//------------------------------// // Twenty-eight // Story: Freedom Through Harmony: Book II // by Electricut //------------------------------// Chapter Twenty-eight Fortress Apollo, Year Unknown Octavia Octavia, Lyra and Flitter entered into the grand hall of Fortress Apollo, former house of Queen Celestia. I wonder what’s become of the queen in this timeline…? Octavia thought. She’s supposedly immortal, so even the fires raining from the skies may have left her alive, if alone. She noted that the interior of the fortress was cleaner than the outside, but was still in somewhat a state of disarray and disrepair. Plenty of people were around, all showing signs of having been through a lot in this world, but holding on. “You three lookin’ for something?” A gruff, but not unfriendly voice asked. Octavia turned to see a boy facing them, muscular arms crossed, eyes curious. He did not look like he was very old, and was probably younger than Octavia and Lyra, though he showed signs of training heavily already. “Lyra and I were told we would need to help defend this place in the event of an attack, so I suppose we should meet with the captain of the guard.” Octavia said, motioning to her companion. “I’m looking for my sister, Cloudchaser.” Flitter told him. “I believe she may be here.” The boy thought for a moment. “Yeah, I think I remember someone with that name around here somewhere. I can help you look, if you like.” Flitter nodded eagerly. “Anyway, the barracks are near the back of the fortress. Just keep goin’ down this hall, then take a right, and you should find it pretty easily.” Octavia nodded, and the boy and Flitter began walking in the opposite direction, while the two archers made their way to the barracks. As the boy had said, it was easy to find, and they soon found themselves in a large room lined with bunks, a desk in the center. A man stood in front of it, his hair and beard roughly cut, but with a proper and high-ranking uniform. A girl stood in front of him, seemingly giving him a report. Her hair was half pink, half blue, both colors intertwining down her back. A chain hung at her belt, but Octavia couldn’t see what either end was connected to. “Do you think we’re in for any sort of attack from them, then?” the guard captain asked. “No, at least not from the groups in Manehattan.” the girl told him. “They’re still too disorganized. More than likely, they’re only gathering weapons to fight each other.” The man chuckled. “I suppose we should be thankful for their pettiness and stupidity… We’ll keep a close watch on them, at any rate. Thank you for your report, Lieutenant Bon Bon. Dismissed.” The girl saluted, and walked out of the room, giving Octavia and Lyra a tired smile as she passed. Octavia looked over to Lyra, and saw that she was watching the other girl walk away. Octavia saw that Lyra had a stunned look on her face. “Tavi, did… did you see her?” Octavia smiled. “Yes, I did, she walked right past us. Seems like you liked what you saw?” Lyra nodded slowly. “You might say that… How long do you think we’ll be at this fort?” Octavia frowned. “I’m not sure, but please keep in mind that we’re trying to leave this timeline.” “You two gals need something?” the captain asked, interrupting the pair. “Must be new here, I haven’t seen you around before.” “Yes, sorry sir.” Octavia said, approaching him and saluting on instinct. “We were told by the guardsman outside that we could take shelter here, if we offered what combat experience we have to the guard.” The captain looked them over. “Looks like you’ve got more experience than some of the greener kids under my belt now. Most of the good soldiers were lost in the war, and I figure I must be one of the last royal soldiers left… But you two carry yourselves pretty professionally. Where did you receive your training?” “We were with the Trottingham militia.” Lyra covered. “Our teacher was with the royal army too, but… she was lost during one of the raider attacks.” The captain thought for a moment. “Makes sense. I’d love to keep you two here permanently- like I said, our guard is mostly eager but untrained kids- but I don’t have the authority. Everybody’s got their own purpose in this messed-up world, I suppose. I’ll take what you can give me, and if you need more ammo, there are some quivers in the store room.” Both the girls nodded. “Thank you, sir…?” “Captain Bradley Lycus.” he answered. They nodded and saluted. “Thank you, captain Lycus.” Octavia and Lyra stepped out of the barracks room, and leaned against the wall next to each other. “So…” Lyra began, “what’s our next move?” Octavia shook her head. “I don’t know… I think we should stay here for a little while, to build up our strength. Even in top shape, we wouldn’t be able to defeat that woman from the Order alone. We should rest here a while, and see if we can find anyone who would be willing to come with us, and help us fight her. Perhaps we could locate some powerful artifacts as well. But the point is, we cannot do much at the moment but stay here.” Lyra nodded, attempting to mask a smile on her face. “Sounds like a plan to me. I’m going to go, uh… get to know people around here, see what’s around. Can you find us a place where we can sleep?” Octavia smiled. She had a good idea about what Lyra really intended to do. “Sure. Just don’t get too comfortable, okay? We will have to move on eventually.” Lyra nodded and made her way down another hallway. Octavia smiled, glad that her friend was recovering from her previous rejection quickly. She allowed herself a few moments to close her eyes and rest against the wall, then began to walk down the main hallway again. She wandered for a few minutes, getting her bearings around the fortress and making mental notes as she went. When she turned down one of the western corridors, she saw Flitter and the boy that had taken her to look for her sister. “You have any luck?” the boy asked, the tone of his voice suggesting that he and Flitter had not. Octavia nodded. “Lyra and I were able to meet with Captain Lycus, and have been conscripted to service as long as we stay here, but are allowed to leave at any time. Lyra went to speak to someone else that she saw on the way, and I’m to find us somewhere where we can lay our heads down until then. What of you, Flitter? Had you any luck finding your sister?” She took a moment to respond. “Yes, and no. I’ve been told by several people that she is here, but I haven’t found her yet. It’s a rather sizeable community here in this fortress.” “Well, we will surely find her soon! Just keep your eyes open.” “I can take you guys to the common house, if you want.” the boy told her. “If you’re only staying temporarily, that’ll be your best bet.” Octavia nodded, and began following the boy through the next hall. Many of the corridors in the fortress intersected one another, and Octavia was glad that they boy knew his way around, or she would easily become lost. “Thank you for aiding us so readily, by the way.” Octavia told the boy. “No prob.” he answered. “Nothin’ else to do right now anyway. Training room’s full.” “May I ask your name, by the way? Mine is Octavia, in case I forgot to introduce myself before.” “Oh, yeah, sorry. It’s Pound Cake.” The three soon stepped into a room full of bunk beds, and with a long table in the center. A few people sat at the table playing cards, and a few others seemed to be asleep already, but otherwise the room was empty. “This is where people stay when they haven’t decided to live here permanently.” Pound Cake explained. “Have your pick at what beds are available.” Octavia nodded, and began looking for a bunk that had both beds available, so she and Lyra would be able to stay together. Eventually she found one, and dropped what limited supplies she had on both bunks. “Have you found a place, Flitter?” she asked. She didn’t receive a response, and turned to check on her temporary companion. She found her relatively quickly, looking closely at one of the top bunks, which seemed to be occupied. “Cloudchaser…?” she whispered. “Myuh, f-five more minutes…” the sleeping girl mumbled. “Oh Goddess, it is you!” Flitter exclaimed, shaking the other girl awake. “Ugh, fine, I’m up, I’m up…” she pulled herself into a sitting position, and Octavia was able to get a better look at her. She looked similar to Flitter, but her hair was a mess, and her wings a slightly darker shade of blue. “What do you… Flitter?” Flitter laughed happily and jumped up to hug her sister. Octavia smiled and began to go through her supplies, checking what they had and what they needed. ~ Days passed in Fortress Apollo, in which Lyra and Octavia rested and planned for their next course of action. Octavia knew enough about time travel from Scratch’s stories that she knew not to ask direct questions about the place she was in, lest she reveal just how out of place she was. However, she was soon able to compile a rough idea of what had caused Equestria to become such a terrible place. The timeline had not diverged mere years ago, but centuries. During the first civil war, the three nations of Dawn, Dusk and Eclipse had not done such irrevocable damage as they had to each other in the alpha timeline, and when the war ended, the three were all still standing, rather than all united under the flag of Eclipse. The tensions never properly healed, however, and centuries later, war broke out again. Powerful, destructive magics had been created, and this time, not even Eclipse was standing in the aftermath. The last of the spells fell fifteen years before the moment Octavia found herself in, year five hundred fifteen. Octavia made her way through the corridors towards the barracks, where she estimated that she would find her companion. She smiled upon entering, partially because she saw she was right, and partially upon seeing how engrossed Lyra and Bon Bon were in their work, and likely each other. Neither noticed Octavia’s presence until she sat beside Lyra. “Oh, hi Octavia!” Bon Bon greeted cheerfully. “Lyra and I are going over different combat scenarios and tactics.” Octavia nodded, looking over the papers and diagrams laid out on the table. She wasn’t sure what to expect from Bon Bon at first, but she had quickly found it easy to relate to her and become friends. She was in much the same position as Octavia and Lyra had been in their own timeline: training in professional combat to defend that which was important to her. Though the situation was vastly different, Octavia felt that at the center, they were the same. Lyra seemed to think the same. “So…” Bon Bon began, “Lyra told me a bit about what you two are planning, what you need to do. Don’t worry, she also made it clear that I should keep it to myself, and I will. But from what I understand, there is someone hiding out in the ruins of Eclipse City, whom you need to confront. Correct?” Octavia nodded, somewhat hesitantly. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea for Lyra to tell her about their mission, even if she felt strongly for her, and even if she kept it minimal. “This is all I’ve been told, and while I would like to know more, I respect that this is a delicate matter and that you want to keep the details safe. My point is… I would like to help you, if I can. It’s a dangerous path to the ruins, and Eclipse itself is even more dangerous. You’d fare better with someone who knows the wastes.” Octavia turned to Lyra, who shrugged. “She told me about it beforehand, too, but we didn’t want to make a decision without you. Whatever we decide, we all need to agree on it.” Octavia thought for a moment. No matter how skilled Bon Bon was, and how much the two of them could trust her, she still felt that she shouldn’t get involved. It was a dangerous fight she and Lyra were marching towards, and it wasn’t Bon Bon’s to fight. However, Octavia also knew that Bon Bon had a point: the two of them wouldn’t get far without someone who knew how to navigate the ruins, and having an extra set of eyes and an extra able fighter wouldn’t hurt either. Before Octavia could answer, she became aware of a muffled sound coming from somewhere outside the fortress, almost like the beat of a drum. She paused, and for several moments, it seemed the whole fortress had done the same. Soon, the sound of a pair of rushing footsteps joined the beat, and a young knight swiftly entered the barracks. “Raiders!” he reported, out of breath. “Lots of ‘em, right outside on our northeastern side. They’re itching to attack, but they seem way more organized than I’ve ever seen them.” Captain Lycus was the first to reach the door, and Octavia, Lyra and Bon Bon were close behind. They made their way to the roof of the fortress to see what they were up against, more guards joining them along the way. The group reached the roof and moved forward enough to see the group waiting outside, and Octavia’s heart sped up. At least a hundred savages stood on the hill to the northeast, all armed with rusty blades and lances. One near the center pounded at a drum, slowly, menacingly. The attackers stayed in place, but even from a distance Octavia could feel their anxiousness, their desire to charge and take what they could. “Impressed?” a voice asked from behind the group of guards. Octavia frowned, knowing exactly who was speaking before she turned around to see her. The Order agent smiled, her teeth frustratingly clean. “You were taking a while to take your turn in this game, so I thought I’d make a move to motivate you.” “Do you mean to tell me you command these men?!” Captain Lycus demanded. “Yes.” she answered, shrugging. “Although I only recently assumed control, and I only command this particular group at the moment. Their minds are malleable, easy to influence with coin and drink.” Lycus shook his head. “Who are you? And what do you want with us?” “Minuet, Number Seven of the Order. But don’t worry, I’m the only one you’ll have the pleasure of dealing with. And I’m here to shake things up again, blow the dust off of this wasteland. That troupe of feeble-hearted raiders has been promised everything they could ever want or need in this fortress. Think you’ve got the mettle to repel them?” “Leave these people out of this!” Octavia commanded. “It’s me you’re after in this twisted game of yours.” Minuet clicked her mouth condescendingly. “Try not to be so egotistical. You may be the queen in this game, true, but the rest of the pieces are equally important, right down to the pawns…” As she spoke, she created a pillar of darkness behind her. “Good luck against these guys. I’ll be waiting.” Lycus drew a sword from his back and charged at her, but she was gone by the time he reached the place she had been standing. At the same time, a war cry rang out from the group of raiders. “Captain! They’re moving!” one of the guards said in alarm. The captain swore. “Archers and mages, pick off as many as you can from the front until ground forces can get down there. The rest of you are the ground forces. Follow me, quick!” Lycus saluted them swiftly and ran down the stairs. Bon Bon paused for a moment, then reached over and gave Lyra a quick kiss on the cheek before running after him. Octavia pulled back an arrow, took a single second to aim, then fired. Her arrow struck the raider at the front of the charge in the chest, and as he fell, he was all but trampled by the crowd. A crossbow bolt enhanced by light magic sailed into the crowd a moment later, hitting the next one. Octavia saw out of the corner of her eye that Lyra wore a determined, empowered smile as she armed another shot. The mages beside them were wreaking even more damage, aiming into the midst of the crowd to hit several of the savages at once. The defensive attacks were slowing the charge down considerably, but they still drew closer. On Octavia’s other side, Pound Cake ran up to the railing to see their progress. “We’ve gotta do more to hold them off until the captain gets down there! Carrot Cake, you ready for this?!” “Yeah, let’s go!” a female voice responded, joining him at the railing. She looked remarkably similar to him, but with soft orange hair, and hands glowing with magic rather than clenched into powerful fists. The girl, Carrot Cake, took Pound Cake’s hand, and a pair of light brown wings erupted from his back. Pound Cake took a step back, then leapt off of the roof, launching himself straight at the group of raiders. When the pair approached, Pound Cake tilted his arm back, then threw her towards them, and with arms bursting with magic, she collided with several and knocked them off their feet. Pound Cake circled back above, then dove in and smashed his fist into one of the assailants, knocking him to the ground. The two landed back-to-back, and with only their fists and her magic, they were able to distract and fend off the attackers. Before the pair could be overrun, Captain Lycus charged out the front gate, sword swinging, and collided with the first of the savages that got in his way. The rest of the knights were behind him, spears, swords and axes all at the ready, and soon colliding with those of the raiders. Bon Bon brandished a pair of short scythes bound together by a long chain; a kusarigama, a weapon Octavia had briefly learned about in training. Arrows and bolts of magic rained down from the roof, protecting the ground soldiers from attack. With their combined efforts, the defenders of the fortress shelter were able to halt the raider advance, but the savages pushed forward almost to the last man. When they were down to only a few, the remaining raiders realized that they had lost, and ran for their lives. The knights did not pursue them, and the archers and mages did not finish them from afar. With the last of the threat moving away, Octavia quickly made her way downstairs and to the others. Several of the guards had been wounded, but thankfully, none seemed to have been killed in the attack. Octavia moved to help one of the wounded, but Captain Lycus grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her. “You. Octavia. I don’t know what’s going on here, but you and that friend of yours have something to do with this.” “I assure you Captain, I mean no one any harm. I do not mean to bring danger to your people.” “I believe that.” he stated, “but I also believe there’s a lot I don’t know about this situation. That woman came here because you did, and when the wounded are taken care of, I want you to tell me everything. I need to know to protect my people.” Before Octavia could object, he moved to one of the wounded soldiers and helped him to his feet. Octavia knew that she couldn’t tell him everything, and that she and Lyra would likely have to move on in order to protect the people of Fortress Apollo. With a heavy heart and a racing mind, Octavia set to work aiding the others. When the wounded had been safely moved to the medical area, Captain Lycus confronted Lyra and Octavia in the barracks. “That woman organized this attack just after you two came here, and while I normally would not think that there was a correlation, the words you exchanged with her confirmed that suspicion. She was attacking you, and anyone around you. I want to know why, and what this ‘game’ you both referred to is.” Octavia took a deep breath to steady herself. “I am sorry that I cannot give you the full picture for the ‘prizes’ for this twisted game of hers, but I can tell you the terms. That woman- Minuet, an agent from an awful group called the Order- took Lyra and I from our home and brought us here, as collateral against someone else the Order is fighting. The game is presumably simply a distraction for her, a way of relieving her sick, twisted boredom. She is holed up in the Eclipse ruins, and Lyra and I are to meet her there and fight her for a chance to go home. She has promised to attempt to stop us from reaching her.” The captain thought for several moments. “So, from what I gather, you’ll be hunted and attacked no matter where you go. And if you remain here, you continue to put Fortress Apollo in danger.” “Yeah, we get it.” said Lyra. “We’ll move on. May as well not dawdle around anyway, when we need to chase this lunatic down and end this.” “Now hang on.” Lycus said, gaining control of the conversation again. “I’m also not about to just send you two to march to your deaths, or let this woman roam free when she poses a threat to the people I swore to protect. I intend to take action, myself. Bon Bon!” The girl stepped meekly inside the barracks. “I think you’ll find it quite difficult to remain undetected around me, lieutenant Bon Bon.” He turned back to Octavia and Lyra. “As my last order to you two, I am sending you to the Eclipse ruins, and I’m ordering my top recon agent, Bon Bon, to join you. Her mission will be to scan the area, map the landmarks of the ruins- as we have not had reason to penetrate the ruins, and know little about them- and report back to me when all is said and done. My orders to you two are simply to fill out the mission you are already working towards completing.” Octavia smiled slightly. They weren’t up the creek just yet. “Will that be all, sir?” she asked. “Yes. Dismissed. And good luck to all three of you.” The captain saluted, and the three young soldiers saluted back. They made their way out of the barracks room, and as soon as Lyra and Bon Bon were out of range of the captain’s line of sight, they embraced in a tight, comforting hug. Octavia sighed, but smiled. She was glad that those two would at least be able to stay together. “Come on, you two. Let’s just slip out of here quietly. I’d rather not have to say goodbye.”