out to see Tak gazing down at me. “I talked t’one’a my boys in Canterlot. This Jennifer kid is leavin’ Canterlot this afternoon, bein’ escorted by just a single guard. A cadet at that not even a full one.”
“You know their route?”
He shrugs. “Close enough that we can find ‘em easy. How d’you wanna handle this.”
I frown. My temper has eased somewhat from last night. “I would have words with her. If she returns Bleeding Heart’s property to me without protest that will be the end of it. Is this acceptable?”
He nods. “And if she doesn’t?”
My frown deepens. “I will convince her.”
He slowly nods again and steps into the wagon. Soon he and the disguised Trixie exit. She is pointedly not looking at me. “Let’s get this over with. I want to get back on the road as soon as I can.”
Tak looks between the two of us frowning faintly but he says nothing. He leads us from Ponyville a short ways into the forest on the outskirts of town. “Tak says that they will be passing by the road outside the forest soon. Is it safe to assume this Jennifer would likely harbor a grudge toward you Trixie?”
Still she refuses to look at me. “Probably. I would if I were her.”
I nod. “You will go to the road and make yourself known to her. Lead her to Tak and I. We will handle it from there.”
Now she lifts her eyes to meet mine. Silently she is pleading with me to not go through with this, but I will not be swayed. I return her gaze with steel behind my own eyes and she of course relents first. Tak removes her disguise and she trots from the small clearing we have claimed.
“What’s going on with you two?”
I shrug. “She no longer wishes to share my company. She is leaving when this is finished. She stays only to ensure you are safe.”
His wings now flicker in irritation. “Umbra. It’s not too late to stop this. I can bring her back here; we can hitch up the wagon and just move on.”
I snort angrily. “This is the course I have chosen Tak. Walk it with me or leave with Trixie.”
The hurt in his eyes pains me more than when I saw it in Trixie’s. “You know I’m not going anywhere Umbra, not unless you want me to go.”
More hastily than I had intended I shake my head. “No! …no. I do not want you to go. I do not want TRIXIE to go, but I-I do not know how to tell her so.”
He sighs and rests a hoof between my shoulders. “We’ll talk to her. When this mess with the sword is done alright? I’ll help you through it.”
I begin to respond until I hear a pony galloping our way. It is Trixie. “They’re right behind me!”
I flick my gaze up to the sunny sky over head. “If this should turn violent I am at a disadvantage in this bright sunlight.”
Trixie eyes me hard for a moment before her horn begins to glow brightly beneath her hat. A dark hazy wall of fog is rolling in above the tree line effectively blotting out the worst of the sunlight. “I meant what I said Umbra. I won’t hurt them.”
I ignore her now as the sound of something else approaches. I can tell by the footsteps it only has two legs. They were an unusual pair. The pony was like none I have seen before. She appeared young, in her teenage years likely. A slate grey coat and wild purple mane were not her unusual features. She had large yellow eyes with vertically slit pupils, and the wings at her back looked more akin to those of the deep bats I had seen back home.
The other…the human Jennifer was less bizarre to me. Ignoring her strange slender legs of which there were only two, her upper half looked eerily similar to that of my mother and siblings. Though she only had two eyes and the tanned skin and red hair were unusual, the rest was the same. Two arms, a slender torso. The mouth and eyes. I remember my carefully prepared speech from last night but then I see the shield she wears on her arm and a red haze is creeping into my thoughts again.
“Thief.”
She does not seem to hear me. In fact her companion speaks first. Whipping her head between Trixie behind us and to the undisguised Tak she thrust a forehoof at us. “That’s Trixie Lulamoon…she’s a wanted criminal. And THAT’S a changeling…they’re ALL criminals!”
Tak bristles beside me. “Oi missy we ain’t ALL criminals, that’s racist plain an’ simple. How’d ya like it if I said ‘hey that’s a night pony they all suck blood an’ eat foals’ hm?”
To my rising ire the human smirks at her companion in an expression eerily identical to Tak’s own. “He’s got you there.” Her voice is similar to my sister Neela’s, the gentleness of it if not the accent.
“Tak enough!” I vent my anger on my friend when I should not. “We are not here for you to engage in banter with bizarre looking ponies. We are here for the thief and killer.”
The girl’s brow furrows in confusion as she looks from Trixie, to Tak, and finally to me. “Look I think you got me confused with someone else, I’m not a thief and I’m DEFINITELY not a killer.”
“You wear your pilfered goods brazenly upon your arm. Tak and I witnessed you and your flying companion pass through the chasm over the still smoking corpses of my kin. You will return the shield and surrender yourself to justice, or I will take you by force.” By the end of my tirade I am nearly spitting the words as my anger builds.
“Now hold on. I’m not surrendering anything and this was given to me!” Her hand moves to the hilt of her sword.
“Tak deal with the flier!” I do not wait for his response as I break into a charge, but a lance of magic soars over my shoulder toward the bat-winged pony. She is in the air with startling speed and angling toward Tak behind me. I cannot shift my attention however; Bleeding Heart was a formidable warrior and her weapon likely powerful.
The girl abandons her attempt to draw the blade when I close the distance, my horn flaring as I call to life my preferred spells when in combat. I line a kick and spin thrusting my hind hooves at her chest. I feel a jarring impact as my hooves meet her shield, but am rewarded for my efforts with a shriek from my quarry as she launches through the air into the brush.
Rather than barreling after her I leap and cling to a tree’s surface as easily as the cavern walls back home. Running along the towering plant I gaze through the branches and spot her climbing to her feet and looking about slightly dazed. I smile knowing this farce is at an end launching myself down at her. A single blow to the head should finish the weak creature.
My movements must not have been as stealthy as I predicted, as she looks up and raises her shield in time to catch my forehooves. I grunt in surprise when she does not immediately collapse under my assault and feel the pommel of her weapon smash into my ribs between the plates of my armor, launching me back into the air. I twist my body and mange to get my hooves back on the tree behind me again clinging to the surface.
Her mouth falls open in astonishment and I waste no time launching forward in another attack. Again however she meets my fall with her shield but before she can strike with her sword I lunge back sliding along the snowy ground and coming to a stop.
She is growing more confident now. Falling into a warrior’s stance. I can tell from her rigid movements it is a new and unfamiliar position for her to take. Likely she is in training and still learning the art of battle. I launch forward again delivering a flurry of strikes with my forehooves. One slips through striking her hip but she manages to swing her shield and catch me in the side of the head. I roll with the blow getting back to my hooves some distance away.
We begin to circle one another slowly. She and I both gaining a measure of respect for one another. Though raw and untrained she possesses great physical strength, and she IS armed while I am not. “Look…I don’t wanna fight you! I don’t even know who the heck you are lady!”
I glare from beneath my helm. “I am Umbra, Princess of the Spiderkin. Are you truly so callous you have forgotten taking the lives of my kin so soon?”
I see recognition light in her eyes. “Spiderkin? You mean those…giant spiders in the tunnels? You’re talking about THEM?”
“Yes! Them! Thirteen of my scouts, slaughtered by you and your companions!”
“They attacked us first! We were defending ourselves!”
“Liar!” The word rips from my lips and I pour all my anger into it. With a wild cry I charge her recklessly. My foolishness is punished promptly. The novice swordswoman turns deftly and brings the edge of her shield down hard on my back. My armor absorbs the brunt of the impact but she is SO powerful I am forced to the ground. She stumbles back a step then swings her leg and catches me in the ribs with her foot. It is my turn to fly through the air into the foliage.
I feel the air refusing to fill my lungs. Did she crush them? Am I dying? No…she merely knocked the wind from me. With a groan I try to get back up, but she is already charging in after me. Suddenly a streaking black form is between she and I. Tak has arrived. His horn flares brightly and I see the fury twisting his face. A blast of magic catches the human in the face and she staggers back.
Suddenly my changeling companion is on her back bashing her with his hooves in a brutal assault that takes me by surprise for a moment. The fight seems all but over when a horrifying shriek splits the air and Tak staggers away from the girl. Her pony companion has returned and is unleashing a furious assault against the staggered Tak. Hooves and those horrible shrieks from her mouth are taking a toll on him.
I am on my hooves now charging toward them. Tak has fallen and the pony turns back to the human, she does not see me coming. I hear the girl call a warning to her friend but too late. My hind hooves connect solidly with the young ponies head and she crashes against a tree completely senseless. One wing snapped and crushed beneath her body. Breath coming in furious gasps I stomp to the girl who is slowly rising to her hands and knees, glaring at her back. “This farce is ended.”
I do not know precisely what I expected her to say or do. It was certainly not what she said. “Eeyup.” The single word said so simply. Then her leg snapped out and crashed into my side. I feel my armor give and splinter from the force of her powerful buck. I am propelled from her with such force I snap through a small tree before slowly skidding to a stop.
My exposed wing slowly flutters free in the breeze. The pain in my side is excruciating and my breathing is again hard to manage. For one moment I almost succumb to the promised rest of unconsciousness before the image of the beaten and bloodied Tak flashes through my head. Bleeding Heart disintegrating before my eyes. The dead scouts, while replaceable were MY scouts. MY men. They died because of my incompetence, but at THIS creature’s hands. The armor my brother put so much care into crafting for me, shattered at her hands.
No. I this fight is not over yet. Not until I say it is! As my fury builds so too does the harsh glow from my horn. Soon my body is sheathed in a roiling crimson aura of magic and I suddenly feel my aches and pains vanishing. I am galloping back to the human and her downed pony companion.
I smash through the bushes aiming right for the girl who is kneeling by her friend. Through my haze of rage I hear the pony shout in fear. “Jennifer you have to run! You can’t beat her! Alicorns are fueled by magic; she’ll only get stronger the longer you fight!”
Roaring with fury I charge her head on. I feel a moment of confusion as she sheathes her sword, and again she sidesteps my charge. Instead of an attack she grips my haunches with one hand, the other holding a jewel at her neck I had not noticed before. Preparing to buck the idiot in the face I am suddenly falling! A blinding swirl of color has swallowed the both of us up.
The color vanishes and I am falling still. The girl pushes herself away. I only have time for a brief glimpse of the odd stone buildings on all sides before I drop through the sky and smash hard into the stone below.
The air here feels…wrong. My magic flickers and falters and I have a growing pain in my head, and not just from the large fall I took. I shake that off easily enough but the sense of wrongness is powerful and makes me feel as if I need to retch.
The human is lying beside me groaning softly. She rolls onto her side regarding me with one eye open. “You ready…to…talk yet?”
I narrow my eyes and focus on my horn. I do not like my magic but Trixie has been insistent on my learning of it. Still too dazed to get to my hooves I instead focus my faltering energy into IT, and release a blast of red light. It strikes the girl and sends her through the alley we have landed in, across a street and slamming into the wall against a building opposite us.
I find my hooves again and charge. Momentarily taken aback at the sight of so many creatures like herself wandering the streets. Where am I? Is this HER world? Has she drug me here? Many of the other humans all hold small devices I worry are weapons but they do not attack. Ignoring them I press my quarry who has shifted to a defensive stance. She blocks my buck but I am ready now. I spin with her push and rake my forelegs against her unprotected middle. The razor sharp obsidian slices through her clothing and flesh easily, leaving deep red lines.
Rather than finally surrender rage finds her eyes as it has mine this entire time. Rage and a primal terror. There is a much larger scar on her stomach already, perhaps she is reliving the moment of receiving it? My musings are cut short as she begins to swing her blade wildly. The sudden assault is so ferocious and unexpected I barely manage to shift aside and take a thrust on the flank still protected by my armor. She opens a cut on my muzzle and foreleg however and I feel doubt creep in. Again I focus my magical power this time into my hooves. I rear back and slam them against the ground, launching her into the wall again.
I can barely feel my magic by now. My horns glow barely visible at all. We stare one another down for a moment, both needing to catch her breath. Suddenly her hand slips down toward the trinket on her wrist. I do not know what she is doing…until with a sudden burst of light the girl now sports a horn similar to my own, though a verdant green color.
Not knowing quite what to make of this sudden development I step back, but ready for another charge. “This is the last time I’m asking you to stop fighting!”
Still she talks! Jabbering at me endlessly! As if I will ever stop! “I will not stop until you lie broken and beaten at my hooves!”
I lunge and this time she does not raise her shield, but her free hand. Her horn bursts to life and my body is surrounded in a vividly glowing green nimbus of light. I recognize it as magic. She can wield magic as well?! I try to focus my own into breaking the hold but I receive no response. She clenches her fist and the aura about my body tightens enough I involuntarily scream. Then I am soaring straight into the air…than straight into the ground at breakneck speeds. I barely have time for another scream as I impact the hard unyielding stone.
I feel my badly beaten armor fracture and finally shatter into dozens of obsidian shards about my body. Everything is in pain. I cannot think of a part of my body that is not screaming in protest. Mercifully I do not have to endure it long. As darkness encroaches on my mind…and I do not have the strength to stave it off this time.
***
Ugh my head. That bat pony’s shrieking nearly made my ears bleed! What am I DOING here?! I shouldn’t be here! Where ARE they? It’s just a little girl and filly! I get back to my hooves and retrieve my grandfather’s hat, soiled again of course. At least I learned that cleaning spell…oh what am I doing whining about my hat?
With a groan I gallop in the direction I saw the night pony flying before I lost it. Breaking through the bushes I see Tak and the filly but no Umbra or human. Suddenly there is a burst of colorful lights and they appear. Umbra’s armor is only a few broken fragments stubbornly clinging to her body. The human doesn’t look much better off. I can see plenty of angry looking cuts and bruises all about her body.
She ignores Umbra and staggers over to her downed friend, dropping to her knees to check on her. I glance at my own fallen friends. Idiots! Why didn’t they just listen to me? Now they could be…no. No I can’t think like that. They’re all I have, they’ll be fine! I have to get them away we’ll find a doctor or-or SOMEthing! Ugh why didn’t I learn any healing spells?!
First things first. I call on the formula for the blinding spell though I toss in a quick modification to shorten the duration. It’s not Jennifer’s fault Umbra attacked her. I feel the pleasant rush of power from my core to my horn as the spell streaks across the clearing at my target. She seizes up and looks about blindly.
“Wh…what the hell NOW?!” She sounds so tired and I feel an involuntary twinge in my chest for her.
“I’m sorry girl but I can’t let you take them to the princess or whatever you’re planning. Friends aren’t something I have an overabundance of and I’m not losing them now. I’m sure this is little consolation but I tried to talk her out of this…apparently she was very good friends with the…ghost? Of your sword or something along those lines.” I reach out with my magic to lift Tak and Umbra.
“I…don’t care about them. How’s Echo?” The desperation and exhaustion in her voice again strike a chord with me. I canter passed her to examine the filly.
“She’s fine…well not FINE but she’s not dying. She’s asleep, unconscious…I don’t know. She’s breathing fine. I’ll send up a magical flare. Help will be coming soon.” I turn to go after sending up a bright burst of magic. I add in a rhythmic pulse that’s a universal call for help among ponies familiar with such things. Gently lifting my fallen friends in my levitation aura I move to leave slowly at first but picking up speed as I see the blood running down Tak’s muzzle and from his ears. I think it’s blood at least. It’s green and goopy.
I run for I don’t know how long. Longer than I’d like. I’m a performer, a magician and sorceress. Long distance running is not an activity I enjoy. Once I am comfortably far from the distress signal I lower Tak and Umbra to the forest floor. Small green flames lick around the edges of Tak’s wounds and I nearly cry in relief as he cracks an eye. “Trixie? Di-did we…win?”
I roll my eyes but can’t hide the happy tears in them. “No we didn’t win Tak. Are you going to be alright?”
He groans softly. “I need…something to eat. Sorry t’ask but…d’you mind?”
To eat? Of course. Emotion. I’ve seen Umbra feed him numerous times on our journey. Well if it’s what he needs. “Of course. Ah…help yourself?”
I do not know what to expect, but it’s not the almost gentle touch he gives me with his horn. I feel my cheeks warm as he looks at me with those striking red eyes. So alien but so alluring at the same time. Some of my anxiety flees as I assume he consumes it. His wounds already look much better.
“I don’t suppose you can do that for her?”
He frowns and shakes his head looking her over. “She’s not in good shape. We have to get her help soon or…”
He trials off but I do not need him to vocalize it. I’m no medical pony but I’m not stupid. “Where do we go?”
He shrugs helplessly. “I guess Canterlot? I have some hive mates there they might be able to help.”
I gently lift Umbra again and we make for the edge of the forest. It’s gotten dark out by now, the moon high in the sky. Though the light it normally sheds seems…odd? With a frown I look up, then gasp. Tak follows my gaze and does the same.
The moons normally pristine surface is marred by the silhouette of a pony. A MOVING silhouette. Suddenly it snaps its eyes down and my heart nearly stops as I realize it’s looking at me. RIGHT at me. A bright shaft of silver light erupts violently from the sky slamming into he ground before us. Trembling I look up…into the face of the princess of the night. Luna herself descended from the heavens to render judgment on my friends and I. Somehow I doubt it’ll be in our favor.