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// Story: A Knight's Tale
// Chapter: Chapter 7
// Author: lionel23
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"Twilight," a voice called softly to the sleeping librarian.
Twilight Sparkle grumbled and rolled over in bed in response to the voice.
"Twilight, please wake up."
This time the purple unicorn pulled up her sheets over her head and buried her face into her comfortably soft pillow, ignoring the voice's pleas to her.
"Oh pretty please, pretty please wake up?" the voice called out again, followed by a squee.
Squee? She only recalled vaguely one pony she's known to make a sound like that…
"Don't worry, stand aside; I'll handle this!" another more rambunctious voice said.
Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Twilight asked herself privately, though her answer soon came exploding down upon her a moment later.
"Geronimo!" Rainbow Dash flew up and came crashing down onto the end of Twilight's bed, catapulting the poor, startled librarian straight into the air above her own bed.
Twilight screamed in fright before she came crashing down on the exact spot she had been prior to her launching, landing with an 'oof' as her pillow landed atop her head.
"Heh heh, good morning sleepy head!" Rainbow Dash waved a hoof at Twilight and smiled nervously, having just realized she may have gone a teensy, tiny bit overboard.
"And good morning to you to, Dashie," Twilight said irritably, clearly not amused at the wakeup call.
"Oh, we're so sorry about that Twilight; she didn't mean to… honestly… oh dear," Flutteryshy stuttered on her words and apologized profusely, at least until Applejack patted her reassuring on the back.
"Twi, everyone's ready to go," Applejack announced and motioned towards the main room.
"Already? Fine, I'll be down in a moment. Just let me freshen up real quick."
Twilight combed out her bed hair before joining the others in the main foyer. All her friends were there, each of them with a saddle bag on their back. Captain Silver Lancer was passing out orders to his band of knightly ponies while Prince Knight Light and Angel Song were a pace or two behind him, listening intently. Lastly, she caught at the corner of her eye her dear assistant Spike, who came rushing to her side with quill and parchment.
"Your checklist," Spike proclaimed with an ever ready and attentive grin.
"Thank you, Spike. You always know what I need most," Twilight smiled and begun checking off the items that would need on the list.
It had been agreed to the night before that the company of gathered friends would leave as early as possible – in order to avoid detection and a possible confrontation with the warponies. The train to Canterlot wasn't due until later that afternoon, but Prince Knight Light had strongly stated that he would not dally any longer in Ponyville than he had to.
"Lady Twilight Sparkle," Prince Knight Light spoke up as he trotted over to the purple unicorn, "Me and my pony knights are ready when thou are."
"All right, I think I have everything I need…" Twilight's words drifted as she pulled out her checklist again to recheck the checklist.
"Twilight, you've already triple-checked the checklist. We're all set," scolded Spike as he shot Twilight a look she was all too familiar with.
"All right, fine. Let's get going then, Spike," Twilight rolled her eyes and tucked the scroll into her saddle pack before setting it on her back, "Let's go everypony!"
The knights and her friends filed out of her home one by one, but before the Prince could join the procession Twilight called to him. She always had a plan for things, and having learned from experience it was always good to have a backup plan too.
"Oh! Prince Knight Light, Sir Butterscotch! Can you both remain behind just a moment?"
* * *
"I hope it is not much further till Canterlot?" asked Captain Silver Lancer as he led the company on the final leg of their journey.
"It's not. We should arrive by nightfall if we keep up this pace," Twilight calculated as she examined her guide map that she had made particular note to bring with her; perfect for situations such as this.
"Don't worry, Captain. If Twilight says we'll be there by night, we'll be there by night. She has never lets anypony down," Applejack reassured the wary Captain.
"Thank you kindly, Lady Applejack. I just hope we do not run into a certain… somepony. We're already at a distinct disadvantage as it is in our current state."
"Oh don't you worry about that! If we run into those ponies, I'd show them a thing or two about Ponyville hospitality, or else my name isn't Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow Dash chimed in and landed neatly on the opposite side of Silver Lancer, standing on her hind legs and punching the air with her fore legs.
"Heh, that I'd like to see," chuckled Silver Lancer as the group trotted along behind him.
"Aw yeah! And if that big ox were here right now, I'd totally show him a thing or two!" Rainbow Dash grinned at the Captain.
"Oh really? And what could such a tiny pony as yourself possibly do against me?" called a deep, masculine voice from directly ahead.
The company of pony knights and friends stopped dead in their tracks as Warlord Coltrane and his cadre of warponies stood barring the path ahead of them. Coltrane was flanked on either side of him by his six warpony bodyguards, and each of them looked eager for a fight.
"Coltrane!" declared Captain Silver Lancer as he and his pony knights galloped to the front of the group and assumed a defensive posture, with Silver Lancer standing abreast with his body while his knights stood on the hind legs with their fore legs up in a style ready to punch at their foes.
"The one and only. Now," the Warlord raised his head and spoke down on the group, "If you would be so kind to hand over the Prince, then we can all go home and forget this ever happened."
"And what if we refuse?" Rainbow Dash flew up and landed in front of the Unicorn Captain and his knightly steeds.
"Then we'll just have to use force now, won't we boys?" Coltrane spoke over his shoulder while still keeping his gaze on the rainbow-colored pegasus.
His fellow warponies nodded in agreement, each of them in turn stamping their hooves into the ground and grinding at the dirt beneath their hooves.
"Sir Butterscotch, go on ahead with Lady Angel Song and Lady Twilight and bring word of our imminent arrival to Canterlot. We shall hold them here until help can arrive," Silver Lancer spoke.
The messenger knight nodded and looked to the other two unicorns. Together, the three dashed off in the direction of Canterlot, leaving the rest to fend for themselves against the warlord and his ponies.
"Ignore them, it's the Prince we're after," Coltrane commanded and gave a stomp of his hoof, "Rid me of these eyesores, now."
"Do not worry, my friends. We shall protect everypony to the best of our ability," pronounced the Captain of the pony knights.
Coltrane laughed at the fruitless yet chivalrous display of the unicorn before he reared up and suddenly charged the captain. In a blink of an eye, the warlord had quickly closed the distance and lowered his head and armored helm for the charge. Before Silver Lancer could react, the full force of Coltrane's helmet crashed into the unicorn's side. The unicorn captain was catapulted backwards and landing with an awkward and unpleasant thump on the ground.
"My dear Captain, have you never heard that Might makes Right?" Coltrane stated curtly, snorting with a heavy breath.
Captain Silver Lancer struggled in vain to stand, but collapsed back onto the ground, exhausted and beaten by the brute force of the warlord. Rarity, Fluttershy, and the Prince all rushed to the fallen Captain's side.
"Protect the maidens! Protect the Prince!" shouted one of the knights as the three Canterbury knights rushed forward towards the warponies, each taking on one as they butted them head to head.
Which left three of the warponies unchecked for the rest of the group to deal with. The three moved slowly towards the fallen captain and Prince, but Applejack was the first to stand up to them. She hoof-stomped the ground defiantly, challenging them to past her.
"Y'all gonna have to get through me first, partner," Applejack stated defiantly.
One of the warponies snorted and nodded to his companions.
"This one's mine," he declared confidently and and charged at Applejack.
While the warpony was much stronger than most of the Ponyville ponies, AJ was both strong and agile. Having spent much time going on Sweet Apple Acres playing games with Applebloom and training for the Equestrian Rodeo, the warpony was completely caught off-guard by the tricks of AJ's sleeves (if she had one!).
Quickly sidestepping, she deftly dodged the charging warpony and lined up her rear legs with her assailant.
"Buck 'em cowpoke!" she shouted as she put all her strength into her attack.
The warpony who had missed her ground his hooves hard into the ground to come to a stop immediately after passing AJ, but unfortunately for him he turned his head right into AJ's waiting buck. She clobbered him full force in the face with her powerful hind legs, sending the warpony's head flying straight up along with his body. He landed a few feet back, wobbly and unsteady as starts flew around his head. After a moment, he collapsed forward, KO'ed from the apple family horse. Applejack crossed one leg in front of the other, assuming her traditional pose of 'crossing her arms', pony-style.
But during that whole encounter, the other two warponies had gotten closer to the fallen captain and company. It was then that it became Pinkie Pie's turn, and she fearlessly jumped in front of one of the two ponies, her smile beaming and radiating friendliness.
"Out of my way, foal!" shouted the warpony whom Pinkie Pie obstructed.
"Why? Is there someplace you need to be? Because if there is someplace you need to be, I'd be happy to join you! Oh! And if we're going someplace, I do like someplaces by the way, and then we'd need to stop by Sugercube corner. They have cupcakes, do you like cupcakes? Because any pony who is any pony, and I do mean any pony because I know every pony, loves cupcakes! And then…!"
As the conversation went on, the warpony cringed and closed his eyes, throwing his hooves over his ears and pressed them into his helm.
"Argh, shut up! Make it stop, somepony make it stop!"
His friend was wiser, nodding and 'sacrificing' the other to be the one who would triumpiantly reach the Prince. Or so that's what he thought until Rainbow Dash leapt to the rescue.
"Not so fast, buster! You're going to have to get through me first!" Rainbow Dash declared proudly as she puffed up her chest and spread her wings defiantly.
"Let's see what you got then, little pony," muttered the warpony as he broke into a short sprint and attempted to ram her with his armored helmet.
Rainbow Dash bent her knees and launched herself straight into the air, dodging the blow as the confused warpony looked around for his opponent. He didn't even have time to look up as Rainbow Dash came crashing down with all four of her hooves right onto his helmet, sending the warpony's face crashing down into the dirt and knocking him out cold.
"Aww yeah!" Rainbow Dash proclaimed proudly to herself.
But despite the best efforts of the Ponyville friends, Coltrane and his remaining ponies had finished mopping up the Canterbury knights, who laid groaning and hurt to the side of the path. Coltrane approached the Prince who was cowering near the Captain, his legs shaking as Fluttershy stood beside him. Rarity, however, had other plans for the warlord.
"Stop, you lout!" Rarity stood bravely in front of the warlord.
"Out of the way, filly. I'm not one to strike a lady but I will do what I have to if you choose to stand in my way."
"And I say I refuse, you brute! How could you harm such magnificent and handsome ponies such as them? I will not move, you… you… ruffian!" Rarity glared at the warlord with steely resolve in her eyes.
The warlord's gaze met that of the fashionista, but after a long moment he looked back at his remaining three warriors.
"Deal with her," he ordered.
The warponies grabbed ahold of Rarity and dragged her off to the side.
"Let me go, let me go I say! You're hooves are so filthy and dirty, you're ruining my beautiful mane!" Rarity protested.
And then it finally came down to just the Prince and Fluttershy, standing in front of Captain Silver Lancer and the rest of the beaten knights.
"It's all over now, Prince Knight Light. You're coming back with me so I can rightfully claim the crown," demanded Coltrane.
"B-b-b-ut…." Stuttered the Prince as he hid his face behind Fluttershy, who was equally afraid.
Coltrane sensed something was wrong. Something seemed off about the Prince... this cowering pony couldn't be the same one that challenged him at the Tournament of the Crown back in the Realm. That pony had been a lot braver and way more defiant than the pony in front of him.
Coltrane took a giant step forward and bit down on the armored end of the Prince's helmet and flung it off. Instead of a shining black coat, he was greeted instead to a cream yellow pony with pink mane.
"What is this… trickery?!" demanded the warlord as he bit onto the imposter's knightly caparison.
Flinging it off, he was shocked to see that the 'prince' wasn't even the pony he was looking for. Instead his eyes were greeted by the sight of a pegasus that matched everything from the color of his coat to the timid personality of the lady pegasus standing beside him.
"Who are you?" he demanded, grinding his face into the pegasus' face.
"I-I-I-I'm Butterscotch…" whimpered the timid pony.
"Sir Butterscotch… oops, I mean… I didn't mean to interrupt… I'm sorry…" Fluttershy quipped in.
"Where is the Prince?!" roared the warlord but he froze in his tracks as he replayed the events of the skirmish back in his head.
Thinking back, he clearly remembered the Captain having ordered a certain messenger to go for help… and clearly none of the other pony knights here were the ones he was looking for. This could only mean that the messenger… was none other than that sneaky Prince! He must have disguised himself and ran off ahead with those the two blasted unicorns!
"That sneaky coward! Once I find him, I'll wring his neck!" Coltrane snorted and glared down at the Captain, "But first I'll deal with you. Payback for this foolishness of yours."
Butterscotch knelt down low besides the fallen Silver Lancer, nudging his nose against that of his Captain.
"Butterscotch, you must go and leave me to my fate. You are a good colt, but alas my time is done," Siler Lancer tried to push away the pegasus.
"I c-c-cannot leave you, Sir. What would I tell the Prince if s-s-something were to befall you?"
Fluttershy watched passively as the warlord started to step closer and closer to the Captain, followed on his hooves by his warponies. Silver Lancer and her favorite knightly pony Sir Butterscotch were in danger! She had to do something, otherwise they might get hurt… or even worse! As those thoughts ran through her head, she felt her hooves shaking… but was it from fear or perhaps…?
"No, I won't let you hurt my friends!" Fluttershy cried out and meekly charged her head into the side of the warpony.
Not that it was much a charge. Even at her full speed, the 'charge' ended up being nothing more than a gentle nudge into the side of Coltrane, who almost at first didn't notice it until he heard the gasps from his warponies. Looking down, he was highly annoyed that the yellow pegasus had even attempted to bother him with her feeble efforts.
"Excuse me, just what do you think you're doing?" he asked irritably.
What he didn't expect next was what Fluttershy had in store for him.
"Look here, you big meanie! You think you can just beat up any pony just because you don't like them? That's j-just wrong and you know it!" Fluttershy pushed her face into that of the warlord while one of her eyes grew big while she squinted with the other, "You're nothing but a big old… meanie head! You should be ashamed of yourself!"
"Ha, you think I'm afrai—"
"I'm not done talking, Mister!" Fluttershy interrupted the warlord and started walking forward into the warlord.
And much to the shock of everypony present, the warlord was actually walking backwards away from the determined pegasus, his warponies right on his heels.
"What would your mother say about this? That you're picking on anypony that just happens to be smaller and weaker than you? I bet she would be shocked and quite sad to see her son turn out this way. And these ponies here are my friends, and I will not – I repeat I will not – allow you to hurt my friends! You hear me?"
"Now see—"
"You hear me?!" Fluttershy pushed the warlord down to the ground, pinning him down with her head and gaze as the warlord seemed to shrivel up under her gaze..
There was a long silence as the warlord glanced over at the shocked Butterscotch and Silver Lancer, who were watching in astonishment. Coltrane looked over at this warponies and saw that none of them were willing to stand up to the brave pegasus pony who had forced him into such a predicament.
"Well? I'm waiting, Mister!" Fluttershy demanded impatiently.
"I'm… sorry. We'll go," were the only words muttered by the warlord.
"My lord?" muttered one of his warponies in befuddlement.
"We're going! This is just a waste of our time anyways! The Prince is somewhere up ahead and we must stop him before he gets to Canterlot," ordered Coltrane as he took a step back and stood up proudly away from the peagsus pony.
Though only to the trained eye could anypony had noticed that the warlord was standing not quite as tall as before – having been knocked down a couple of notches by the defiant pegasus.
"Y-yes, milord!" the warponies gathered in force; the ones who had been knocked out having come to at this point and together they followed uneasily after their warlord as he galloped at a full pace after Twilight and her companions.
"Wow, Fluttershy… I'm impressed!" Rarity giggled and hugged her beautiful, fabulous friend.
"Oh… it was nothing, r-really," Fluttershy reverted back to old Fluttershy and she blushed as her friend hugged her.
"That wasn't half bad, sugarcube," Applejack complimented as she and Rainbow Dash rejoined the group, "But let's see to our guests here first. Are y'all all right?"
"We'll manage, I think," Captain Silver Lancer nodded to AJ and looked to his knights as they limped over to his side, "We owe you all another debt of gratitude that I do not think we can ever possibly repay."
"Naw, think nothing of it. We always like helping the ponyfolk," Applejack chuckled but was the only one to look off into the distance as the warlord and his company disappeared.
"Good luck, Twi." AJ whispered to herself before turning back to her friends.
With Twilight gone now, somepony had to take charge and Silver Lancer definitely wasn't in any condition to do so. Well, that only left one dependable, hardworking pony left that could salvage the situation.
"All right girls, let's get these fellas here back to Ponyville. Pinkie Pie, run on ahead and get Nurse Redheart and tell her she has more patients a'coming, ya hear?"
"Of course! I'll be back in two splits of a lick!"
"Huh?" AJ blinked her eyes at the nonsensical statement Pinkie Pie made but before she could follow up with another question, the pink party pony was gone.
Reflecting in the downtime between helping the pony knights and her friends get them back to Ponyville, she thought to herself… this was all up to her best friend Twilight now. But knowing that she was in charge, she somehow could sigh a bit easier knowing that her friend would leave her little doubt that she would get the task at hoof done.