Reddux the Tyrant
Chapter XVI
In The Skies
Fancy groaned as he felt something tugging on his ear. He flicked it a few times, rubbed his eyes and yawned. Peering through the darkness, he looked up to find Private Sundae kneeling beside his pile of blankets. “Private,” he grumbled. “How long was I out?”
“I’m not sure,” Frosty replied, chewing her lip. “Longer than you wanted. Colonel Mander said you should be allowed to sleep a few more hours.”
He stretched, the muscles in his back popping loudly, then sat up. “He knows we don’t have that much time. You should have woken me earlier.”
“Captain Feathers said you’d say that.” Frosty offered a weak smile. “They pulled rank on ya, Fancy. I don’t blame them; you’ve been working too hard for too long.”
He sighed and shifted his shoulders around. The right one gave a loud pop, but the left one refused to let go of its knots. He rubbed it with a hoof and grimaced. “How’s the setup going?”
“Here, let me.” Frosty moved behind him and began massaging his shoulder. “The Redwings are finished with the cloud, and we’ve been training for several hours. There have been a few close calls, but no accidents. The colonel has us working in rotating groups so that some soldiers are always at rest. The unicorns have all but mastered that spell you taught them.”
“Good.” He let out a small moan as his shoulder finally popped. “You’re surprisingly good at that.”
She chuckled. “That’s what my coltfriend used to say.”
He smiled and stepped away, taking a moment to stretch again. “I won’t tell him if you won’t.”
“Such a player.” Frosty rolled her eyes with a smile. “Anyway, the colonel thought it was finally time to wake you.” She lit her horn and pointed to a plate of bread on a table nearby. “Breakfast?”
Fancy considered skipping the meal, but his rumbling stomach make a pretty solid argument. He stood and took the bread in his magic. “Walk and talk; I want to take a look around and… is there butter on this?”
“They found it in a pantry upstairs.” Frosty’s expression grew dark. “Along with a few other things. That bastard commander was living like a prince up there. Speaking of which, there’s something you need to see.”
A bite of the bread made Fancy’s eyes roll back. “Wow. I spent most of my life in the lap of luxury, and only now do I understand just how good butter is.”
“That’s what happens when you go without for a while.” Frosty led him out of the storage room, which Fancy had chosen due to its lack of windows. They stepped into the large waiting room in the center of the tower, the air still cool and pleasant from the lingering enchantments. The area was filled with sleeping or resting soldiers; they produced a rather nasty smell of sweat and grit, but it was a small price to pay for escaping the burning sun. Those soldiers that were awake immediately sat up and snapped a salute at his passing, which he lightly returned.
Frosty turned for the nearby stairs. “This way.”
Fancy raised an eyebrow and glanced at the exit, but followed. “What’s this all about?”
“You’ll see.”
They climbed up the circling stairwell, passing several familiar doors. Fancy wondered if they were going to the commander’s office to see Whinnie, but instead Frosty entered a door a floor below the appropriate level. They walked through a short hall and stopped at a simple wooden door, indistinguishable from those around it.
Frosty pressed a hoof to the door, but paused and turned to Fancy. “When searching the keep, they found that this door was locked and magically sealed. It took five unicorns working together to undo the magic. Whinnie claims to know nothing about this, but nopony trusts her in that regard.”
Fancy looked to the door, then back at Frosty. Though she was calm, there was a distinct tension in her stance and her breathing was slow. “So… what’s in there?”
Without a word, she pushed the door open and stood aside. Fancy stared at her, but finally approached the room. The windowless area was dark and hot; too hot. It felt like a sauna. Fancy knew enough about thermodynamics to know that this had to be a magically-enhanced heat. He stepped deeper inside and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
After a few seconds, he began to understand his surroundings. The room appeared empty and abandoned; no furniture, no other doorways, not even brackets for torches. Only one thing existed in this dark place, a trio of round objects near the center of the room. Fancy cocked his head and approached them, lighting his horn. What he saw made his jaw drop.
Eggs. Three of them, colorful and innocuous and each bigger than a foal. Fancy sucked down a shuddering breath and reached out to touch the nearest one, which was bright gold. The shell was hot, almost enough to burn. Slowly, he turned to find Frosty standing at the edge of the light’s range. “W-what in the name of Celestia are dragon eggs doing here?”
Frosty, expression grim, shook her head. “Nopony knows, and Whinnie’s not saying anything. Captain Feathers thinks they were planted here to frame Equestria for stealing them.”
“That… makes sense.” Fancy turned back to observe the eggs. The dryness of his throat had nothing to do with the heat. “Actually, that would explain a lot.”
“Colonel Mander disagrees,” Frosty added, sitting next to him. “He thinks the commander may have actually been smuggling them for alchemists. It would explain why some ponies have been reported disappearing in the Badlands.”
A shiver ran down Fancy’s neck. “That just makes it worse. Goddess, Private, if this is why the dragons are attacking…”
“Then their anger is legitimate and justified,” she concluded when words failed him.
He gave her a wide-eyed look. “Has this information been sent to Estéril Pezuñas?”
“We can’t,” Frosty replied. “The colonel refuses to spare a single soldier until the black dragon is defeated.”
Fancy scowled and turned from the eggs. “This is unforgiveable. How can anypony be so cruel? I don’t blame the dragons for being furious. We’ll have to find a way to communicate this discovery to them; maybe it can lead to peace if we show that we are willing to search Equestria for other missing eggs.”
Frosty’s eyebrows rose as she followed him out of the room. “You think there are more?”
“There are plenty of places where an egg thief can slip through to Equestria.” He let out a low growl. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some in Estéril Pezuñas itself. By Celestia’s multi-hued mane, what if they managed to smuggle some eggs into Canterlot?”
“I hope you’re not thinking about appealing to that black dragon.” Frosty shivered as they passed into the cool hallway once more. “There’s not a soul in Guardia del Este that wants to do that. Captain Feathers would be furious.”
“No.” Fancy closed the door, gently. “No, it’s one of Reddux’s subordinates. I don’t think Reddux or his two pals can be convinced, and I wouldn’t want peace with those three bastards even if it was offered. I just hope we can keep these eggs safe when the time comes; I’d never forgive myself if we let these children never see the light of day.”
As they trotted for the exit, Frosty asked, “Do you really think this plan of yours will work?”
“I believe it’s our only chance.” He spoke with a firmness he wasn’t accustomed to hearing from his own mouth. “Even if it works, we won’t win easily.”
“That doesn’t matter. The soldiers are ready to die. For revenge, for the honor of their comrades…” Frosty chuckled. “Heck, even for the Hero of Sueño.”
Fancy snorted and began to descend the stairwell. “As soon as this is over, I’m going to do everything I can to get rid of that stupid title.”
“Fancy.”
He blinked and came to a stop. Upon turning around, he found Frosty still standing at the top of the stairs. What really gave him pause, however, was her warm smile. “Uh… yes?”
Frosty chewed her lip and brushed her blonde fringe aside. “I know you don’t like it, but if we win today, you really will be a hero. You know that, right?”
He blinked again, then felt his stomach twist. “I… didn’t even think of that.”
She pawed the floor and wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Sometimes I feel like you’re not soldier material. You’re too nice. You’re a hard worker and all that, and you’ve been really impressive these last few… well, I guess they’ve been days. Even so, I think you belong in a city rather than the front lines.”
At that he chuckled. “You’re probably right.”
“That’s why I have to know. I asked you once, and you refused to answer. I don’t blame you, and you can refuse again, but…” She gazed down at him, eyes imploring. “Why are you here?”
He considered the question, and her. Closing his eyes, he recalled so many things that led to this moment: feelings of worthlessness at the family manor back in Canterlot, fights with his father, signing his name to a piece of paper in a recruiting office, watching the sun rise over the ocean, the flames and screams and scent of burnt flesh. Then, sitting in his dim room, hunched over a desk and scratching a heartfelt apology to his parents and accepting, for the first time in his life, the possibility that he might not see them again.
And then, his vision was filled with the image of a beautiful face before a multi-hued mane.
“I have a lot of reasons,” he finally whispered, smiling up at Frosty. “My father, who refused to let me come; my mother, who I promised to see again; my friends, who died on that island so I could be here; my princess, who I will defend at any cost. Even those eggs, which deserve a chance at life. I suppose, when it all comes down to it, I’m here because I have to be.”
Frosty stared at him for some time, then regained her warm smile. “You really are a good guy, aren’t you?”
He blushed and rubbed the back of his head. “Well, I try to be.”
“There’s nothing you can do about it now.” Frosty trotted past him with her head held high. “You’re destined to be a hero. No matter what happens here, they’re going to be singing your name for centuries.”
He let out a groan and followed. “Fine, go ahead and torture me. I get enough of that from when—”
A loud bang echoed up the stairwell, making them both pause. A lightly-armored mare came galloping up the steps. Upon spotting them, she stumbled to a halt. “F-First Lieutenant! The Black Demon, it’s coming!”
Fancy bolted as soon as the word ‘black’ hit his ears. “Everypony to stations, now! Every hoof, every wing, every horn!” The walls flew by in a blur, his heartbeat louder than his pounding hooves. When he burst into the room at the bottom of the stairs he found the soldiers hurrying to strap on their armor. Fancy made straight for the exit, not concerned by his own lack of protection.
“Fancy!” Private Sundae was right on his tail. “Are you sure you don’t want to wear any armor for this?”
“It’s not gonna matter,” he shouted back. The doors were already opened, a quartet of guards standing with spears at the ready. Fancy didn’t have to say a word; one of the guards spotted him coming and immediately tossed his spear. Fancy caught it and emerged into the glaring sunlight. “Positions, everypony!”
He looked up and saw the Redwings already descending from the cloud, which was now stretched thin miles above the keep. He came to a stop and examined the scene; to his grim satisfaction, there wasn’t a panicked face in the courtyard. The unicorns and some earth ponies were already set in a group of two circles, and those earth ponies not among them were making for the doors of the keep and walls. He saw fear, but he also saw determination.
They were ready for this fight.
Captain Feathers appeared in the sky above them. “Fifth squadron, to me! We’ll keep the beast distracted and buy some time!” Five more pegasi joined her as she flew south, a round of cheers and stomps rising in the air as she disappeared over the wall.
“Fancy.” Colonel Mander trotted up to him, expression stern. He raised his hoof, which Fancy bumped. “I don’t know if this idea of yours is crazy or brilliant, so I’m settling for both.”
Despite the butterflies in his stomach, Fancy managed a smile. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
The colonel’s lips twitched upwards. “Don’t get killed, First Lieutenant. Mares prefer heroes over martyrs. Now get into position!”
“Make sure you follow your own advice,” Fancy shouted as he made for the nearest group of ponies. A deafening roar made everypony flinch as he got to them. The pegasi were already lifting the other group into the air. When Fancy and Frosty joined the circle the entire group let out a combined shout. All eyes were on Fancy, and he had to fight the urge to stare at his hooves.
Frosty bumped his shoulder. “Maybe you should say something?”
He raised an eyebrow her way, then looked around at all the expectant faces. Another roar made everypony jump. He wondered what Long Lance would have said in this situation. The answer came to mind almost immediately, and it even made him smile. “Anypony here know how to skin a lizard? I think my mom could use a new dragon skin purse.” A round of chuckles ran through the group, prompting him to add, “Moms, marefriends, coltfriends, heck, I bet they’d all like one, don’t you?”
The soldiers laughed a bit more freely. One of two cheered.
Fancy threw back his head. “Alright, dragon purses for everypony!”
Ponies stomped and cheered just as the Redwings appeared overhead. The pegasi began lifting the soldiers off the ground by the shoulders. A few required two pegasi to lift them due to their heft. Fancy reared back and let a pair of Redwings grab him, and within seconds he was flying over the keep. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to ignore how his stomach churned from the sudden lift.
Another bellow from the dragon drew his eyes south. The black beast, hovering far from the keep, waved his massive arms in a struggle to swat Captain Feathers and her small squadron out of the sky. Fancy gritted his teeth as a blast of flame consumed two of the pegasi; they were too far away for him to tell who they were. He kept a close watch on the scene, chewing his lip in anticipation of another pegasus going down. A second later, his vision was obscured by the white veil of the cloud.
It didn’t take long to rise above the white plain, and as soon as he did a unicorn galloped to him, her horn shining brightly. She focused on him for a brief time before nodding, and the pegasi promptly dropped him. Fancy felt his heart hit his throat, but his hooves touched the soft clouds as if they were ground. The unicorn was already running to the next pony.
Fancy sat and shivered in the cool air. Even with the sun beating down, at this height there wasn’t much heat. He remembered Oak’s lecture on high altitude air quality and breathed slowly so his heart could calm down. When next he looked up, the pegasi were all diving once more, leaving around forty earth ponies and unicorns atop the cloud.
Frosty trotted up to him, her spear shaking in her telekinetic grasp. “N-now comes the hard part, right?”
“Hard?” He chuckled weakly. “There’s nothing hard about falling.”
“Easy for you to say.” She winced as the dragon let out another roar. “Y-you know, my coltfriend always said he’d give me Elysium if he could. He’s gonna be p-pretty upset that somepony else got me there first.”
“Well then, he’ll just have to get you even higher.” Fancy looked out at the soldiers. “Don’t worry, everypony! Trust in the Redwings. They’ll take care of us.” He turned to Frosty. “Better get into position, Private.”
“Yes, sir.” She hesitated, her eyes on the clouds. “Fancy, in case something does happen…”
He forced his face into what he hoped was a confident expression. “It won’t.”
“If it does…” She gave him a weak smile. “I just wanted you to know that I’m proud to have been here with you.” She trotted away, leaving him to stare after her. He felt his chest swelling and wondered about the sensation.
The dragon’s roar came from much closer this time, jarring him from his reverie. “Alright, everypony!” He turned to face the cloud, his spear aimed down. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. Let’s teach this dragon that you don’t need wings to rule the skies!”
There was another resounding cheer, and then everypony mimicked his pose. They were spread out in a wide area, no pony more than five feet from another. The unicorns, Fancy included, prepped their spells and focused on the earth pony in front of them, just as planned.
Silence reigned. Fancy could hear his own heart hammering against his chest, and despite the cold he felt sweat beading on his brow. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the others in a similar condition, their faces set in angry determination. His horn sparked and he longed to release the spell. Time passed, punctuated by the occasional bellow of the beast below.
He jumped as the dragon’s voice rose up through the cloud. “Is this all you have for me? At least make it a challenge!”
Everypony tensed. “Hold steady, all of you.” Fancy didn’t know why he spoke so quietly.
“Yes! Flee! Hide in the clouds! They will not save you.”
“This is it!” Fancy grit his teeth and lowered himself, legs spread in preparation. He let out short gasps, his jaw hanging open and his legs taught. The spear shook in his magic, the tip making the cloud at his hooves distort. He swallowed and prayed to his beloved Celestia that the pegasi would hit their positions. Goddess, let them hit their positions and timing!
The first pegasus burst through the cloud in a blur, followed by another, then more. A wave of colors shattered the cloud, and spells began to fly. Fancy barely heard his shout – “Now!” – amid the cries. Unicorns and earth ponies alike began to drop as the cloudwalking spells were canceled en mass, and Fancy felt his own hooves fall from under him.
The white faded, and in its place was black. Lots of black, with thick scales and sharp teeth. For a terrifying moment, Fancy was back at Sueño, watching as this great fanged monster crushed a pair of ponies against a cliff and laughed. It jolted Fancy’s heart more than the sensation of falling, more than the sight of the ground thousands of feet below him. Those hideous blue eyes bore into his soul and made him feel like a little colt desperate for his mother’s comforting embrace.
Then, just as fast as it had come, the sensation left. Fancy wasn’t at Sueño, he was in the skies above Guardia del Este… and this time it was the dragon that was under threat. It had been flying up to catch the pegasi – as expected – but upon seeing the wall of ponies dropping from the clouds it’s eyes shot open. More importantly, it’s wings shot open.
Fancy let out a scream, his horn sparking as diamond after diamond flew from it and the horn of every other unicorn in the sky. The beast saw this and grinned, the barrage cracking harmlessly against his scales. They weren’t so useless against the dragon’s wings; the rain of crystals ripped through the thin membrane, leaving gaping holes in their wake.
The dragon flapped wildly, fighting to slow its ascent, but the ponies fell upon it like a chromatic rain of crystals, spears and bodies. It swiped a claw through the air, sending shrieking ponies flying wildly. A gale of air flew into its expanding chest, but it was too late; most of the ponies were on or past the dragon, and its torrent of fire only caught a couple unfortunate souls.
Fancy’s legs were tucked beneath his barrel, just as Oak had instructed, and he darted through the sky. He glanced aside and cringed as Frosty landed hard on the dragon’s back, her spear shattering uselessly against its scales. Before he could think on her, the torn right wing of the dragon flew at his face! He shouted and aimed his spear forward as the leathery material rose up to meet him in a mighty flap.
He’d expected to hear a rip; what he got sounded much softer. The spear punctured the wing, and when Fancy struck his body tore right through. The impact sent him spinning wildly, the world a chaotic mess of sky and ground. He saw the keep for a fraction of a second, then the dragon, then heard the roar, then he lost his lunch. Fancy closed his eyes and pictured Celestia’s face. He prayed to that perfect visage that his trust in the Redwings hadn’t been misplaced.
The dragon roared again, but with the spinning Fancy was at a loss as to its direction. He focused on keeping his jaw clenched and his prayers fast. He prayed for his parents, he prayed for his comrades, he prayed for the souls of Long Lance and Blistering Sparks, he prayed to simply survive.
Still he fell.
And fell.
And fell some more.
Fancy was just about to start whispering the Prayer for the Goddess’s Mercy when something slammed into him. He gasped and opened his eyes to find his muzzle pressed against an orange chest. He looked up and let the air burst from his lungs. “Oak!”
“Hold on,” she cried, “this is gonna hurt!”
Fancy looked over his shoulder just in time to see the top of the fort’s walls rushing to meet them. He tucked his legs in and braced himself as they hit the stones at an angle, the two ponies tumbling and skipping across the top of the wall. Fancy’s world was burning pain, but at last he came to a stop on his back. He stared up at the sky, breath coming in short gasps. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was, in fact, alive.
A roar the sound of thunder snapped him out of his reverie. He turned his head in time to see the dragon tumbling from the sky, its wings shredded and useless. The beast shrieked its fury as it dropped like a stone directly for the fort. The sky was filled with ponies being picked up by pegasi, but there didn’t seem to be near enough to catch them all; Fancy’s ears were filled with screams.
Fancy jumped to his hooves and nearly fell once more at the pain in his side. He spotted Oak struggling to her hooves beneath one of the crenellations and stumbled towards her. “Come on, Captain, you’re not allowed to die, remember?”
“I don’t think you get much say in that,” she mumbled. One of her back legs hung uselessly and she leaned heavily on Fancy. The two limped as quickly as they could, but the shadow of the dragon loomed over them. Fancy looked up to see the beast plummeting directly towards them!
“Crap, crap, crap, crap crap crap crapcrapcrapcrap!”
The air exploded as the dragon released one last, mighty roar before smashing chest-first into the wall just behind them, sending massive chunks of brick and mortar skyrocketing. Fancy and Oak were sent flying once again, Fancy landing on his side with a grunt. Dust filled into the air and obscured everything like a dense fog.
The world was silent and everything was grey. Fancy sat up, cringing at the sting in his side, and looked around. With the pale dust obscuring his vision and dimming the sun, he felt almost as if he’d fallen into some kind of surreal universe of ghosts and dust. Not a sound penetrated the drifting particles.
Slowly, the dust settled and the sun shined once more. Fancy coughed and shook the ash-like substance from his mane; when he next opened his eyes, he was gazing upon the scaled hind leg of the dragon, as wide as a tree and stretched out at an uncomfortable-looking angle. He sucked in a sharp breath and stepped back, but the leg didn’t move.
The beating of wings caught his attention just as Captain Feathers landing beside him, stumbling on her broken hind leg. “Is it dead?”
Fancy swallowed and didn’t answer. His gaze went to the keep; the west side of the building had collapsed and sported black stains. He moved closer to the side of the wall and looked down to see the dragon. It lay with its lower body atop the shattered wall, but its chest was down in the courtyard in a large depression, surrounded by broken stone and masonry. Its head rested on its chin, facing the keep. Its eyes were closed.
Bodies sporadically littered the courtyard. Even so, many more of the cloud-based defenders began to land safely with their pegasi carriers. None of them dared to approach the dragon. Earth ponies peered out of the doors and windows of the keep, but they too refused to approach. Finally, Colonel Mander appeared from the keep, waving for the others to stay hidden. When Fancy opened his mouth to speak, the colonel silenced him with a firm motion.
Slowly, quietly, the colonel approached the head of the beast. He held his spear to his shoulder, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. All eyes were fixed on him as he took one step, another, and another, each motion cautious and measured. Not a single pony dared to speak. Fancy realized he was holding his breath.
Colonel Mander finally reached the dragon. He stood right next to the beast’s face and leaned in. His ears perked, he cocked his head, he leveled his spear. The world waited.
The dragon’s eye opened, its slim pupil focused directly on the colonel.
Colonel Mander let out a vicious roar and thrust his spear directly into the eye. Blood spurted from the wound and the dragon let out a bellow. Before Fancy could blink, its head whipped about, smashing into the colonel and sending him flying across the courtyard. Screams of fury erupted from the walls and the keep; the hidden soldiers poured out and assaulted the dragon like ants, leaping atop it with wild abandon.
The spear still lodged in its eye, the dragon lifted itself up and started swiping at the ponies with its claws, easily knocking them away. After only two swings, however, it doubled over and clutched at its chest. Its breathing came out ragged as it hissed, “Bugs! I will burn you, I will burn all of you!” It began to suck in air, but after only a second it began coughing and sputtering, gripping its chest in both claws.
Fancy backed away, his mind frantic for a solution. He jumped as the dragon’s tail began to slide towards him over the wall. He saw Oak ascend clumsily, but she couldn’t get to him in time. Fancy jumped as high as his sore legs would allow, but there was no chance he’d make it over; the tail smacked into him and sent him careering through the air. Oak caught him by the shoulders just before he tumbled over the edge of the wall. He was far too heavy for her, though, and she was forced to drop him painfully on the wall.
“Aurora!” The dragon’s shrieks shook the stonework. “Aurora! Aurora! You will all die in her name, you filthy parasites!”
Fancy looked up to find the dragon covered in ponies that stabbed and prodded and slashed at his scales. He swept them off easily enough, but the soldiers kept coming and he was incapable of dealing with all of them. Fancy’s stomach churned as the dragon slapped an open claw against its thigh, crushing a trio of ponies that had been climbing its scales. The dragon’s head shook violently, sending soldiers screaming into the air; only a couple were caught by pegasi. The Redwings buzzed around the dragon like a small swarm of angry bees, deftly dodging its claws and jaws.
Oak hovered at Fancy’s side, her expression grim. “We might outnumber him, but it won’t amount for anything if we can’t pierce his hide!”
Fancy’s mind worked frantically. He winced as the dragon’s tail whipped around to send dozens of ponies flying. Its claws worked frantically to brush off those that continued to crawl along its body, and he felt his stomach drop as a couple pegasi shrieked, their bodies and limbs caught by the dragon’s glistening fangs. Beating its ruined wings, the dragon managed to produce enough wind to sweep back some of the lighter ponies.
With every death, every scream, every splattering of blood, Fancy felt his own boil. He bared his teeth and tensed his muscles, silently cursing his monster that caused so much death. He remembered Long Lance and Blistering Sparks, recalled the bodies floating in the waves, heard the beast’s laughter. The combination left him trembling and his breath coming in gasps.
The dragon tried to rear back and suck in another breath. Again, it failed, only managing to spit out a thin, useless stream of flame before hunching down and clutching its chest once more. “Vermin.” It spat blood. “You won’t kill me that easily. Aurora will see you all in Tartarus!”
That was when Fancy saw it once more: Colonel Mander’s spear, still firmly lodged within the beast’s eye. He turned to Oak. “I’m going to need a boost.”
“A wha—hey! Where are you going?!”
Fancy galloped as fast as his aching legs could carry him along the wall. His horn flashed and a crystal darted from it, zipping harmlessly past the dragon’s face. He shot several more as the beast’s attention turned to him. “Come for me, Black Demon,” he screamed. “You couldn’t kill me at Sueño, you won’t kill me here!”
The dragon took a moment to brush ponies from its shoulder, then peered at him with its good eye. It widened in recognition. “A survivor?” It’s fangs glistened as it emitted a vicious hiss. “I know you, pony! You won’t escape my fangs again!”
The dragon shook its entire body with enough force to knock away the few ponies remaining, then lurched for Fancy. It limped, but its lone blue eye was set upon him with vicious intent. A low rumble filled the air as its claws pulled at the wall and smoke billowed from its open jaws. Fancy didn’t hesitate; his hooves pounded against the stones almost as loudly as his heart pounded in his ears. He kept his eyes locked with that of the dragon, steam snorting from his nostrils with every breath.
Time seemed to slow down as understanding dawned upon him: he might be about to die.
One step.
He saw his father and mother smiling down at him.
Two steps.
Sparks and Lance were at a table, Sparks rubbing Fancy’s ribs as they all laughed.
The dragon’s lips turned up in an ominous smile.
Three steps.
Oak Feathers sat by the road, smiling as she spoke of her daughter.
Four steps.
Colonel Mander pressed a threatening hoof under his chin.
The dragon’s neck coiled to strike.
Five steps.
He held Fleur close, wishing he could do more for her.
Six steps.
Celestia smiled down at him, her very presence filling him with a warm glow.
The dragon’s maw opened wide.
Fancy had no regrets.
Putting all the strength he had in his hind legs, Fancy leapt. The dragon’s head snapped forward with a snarl, and Fancy knew he’d not escape those fangs… until Oak’s orange hooves caught him from behind and propelled him upwards. Fancy was released and soared high just as he heard the clamp of jaws and a resounding scream.
Time sped back up. Fancy’s path crested and he dropped back down, right at the dragon’s face. He turned his shoulder to the monster and let out a primal scream as the beast’s lone eye followed his path.
He smashed shoulder-first into the exposed spear shaft, driving it deep.
The dragon’s good eye bulged. Its gasp was like a thunderclap. It collapsed instantly, sliding forward from its own momentum, and Fancy tumbled haphazardly along its scaled back. He made no attempt to stop himself, and a few seconds later he was rolling on the ground once more, coming to a stop on his side.
Fancy didn’t move. Bells rang in his ears, his entire body ached, his heart practically vibrated in his chest. He stared uncomprehending at the back of the dragon, now lying limp amongst the stone debris and rising dust. Everything seemed perfectly still.
A pony was standing over him. Then another, and another. One bent down to feel at his chest, her mouth moving but no sound reaching his ears. Then everything came back, and he let out a sharp gasp.
“—to be okay, sir. You’re fine, you hear me?”
Fancy sat up with a jerk, and the ponies all pulled back. He sucked in a few sharp breaths, then slowly turned to look at the dragon. It still wouldn’t move.
“You did it, pretty colt.” Fancy looked over his bruised shoulder to find Colonel Mander limping towards him. Blood smeared the colonel’s side and neck and one of his forelegs was badly twisted, but he was still smiling. “You crazy, suicidal son of a hydra, you actually did it.”
“I… I did?”
“Yep.” With a grimace, the colonel managed to sit next to him. “You’re one hell of a soldier, Fancy.”
Fancy looked around at all the ponies now surrounding him. They were battered and bleeding, but they were still there, and every last one watched him with somber expressions and proud poses. Even so, there were far too many faces he didn’t see.
“Where’s Captain Feathers?”
The ponies all shared uncertain looks. Fancy climbed to his shaky hooves. “W-where is she?” They parted for him as he made for the wall. It didn’t take him long to spot the captain: she lay against the bottom of the wall, surrounded by four ponies who appeared to be working frantically. Fancy forced his tired legs into a trot.
She saw him coming and managed a grimacing smile. “W-well, if it ain’t the d-dragonslayer himself.”
Fancy hesitated, then looked over one of the medic’s shoulders. His stomach bottomed out when he saw the missing hind legs. “Oh… Oak, I…”
Oak managed a pained chuckle. “I’m the one that f-fed a dragon it’s last meal, and you’re the one t-turning green.” She sucked in a sharp breath and cringed.
His stomach cutting flips, Fancy looked to the chief medic, who caught his eye and nodded. He sighed and knelt beside Oak. “You’re gonna be fine, Captain.”
“Of course I’m gonna be fine.” Oak let out a hiss as one of the medics poured something over her bleeding stumps. “Don’t need l-legs to fly, do I?”
“Thanks, Oak.” Fancy gripped her hoof in his. “If you’d not shown up, I’d be dragon food.”
“Y-you said you needed a boost.” She let out a weak cry and clutched his hoof. “I gave it, th-that’s all.”
“Your girl is gonna be proud of you, y’know that, right?”
“Oh, stop trying to be sappy.” Another hiss slipped through her clenched teeth, tears sliding down her cheeks. She took a moment to recover her breath before looking up at Fancy. “Thanks, Fancy. Thanks for bringing that bastard down.”
He smiled and nodded. “Couldn’t have done it without you, Captain.”
“You’re bucking right.”
They shared a weak chuckle, but then she released his hoof. “You go on, Fancy. Admire your trophy, see if you can find a taxidermist, whatever. I think these guys need you out of the way.”
“Okay.” He stepped back with a broad smile. “When this is over, I expect to meet your daughter.”
“She might be a little y-young for you.” Oak winced but didn’t lose her smile. “Then again, I bet she’d love to meet the Dragonslayer of Sueño.”
He sighed and rolled his eyes. “One more title I gotta live with. Thanks again, Captain; next time I’ll take the fangs.”
“Please do.” She waved at him. “Now g-go on, git! I don’t like ponies fussing over me. I’m gonna get enough of that from m-my husband.”
As he turned away, Fancy found the colonel watching him at a distance. He approached the stallion and sat beside him. The two gazed at the deceased dragon, its body looming high over their heads. The rest of the soldiers were now either resting or hurrying to help the wounded, leaving them alone.
“So,” Fancy said, “what’s next?”
Colonel Mander took a moment to rub his blood-stained neck with a grimace. “We leave. There’s no way we’ll be able to pull something like this off a second time. We probably lost a full third of the ponies we had.”
“A retreat?” Fancy sighed and cast his gaze to the bodies still left unattended. “Back to Estéril Pezuñas?”
“Anything else would be suicide.”
Fancy nodded and gradually lowered to rest on his barrel, wincing at his sore muscles. “I guess there’s no other option. We’ll need to get the eggs in the keep, we may be able to use them to broker a peace.”
“The dragons might just listen,” the colonel said. “After all, we just proved they aren’t immortal.”
Fancy shifted and stared at his hooves. “I’m more interested in proving we aren’t kidnapping and crushing their eggs.”
Colonel Mander gave him a curious look. “Are you so sure we’re not?”
“No, and that’s what scares me.”
Seconds passed in silence. At some point Fancy felt the air slowly leaving him, as if he were a balloon that had been punctured. His shoulders sagged and his chin touched the ground as the overwhelming comprehension finally struck him: they’d won. He’d stared in death’s scaley face and killed a dragon. His entire body began to tremble as a cold wave of euphoria came over him.
“Colonel?
“Hmm?”
“If I ever get it in my head to d-do something like that again, I want you to kick me.”
The colonel chuckled. “You got it.”
Fancy felt a grin coming to his lips. For the first time in what felt like weeks, he relaxed.
Their ears perked to the sound of shouting. They turned to look back at the crumbled wall of the keep, where a group of ponies were rapidly gathering. Fancy and Colonel Mander shared curious looks before getting up and approaching, the colonel leaning on Fancy for support.
One of the Redwings spotted them coming. “Colonel, First Lieutenant! You’re gonna want to see this.”
“Well, get the hay outta the way,” the colonel growled, and the group obediently made room.
There was a pony lying beneath the rubble, and Fancy soon realized it was Whinnie. H could only assume that she fell from the keep when the dragon had attacked it. She was a mess, one leg crushed beneath a massive chunk of stonework and blood seeping from various wounds in her body. Right away, he noticed what had everypony’s attention: her blood was green. He gaped at the sight, trying to process what it meant.
Whinnie heaved a shuddering breath and opened her eyes. She stared up at him for a few seconds, then offered a toothy smile. “W-well, looks like your plan worked after all.”
Fancy swallowed the lump in his throat. “Whinnie, what is—”
“Don’t call m-me that,” she hissed, blood oozing out her mouth. “I hate that n-name.” She smiled again and closed her eyes. Her horn sparked.
Fancy reached forward, but he was pulled back by the colonel. Whinnie’s body erupted in green flame, and Fancy felt his heart hit his throat at the pyromantic display. Soon a black creature lay in Whinnie’s place. The creature coughed and gazed up at him with big, blue eyes.
“You look surprised.” Whinnie grinned through the blood. “We had you completely fooled, d-didn’t we?”
“We?” Fancy took a step back, eyes wide. “You mean there are more of you?”
“The commander,” Colonel Mander growled. “He’s a changeling too, isn’t he?”
The changeling heaved a weak chuckle. “Is that what y-you expect? For me to spill everything? S-simpletons, no wonder you were s-so easy to manipulate.”
“You little—”
Fancy raised his leg before the colonel, who shot him a scowl. He observed the changeling, his heart heavy at the sight of it. “Is there anything we can do for you?”
The changeling spat at him, missing by a wide margin. “Don’t pre… pretend you care, pony. Soon you will all b-be bowing to the glorious Q-Queen Chrysalis.” Her body spasmed for a couple seconds and she moaned.
Fancy knelt down next to the changeling and leaned in close, looking directly into her eyes. “Can we help you?”
It considered him, then began to hack. It managed to wheeze a pitiful “No.”
“Understood.” Fancy reached down to hold the changeling’s free hoof. “If you have anything to say, now’s the time.”
The changeling sneered, but then its face softened. After a moment’s consideration, it gripped Fancy’s hoof. “My n-name is… is Riodin Edea and… and I love the hive. When y-you… you ponies kill our k-kind, remember that we… we fight for the same reason.”
Fancy held her hoof tightly. “And what reason is that, Riodin Edea?”
She let out a long, slow breath. Her eyes focused on something far over Fancy’s shoulder. A smile drifted to her lips.
“Home.”
Her grip failed, her body fell limp. A second later, her eyes dimmed.
Fancy set her hoof down and stepped back, his heart heavy. “That’s a good reason.”
Colonel Mander hadn’t lost his scowl. “This changes everything. To think that changelings were involved all this time. Now it’s more urgent than ever we get back to the castle.”
“You’re right,” Fancy whispered, his gaze still set on the changeling. “We’ll grant enough time to check the wounded and rest, then we’ll march. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
Fancy stood there for some time, even after the others left. He couldn’t bring himself to stop looking at Riodin. Never in his life had he ever expected to see a changeling, and now that he had… it hadn’t gone at all like the stories. Changelings were supposed to be monsters, weren’t they? Whinnie had deceived them all, and was probably at least partially responsible for Commander Dune’s nonsensical orders. It could be that hundreds of ponies had died because of her, and those were just the ones he knew about.
So why couldn’t he look at her as a monster?
Home. Was it really that simple? The idea reminded him of—
Fancy’s heart slammed into his throat. He turned around and gazed at the ponies. He took them all in, his eyes dancing from one to another and another in search of a pink coat and blonde mane. Such a combination was nowhere to be seen.
“Where… Where’s Private Sundae?”