The Equine Scrolls: SkyFiM

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 26: Mephalda

At long last, I had Mephalda’s location. Setting off immediately, I stopped for the night in Shor’s Stone before heading into the mountains. Following the path Merrifeather had drawn on my map, I ascended through narrow gaps and along twisting trails. Often, I had to inch my way along a narrow ledge to move on, but nothing would stop me from my goal.

At last I caught sight of greenery ahead through the gap in the stone. Carefully, I entered and found myself in a forest. Looking back, I saw only harsh landscape behind me, but this was paradise in comparison.

And this “tiny” mountain valley was much larger than I had assumed it would be. Carefully climbing a tree, I looked across the treetops stretching into the distance. The valley was secluded all right. Mountains rose up on all sides, allowing no entrance except through the path I had followed or from above.

There was, however, a gap in the trees in the center of the valley that I could see. In it, a tiny cottage stood, though no smoke rose from its chimney. I couldn’t see much else from where I was, so I climbed down.

Careful not to disturb the undergrowth, I stalked between the trees toward the clearing. I had my bow ready in front of me, arrow fitted to the string in case something jumped out at me. Squirrels flitted through the trees overhead, but nothing sinister appeared.

At last, the trees came to a halt. I crouched down in the undergrowth and took a look at the clearing. I could see the cottage better now, as well as the small patio that had been built out front. A pot of tea sat out on the small table. As of yet, I couldn’t see if anypony was in the cottage or not. I would have to take a closer look.

Just as I began to get up, a pony trotted out of the cottage without a care in the world. She was a pegasus, with a pale yellow coat and a long slate grey mane hanging over one of her eyes. Could this be Mephalda? There was really nopony else it could be, right?

I brought up my bow and lined up the shot. Hopefully I could catch her by surprise and wouldn’t have to fight her straight out. She was a Blackwing after all, and a famously skilled one at that.

I was prepared to fire, when she suddenly moved out of the way. Could she have seen me? There was no way! No, the reason she had moved was to meet a few rabbits that were bounding toward her.

I watched as they chattered away and she seemed to talk back, apparently understanding them. A few hopped away and came back a moment later carrying a bird. The pegasus took a quick look at it before swooping into the house and emerging a moment later with her saddlebags on. The bird, apparently, had a broken wing, and she bound it, even dripping a drop of healing potion into the bird’s beak to help it heal faster.

As she held it in her hoof, unmoving, I saw the perfect opportunity to take her out. I lined up my bow, but for some reason I just stood there, the bow unmoving in my magic. I was having trouble believing that this was Mephalda, that this was a psychopathic killer. She just didn’t seem the type.

“Come on Sapphire!” my mind yelled at me, “Just release the string and you can free Steadfast!”

My mind was right. To get Steadfast back, I had to kill Mephalda. But, this didn’t feel right; it felt too much like murder. I must’ve held my bow in place for a minute or more before I dropped it with a sigh. I just couldn’t do it.

Stowing it away, I continued to stare out at where the pegasus was standing. There was no way this couldn’t be Mephalda. But maybe she wasn’t exactly what I’d been led to believe?

“Hello,” I called, stepping out from among the trees, hoping I wasn’t wrong.

The pegasus gave a gasp and ducked behind her table.

“Who, who is it?” she asked timidly.

“I’m Sapphire,” I told her, trotting closer, but making sure I could still retreat into the woods if things went sour, “Are you Mephalda?”

“Yes,” she said, peering over the table suspiciously.

“Can I . . . talk to you?” I asked.

“Hmm, I guess,” she said, standing up, “I don’t get many pony visitors here.”

“What do you mean?” I asked her as I sat down in the chair she motioned to.

“Well, most of my visitors are just the forest animals,” she said, sitting down across from me, “I don’t get visits from ponies very often.”

“I see,” I said, taking a cup of tea as she poured it for me.

I’d never really had much of a taste for tea, it was more of a pegasus thing, but it would have been rude to refuse.

“How did you find me here?” she asked as she blew off her own tea.

“The Dark Brotherhoof told me where to find you,” I replied.

“They told you?” she responded, looking alarmed.

“Don’t worry,” I told her, “Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Of course,” she said, “I just hope they don’t tell anypony else. I suppose you already know there are plenty of ponies out there who would like to kill me.”

“Why is that?” I asked her, determined to find out the truth.

“I defected from the Blackwings,” she replied, “I hated the things they made me do. I hated killing innocent ponies so much that I left, and they couldn’t stop me. After all, they trained me how to be invisible. For once in my life, I used that skill for good instead of evil.”

“If you hated it so much, why’d you join the Blackwings in the first place?”

“I didn’t have a choice. I never had a taste for killing, but that’s what they forced me to do. When I was just a filly, still deciding what I wanted to do, I was attacked one night by a band of thugs. I defended myself, that’s all, but when it was all over, my life was ruined. I was so good at killing them, I got this.”

She stood and showed me her cutie-mark, a razor-sharp dagger.

“After that, they thought I was perfect to be a Blackwing. I was taken away and trained, and it turned out I was really good at killing, though I hated doing it. Still, the Pegasari Dominion’s word is absolute, and I was trained by the best in the Blackwings until I became a honed killing machine. I’ve killed so many ponies, ponies with families who were looking forward to the next day but never saw it because the Dominion had distaste for them.”

“Do you know how many ponies I’ve killed? 2183. I counted, and each and every one of their faces haunt me. That look they get when they realize it’s all over, that I’m sending them out of this world, the pleading question of ‘Why?’ evident in their eyes; it’s burned permanently into my mind.”

“I had to get out. There was no way I could live with myself if I kept it up. So, I used the skills they taught me and I ran away, leaving that life behind. I ran from them for several years, moving from one place to another, always one step ahead. But I didn’t want to live in constant fear of an assassin one day catching me. So, I made a deal with the Dark Brotherhoof and they shared the location of this valley with me, allowing me to hide here.”

I was silent as I digested what she had told me. She’d poured her entire life’s story out to me, and now I understood what she’d been through. All the stories about Mephalda were true, she was a killing machine. But, those stories left out that she had no desire to what she did. She was a victim of her cutie-mark, just as I was a victim of the absence of mine. We were alike in a way.

“So, why did you come here?” Mephalda asked, “I assume you didn’t come all this way for a social call.”

I rolled my options over in my mind until I came up with the best one. Or at least the best one where I could live with myself. Honesty would be my policy, no matter what the consequences.

“Actually,” I told her, “I’m supposed to kill you.”

“What?” she said, recoiling.

“I just can’t though,” I told her, “You don’t deserve to die; at least I don’t think so. The Blackwings, they’ve got a friend of mine, Steadfast, captive. And unless I deliver them your head in the next five days, they’re going to kill him.”

“That is a problem,” Mephalda said, calmed down over my announcement to kill her already, “Is there another way?”

“I can’t think of one,” I said, “And I’m running out of time.”

“I know how this will end,” I told her as she thought, “If I try to kill you I’ll surely die first, and then Steadfast will die as well.”

“You seem a decent pony,” she said, “I’d hate to kill you.”

“You seem a decent pony as well,” I responded, “I’d hate to die.”

We thought silently for a while, both of us trying to think of a way out of this. What was left of my tea was cold by the time I began to draw out my sword.

“I suppose we’d better get this over with,” I said, sadly.

“Yes,” Mephalda said before perking up, “Unless?”

“Yes?” I asked, happily sliding my sword back into its sheath.

“Maybe the time for running is over,” the pegasus said, “Maybe it is time I stood up to my old masters, showed them I’m not scared of them anymore.”

“What do you propose?” I asked.

“We attack the embassy,” she replied, leaving me speechless.

In the mountains near Seclusion, Mephalda and I looked down on the Blackwing Embassy in the moonlight. After hearing Mephalda’s plan, I agreed. I would try anything to save Steadfast without having to kill the mare currently standing next to me. It had taken almost all day to reach it, but Mephalda was fine with that. It would be easier to assault the complex below us in the dark.

The plan was simple: get into the complex, take down any Blackwings in our way, find where they were keeping Steadfast, and get him out. Along the way we’d cripple the Blackwings so badly they wouldn’t think about coming after us.

While we observed the embassy, Ambassador Stratus left with a whole contingent of guards, thinning down the security significantly. Guards still patrolled in the dim conditions, but they were more spread out now. It was the perfect time to strike.

Mephalda flew me in over the wall, dropping me immediately behind a Blackwing guard. He never knew what hit him as Calcion’s Cleaver ripped through his armor and the body within. Pushing him aside, I galloped at the next Blackwing I could see. She pulled a sword from its sheath as well as deploying her wing blades.

I sent a blast of flame ahead of me as I neared her, disconcerting her and allowing me to close the distance without being chopped apart. The first thing I did was slice at her wings, cutting through the feathers and knocking her blades out of action. I brought my sword up to block as she swung at me with her own.

Sweeping my sword around, I aimed at her legs, but she countered. Flicking away my sword, she jabbed at my chest. Pulling out the Axe of Whitetrot, I batted her sword away, hooking it with the blade as I did.

I had difficulty keeping a grip on my axe as she spun it around, sliding her sword through the gap between the haft and blade, coming within striking range of me. Pulling my war axe away, I blocked her with my sword. While I had her in a block, I shot a blast of lightning at her chest, knocking her back. As she staggered, I broke through her block and sank my sword into her neck.

Turning to search for another target, I saw the courtyard was filled with dead Blackwings, feathered shafts sticking out of them. I looked up to see Mephalda quickly fit another arrow to her bow and shoot a final Blackwing off the top of one of the buildings. She was right; she really did have a talent for killing.

“Where do you think they have Steadfast?” I asked her as she flapped down to join me, apparently having cleared the grounds of Blackwings.

“Probably the dungeons and torture rooms,” she said, “This way.”

Our fight in the courtyard had not gone unnoticed, and that became obvious as Blackwings spilled out of the entry building, where Stratus had hosted her party. Mephalda stopped leading the way to the dungeons and began to fire arrows into the pegasi that charged us.

I charged into the fray, not at all afraid that Mephalda would hit me with a spare arrow. She was the best. Calcion’s Cleaver slashed through one Blackwing before she even noticed what was going on, too busy dodging arrows. The next one I encountered, however, had noticed my approach and was already ready for close quarters combat when I reached him.

I slashed at his head, but he brought up a tough shield strapped to his foreleg to block. Not even the ancient earth pony sword pierced his cover. He shoved me back with the shield before hopping into the air and coming down at me with a sword grasped in his mouth.

<FO!> I Shouted at him, shocking him as his wings began to seize up.

He fell to the ground at my hooves, but was still able to block my strikes. I got a little too close, and with a kick he knocked my legs out from under me. Now I was on the ground, and he was above, as he jumped to his hooves. I blocked with my sword best I could, but his repeated strikes were beginning to wear me down.

I focused my magic and cast a spell just behind him. In a moment, his head was engulfed in flames. He spun away from me to face the flame atronach I’d conjured up. Again it breathed fire at him, which he directed away from himself with his shield.

I seized the opportunity and rose up, plunging Calcion’s Cleaver through his back and into his heart. As he tried to grasp at my sword, the atronach gave him one last roasting. My sword slid out of him as he collapsed forward.

My atronach began to direct its attention to the sky now, shooting flame at a pegasus that was dodging Mephalda’s shots. A bit of her tail caught fire from the blast and she dodged rapidly to put it out. The Blackwing quickly dodged out of Mephalda’s way and went swooping down over a tree, knocking all the snow off and onto my atronach. A slight fizzle and a puff of steam accompanied its death as it was snuffed out. While the Blackwing was resuming her climb, Mephalda lined up a shot and put an arrow right through her neck.

“So,” I said, “The dungeons?”

Mephalda led the way, saying nothing but keeping her bow strung and ready the whole time. At last we reached a large and imposing structure near the edge of the complex. Mephalda swooped in, kicking in the door, and I followed. Three Blackwings were standing around inside, and one fell immediately as Mephalda steadied herself and fired an arrow through her forehead. Another one tackled her and the third began to run for it.

“Catch him,” Mephalda said to me, engaged in combat with the other pegasus, “He’ll kill the prisoners!”

I ran down the hall after the Blackwing that had gotten away. He was pulling up the door to the dungeons below as I caught up with him. Whirling around, he extended the blades on his wings and pulled a staff off his back. Without warning, a blast of lightning shot from the tip of the staff past my left ear.

If this staff was letting a pegasus do magic similar to my own, there was going to be a problem. I approached cautiously at first, but after two more close calls with the magic blasts, I charged him sword swinging. He extended his own blades, but I was ready for him.

<<<FUS~RO~DAH!!!>>> I sent him rolling down into the dungeons below.

I jumped down after him, managing to slice Calcion’s Cleaver through his staff before he could use it again. He kicked me aside, and flicked his wings around until his blades went flying, striking somepony in the cell behind me. I had no time to check if it was Steadfast or not as the stallion came flying towards me.

I brought Calcion’s Cleaver up to block his wing blades, even shattering a few before pushing him back. Undeterred, he flipped around in the air before slicing at me again. I rolled out of the way this time, jumping to my hooves to avoid becoming a target.

Seeing his wing blades alone weren’t very effective, he picked up a spiked hammer from one of the torture benches and charged me with it. I blocked, barely, and the next time his weapon came down it smashed one of my hindlegs. Screaming in agony, I forced myself to build my thoughts together.

<KRII!> I Shouted.

He staggered back, as if hit by a great blow. The color seemed to drain out of his face as he was wracked with pain from the inside. The look on his face was one of unbelief as I stabbed Calcion’s Cleaver through his chest, now easily piercing the Blackwing armor. I bandaged and healed my hindleg as he staggered around, finally giving in to death and falling over.

Pushing myself to my hooves, I trotted over to the cell with the dead prisoner. I sighed with relief as I saw the pony within was a red-coated unicorn, not Steadfast at all.

“Was this your friend?” Mephalda asked, flapping up silently behind me.

“No,” I said, “But, if he’s not here, where is he?”

“There’s only one other place he could be,” Mephalda said, “If it really exists.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s possible that Stratus has a personal dungeon beneath her study.”

“Well, what’re we waiting for?” I asked.

It was deathly silent as we passed through the Blackwing Embassy. Pincushioned pegasi lay everywhere. The door to what Mephalda identified as the barracks opened and she shot an arrow into the pony that exited. Either she was the only one left, or the others were too scared, as no more emerged from the building.

Stratus’s study was right where we had left it. I remembered just over a week ago when Steadfast and I were trying to break into this place, where we had been subsequently trapped. Mephalda slowly cracked the door open, but nopony appeared to be inside, so we entered.

“The entrance would have to be somewhere private,” she mused quietly to herself.

“Aha!” she exclaimed after we had searched for a bit.

I joined her where she had apparently found something in the small booth a receptionist would sit in. Flicking a small lever beneath the counter caused the floor of the tiny room to tip up, revealing a staircase leading down.

Mephalda flapped down first, silently, and I followed, trying to make as little noise as possible. After a bit of a drop, we made it into a lower floor. Across the room, I could see Steadfast was locked up in a cell. Unfortunately, a Blackwing stood guard between us and him.

Mephalda fitted an arrow into her bow and fired it, but it just barely missed the crack in the Blackwing’s armor as she turned, noticing our presence. Without hesitation, she flared her wings, flicking blades toward Steadfast. Rapidly firing arrows, Mephalda deflected most of the blades from ever hitting him.

Sliding beneath my pegasus companion, I approached the Blackwing guard. She drew a blade from her side as I got too close for her comfort, and I was hard pressed to hold her off. As she fought me, though, she also had to contend with the arrows Mephalda was shooting at her.

When one stuck in her eye, I blasted fire at her, breaking free of the fight for a moment. She came at me anyway and slashed for my neck. I blocked with my sword, but she quickly slid her blade down toward my chest. I blocked that too, but I was forced to give up ground, getting backed into a corner.

As my rump brushed up against the wall and I ran out of space, the mare flicked my sword out of my grip. She raised her blade to strike, and was about to slice my throat when an arrow suddenly shot through her neck. Choking on her own blood, she fell backwards.

“Took you long enough,” Steadfast joked as I unlocked his cell with keys I retrieved from the dead Blackwing, “I was beginning to get worried you wouldn’t show up.”

“Me, leave you to die? I don’t think so,” I said, embracing my earth pony friend.

“So, who’s this then?” he asked, gesturing to Mephalda who standing quietly at the other end of the room.

“Mephalda the Meek,” I answered.

“The pony you were supposed to kill?” he asked, “Well, I have to congratulate you. I knew you’d break their rules, but I didn’t know you’d do the exact opposite of what the Blackwings wanted you to.”

“So, will you be coming with us too?” Steadfast asked Mephalda.

“Oh, well, I don’t know. I suppose, if that’s all right with you?” she responded, living up to her name.

“Of course,” I said, welcoming her, “I’d be happy to have you with us.”

“Great,” Steadfast said, “But now that that’s squared away, shouldn’t we get out of here?”

“Head on out,” Mephalda said, looking around the room, “I’ll be with you in a minute.”

We had no clue what she was playing at, but Steadfast and I headed out anyway. No Blackwing harassed us on our way through the courtyard, probably because they were all dead. We waited for a few minutes, our breaths puffing in the cold night air before Mephalda came flying out of Stratus’s study.

“We’d better get clear,” she said cryptically, lifting first myself, and then Steadfast over the wall.

“Clear of what?” Steadfast asked as we trotted up into the mountains overlooking the embassy.

“The entire complex is built on top of black powder,” she explained, “If it’s ever in danger, the ambassador can destroy it and any sensitive information by detonating it. That’s what I just did.

Just as she finished explaining, the embassy suddenly exploded. Walls and buildings were torn to pieces in moments. Flaming stone rained down everywhere. The Blackwing Embassy had been completely and totally wiped off the map.

The three of us laid back on the mountainside and watched as it burned to embers, all of us happy to see it gone.