"Fear is my domain, and with every ounce of your struggle I have come to realize what you fear."
- King Sombra (Fall of the Empire)
Diana grumbled as she kicked one of the poor, defenseless rocks off the side of Canterlot Pass. Of course I had to get up late on this day of all days... She shook her head. I just hope my interviewee is going to be forgiving... not that I have much hope though.
It feels like I was watching the Scout beat up that poor Heavy just yesterday... where have the days gone?
A few seconds later, another stone followed suit as Diana, absorbed in her thoughts, began mindlessly repeating the last activity that had kept her occupied earlier.
Suddenly, she paused. Picking a packet of tissue out of her saddlebags, she pulled one of the tissues out with her teeth and dropped the packet on the ground. She took the opportunity, while bending down to pick it up, to take a quick glance around her blind spot.
Just as she suspected; hidden well in the shadow of the cliff was a silhouette of what Diana assumed was a pony. Moreover, the figure's fluffy mane told her everything she needed to know about just who was tailing her.
The best tactic, she decided, was to wait for the enemy to mount the offensive first, then surprise her with a quick retaliation. Before then, she could show no sign of fear or anything to indicate that she had noticed something amiss.
That didn't stop her right hoof from subconsciously reaching for the fire axe in her saddlebags.
Not good. What's she doing now? Is she getting ready to attack? I hope not... Why is she even here at this time of day? I'd thought I'd be alone for this walk. Guess not, though.
Do I have my flamethrower with me? Let me check... got it. If worst comes to worst I'm covered. Still, gotta make sure that next time I actually know who I have to deal with...
Diana tensed. Her ears were upright in as subtle a manner as possible, listening for the telltale sign that would tell her she was about to be attacked. Her pace sped up slightly as she circled the mountain. Sooner or later the entire pass would be fully exposed to the sun and her stalker would have no choice but to emerge from her hiding spot or else cease her continued efforts to follow her.
Knowing her luck, the latter would never happen.
Diana risked a discreet glance backwards. As she suspected, the pony was still on her tail, though as the shadow became progressively smaller she was pressing herself closer and closer against the wall of the cliff.
A minute more and then it's fight or flight. Diana grimaced. Can I win a duel against her?
I don't have much hope...
Behind her, the figure began to pick up speed.
I can't tell. Is she going faster than me? I'd better speed up... oh no. Now she's running. I have to gallop faster.
Wait, why? Why am I doing this? Why am I trying to-
I must. I will kill her, if that's what it takes.
No... not you...
You know that you need me if you want to win.
I-
I was given a mission. A task. I can't let you interfere.
She's no threat; there's no need to fight her!
Look. She's already taking out her weapon.
What...
No choice now, is there? It's time to fight.
Diana, who was running on three hooves and using the last one to reach into her saddlebags and search for her axe, watched silently as all traces of shadows were swept away in a flourish of light and her stalker, clad from head to hoof in a flame-retardant suit and carrying a flamethrower strapped across her back, charged forward with the speed of a fully-fueled steam train.
Abandoning her attempts to retrieve her weapon, she ran. She ran as fast as her legs could take her, but it wasn't enough. Even as she galloped forward, the thundering of hooves behind her told her everything she needed to know.
In the midst of all the panic and fear, Diana remembered something. Something important.
Hold on. I'm dealing with somepony who can just bend the laws of physics to her will. Why is she chasing me on hoof? She could very well just appear from behind any random rock and-
She turned around. The distinctly pony-less scene she saw did not boost her confidence at all. A second later, Diana heard the sound of a rock tumbling off the side of Pass, and it was enough to send her scrambling in the opposite direction.
Her face collided with an uncompromisingly hard surface. She looked up, and the towering stone face of the mountain greeted her gaze.
This seems familiar.
In her mind, something clicked. Her hoof, guided by instinct, flipped the cover of her saddlebags open and whipped her fire axe out just in time to interrupt her foe's rapid advance. The fireproof gas mask, betraying no emotion, stared her straight in the eyes a moment before its wearer leapt aside just in time to avoid the attack, sweeping the flamethrower in an arc and spewing flames that came uncomfortably close to Diana's face.
She remembered what came next.
With the strength of a manticore, Diana slammed the blunt end of her axe into the flamethrower, allowing her own weapon to slip out of her grasp as it transferred the full bulk of the force into her opponent's weapon. Both flew away in a clatter of sparks as metal collided with metal. Diana already had her hooves raised in a defensive stance a second before she was beset by the fury of a wild animal.
Something's not right...
Diana countered speed and strength with grace and precision, channeling the martial prowess of several years of training as she tried to match the blows of her aggressor, but she soon realized she wouldn't be able to go on forever.
She didn't.
A final strike sent a wave of pain searing through her right forehoof, the skin bleeding from where it had been punctured by a jagged fragment of bone. Her foe took advantage of her momentary confusion to deal the back of her head a firm blow.
Diana collapsed onto the cold stone floor of Canterlot Pass.
There's something I'm missing.
She already knew what could come next. Closing her eyes, she waited for the inevitable end. Exhaustion had other plans, though, and she was claimed by the blissful nothingness of sleep.
Three words haunted her otherwise placid dreams.
Where's her mask?
Mask...
She's wearing her mask!
She re-summoned the image of Pinkie Pie, eyes blazing with hatred, from the depths of her dreams. The sheer malevolence of the scene was enough to snap Diana out of unconsciousness with a burst of adrenaline, her hoof propelling itself forward with as much force as she could muster. It would soon, presumably, smash in the face of the pony who had come so close to killing-
She blinked. There was nopony there.
Sitting up, Diana surveyed her surroundings. The Pass itself left no clues that hinted towards the existence of the fight. Her axe lay beside her, a slight dent on the metal the only remnant of the earlier battle.
She wondered what could have happened. Her weary mind offered no explanations.
Silently, she lifted the axe back into her saddlebags and continued on her way to Canterlot.
Why? You idiot! Why did you let her live?
She will not stop us from completing the objective we were given. Or do you think she can truly beat us at our best?
...
Besides, how happy do you think the Administrator will be if we kill her?
If she interferes with our mission-
Then we will have an excuse. But she is doubtlessly under the Administrator's protection. Anything she does is probably his will unless we know otherwise.
And we don't know otherwise now?
No. Nothing less than the word of the Administrator himself will suffice.
She's on her way to Canterlot. She has to be. We were told to go there too, and it's the only way this path leads.
Who knows? The Administrator works in mysterious ways.
...
There's no sense arguing about this. If anything happens, it happens. Worry about it later.
But-
No buts. And if you please, I'd rather not have to talk to you now. Or at all, if possible.
...
Thank you.
"I appreciate the show of hospitality, Administrator." Ician said, taking a sip of the chocolate milk that was customarily passed out to any visitors to the base. The vulture, not having moved from its perch on his shoulder, stared into the brown concoction in his owner's glass, studying it closely.
"Nothing less for a guest of such talent as yours." The Administrator wore a welcome smile.
Ician nodded. "Influence, rather than talent, seems to be a deciding factor in the warmth of reception nowadays. I'm glad to see that at least some can appreciate ability over social standing."
"Those some are rare." The Administrator agreed. "But let's return to the topic at hand, shall we?"
"Of course." Ician lowered his cup to the table. "Though before we do, I would like to first discuss the topic of the Pyro with you. The BLU Pyro, to be specific."
The Administrator frowned. "Why? What does she have to do with the infestation?"
"Nothing yet. But in time, she will prove essential to its suppression." He leaned forward. "I'm given to believe that the Pyro is BLU team's star while the Sniper is RED's, correct?"
"Yes."
"Good. I will talk about the RED Sniper in time to come as well, then." Ician smiled. "But for now, I would like to find out more about the Pyro's skills."
"Alright." The Administrator put a paw to his chin thoughtfully. "Well first - and obviously - she's proficient at melee combat."
"No surprise there."
"Even when at far range, though, her airblasts have killed off enemy Soldiers, Demomares and occasionally Huntsman Snipers more times than I can count."
"Hm..." Ician mused. "Interesting..."
"She's strong and accurate, and her reflexes are some of the best I've ever seen. Her favourite weapons are the Backburner, the Axtinguisher and either a flare gun or the Detonator, depending on circumstances."
"She prefers flare guns over shotguns?" Ician asked.
"She's so good at aiming that sometimes she'd pull of a ranged kill with just the flare gun alone." The Administrator explained.
"I see."
"She's done miracles, that one. I've seen her take on all of BLU team alone and waltz her way to victory after-"
"Administrator." Ician cut in. His interjection was accompanied by a raspy, drawn-out hissing sound from the vulture on his shoulder. "Something I'd really want to know... is how much she's changed since the one-month stalemate a while back."
"What?"
"Perhaps that's not precise enough. I suspect 'how much you changed her' might be a better way of expressing it."
The Administrator's face was impassive, but Ician pressed on as if he had been wearing an expression of shock and disbelief. "You're going to ask how I know. The answer is that I'm not blind. I can see what's been happening on the battlefield. Ask the right questions here and there and the whole story comes together. And the reason why you've never seen me is because-"
"I've seen you before." The Administrator said stiffly. "You were loitering around Ponyville that day before the whole place went up in flames."
"I hardly think loiter is an apt word. I was vacationing there for a week." He smiled. "Isn't it lucky that I got out of there just before the disaster?"
"Right... thank goodness..."
"Anyway, back to the question. In the few minutes it took me to observe her behaviour, it's obvious that she's very different from the old Pyro. Now, I want to know how much her combat abilities have been affected."
"That's the first thing you ask?" The Administrator snorted. "And here I thought you'd be concerned about her well-being."
"That's an odd thing for someone like you to say." Ician chuckled, calmly taking a sip of his chocolate milk. The vulture, seemingly amused by his owner's statement, gave what appeared to be a thin smile. "Or did I miss the part where you showed concern for anypony even once?"
For the second time in his life, the Administrator was speechless.
"I'm just trying to appeal to your way of thinking." Ician explained. "How else better to communicate with someone than in a way that he or she understands?"
The Administrator took a good, long look at him. "You're..."
"Not who you think I am." Ician said quickly. "Only one in the shadow of his brilliance. But one day I hope to be his match and eventually surpass him."
"That settles it." He extended his paw, which the earth pony took and shook heartily. "You're welcome here any time, my friend. Your talent has secured your place in the world's memory."
"Not quite yet." Ician shook his head. "But soon I will make my mark. And this is the beginning." He gestured with his mug. "Now, you were saying about the BLU Pyro?"
Diana estimated that she was about three-quarters of the way to her destination. A quick glance to her right confirmed her guess; the craggy silhouette of Outcrop B against the sun traced small but dark shadows onto the Pass.
She returned her attention to the journey, sending a few more rocks soaring off the edge of the cliff in the process. Aside from the confrontation earlier, no signs of life had made their appearance on the deserted Canterlot Pass, and Diana's patience - and sanity, to a lesser extent - was beginning to wear thin after a few hours of nothing but trotting up the spiraling route to the Imperial capital.
Her ears shot up. A noise from the side of the path behind the cliff face signaled that something other than her was around. Her hoof crept backwards towards the strap on her saddlebags as she soundlessly prepared for combat.
As the noise grew louder, it took on the identity of hoofsteps and wooden wheels against the stone ground. Diana relaxed somewhat. Probably travelers, but I could be wrong.
Ten seconds later, her assumption proved accurate when a group of four unicorns and an earth pony towing a large covered wagon behind him rounded the corner. She gave them a slight incline of the head in greeting, but instead of returning the gesture one of the unicorns hurried up to her with a worried look on his face.
"Good..." Diana glanced up at the sun. "... afternoon, sir. I apologize if I'm disturbing you, but-"
"It's not that." He frowned. "Not to be rude, you are headed for Canterlot, correct?"
"Don't think there's anything else at the end of this path." She laughed good-naturedly.
"If it's non-essential business that brings you there, friend, I advise you to postpone your visit."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Taking a few furtive glances around, as if he expected somepony to suddenly appear, he leaned in close and whispered, "Rumour has is that the BLU Pyro's coming to Canterlot today."
Diana stiffened. "Really, now?"
"Yes, and believe me, you won't want to be caught at the wrong end of her flamethrower."
Images of a masked, fire-spewing pony in a flame-retardant suit flashed through her mind. "I'm sorry, but I must do what I must today and no later."
The unicorn smiled sadly at her. "Then I wish you the best of luck. You'll need it."
"I probably will." Diana smiled back. "I can only hope that this rumour means nothing."
"They don't tend to mean nothing when the rumours originate from the Imperial Court itself."
Diana froze. "The Imperial Court? However did rumours get from there to the Canterlot public?"
"They can't fully conceal something so major." He explained.
"But if the Court itself already knows, then why bother leaving? Surely additional security would have been set up to deter the Pyro's incursion."
"They have, but I can't trust them to protect me." He turned away. "I've been menaced by that... that thing before. I was lucky to escape - but my guards weren't. I lost everything, including those closest to me." He grimaced, then gestured to the rest of his party. "I moved in with a friend, and they are all I have left."
"I'm sorry." Diana sighed. "At least I can empathize. I know what it feels like to have your family wrenched away from you too."
"At the hooves of the Pyro?"
"No, it was an unrelated incident." Subconsciously, she kicked at a rock on the ground. "It was an, ah... industrial accident."
"Oh." He almost opened his mouth to say more, but decided against it.
Diana smiled faintly. "May Celestia's blessings rest on you for your own journey, mister..."
"Fancy Pants." He stuck out a hoof. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Likewise." She shook it in a friendly manner. "My name is Diana."
"Well Diana, I hope you survive whatever it is BLU has planned." His expression bore a tinge of sadness. "Your family line has left a legacy in you, and I doubt they want it lost in flames."
"I'll take care of myself, Mister Pants." Diana assured him. "Now, I do believe you have somewhere to go, no?"
"As do you." He grinned. "Goodbye."
"Farewell." She nodded, watching silently as Fancy Pants rejoined his group and traveled past her, away from the condemned city that was her destination.
Diana turned her eyes back towards the path in front of her. Closing her weary eyes in resignation, she resumed her trek.
Canterlot's gates were very busy. Sure, there wasn't any more traffic than there usually was, but now with the security ten times as tight as it was before, every individual who found themselves before the guards meant at least five agonizingly slow minutes of thorough checking, both for weapons on their being and verification of their identities - Imperial Intelligence believed the Pyro might sneak in under a false name - but as the minutes dragged into hours, it became apparent that nopony, least of all the troops in charge of conducting all the checks, were at all amused by all the trouble they were going through.
At the northern gate, two unicorns, clad in the gold-coloured armour of the Empire's royal guard, were in the midst of going through the belongings of one of the many impatient ponies who just wanted to get in already.
"Remind me when our shift change is again, Wart." One of the guards grunted as he glanced around under the tarpaulin draped over the wagon that, as had been reiterated time and time again by their superiors, might contain a hidden Pyro within its confines.
"One more hour, Shield." The other replied irritably. "And for the love of Celestia, stop calling me Wart. You know as well as I do that I hate that name. And in case you've forgotten already," he snorted, "my name is Stalwart."
"Whatever you say, Wart." Shield grinned as he extricated his cranium from the darkness of the wagon. "I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, ma'am, but you're clear to go."
The mare harrumphed, annoyed, before hooking herself back up to her wagon and trotting past the open city gates.
"Next." Shield called in a bored tone.
"You know, you could show a little more discipline on the job." Stalwart admonished.
"Oh hush. Don't be such a killjoy." Shield gave as wide a grin as he could to the next pony in line as he explained to him the need to go through his belongings, much to the latter's exasperation.
"Last I checked," Stalwart sighed, "there was no joy around here to be had."
"Well you're not making this any better." Shield shot back.
"It's not going to get any worse either."
"That's no excuse not to try." He retorted. Having completed his examination, he waved the stallion through with a brisk nod.
"If 'trying' doesn't compromise military discipline, then I see no reason why not. But the fact is that in this case, it does."
Shield groaned. "Look around you. Who cares if we don't look sharp so long as we do our job? It's going to save everypony some time if we spend less time looking disciplined and more actually doing what we're supposed to."
"And then what will the public think of the standards of our soldiers?" Stalwart countered.
"Does it matter what they think?"
"Militarily, no. Politically, yes. The Princess is going to come under a lot of flak if everypony thinks she's channeling so much of the taxpayers' money into such an ill-disciplined army."
Shield waved to the next pony, signalling her to come forward, before he turned back to his friend. "And this matters to me why?"
Stalwart groaned. "I get the impression that you're not a patriot."
"Of course not. I'm one of those 'lucky' few to be conscripted."
"Hey, conscription isn't a-"
"Excuse me, gentlecolts." At the front of the line, the mare that smiled sweetly at them didn't seem in the least bit annoyed at the length of time she had undoubtedly had to wait. "I don't think your bickering is sitting well with the rest of the queue."
"Huh?" Shield took a quick glance at the long line of faces dark with irritation and impatience and immediately decided that arguing was not the best option. "Ah, sorry, ma'am. Your name?"
"Diana." She said, reaching into her saddlebags and pulling out a passport.
"I see." Shield flipped the passport open and froze. Signalling to Stalwart, he showed him the details on the first page. The latter's eyes widened, nodding once before returning to his post.
"Ahem... you are the Diana, aren't you?" Shield asked carefully. "The Administrator's interviewer?"
"The one and only." Diana cocked her head in curiosity. "Why do you ask?"
"We've been asked to inform you that the RED Pyro is... otherwise occupied... and so Princess Celestia has arranged for you to speak with some of her counterparts on the team instead."
"Oh." She seemed disappointed.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Shield apologized, "but I'm afraid that I'm not the one in control of circumstances here. That would be the Royal Court, and unfortunately I'm only the bearer of bad news."
"Oh well." Diana sighed. "Alright, where can I go to meet them?"
"Through the side gates of the palace, into the guest reception hall. They should be waiting for you in the observatory tower room on the top floor."
"Thank you, then." With a brisk nod, she accepted her passport from Shield's extended hoof and trotted through the city gates as fast as she could.
Shield watched her go. "Nice gal. At least she's not impatient like the rest of them."
"I can almost see the little hearts around your lovestruck face."
"Oh hush." Shield waved a hoof dismissively. "Just because she looks cute-"
"You and I have differing opinions, then. Personally, I found her unappealing."
Shield's jaw dropped. "What? Were we looking at the same mare?"
"The one who took the passport? Definitely."
"She was totally hot!"
"Personal opinions are-"
"Okay, I know you want me to focus on the job, but you can't possibly look me in the eye and tell me that she ain't good-looking."
"I can and I'm doing it now."
From somewhere in the line, a head poked out, taking in the sight of the two quarreling, and slowly it slid back out of sight.
Seconds later, that same head popped out one last time from behind the city gates, observing Stalwart and Shield for the final time before disappearing into the city.
In the wake of the dust cloud she had left behind, a poofy strand of hair lay inconspicuously on the paved entrance road of Canterlot.
Diana was lost.
Canterlot was incredibly huge, and in the vast labyrinth of the city centre it was all too easy to take a left turn instead of a right and end up smack dab in the middle of absolutely nowhere. The fact that she didn't recognize most of the names on the gleaming, gold-plated signposts at the end of every street - Celestia had way too much money to spend, evidently - didn't help very much at all.
Diana groaned, smacking her head against the nearest of said signposts. Great. just great. What am I supposed to do now?
She returned her attention to the sign, trying to decide if Solar Avenue or Dawn Street was more likely to lead her to the palace when a sudden movement to her right caught her attention. A dark alleyway lay in that direction, beckoning to her with its darkness and mystery.
It was a bad idea to go in. A very bad one. It was so bad, in fact, that it wasn't even worth considering for a second.
Diana went in.
The alley reeked of stale food, rotting garbage and sewer filth. Dirt and trash coated the floor and the walls, leaving her legs no room to tread without burying them ankle deep. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Diana focused on the spot she had noticed.
The particularly smelly dustbin at the end of the alley seemed perfectly innocuous, but Diana's eyes had never deceived her before and she doubted that this would be the first time. Advancing on the bin, she took a mere three steps forward before a bad stench hit her like a brick wall, accompanied shortly by a wave of dizziness.
Swaying on her hooves, she told herself it would soon dissipate, but as the seconds passed it only got worse. Electing to sit down, Diana stumbled over to one of the filthy corners and sunk down into it, cradling her head in her forehooves.
The all-encompassing darkness of unconsciousness was, for the second time that day, closing in on her. She squinted, trying to clear the encroaching blackness, but what she saw instead chilled her to the bone.
Once again, a figure stood in the darkness, watching her every move impassively.
Diana closed her eyes, letting the inky darkness consume her.
We go. Now.
Go where? You'd better not-
Look at this. The perfect opportunity to throw the Empire into chaos.
What are you planning to do?
Isn't it obvious?
...
If I'm not telling you it must be something you don't condone, correct?
Wait... you'd better not-
Too late. I'm stronger than you now. You can't stop me.
What makes you think... that...
You can't feel it? Pity.
Grr...
It's about time I had free reign.
You'll... you'll have to answer to the Administrator for this...
You mean you still haven't figured it out?
Figured... what out?
The truth.
Tell me then. What is... the truth?
You think you know what our mission was, but you didn't. Only I did. And that mission... is death.
...
Ha ha! Killing spree, here I come!
"Look, sir, this isn't my fault! I know it might seem like it is, but I'm innocent! I-"
"Shut up, Shield." The officer said gruffly. "I'll have you know that you held up this queue for an entire half hour."
"I-"
"Please, sir, this isn't his fault." Stalwart averted his gaze from his superior's critical glare. "It was mine, for allowing the argument to escalate."
"It's his fault as well as yours. And I have to say, Stalwart, that I'm thoroughly ashamed of you. You were one of the best. I thought you'd behave in a manner befitting your reputation." He shook his head. "Apparently, I thought wrong."
"This won't happen again, sir." Stalwart insisted.
"It had better not. You will both be punished accordingly for your misconduct."
Shield merely huffed and turned away. Stalwart, glancing at his friend, decided that it was best not to arouse the officer's anger again.
"Follow me." Their superior ordered, and the two of them trailed after him meekly.
All of a sudden, he stopped short. Stalwart and Shield narrowly avoided an awkward collision with his rump.
"What is this?" He asked quietly.
Stalwart stuck his head out, trying to figure out what the officer was pointing at. "It's... a hair, sir?"
"Look closely. Tell me one thing about this hair."
"Um... it's curly, sir?"
"Can you tell what colour it is?"
"Uh..." Stalwart leaned forward. It was only one hair, after all; it was hard to tell just by looking at something so thin. But upon closer inspection, it seemed to be from the purple side of the spectrum. Or pink? Quite possibly pink too, but his eyesight wasn't exactly perfect, and-
He froze. Pink?
"Did anypony suspicious pass by while you were arguing?" His superior asked in the same quiet tone.
"No, sir." Shield responded in Stalwart's place. "We would have noticed."
"Were your searches completely thorough?"
"In all honesty, sir, this queue would have gone a lot faster if they weren't." Stalwart said nervously.
"Then what-"
A deafening boom echoed out from within Canterlot's walls, shaking the ground in a tremor that made Shield stumble and nearly fall. Over the top of the gate tower, Stalwart caught sight of a collapsing building engulfed in raging flames.
Stalwart drew his pistol from its compartment in his armour. "Your orders, sir."
The officer stared at both of them. "Go and secure the area, and if you meet the perpetrator neutralize her immediately. Pass the order along to any troops you meet along the way." He growled. "We have to catch her at all costs."
"Yes sir!" With a sharp salute, both Stalwart and Shield dashed into Canterlot.
The officer, now alone, looked up. Klaxons began to blare, warning everypony away from the danger zone as more soldiers rushed in to assist in cordoning off said area. Atop the walls, dozens of Royal Guards were taking to the skies, descending onto the site of the damage from all sides.
The Pyro's not going to go without a fight. He sighed. Two more valiant soldiers to fall on the battlefield.
Canterlot was in flames.
Pinkie licked her lips in satisfaction, tasting the delicious ash that fell from the industrial factory she had just wrecked.
She laughed. "Ah, it feels so good to be back in my suit again." Not that I could wear it to enter Canterlot. She thought.
Pulling the trigger again, she set fire to whatever wasn't yet burning, laughing maniacally. The dying screams of the innocent only served to fuel her bloodlust.
One word floated through the recesses of her mind like an irritating fly.
Monster...
She tried to swat it away.
Monster.
It didn't seem to work for some reason.
"Monster!"
Oh, somepony was actually saying it out loud. Figures.
Pinkie turned. A yellow-coated mare stared her down, tears streaming from her eyes.
"What have you done? My poor son..." She fell to her knees, crying.
Spare her. Her inner conscience said.
No. She told it.
With a superequine leap, she unclipped the Axtinguisher from her utility belt and brought it down, hard, on the exposed neck of her victim. The blood spurted out immediately as the decapitated head rolled away. Taking a moment to admire her handiwork, Pinkie almost didn't notice the approaching Imperial forces, guns raised and grenades ready.
Almost.
She jumped and flipped in the air, avoiding the first wave of bullets that surged in her direction. A quick airblast from her Backburner sent all the explosives soaring back towards their source. The soldiers rapidly scrambled for cover.
Pinkie searched for a good place to hide. She spotted a nearby chunk of concrete. Perfect. She took advantage of the enemies' distraction to position herself behind the makeshift shield, waiting out the hail of gunfire that followed immediately after.
Three seconds later, she emerged from cover in a completely different location, torching the backs of the unfortunate troops who found themselves in her way. Caught by surprise, her victims had no time to react before she was upon them.
Physics has no power over me!
Fire met skin, and four of the ten guards fell away, screaming in pain as blue flames danced across their bodies. The remaining six prepared to fire at her, but it was a simple matter to duck and roll towards one of them, raising him into the air as a meat shield. The rest, unsure of that to do, hesitated for that one precious second.
After the second had elapsed, Pinkie found herself in the midst of ten burning and likely dead bodies.
Grinning in satisfaction behind her mask, she turned to leave when the glint of sunlight bouncing off metal caught her eye.
The flamethrower, swung around by the strength of her forehooves, let loose a compressed blast of air just in time to direct the rocket back to its point of origin. On a distant building, the RED Soldier deftly sidestepped the projectile and unleashed another barrage.
It took Pinkie only a moment to realize that her airblast wouldn't reload fast enough to deflect all of them. That, however, would not be a problem. With the speed of a cheetah she reflected the first projectile back at her adversary and jumped up and over the other two, shifting their trajectories slightly with a well-placed kick.
Kaboom
Behind her, the crumbling structures of a residential block released a hail of concrete onto the street, an enormous cloud of black smoke billowing from the centre of the building where the rockets had blown up. Pinkie's landing was graceful, meeting the ground on all fours and quickly rolling out of sight.
She considered her options. Her unfamiliarity with the layout of Canterlot made it far too risky to teleport anywhere she hadn't already been, and the Soldier had chosen his firing spot wisely; even her physics-defying powers wouldn't help her if she appeared too far behind her target and fell to her untimely death. Besides, she had no way of knowing where the rest of RED team was, and if they ambushed her in her moment of distraction the game would be over.
The sound of metal against the cobblestone of the streets caught her attention, and she whirled around just in time to come face-to-mask with a fresh contingent of Royal Guards rounding the nearest corner.
They noticed her at the same time. "Target spotted!" The one in front shouted. "Fire at will!"
With precision that surprised even Pinkie, the squad dropped to a crouching position and let loose a barrage of lethal bullets. She twisted around, managing to survive just by the skin of her teeth. Metal ripped through her suit, peppering the length of her left foreleg with a multitude of wounds. Adopting a four-legged stance, she winced as her injured limb, leaking rivers of blood, was forced to take the weight of her body.
I've got to beat them quickly.
Her enemies were incredibly quick, however, and no sooner had she leapt forward, flamethrower in hoof, than they finished reloading and intercepted her midair.
One thing they had forgotten: Pinkie was no adversary to be trifled with.
In the split second in would have taken the bullets to penetrate her vulnerable suit, she raised the Backburner into a position that managed to catch all of the projectiles directed towards her vital organs. A few of them damaged non-essential blood vessels, staining the fireproof lining of her suit with a few streaks of blood, but on the whole she was fine.
Fine enough to kill.
She was almost upon her prey when she felt the warning signs. Her knee, through all of the pain it was suffering, began to feel... pinchy.
Something scary's about to happen. She thought. To my... right.
Her hoof hovered over the airblasting lever, waiting for the threat to appear.
RED did not disappoint her.
In short order, a flurry of three grenades shot out from the shadows of a nearby alley, hurtling towards her with frightening speeds. All three were sent flying back towards their firer, forcing the Demomare out from hiding and exposing her to the light.
Pinkie rolled around her, placing her adversary between her and the Royal Guards. Unfortunately, her dash to safety cost her. An Eyelander, manipulated by the expert hooves of the Demomare, knocked her flamethrower from her grip.
In the blink of an eye, her Axtinguisher flashed into the air, deflecting the next blow. Being careful to keep out of the guards' sights, she continued to block her opponent's continued attempts to draw blood,
She's getting tired. She eyed the rivers of sweat flowing down the Demomare's cheeks. And fast. Just a few more seconds...
A ghost of a grin appeared on the Demomare's weary face.
The whirring of a minigun sent chills down her spine. At the same moment, her tail began twitching furiously.
Uh oh.
She let her guard down momentarily, allowing the Eyelander to scrape her chest. It wasn't deep, thankfully - the Demomare was only rewarded with a few drops of blood - and definitely not deep enough to stop her from leaping straight up into the air and meeting the rapidly descending Soldier's neck with the sharp end of the Axtinguisher.
It cut through cleanly, allowing the headless corpse to drop limply to the ground. Her hind hooves, pushing off of it, gave her the momentum she needed to launch herself to a hidden location.
Goodbye, physics!
Stalwart watched silently as the decapitated body of the Soldier dropped like a stone. The Pyro too, was now gone, vanished like a bad smell on a rainy day.
I hate my life.
"Uh... Stalwart?" Shield asked from behind him. "Not to disturb, but everypony's waiting for your orders."
"Huh?" Oh yes. That's right. He took a second to consider what to do.
"So..."
"Alert level five." Stalwart said. "Be prepared to engage any threats. Do not be taken by surprise."
"Yes, sir!" With impressive speed, the squad of guards arrayed themselves in an outward-facing circle, watching vigilantly for any sign of the Pyro.
Stalwart turned to the Demomare. "Your orders, ma'am." Remind me why it is that the mercs outrank everypony else?
"Stay put and keep this area secure." She ordered. "We're going to see if we can set up a lure."
"Of course, ma'am." Trusting that his temporary subordinates had heard the command, he elected not to turn around, instead raising his right hoof to his head in a salute.
As soon as RED team had left, his leg sagged back to the floor. He drew the pistol back out, checking to see that the safe mode catch was off.
I will not be caught off guard. Not this time.
Stars spun before her eyes. It felt as though she'd just knocked her head on something - and hard.
Diana blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision, and when it finally cleared she facehoofed hard enough that it went back out of whack.
Over the debris of a destroyed building, the grand structure of the castle loomed over her.
Wait, destroyed building?
She looked around. Her saddlebags were beside her, seemingly untouched, but the filth of the alley was gone, all the garbage pressed against the dead end behind her.
A strong wind, maybe? Or the blast from whatever took out that building...
Speaking of blasts, what happened to her?
No explanations came to mind.
Deciding that, whatever it was, the safest place was probably away from all danger, she slung her saddlebags onto her back where they belonged and headed towards the castle.
She didn't get far before trotting face-first into the RED Demomare.
"Ah, Zecora." Diana smiled. "Nice to see you here."
The zebra eyed her suspiciously. "Did you see the BLU Pyro pass by here? She might be planning to ambush us, I fear."
Diana's face lost its cheer. "I'm afraid not."
"If you see her, please inform me. She will not expect any mercy."
"Right."
"Thank you for your assistance, friend." The Demomare pointed at the castle. "That way lies your journey's end."
"My appreciation, but I already noticed that." Diana gazed at the massive structure. "It's kinda hard to miss."
"It is." She agreed. "But I must now take my leave. Evil gives us no reprieve."
"Of course. I wish you luck."
"Likewise. May Celestia watch over you." She intoned, before turning her back and adding "Now if she'd just watch over her chosen few" under her breath.
Diana chose to ignore that last part, instead directing her attention to the final destination of her hours-long trek. A brisk trot took her to the palace grounds quickly. It took little navigation to find the back door, requiring a pony to only circle the place until they caught sight of a huge sign entitled Rear Entrance. Two guards who were, she suspected, eternally stationed there, stepped aside and allowed her to enter when she walked up to them.
The door swung open on its hinges, revealing a grand hallway. Diana thanked the guards and stepped in.
The place was huge. A large, heavy chandelier hung from the ornately decorated ceiling, swaying gently in a non-existent breeze. Stained glass windows interspersed extravagant tapestries lining the walls. The floor was covered in a clearly expensive crimson-red carpet with Celestia's royal portrait at the centre.
None of this occurred to Diana as she searched for the door that would take her to the observatory tower. A large, gold-framed sign with an arrow labeled Observatory was good enough to satisfy her.
The directions pointed her to a spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever, a fact that she discovered ten minutes into the climb.
Her legs were not too happy with her. After the long journey from the base of Canterlot Mountain to what was only a few hundred meters short of its peak, not to mention being knocked out twice, she wasn't in the best of conditions to finish this climb. Her right foreleg, having been subject to great amounts of pain over the past few weeks - the scar from those arrows still hadn't completely healed - began to burn, and the left one soon followed suit. A minute later, her hind legs began throbbing at about the same time her chest did.
Diana heard a soft crack issue from somewhere in her body. She was pretty sure it was not a good sign. It was, however, a much more preferable option to having a bloodthirsty murderer, who, by all means, could have killed her twice by that point, on her tail.
Through all the pain, she moved just a little bit faster.
A few sprained ankles, aching muscles and burning lungs later, Diana, crawling on her belly at this point, pulled herself up the final step and heaved a great sigh of relief. She flipped onto her back and just lay there, keeping her ears alert. Only after three minutes, when she felt sufficiently - albeit not totally - healthy, did she slowly climb to her feet and take a brief look at her surroundings.
There wasn't much at the top floor. The only level ground was a semicircular floor of oak wood about one and a half meters across, bordered by a sleek, polished gold-plated railing. Beyond that lay a steep drop to what would certainly be death. The only thing of note was the door to the observatory room, labeled rather obviously with the words Observatory this way.
Would anypony even come up here if they didn't know what they were looking for.
Placing a hoof on the doorknob, Diana twisted it in a single quick motion and stepped in.
She deduced that, by the four weapons trained on her and the little red dot of the Wrangler on her forehead, it had not been the right choice.
She smiled weakly. "Um... hi?"
To be continued in Meet the Pyro (Part II)