The Code's Apprentice

by Lapis-Lazuli and Stitch


Chapter 10 - The Aftermath

~~~~Several Hours Later~~~~

In the town square, an ad-hoc triage had been set up by Ponyville Hospital. Nurse Redheart directed traffic as the steady stream of slightly shell-shocked Ponyville residents walked back into town to assess the damage. Signs had already been posted that Sure Thing Insurance company would be honoring all policies in the town, and directed claimants to a set of repurposed offices in the town square. Locals who had been injured were being treated by everypony who knew how to wrap a bandage or stitch up a cut.

A large wall had been hastily erected next to town hall, and four local artists were taking descriptions of missing ponies and pasting up their pictures. There had been a lot of panic in the early moments of the attack, and search parties were already being organized amongst the Pegasi as new notices came in.

Cloudkicker stood silent sentinel by the wall of pictures, only speaking to assign members of her weather team to the search effort. She spoke to nopony else, though her eyes were constantly going to the town hall behind her. She always looked worried when she did that, but snapped back to attention when duty called.

Stories were already circulating amongst the townsfolk - Of how Pinkie Pie had rescued dozens of ponies and foals out of the streets with her 'Cupcake-Fu'. Then breaking the changeling swarm against the walls of Sugarcube Corner as though it had been the fortress of Stalliongrad.

How Trixie, once only considered a dangerous nuisance to the town had protected countless refugees with her magical power and illusions. Then when informed that more ponies needed rescuing, had rushed to the aid of yet more of the town's citizens.

Of a certain grey-coated and blonde maned pegasus Mailmare, who single hoofedly fought off swarm after swarm. Hurling bolts of lightning from low flying clouds and receiving many wounds in the process. All in defense of her young daughter.

Yet the two biggest stories concerned two young mares. Each of them had brought pride to the town in the past. Locals already liked to brag about one being the student of the Princess, and how one was a future Wonderbolt. Now though, they would have brand new reasons to feel pride in them.

No one in town could forget the tail end of what was already being called "Ponyville's Stand", As the changeling swarms took to the skies above Ponyville, and many feared they were planning to bombard the safe zone. What would happen next though, would be written into the legends of Equestria forever.


~~~~~Several Hours Earlier~~~~~

High above Ponyville, Rainbow Dash glared out of the window. She was standing in the main office of the local Flight Camp, and already she was covered in a dozen little nicks and cuts where Changeling flying troops had gotten lucky. She didn't quite know what was going on right now - but something big was up.

Cloudkicker joined her at the window, also looking worriedly outside. "Dash? Are they pulling out?" That seemed to be the case- every swarm on the ground was pulling up into the air, abandoning any attacks they were in the midst of and flying up high into the sky - From the ground, Dash could see massive bolts of white energy searing through the scattering changelings, but otherwise not slowing their ascent.

Dash narrowed her eyes a little and shook her head. "Uh uh. Changelings don't give up that easy." She narrowed her eyes, poking her head out of the window cautiously and trying to get an eye on the air currents. It's all wrong for a retreat. Even changelings aren't dumb enough to fly into a thermal towards Canterlot. Where the buck are they going?

It hit her a moment later. They weren't retreating, they were heading for the refugee zone. "Mother Buckers!" Dash growled, stretching her wings out and quickly heading over to the door, then stopping. There's only one thing I could do. Suicide of course, but I am not letting those bucking bugs win. Dash looked around for a spare flight suit - she was going to need the extra aerodynamics to get up to speed fast enough.

Cloudkicker was one step ahead of her - Handing her the royal blue suit of the local instructors...except someone had taken a paint brush to it, making crude lightning bolts along the side. If you looked at it from just the right angle, it would look like a Wonderbolts suit.

Dash looked up in surprise at his weather team second, who smiled kind of tremulously and handed her - no filly fooling - a genuine pair of Wonderbolts flight goggles. Dash wondered where the hay Cloudkicker had gotten them from. Or who. "Go get 'em dashie." She whispered. Cloudkicker knew the odds of surviving in the air out there were pretty much nonexistent.

What the hell. If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die a Bolt. Spitfire probably wouldn't have found the thought amusing, but Spitfire wasn't there right at that moment. Dash quickly tugged on the flight suit and pulled the goggles over her eyes. There. Now to show em why I'm the best damn flyer in Equestria!

Cloudkicker was crying silently, tears streaming down her face. She grabbed Dash in a rib creaking hug. "You promise me you'll come back, Dash." Dash was confused as hell - Cloudkicker resented her even at the best of times, and not without reason. Dash was a lazy git sometimes, and Cloudkicker was the definition of hard-working pegasus.

Now wasn't the time to think about it. "Hey Hey hey, chill Cloudy." She hated that nickname, and to Dash's surprise it startled a chuckle out of her. "I always come back." Dash cockily arched an eyebrow, striking a pose. Cloudkicker nodded and trotted over to the flight school students, concealing her face from Dash. She comforted the foals amongst them as Dash marched her way over to the door, kicking it open with a back hoof. I'm gonna come back. Cuz I'm the best there is. she silently promised herself, launching out of the doorway and immediately heading straight up into the sky.

Flight schools were all built pretty high to start with. The thinner air made it easier for younger fillies and colts to get into the air, and the longer distance to the ground meant accidents rarely ever were dangerous. Rainbow Dash was going to go even higher than that - as high as she possibly could, batting her wings and focusing all of her pegasus magic behind her.

It only took her thirty seconds to get high enough for her tastes. She took a moment at this height to look down on ponyville. Rarity. AJ. Twi. Fluttershy. Pinkie. I hope you're watching, girls. Dash closed her eyes as she arced gracefully through the air and into a perfect ninety degree dive. One! MORE! TIME! Her wings snapped back into position as she forced every bit of her magic into the air behind her, propelling her down at maximum speed.

Dash was thankful for the goggles, which let her see where the bulk of the Changeling swarm was at that moment. Her wings were flapping back and forth at rapid speeds, forcing more and more magic into them as she propelled down through the air. Within mere moments, she could already see the thin white film gathering in front of her crackling with pegasus magic.

Moments later, she knew she'd been spotted. Nothing for it now, more speed! She did not even make a token effort at self-defense, even as the changeling swarm began to close in on her. Her hoof extended all the way out and she grit her teeth as the film began to distort and bend in front of her, sending off crackles of heat and lightning all around her.

A claw grazed her side. She could feel what felt like more rake at her wings, sending it into a spasm of pain with every wing stroke. Something solid smacked into her from the front shattering one of the goggles lenses, and still she went faster. She was losing control over her flight path, but that was not going to matter now. She narrowed her remaining good eye, taking aim for the heart of the aerial swarm as the film of air in front of her bent to its breaking point. Twi, I -

The air shattered in front of her. Sound ceased to be for a few moments, and suddenly came back with a roar of defiance like a thousand thunderclaps all at once. The changelings within the first twenty yards of the center point were liquefied. Within 50 yards, their chitin was shattered by the force of the blast.

A wave of rainbow colored energy expanded out from the center point, hitting the aerial swarm like a bomb. In less than three seconds, the wave had caught every member of the swarm and sent them careening away from ponyville.

A beam of Rainbow energy streaked down from the sky, as cheers erupted from the citizens of ponyville. Only to go quiet a moment later as the rainbow streaked towards the ground, seemingly without giving up its speed. Fear spread through the onlookers for a moment as Dash plummeted towards the ground with no signs of stopping.

Then a tiny flash of white light and a winged figure streaked from the town square, intercepting the rainbow - the two figures tumbled in midair until a massive splash of water signaled their landing. Then the cheers erupted again. The blast wave slowly spread out far above their heads, dissipating into the atmosphere a few moments later.

~~~~Several Hours after the Sonic Rainboom~~~~

Inside Town Hall, all of the benches and chairs had been stripped away from the floor. A dozen beds had been dragged in from somewhere, and each was occupied by a different high-priority case. There had been no time and no one to spare to get them to the hospital, so the hospital had come to them.

Princess Cadence lay in the bed farthest from the door, though she insisted she would be fine. Only her broken right foreleg was anything to worry about, and had been splinted and bound up hours ago. Shining Armor sat next to her and the pair of them had eyes only for one other patient.

On the bed next to them, Rainbow Dash lay still unconscious. Her wings were both bound up in bandages and her left eye was heavily bandaged. Her left hind leg was splinted and suspended, and she had on a soft neck brace. Next to the bed sat Twilight and Rarity. No one asked Twilight about her cloak. It wasn't the time for that.

Doctor Stable trotted over quietly, still examining the chart. The room went hushed as he looked over at the two girls, Twilight looked up, her hoof still squeezing Rainbows tightly. After a moment, the doctor smiled. "Well, I've got good news." Both of the friends perked up, as did the rest of the room. "The X-rays came back. There's been only minor bruising to her neck and spine. No breaks, no spinal cord damage, nothing permanent even to her wing structures. We can fix everything else given enough time and care." He smiled gently. "She will make a full recovery."

Rarity laughed embraced Twilight fiercely. The rest of the patients sent up a cheer, much to the grousing of those who were trying to rest. Twilight watched Cadence exhale a sigh of relief and lean into her husband’s arms. The Doctor flipped up a page of the chart. "In fact, we can wake her up for a little while. She's going to need a lot of rest, but I think it'd be good for her vitals to move around."

Twilight nodded enthusiastically, and the doctor's horn lit up lightly, pressing a number of buttons on the medical machinery. "It should only take a few minutes for her to come to. She's on muscle relaxants, so she won’t be able to hurt herself." The doctor then quickly excused himself as the door of the town hall opened and closed, admitting a new pair of ponies. He bustled off to speak to them.

Sure enough, Dash's eye cracked open a few moments later and slowly peeked around. "Oh. I’m not dead, huh?" She cracked a roguish smile. "That's a good thing I guess." Twilight laughed softly, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks. Thank Dissonance, she's okay... Rainbow dash coughed and waved a lazy hoof "Hey Twi, could you help me sit up a bit? I wanna not feel like a slab of peat moss for a bit."

Twilight looked startled for a moment and her horn lit - very very gently, as she lifted Dash up into a more comfortable sitting position. Rarity tossed back her mane, still in impossibly good shape despite the events of the day. "Darling, that was a magnificent performance! " Rarity burst out, her hooves applauding enthusiastically. "A trifle reckless perhaps, but how could I expect any less? I dare say that was one for the ages!" Dash was grinning widely - Rarity rarely got enthusiastic about her flying.

Twilight smiled faintly. Rarity stood up after a moment to pat Dash's hoof with her own. "I've got to go check up on Sweetie Belle, darling. You just get better as quickly as you can." she glanced at Twilight, and sighed. "As for you, Twilight dear. If you insist upon wearing black, I must insist you allow me to give you something that at least looks stylish." Twilight jerked and stared at Rarity.

Rarity smiled a little, leaning in towards twilight as she spoke. "Twilight Sparkle. You saved me, my sister, and countless others today. How you did so is irrelevant. Anypony who tells you different can go and wear velour." She snapped a hoof at the air. "Pink Velour!" She sniffed, putting her nose into the air and trotting off.

Rainbow Dash stared after her and shook her head slowly. "They call me crazy. She's bonkers." Dash laughed a little, and Twilight had to smile. Dash smiled back at her, and looked down. Twilight was still holding her hoof and being awfully quiet. "Um..Twi. Not that I mind you doing that but um...Are you okay? And what's with the dark unicorn sorcerer look?"

Twilight looked down at the bedspread, trying as hard as she could to figure out what to say. "It's...um." Maybe do it like she'd done with Applejack? Fast. Yes, that was a good way. "It's not a look." She finished lamely. That was probably just going to confuse her. Buck it, why can’t I even talk to my best friends!

Dash did look confused, but Twilight plowed on anyway. "I...made a deal, Dash. I was.." She looked down at the cover, tugging her hoof away from Dash's, only to find the pegasus now holding on to her. "Everypony was in danger. I was being lied to and manipulated by all my teachers. I couldn't take it anymore. I...I...I signed on with the other team, Dash."

There, It was out. She was going to hate her, call her a traitor - and that would be that. Dash was not very religious, but she knew the difference between Harmony and Dissonance. Twilight tried to pull away more firmly, but Dash was holding on. Twilight looked over miserably. "Let go, Dash. I don't deserve to be here."

Dash shook her head and tugged her closer to the bed. "Horseapples." She spat out, and Twilight looked up. Dash grabbed her by the chin to lift her head up and looked into her eyes. "Repeat after me, Egghead. Element. Of. Loyalty." and to punctuate it, she gently poked Twilight's nose which made her go cross-eyed. "I swear, Twi - For someone who has so much faith in her friends, you don't have any in yourself, do ya?"

Dash was grinning as much as she could from behind the eye patch. "Now I can’t speak for the rest of the gang. Except for Rarity who's probably dreaming up ways to make you the most stylish dark lady in history." Dash rolled her eyes a little and Twilight had to suppress a grin. Rarity could be single minded at times.

Rainbow dash smiled, pulling Twilight up close to her. "But I know you. I know you're not bad. You didn't do this cuz you wanted power or wealth or whatever. You did this to help us. That makes all the difference in the world, Twi." Dash leaned forward a little to bump foreheads with Twilight, her hoof ruffling Twi's mane.

Twilight did not know what to make of it. Silly Mare. She loves you. Twilight blinked rapidly at that thought. Oh come on. You can sense it can’t you? There's love there, really powerful and tasty love! Sure enough, just looking at Dash with her new found sight showed the tight ball of bright red threads that seemed to be directed solely at her.

And she's all bound up and hurt, and I bet she'd love a little sexual healing.. Twilight squashed that entirely inappropriate thought for the second time today, wondering what the buck had come over her. First her brother, now Dash!?

Dash smelled good though. So Twilight gave in just a little bit and nuzzled back, doing her best not to touch anything that might be hurt. Dash whispered a little, conspiratorially. "Just promise me one thing Twi.." Twilight looked up for a moment, eyebrow raised in question. "If you do decide to go all evil, you'll make me the first Shadowbolt."

Twilight stared for a moment at Rainbow Dash's grin, and then started laughing. She laughed helplessly and fell against Dash on the bed - who also started to laugh. Cadence and Shining Armor looked over from the bed with small smiles on their faces, and the Doctor shook his head with amusement. The world was not perfect, but it was good enough.

~~~~

Once king, now Prince Sombra watched the touching scene from outside the window, a satisfied smile upon his lips. As I had suspected. The Elements of Harmony will not abandon her. That meant she would retain their power. More importantly, it meant that soon they would be the Elements of Dissonance, serving an entirely new mistress. Sombra laughed, long and richly at the glorious irony of it all.

Celestia's greatest creation, her most powerful weapon would be turned to the true path. Her precious student brought into the Trinity, and through her the power of Dissonance would rise into the minds of all ponies once again. There would be no way to suppress all the rebellions, all of the converts.

Changelings would rejoin society as a whole, and the creatures of the dark would return to the world to take their place again. Vamponies and Ponywolves, Succubi and Incubi, and all manner of other creatures. The old world would be reclaimed, and a new empire founded from their ashes.

Yet he had not won yet. Celestia's plans, centuries in the making were still in motion. Sombra could not afford arrogance at this stage in the game. You think all your precious plans will succeed, Celestia. You think you have outmaneuvered us at every turn. Yet I've still got a few more aces in my hooves.

The abject failure of the attack had been surprising, but had borne unexpected fruit. New potential allies. All of the ponies who might have been able to stop the newly minted Hecate were too injured, or too distracted to interfere. Cadence's faith was wavering, and Shining Armor had all but declared himself for his sister's new side.

Chrysalis was waiting in the wings, her own secret boxed up and ready for delivery. His hidden card laid tantalizingly on the table, the mysterious leader of the Faithful waiting to step into the light. And who could forget the granddady of all secrets. That would be his trump card, his last decisive play.

The final confrontation would take place here, in this simple rustic town. It was a quaint scene to decide the fate of the world, but Sombra liked that. This was the salt of the earth, the home of the innocent ponies he was striving to save from eternal slavery. This was a fitting place to begin the long walk to Freedom once again.

Sombra had always been a gambling pony. He knew nothing in life was certain, that there were no sure things or absolute answers. He had gambled time and again in the past to gain the advantage he sought over a rival in politics or over a mare he had a fancy for. He had gambled on his love for a Princess, and paid in dear coin for his miscalculation. He had gambled against the most powerful creature in all of Equestria time and time again, each time coming just a little bit closer to victory.

Now, he had bet everything on the greatest gamble of them all. The very thought raced his heart and inflamed his senses. A single roll of the dice, a single moment hinged on a single pony that would either destroy his cause for all eternity or grant it salvation. There would be no middle ground this time, no retreat. All of the other powerful sorcerers were dead. Sombra and Chrysalis were the last of an ancient breed, and Celestia would no longer play games with either of them.

So this was it. The stage was set. The actors were all in place. Sombra sucked in a deep breath and exhaled in satisfaction. All that remained now was for the final act to begin. The only thing that remained unknown was the Apprentice. All now hinged on her actions, her choices. She would decide everything.

He had a little time yet before the curtain went up. Chrysalis had to remain off the stage until her time came. Sombra had to remain on it, for there was still a role here for him to play. So he went in search of something to satisfy his sweet tooth, and perhaps a little something softer to go with it. Perhaps that pink one. She had seemed like a mare that enjoyed a rowdy good time.

After all, it might very well be his last few days to live.

~~~~

Princess Celestia snapped closed a folder, tucking it into an assistant's bag. "Has my sister returned yet?" she snapped at one of the Royal Guards, her tone irritable in the extreme. The Guard remained as stoic ever, shaking his head firmly. Celestia stamped a hoof to the floor shook her head irritably. "I swear by the goddess, I am going to have words with Lulu."

Celestia marched off down the hallways as assistants and guards ran about the Palace, gathering supplies and the appropriate paperwork. The nerve of that witch. Attacking my student, my student's friends, and my ponies. Never again. This time, she was going to fix that changeling's little scooter, one way or another. No more hesitation, no more fear, no more presumptions of victory. Harmony would show her the way, and the Changelings would be dealt with once and for all.

And Twilight would lead them to glory. Celestia knew for certain now why she had left her student in Ponyville. For this. All reports saying the changelings fled in fear of her power, that she wielded blades of light and struck down the swarms. Things were going exceptionally well, if not precisely the way Celestia had intended them to. Still, she could feel the pivotal moment approaching. Power, tremendous power was gathering deep beneath Ponyville.

Celestia had always intended the final part of the ritual to take place in Canterlot, so that the ponies might see their new hope. Yet this made sense. It was in Ponyville that her student had taken the first steps towards enlightenment. It was there in that extraordinary little town that she'd met her remarkable friends..

Not precisely by accident of course. Celestia had become far too good at this little game over the last twenty five or so centuries to leave something that vital to chance. Still, the town had attracted four of the six pieces all on its own. Celestia had not even had to create excuses for their families to move to Ponyville, to sire children there. It had been a sign of that place's importance, though one Celestia had been slow to recognize.

She stopped, standing upon the balcony. Yes, even from here she could sense her student - her energies churning and roiling amidst the magical interference of Ponyville. My dearest Twilight. How confused you must be. Soon though, she would be at peace again. Celestia was certain of that as she had been certain of anything in nearly a thousand years. A Royal guard quickly trotted up to her, saluting. "Your Majesty, Princess Luna awaits you at the chariot." Celestia turned a warm smile upon him.

Celestia walked in a stately manner down towards the main courtyard, her eyes closing in satisfaction. Under her wing, she tucked a small tome bound in white cloth and gold. Inlaid upon the cover were the words "The Basis of Harmony" Yes. Things are going very well indeed. she thought, putting a little skip into her step.

All according to plan.