‘Magic’ tapped his hoof on his desk slowly and repeatedly. It was the only sound Griselda could hear. She kept her beak pointed square at the carpeting. She didn't dare lift her eyes even a centimeter. She knew that, beside her, Rook was doing the same thing. She didn't know which of the two, if either, was being subjugated to ‘Magic’’s piercing gaze. All she knew was that constant tapping. A tapping that was so soft, but her eyes uncontrollably blinked each time.
“Two ponies and a Griffon were found dead on the Friendship Express.” ‘Magic’ eventually broke what seemed like an eternity of silence. “One of those ponies was your agent. What do you have to say for yourself, ‘Honesty’?” His voice was calm and collected, with not a hint of anger.
Still Griselda gulped in relief that ‘Magic’ had not said her code name. She glanced at the side towards Bishop Rook. He did not share Griselda’s fear. His wooden pipe sat complacently from his thin lips and gaunt, blueberry cheeks. “It was Griselda’s choice!” was his confident excuse, “Her ponies failed!”
“It was YOUR plan!” Griselda fired back. She was not going to allow this smarmy Pegasus to throw her under the carriage. “I followed it implicitly.”
Rook smirked at the outburst. “Impossible. It was perfect.”
Griselda growled at his arrogance. The two had devolved into arguing like petty children and daddy ‘Magic’ was perfectly fine with letting them bicker. “Except for one thing. That we’re dealing with Con Mane.”
Bishop chuckled “Who is Con Mane compared to Bishop Rook?”
“Exactly.” ‘Magic’ chimed in. He stared down Griselda like a hatchling with her claw caught in the jerky jar. “What do you have to say to that, ‘Kindness’?”
Griselda’s feathers were drenched in sweat. She could barely speak through the tightness of her throat. “Well, I…”
The mechanical door behind her slid open and she nearly flew into the air with fright, but the freezing shivers paralyzed her spine. She dared not turn around to see what was there. But she could hear it. From behind her, the buzzing twirling of a small propeller grew louder and louder along with the playful childlike giggle of a small pink foal.
“Con Mane is still alive,” ‘Magic’’s calm voice was now far more bitter and hate filled, “and the Griffon’s Grimoire is still not yet in our possession! I have already negotiated with the Griffon Kingdom to return it to them! We have agreed on a price. And DISCORD always keeps to it’s promises. Our organization depends on us keeping those promises. I warned you. We do not tolerate failure, ‘Kindness’! You know the penalty.”
His last words were cold and dark. General Griselda’s entire body convulsed and her beak was chattering. A trickle of tears ran down her cheeks. “yes… ‘Magic’.” Griselda closed her eyes and prepared herself for the fate that awaited her.
But she opened her eyes again when she heard the horrified scream next to her. She looked over and saw Rook clutching one of his wings. Screwball hovered over next to him and was laughing hysterically. Strapped to her tiny hoof was a gauntlet with three sharp claws protruding from it. Rook removed his hoof to inspect the wound. Three slashes ran across his wing just deep enough to draw blood. But then the area around the cuts cracked and splintered. A crusty tumor grew from the wound and encased Rook’s wing. The wing turned into a roughly cut, dull green gemstone.
Rook panicked as the creeping crystal spread to his body. “But, but my plan was perfect. I’m perfect. I don’t… please, no!” Rook screamed at the top of his lungs as his entire body was slowly turning into crystal. He pleaded at ‘Magic’ for mercy but ‘Magic’ just sat there, smiling. A small pink parasprite drifted down from the ceiling and rested on ‘Magic’’s shoulder and nuzzled him affectionately. Rook’s face was the last part of his body to turn into crystal, a horrified expression permanently carved into the statue.
Griselda stared at the petrified Rook with equal horror.
“He will make a lovely addition to my garden.” ‘Magic’ chuckled, “How lovely. But it took twelve seconds. One day we must create a faster working potion. ‘Kindness’!”
Griselda snapped out of her terrified state. “Yes, Lord ‘Magic’!”
“I do not wish to tell the Griffon Kingdom that there will be another delay!” He stroked his parasprite.
“There will be no delays, ‘Magic’. There’s still time.”
‘Magic’ sneered and turned his chair away from Griselda. The meeting was over and his point was made. Screwball continued to laugh and Griselda awkwardly left the room, unable to shake the dread in her heart.
Joe and Rose made their way to the coastline without seeing any other pony or Griffon. Joe still hid the Grimoire in the flower cart just to be safe. When they arrived at the lake, a small fishing boat was moored to a simple wooden post in the dirt. Joe took the Grimoire from the flowers and stuffed it into the saddlebags before helping Rose onto the boat. Rose cast the rope off while Joe attended to the engine. The engine was very impressive. It ran off of lightning which was a difficult resource for even the most skilled of Pegasi to mine safely. However, it was easily the most fuel efficient of the natural resources. Tied to the boat were four large metal barrels that presumably were filled with even more lightning. Joe estimated that there were easily thousands of bits worth of bottled lightning altogether. Joe revved the motor and it started up immediately. He just barely had to throttle the accelerator for the boat to speed away from the bank.
“Where are we going?” Rose asked. It took her awhile to adjust to the frightening speed but when she did, she reveled in the feeling of the cool wind in her mane.
“Manehattan.” Joe answered behind the wheel, “They might be waiting for us if we head straight to Canterlot. Manehattan is a part of the New Lunar Republic which is separate from Equestria. But I got a good friend in the LIA who can get us to Canterlot without any complications. It’ll take us a bit longer but it’s worth it to see that city. You’ll love it. Hey check what’s inside that chest will you?”
rose obediently bent down and opened the wooden chest that sat near Joe’s hooves. “Just some charts.”
“Give me those charts!” The order came out more terse than Joe wanted it to but Rose didn't seem to mind. She picked up a chart with her mouth and unfolded in on the dash so Joe could look at it. “Let’s see here. Ah, we’re already in Equestrian waters and we have plenty of barrels of condensed lightning to power the boat. We should be there by morning, not that it matters in the NLR.” Joe double checked his bearings to make sure he was on course for Manehattan and accelerated the boat.
They continued on for several hours. Joe made sure to keep the coastline in site at all times but far away enough so that prying eyes wouldn't see the boat. Rose yawned as she awoke from a small nap on the floor. She smacked her lips and looked partially disappointed that they hadn't arrived yet. The sun was setting and the sky was burnt orange. Joe was once again amazed at how well Rose’s eyes captured the light. Even in a sleepy daze they looked beautiful.
“Which way are we going?” Rose asked.
Joe pointed ahead towards a collection of mountains in the distance. “The shortest route which is between those two mountains and straight along the coast. We’ll be able to see the Statue of Harmony on the other side of those rocks.”
Rose walked over to the stern of the ship to stretch her back and haunches. Joe took a moment to enjoy the view before turning his attention back to his driving.
“Joe?” Rose sounded concerned, “There are some more boats approaching us.”
Joe turned to the side. Just as Rose said, he could make out five boats very similar to the one he was driving moving towards them at high speeds. They traveled in a V formation and the boat in the front was slightly larger. Each boat had a small contingency of ponies on them. As the boats drew nearer, Joe noticed that the ponies all had very dull colors, faded Cutie Marks and lifeless eyes. That is except for one pony, a small foal that stood on her hinds triumphantly on the bow of the ship with her forelegs on her hips. Each ship was equipped with a miniature catapult.
“Joe, who are these ponies?” Rose asked.
“I’m going to assume they ain't part of a boating club.”
The pink filly at the helm of the flagship put a megaphone to her lips. “Yaaaaargh! Ahoy, me mateys!” She yelled exuberantly into the phone with an forced accent. Joe blinked in confusion. “I be Captain Screwball! Fearsomest pirate to sail the seven seas! In the name of DISCORD, pull yer craft over and prepare to walk the plank!” she followed up with an out of character giggle.
A flabbergasted Joe scratched his mane. “Since when does DISCORD have pirates?”
Screwball growled with anger and stomped her hoof on her boat. Somehow, she was able to hear Joe over the roaring sound of six motor boats. “Hey! Don’t spoil my fun, Mr. No Fun!” She dropped the pirate act entirely, opting instead to scream in a foalish temper tantrum. “Alright all you Grey Coats! Kill them!” she screamed.
Joe took his cue and revved his boat into full throttle. The sudden surge of acceleration knocked Rose off her hooves. The other boats followed suit. Their engines roared and they continued to gain on Joe’s boat.
Joe cursed and tried to feed all the lightning he could into the engine. Despite his best efforts, the boat would not go any faster. The DISCORD boats were all in range. They reversed their spearhead formation and formed a horseshoe around the boat at a steady distance. The ponies on board the boats hefted out large black balls-- each with a badly drawn skull and crossbones hoofpainted on them-- and placed them in the catapults. The fuse was lit on one of the balls and launched from the catapult. It landed in the water a decent distance away from Joe and Rose’s boat but still it detonated A pillar of fire and smoke rose into the air and sent water high into the sky that rained down on the boats below. Rose screamed and covered her head from the downpour. The explosion from the bomb created a small wave that crashed into Joe’s boat which he struggled to compensate for.
Joe yelled at Rose to get down and take cover. Another bomb was launched. This one landed even closer to the boat. The shrapnel landed on the boat along with the water and Joe was just barely able to keep the boat from toppling over from the resulting wave.
“What do you think you’re doing you dumb butts!?” Screwball screamed into her megaphone, “You need to stop them not kill them!” She did not catch on to her own contradiction.
One of the DISCORD ships ignored the order and fired another bomb. This one landed just behind Joe’s boat. The explosion sent the boat airborne and it splashed down into the water rightside up. Joe and Rose were both knocked to the ground. The boat’s wheel turned on its own and veered off course. Joe hurried to his hooves and straightened the wheel. Then he heard the sound of crackling snaps.
“Joe!” Rose screamed, “The barrels!”
Joe looked behind him. The shrapnel from that last bomb penetrated the metal barrels strapped to their deck. Forks of raw lightning shot out from the hole in all directions. Joe could smell the scorched air. One bolt shot out and just barely missed Rose. She screamed and ducked her head.
Instinctively, Joe pointed his watch at the rope holding the barrels and fired a laser beam. The beam burned right through ropes and the barrels fell off the boat and into the water. The floating barrels continued to spew lightning which no doubt turned the surrounding waters into a pool of instant death.
“Oooooh,” Screwball mused, “those look dangerous. Slow down all boats! slow down!”
The DISCORD boats approached the sparking barrels and slowed down. Joe grabbed the throttle and was about to feed more lightning into the engine. But after he looked back at the stalling enemy boats he cut off his own engine. Their boat petered to a standstill as the enemy boats gained on them at cruiser speed.
“Joe, why are you stopping!?” Rose wailed, “Without those barrels shouldn't we be faster? We can escape!”
Joe stood and faced Screwball in silent defiance.
“Awwww,” Screwball pouted theatrically, “our game of tag over? What a bummer. Oh well!” she giggled, “I guess I win though! Yay! Now give me that book, Mr. Mane, and I’ll let you and your little filly friend go, okie-dokie?”
Joe scowled. The enemy boats were right up against the fallen barrels. The lightning was making scorch marks on the hulls. “How about we play my game instead.” Joe growled.
Joe charged his horn. It glowed with a deep red light. He concentrated on the barrels in the water. The metal grew red hot, and then white. Screwball saw the horn glow and looked around for what Joe was casting the spell on. By the time Screwball did notice, it was too late.
The heat ignited the lightning inside the barrels. All of them erupted with a mighty roar. Four pillars of pure, brilliant lightning shot out into the sky followed by a massive wall of fire that engulfed all five of Screwball’s boats. Joe and Rose shielded their eyes from the intense light.
A few of the boats were instantly decimated by the explosion. The other were completely engulfed in flames. The flames reached the stockpile of bombs stored on the boats and they too ignited in an ear shattering roar. Burning timber rained from the sky along with whatever remained of the grey coated ponies. Only Screwball’s ship was left. The fire slowly surrounded and engulfed her ship. She watched as the flames sprawled ever closer to the stack of bombs.
“What have you done!?” she screamed in a blood curdling panic, “Are you Insane!? I don’t like this game! This isn't fun! This isn't fun!”
She flailed her hooves in a panic. A rogue ember made contact with her fur and her foreleg ignited. She screamed at the sudden sight of her fur aflame and, without thinking, jumped into the water. The water, still charged with raw electrical energy, sparked and engulfed Screwball with a blinding flash. The smell of burnt fur and flesh filled the air. The fire eventually touched Screwball’s bombs and the ship exploded into bits.
Joe casually watched the inferno in front of him. His eyes were dark and devoid of remorse as they reflected the dancing flames. Rose tearfully tugged at Joe’s sleeve. He turned and saw her beautiful face flushed with concern. Joe then silently took the wheel and restarted the motor. He figured there should be just enough lightning remaining to get them to Manehattan.