//------------------------------// // Sixty-four // Story: Freedom Through Harmony: Book II // by Electricut //------------------------------// PART FOUR Sixty-four Outskirts of Nevassa, Daein Two figures stood atop a hill overlooking a great city. Below, people bustled about in the midday sun, conducting business in the market on the southern border of the capital. Deeper within the city were the residences, ringed by a mighty wall. At the center of the city, ringed by the housing districts, was Nevassa Keep, a great fortress of a castle from which the royal family of Daein ruled. But currently, someone else was seated upon that throne. A stiff wind blew across the hill, tousling the knight’s long black hair and ruffling the ranger’s mottled green-and-gray cloak. The latter sighed and pushed himself up from the ground. “It’s amazing. The city looks completely normal. They have no idea that an imposter is in that castle, no idea that changelings walk among them. No idea of the war that’s on their doorstep.” “You’re sure this will lead to war?” Lenora asked. “Think about it.” Tug insisted. “Say we manage to get in there, remove the false princess, and clear out the changelings that are already in there without causing too much panic. Then what? They’ll hit back with more numbers than we can match. The Order will be on us in a heartbeat; they’re most likely allied with this imposter, and quite possibly the changelings. And odds are, we’re going to have to fight our way to the throne.” “So we’re going to have to overthrow the imposter by any means necessary, then get ready for a counterattack.” Lenora echoed. “And the poor citizens have no idea…” Tug replied mournfully. “We’ve got to do everything we can to protect them.” Lenora nodded firmly. The Oder had done enough damage. They couldn’t let them destroy this city as well. But after a moment, she shook her head. “It can’t be that simple.” “You call this simple?” Tug asked incredulously. “No, but the Doctor told Mark to keep a lookout on relations between Crimea, Daein, and Grann. Why would he do that if this is just an issue within Daein? How do the other nations tie into this?” Tug put a hand on his chin thoughtfully, and finally sighed. “I don’t know. Could the imposter be inciting something between the three? From that position of power, she could do a lot of damage to international relations. If she tried hard enough, she could even turn Crimea and Grann on Daein. But what would she gain from that?” “We’ll have to find out when we meet her.” Lenora stated. “We’ll capture and interrogate her if at all possible. This could be a much more delicate situation than we thought, and we need all the information we can get out of her.” Tug nodded, and the two descended the hill to rejoin the rest of the party. The others were all gathered around the four horses, anxiously awaiting the next step of the plan. Mark, warrior of Hyrule given a second chance by the Doctor. Joey, a child of both air and water, likely the child of Perun and Spitfire. Twilight, Trixie and Phil, travelers and heroes from Equestria that had become embroiled in this conflict by sheer chance. Daring Do, a descendant of one of the original bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and explorer extraordinaire. Drew, a simple artist determined to watch Daring’s back, along with his Putty companion, Cody. Captain Gordon Decimus- or Shining Armor- of Begnion, dispatched to see to the princess during this uncertain time. And his fiancé, the true princes Cadence of Daein. “What’s the plan?” Shining Armor asked as they approached. “The city isn’t on any kind of lockdown.” Tug explained. “We should be able to get as far as the inner gates by simply looking inconspicuous. Captain, is there any possibility of you approaching the imposter in an official fashion?” He shook his head. “I cannot act in the name of the empire. That includes using my empire-given rank and status to meet with this person.” “I see…” Tug said, rubbing his chin. “In that case, I suggest we split up into several groups, and Captain Decimus and Princess Cadenza should change into civilian clothes. We’ll each take a different route and meet up at the western gate; it gets less foot traffic than the southern one, and less heavily guarded as a result. From there…” “I’ll request an audience on behalf of Queen Rarity of Equestria.” Twilight finished proudly. “I’m a close friend of hers, and that should get us as far as the throne room.” Tug nodded, impressed. “That could work. It’s likely that they’ll only take Twilight and a select few of us to the audience. If you ask, we might be led somewhere in the castle to wait. From there, we can sneak out and set up an ambush. Cadence can show us where we can hide. We don’t want to endanger more people than necessary, so we have to make this precise.” “What about the horses?” Joey asked. “We can’t just leave them here.” “We’ll check them into the stables on the way.” Mark assured him. “It should be right at the start of the road.” The group worked in silence, readying themselves for the task ahead. Lenora sat at the edge of camp, eyes towards the city. The plan was far from watertight, and things could go wrong in a heartbeat. She could defend herself if it came to it, but she feared her sword might not be able to salvage the situation if it really went sour. Tug approached and crouched beside her. She sighed, and he gave her a sympathetic look. “We’re not exactly working with the best resources, are we?” he asked. She shook her head. “We don’t have the artifacts and dark forms we had with the Order. But that’s just what I’m concerned about. The changelings have given us trouble, but we haven’t heard a peep out of the Order for too long. Surely they know we’re here, so what are they waiting for?” “Maybe they’re waiting for the situation to play out as well.” Tug suggested. “After all, Discord wants to rule the world. There has to be something left to rule. And if he’s throwing his full strength at Ivoire, maybe he wants Equestria and Tellius to stay intact.” “Then we have to ask ourselves how closely the changelings are following his wishes.” Lenora added. “They’re likely working for the false princess. And she has met with members of the Order, so they have some arrangement. But are they following Discord’s command, or are they working independently?” “That’s exactly what we’re going to find out when we interrogate the false princess. Now come on, it’s time to get this party started.” Lenora stood. The others were ready. The group exchanged parting ‘good luck’s, and broke off into their pre-arranged groups. It wasn’t hard to divide them: Twilight, Phil and Trixie took one path, while Drew, Daring and Cody took another. Mark and Joey took to the backroads, while Cadance and Shining Armor would run parallel to the market street. Finally, Tug and Lenora would swing wide to the southern entrance to the city, then follow the main road and cut through the residential district until they reached the western gate to the castle. Soon enough, the two former Order members were alone, walking the streets of Nevassa. The city had come a long way from its rustic roots, but it still bore its classical architecture and layout proudly. Signs were beginning to show of industry ready to burst onto the scene; already, technology was in development for automation, and Lenora knew that in the next few years, Tellius would take leaps and bounds of progress. The people of Nevassa would likely soon find themselves living quite comfortably. “Makes you wish we could just… say something, doesn’t it?” Tug asked distantly. “This city could become a warzone in as soon as a few hours. These people need to get to safety, hide in their basements or bunkers or something…” “But if we say anything, word will get to the palace before we do.” Lenora concluded. “We’ll be finished before we truly begin.” “Exactly. Too risky a move to make just yet. When the imposter is removed, we can tell everyone and brace for whatever comes next. And since it might well be on the way already, we have to wrap this up quickly.” Lenora nodded. They were in the residential district now, moving north. “Tug?” she asked after a pause. “I don’t want any heroic sacrifices. You and I are going to get through this. When we’re done making sure this situation resolves, we’re going to take down Discord. And when we’re done with that… We’re going to get cleaned up. No more darkness; it’s still flowing through us, repairing our wounds. We could still call on it if we wanted. But we’re getting rid of it as soon as we get the chance.” Tug smiled. “Then what? We live normal lives?” “Yes. Or extraordinary ones. We’ll do whatever we like, because for the first time, we’ll be able to make that choice for ourselves. I’ve always wanted to take a vacation in Sienne in Begnion, not just pass through on business. Or perhaps Manehattan in Equestria? I sort of want to try my hand at acting, and that’s the place to do it.” Tug put a hand on her shoulder as they walked. “I’m with you all the way. A life in which we’re not constantly running and fighting for our lives… Guess there’s a first time for everything.” The two were finally approaching the western gate. Twilight’s group was already waiting beside it, against the wall. Lenora sighed contentedly. “Whatever we do, I’ll be glad to know I can count on you to be there, too. After all, who else can make coffee as good as yours?” Tug laughed and pulled her close for a quick hug, before the two joined Twilight, Phil and Trixie. “Right on schedule, excellent.” Twilight said as they approached. “Daring’s group should be next.” “So, let’s get our story straight.” Tug said. “Twilight, Phil and Trixie are here as ambassadors to Queen Rarity and King Blake. The rest of us are your caravan; a contingent of guards, along with supply personnel. Daring might be able to pass for a proper knight, but I doubt Drew, Joey or Cody could pass for people that belong with a military unit.” The others nodded. A tense minute passed, filled with anticipation, before Daring, Drew and Cody arrived. “It seems like there are more soldiers than normal around the western edge of town.” Drew stated. “Some of them are changelings, but some are human. It’s almost as though they’re anticipating an attack.” “What would be able to attack this close to Daein’s center?” Tug asked. “If it was coming from Crimea, they would surely hit the towns on the way first… and what reason would they have to attack, anyway? Daein has made no overt moves against them.” Drew shrugged. He had no answer, only the knowledge that the imposter was preparing for something. Mark and Joey were supposed to arrive next. But several more minutes passed without sign of them. At last, Shining Armor and Cadance walked up to the eight, clad in simple clothing and with hoods over their faces. “Mark and Joey should be here by now.” Twilight murmured, a hint of worry in her voice. “And Mark’s not the kind to go against a plan without reason.” Lenora added. “Something’s happened. Tug, let’s move.” “What about the rest of us?” Phil asked. “We want to help as much as you.” “I’m aware. But we can’t abandon our original plan either. Wait here for us, but if we’re not back in twenty minutes, proceed without us. Got it?” Lenora’s orders were met with anxious nods. “Whatever happens, I want you to survive.” Cadance added. “Do all you can, but don’t give your lives. I want no more bloodshed than is absolutely necessary.” Lenora nodded. With a hand on her sword’s hilt, she strode off down the road Mark should have come in on. Tug was right behind her. Neither spoke a word, but their eyes were alert, scanning his intended route for any signs of a struggle. The city still looked unsettlingly peaceful. As they approached an intersection, however, a woman approached them, looking frightened. “You look to be capable folk.” she began. “Please, I think something’s happening down that side road. I heard a brief clashing of blades, and haven’t heard or seen anything since. I’m afraid to look to see what happened…” Lenora nodded, and the two took off at a run towards the road she had mentioned. There wasn’t much there, but Lenora’s eyes widened when she saw Mark standing before an alleyway, sword drawn but motionless. His eyes were fixed on something else around the corner. Tug and Lenora cautiously made their way to him. He flinched when he noticed them, but didn’t avert his gaze. Lenora approached, and gasped when she saw what he was so fixated on. Just inside the alleyway sat Quicksilver, and before him, Joey. He held a knife to his throat, and the Order agent’s face changed from a look of annoyed boredom to one of sick excitement. “There you are!” he said to Lenora and Tug, who walked on scene a moment later, and inhaled a similarly sharp breath at the sight before him. “Just the two I wanted to see.” “He was too fast…” Mark whispered. “He had Joey in an instant…” “Release the boy.” Tug demanded. “He’s done nothing to you. We’re the ones you have a quarrel with.” “True enough.” Quicksilver taunted. “But he’s an interesting one, isn’t he? Wings and a horn… Sort of reminds you of a certain two, doesn’t it? Oh, Spitfire did love her secrets. Never could explain to anyone where she disappeared to for almost a year, ten years ago. Just up and vanished one day, just like the Doctor did. Hell, I was sure she wasn’t coming back, but then she did, never said a word of why she left. And now… We have this kid. I’m sure Numbers One and Two would be very interested in him…” “What do you want?” Lenora spat. “Same thing the Order always wanted.” Quicksilver responded. “But I came here, to you, because are window of opportunity is growing smaller. We’ve had to cut certain assets. Make some daring moves. And Discord wants you to return to base, now.” “Maybe we didn’t make ourselves clear enough before.” Tug said, practically in a growl. “We don’t take orders from him, or from you, any more.” Quicksilver chuckled. “That was all well and good before. But as I said, our options are growing limited. We’ve committed to a path now. And you need to commit to yours. I won’t take the boy with me, this time. But if you come with me, you will be forgiven for your digressions. The people you’ve allied yourself with could even be protected. But if you continue along this path…” He threateningly pressed his knife closer to Joey’s throat. The boy let out a short cry of alarm, but fell to the ground a moment later, unharmed. Quicksilver’s arms were in the air dramatically, and Joey scrambled over to Mark. The swordsman scooped him up and held him close. “If you continue to resist us, you are our enemy. And like everyone else who makes themselves our enemy, you will be dealt with.” “Fair enough.” Lenora answered coldly. “Now tell me something. Is what’s happening here part of Discord’s plan? Are the changelings taking his orders?” “I’m not here to be interrogated, friend.” he said, the smile fading from his face. “Just to deliver a message.” “Then deliver one more.” Mark said. “Tell Discord to meet me at the ruins of Skaia at the last of the month, two weeks from now.” Lenora raised an eyebrow, as did Quicksilver. “The hell is ‘Skaia’?” he asked. “You’re not here for information.” Mark replied coldly. “Just to deliver a message.” Quicksilver scowled, but replied after a few moments: “I’ll deliver your message. But I hope you know who you’re threatening.” With that, Quicksilver was enveloped in darkness, and was gone. Lenora and Tug both turned to Mark. “What was that? Why do you want to meet with Discord?” “Quicksilver said that the Order is on a tight schedule. Which means we don’t have a lot of time to throw a wrench into their plans. I’m going to meet him and do what I can to distract him from his other dealings, and maybe do some lasting damage.” “That’s suicide.” Tug stated simply. “None of us can fight him and survive it. I know you know that.” Mark nodded. “I’m aware. Don’t sell me short, though. I know what I’m doing.” “Then we’re going too.” Lenora stated. Tug looked at her, alarmed, but sighed and nodded in agreement. Mark considered this for a moment, then nodded. “So you are. But just so you know, I don’t plan on dying out there. And you aren’t dying either. When we go, if things get ugly, you get to safety. Got it?” The two nodded. “Good. I’ll explain more when we’re on the way. We’ve got two weeks, and a lot to do before then. Don’t tell anyone else we’re going until then. We don’t need any more volunteers. Now let’s get back to the others, we’ve got an imposter to unveil.” The swordsman took the lead back to the others, Joey still shaken from the hostage situation. Tug and Lenora trailed a short distance behind. “What’s he think is going to happen?” Tug whispered to Lenora. “He can’t take on Discord. Can’t run from him. If he meets with him, he won’t escape from it with his life.” “I know.” Lenora whispered back. “But he seems to have a plan that he doesn’t want to share. That’s why we need to go with him. We need to make sure whatever he has planned doesn’t go awry. He said ‘ruins of Skaia…’ which means…” “The Quest Bed.” Tug concluded. “That’s all that’s left. Discord knows where that is, but he can’t use it. It’s not part of his plan either, or wasn’t when we left. Does Mark plan on using it?” “It’s possible…” Lenora said thoughtfully. “Whatever the case, we have to be there as well. We can’t run from Discord forever, so perhaps it’s time to meet him head-on.”