//------------------------------//
// The Solsenaar Ambuscade 
// Story: Diprosopus 
// by WritingSpirit 
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	"Darn it."

"Darn it is right, my friend," Caduceus replied, gulping down the remainder of his orange juice in the vineyard of his friend's mansion, the chirping of northern bluejays (he had studied about bird sounds during his afternoon breaks back in Canterlot) filling the air with the trickling of water from a stone cornucopia poured by a granite pony standing in a fixed position upon a chipped, marble base.
Stellar sat across him on a mirroring, white iron chair, having just finished rummaging through the various stockpile of goods they had brought from Canterlot, only to discover that he had left behind a few satchels of food packed just in case they were forced to lengthen their stay in the ruins of Pendant Lakes. He was left grimly cursing at his forgetfulness, pounding his head onto the table with cold hatred at himself.

"You're lucky I found out about it last night," his friend said suddenly.
"Jovern left for the market to gather back some of the food, along with a few supplies for defense, just in case."

"You send a giant dragon to do a mere errand such as that?" he said with mocking disbelief.
"Of all the uses that Jovern could do, you want him to go do a little shopping?"

"It's not my fault if he volunteered himself, Stellar."
Caduceus poured himself another vintage bottle of wine (est. 792) that he had obtained from the estate's wine cellar. The embroidered words of Palgiot's Finest, along with a familiar name etched in the center: Pendulum, was a refreshing sight to both their eyes, reminding them of the still-thriving company now under the supervision of some Canterlot firm. There was something lackluster in the new wines they were dishing out; maybe it was the ardor and devotion that the original family would place, or it might be the innovation that they could muster. Nevertheless, at least they kept the old recipes intact; without them, both colts believed that Palgiot's Finest would fall into bankruptcy.
"Plus," the doctor added, "he left when you were still sleeping. I had things to check up on and you were a little drunk last night. Which reminds me... how are you today...?"

His friend just groaned in response, earning an amused chuckle from the doctor. Stellar could feel his head pounding like a jackhammer had drilled into it, giving Caduceus a grudging look for laughing at his slight hangover.
"At least just feel fortunate that you didn't rip anything in your house," his friend continued, sipping on his exquisite drink in his hooves.

He felt fortunate alright. The mansion was still undergoing renovation, which halted once he left town, spurred on by another craving of adventure, excitement and danger. Excluding the bedrooms, kitchen, lavatories and the hallways connecting them, most of the rooms had walls shaven from musty wallpaper and being repainted. The windows just had been freed of the planks that once boarded them up, the garden had recently been trimmed to cleanliness and the stone letters disclosing the name of its previous inhabitants: the Telrouix family, was chiseled away, leaving behind only an incomplete stone plaque.
The sound of construction immediately took off after far too long, upon hearing of its current inhabitant finally returning from his journey. Already the abandoned scaffolding was now filled with ponies, diligently trying to patch up the once-grand estate. What was supposed to be the coniferous smell of northern air (still way better than the stuffiness of Canterlot) was filled with sawdust and sandpaper, though Stellar, despite his current frustrations with his headache, decided it was still tolerable.

"Fine place you would be living in," the doctor remarked, having spotted his friend gazing at the architecture. Stellar just nodded, slouching back into his chair with a quiet sigh. He closed his eyes, breathing in the mixed scent of pine and construction, trying to calm his mind and ready himself for whatever danger he might be facing soon.
"So, Stellar..." Caduceus began again, though there was hint of uncertainty this time, piquing his friend's attention to its peak.

"Have you ever considered it?"

"Considered what?"

"You know... retirement?"

Retirement. The word struck him like a razor sinking into his heart: painful and slow. His face paled as if his veins were constricting at the sheer horror of it. There was nothing to look for in there; it was just an empty avenue of shopfronts decorated for display, but at the end of the journey, there would be nothing to look forward to but days of loneliness; of boredom, until a pony's life be severed by the scythe of Death.
"I myself don't believe my body is fit for retirement," he admitted, though he wasn't sure if it was exactly true. He felt a small ounce of vigor had left him; a strength that he had once possessed shattered past its prime.
"I believe this colt is still ready for another bloody adventure. Maybe a dozen more."

"Fruits ripen with time, Stellar. Too long the time, and they would spoil."
Caduceus placed his wine glass aside, a little reproached at his pointless persistence. Every pony (excluding alicorns) ages, and there would come a time where looking at sunrises and sunsets from beneath the shadow of a grand building, such as the one they were sitting next to right now, would become a common routine.
"We're almost seventy, Stellar. I planned to have a long rest after all this is over. I can't guarantee myself into going on another adventure with you, my friend."

"I'm afraid I see naught in retirement," his friend commented, furrowing his eyebrows.
"There's more to expect and see in this world. I've encountered the strangest sights that not even our imaginations could muster upon travelling past the border. Don't you want to see as well?"

"I'm afraid I have to decline, my friend."
The doctor let out a sad sigh, placing a hoof on his friend's shoulder as he said:
"We've been going on adventures ever since we were fourteen, back when Persimmon and Sidus was still around. Fourteen... that's almost six decades ago. One would get tired after going so much adventures, the same way that one would after doing so much work, and I have to admit myself, all this adventuring is starting to get to my head."

Before Stellar could respond, there came a triumvirate of voices, followed by a certain thumping of large hooves- no... claws. Both colts' heads turned, smiling when they saw the erudite, scaly face of Jovern, gazing down at two familiar ponies trotting beside him, who gave them a wave once they spotted the two old friends.
"Tourist! Penny!" the former butler exclaimed first, beckoning both husband and wife to the remainder two seats. Caduceus beamed, rising up and giving the lime-green mare a hug. Her hotel tycoon of a husband smiled widely, shaking each of their hooves before settling down onto the chair, his wings ruffling a little for comfort as he began to speak:

"It's great to see you again. And of course Caduceus as well."

"The same to both of you," Caduceus replied warmly.
"A little wine, perhaps?"

Tourist and Penny nodded simultaneously, almost immediately receiving their respective glasses. It had been a long time since they last saw the tycoon and his wife, whom Stellar had acquainted with during his stay in Fenderville. He had seen their names in the newspapers lately however; about how his hotel chain, Paddock Palatial's, had won some dastardly Canterlot-esque award and about how they've finished what Stellar had started: rebuilding the derelict restaurant of Canopy Oaks.
"How's business these days?" Stellar asked.
"Smoother than ever, I presume?"

"No rough patches yet, so we're fine with that. Can't say the same for Jovern at the market just now..."

"It's not entirely my fault if they were afraid of me," the dragon replied gruffly, rolling his eyes at the four ponies laughing at him. His tongue slithered out from his mouth in displeasure, as if blowing a raspberry at them.
"Always with the judgmental behaviors, you ponies. One glimpse of little old me and you can send thousands of them scurry off a cliff just by showing your teeth."

"You're anything but little, Jovern. At least, in Equestrian terms," Caduceus remarked, patting the dragon on his scaly legs. Jovern merely grunted, lying down on the grass meadow and blowing out a puff of smoke. He placed a sack to his side, which Stellar could see was filled with an assortment of food, along with equipment they might need for their journey.
"After all, you'll have to get used to ponies not being warm to dragons most of the time. You know how ponies are, being insecure and all about their safety."

"So should I apologize on behalf of ponykind then, if it can make you feel better?"
Penny's crafty reply made the rest of them chuckle, though it quickly subsided once their thirst for wine crept back into their heads, their tongues immediately meeting the sensual bliss that only a bottle of Palgiot wine can provide.
"Jovern mentioned the reasons of your arrival here," the mare continued, turning to Stellar.
"Something about returning up north?"

"To Pendant Lakes, yes," the colt replied softly.

"Well, you have to be careful," Tourist began, shuffling to the edge of the seat.
"Rumor has it that there's still magic stirring in there, like some dark necromancy waiting for any unlucky pony to step into the ruins. I'd be extremely careful if I were you; Equestria isn't the same as it was these days."

"We'll take that into consideration," Stellar replied, Caduceus nodding in grim agreement as well.
Equestria isn't the same these days... there had never been more truer words that he had heard in his lifetime. The wistful harmony that had lasted throughout these years was warping, contorting into a malcontent atmosphere of fear that gouged its claws into the hearts of Equestria's inhabitants. He had heard himself from Stencil, the last mayor of Pendant Lakes, that curfews are already being ordered in Fillydelphia after the bomb threats; the same goes for Las Pegasus and Manehatten as well. Fear changes ponies, he surmised, and Janus knows how to manipulate that into his favor.
"Perhaps we have to rely a little on luck as well," he admitted, never being a fond believer of blessings.

"Then I propose a toast!"

Tourist stood up, his hooves pushing the iron chair back with a loud screech. His wife soon followed suit, then Caduceus and Stellar themselves. All of them raised their wine glasses, which met in the middle with a loud clink, the wine inside slopping along the glass walls of its bowels.
"To Stellar and Caduceus, the honorary folks of Pendant Lakes. May it be that their return be swift, as well as their journey be steady, safe and, in the end, bountiful. May their finds, if any, fortify the walls of Equestria and the hearts of it's ponies, and stabilize the harmony that flourishes within."

"Cheers," they all said simultaneously, under the keen eye of Jovern as they guzzled their drinks. Stellar glanced at each of his friends, smiling softly in the warmth of friendship in the afternoon.

"And cheers," he muttered under his breath, out of earshot even from his best friend.

"To the glory of Pendant Lakes."




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"Ya don't have to gobble everythin' up, Kane."

"You don't have to be the best baker of apple pie I ever met," the dragon replied with a grin. his giant claw like a cleaver slicing into the crust of the exquisite pie on the long table prepared solely by none other than Applejack herself. If anything, the succulent taste of apples was one that the dragon had sorely missed ever since he flew out the borders of Equestria. The orange mare herself had insisted upon making one for him, and the sight of her blushing at his compliment only made him wonder if she did it just so that he could say that.
"Though you are, of course, the only baker of apple pie I've ever met," he continued.
"Not to mention being the only one I fell in love with."

"Aw shucks..."

"He's not the only dragon who likes your apple pies," Spike piped in, tossing a slice up into the air with his tail, much to Rarity's disapproval when he catches it with his mouth, munching and shredding it with crumbs flying out from the edges of his cheeks. The rest of them chuckled at his antics, except for his marefriend, who hesitantly raised a lace napkin and started dabbing the side of his lips.
The two couples were not the only ones present in the royal dining room (which Kane had a little trouble squeezing in); there was Fluttershy with Big Macintosh, and Rainbow with Soarin', all helping themselves to their friend's creation. Along with them were Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, who were, once again, busy chattering among themselves. The only pony missing was Twilight, whom they reckoned had overslept due to another relentless search through the library, probably to hasten her findings about Janus, and Scootaloo, which neither knew where she was.

"Open wide," Fluttershy cooed with a smile at her daughter, the baby complying happily, her hooves flailing about the tram for the arriving spoon of apple pie, minced into the perfect size for the baby. Amber Rose, once gripping on the spoon with her newly-grown teeth, quickly guzzled the food down before resuming her squeaks of delight.
"Good girl, Amber!" her mother said with a chuckle, "Good girl!"

"She's so cute~!" Apple Bloom squealed like a fangirl, making smooching sounds at her niece, which giggled happily at the sight of her teenage aunt. Sweetie Belle soon joined along, trying their best to entertain the baby in as many ways as possible.
Rainbow Dash sighed at the prospect of such a warm sight, and Rarity could understand why; it was every mother-to-be's dream of having a foal, and despite what some ponies said about its troubles that came long with it, it was an unforgettable experience (and a difficult one, no doubt) to raise a child of your own.

"Just adorable," was what the cyan mare's Wonderbolt husband muttered dreamily, gazing down at the filly. It wasn't long before Fluttershy cradled her daughter in her hooves, rocking her slowly to sleep while softly humming a small, sweet lullaby, soothing the ears of even her friends.

"And beautiful too," Sweetie Belle added, watching as Amber Rose started to curl up in her mother's hooves, drifting off into another afternoon nap. Of course, Fluttershy and Big Macintosh each smiled at the compliments, with the former now tucking the baby back into her tram.
"Is it hard taking care of her?" the teenage minstrel asked.

"A little," both husband and wife said simultaneously, before giving a brief glance of surprise at each other with wide eyes and turning away almost immediately, their cheeks turning red.
Rarity's smile grew wider at that point. Even when they were married, they still were bashful about each other. Despite Applejack complaining of them acting as if they had just met, Rarity, however, found it a little too cute to bear every time she saw them like this, sometimes even giggling softly at the tenderness of the couple.

"Oh... but it's not too hard, really..." Fluttershy added. It seemed like a lie, but they all know how good their butter-colored friend was at taking care of anything, and with each passing day, those words seem to grow truer; she has possessed more patience and dexterity on taking care of her daughter, which lifted a small load from her husband's shoulders, who had been tending carefully to Amber Rose while she paid a few visits to the psychiatrist.

Spike wasn't a keen believer of her words, it seems, judging from the small, skeptical frown that the white mare could see forming at the side of his face. Of course parenthood is hard, she could imagine him saying defiantly. There isn't any sort of reference guide for it! You'll have to use your instincts!
Speaking of motherhood - she turned back to the dragon - she had read up on dragon/pony relationships, to which she was sure Spike had no doubt read about as well. Such relationships were rare in the past, and there were accounts of stallions and mares having dragons as their spouses in the past, though all were the size of Kane, sometimes making her wonder if her dragon and herself could somehow... conceive a child.

The myths of having a dragon as your coltfriend was bountiful as well as its gossip over it. Some ponies claimed the relationship can damage your health, though Rarity could only scoff at those words. Some even said that a dragon would lose what their kind called honor if they fell in love with a pony, and yet again Rarity just brushed it off.
Her thoughts headed back to conceiving a child. If they ever somehow had a baby of their own, she knew they would have to be married at some point in their lives. She wasn't keen on Spike's thoughts about marriage, seeing how laid back and frank he was with things. There were times that she figured he was trying to bring up, but the dragon immediately swept it aside before he even started to speak.

The door opened suddenly, and instead of Twilight stepping in, as they were all expecting, it was her brother instead. His flustered looks and tangled mane could almost rival that of his bookish sibling herself, and sometimes they could only wonder if their whole family inherited this trait.
"She's coming soon, she's coming soon..." he muttered those words like some sort of chant, his horn glowing a pale rose and guiding a small comb towards his mane, brushing it hastily.

"Who's coming?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Cadance, of course!" was his ludicrously loud response.

Of course, Rarity thought to herself. The princess's return from the Crystal Empire. Twilight had mentioned about it on the train journey here, and about how she was eager to meet her son-in-law: Radiance, if she could recall his name correctly. A six year old unicorn that inherited the looks of his father and the purple eyes of his mother.
Her train of thought was interrupted by Shining Armor's blatant yelp, having glanced at his reflection in a nearby mirror. She snickered underneath her breath: even the Captain of the Princess's Royal Guard panics at his wife's return.
"I look ridiculous!" he exclaimed.

"Ya don't say," Applejack chided with a smug grin, with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo giggling along.

"Just try to look your best," Spike said, watching as he struggled to button his uniform.
"I'm sure she doesn't mind how you look. She just wants you to be there for her."

Rarity shook her head at his words, her hoof meeting her face almost immediately. Now this was why she was a little reluctant to talk to Spike about marriage.
"It's been two months!" Shining shot back, almost as if enraged by the dragon's comment.
"She's my wife, for Celestia's sake! What about our son? Meeting him after two. Whole. Months? I don't want to give him the first impression that his father's some total workaholic!"

"Well... you can't really do anything about it," Rainbow piped in with a snicker.
"You belong in a family of workaholics, after all."

"Eeyup," Big Mac added.

There came the laughs of everypony else, except Shining himself, of course, who Rarity thought would've exploded at the comment. Instead, he sighed with humiliation; apparently, even he sees his family, especially his sister, as work obsessive-compulsive ponies.
As if on cue, the door soon opened again, with a frazzled, worn-out Twilight stepping in, her mane almost as if tossed in the same whirlwind as her brother had been through. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she let out a languid yawn, her half-lidded eyes narrowing slowly as she scanned around the room. Her brother rushed out of the door suddenly, almost jolting her senses awake once he zoomed past her.

"Morning, Twi," Applejack called first, pushing out a chair.
"Saved ya a seat."

"Th-thanks," the violet mare muttered sleepily, slowly settling down. Her hoof clumsily reached around the table, eventually finding a mug of water, to which she accepted eagerly. Taking a small sip that ignited a small flicker of her lackluster energy, Twilight glanced at all the amused expressions around the room, her foggy head mustering up its strength to deduce them.
"What did I miss?" she asked, to which Spike responded sarcastically:

"Oh, not much. Not much at all."




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"And you're certain of it?"

"I'm afraid so, my Princess," came the cultured voice of none other than Fancypants himself. Being heralded as the most important pony of Canterlot, with a loyal entourage and his influence on the Canterlot society second to only the ministers and princesses themselves, it wouldn't be a surprise when Princess Celestia gave him support of him handling the monetary reins for his newest project: an archaeological dig in Saddle Arabia.
It was the other day, starting out ordinary and fresh, when he received a letter from one of his colleagues about an excavation; one that would shake the very foundations of science in Equestria, or so the letter had phrased it. Rounding up his expenses, he soon placed his investments onto the table as one of the sponsors for the archaeologist-in-charge, whom they said was a renowned professor in his field.

Then something happened. Something severed the connection between him and the professor, halting both the news of any breakthroughs in the excavation and the funds that were being sent to them. Whatever it was, Fancypants soon found out that he wasn't the only one going through this predicament: the rest of the sponsors had been excluded from the excavation as well, with the exception of one. It had been slightly shocking to him, and as soon as he got the news, he rushed out to the palace, forgetting his antique monocle on his study table to visit the two other ponies interested in this discovery.
The two leaders of Canterlot were astonished, to say the least, about them being removed from the equation. Neither could fathom why the professor (which they assumed was smart enough to know) would cut off the single, most profitable trade from the list. Not to mention the most important.

"My associates told me that the money from this single pony was more than the rest of us combined, even from the contributions of the Canterlot Ministry," the stallion continued.

"That's impossible," Princess Luna proclaimed.
"Not a single pony possesses the authoritative power that the Canterlot Ministry and us could give. I'm sure the professor would know that."

"Also, we have ties with Saddle Arabia," her elder sister continued.
"We have to oversee projects and especially excavations that are based in another nation, and we have the command to legalize it providing that we are to know of any breakthroughs in the excavation itself. Any projects away from the eyes of the ministry in other nations is deemed illegal, and Saddle Arabia has the right to detain him and confiscate all his findings."

Her last sentence rang true a few times before: there was one time where three ponies were planning a massive landscaping project that could've shaped the Eastern Mountains, which was past the border of the minotaur kingdom. Of course, the authorities there had every right to arrest them, the landscaping project was torn down and the princess had never heard from those three ponies again.
If what Fancypants said was true, that would mean that the excavation had every right to be forbidden by the Saddle Arabian government. The professor would be detained and exiled, at least, and be sent back to Canterlot, where she would've wanted him to explain himself.

"We'll have to notify Saddle Arabia about this," she muttered before turning to one of her guards.
"Tell the ministry to inform the Saddle Arabian government of the changes immediately."

With a salute, the guard galloped off, leaving Fancypants and the two princesses to ponder at the situation. It was a little mysterious, these transpiring turn of events, Princess Celestia surmised. First was the bombing of the Rembury, then the sadistic slaughter of a pony in the alleyways, and now this. She sometimes couldn't help but wonder at the last one; is it the same culprit? The one they call Janus?
She'd understand why he would cause a bombing, or even a murder a pony, but to express his interest in an archaeological excavation? It just doesn't sound like something a crazed, demented mastermind hell-bent on tearing Canterlot down would do. Then again, Janus has his devious tricks.

"As of now," she continued, "we could only hope that the authorities over there are doing their job, and that the professor -- what was his name again?"

"Page. Tattertale Adolphus Page."

"That Professor Page, would have a viable reason to exclude us from his excavation."

Resting her head on a small pillow, her head listed through the many possible things that Janus could profit from an archaeological dig. What would a top mastermind and a bunch of centuries-old ruins have it common, the alabaster mare asked herself. If only there would be a simple answer for that question...
The door creaked open suddenly, and in came a duo - one familiar and one not-so-familiar - of ponies. Their obvious height difference wasn't as surprising as their visit, despite the two alicorns having been notified of her return. The taller one was a mare; a pink alicorn, just like them. The other had his blue/cyan-streaked mane waxen and brushed with a gleam, his purple eyes marveling at the grandeur scale of architecture that the palace possessed, and him donning an elegant, red suit that declares his position. Unlike the older mare beside him (who was his mother) he was a unicorn, ripe at the age of six.

"But Mommy," he whined. Radiance, if Princess Celestia could recall his name correctly.
"You said we will be visiting the Crystal Fair this year!"

"Sometimes, there are things you just have to miss," his mother, Princess Cadance, replied, stopping briefly only to give a wave at the other two alicorns seated on their respective thrones.
"Plus, I heard Daddy's a little eager to meet you, and you still haven't met your aunt yet. Aunt Twilight, remember?"

"My Princess," Fancypants cut in with a bow before Radiance could continue his complaints.
"It's an honor to see you in Canterlot once again."

"The honor is mine," she replied with a smile, turning to her aunts.
"And it's also a pleasure to see you again, Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna."

"The same to you," the older of the sister replied.
How long has it been since she had seen her niece, Celestia wondered. Two months, if she could recall correctly? Nevertheless, the sight of the third and young alicorn was refreshing to her and Luna's eyes, and she could imagine Shining Armor and Twilight, her faithful student, wanting to know about her and, of course, her son's experiences there.

"So how's the Crystal Empire?" she asked. She and Luna had never placed a hoof into the fabled place ever since King Sombra rose to power and took over the Empire as his own all those centuries ago. Even now, she hoped that she could relieve from her duties as Princess for a moment just to pay a visit to the empire; a gem standing in the middle of the freezing Arctic North, or northwest, to be more accurate.

"It's fine, even in my absence," Princess Cadance answered, puffing her chest proudly.
"I wish I could say the same for Canterlot, however."

Despite being situated in the remote north, the ponies living there were no strangers to the chaos brewing around all four corners of Equestria, Celestia herself even made preparations for an evacuation to the Crystal Empire just in case times are extremely dire. She just hoped that Cadance is ready to play her part as the princess there; a leader needs to know how to protect her own subjects, after all.
"It doesn't matter now," Princess Luna began with a dismissive wave.
"What matters is that you and Radiance are here, and that you're both safe."

"Mom~!" Radiance started whining, tugging insistently at his mother's hoof. The older ponies could only chuckle at him as he shirked behind Cadance's wings, slightly humiliated by his outburst.
His mother let out a small sigh, smiling back at the colt. Leaning against his ear, she whispered softly and inaudibly in his ear, which shot up rigidly once she finished. In no time at all, the colt suddenly galloped towards the corridors, his purple eyes sparkling like Luna's astral mane whilst he starts making gurgling and rumbling noises reminiscent of an engine. The remainder of ponies just stared in surprise at his actions, blankly turning to his mother.

"Told him that Shining's in the dining room," Cadance admitted sheepishly.
"Never thought he would get so excited on seeing his dad again."

"Well, that was slightly interesting," Princess Celestia replied, wearing a smug grin.
"I'm pretty sure that you have never done that in your entire life. He must've somehow inherited it from at least one of his parents now, wouldn't he? Maybe that's why Shining's your husband."

Her two aunts chuckled warmly as the pink alicorn started to blush, before she began trotting towards the corridor that her son had just zoomed into.
"Well, gotta go after him," she said.
"Don't want him breaking any of the vases now, would we?"

Another chuckle, before Princess Cadance quickly went after her son, leaving her aunts to gaze warmly at the motherly bond of their niece. Princess Celestia then turned to Fancypants, who had maintained an incredible amount of silent patience (she cursed herself for letting his presence slip from her head) out of respect for their small reunion, wearing a smile, to which he gave one in return.
"Is there anything else you would like to say, my faithful subject?" she asked. He could've excused himself during their small conversation, yet he chose to stay, and she could only think of one purpose for that.

"Not much," he replied.
"Just that I'm keen to offer my aid in observing Professor Page's movements, if it's alright. I will report to your Highnesses once I received any news from him."

"Of course you can," Princess Celestia replied. Despite being the home to some of the most powerful and influential ponies of the country, many ponies living here never had the heart to contribute their services to the nation, especially in these dire, dark times.
Fancypants was one of the modest few, that she knew, no matter how complicated the situation was, was always willing to aid anypony in their troubles and, seeing how he important he was in the Canterlot high-life, he was somepony worthy to have his position, and no doubt her sister and herself would turn to him for any help.

And she needs all the help she can get.




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"Everything ready?"

The small radio around his hoof crackled slightly as Phoenix trudged up the hill, gazing down at the parting rocks leading down into the underpass, cocking his rifle up onto his shoulder. The potential targets strolling around the field were still unaware of his and his band's presence, and they had worked all night concocting the brilliant plan to scatter them astray. All he had to do was set off the first trigger, and he had to do that at the perfect time.
Patience. That's all he required to wait for Velvet's reply from the radio. He slid his hoof back on the grass, his rifle like a spear aiming onward at the mountain trolls wandering around in some sort of convention: the hunter working stealthily in the bright of the afternoon.

"Come on, Velvet..." he muttered. The timing is impeccable, and the sooner, the better.

"We're all set."
His friend's crackling voice through the speakers was enough of a permission, he surmised. Narrowing his eyes and leveling his head to the scope of his rifle, Phoenix held his shivering breath as he slowly scanned the scene below him, his scope pinpointing towards a desirable yet unlikely target: the rock face of the cliff.
First shot. A warning shot, to stir up the chaos between the trolls. His hoof laid still, quivering just above the metal surface of the trigger, before plunging it straight inwards.

*BANG*

The echoing sound of the gunshot rang in his ears, the stallion that fired it almost cursing himself for not bringing earmuffs to muffle such a deafening noise. However, his efforts proved fruitful; the howling and bellowing of the monsters soon filled the air, with many already beginning to scurry off into the woods or nearby jungles.
Now, to deal with the more stubborn ones: the second warning shot. The death of one of their kin. Phoenix leveled the target to one of the trolls, glancing around in surprise at the cacophony happening around him.

"You're a lucky guy," the turquoise stallion muttered softly.

*BANG*
*BANG*

Two shots of lead into the head, and the troll fell onto the ground. Its friends soon perked up angrily, jumping and roaring in disbelief at the loss of their own, glancing around for the possible assassin that took him away from them.
Phoenix smiled at the crazed, enraged howls. Surprise attack: accomplished. Now - he clenched his hooves in uncertainty - for the harder part of his role...

"Hey!! Over here, you dingleheads!!"

Of course, the shout gained the attention of the remaining trolls, growling at the sight of such a defiant and daring pony stepping in their midst. The gun he was swinging about his flailing hooves fueled the fire of their anger, which started to raze through their senses once they established the connection between it and their dead friend.
Sure enough, as Velvet and he himself had predicted, Phoenix watched as the whole gang of trolls let out a volley of roars, clumsily rampaging through the green plains and towards the stallion with their horrendous claws sharp and wide, almost as if to pounce onto him. He would've ran away as well, but his friend mentioned that timing must be adequate for the trap to function.

Almost there, he muttered softly in his head. Almost there...

The trolls stumbled up the rocks, their deranged monstrosity of their visage growing ever clearer. Their black, beady eyes seemed as empty as their hearts, and their claws had been sprung towards the stallion, ready to sink in deep into his flesh. Every slow, languid second of time that passes, the trolls get one feet closer, and he wouldn't want to know how he would be torn apart by these creatures.
"Come on, come on, come on..." he mumbled his thoughts aloud, his hoof shivering with the need to run and his forehead damp with nervous beads of sweat.

Time's up.

Like a bullet, Phoenix soon sped off across the steppe, the group of rampaging trolls following closely behind as he galloped across the fields of green, swerving and turning only to narrowly avoid a few rocks. He hastily gazed into the horizon, smiling only when the silhouette of Velvetine Willows came into view.
"Come on, Finn!" his friend called, urging for a boost in speed. Phoenix gave it with ease; soon enough his dexterous tail burst in flames, his hooves reaching closer to the brink of fatigue as he got nearer and nearer to the safer region of the steppe.

"NOW!!"

As soon as Phoenix stormed to his friend's side, the rest of the caravan, clenching a taut, sturdy rope in between their teeth, gave it a powerful tug; in response, a large rack of sticks sprung up from the confines of the soil, the dirt shaken off by such a violent move. The prisoners within howled in displeasure, ready to barge out of the cage, but Velvet had other ideas.
"Phoenix, quick," he beckoned his panting friend.
"Light it up!"

With a flick of his tail, the wooden bars of the cage soon flickered, and sure enough, the raging snake of embers soon coiled up the rack, entwining them in an inferno of devastation, almost as if cooking its frantic prisoners from within. The trolls roared fearfully at the burning fences walling up all four sides, completely helpless in the presence of their worst fears.
"Everypony move!" Phoenix shouted his order, signalling the pilgrims from behind the rocks with Parish leading them onward. They ran across the steppe, with some of them even tripping over the green, sparing no time for any of the trolls to escape.

"Here!" Velvet said, tossing sticks from a bundle of them in his hooves to each of the caravan members.
"This should keep the fire going!"

The ponies, gryphon and minotaur soon nodded, now poking the combustible piece of wood into the cage. Phoenix himself swung it warily around like a blade, as if daring for the trolls to come closer, all the while allowing passage for the pilgrims snaking their way across the plains and into the underpass.
Then he heard it. Something amid the crackling of flames and the shouting of trolls. Something behind the loud cries of each of the caravan members and the quick hoofsteps of the pilgrims. It was the whirring of clockwork, accompanied with the loud rumble of an engine, no doubt a powerful one. It seemed to be getting louder and louder...

Phoenix immediately turned to the air, stopping his breath in surprise once he saw the unmistakable shapes of what seemed to be a fleet of pegasi hovering directly towards them. A squint of his eyes showed more of what seemed to be a belt around each of their waists, but he never exactly knew what it was for until one of the pegasi turned it around, revealing, to his horror, a machine gun.
"Get back," he said once the rest of the caravan noticed them as well. With guns ever ready, the fleet swooped down suddenly, their manes fluttering in the wind as their hoof laid on the trigger, prompting Phoenix to scream:
"GET BACK!!"

The first rounds of the gun sprayed in a hellish shower of bullets, almost grazing each of their skin as all of them ducked for cover behind the cluster of rocks around. It was an endless hail of steel, ricocheting off the surfaces of the craggy rocks dotting the steppe and whizzing past their ears.
Phoenix raised his rifle, firing it at the skies and downing a few of their attackers. He galloped to Pinkie's side, holding her trembling hoof tightly as he stared at her fearful expression, her sapphire eyes gleaming plaintively in shock.

"Everypony, let's move, move, MOVE!!" he shouted, his hoof beckoning them into the direction of the mountains
The caravan soon ran across the steppe, with their pursuers already readying the next wave of torrential bullets. They swerved around the walls of rocks as if caught in a battlefield, galloping forward towards the solace of the underpass, where the pilgrims had safely entered without harm.
Selena, with a click of her tongue, soon threw a red stick of dynamite into the air, which fizzed around a bit before exploding into a grand spectacle of fireworks, painfully singeing the wings of some of their hunters. She raised her hoof to throw another, though Ollivander immediately pulled her down just as the rain of bullets continued again, which died down in a matter of minutes.

"To the underpass! Go!" Phoenix shouted, firing his rifle backwards at their pursuers. Velvet and Brutus were the first to enter, followed by the Deuce twins, then it was Selena and Ollivander. He darted towards the road drilling into the depths of the mountain, with Pinkie right beside him, utterly terrified by the chaos and gunshots ringing all around.
A loud scream pierced into his train of thought, and Phoenix turned back to see, much to his horrific realization, the pink mare being yanked backwards, a knife raised at her neck. Before he could react, however, the blade grew dangerously closer to her throat, leaving him to glare at her new captor.

"Now, I wouldn't do anything if I were you, for her safety, of course." the pegasus said slyly to him. His dark purple coat was filled with scars of old; some were burns, some were horrific gash marks and some were just recent bruises, and his light azure mane drifts around like an ocean accepting the grace of the wind, yet there was no sense of harmony in that.
"I believe she's the one you call Pinkie Pie, yes?"

"What do you want from her?" he shot back, the pink mare whimpering in her captor's hooves.

"My Lord has some erh... ties, with a mare such as her."
The pegasus gave out a small, mortifying grin; one that would be the source of every nightmare in a foal's story. His sharp teeth gleamed in the bright sunlight and, being the captain of the fleet, it was no doubt that the remaining pegasi pointed their guns at him when they saw him approach Pinkie's captor.
"She has certain... run-ins back in the past. She is to be charged and terminated without mercy under my lord's direct orders, and all probable witnesses were to be dispatched as well."

"That's insane-!"

"But still a necessity," the anonymous pony cut in.
"And I believe you're the first to volunteer to place your head on the chopping block, hmm?"

Phoenix Mellow could not believe his ears. There was never a more arrogant and disparaging tone that he had ever heard in his lifetime than the one of the pony he was facing, as if he was ascertained that death will come for him. He hated when he was underestimated, and being looked down upon by many was a little frustrating.
His hooves started to twitch with impatience, his eyes narrowing down at the pony and the fields around him to search for a probable escape route, before emerging with a cunning grin. Oh, if only this pony knew what he was capable of.

"Not in my bucking life."

His tail burst into flames, whipping the pegasi around him and kicking Pinkie's captor down, catching the pink mare before she could fall. Everything was happening too fast for her to understand, judging from her frozen expression of shock and trepidation.
"Get her!" the anonymous's pony's voice fumbled just as they were reaching the mouth of the cavern. Phoenix turned around to fire back a few shots with his trusty rifle, allowing Pinkie to head into the Solsenaar Underpass, before he himself dived in, barely avoiding a ricocheting spray of bullets.

"What the heck was that?!"

Velvet's shout filled the cavern once the presumed leader of the caravan hastily galloped into the natural antechamber for a small rest. The pilgrims were there, all completely shaken up by the recent turn of events. Pinkie was in his hooves, cringing and weeping softly underneath her mane, which had drooped down again after such a horrifying ordeal. Even the trolls were shot without mercy by those pegasi; they were supposed to be released when the fire around the cage dies down, but the aimless gunfire had riddled them with lead, leaving the bodies of the creatures to be ravaged by ember and flame.
Whoever the ponies were, they seemed to take a keen interest in Pinkie. An enemy from the past? Or an entity there to torment her over and over? Nevertheless, this pony had some connections to whatever the mare's past might be and, judging from the pony's actions, it doesn't seem to sound like a lovely, joy-filled past that Phoenix wanted to believe she had been through.

"I have no idea," he muttered coldly, with all eyes of the caravan gazing at the shaken mare. She was the reason they were here, and the only reason that they nearly got killed in the first place. Reluctantly, Phoenix placed a hoof on her shoulder, the pink mare turning in quiet surprise as he said:

"We need to talk."