//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: Hold Me Now // Story: In Love and War // by Rainbow_Danger_Dash //------------------------------// Wingstream darted down the dimly-lit hall swerving in between scattered guards and serfs. He had been summoned, and Solar Flare hated few things more than tardiness. He drove his shoulder into the heavy door that lead to the throne room, not breaking stride until he reached the foot of the throne upon which Solar Flare sat. "Milord, you summoned me," Wingstream said as he bowed, trying to catch his breath. Solar Flare waved to the armored guards, who left the room and closed the doors behind them. "Wingstream, enough with the formalities. We've been over this before." "Yes milo-I mean yes, of course." Solar Flare laughed slightly, his deep laughter resounded by the emptiness of the throne room. "Something tells me you'll never learn. Old military habits. However, I did not call you here to discuss formalities. I have an...assignment for you." "An assignment?" Wingstream asked, caught off guard by Solar Flare's sudden order. "Like, a military strike, or-" "No," interjected Solar Flare, "Not combat. However, it is still vital to the war effort. I must go to the front lines; these changeling commanders are more incompetent than I had thought. But for you, you are now in charge of the interrogation of captives. I need to know positions, troop strength, elite units. Don't attempt to question the golden-maned one; it will only serve as a perplexing waste of time. But the one with the rainbow mane....she is close to breaking. I can feel it. Start with her. She will know all about their 'Wonderbolts.'" Wingstream struggled to not let the sudden wave of guilty conscience show on his face. How could he even try to bring himself to torture his foalhood friend and live with himself? But if he didn't, he would be considered a traitor, and be executed on the spot. Steeling his mind, Wingstream threw up a salute, responded with a "Yes sir," and left the throne room. As he exited, he motioned two the two guards standing outside to follow. He had work to do, and he had to do it now. ------------------------------------------ Rainbow Dash felt the cold iron cuffs clamp above her hooves once more. She trembled slightly, trying to steel her mind for the oncoming pain. Despite her steadfastness, the unrelenting physical and mental toll on her was taxing her resolve. She could feel the inevitable breaking point coming; it was just a matter of how much pain her mind could take. The cloth hood came off; but there was no sign of the menacing armored form of Solar Flare. Instead stood Wingstream, his body visibly tense; yet his eyes showed a sense of conflict. He moved almost mechanically as he prepared to interrogate her, obviously trying to suppress some feeling inside him. "Wingstream," she pleaded, "Don't do this. Please don't." If her cries for mercy had any effect on him, there was no sign. He held his resolute expression as he flipped the lever, rising the slab once more. "You're not like him! You don't have to-" "Shut up!" Wingstream snapped, flying up inches from her face. He silently glared at her for several seconds, before landing and moving towards the switch. "You know how this goes. Feel free to go ahead and give me answers. I'd rather this end quickly." Rainbow Dash held her tongue, instead clenching her jaw and eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable. Seconds felt like hours as she waited for the storm of agony to wrack her body. Minutes passed, and there was nothing but silence. Warily, Dash cracked open one of her eyes, risking a glance at Wingstream. He stood by the lever, head bowed, his mane covering his face. Despite that, she could see that he was struggling mentally, his muscles tight and jaw clamped firmly. "Wing," Rainbow Dash whispered, "You don't have to do this. Please, do it for me. Don't-" Wingstream flicked the lever, sending burning pain across Dash's body. Her cry caught in her throat as the electricity forced her against her bonds, metal cutting into her skin. At last the pain stopped as the power was switched off. She looked back at the navy blue pegasus, his head hung lower than before. "I'm sorry," he muttered between her painful gasps. Wingstream walked to the slab and flipped its switch, lowering it slowly. As she descended, Dash saw him go to one of the several tables and pour a clear liquid onto a scrap of cloth. He flew over, holding it inches from her face. "I'm sorry Rainbow. It's for your own good," he whispered, tension evident in his voice. "No! Please, don't do this!" She swung her head back and forth, trying to avoid whatever he had put on the cloth. Despite her struggling, he covered her snout with it, her nose instantly filled with a sweet-smelling aroma. The world faded to black as her thoughts jumbled and her feeble resistance slowed to a standstill. The last thing se saw before slipping out of consciousness was the pain in Wingstream's face. ------------------------------------------ Solar Flare's ears twitched as he felt a small probing in the back of his mind. Something had set off the barrier spell he had secretly set up before leaving. The feeling grew stronger, morphing into a slight headache. His barrier had been ruptured, punched clean through. No, this was not just 'something'. It was somepony. Somepony very powerful. And he had an idea of just who it was. Of course, the question of how anypony had found a way to break through his barrier still remained. The dark magics he had learned were said to be stronger than most. Perhaps they weren't as strong as believed. Or, there could have been someone on the inside... Solar Flare let out a frustrated sigh and conjured a small portal, dim blue light filling his room. He had already vaguely worked out what had happened. Not only that, but who was at fault as well. He stepped through, appearing back in his throne room, much to the surprise of several unarmored changelings. All bowed immediately, somewhat shocked at his sudden appearance. He walked straight up to the center one, staring down at its quivering form. "Fetch Wingstream. ------------------------------------------ She recognized the dreamscape, shadows flickering like flames around her. Once again, she was in the realm of the Princess of the Night. She sat patiently, eventually greeted by the sight of Luna emerging from the dark. "Princess Luna," Rainbow Dash said as she bowed slightly. "How-" "Silence, Element of Loyalty. The barriers of Solar Flare are strong, and we do not have much time. Follow me, and make haste!" Princess Luna turned and sprinted through the shadows, each step trailing starlight. Rainbow Dash followed close behind, following her through a winding trail amidst the black of the dreamscape. As she turned what seemed like the hundredth corner, she skidded to a stop. "S-Soarin?" She said, almost at a whisper. The light blue pegasus stood before her, his trademark goofy smile plastered across his face. She took a slow step forward, part of her telling her it was only a dream. Another step, and she wanted to believe that he was there, letting her come to him. Another, faster this time, and she could feel that this wasn't her imagination; that Soarin was brought here as well. A glance towards the midnight-blue Princess revealed a magical aura around her horn, as well as faint signs of stress as the Princess turned away and walked into the shadows. Dash took another step, then another, now focused on the stallion she was certain was real. She managed one more, before suddenly she was caught in a tight embrace, Soarin's hooves wrapping tightly around her neck as he pressed his lips against hers. Her hooves pressed him closer, locking the two into a deeper, passionate kiss. She held onto him as long as she could, the pent-up love that burned for him let loose in one moment. After what seemed like all too soon for Rainbow Dash, Soarin pulled back, just inches away. "Dashie..." "Soar-" She was cut off as he pressed their lips together once again. This kiss was softer, all of her worries thrown aside, replaced solely with Soarin. For a few blissful seconds, she all but forgot the war and the pain. But when he broke the kiss, it all came crashing back down on her. The softness in his eyes only reminded her all the more of the distance separating them. "Soar...they...they..." she started, unable to speak through the emotions that churned through her mind. "Shh Dash, I'm here now." Soarin pulled her to his chest, wrapping his wings around her protectively. "You don't need to say anything." Rainbow Dash held her composure for as long as she could, but soon broke down. Tears streamed down her face as she pressed her face into his chest. Soarin kissed her forehead lightly, and held her even closer. "I'm here now. I'm here." "S-Soarin," she sniffled, "I'm scared. There's ponies...helping him. What...what if he does something to make me-" "Don't. You're the most loyal pony I know. "But he even...even has my foalhood friend Wingstream." She felt him tense up at the mention of Wingstream's name. Something about that name had struck a chord. "Soar? What's the matter?" She leaned back, looking him in the face, but he remained silent for a moment. "Soar?" Soarin shook his head, focusing back on Rainbow Dash. "Nothing. Don't worry about a thing. Come here." She rested her head back against his chest, going with him as he laid down. "I'm going to find you," he whispered as he started to stroke her back gently. "If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to find you." "Please, just hold me now. Hold me until my fears are leaving. Don't let me go." Soarin pulled her closer, both remaining silent. For what felt like hours they laid in their quiet embrace, content in what seemed like a long time. Just as Rainbow Dash began to feel the troubles of the war slip away, the feeling of Soarin's wings wrapped around her was gone, as was the steady rise and fall of his chest. Almost frantically she looked up, seeing Soarin a short distance away. "Soarin!" She shouted, running towards him. There was a sudden tug on her, as if a leash was around her neck. Searing pain grew where iron bonds once held her as Luna's hold over the dream world lessened. "Soarin! Come back!" "Dash," he said, his voice breaking as he looked around at the dwindling shadows, "I think this is it." "No! Don't leave! Come back!" "Dash, no matter what happens, I will find you! You hear me? Just stay strong for me! You got that?" Rainbow Dash nodded her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. A familiar burning pain started to grow along her legs. She knew she was going back, back to the pain of the real world. With all she could, she pulled against her invisible bonds, as Soarin started to flicker out of the dream. "Soarin! Please don't leave me!" Rainbow Dash shrieked with the last of her strength as he faded out even more. "I'm sorry Dashie," he choked out. "I'll find you! Just hold on a little longer! I love y-" And then she was alone, surrounded by the flickering shadows. "I love you too," she whispered to the nothingness as the dreamscape began to collapse around her. ------------------------------------------ Wingstream anxiously paced back and forth in his room, thoughts swarming through his head like a swarm of angry bees. Had he done the right thing? Would Solar Flare discover what happened? Had he committed treason against those whom he had pledged loyalty to? He looked to the horizon, the flickers of light that used to constantly flash now long gone. The initial assault had gone well enough that the Equestrians had been pressed behind the desert. So why have these doubts now, when his moment of victory was near? "Because you used that potion," he said aloud to himself. He knew beforehand what would happen whenever it made her pass out. Despite all his magic barriers Solar Flare had put up, it easily would have sent out a signal strong enough so that an alicorn could detect it. But why? Wingstream could feel both sides of his conscious tearing at each other. Why did he use the potion to make Rainbow Dash pass out? Because he knew he couldn't bring himself to torture her. Was he aware that it would make here detectable by the princesses of Equestria? Absolutely. Was it the right thing to do? "Well, that's the real question," he muttered. He had betrayed Solar Flare's trust. But he also had kept from needlessly inflicting pain upon a pony who didn't deserve it. He kept himself from potentially unlocking vital information for the war. But she was the Element of Loyalty; the chances of her relinquishing that information was slim to none. But still was it the right thing to do? There was something else conflicting with his thoughts. Deep down, something Luna had brought up before Solar Flare had set up those mental barriers. He knew that he still had feelings for her; feelings that had kept him from pulling the lever. It wasn't his morality that stopped him. "No," he whispered to himself, cracking an almost-insane grin. "It's that damned Luna. She's brought it all back up. Looks like Solar missed something all those years ago." Several knocks on his door brought him back to the real world. "Sir," a changeling drone said, peeking his head in slightly, "Lord Solar Flare demands your presence." "Yes, tell him I'll be there shortly," Wingstream replied, waving off the drone. He already knew what was coming. There was no doubt that Solar Flare had detected that something was wrong. All he had to do now was find a way out of his situation. ------------------------------------------ Soarin was just barely aware of his name being called, still mentally unwilling to leave the dream that Luna had arranged. "Soarin," Fleetfoot said, hovering mere inches from his face. "Soarin," she repeated, her voice getting a little more tense. She attempted to wake him up several more times, each time rewarded with his eyes flickering open then closing drowsily. GET UP YOU FAT OAF!" She shouted in his ear, withdrawing before he could retaliate with a poorly-aimed swing of his hoof. The sudden burst of volume shook him out of his semi-conscious state, leaving him rubbing his ear. He Spitfire needs you immediately! Come on, let's go lazy-ass!" "Shut your pie hole. I'm up." Soarin pushed himself slightly on his forelegs, cracking open one eye. He spotted Fleetfoot standing beside the window, holding the curtains with a smirk on her face. "NO FLEETFOOT WAIT!" he exclaimed as realization set in. She ignored his outburst and yanked open the curtains, sending bright yellow sunlight straight into the still half-asleep Soarin. "You fucker!" He shouted as he saw her darkened form scamper out of his room, laughing mischievously. He suppressed the rising anger he felt growing. She didn't know what he had went through the last night. Rainbow Dash's cries of sorrow and terror still echoed in his mind. He grumbled as he strapped on his dirty and battered armor, choosing to leave his helmet off. Whatever Spitfire had for him, it had better be good. He stepped out into the open and made a beeline for the division's headquarters, avoiding any contact with others. Soarin stopped outside the entrance, but was immediately ushered in by none other than Princess Twilight. "Come in, Lieutenant Soarin." He stepped in to see several head commanders seated around a table covered with a large map of the front lines. To the left stood Commander Shadowsword, his large frame making the captain beside him seem small in comparison. To the right was two batponies of the Lunar Guard, along with Spitfire. In the direct center stood Luna, dark blue armor reminiscent of Nightmare Moon's; and beside her sat Twilight Sparkle, clad in regal armor of royal purple and shining gold. Soarin quickly took his place beside Spitfire. "Thanks for sending the wake-up call," Soarin muttered bitterly. "I waited as long as I could," Spitfire whispered. "Luna told me to wake you. I thought you should rest more-" "Commanders," Twilight said, cutting off all conversation with an unusually stern voice. "Last night, thanks to the efforts of Princess Luna and another...unknown factor, we were able to locate where the enemy-" "Solar Flare," interjected Luna. "-Solar Flare," repeated Twilight,"-keeps his prisoners. That would be here," she said as she pointed to a flagged mark on the map. "Now, we have reason to believe that Rainbow Dash, and Surprise, are among some, other prisoners having come from different divisions. Luna and I have called two representatives from both the Equestrian Guard, the Nightguard, and the Wonderbolts to discuss what our course of action should be." "If I may," the Nightguard commander started, "What do you mean by 'unknown factor?'" "Everypony has a temporal presence, but only alicorns and extremely strong unicorns are able to pick it up. But, just recently, Rainbow Dash's was hidden from us; how, we don't know. But she suddenly flared up last night, enough for Princess Luna to make a connection and locate her." "Temporal presence?" "Like a life force. Its how Princess Celestia is able to keep up with her subjects so well." "Okay, back to the topic at hand," the second Equestrian Guard commander sighed. "So we know where this Solar Flare is keeping his top prisoners. Now what?" The room was quiet for a moment, each respective team deliberating on their choice. "I say we move in to free them," Shadowsword suggested. "A small team of pegasi could easily infiltrate through the desert and strike, freeing the prisoners." "And what of the castle walls, Commander?" The larger batpony hissed. "How do you plan to breach the walls? Or will you just hack your way out, while carrying exhausted captives?" "We can't just leave them there to suffer!" Soarin exclaimed. "Don't bring your emotional ties into this, Lieutenant. I know all about you and the rainbow-maned one. But sometimes a small sacrifice is needed to win a war. We can't risk losing anypony in some fools errand." "FOOLS ERRAND?!" Soarin shouted, slamming his hooves on the table. "Those are Equestrian soldiers and civilians we are talking about! They can't be left to suffer!" "Your feelings would sacrifice many in hope to save your precious friends. This is war. Ponies die. We can't risk more to try and rescue a hooffull of ponies from deep behind enemy lines!" "Might I also add Rainbow Dash is the Element of Loyalty?" Spitfire quipped. "You can't use all the elements with only five bearers." "She makes a point," Soarin said. "If Solar Flare cannot be stopped by our forces-" "He's a damn unicorn! We have four alicorns behind us! We shouldn't even have to use the elements!" "Know thy place, Field Marshall," Luna said harshly. "We shan't use our power unless the situation is dire." "Why the hell is that, ma'am? From a tactical standpoint-" "You dare question the Princesses?" Soarin shouted. "It is not a anypony's place to say how they use their magic!" "I am trying to win the war without losing any more ponies than necessary, Lieutenant. Yes, they have the Element of Loyalty. Yes, they have one of the elite Wonderbolts. But you can't justify the risk for just those two!" "Silence, both of you," Shadowsword commanded, the authority in his voice immediately silencing both. "As I said, a small, elite team would be able to infiltrate and rescue the prisoners. Now, we recently broke a large force that had pursued Soarin's survivors from the fort after it fell. We can easily sneak the team through the hole in their line we left. Then we strike at the rear of the lines will catch them off guard. They wont expect it, so there will only light resistance. This minimizes casualties, but also will create confusion as they realize they are being attacked in what they consider a safe zone." The Nightguard commander sat silently, contemplating the proposed scenario. Soarin nodded his head in support, while Spitifre remained stone-faced. "Alright," the batpony said, somewhat subdued. "I don't like it, but I'll be damned if the Nightguard leaves Equestrians to fight by their lonesome. I'm in. But, we'll need to get our soldiers together. You got any ideas on who's leading this?" "I volunteer the Wonderbolts to hit the castle. We'll need some support, but we don't want our numbers too large. The less noticeable, the better." "A squad of my fastest Nightguard fliers should be sufficient. At dusk we move." ------------------------------------------ "Wingstream," Solar Flare said, his deep voice echoing in the virtually empty chamber. "Would you care to tell me how I was able to detect the presence of one 'Princess' Luna, despite the fact that I masked her from detection?" "Milord, she is an alicorn, not to mention a very powerful one at that." "Do you not think I know that? This spell is from before her time; a time of war and darker powers. I know it would be able to keep her out. So how did she manage to make contact?!" Wingstream recoiled at Solar Flare's outburst. He hadn't seen him this angry in a long time. His treatment to the Changelings was one thing; but he had always remained calm with even the least competent ex-Equestrian commanders. "Sir, I believe I may be the reason of this slight." Wingstream bent lower to the ground as he felt the piercing gaze of Solar Flare. "I-I was trying out something for the interrogation, since our current attempts have failed. I though I had grabbed one of your non-lethal poisons. I must have grabbed the wrong potion by mistake. So naturally, when I used it, it made her stand out enough for Luna to communicate." "Are you aware of what your mistake may have cost us? If you weren't proven already, you would leave this room alive. However, you are dismissed as commander of the Elite Fliers wing. Do to let it happen again, lest you incur more severe penalties." "Yes sir. I shall inform my second-in-command immediately." Wingstream bowed hurriedly and left the throne room. He was lucky. Many a commander had lost their lives for faults of equal severity. But still, this demotion had virtually stripped away all he had. He was nothing now but a grunt, a basic soldier. At least he knew what he had to do now. All that was left was a matter of when. Solar Flare watched the pegasus leave his presence with heightened interest. Something was disturbing what had used to be his most trustworthy officer. The Wingstream he had taken and molded into his own image was no longer there. There was less cold resolution in his voice, and his steel-eyed stare was nearly gone. He didn't know what was wrong, but the pegasus was definitely troubled. ------------------------------------------ The Wonderbolt's barracks was a frenzy of preparation. Armor was dulled with soot, swords were sharpened and bags were packed with just the minimal supplies necessary to survive. Soarin finished blackening his armor, and had just started to put it on when he felt a hoof on his side. "Whoa there, where do ya think you're going?" Fleetfoot asked. "Where do you think?" "I think you're going back to your bunk and sticking here," she said, pulling him away slightly. "The hell I am! Not when Dash is out there, and I can save her!" "Look, I know you want to be the brave knight and save your damsel in distress, but think about this: you could die just as easily as the rest of us. What would that do to her, if she saw you get cut down?" "But-" "You can't risk going out there and dying Soarin! Get that through your thick head!" "I told her I'd find her. I made a promise. I intend to keep it." "Wait, what?" "Just...don't worry about it. But I'm going out there, and you're not going to stop me!" "Sweet freakin' Celestia you're a moron! All you're thinking about is yourself here. You want to go out there so you feel at ease. How 'bout you try this: think about her. Stay here. Stay alive. We'll be back in a few days." Fleetfoot left the room without saying another word, leaving Soarin alone. Soarin strapped on his helmet, and started for the door, when something caught his eye. On his desk, still in its worn-out frame, was the picture of him and Dash. He stared at it for just a moment, imagining how devastated she would be if he didn't make it. Fleetfoot was right. He had to stay, for her. He glanced out his window at the rest of the Wonderbolts, now assembled by the wall with a group of Nightguard. He could just hear Spitfire call the group to attention, silence falling a split second later. "Wonderbolts. Nightguard. Tonight, we go into enemy territory. Once we cross the wall, stick tight, avoid confrontation. With any luck, we'll be in and out in a few days. Let's not waste any more time, eh?" She said as she donned her helmet and opened her wings. "LET'S GO!" With a shout, the group launched into the air as one, soaring over the wall and into the desert wastes. Soarin ran up to the battlements, peering out to the fading forms of his squadmates. The mission to free Rainbow Dash was finally underway.