Chapter VIII: Liberi Fatali
“…I always thought the guys in the EAS were pilots,” Flash said.
“We are,” Soarin’ replied. “But even though we’re pilots- and stunt pilots at that- we’re still soldiers. This is part of our job.” He sat down on the curb. “Besides, we can’t fly anymore because of all the radio interference.”
“Interference? Oh yeah, Spitfire said something about that yesterday.”
“It wasn’t too bad at first, but before long it started jamming our signals, and eventually we couldn’t talk with the guys in the control tower while we were just sitting on the runway. That happened right around the time when we were supposed to do our show here… and that was also when the monsters first started showing up. So, we gathered all the equipment we could, and moved it to the school. People go out there sometimes to scavenge for parts- for the wall, or for Wave Chill’s machines, but other than that, the airfield’s a lost cause.”
Flash raised an eyebrow. “…Who’s Wave Chill?”
Soarin’ looked up at Flash. “A teammate of mine in the Wonderbolts. He’s spent the last couple months trying to build a radio that can punch through the interference, but it hasn’t been working out for him so far…”
The next day had come. Flash, Pinkie, and Twilight were waiting at Canterlot’s south gate, along with the other volunteers for the mission. Spitfire had yet to arrive, so the volunteers were clustered in small groups, talking amongst themselves, as Flash and Pinkie were doing. Twilight clung to the edges of the group, keeping to herself.
Pinkie approached a young boy who couldn’t have been any older than ten, and ruffled his hair. “Are you going on the mission, too?” she asked. “You look a little young.”
The boy pulled himself from Pinkie’s grasp. “Hey, cut that out! I’m not a kid!”
“Technically, you are still a kid, Rumble,” the boy’s companion said: she was a girl around Pinkie’s age, with mint-green hair.
“You’re not helping, Flitter!” Rumble protested.
The girl, Flitter, then looked to Pinkie Pie. “I’ve never seen you on any missions before. You from around here?”
“Nope. I’m from Canterlot,” Pinkie replied. “I’m Pinkie Pie, by the way.”
“My name’s Flitter, and that’s Rumble,” Flitter said. “So, what made you want to help us out? You’re not local…”
Pinkie gave a small smile. “Do I need a reason to help people?”
“Alright everyone, form up!” Spitfire suddenly called. Soarin’ and the other locals snapped to and formed a line in front of her- the trio of newcomers scrambled to join them. Once they were in place, Spitfire continued. “I’ve got good news for you all- my good friend Wave Chill ‘s just finished field testing a radio which can bypass the interference.” She held up a small radio. “So, for the first time in over five months, we’ll have a lifeline to the outside world. There’s just one problem- this is the only model Wave Chill has for us. So under no circumstances is anything allowed to happen to this radio.”
Spitfire paused for a brief moment before continuing. “Now let’s get down to business. The scouts’ report says the caves where the monsters have built their nest go deep into the mountain, and have multiple branching paths. To cover more ground, we’re going to split our team into squads. Lieutenant, Rumble, pink, you’re our forward team…”
Soarin’ held out his arm. Pinkie and Rumble stopped, but after a moment, he waved them forward. “Thought I heard something,” he said. “Can’t be too careful- there’s always been a lot of monsters coming out of the west. Guess we know why now.”
Pinkie once again found herself in the Whispering Woods outside of Cloudsdale. But different companions were at her sides: the Lieutenant, Soarin’, and the boy, Rumble. Once Spitfire had divided them into four groups, they set out to the Smokey Mountain, splitting up outside the gate to minimize the chances of running into any monsters that may have been lurking in the woods.
Pinkie couldn’t help but notice something as she and the others made their way through the forest, something… different about Soarin’. True, she hadn’t known him for long, but he seemed much more sullen, and withdrawn from the day before. And he’d pulled his scarf up onto his face, so only his eyes could be seen. She hesitated for a moment, but then she asked him, “Soarin’? Is there something bothering you?”
Soarin’s reply was quick… too quick. “It’s nothing.”
Pinkie knew people, sometimes better than they knew themselves. Which made it easy for her to know if someone was lying to her. “It’s not nothing.”
He glanced at Pinkie briefly, before he looked away, hesitant to answer. “…I have to admit, I’m not really looking forward to this.”
“What, you nervous? That’s normal for stuff like this… I think.”
Soarin’ shook his head. “No. I’m sure the first team is alive, and that we’ll get them out just fine. I’m worried about when-” Soarin’ suddenly stopped again- Rumble and Pinkie froze, until Soarin’ resumed walking. “…when things go back to normal.”
“Why?”
He hesitated again, for much longer. “…there’s a teammate of mine that was on the first team, named Fleetfoot. She and Commander Spitfire are… close.”
Before he could go on, Pinkie said, “You like her, don’t you? Commander Spitfire, I mean.”
Soarin’s scarf couldn’t hide his blush. “Well, yeah. We grew up together, went to the same schools… getting into the Wonderbolts, together, was our dream. We spent so much time together, that I’m not even really sure when it happened…”
Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “You never… said anything to her?”
“I didn’t want to distract her with how I felt, back in the academy. And now that we’re in the Wonderbolts, I’m not allowed to say anything- anti-fraternization policies and all that. But then…” He suddenly glared. “…Fleetfoot joined us. She’s always hanging onto the Commander, always flirting with her, but Spitfire never says anything about it. I know it’s not any of my business, but if Spitfire wasn’t into…” His voice trailed off, as though he wanted to say something more, but thought better of it. Then, he sighed sadly. “As selfish as this is gonna make me sound, it was… nice, to have Spitfire to myself again for a change.”
“Oh come on guys! Focus on the mission!” Rumble suddenly shouted, startling the other two. He chopped through the underbrush with his sword. “You shouldn’t be talking about romance problems right now!”
Soarin’ shook his head. “Yeah. Rumble’s right. I need to focus. Just forget that I said anything, Pinkie.” He continued onward. “We’ll figure something out after we rescue everyone.”
The three pressed on in silence for several minutes afterward. Then, Rumble stopped. He leaned forward, as if trying to get a better look at something up ahead, before he suddenly shouted, “There it is!” And before anyone could stop him, he dashed off into the brush ahead.
Soarin’ chased after him. “Hey Rumble, don’t run off!” Pinkie chased after Soarin’ in turn, into the brush and into a rocky field beyond the trees. But she quickly skidded to a stop near her two comrades when she saw what lay outside the forest.
A great mountain stood before them, rising high- and alone- above the surrounding landscape. True to its name, wisps of smoke rose from various places across its face. “Wow…” Pinkie said. “…it really is smokey.”
“You know, it used to be called ‘Lonely Mountain,’” Rumble said. “A long time ago, people dug a coal mine in it. But then there was an accident, and the coal inside was set on fire. My teacher says that there’s enough coal in there to keep the fire burning for the next four hundred years.” He shouldered his blade and began to walk toward the mountain, with Soarin’ and Pinkie following. “Sometimes, when the fire burns the coal, it makes parts of the mountain collapse, and smoke comes up. And that’s why people call it the Smokey Mountain now…”
“…everything’s been preset, so don’t touch anything other than the on/off switch,” Spitfire said. She handed the radio off to a member of the fourth squad, a young woman with black and yellow hair by the name of Midnight Strike. “Once we’re in, wait one hour. If none of us are back before then, radio in for backup, and then wait for reinforcements. Understood?”
Midnight Strike nodded. Then another member of the squad- a man with dark brown hair- stepped up and asked, “What should we do if our position’s overrun, Commander?”
“If that happens, radio for backup, then fall back into the caves. Try to link up with one of the other squads if you can. Now sit tight.”
The fourth squad turned away from the cave mouth as Spitfire rejoined the other eight volunteers just inside the cave. Everyone was on edge, holding their weapons at the ready, expecting that at any moment some beast would leap out to confront them from the surrounding darkness.
Flash Sentry craned his neck to look up at the ceiling- a good ten feet above everyone’s heads. “Did the monsters dig this?”
“Nope,” Rumble replied. “Miners dug some tunnels deeper in the mountain, and the monsters might’ve dug some of their own, but these caves at the front are all natural.”
Spitfire looked around- there were two paths leading away from the entrance. “Alright, we have two paths,” she said. “My squad will take the left path. Soarin’, Fire Streak, your teams will take the right. If you find another fork, split up and check each path on your own.” She readied her weapon “You’re clear to engage any monsters you come across, but if they’re too much to handle, fall back to the entrance. And if you find anyone from our missing team, bring them back to the entrance too. Now move out.”
Spitfire, Twilight, and Flitter went left, and the other teams went right. The light from the cave’s mouth rapidly faded- Twilight held up her hand, and with a snap of her fingers, lit a fire in her palm to drive back the shadows. The team advanced slowly, expecting that at any moment, a horrible creature would loom out at them from the darkness. But they were alone, accompanied only by the echo of their footsteps.
“Hey, Commander,” Flitter said. “This nest is supposed to be full of monsters, right? So where are they?”
Flitter raised a valid point- they had encountered only a few monsters in the Whispering Woods, but did not engage, and had found no monsters at all at the foot of the Smokey Mountain.
At that moment, the mountain trembled, and the three heard the sound of small stones clattering against the cave floor as they fell from above. “This mountain seems… unstable,” Twilight replied. “Perhaps the first team was successful in their mission, but were trapped by some sort of cave-in. It would explain why none were able to return.”
“I guess so,” Flitter replied. “Rumble told me that the coal fires sometimes make parts of the mountain collapse… but, all of them got trapped?”
“Mission volunteers are divided into squads to avoid being neutralized all at once,” Spitfire added.
“A particularly strong monster may have mandated the entire team’s full attention.” Twilight said. She then came to a sudden stop, as did Spitfire and Flitter. A large rock blocked their way forward… but it was unlike any stone the three had ever seen before. Its surface was unusually smooth and slick-looking, and its surface glinted a strange copper color in the light.
But suddenly, the stone began to move, and uncoiled itself. The three backed away, readying their weapons. The light flickered as Twilight divided her focus between maintaining the flame, and readying a second spell. But it remained strong enough to see that the stone had in fact been a slumbering dragon, its copper scales glinting in light.
“A monster such as this, for instance,” Twilight said.
The dragon stepped towards them, and let out a tremendous roar. It reared back… but suddenly, a second roar echoed through the caves from somewhere deep within the mountain- one much louder than the first. The dragon looked back over its shoulder, before it sprinted past the three, not even giving them a second glance.
Twilight watched the dragon disappear into the darkness, before looking the other way, in the direction of the second roar. “We are not alone after all, it seems.”
“That didn’t sound like any monster I’ve ever heard before,” Flitter said. “It sounded big, too. What do you think it was?”
“I have no idea…” Spitfire replied, before thinking to herself, …but if it can scare off a dragon, do we really want to find out?
“…and then I jump up and bang!” The red-haired man thrust out one of his pistols. “I put a bullet right in his eye. And then bang!” He thrust out his other pistol. “I put another one in his other eye!” He lowered his arms. “Oh, you would not believe how loud that anacondaur was roaring. …I’ll admit, it smashed right through part of the south wall and almost crushed a couple civilians, but… aw man, it’s just something you had to see for yourself. Anyway, I got another one for you…”
And that’s how it had been since Flash’s group separated from Pinkie’s: the Wonderbolt attached to their group, Fire Streak, had shared a seemingly endless amount of stories featuring him slaying all sorts of monsters as they wandered down the dark tunnels, guided only by a feeble light mounted on one of Fire Streak’s guns. The truthfulness of his stories seemed… dubious at best.
As Fire Streak began yet another story, Flash leaned close to Bulk Biceps and asked, “How do you put up with this?” Bulk Biceps merely shrugged in reply.
Fire Streak glanced back. “You say something?”
“What? No,” Flash replied quickly. “No I… didn’t say anything.”
“You know, you really should’ve traded in that beast for something more manageable,” Fire Streak said, eyeing Flash’s sword. “Something that big is useless in close-quarters like these.”
Flash reached back, and gripped his sword tightly. “It… was a gift.” He looked to Fire Streak. “Besides, what about him?” He pointed to Bulk Biceps. “That anchor’s bigger than I am!” Biceps shrugged again, objecting to being pulled into their debate.
“Besides,” Flash continued, “who fights with an anchor, anyway?”
“Hey, sometimes life throws you a curveball and you have to improvise,” Fire Streak replied. “Like last month- a big flying monster called a Garuda got past our AA guns and crashed into the Museum of Military History. Biceps was there, but didn’t have a weapon, so he grabs the closest thing he could. And it turns out to be the anchor for the E.N.S. Snowdrop, the Equestrian Navy’s old flagship. Then-”
Something leapt at Fire Streak from the shadows and tackled him to the ground. His light was extinguished on impact, plunging the cavern into darkness. Flash and Biceps grabbed their weapons- they could hear Fire Streak struggling to fight off his attacker, but they didn’t dare to strike in fear of harming their comrade. After several seconds, the light flickered to life again, to reveal Fire Streak, his guns pressed against… another person’s forehead.
The stranger squinted, seemingly unfamiliar with the light, as he looked up at the Wonderbolt. “…Fire Streak?”
“Silver?” Fire Streak lowered his guns. “Holy crap! Silver, what were you thinking? I almost shot you!”
“Wait, hold on a sec,” Flash interrupted. “You know this guy?”
Fire Streak looked over. “Yeah! This is one of the people from the missing team!” Fire Streak shone his light on the stranger. “Sergeant Silver Lining. He’s a Wonderbolt pilot like me.” Now that he was in the light, Flash got a better look at Silver- though it was blackened by dirt and soot, he was indeed wearing the unmistakable Wonderbolts uniform.
Fire Streak looked to Silver. “What happened to the rest of the team?”
Silver held up a hand to shield his eyes from Fire Streak’s light. “Everyone’s just fine. They’re not too far from here. Follow me.”
Silver Lining led the three a short way down the tunnel, and into a small, dimly lit cavern just off the main tunnel. Fire Streak counted the people inside the den- seven in all. They were ragged and disheveled, but they were still alive. All eyes fell on Silver as he entered.
“Hey, you’re back,” one of the people said. “Any luck?”
“Aw man, you thaid you’d be bringing uth food!”
“Hold on, Fleetfoot… there’s someone else with ‘em.”
“…It’s Fire Streak and Biceps!”
“Yeah, you’re right! But who’s that other guy?”
“Who cares? They finally sent someone to rescue us! We’re finally getting the hell outta here!”
“Everyone settle down,” Silver said, causing the other team to fall silent. “Until we figure out what’s going on, no one’s going anywhere.”
As Silver turned to Fire Streak again, the latter asked, “Silver, what the hell’s going on here?”
“I’m guessing Spitfire sent you to find us,” Silver replied. “But you wasted your time. I can’t go back with you- none of us can. It’ll find us first.”
Fire Streak narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Okay, hold on,” Flash said. “Back up. Just start from the beginning.” Bulk Biceps nodded.
Silver took a breath. “…Three days ago, we arrived here for the mission. Things started out easy enough- lots of monsters, but most weren’t too strong. So we went in deeper, into the mines near the coal fires. And that’s when… it found us.”
Flash asked, “What? What did you guys run into?”
“It was huge. You wouldn’t believe it. Picked up an anacondaur and ripped it in half right in front of us like it was nothing.” Silver shook his head slowly. “Then it came after us. We threw everything we had at it, but nothing could even slow it down. So we ran. Hid here in this cave where it couldn’t reach us. We’ve been stuck here ever since. We head out sometimes to hunt for food, but we can’t be out for too long- it comes by every couple hours.”
Fire Streak turned towards the cave’s exit. “Which way did it go?”
“What?” both Silver and Flash asked.
“Which way did the monster go?”
“And just what are you planning to do?” Silver asked.
Fire Streak looked back. “My job. We came here to find you, and finish your mission. So where is it?”
“You don’t get it.” It was not Silver who said this, but someone else- a young man with dark grey skin, and light grey hair. “This isn’t just some monster, Fire Streak. If we couldn’t take it down as a team, what makes you think you can do it on your own?”
“Did you forget what Spitfire said?” Flash added. “We’re supposed to bring the first team back to the cave entrance.” Bulk Biceps again nodded in agreement.
Fire Streak glanced between Silver, Flash, Biceps and the grey man, glaring. But eventually, he asked, “…how soon will it be coming back?”
“It just passed through here about an hour ago. We should have another half hour before it comes back.” Silver again looked to Fire Streak. “You do know the way out of here, don’t you?”
Flash and Fire Streak did not reply… but Biceps did- he nodded, and held up a ball of string. A thread trailed across the cave floor and into the tunnel behind them.
Fire Streaked looked at the ball, and then at Biceps. “When did you…?”
“Thinking ahead, just like always,” Silver said. “That’s the Bulk Biceps I remember.” He then looked back. “Alright everyone, pack your bags. We’re getting out of here.” There was a tremendous clamor as the members of the first team gathered their things. “Keep quiet. We don’t want to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves.” The racket quieted almost instantly.
A few minutes later, the first team and the squad from the second team emerged into the vast tunnel. Silver listened intently for any approaching sounds, but all he could hear were the movements of his comrades.
“Okay,” Fire Streak began. “We shouldn’t be any more than two hundred meters from the entrance. Biceps, you take the lead. Silver and I will cover the-”
There was a deep rumble, and the earth shook. The group staggered, but quickly regained their footing. “What was that?” Flash asked.
“Probably just the fire collapsing a tunnel somewhere,” Fire Streak replied. “There’s no way any monster could-”
It was followed by another tremor, and then a third a few moments later.
“No…” Silver began. “No no no no no! It’s too soon!”
“Fall back to the entrance!” Fire Streak shouted. “Follow Bulk Biceps!”
But it was too late.
A deafening roar rang out from the tunnel behind them.
“Well, there’s no way around it,” Soarin’ said. “This is definitely a dead end.” Indeed, the tunnel he, Pinkie, and Rumble had chosen had suddenly ended in a mass of piled rocks. In spite of their best efforts, they couldn’t clear the path.
Rumble pushed against a stone with all his might, but it wouldn’t move. After a moment, he gave up and looked to the Lieutenant. “Now what do we do?”
“We’ll have to go back to the cave entrance. We’ll report in with the team there and pick a different path.”
The mountain trembled. The debris pile shifted slightly, but no openings appeared. Soarin’ looked up to the cave ceiling. “The mountain’s been awfully active. Is it always like this, Rumble?”
“I don’t think it’s just the fires,” Pinkie replied. She then put her ear to the wall and listened. After several moments, she replied, “No. It something else. Something alive. …And it’s heading towards the entrance.”
At that moment, the roar of some creature echoed from somewhere deeper in the caves. “Alright,” Soarin’ replied. “We need to move back and support the rear guard. Let’s move!”
The trio rapidly retraced their steps, arriving at the entrance a few moments later. The squad stationed there were sitting just outside, watching the forest. One of them- the girl, Midnight Strike- heard their approach and looked back. “Lieutenant? What’re you guys doing here?”
“We hit a dead end,” Soarin’ replied. “And we’ve got bad news- something’s headed this way. Something big. We came to back you up.”
“What?” She and the rest of her squad scrambled to their feet. “How big are we talking?”
Pinkie again pressed her ear against the stone and listened. “…No idea. But it’s gonna be here any minute.”
Soarin’ looked to the others. “You heard her. Form up around the entrance, stay close to the wall- we might be able to take it by surprise.”
The two teams flanked the cave mouth, three on each side. The earth trembled beneath their feet as something drew closer. The air was filled with a rumbling sound, as though many creatures were approaching the cave entrance. The two teams tightened their grips on their weapons as the sound grew louder, and the ground trembled more and more. Suddenly, a dark figure streaked out of the cave. Rumble twitched, but Soarin’ held him back as more figures emerged… eleven in total. They were ragged, blackened by dirt and soot and blood… but they were unmistakably human.
And what’s more, the Lieutenant recognized every last one of them.
“Stand down, stand down!” Soarin’ called, sheathing his katars. The others lowered their weapons as well as the first team collapsed to the ground, panting.
“…It’s the first team,” Rumble said. His sword fell from his hands, and he sprinted to one of the strangers and leapt on him, embracing him tightly. “Thunderlane! You’re okay!” he cried, before letting go. “Oh man. Mom would’ve killed me if something happened to you.”
Thunderlane didn’t answer. For that matter, neither did anyone else on the first team- they simply hunched over or sat on the ground, breathing heavily. Silver Lining silently lifted an arm, and pointed back to the cave entrance.
Soarin’ looked to the cave mouth. “Yeah, we’ll go in and find Spitfire’s team. Just wait here. Crescent, radio HQ, let ‘em know we found-”
But Pinkie interrupted. “Uh, Lieutenant? They aren’t what I heard.”
The earth shook, much more violently than before. But it wasn’t the steady rumble of before- rather, it shook in tremendous pulses, like that of a beating heart… or of approaching footsteps.
Pinkie Pie pointed to the cave entrance. “That is.”
From the darkness emerged a creature that resembled a massive bear. It stood at least three times as tall as Bulk Biceps- the tallest of their number- and its body was a strange translucent blue, filled with points of light that resembled stars. It pushed itself up onto its back legs, and as it towered over the group, it let out a deafening roar.
Fire Streak finally caught his breath, and looked up at their massive pursuer. “Oh, hell…”
Soarin’ glanced at the first team- they were ragged, trembling, obviously weak from their time in the caverns. Even if they had the creature outnumbered, it was clear that they were in no shape to fight. “Silver, take your team and fall back into the forest. Rear guard, you go with them. Radio HQ for support. We’ll cover you.”
Silver Lining and Midnight Strike said nothing, but nodded in reply, unwilling to argue. And their teams withdrew, disappearing into the nearby trees. Now, only six stood against the beast. They still held the advantage in numbers… but Soarin’ had never fought a monster this size before. Nobody in the group had. Soarin’s grip tightened on his weapons- he regretted sending away the rest of the team.
But then, Flash stepped forward, lifting up his great sword. “Well, what’re we waiting for!?” And without waiting, he charged. He swung his sword back and leapt at the bear, the momentum carrying him high into the air. Flash pulled back his sword to strike… But the bear was faster, and swiped its claw at him. He tried to bring around his sword to shield himself from the blow… but he was too slow, and the beast’s claws raked across his chest, leaving deep gouges in their wake. Flash slammed into the ground with a thump, and did not rise again.
Immediately, Pinkie Pie whipped out her boomerang and threw it at the bear with all her strength- it arced through the air, before plunging directly into the bear’s eye. It stumbled back, roaring in blind pain and fury. And at this moment the remaining five charged. Fire Streak fired round after round from his twin pistols, but they simply ricocheted of the beast’s skin, sparks flying from each impact. Soarin’ ran under the beast, to its back legs, and stabbed his blades into its ankle- the blades sank into its flesh… and that was it. The wounds didn’t even bleed. And as the bear turned to confront one of its attackers, he could see that the wounds had not crippled it in the slightest.
The great bear roared and swiped its claws at the humans standing against it. But they evaded the lumbering beast with ease, and Pinkie and Rumble rushed the beast, driving their blades into the monster’s leg- Rumble his sword, and Pinkie her daggers. But as before, their attacks had no effect. The bear lifted itself up, as though to crush the two under its feet, but Bulk Biceps threw his anchor at the beast, striking its chest dead-center. It staggered back from the blow and fell against the mountainside- the mountain trembled, and great stones fell to the ground, knocked loose by the impact. But the bear soon righted itself, and slowly began to advance on the group.
But all of a sudden, the beast stopped. A trail of white smoke began to flow from its body to somewhere behind, and the stars within its body dimmed and winked out one-by-one. The bear turned around, roaring in pain, and began to stalk towards something at the cave entrance. But after just a few moments, its last lights winked out, and the bear collapsed with an earthshaking crash.
The group slowly rounded the fallen beast, unsure of what would be waiting for them on the other side. But what waited for them on the other side was something they did not expect: Twilight, her arm outstretched, the white smoke flowing into her palm. At her sides stood Spitfire and Flitter- they stared at Twilight in disbelief.
Members of the first team also emerged from the woods. But one of their number sprinted towards Spitfire’s without hesitation, and lifted the commander up in a tight embrace. Pinkie recognized her- someone else on the first team had called her Fleetfoot. “Commander! I knew you’d be alright!” Fleetfoot said.
Spitfire shoved Fleetfoot away without a word, before saying, “Lieutenant, status.”
Soarin’ did not respond.
“Lieutenant!”
Soarin’ snapped to attention. “Um, Fire Streak’s squad found the first team. All eight members present and accounted for.”
Spitfire approached Soarin’, circling around the beast- Fleetfoot never left her side. “Casualties?”
“Just one- Flash Sentry. Needs a medic ASAP.”
Spitfire looked to Fleetfoot. “You heard the Lieutenant, Fleetfoot. Hop to.”
Fleetfoot reached towards Spitfire, and opened her mouth as though to say something else… but withdrew and merely replied, “Underthtood, Commander.” She then hurried over to Flash and knelt down next to him- she held her hands over his wounds, a white light shining from her palms.
Fire Streak approached the fallen bear- which had turned from blue to a dull grey- and prodded it with one of his pistols. “What the hell is this thing?”
“An Ursa Minor,” Twilight replied. “One of the species of Stellar Beasts that roamed across the ancient world. They feed upon magic, and were said to have gone extinct with its decline in ages past.”
Fire Streak prodded the Ursa Minor several more times, but it did not respond. “…You might wanna get those textbooks updated, then.”
Pinkie Pie approached the fallen beast as well. “What did you do it?”
“I drained its stores of magic energies. Creatures such as the Stellar Beasts must consume magic regularly to sustain themselves. Without it, they will rapidly die.”
But at that moment, the ground began to tremble once again, in a familiar, pulsing rhythm. “Oh you can’t be serious…” Flitter began
But the group’s fears were realized as a second Ursa Minor emerged from the caves. It stood up on its hind legs, and roared in fury. As it lowered itself, a third Ursa Minor followed it.
The ones who were closest to the beasts rapidly retreated. As he joined the others, Fire Streak asked, “You ever get that feeling there’s someone out there who really doesn’t like us?”
“What do we do?” Soarin’ asked. “We’re not equipped for something like this, Commander.”
Spitfire didn’t answer- she aimed her rifle at the beast silently, slowly backing away.
Fire Streak held his ground, but did not fire. “Commander, we need orders!”
Spitfire continued to do nothing.
“Spitfire!” Soarin’ shouted.
“Fall back, fall back!” Spitfire shouted. The group turned and ran, fleeing into the nearby woods… all except one, who stood her ground.
Pinkie skidded to a stop and looked back. “Twilight! What do you think you’re doing!?”
Twilight didn’t look back, or give any other sign that she’d heard Pinkie at all. Instead, she held out her arm, closed her eyes, and focused. As before, white smoke began to rise from the first Ursa Minor’s body, and flow into Twilight’s outstretched hand. Like before, it staggered as the lights in its body winked out, and when the last was extinguished, the beast collapsed, dead.
Then Twilight brought her hands together- the smoke swirled between them, transforming into blinding bolts of electricity. The second Ursa reared back, raising its claws high in the air. But then, Twilight thrust both arms forward, and a massive burst of lightning flew from her hands. The bolt blasted a hole straight through the bear’s chest and continued on, shattering the stone of the mountain face behind. The beast staggered, and let out one last, weak roar, before it fell to the side, and the earth shook one final time.
Slowly, Pinkie approached Twilight. “Uh… Twilight?” she asked, hesitant.
Twilight did not reply. Rather, she removed her hat, and silently handed it to Pinkie Pie, before she began walking towards the entrance. “Where’re you going?” Soarin’ called to her.
Twilight stopped. “I sense the presence of more Ursa Minor within the mountain. So long as they live, they will continue to pose a threat to your city.” She resumed walking.
Spitfire approached. “Listen. I’m not gonna lie- you saved all our asses just now. But I’m not letting anyone go back in there. Like the Lieutenant said, we’re not equipped for this. We need to retreat for now- replenish our strength, raise another expeditionary team-”
“No.” Twilight turned, and gave Spitfire a hard glare. “Do not make the mistake of assuming that I am a soldier under your command, or a young girl incapable of defending herself. I assure you: my strength far exceeds even your wildest imaginings.” Twilight held up her arm and clenched her fist- bolts of magical lightning arced up and down her arm. “I am going in. And you will not stop me.” She turned away. “I suggest you retreat from the mountain as far as you are able. I cannot guarantee your survival should you linger.” With that, Twilight walked away, and disappeared into the darkness of the cave.
Twilight lit a new fire in her palm, driving back the shadows. She navigated the caves with ease- she could feel the magic of the Ursas lingering in the air, leading her ever onward- and soon enough, upward- to the heart of the mountain. But suddenly, something loomed out of the darkness ahead: a dragon. The same copper-scaled dragon she and Spitfire had encountered earlier. It dug its claws into the ground, seemingly unwilling to retreat as it had before, and roared at her.
Twilight snarled at the dragon in kind, her eyes flashing in the darkness. And at once, the beast backed down. Twilight continued past the dragon- it was swallowed by the darkness beyond the reach of her flame, and did not emerge again.
Very soon, Twilight could see a light shining in the tunnel ahead. But even at her distance, she knew it was not sunlight- it was too dim, and it wavered and flickered. And as she drew ever closer, the heat in the tunnel began to rise. But Twilight pressed on, loosening the collar of her cloak, before stepping into Tartarus itself.
…or so one might have believed. The tunnel ended in a massive cavern which stretched high over Twilight’s head. Black veins of coal snaked over the cave walls, wreathed in flames- their fires painted the cave in an angry red light. Hot air rushed all about the cavern, making Twilight’s cloak flutter behind her. The air was boiling hot, and what’s more, it was positively saturated with magic.
There was little doubt in Twilight’s mind. This was the place. This was the Ursas’ den. And speaking of Ursas…
A massive creature slumbered in the center of the cavern. In inhaled deeply, and began to stir, apparently catching Twilight’s scent. As it rose, she could see that it resembled the Ursa Minors from before. But two things set it apart from the others: first, it was colored a deep purple, rather than blue. Second was its size- an Ursa Minor could have easily stood beneath it, with room to spare. The beast reared up on its hind legs, its head brushing against the cave ceiling, and let out a deafening roar that echoed endlessly in the cavern.
Twilight knew precisely what this creature was: an Ursa Major. The mother of the brood of Ursa Minors they had encountered before.
Her eyes flashed again, and for the first time in a long while… Twilight smiled. “Yes…” she said. “You will do nicely.”
She focused, readying an ice spell- the excess magic in the air made her spell flare violently, but she was not shaken. She threw her arm forward, and the crystals hardened into a massive boulder of ice. The boulder struck the Ursa, shattering on impact… but the blow seemed to have no effect. Again, the beast roared and swung its claws at Twilight, its nails tearing through the rocky wall with ease. But Twilight held her ground, focusing her energy into another spell. And just as the bear’s claw was about to rend her flesh, she thrust her arm forward, and a massive spire of rock erupted from the ground before her. It shot upwards, and struck the beast square in the chest, piercing its skin. The Ursa let out a choking sound, and stumbled back.
Now Twilight had the initiative, she focused, and a black sphere of pure ruin formed in her hand. But suddenly, she spotted yet another Ursa Minor bounding towards her in a berserk fury. She dispersed her spell, and instead launched herself toward the new threat with another rocky spire. The Ursa Minor tried to stop itself, not expecting Twilight’s sudden attack, but it was too late- she landed on its head, and gripped firmly, before slamming her other hand into the beast’s forehead. Then, she sucked the magic out of the beast, as a leech draws blood, and the bear fell- she leapt from its already lifeless body. And with the new magic that flowed within her, she recreated her ruinous sphere, and threw it at the Ursa Major with all her might. It struck the bear’s arm, and in an instant, cracks spread across the beast’s hide, as though it were glass.
The beast roared in pain and fury. Twilight looked on, disappointed- she had hoped her spell of ruin would have shattered the beast completely. But she brushed that thought aside, and electricity arced across her arms as she readied a new spell. “A resilient one…” Twilight began, “…aren’t you?” But as she readied her spell, a thought occurred to her:
She was hidden from the world. There was no reason to restrain herself like this.
So, Twilight held out her arms, her eyes glowing brilliantly as she focused. Slowly, the Ursa Major began to rise into the air, before it was viciously slammed into the cave wall. Great rocks fell from the ceiling, shaken loose by the impact. Twilight swung her arm, and the bear flew across the cavern, and slammed into the opposite wall. The Ursa Major fell to the ground. Twilight held out her arms, and at once, all the falling stones stopped, and hung suspended in the air. Then, she brought her arms together, and the stones rocketed toward the bear like a hail of rocky missiles. The stones pelted the beast, shattering against its body and cracking its skin. It yelped in pain and fear, helpless against the onslaught.
Twilight grinned, baring her fangs for her foe to see. It felt wonderful, to wield such power again, without a care for who saw. To dominate another so completely. To be feared. But still, the Ursa Major approached, in spite of its wounds.
Her grin widened. “So you seek death,” she laughed. “Then you shall have it!”
Then Twilight drew all the magic of the cavern into herself, preparing one final, terrible spell. She was lifted into the air, and her entire body began to shine, overtaking the light of the nearby flames. So bright was she that the Ursa had no choice but to turn away. But it did not flee. For before such thoughts could enter its mind, Twilight let out a roar of her own, and a brilliant light exploded from her body.
“You’ve gotta lift him up,” Fleetfoot said. “He’th thtill out of it.”
Pinkie lifted up Flash- the gouges in his chest had stopped bleeding… but they were still very deep. And he hung between Pinkie and Fleetfoot lifelessly. “…Is Flash gonna be okay?” she asked.
“I thtopped the bleeding,” Fleetfoot replied, “but he needth a lot more work. We’ve gotta get him back to HQ, before thomething elthe happenth to him.”
Pinkie simply looked to Fleetfoot in silence, worry etched into her face.
Fleetfoot pressed her fingers against the side of Flash’s neck. “…He hath a pulthe. And he’th thtill breathing. He’th okay… for now.”
Pinkie Pie, Fleetfoot, and the rest of the two teams slowly made their way through the Whispering Woods, retracing their steps back to Cloudsdale. The group moved slowly, due to both its size, and because Fleetfoot feared that moving Flash too quickly would cause his wounds to reopen.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. The group reached for their weapons, before realizing that the rumble was not that of footsteps, but a continuous tremor- one that seemed to grow stronger with every passing second.
“What is this?” Rumble shouted. “An earthquake?”
Soarin’ looked back, and pointed. “Back there! Look at the mountain!” They looked- great shafts of light shone from the Smokey Mountain. Then, the lights disappeared, just before the mountain exploded in a brilliant flare of light.
The group stumbled, blinded by the brilliant flash. Before they could recover, a powerful gust of wind rushed over them, knocking them to the ground. There was a great cracking sound as countless trees were snapped by the force of the wind, and the earth shook as countless stones rained over the countryside.
Several moments passed. Slowly, Pinkie pushed herself to her feet. Her ears rang, and the air was choked with dust, stinging her eyes. But slowly, her hearing returned, to be met with the sound of people shouting and barking orders to one another. The trees around her had been bent backwards- some were snapped, and some had simply been ripped from the ground altogether. Then, Pinkie realized Flash wasn’t with her. She looked around, but couldn’t find him. “Flash?” she called. “Flash! Has anyone seen Flash? I can’t find him!”
“Over here!” she heard Fleetfoot call. She rushed over- Fleetfoot was already pulling Flash to his feet, his arm slung over her shoulder. “He’s alright,” Fleetfoot said, before Pinkie could say anything. “Get his other side.”
Pinkie did as Fleetfoot asked. “Um…” she began. “…what just happened?”
“Dunno,” Fire Streak replied. “I’m not sure I wanna know, either. Look at that.” He pointed to the mountain.
Through the dust, everyone could see that the entire top half of Smokey Mountain had been blown away. In its place was a smoldering crater, belching forth a rapidly-growing column of smoke. As she looked at the blasted mountainside, Pinkie Pie could only whisper, “Twilight…”
But then, a dark shadow appeared in the dust, coming away from the mountain. The group raised their weapons, but Spitfire ordered, “Stand down. It’s not a monster.”
And indeed it wasn’t. For as the shadow grew closer, they could see that it was a human- a young woman with dark purple hair, wearing a dark blue cloak. Her hair was pulled forward, obscuring her face. But in spite of that, Pinkie recognized her right away.
“Twilight!” she called. “You’re okay! I can’t believe it! I mean, there was that light, and that big explosion and then-”
“My hat.” Twilight had strode up to Pinkie and made that demand, seemingly ignorant of everything she had said.
Pinkie backed away slightly, taken aback. “What?”
She seized Pinkie’s collar. “Give me my hat.”
Cautiously, Pinkie held out Twilight’s hat- the black mage snatched it from her grip and forced it onto her head, pulling its brim low to hide her face. But for the briefest of moments, Pinkie could swear that Twilight’s eyes were glowing, with a bright green light.
Twilight looked to the others. “I expected you to be further along than this.”
Spitfire walked up to Twilight. “We’re transporting a casualty in critical condition over rough terrain. If you think you can move him faster, you’re welcome to try.”
Twilight’s expression- whatever it may have been, was hidden from view. “…I see. Then allow me to… ease your burden.” She raised her hand- at once, Flash was lifted from Fleetfoot and Pinkie’s grip by an invisible force. He was flipped onto his back, and floated to Twilight’s side. Then, she began to walk towards Cloudsdale, with Flash’s unconscious body in tow.
“Hey, hold on just a minute!” Fire Streak called. “You’re not going anywhere until you explain what the hell just happened!”
Twilight didn’t look back. She didn’t even stop walking. “I completed the mission we set out to accomplish. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Flash groaned. A light that was far too bright was being shone into his face, and he felt as if an elephant had stepped on his chest. Slowly, he opened his eyes; above him was a fluorescent light set in a ceiling of white panels.
“Hey. You’re awake.”
Flash looked to the source of the voice: a white-haired woman in a Wonderbolts uniform. Fleetfoot, he believed her name was. Then he looked down at himself- someone had taken off his jacket, and his chest was wrapped in bandages. He touched his chest, wincing from the pain. “…How long was I out for?”
“A couple hourth. You’re lucky- woundth like yourth thould’ve killed you.”
Flash laid back. “I feel like I got run over by a truck.”
“A truck would’ve done leth damage. Let’th thee…” Fleetfoot picked up a clipboard. “…Theven broken ribth. Five fractured vertebrae. A broken thcapula. A dithlocated thoulder. Fractures on your humeruth, radiuth, and ulna, along with a broken writht. A fractured hip. Minor latherations on multiple internal organth. And your thternum wath cut clean in half.” She leaned forward. “Like I thaid- it’th a miracle you aren’t dead.”
Flash heard the sound of a door swinging open, and Spitfire’s voice said, “Fleetfoot we need to talk.”
Fleetfoot looked away. “What, now? I’m with a pathient!”
“Yes, now. It’s about your conduct. Both today and in the past.”
“But-”
“My office. Now. Wait for me there.”
Fleetfoot looked away, but replied, “Underthtood, Commander.” Then she stood, and left his field of view.
With some difficulty, Flash sat up. He appeared to be in a school infirmary- no doubt the one in Cloudsdale High. He looked up to Spitfire, and asked, “How’s everyone else?”
“Slightly malnourished, but they’ll be fine,” she replied. “You got the worst of it. Fleetfoot says she’ll need a few more days to heal you completely.”
Flash sighed. “Twilight won’t be happy to hear that.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then, Spitfire said, “Listen… you and your friends have done us a tremendous service. So before you leave, if there’s anything you need from us- anything at all- we’ll be more than happy to provide it. …Within reason, of course.”
Flash sat in silent thought for several moments, before remembering something. “Well, there is one thing.” He held up his hand, and concentrated- small white flashes appeared around his fist. “Twilight told me I might be able to learn healing magic, but she can’t teach me. If it’s alright, could Fleetfoot help me with that?”
Spitfire raised an eyebrow, not expecting Flash’s request. But after a moment, she replied, “I’m sure I can make some sort of arrangement.”
Pinkie skipped happily down the Canterlot sidewalk. The sun was setting, and the great column of smoke to the west of the city had finally been blown away. Spitfire had told her and Twilight that Flash was awake now, and she hoped she could visit him before it got too late.
But as Pinkie approached Cloudsdale High, she saw Soarin’ sitting alone on the front steps. He didn’t look very happy. Most of his teammates had been celebrating throughout the city, but she’d noticed that Soarin’ himself had been absent- presumably, this is where he had been the whole time.
Pinkie approached him. “You okay?”
Soarin’ was silent for several moments before replying, “…I will be.”
She leaned forward. “Is something bugging you?”
He looked away. “I don’t think it’s the kind of problem I can be helped with.”
Pinkie sat down next to Soarin’. “Tell me about it anyway. It might help you feel better.”
“Oh, it’s nothing too serious.” He rested his arms on his knees. “Just what happens when you fall in love with a childhood friend who turns out to be a lesbian. But… these things happen. They seem to happen to me, mostly, but they do happen.”
Pinkie frowned, and sat in silence. Soarin’ was right- it wasn’t the sort of problem she could help him with. But she wasn’t about to walk away without saying anything. “Hey,” she began. “Look on the bright side. All of your teammates are okay. That’s gotta count for something, right?”
He didn’t reply. Disheartened, Pinkie stood, and began to climb the steps to the school entrance.
“Hey.” Pinkie stopped. “…What would you say if I taught you the Deathblow?” Soarin’ asked.
Pinkie turned. “…What made you change your mind?”
“You said you were leaving soon, right? I don’t know where you’re going, but if you’re still heading out even with everything that’s going on, it must mean you’re doing something important. We don’t have much here in Cloudsdale, but after everything you’ve done for us, it wouldn’t be right to see you off without giving you something. The Deathblow’s all I have to offer, so… that’s what I’m putting on the table.”
Pinkie climbed back down to Soarin’s level. “…Why me?”
“I’ve seen how you all fight. You’re all good, but you’re the only one who has the skill to pull it off.” He looked up at Pinkie. “So how about it? You game?”
Pinkie Pie rubbed her chin, thinking for a moment, before nodding. “Yeah. I’m game.”
“Just promise me something first.”
“Hmm?”
Soarin’ turned away again. “Now that Fleetfoot and the others are safe… I’m gonna be leaving Cloudsdale real soon. I’m not sure where I’m going yet, but I just need some time to clear my head. There’s no way Spitfire would ever let me leave with things the way they are now, so… don’t tell her that I’m going. She has enough to worry about as it is looking after the others.”
Now Pinkie hesitated. “Are… are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, you are Spitfire’s lieutenant.”
He looked down. “Spitfire’s strong. She’s had to do things no one else could these last couple months. She can take care of herself. She doesn’t… she doesn’t need me.”
“…There. I’ve done what I can,” Fleetfoot said, pulling Flash to his feet. “You know enough to handle the retht on your own.”
“Thanks.” Several days had passed. In that time, Fleetfoot had taught him the basics of white magic- enough at least for him to heal the few injuries he still carried.He stretched his arms, and his back- the healing sessions always made him feel stiff. “I really should be going. I’ve already taken too long.”
Flash left the infirmary and began to walk through the school to the entrance. Fleetfoot followed him, giving him advice: “Remember not to puth yourthelf too hard- you have a limited amount of magic that hath to recharge in ith own. And never touch any woundth directly. It interfereth-”
Flash cut her off as he opened the school’s front doors. “I know, I know. I’ll remember everything you told me- I promise. Now I really need to go.” He began to climb down the steps…
But Fleetfoot called to him one final time: “Hey, Flath.” He looked back. “Good luck with… whatever you guyth are gonna do.”
“Thanks. And thanks for teaching me about this magic stuff. I get a feeling we’re gonna need all the help we can get.” With that, Flash turned away once again, and climbed down the steps.
Pinkie and Twilight were already waiting for him at the bottom. “Are you all better now?” Pinkie asked.
“I’m good enough to travel, at least,” Flash replied. “I can take care of the rest on the road.”
“Good,” Twilight said. We have already spent too much time here as it is. We cannot linger any longer.”
So the three set out, toward the gate on the northern end of the city. Pinkie began to walk down the road, but before he could follow, Twilight grabbed Flash’s arm and pulled him close. “Your detour may have brought a measure of peace to this city- for a time,” she muttered, “but how long do you believe that will last? And what worth are a few lives, as compared to the survival of the world?”
He glared, pulling his arm from Twilight’s grasp. “Just because the world is ending, it’s not an excuse to stop helping people.”
“Your idealism would be admirable,” she began, “if it were not so grossly misplaced.” She resumed walking. “But worry not. The weight of this world will crush such thoughts from you soon enough.” Then Twilight walked away, past Pinkie- who had stopped when she noticed her companions were not following- and continued down the road, alone.
Pinkie approached Flash. “What was that all about?”
Flash didn’t follow Twilight, and he didn’t answer Pinkie either. He merely crossed his arms and looked on after Twilight, before saying to Pinkie, “...I don’t like this Twilight.”
Pinkie didn’t reply. Normally, she would have defended Twilight, saying there was no way to know what she had been through before they had met her. But after what happened at the Smokey Mountain, she wasn’t so sure. She couldn’t put her finger on what just yet, but she could feel that there was something about this world’s Twilight.
Something… wrong.