//------------------------------// // Chapter 21: Outside the eye // Story: Avatar: The Last Alicorn. Book 3: Unicorn // by Jeweled Pen //------------------------------// “Rock Knight, Righteous Knight, Blood Knight, Swift Knight and Mare Do Well,” Fizzy said with a sigh as he flicked the papers aside, his brow furrowed. “Are yah sure these are the leaders?” “Of course, sir,” the yellow pegasus said with a bow of his head. “Swift Knight has been identified at numerous attacks in the Air Nomad lands. Rock Knight and Blood Knight have been seen primarily in the Earth Kingdom. Righteous Knight has been seen in the Fire Tribe lands. Mare Do Well hasn't been spotted, but many of those we've captured and questioned list her as Twilight's Sunrise's leader. According to our reports, they're all earth benders. Powerful ones.” The stallion nodded and rested an arm on the table, eying the papers for a few more seconds. “And the towns that were razed to the ground due to these rebels, how many of these here knights were in attendance?” The pegasus coughed. “Err, well, it's all in the reports and--” “These reports are about as thick as ah am tall. Special, yah have gone through them, haven't yah?” The pegasus nodded. “Of course, sir. I have to, I am your assistant and--” “Then assist me. How many were these knights in attendance of?” “Ahhh... well, that is. There are no... official sightings. We haven't managed to catch any of the ponies in the act.” “Of course we haven't,” Fizzy said with annoyance. “Ah wonder why.” His tone didn't sound wondering, though. “Sir?” “Nothing. So we haven't captured any in the act?” He glanced towards a particularly thick section of the notes separated by red tabs. “How about these... confessions? Anypony mention them in there?” “Ahhh... well. A few ponies confessed to being part of these attacks and... doing them under the orders of the knights.” The pony looked down, gulping. “And?” “Nothing, sir.” “Don't lie to me. You're horrible at it,” Fizzy snapped. “Well... I was... privy to one of the confessions, sir.” The pegasus grew far paler. “The pony confessed, but... I'm not sure how--” “Say no more,” Fizzy mumbled before glancing towards the papers again, noting the irony they were separated by red. “The earth ponies are stubborn in this country. But given enough time and encouragement, anypony will confess to all manners of crimes.” “Sir?” “Nothing. Ah'll try to go through this as fast as ah can. In the mean time, get some sleep. You'll likely need it if you're tah help me.” “Yes sir,” the pegasus said, before turning and walking out the door. “Ah don't like this,” Flowerbloom said from her seat, across the dark room. She had her hooves folded over her chest and watched her father behind the desk coldly. “There's no reason Nightmare Moon should have set yah to deal with all this.” “The ruler can do as she wishes,” Fizzy grumbled as he pulled off a stack of the papers. “If she decides she needs the unicorn stationed here to return home, that is her choice. It's only until he returns from--” “He'll never return!” Flowerbloom snapped. “It's been days and all that's happened is they've dropped more and more paperwork on yah. They can't expect yah ta take care of every rebellion faction in the kingdom!” Fizzy let out a soft sigh. “It'll be fine, Flowerbloom. Eventually some other pony will come and--” “When? A month? A year? We've already waited here longer than we should have. We should be going to Sweet Apple Acres! Yah promised we coul--” “When I am finished and able!” the stallion yelled, slamming his hooves down. “Then let me go on my own. Ah can do this, ah never needed yah tah hold my hoof to begin with. There's no need tah--” “No. It's too dangerous. Not until—” “Ah've been patient long enough,” Flowerbloom said as she got to her hooves. She poked the papers and toppled them over, scattering the papers across the room. “Flowerbloom, don--” “No,” the mare said firmly. “Ah'm not a child. Ah'm done waiting. Ah'm going, even if ah have to go alone. Yah have to deal with this task, it's fine. But this is mah journey, not yours. Yah said yah were goin' tah help me, but now you're just holding me back.” The hurt that flashed in her father's eyes made her want to withdraw the words, but she stubbornly let them hang in the air. After a few seconds, the stallion sighed and lowered his eyes. “You're right. Stars help me, you're right. Ah wanted tah help yah find your parents, but ah... fine. If yah promise just to go to Sweet Apple Acres, no further, yah can go.” She lit up, a grin forming on her face. “Really? Yes! Don't worry, ah'll just ask some questions and find out whatever ah can! Thank you daddy!” She gave him a huge hug before trotting off. He rolled his eyes once she was gone. “Oh, of course. Once she gets her way ah'm 'daddy' again.” He started picking up his papers while shaking his head. “Stubbornness must be hereditary.” Flowerbloom held her head high as she trotted through the base. The ground under her hooves was solid stone, but said stone was attached to thick clouds that made up the Water Nation's base. Considering they were in the Earth Kingdom, floating outposts made the most sense. She still didn't like it much, since it meant she had very little bending material on hoof, aside from the very thing that kept her from falling to her death. She'd be very happy to be out of here. She'd been antsy for days, ever since the letter had come, assigning her father command of rooting out the resistance in the kingdom. The Water Benders that had been in command, along with most of the other unicorns under them, had been brought back to the Water Nation for whatever plans the ruler had. The orders had been signed by Rarity, but she could see the ruler's hooves all over them. Though, she did feel a little calmer. At least now she knew why the ruler had given in so easily to the two coming to the kingdom. She'd have preferred there to be no ulterior motive however. She'd tried to remain calm, to be patient. They were close enough to their target she could almost taste it. While she doubted she'd find her family so easily, it still didn't make it any easier to just give up and stop there. Being patient had been extremely difficult. Even worse, she had been there before, with Sweetie and their vast army. It had been a quick, but difficult battle. They'd lost a good chunk of their forces and it had taken hours to bring it to heel. The ponies there had been stubborn and, even vastly out numbered, they had refused to give up. They'd ended up having to raze half the buildings and most of the farms. The stars knew how many escaped to join these resistance groups. She wondered how many of them would be willing to help her. Even after they left the ponies supposedly hadn't been the most obedient of sorts and now most of their fighters had been locked away. Flowerbloom shook her head and took a deep breath. Her father would be here a while, so if nothing else she definitely had time to interrogate everypony in the town a dozen times over. If there was any news about who her family could be, she would find it. She'd be as patient as need be, so long as she was moving forward. Finding Creme was a bit more difficult than she'd expected. His air ship was still docked at the base, so she half considered taking it herself and leaving him behind. The only thing that stayed her hoof was the fact she knew her father would hear of it, and a whiny unicorn thrown at his hooves might make him decide to never let her go again. Best she caused as little stress as possible from her trip. The unicorn was eventually found in a dining hall chatting with a few of his crew and, unsurprisingly, complaining. They were eating around a wide, wooden table covered in dints and long dried stains. “They think they can just keep me locked up in this scummy little base while my ship rots around me? They know nothing. We should fly off, leave those earth ponies behind! I belong at the Water Nation, a unicorn of my talents deserves to be by our glorious leader's side for whatever great and noble task she's preparing.” His crew gave obedient nods as they poked and nibbled at their supper. Applebloom rolled her eyes and walked up behind him. His crew's eyes widened and they shook their heads, but he continued his complaints. She smiled and spoke up. “Well, you're in luck.” To her delight, the stallion jumped and almost fell out of his chair. “We're leaving, now.” Creme whipped around, his eyes going wide. “You! What? Oh, does your father finally have need of his glorified stage coach?” the stallion asked bitterly. “No. But ah do. Mah father won't be joining us.” Creme stared for a moment, before a wide, cruel grin formed on his lips. “Really? So it's just you, then? Well maybe I--” She knocked the chair out from under him and, once again, he found himself on the ground with a knife to his throat. His crew went rigid, every eye on them, some even peering under the table. “Don't think ah don't know that smile. Whatever yah've got going through that slimy, mold covered brain of yours, drop it. Ah'm just as much a bender as you are, an' ah have no trouble clipping that horn of yours.” The stallion nodded rapidly, his eyes widening as he squeaked. “Y-yes ma'am, whatever you say m-ma'am...” His crew snickered, but he seemed too frightened to notice. “I-I'll have the ship prepared immediately, j-just as soon as supplies are ready!” “Good,” she snapped before pulling back. She stormed out the door, grinning as she heard the stallion yelling at his crew to cease their laughter. ------ “This is it?” Scootaloo asked, rubbing a hoof under her chin. Grimset nodded, though he kept looking around warily, as if expecting an attack at any moment. Technically, Scootaloo had no reason to be here, at the new factory where they had begun building massive air ships. The orders had come in from the Water Nation only a few days prior, but Marble had put it at the top of his list and, since then, every craftspony had been brought to Manehatten to begin the work on dozens of huge, flying ships. The factory had been making excellent headway, with a dozen ships almost finished and the parts for a few dozen more already made. All available lumber in the city had been procured and stored nearby and the best workers spent all day crafting the devices. They were days away from having their first shipment of ships ready to head out to the Water Nation. Then Twilight's Sunrise attacked. In the middle of the night when the guards were at their most lax, they had attacked. Some of the guards had been killed, while others just disappeared, likely traitors. All the pieces and the near completed ships had been destroyed, all except for one of the ships used for hauling supplies, which had disappeared. The attack would set them back weeks, according to Marble. Not because of the time needed to create the parts, but because almost all their supplies had been destroyed in a second attack that took place at the same time. Thousands of tons of wood and metal had been battered, broken and busted beyond repair. There was no telling how long it would take to get enough supplies to begin making a new ship and, even worse, without their stockpile they would have no way to mass produce the needed parts. Of the factory they had used, the inside had been almost completely hollowed out with stone, dirt and wood. Scootaloo had no real authority or even cause for examining the damage, but she couldn't help wanting to see where the crime had taken place. Marble had no reason to deny her, so he allowed her easily. The attack was beyond anything she'd imagine the rebellious groups of performing. While there had been attacks on the outer cities, there had been nothing nearing such a destructive blow near Manehatten. The worst they'd suffered before this was graffiti sprayed on the walls. Grimset had escorted her to see the damage. He and Hornclipper had returned from their mission soon after the orders from the Water Nation had arrived, though they were quite tight lipped about what their duties had been. “That's it,” the captain muttered, before smiling to her. “A fair maiden such as yourself shouldn't have to see such a sight, though. We should leave.” “I've seen far worse than a wrecked building,” she muttered as she stepped forward. The bodies had already been removed, but their blood still stained the ground. There had been more than a few broken bones amongst them. Almost as broken as the building. The walls were leaning in and the roof had already collapsed. Not that it had far to collapse, the wreckage inside was supporting the building. She had to give the earth benders credit. The destruction had been well contained. In the night, from a distance, they'd have never noticed anything wrong with the building. It still maintained its general shape. Without the guards to raise the alarm, the entire operation had gone unnoticed until the replacements had come to start their shift, at which point they noticed the opened door revealed nothing but rubble. They had been methodical, crushing and destroying everything the Water Nation needed to craft these vessels. “It's quite impressive, isn't it?” Grimset asked as he moved up besides her. “Well over a dozen ponies keeping watch, and yet not a single pony noticed the destruction. Every single guard silenced before they could call for help.” “Quick, brutal and effective. I can barely believe it was earth benders who did this,” she muttered. “All the ones I've known tended to be louder.” “Anypony will learn to be silent if the time is needed. Come,” Grimset said as he put a hoof on her withers. “We should leave. Marble already has his ponies examining the destruction. He'll find them.” Scootaloo snorted. “No, he won't. These are earth benders, any tracks they find will just be decoys. For all we know, these saboteurs could be hiding out in the city, waiting to strike again.” “Strike again? They'd have to be foals to try! They'll--” “They're a stubborn lot, earth benders. They won't give up on this alone.” She looked off towards the city, its massive walls towering over them. “It was a mistake to build the factory outside the city.” “There was no room within. Marble couldn't have possibly known they'd launch an attack so close to the wall,” Grimset said, his hoof sliding down her withers to grip her hoof. “Come, let's retire back to the city. It has been so long since you and I have--” “It has. Just what exactly is it you've been up to?” Scootaloo asked with a cocked eye. “I thought once your mission was complete, you'd be still. But your ship departs constantly.” “What? I am a transporter, dear Scootaloo. I have merely been doing my duties.” “And yet you keep managing to return in the night to ask me to your table,” she muttered. “You can't be going far.” “And you keep declining. Would it satisfy your curiosity if you were to come on one of my jobs tomorrow? It has been far too long since you have brightened my voyages with your presence.” Scootaloo blinked a few times, before nodding. “You... know what? I do believe that would be quite... nice. I would love to see what it is exactly you've been doing.” Grimset chuckled. “Why, I'd almost believe you don't trust me. What could I have done to earn your mistrust? Please, tell me and I will make the greatest haste to rectify it.” She rolled her eyes. “I don't trust anypony who talks like that. Fancy words hide clever minds.” He shook his head. “As you wish. Though, I would like to ask one thing, if you'd allow? How are your Shadowbolts doing? Is their training going well?” She paused, but slowly nodded. “Indeed. It is going quite well.” In fact, it was going amazing. As per her expectations, she'd already lost many who couldn't handle it and just weren't cut out, but those that remained were advancing quickly. Not to mention, she'd found a few more to replace some of the lost numbers. She had put the best students in charge of groups to help them develop. Many of those fliers could grow up to become squad leaders, assuming they could handle the responsibility of tending to their less advanced team mates. However, a new thought occurred to her, causing her brow to furrow. “Actually, I'm going to head over there now. If you wish to join me, you're welcome to.” For a moment, she saw annoyance flash on his face, but he soon smiled and nodded. “Ah, it would be my pleasure to escort you. My ship is yours to command.” “Thank you...” she mumbled, eying him cautiously. She wished he was still away on his mission, she didn't trust the love struck idiot to not do something stupid. The two made their way to his ship, the crew flying about as they prepared for their next departure. Her mind raced as she plotted, if those ponies could strike outside the city's walls, how about inside them? Was that assassin one of theirs, or another group altogether? ------ Flowerbloom stood on deck, leaning forward as she stared out over the lands. Leaving had, unfortunately, taken longer than she expected. Creme had spent almost an hour negotiating with some of the other ponies working at the base, before finally getting his precious supplies. She'd come within inches of just leaving him behind, but finally the ship took off with her at the bow. She didn't know why he cared so much, they likely wouldn't be there longer than a few days, at most. The few bags of supplies she'd seen them carry on were hardly worth the effort. But, she was finally moving and, to her delight, Sweet Apple Acres was within sight. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of sight she relished. The town was a wreck. Half the buildings, including the arena, were now nothing more than shattered husks, smashed to splinters from the battle. The streets were completely smooth at least, but that was only because the earth benders could bend it back. When their army had initially left, the streets had been filled with bodies and... she shook her head. She didn't want to think too much of it. Off in the distance was a farm. Or at least, the remains of it. Most of the trees had been destroyed. She hadn't been a part of that fight, but apparently the ponies there had put up a massive resistance. The soldiers said there were at least a dozen of them, earth bending masters all. They'd gotten away, unfortunately. The farm and house had been razed in response. As the ship began its descent, the ponies in the street looked up. There were a few soldiers of their nation, wielding bladed weapons. The majority were pegasi, though there were a few earth ponies mixed in. She idly wondered if those earth ponies were from the Water Nation, Earth Kingdom or Fire Tribe lands. She sighed at the looks she received. She could easily tell who were their soldiers and who were the natives, just by if they stared at the ship with contempt or relief. She wasn't going to find many happy faces here, a shame. The ship landed with a rumble, at which point Creme made sure to start opening his mouth again. “I felt a lot of jolting there. I want the balloon...” She toned him out and focused on the ponies in the city. Tension hung in the air, far worse than it had in Appleoosa. She could almost cut it with her knife. “Ah'll be going in.” With a feeling of dread, she asked her next question. “Creme, will yah be... gracing me with your presence?” She said the words as if it was something foul she wished to spit out. Judging by the light chortles from some of the crew and the glare from the unicorn, they noticed. “No,” he snapped. “There's some things wrong with the balloon. I'll need to oversee the repairs and--” “Very good, very good,” she muttered before trotting off and ignoring the rest of his words. Judging by his expression, she was pretty sure he was making it up. But she was too relieved to not have to deal with him she more than accepted his excuse. He probably was afraid he'd end up with a blade to his throat again. Knowing the way he spoke, he likely would. She walked down the ramp, looking around warily as she trotted. Most the ponies watched her, many with looks of anger. Then again, she was an earth pony coming off a Water Nation ship. Even if they didn't recognize her, they'd still likely assume she was a traitor. She trotted into the streets and stopped the first pony in armor she saw. “You!” She called out. “Yes, sir!” the stallion said, before standing at attention. Close up, she could see the armor barely fit and, not only that, many pieces of it had been out dated even before she was born. At least it still bore the general resemblance to the nation's armor, but she wondered how low armor and other such supplies had become if they were sending out things like that. “Where are yah from?” “The extended Water Nation colonies, sir!” That made her pause for a moment, before she shook her head. “Fire Tribe lands?” “Yes, sir!” She cocked an eye. “And yah recognize me? A nod or shake of the head will suffice.” His yells and her presence were already drawing more attention than she liked. He gave a brisk nod. “Good. I need to talk to... a mayor or council member. Somepony who ran this town before we came and conquered it, or who would know plenty about the town.” She paused. “If there are any left.” “There are a few, sir!” “Good, take me to them,” she muttered softly. Every watching eye made her wonder just how many of the ponies recognized her. Were they remembering her fighting against them, or did they just see another Water Nation soldier making their rounds? A part of her wished she had worn her armor, but she'd wanted to keep the ponies here at ease. She wished she'd kept her bow at home. The soldier led her through the town before finally trotting up the stairs of a small shop. The building had obviously seen better days, with a few of the windows boarded up and missing most of their glass. The door, when opened, scraped against the ground and the remains of a bell still hung above it. Inside wasn't much better, with most the shelves and the table in the center of the room empty. The pony inside looked up with a wide grin on his face. “Hello customers, how can I--” The smile on his face shifted. “--help you.” Flowerbloom knew that new smile well. The strain at the corners, the twitching of the eyes. She'd been selling cherries for her family for years, so she knew all too well the faces of a pony working in retail. She could have read that face from a mile away. It meant, in no uncertain terms, 'I have to serve you as this is my job. Please just get what you want and then leave before I decide to throw my wares in your face, in the hope that you'll be so upset you'll run away and never bother my fine establishment again.' She'd used it a few dozen times on water benders, though they sadly never seemed to take the hint. She strolled forward with an honest smile, looking the stallion over. He looked considerably well off, even a little plump. As she came closer to the counter he stood behind she could see the boxes lined up behind the counter. “Oh? Is looting a problem these days?” she asked casually. The stallion glanced back, before shaking his head. “Not any more. But it's better safe than sorry. What can I get for you?” The brisk way he said it had its own unspoken words. 'Hurry up with your business so you can leave.' “Information,” she said, before glancing back to the soldier. “You're dismissed. Yah can go back to whatever duties you were performing before.” “As you wish,” the stallion said with a bow of his head before trotting off. Once the door closed she turned back to the merchant. “How long have yah worked here?” “My entire life,” the stallion said warily. “This shop was built by my great, great, great, great grandmother. She used to sell--” “No need for a history lesson, yet. So, yah know most of the going ons around this town?” The stallion shook his head and the smile disappeared. “Please, I already told the ponies here I don't know anything about Twilight's Sunrise. I'm just a merchant, p-please don't have me interrogated!” The fear was evident on the pony's face, which made her sigh. “No. Ah don't expect yah would,” she muttered. “Fortunately, they're not who ah'm here to ask about. How many farms are in this area and have been in the last decade or so?” That made the stallion pause for a moment. “Why... just the Apple's farm. They've been tending that farm as far back as I can remember. It's the reason this town even exists.” Flowerbloom nodded. “Interesting. Now, tell me about these farmer ponies. Are any of them still alive?” The shopkeeper shifted uncomfortably. “I ummmm, no. All of them... perished when the Water Nation attacked.” He couldn't even look her in the eyes, his gaze down at her chest. She frowned. “You're lying to me. Don't. Ah have no desire to hurt you or anypony else, but if ah have tah ah will take yah to be interrogated.” The unicorn whimpered and prodded at the ground. “I... I don't know. I-I've only heard rumors. All the hooves supposedly disappeared when the Water Nation attacked, for all I know they're dead!” Flowerbloom sighed. “And they were the only ones working the farm? How many were there?” “Four or five if I'm correct. I didn't know many of them, it was usually Granny Smith who came down to the shop, Big Mac or Applejack before her. It was a little strange since before the avatar came Granny Smith never even--” The stallion covered his mouth with a hoof, letting out a startled yipe. Flowerbloom cocked an eye. “We know about the avatar. What do yah mean she was never seen?” The stallion shuffled his hooves. “I, ummm... she was a bit of a shut in. She ummm... she never...” Flowerbloom growled. “You're hiding stuff. Ah can tell.” He was probably one of the worst liars she'd ever seen. An admirable trait in a salespony, but she couldn't imagine how he managed to stay in business. Maybe the ponies here valued honesty more than they did back home. He gulped, sweat forming on his brow as he shuffled from hoof to hoof, chewing on his lower lip. Finally, “She was a shut in until the avatar came and took her granddaughter away to help her on her quest!” he finally blurted out. She stared for a few moments, before her mouth fell open. “W-wait a moment. Yah mean tah tell me that earth pony came from HERE?” she hissed before face hoofing. Sweetie would be furious if she found out. She then glanced to the stallion. “Ah would advise against telling another pony about that. You ponies have done well tah keep it hush hush. So, there was just this Granny Smith and the ponies who worked on the farm?” “Y-yes,” the stallion said, finally able to look her in the eye. “How long had they been working that farm? Had there been any other attacks on it before that?” The stallion paused. “Well... we're pretty far north into the Earth Kingdom. There haven't been more than a few attacks that got all the way up here. The farm itself has only been attacked once as far as I know, but it...” He trailed off. “Tell me,” she growled, digging her hooves into the ground. “About all the attacks that happened here abouts.” The stallion gulped and looked nervous. “W-why? I mean, I ummm... what's so important about them? They happened years ago and you've all already won...” “Just answer the question. This is for a report,” Flowerbloom lied, switching tactics. He was beginning to get defensive, she couldn't risk him freaking out and hiding information about the farm. She'd have to try to keep things a little more vague, for now. “We're keeping a log of all attacks that happened prior to our control of this area.” The stallion nodded slowly. “Is... this a punishment thing?” he asked softly. She stared for a few moments before shaking her head. “No. The war is over, we've won. There'd be no point in punishing yah for defending yourselves in the past.” She couldn't imagine Sweetie even considering such a thing. Then again, Sweetie had been doing a lot lately she'd never have imagined her doing. The stallion began listing off information, telling her about past attacks and how many ponies they'd defeated and lost in the process. She feigned interest, though all she really wanted to know about was the farm. Though, she did find it slightly funny that an attack had occurred in the midst of one of the town's tournaments a few years back. She imagined that had to be quite the sight, all those poor soldiers suddenly facing a plethora of trained earth benders. He gave every insufferable detail, though she just smiled and nodded, listening patiently. She had plenty of time and she had no desire to scare him again and risk him hiding information from her. She was beginning to yawn and her eyes were getting heavy by the time he finally got to the farm, but her ears picked up as she listened. “Now, keep in mind I wasn't actually here for this one,” the merchant said quickly. “I was actually with miss Applejack on her return trip, so I'd only heard the rumors.” “Wait, return trip?” Flowerbloom asked, cocking an eye. She mentally cursed as the stallion went into a story about how the young mare had departed to seek her fortune in the big city, soon after her little sister had been born. Apparently he had been in the caravan that brought her back. Flowerbloom's eyes widened and she leaned in a little more, desperate to ask about this little sister, but afraid to set him off in another panic. “Do go on,” she insisted. “Oh, well. When we returned we heard about an--” “ATTACK!” a voice shrieked out, followed by the screams of ponies. “Yes, that exactly. We--” He paused and looked out the window, his eyes going wide. “Wait, there's an attack!” Flowerbloom galloped outside, mentally cursing again. The sun would soon be sinking behind the horizon. Just how many hours had she spent listening to the stallion prattle on? An explosion drew her back to the present. Who could be attacking one of these towns? The Water Nation was in control, they-- She paled at the sight of the black hooded ponies. There were a dozen of them, running through the town, bending rocks and dirt as they went to damage the buildings. The civilians were running away as fast as they could, but the attackers didn't seem intent on them, yet. Flowerbloom lifted a hoof and crashed it down, sending a torrent of stone at the hooded ponies. One of the ponies stomped their hoof, putting up a wall of stone to stop the wave. Then all the ponies turned to her. “That's her!” one of them yelled, pointing. Something about the voice was oddly familiar. “Are you sure?” another asked. “Yes! Get her!” the first called out. “All those who side with the Water Nation must be destroyed!” the pony yelled before the others started galloping at her. She gulped and turned to run. She was a powerful bender, but even she didn't want to risk it with odds like this. She ran through the town, sending up a hail of stones back behind her with every step. A wall of rock formed ahead of her, but she ran through it, turning it soft as clay as she ran, so it blew off her with ease. Flowerbloom quickly turned right, running through a narrow alley and sending a few crates toppling over behind her, trying to knock the ponies over behind her. She heard one of them crash into it, drawing a smirk to her face. One down, eleven to go. She just hoped that one stayed down. Suddenly the alley was blocked by one of the hooded ponies. She narrowed her eyes and kept running, even as the pony lifted a hoof into the air and brought it crashing down. Rocks sailed at her, but she tapped the ground and suddenly a pillar of dirt lifted from under her, sending her flying through the air and over the stallion. As she flew over him, she tossed two of her knives, pinning the cloak to the ground. The pony wearing it let out a grunt, before tearing a chunk of the cloak off and turning to run after her. A light yellow coat was revealed, though she couldn't see much more. She landed ahead of the pony and tucked and rolled. Rocks hailed out from behind her, peppering the pursuing ponies before she rolled back to her hooves and kept running. She looked up, a grin on her face. The ship should be in view by now and-- The ship was gone. Her eyes went wide as she looked around, but the airship was nowhere to be seen. “Creme!” she screamed. She got no response as she galloped. She was forced to skid to a stop as three of the cloaked ponies galloped out from an alley ahead of her. She turned to run the other way, but three were now behind her. She gulped and looked around as the other six finally joined them, surrounding her fully. “Nowhere to run, Flowerbloom,” the one whose voice she recognized from before said with a chuckle. The mare gulped and planted her hooves firmly in the ground. “Bring it on, ah'll take all of yah on.” She only wished she was as confident as she sounded. But she kept every tremor from her voice as she prepared for her fight. ------ Scootaloo wiped sweat from her brow and collapsed on the cloud. She stared up at the sky and let the cool air wash over her, the descending sun and high altitude making it almost icy compared to when they started. But, the work was done so she allowed herself a nice, relaxing break as she gasped for air. Her students were in similar positions, breathing deep mouthfuls of oxygen as they rested on their own clouds. The entire day had been spent transporting the entire ground facilities of the Shadowbolts into the sky, instead of the intended practice. It had required some enchantments from the few unicorns they had access too, but now the entire facility was high above the ground, beyond the reach of any earth bender. She had spent most of her time in the sky, helping organize the spells and setting up the tents. The only real problem would be how she would access it but, for now, she could just have Grimset's ship bring her, or have the lessons on the ground. While it was far from dignified, it was effective. Far better than risking her shadowbolts-in-training to the earth bender attacks. Now came her biggest problem, finding out how to get back to the city. Grimset had been forced to leave without her(unfortunately not without first inviting her to dine with him that evening), so she now had lost her main means of returning to the city. For a moment she considered just walking into the city, but after the last attempt on her life such a thing would be foalish. She could gather a batch of clouds and use her wings to propel them, but such a thing would be humiliating and slow. She then glanced at her students, a smile spreading on her lips. “Tonight I'm going to stay with all of you.” That made the ponies lock up, especially the youngest. They stared at her with horror. For a few seconds she was confused, before bursting into laughter. “No. We worked through the day, there will be no classes tonight. I'm merely going to get to know you all.” The relief on their faces made her laugh a little harder, before she got to her hooves. “First I'd better find a place to rest. How many empty beds are there?” “Errr... almost a dozen,” one of the ponies said, not looking up. That drew a frown. She had hoped they'd manage to get enough trainees to fill all but a few beds, but there just weren't enough who had the potential. “I suppose that'll be simple then. We deserve a rest, but I won't have it said the Shadowbolts, even the trainees, are lazy. We'll set up the sleeping quarters and then prepare for dinner.” The ponies gave their weak agreements, before trotting into the large tent that held the ponies sleeping quarters. Most of the encampment was made of quick and easy to set up facilities, the beds were no exceptions. A large pile of easy to prepare beds, many designed to stack on top of each other, were stored in the corner, along with pillows and blankets. Each pony moved to get their own, though she noted with pride that the eldest moved to help the youngest. She as well grabbed two, smiling down at a young filly. “Here, I'll help you.” The pony gulped nervously. “T-there's no need for t-that,” she squeaked. “It's no problem. Come on,” she said. She started trotting back to put them with the lines of other beds, but the filly didn't follow. “B-but I can do it on m-myself,” the filly squeaked. “It's okay, come along. Rosetips is your name, right?” She recognized her by the way the tips of her wings turned a darker red than the rest of her. “B-but you're a shadowbolt! I-I'm just a trainee, y-you can't help me!” the filly shrieked. The room turned deathly silent as everypony looked to them, while simultaneously pretending to be fascinated by the floor, their beds or the wall. Scootaloo sighed and shook her head. “I'm your teacher, not a Shadowbolt. Still just a trainee as well. It'll be fine.” The filly blinked and slowly followed after her. For a while there was silence as the two set up the bed, but finally Rosetip broke the silence. “Is... that why you don't fly?” “Huh?” “Is that why you never fly? Because you're a trainee?” Scootaloo cringed. She should have known better. Shadowbolt trainee or not, a child will always ask a question an adult is afraid to. “No. I don't fly because I can't fly. It's a... disorder.” The filly stared at her for a few moments, eyes widening. “But... but you're a pegasus! How can you not fly? That's like... like a...” “Like a unicorn that can't...” she cringed and shook her head. There was a whole city of them back there, living the same way. “Yes. It's... quite rare. It's how I was born.” She could hear the others listening to them, the way they made as little noise as possible to best hear her words. Well, she supposed they'd find out eventually. “It's a rare genetic defect that leaves me unable to grasp the magical lines that we use our wings to sail on.” The filly gulped and nodded. She then spoke up again and asked the next big question. “Then, how are you a Shadowbolt? You always say how important flight is.” Scootaloo took a slow, steady breath. The filly was just a child, just curious. That was all. “I... can't be one. It's impossible.” It would be like a de-horned unicorn trying to join Nightmare Moon's personal guard. “I will remain a trainee for life.” That made the child's eyes go even wider. Before the kid could say a word, Scootaloo held up a hoof. “However, that doesn't mean I can't teach you. Most of what a Shadowbolt learns isn't about flight, it is about speed, dexterity and loyalty. Once the time comes and I feel you're ready, you'll be trained by real Shadowbolts.” “Is that why you have us do all our flying exercises in teams?” “Yes,” Scootaloo muttered before tossing the blanket and pillow on the bed. She glanced at her own, still having to be unfolded. However, the room was starting to feel far more stuffy and hot than it had moments ago. She needed some air. “I'll set mine up later, I'm going to go begin preparations for dinner.” She turned and briskly walked to and out the door, letting the flap fall behind her. Once she was outside she took deep, cooling breaths. Here was where it all changed. She hadn't wanted to tell them, but they were too smart not to know. She never flew or demonstrated in the air with them. If they asked, somepony would have told them. But having to say it to them, just felt humiliating. She wondered how long until the disrespect would begin. They could already all fly, so they likely all felt superior. It was only a matter of time before she'd have to start beating them into the ground to get them to listen. If they even flew close enough. They could soar above her, taunting. She didn't have the other Shadowbolts to back her up either, and she didn't think she could face the humiliation of having to have Marble's soldiers drag them from the sky if they decided to ignore her. If it was anything like back home, she'd have to lose at least half of them when things began to go south. They wouldn't want to take orders from a flightless bird, especially one they would technically out rank before long. The Shadowbolts would lose all those ponies as well, cutting down how many new soldiers they got. The entire thing was turning into a huge mess, all because her wings refused to fly. She gave them a light scowl, before shaking her head and trotting towards the makeshift kitchen. No matter how much she hated her wings for failing her, there was nothing she could do about it. She had a dinner to make. After that, well.... she'd have to try and find out just how much damage had been done. ------ Flowerbloom let out a shriek of pain as her body crashed through one of the few remaining glass windows in the town. The ponies inside shrieked and ran out the room. The cloaked ponies stepped forward. “Give up, Water Nation dog. You've lost. It's time you and all your sort disappeared from this world.” “Me and mah sort?” Flowerbloom asked with a groan as she got to her hooves, the glass cracking under her hooves. Blood seeped down her coat and dirt coated her, though she'd managed to keep the worst strikes from being too severe. “This entire town,” the pony said with a growl. “They're nothing compared to what they once were. They bent over backwards to allow your filthy nation do whatever it wants!” “That's hardly their fault, all their strongest have already been imprisoned,” Flowerbloom said angrily, grinding her hoof into the ground. Twelve earth benders and, as her pained body could attest, none of them were novice level. She doubted there was enough benders in this town left to take down half their number. It would be a slaughter, once they finished with her. She dove back as another spear of dirt came at her face. She twirled around and sent it flying back at the pony, before turning to gallop towards the back of the house. The back door was open, but she barely made it into the alley before she found four more of the cloaked benders, two blocking off each exit. Instead she shot up, the ground turning into a piston under her and sending her flying onto the next house. She landed on the roof, right as it began to shake. “Oh n--” Her words were cut out from under her as the house collapsed. She flailed her hooves about, trying to grip anything, but there was nothing for her. Just wood. Nothing she could bend. For what felt like hours the world spun around her, jagged pieces of lumber surrounding her on all sides. However, when it finally ended, dust and dirt filled the air, making her cough. A stabbing pain shot through her left hoof and a quick glance revealed a sharp spike of wood stabbed almost vertically through her leg. The wound wasn't deep, but it was long, peeling the skin back almost the entire length as blood oozed out. With a loud whimper she pulled her leg back, leaving the bloody piece of wood there. With an agonized moan she got to her hooves, but it was too late. Already the twelve were surrounding the rubble of the house. “It's over, Flowerbloom.” One of the cloaked figures said before three of them stomped their hooves. The ground shook as a large boulder raised from the ground and floated over their heads, easily as big as a carriage. “Good bye.” The boulder exploded, peppering them all with stones as the ponies shrieked. “Who did that?” one of them yelled. “Boulder doesn't like you...” a flat, monotone voice said. Flowerbloom turned to look at the end of the street. A light gray mare, with a grayish purple mane, stood surrounded by cloaked ponies. She was wearing gold and brown armor of the Earth Kingdom. A small pebble floated near her head. “Get them.” The little rock whipped out suddenly, catching one of the cloaked ponies surrounding Flowerbloom in the chest, and sending the pony flying through a wall. The rock flew back to the armored mare's side a moment later. “He's very, very mad at you.”