//------------------------------// // Crystal Cataclysm // Story: The Forgotten Exile // by Echo 27 //------------------------------// “Can we take a moment to rest?” Pinkie Pie asked, breathing heavily. “We’ve been walking non-stop for hours now!” Cobalt Storm shook his head. “Not yet, we’re still out in the open,” he replied. “Besides, we’ve only just made it through the mountains, we have a long way to go. I want to be at the northern border by sunrise.” “What northern border?” Rarity queried. “The Crystal Mountains and beyond,” he answered. “The border of Equestria ends there, and that’s the only place we’ll be out of harm’s way. Until then, we keep moving.” “The Crystal Mountains?” Applejack mouthed, looking over at Twilight in confusion. The lavender alicorn was just as puzzled by the choice of destination as her Earth pony friend. The Crystal Mountains were indeed the far-most northern border of Equestria, but they ended abruptly at an icy beach, and poured out into the frozen waters. They weren’t hospitable in the slightest, and offered no safe shelter that she knew of. Was it possible that Cobalt Storm had a shelter there? The group had been traveling for hours already, having begun to make their way steadily northward since the moment the sun began to set. Their meeting with Luna seemed to have placed a sense of desperation in their mysterious guide, as he was urging them to pick up speed and push on through any obstacle. “What’s that rushing sound?” Rainbow Dash yelled out, having taken her scout position on their port side. “Sounds like water,” Applejack offered. “And a whole darn lot of it.” “Maybe Neighagra Falls,” Cobalt Storm remarked with a trace of a smile. “Good, we’re making better time than I thought we would. We could hit the Crystal Mountains before sunrise. Once we’re in, we can travel at our leisure.” They soon came to a great expanse of water, the surface of which was churning and white with foam. The explanation as to why was evident; a might waterfall not far away, a massive beast that continually unleashed a powerful torrent of water down upon the earth, its misty spray clouding the nearby cliffs from view. “Alright, we’re gonna have to cross,” Cobalt Storm declared almost merrily, already trotting out into the water. “What, you mean swim?” Rarity asked, simply aghast. “No, I cannot, I will not!” Cobalt gave a frustrated sigh. “Making a raft or building a bridge would take too much time, girl,” he said with a feeling of forced calm. “Whether you like it or not, we need to make our way across, and the only way to do that is if we swim.” “Hold on, maybe Twilight can build a bridge,” Spike suggested. “It’d be easy, just lift the rocks out of the water and hold them aloft as we make our way over the water.” Cobalt shook his head. “Celestia’s looking for any signs of magic, if I know her. Twilight was her star pupil, correct? She’ll know her style, she’ll be looking for traces of her magic. It’s the reason I’ve let you two rest easy. They’d give us away.” Not one to fight against good solid reason and logic, Twilight gave a nod of acceptance. Cobalt smiled. “OK, if you can fly, fly on over.” He turned to the pair of Earth ponies, Spike, and Rarity. “Any of you swim?” “All the time!” Pinkie Pie said enthusiastically, while Applejack gave a small nod. Rarity, however, was a little more uncertain, while Spike pretended he didn't exist. “OK, then you stay with me, the water could be rough. The rest of you, flyers, keep an eye out if anyone struggles. No drowning if I can help it. As for you, little guy,” he added, glancing down at Spike. “Dragons are great swimmers. I don’t think I need to worry about you, right?” And with that, he leapt out into the water vigorously, diving headfirst as he let the cool water run across his body. He gave a sigh of pure contentment and began to paddle his way to the other side, the others following suit. Twilight gave a sigh. “Spike, do you want a ride over?” she asked. “Thanks, Twilight,” the purple dragon replied sheepishly. What Cobalt had said was true- dragons can swim quite well. Spike, however, was still just a baby dragon, and hadn’t taken lessons. Twilight, flying overhead, kept an eye out for the safety of Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Doing her best to give Spike a comfortable ride, she couldn’t help but overhear their stallion companion calling out encouragements to the others. The water was indeed rough, but the two Earth ponies were fine swimmers, Pinkie Pie a continuous bather and Applejack merely a strong pony no matter the situation. Rarity, as she had expected, was merely average, but Cobalt Storm was doing his part, helping her across the watery expanse as safely as possible. His bandana, soaked and buffeted by the waves, finally unsealed itself from his head and floated gently down the current, revealing his surf-colored mane. Twilight frowned as she saw it. It was just as the night at the hospital, when the rain had come down in a torrential downpour. His mane had come alive like the surf on the seashore, shining and glistening as if it was a living being. It was similar to what occurred with Celestia and Luna, but he was no alicorn. For the life of her, she couldn’t make sense of it. In little more than half an hour, the group was finally clear of the churning water and back onto dry land. Cobalt Storm shook himself dry, an almost exuberant expression upon his normally serious features. “Nothing beats a good swim,” he said pleasantly. “Yes, quite,” Rarity said drily. “Now, if there is a way we could get ourselves dry before we catch cold, I would most appreciate it.” Cobalt Storm laughed, giving himself another vibrant shake. “Sorry, princess, shake yourself dry and live with it. That’s all you got.” “Princess? Why, I’m not a princess, Twilight is-” Rarity caught wind of the joke as the others began to laugh, and she scowled. “Fine, I’m sorry for thinking about my health and well-being.” Cobalt merely laughed it off, again taking his usual position at point. “Don’t worry, it’s a warm night out. You’ll live.” The deep black of night began to slowly transform into lighter and lighter shades of blue as the night went on, the moon and stars beginning to relent to the overwhelming power of the sun. “Cobalt, how much further?” Rainbow called. “About two hours,” he answered. “Beyond that next hill is an open field where the Crystal Empire used to be, then the Crystal Mountains a little further west. We’re going to keep to the eastern section of the mountain range and push on through.” “Used to be?” Spike echoed, looking down at Twilight with worry. “Oh yeah, you all have never heard of the Crystal Empire, have you?” Cobalt Storm asked. “Want me to tell you?” The group was dead silent as they all stared at the stallion, who continued to walk on ahead. When he noticed something was wrong, he turned and said, “What?” “Cobalt, do you not know?” “Know what?” he pressed. “I haven’t been a part of normal civilization for years, what should I know?” “The Crystal Empire has been back for nearly two years now,” Twilight explained hesitantly. “We’ve been there, Spike helped save it from King Sombra. He’s a hero there.” Cobalt Storm stood rigid and stared, his eyes wide as dinner plates. “It’s back,” he said, dumbfounded. “Back.” He gave a gasp of horror and raced up the hill, and before him lay the great empire, a gleaming jewel in the northern wilds. The Crystal Palace pulsed with a great light and unleashed a mighty rainbow stream out into the sky, giving birth to a verdant stream of lights. “It’s active,” he breathed fearfully. “The Empire’s defense systems are up, they’re engaged. They’re looking for us!” Twilight’s stomach dropped to the tips of her hooves. Cadance and her brother would be searching for her. If they were using the magical properties of the Empire to snuff them out, they would most certainly succeed. Would they be willing to turn her over to Celestia? Let her die? Her heart said no, but with all that had happened back in Ponyville, reason dictated the only ponies she could trust were the ones she accompanied now. “Are we in range?” she asked. “Yes!” Cobalt Storm exclaimed. “We need to move! Go west, go west! It’s a longer path to the mountains, but we’ll-” His words were cut short as he screeched to a halt before a shadowy figure, a lance pointed straight at his skull. “No one moves,” a voice ordered harshly. “You’re all under arrest.” The guards had them surrounded before they could escape, forcing Cobalt to the ground. Rainbow Dash zoomed over and tried to perform a daring rescue, but the guards seemed to have been prepared for such an event, as one of the unicorns blasted her with a bolt of magic energy the moment she streaked towards them, stunning her and locking her wings against her body. Taking no chances, they wrapped a rope tightly around her waist, ensuring the effects of the spell would be doubled. Fluttershy was less difficult, a good lasso around her legs brought her to ground, and her wings tied to her sides. Twilight and Rarity began firing stunning spells through the crowd of guards but were overcome by sheer numbers. Forced unceremoniously to the ground, Twilight felt something clamp painfully around her horn, and a rope fashioned around her neck and sides. She glanced over at Rarity and saw she had been dealt the same card; a rope around her neck, and a magic inhibitor on the horn. The guards were taking no chances with their fresh captures. “Hey!” Spike cried out before he was grabbed by the back of the neck, bound tightly to Twilight’s back. “Leave him alone! He’s just a baby!” Twilight protested angrily. “Dragons are dragons, he’s still dangerous,” a guard snarled. “Besides, he’s a traitor just like you.” “Get moving, we’re heading to the city!” The lead guard barked, his gravelly voice tearing through the night air like a rusty knife. “Up, you!” He added, kicking Cobalt in the neck. The group was led like a herd of wild animals towards the Crystal Empire, the verdant city aglow with magical power. “Twilight, you realize who will be in charge of the guards, right?” Spike whispered fearfully. Twilight gulped nervously, hoping she wouldn’t have to face Cadance or her brother. Her wish was half-granted. “Hail, Lieutenant! What do you report?” came a voice Twilight instantly recognized as that of her brother, Shining Armor. Her knees quaked. “We bring the wanted prisoners, Captain!” The Lieutenant reported. “The traitor that Princess Celestia reported is among them!” “Bring them to the watchtower, I shall meet you there!” Shining Armor ordered. “You heard the Captain, move!” the Lieutenant demanded, yanking Cobalt Storm’s rope and causing him to stumble. When they reached the watchtower, Shining Amor marched out to meet the incoming prisoners. His face was a terrible sight to behold, a mask of rage that Twilight hadn’t seen since the day of his wedding. She had been the target of his anger then, and it seemed she was the target now. He forced himself past Cobalt and shoved his face inches before her own. “Explain yourself,” he demanded. “Your sister decided to spare me from Celestia’s wrath,” Cobalt Storm answered for her. “Trust me, I’ve let her know it was not a wise decision.” Twilight gave him a withering glance. She didn’t like her decisions being chided, but Cobalt seemed occupied with something else, and didn’t notice. He appeared to be listening for something. Shining Armor ignored his words. “Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself, traitor?” The words stung, and she was compelled to fight back. “Did Celestia even tell you what he did? She wouldn’t even say to her own sister!” “She told me enough!” He spat. “He’s a murderer and a traitor, and you helped him escape! I can’t believe you’d sink so low…” Out of the blue, Cobalt Storm gave a horrified gasp. “Twilight, the dawn’s coming!” he exclaimed. “Hey, shut up-” “Twilight, what came at dawn yesterday and the dawn before?! It’s about to strike!” Twilight reached the same conclusion as Cobalt moments later, the truth striking her brain like a bolt of lightning… a bolt that began to shake the ground beneath her with devastating force. There was a jet of steam behind them, and the ground began to tilt. The road began to fracture and fall apart, spiking up and down as it broke into pieces. “Run!” Cobalt yelled, shaking himself free of the Lieutenant’s grasp. “GET AWAY FROM THE CITY! RUN!” The city, though peaceful and empty due to the early morning hours, was becoming a hellish nightmare as the earthquake’s devastating power was unleashed on the Empire. Houses buckled under the mounting rage of the earth, splintering and fracturing every which way. The roads, once so paved and lovely, were becoming jagged slides that sent their victims spiraling to the depths below. Lights went on inside houses and were just as quickly snuffed out as the inhabitants fell to their doom. Screams began to echo all across the mighty city as the denizens of the peaceful empire realized they were in danger. Running away from Shining Armor and his guards as quickly as possible, Cobalt Storm led the way through the fracturing city, eyes wide in stark terror. Every instinct he possessed was keeping him focused on survival, but he was fighting so as to protect the safety of the mares around him. “PEGASI, BREAK THOSE ROPES! FLY!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. Twilight felt her heart pounding as her alicorn wings struggled against her binds. She needed to get off the ground and out of danger- Out of the corner of her eye, a multi-colored burst threw off a cord and dashed into the sky, revealing Rainbow Dash had freed herself- “Look out!” The brash pegasus yelled. The Crystal Palace, the most magnificent structure in the entire Empire, was falling. Its supports shattered and the stellar building collapsed onto the ground, falling right towards them- “UNDERNEATH! UNDERNEATH!” Cobalt yelled, increasing in speed and dashing underneath the crumbling palace- We’re not going to make it, Twilight thought fearfully. We’re all going to die, right here- She felt her knees give way as basic protective instinct took over, sliding across the glassy roads that led to the palace- With a horrific metallic groan, the palace connected with the ground below, an ear-splitting crash meeting Twilight’s ears and bursting her eardrums. She felt blood spurt out from her right ear- The ground gave way beneath her feet, tilting down dangerously and nearly causing her to spill over her own hooves and to the darkness below- With a scream of desperation, she dashed towards the upper section of the ground and leapt over the edge, landing atop a small house. As she passed over the roof of the structure, she could see –stark with terror- a small family of Crystal Ponies, screaming as the ground disappeared and allowed them to fall to their deaths- “DON’T LOOK, DON’T STOP!” Cobalt roared, leaping over a jagged roof of glass, not even pausing as the edges tore at his freshly healed wounds- The edge of the Crystal Empire was just in sight, almost half-a-mile away. So close, but yet so far- “JUST KEEP RUNNING! JUST RUN!” Was Cobalt’s response, as if reading Twilight’s thoughts. He was incensed, solely intent on freeing themselves of this hell- “WHERE’S FLUTTERSHY AND PINKIE PIE?!” Applejack shrieked. Twilight, her hearing still badly damaged, found her words muffled. “WHAT?” “FLUTTERSHY AND PINKIE ARE GONE!” The farm girl roared. Twilight felt her heart sink, and a scream was unleashed from her mouth. She had to go and find them- Cobalt’s expression was that of utmost horror. “RAINBOW, I NEED YOU!” he yelled, doing a roundabout and dashing back into the breaking city. “RUN TO THE HILLS!” he yelled back at Twilight and the others. Twilight felt panic inside her unlike anything she had ever known. Fear for her own life was another matter, but this was different. The lives of her friends, friends who she had persuaded to aid her in this quest, were at stake, not her own. If they died here today, it would be because of her. She reached the outskirts of the Crystal Empire and found herself on more stable ground. She skidded to a halt and turned to face the dying city, searching for any sign of her companions. “Cobalt Storm said to make for the hills!” Spike urged, his normally bright eyes aflame with fear. “No, we wait here!” Twilight yelled back, driven by a mixture of rage and fear. “We can’t stay, it’s too dangerous!” Applejack pressed. “We have to run, NOW!” “I AM NOT LEAVING THEM BEHIND!” Twilight roared- There was a technicolor blur that missed Twilight by mere inches, a broken cord of ropes falling on top of her as it went by- “Rainbow’s got Fluttershy!” Applejack cried triumphantly. As the smoke and dust from the disaster began to obscure them from view, out rushed Cobalt Storm, with an extremely shaken Pinkie Pie strewn across his back. “What are you doing here?” He gasped. “I said to make for the hills!” Satisfied that the safety of her oldest friends was no longer in question, Twilight raced for the northern hills, only pausing when Cobalt Storm went down on his knees and collapsed, coughing and choking for air. “C-cut Spike free!” Twilight stammered, her emotions already beginning to get the best of her. The purple dragon fell to the ground right beside her, giving his oldest friend a quick hug. “I’m alright, I promise,” he said instantly. His first thought had always, and would always be, for her well-being. And right now, her well-being required the safety of her friends. “Pinkie Pie! Are you hurt? Are you alright?” Twilight demanded, rushing to her exuberant friend and checking her over. Pinkie Pie, covered in dust from head to toe, merely looked over at her and burst into tears. “Don’t ever scare me like that again,” Twilight sobbed, clutching her friend with every ounce of her energy. “I thought I’d lost you.” Rainbow Dash settled down next to the others, checking her timid friend for wounds of any kind. Like Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy merely seemed badly shaken and covered in debris. “Fluttershy? Are you hurt?” Fluttershy managed a weak smile as tears dripped down her face. “I’m OK,” she said. “Are you OK?” Twilight began to cry freely, embracing each of her friends with all the love she could muster. “I’m so glad you all are safe,” she choked. “I thought we were done for.” “We have him to thank, ah guess,” Applejack said shakily, nodding towards their stallion companion. “You saved Pinkie Pie.” “Of course… I did…” Cobalt panted. “I promised I’d protect all of you.” As they rested, the groans and shakes that came with the end of the earthquake reached their broken ears. They turned back to face the Crystal Empire and saw utter devastation. The once-great city was a disaster zone, buildings crumbled and wasted. Small fires could be seen, dotting the landscape. “How many people lived in the Empire?” Fluttershy breathed. Twilight didn’t want to answer that question. There would be hundreds of dead ponies down there, and two of them could be her family. Shining Armor had been right next to her when the quake struck- had he managed to get away, as they had? And Cadance- had she been in the Crystal Palace when it fell? “We need to keep moving,” Cobalt Storm announced, forcing himself to his hooves. “We’re at the mountains. We push through fast enough, we can hit the shoreline by dusk.” They didn’t travel long, only a few hours. Exhaustion had taken its toll on the group of exiles, and despite Cobalt’s insistence, the group needed rest. “Alright, I’ll see if I can scrounge up some brush for a fire,” he said. “You all rest, two hours until we set out again.” The mares, accompanied by Spike, merely plopped down on the ground. Applejack and the others managed to detach the inhibitors from Twilight’s and Rarity’s horns. It was a wonderful feeling, Twilight thought, as the magic power she wielded was able to burst forth once more. She wanted to make a small fire just for show, but she remembered what Cobalt had urged back at the falls. It would have to wait. She had only closed her eyes for a moment, but when Twilight opened them again, she realized she had fallen asleep. Her body was still raw, so she knew it had only been for a few minutes at most. She glanced over at the others and saw that they, too, had fallen into slumber. However, one of them was missing. Spike, her most loyal companion and assistant, was gone. Twilight rose to her feet and looked around. Had he run off somewhere? Had something frightened him away? “Spike?” she called out. “Spike, where are you?” “Mmf,” Applejack muttered. “What’s wrong, Twi?” “Spike’s missing!” she moaned, looking around worryingly. The rest of her friends were up in an instant, scattered about and calling for their scaly friend. “Twilight, he could be anywhere!” Applejack said worryingly. “I know!” Twilight replied. And, despite Cobalt Storm’s strict warning, Twilight delved deep into her thoughts and brought forth a summoning spell, one that would help her find Spike- But the spell wouldn’t come. Not a single blip of magic appeared on her horn. Twilight, assuming panic had made her lose focus, tried again. Still nothing. What could be doing this? She wondered to herself, trying to ignore the stares her friends were giving her. I’m an alicorn, I’m the Element of Magic, I have to do this. But then she realized the answer: The only thing that could counteract unicorn magic was unicorn magic. And only one spell was able to totally knock out magical energy- A dampening field. “Don’t even think about runnin’,” a thin voice said right behind her. “You hear me?” Twilight whirled around and was face-to-face with a horrendously ugly unicorn stallion. He was a vile sight, a colorless grey coat and diseased eyes that betrayed he carried jaundice. He was skinny, as if he hadn’t had a decent meal in weeks. But despite his outer appearances, beneath his skin were sheets of rippling muscles. “Now don’t you dare move,” he snarled. “Or else I kill one of your pretty little friends here, you got that?” He moved aside so as to let Twilight see the horror that was unfolding before her: Rainbow Dash had been knocked unconscious by a powerful blow to the head, and Fluttershy was held to the ground by another stallion, a deep blue Earth pony. A gang of them were all across the others, forcing Applejack on her back, accosting Pinkie Pie, and straddled across Rarity was a brute of a Pegasus, who laughed as she tried to free herself. “Vile ruffian!” Rarity spat in her fury. “Ignoble beast! Filthy pegasus! How dare you treat a lady this way, unhand me at once!” The Pegasus laughed, merely laying across her and allowing his weight to keep her where she was. “I think this one wants me, Stone,” he muttered. The one that stood next to Twilight, Stone, gave a laugh. Reaching over to his saddlebags, he took out a ghastly weapon, a jagged dagger that was stained crimson with dried blood. “Look at me, unicorn,” he said. “Say another word and I slit you throat. Rarity got the message instantly and went silent. Stone turned back to Twilight, sizing her up. “Well, well, well,” he said. “If it isn’t EX-Princess Twilight. Seems the crown got a little too heavy for ya. I heard Celestia wants your head on a silver platter. Maybe bringin’ you in will grant all of us pardons, eh?” Twilight said nothing, glaring daggers at the foul unicorn. “But before we make that lovely trip,” Stone continued, “Bring Spike here, won’t you? I wanna know who this pony is. So please, call for him again.” Twilight cursed herself for her stupidity. Her cries may have brought them here, to her friends. She hoped that Spike had somehow found Cobalt Storm and raised the alarm- Thwack! a blow across her cheek broke her from her thoughts. “Tell me, slut! Where is Spike?” Stone demanded- There was a muffled yell and the pony that had been over Rainbow Dash was gone. Stone turned and looked where his missing comrade had once stood. “Brokeback! Where the he-” A rumbling reached their ears and Stone got out of the way just in time to avoid a huge boulder crushing him. “What in the-” “He’ll unleash another one unless you let them go,” Cobalt’s voice said furiously. Out from the shadows walked the magnificent stallion, his face now an icy mask of cold fury. “Silver Stone,” he spat. “I should have known it would be you. Only you could be dumb enough to mess with my people.” “Ocean Blue!” Silver Stone snarled, the knife still in his teeth. “What gives you the right-” “Release them or die, Stone,” Cobalt said shortly. “It’s the only option you have anymore. Do it now or I kill all of you.” Silver Stone’s eyes became like hardened flint and his neck twisted as he prepared to throw the deadly dagger- Pow! Cobalt Storm was on him in an instant, a powerful blow across the face sending the unicorn skidding- “Fight for your life!” Cobalt roared, and the assault was on. Every pony was in a mad tussle to get free of their captor, while the gang of ruffians did their best to hang on- Twilight barreled into the hulking beast that lay across Rarity, trying to topple him over. It was enough to free the white mare, but not enough to deal any damage. The pegasus roared with anger and reared to face Twilight- Cobalt was on him in an instant, using his powerful muscles to topple over the brute. Before the massive ruffian could react, Cobalt brought his pointed hooves down on the creature’s head with deadly impact. A powerful Crack! ruptured in the air, and the pegasus fell to the ground, dead. The sight of their biggest member was enough for most of the others, who gave cries of fear and began to scatter. One was not so lucky, as Cobalt managed to grab hold of him by the leg and give it a sharp twist, splitting the bone so severely it broke through the skin. The Earth pony screamed in pain and began to stumble away as fast as he could, blood dripping from his broken bones- There was a gleam of dirty silver right before Twilight’s eyes and then a grunt of pain from Cobalt Storm as the dagger sank deep into his right side, the blade embedding all the way to the hilt and causing the stallion to collapse. “Cobalt!” Twilight cried, rushing over to him. “GET… AWAY… from MY PRIZE!” Silver Stone roared, having regained his footing. Twilight stood between the two, rage alight in her normally bright eyes. “Don’t you try to even TOUCH him!” she snarled. “Move aside, girl!” Silver Stone spat. “You are no match for me!” “You’re no match for us!” Applejack fired back, the others standing alongside Twilight and facing down their foe. Silver Stone took a step backward, realizing he was easily outnumbered- Crunch! Another boulder fell, this time making its mark on Silver Stone’s hind legs, catching them beneath its girth and crushing them flat. The unicorn screamed in agony, trying in vain to escape from his would-be victims. Twilight stood over top of him, her chest heaving. “What should we do with him?” she whispered dangerously. “Should we kill him?” She meant every word. He had threatened her friends, threatened her life, and tried to kill Cobalt. He deserved it. “No,” said a weak voice, pushing its way beside her. “Killing is not as easy as the clean believe.” Cobalt Storm stood beside Twilight. The dagger was still buried in his right front side, and blood continued to pour down onto the ground. He was beginning to go pale, his normally sea-colored coat becoming a light blue. “Twilight, don’t taint yourself with his blood. He’s not worth your getting bloody.” “And that’s it?” she asked, incensed. “We let him go?” Cobalt’s eyes hardened. “He’s a murderer and a thief,” he said coldly. “If we let him go, he’ll just try to heal himself and do it all over again. He's not yours. He’s mine.” Grabbing Silver Stone by the scruff of the neck, Cobalt dragged the screaming unicorn out from beneath the boulder and out of sight down a trail. There was one last beg for mercy from Stone, and a horrific squelching sound a moment later. Cobalt Storm came back into view, rapidly losing color. He gave a weak moan and fell to the ground, blood pooling around him. Spike slid down the mountainside and landed next to Twilight. “Are you all OK?” he asked worriedly. “Spike, that was you with the boulders!” Appljeack exclaimed. “I ran for Cobalt when I heard them coming,” he explained. “It was all his idea.” Twilight ignored their word and crouched down next to Cobalt, who was beginning to turn a light green as more blood flowed from his wound. She felt the incoming settings of panic, but forced herself to remain calm. If she was to save his life, she needed to think. She grabbed hold of the vile dagger with her teeth and, wincing, pulled it out in one swift motion. Cobalt gave a horrifying scream, louder and more terrible than any of Silver Stone’s. Uninhibited by the dagger’s blade, blood streamed out of his open wound like a crimson river. “Twilight, do something!” Rarity pleaded. “I know, I know!” Twilight replied, hoping desperately the dampening field had been dropped. It had, as the dagger began to glow red-hot with heat. She pushed the blade down on the wound, hoping to cauterize it. Cobalt gave another scream as he turned a seafoam white, but he didn’t move. He allowed Twilight to finish cauterizing until the deed was done. When the wound had finally been sealed, she stepped away and examined him. He was near death, of that she was certain. “We need to rest here,” she said to the others. “Wait until he’s fit to travel.” “We can’t,” Cobalt protested feebly, rising to his feet as his knees threatened to buckle. “The ocean. We’re almost there, I promise you.” Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but his attention was already elsewhere. “How’s Rainbow Dash?” he asked. “She’ll live,” Applejack replied. “She’s just unconscious.” “Take her,” he whispered faintly. “We’re moving. Now.”