//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - Departure // Story: Equestria Exiled // by AndrewRogue //------------------------------// Octavia stretched out on the couch, resting her head on one of the multitude of pillows that Vinyl had collected in the rec room over the past few days. Getting up and tuning her cello would be the appropriate way to spend her time, but... “Okay, this part? Seriously great.” Vinyl said, nudging her and pointing at the screen. “I’m not kidding! Pay attention, ‘cause this was the best scene in the run!” Octavia smiled and refocused on the screen as one of the ponies – Matterhorn, if she remembered the impromptu lecture Vinyl had given correctly – launched into a soliloquy while using her magic to coat the room around her in ice as a bomb sat on the floor and ticked ominously. “So what if I die here? Sometimes protecting the ponies we care about means paying the ultimate price! And you know what? I’m fine with that! Our legacy is the memory we leave behind and the feelings that we etch into the hearts of other ponies! No matter what happens, my spirit will live on through everypony who believed in me!“ The bomb politely waited until the end of her speech to detonate, the ice walls containing the brunt of the blast. Unfortunately, that probably did not do much for the unlucky Matterhorn. “That speech gets me everytime,” Vinyl said with a faux sniffle. “Of course, she comes back in the third run, so it kinda reduces the impact of the whole heroic death thing, but hey. Still cool. And the group’s chemistry kinda sucked without her anyway.” The unicorn grinned brightly at her. “Oh! You know I based my first hit track on this episode?” “You did?” “Yeah. Lemme find it on the network, hang on.” Councilor Shimmer stepped into the room, her face bearing an uncharacteristic smile as she seized control of the console with her magic. “Hey! Hold on a minute!” Vinyl’s protest was lost as Shimmer simply spoke over her, “I am happy to announce that, at long last, it is time for you to go, Vinyl. Vinyl faltered. “Huh?” The councilor sighed. “I thought Lyra already explained this to you. You give a statement to Shining Armor to clear up what happened, go get interviewed by some gossip hungry reporter so ponies know you’re alive and Sombra can’t make you disappear quite so easily—” “She did, she did,” Vinyl interrupted, weathering Councilor Shimmer’s glare. After stealing a quick glance at Octavia, she continued, “I just sorta expected a bit more warning than that, you know?” Octavia cut in before Shimmer could speak up, “Could we have a few moments, please?” Rolling her eyes, Councilor Shimmer turned around and started out the door. “Fine. Make it quick? He’s handling your case personally as a favor, and I’d rather not keep him waiting.” The two ponies, left alone, sat in silence, staring at the console’s frozen screen. “Well, guess I gotta get going, huh?” Vinyl asked, finally breaking the silence. “Yes.” Octavia had also expected a little bit of warning. Silence overtook them again. “Do you think you will be okay?” Vinyl smiled faintly and shrugged. “Prolly. Things always work out okay for me. Advantages of being awesome and all. How about you? You think Shimmer’s gonna find you a new place to crash soon?” Octavia hesitated, staring at the unicorn. Vinyl, I’m not going into hiding. Since I am an idiot, I agreed to help Councilor Shimmer find the other Elements of Harmony. I know we have only known each other for a few days – and you spent the majority of them concussed – but I was hoping: could you possibly throw away your home, your business, your art, and your future to come join me? was what she did not say. She settled for saying, “Hopefully.” “This is gonna sound pretty dumb, but, despite the injuries, the near arrest, and being forced to spend a few days under the same roof as Shimmer, I’ve had fun. I’m glad you came over to my unit and threatened to choke me.” “And I am glad you were too incompetent to maintain the spell that kept you from enraging every single pony living on the same housing block as you,” Octavia responded with a smile. “I really am. I do not think I could have handled these last few days without your immature and overly lax attitude.” Octavia had expected the unicorn to feign indignation, but, to her surprise, Vinyl remained silent, her face reddening. The blush deepened when she realized that Octavia had noticed it. “Gonna need to get a new pair of shades,” she mumbled, finally moving towards the door. “Just lay low and stay safe ‘til this whole mess blows over, okay?” Octavia hesitated for a long moment, that speech still sitting at the tip of her tongue. “I will.” ~~~~~ Octavia’s bow sawed across the cello’s strings, filling the guest room with music. Or, at least, something resembling music. Despite her best efforts, the bow seemed to have a mind of its own, repeatedly slipping and destroying the fragile melody with discordant tones. Disgust overwhelming her, she threw the bow on the bed. Focusing seemed impossible. She had grown used to the idea that ponies did not really care about her music, that the money she earned on the ramps would likely have been given to anypony doing anything. The only relevance that her music held was to her and that had been enough, but Vinyl laying idly about and listening had, unfortunately, reminded her of something she had forgotten. Or maybe something that she had just willfully ignored. A song was not complete until somepony heard it, and a musician without an audience was nothing. There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” she said, leaning the instrument against a wall before dropping back down to all four hooves. To her surprise, the pony that entered was not Councilor Shimmer, but Lyra. The unicorn offered her a wan smile. “Good afternoon. I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing while Shimmer was out.” “I am surviving,” Octavia said. “For now, at least.” “We plan to keep it that way. Trust me, we don’t want anything bad happening to you.” “Yet.” Octavia sighed, shaking her head. “Please excuse me, but I am a little stressed and it is making me feel belligerent. Is Councilor Shimmer always so…” she trailed off, struggling to think of a polite description, “Off-putting?” “No. She’s usually worse.” Octavia had expected Lyra to smile or otherwise indicate that she had been joking, but the unicorn’s expression remained flat. “Look, I understand that Shimmer is completely intolerable sometimes, but she’s an absolute princess compared to that megalomaniacal ass, Sombra. If one of those two ponies has to end up with the Elements, she’s the better choice.” “I don’t suppose you already know where at least some of the other Elements are?” Lyra shook her head. “No. Unfortunately, your guess is probably better than mine at this point. But I would be happy to answer any questions I can. I suspect, with Vinyl out of the way, she’s planning to move you soon too.” Octavia had not considered that, but it made sense. The councilor seemed to like moving quickly; it is hard for somepony to catch up when you keep moving. “Do you know much about what she’s planning?” “Aside from praying that I’m right and that you can find the other Elements? No.” Lyra took a deep breath as she sat on the floor, then continued, “I suspect she’ll provide an escort to make sure you stay out of trouble while you’re off the station, as well as keep her informed of whatever’s going on. As long as you look busy and don’t cause trouble, she’ll probably let you remain mostly autonomous.” “Is it going to be you?” “I doubt it. Shimmer knows that I’m not particularly thrilled with the idea of either her or Sombra getting the Elements. Letting me spend too much time with you is basically asking for trouble, from her point of view.” “Do you know how the Elements work?” Octavia asked, changing tracks abruptly. That line of conversation was not making her feel much better about the choice she had made. “I think they draw power from some sort of universal, abstract concept, allowing ponies to harness power way beyond what they’d normally be able to. Where the energy comes from is anypony’s guess, but…” she trailed off as Octava stared vacantly at her. ”If you’re asking me if I know how to make the stone work, I don’t have a clue either. None of the stories I’ve read ever went into detail about the exact mechanics. The ponies needed the Elements to work, so they worked.” She must have caught the look of annoyance that crossed Octavia’s face, as she added, “Sorry. Up until a couple days ago, I thought they were just legends. I’ve been working my flank off to learn what I can, but the Elements don’t have instruction manual. At least, not that I’ve found.” Octavia sighed, sinking to the floor. Of course getting actual answers would have been too easy. It only made sense that she had access to a magical item of legendary power and absolutely no way to use it. “The only thing I know for sure is that the Elements are strongest when they’re all together. That is one-hundred percent consistent between every story: the true power of the Elements only appears when all six are united.” She stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. “If I’m right about them being magical amplifiers, it might not even be possible for an earth pony to use just one of the Elements. No offense, of course.” “Of course,” Octavie echoed dully. She chose not to ask Lyra if she actually had any useful information. The unicorn was trying her best, and blaming her for that felt unfair. “Will the other Elements look like mine?” “They should, although the designs will be different. I’ll make sure I get you images of what I think they’ll look like.” “And what about the ponies they belong to?” “Just worry about the actual, physical Elements first. If I’m right, the stones will be drawn to the right ponies. Or maybe it’s the other way around?” She hesitated for a moment, her gaze dropping to the floor as she lapsed into silence. A small noise from Octavia caused her to refocus, continuing, “I guess it doesn’t really matter which way it works. Just worry about the stones. It’ll keep Shimmer happy and prevent Sombra from getting them.” Both ponies started as the door was shoved open and Shimmer entered, levitating a bag in front of her. She started to speak, but stopped short when she noticed Lyra. “Oh. I thought I’d have to call you in. How convenient.” “Did everything go all right with Vinyl?” Octavia asked. For just a moment, Lyra seemed to perk up. “I did everything I could,” Councilor Shimmer said dismissively. Octavia narrowed her eyes and sat up. “Look, I opened all the necessary doors for her. If she screws it up, that’s on her.” She dropped the bag on the floor in front of Octavia. “Let’s forget about your marefriend for the moment and focus on more important things, okay?” Biting back a retort, Octavia nodded. Councilor Shimmer levitated a number of items of the bag as she spoke, “The shuttle I’ve arranged for you should be arriving sometime tonight. You’ll be boarding and departing for Ponyville station as soon as it gets here. My guard, Flash, will be accompanying you.” Lyra offered a knowing smile from behind the councilor. “I’ve got a new BitCard for you and I’ve hooked the account up with fifty-thousands bits or so. Try not to waste them. I’m not going to—” “I won’t,” Octavia interrupted. The best part of the last few days had been the fact that Shimmer had spent most of them working. “What else?” The councilor’s eyes narrowed, but she continued, “I also got you a tablet so you can keep me updated on your progress. I’ve already loaded it with all the software you’ll need.” As she set the device on the ground in front of Octavia she added, “You do know how to use a console, right?” “A little. I use public terminals every once in a while.” Shimmer sighed. “I will have to have Flash teach you then. Here are the basics: don’t drop or lose it. Most tablets are pretty fragile, and this one is quite expensive to replace.” “Of course,” Octavia said, trying not to let too much exasperation creep into her voice. “Is there anything else I should know before you throw me to the wolves?” “No. I’ll let you know when the shuttle is expected.” She offered a faint smile at Lyra. “And remember, we’re all in this together. We agree that Sombra shouldn’t have the Elements, so let’s cooperate long enough to finish that much.” Octavia snorted as the councilor walked out of the room. “It might be easier to do that if you were not such a condescending ass,” she muttered. “It really would be,” Lyra said. “But what can we do? The enemy of my enemy is my ally, as the saying goes.” Looking at the floor, Octavia could feel her cheeks start to warm. She had not meant to say that out loud. “I suppose I should make sure I get you those files before you have to leave.” The unicorn yawned and stretched out. “I’ll send you everything I know and highlight all the important bits for you. I’ll also provide you my network address so that, if you have any other questions, you can send them directly to me to be answered.” Octavia smiled tiredly. “Will the answers be any better than the ones you had earlier?” “Probably not,” Lyra grunted, glaring at her. “Sorry. That was meant to be a joke. I understand that you are trying your best, and really do appreciate it.” “Oh.” Lyra rubbed at her eyes with her foreleg and yawned. “I have not slept nearly enough in the last few days, so my sense of humor is missing.” “I know the feeling.” Octavia let out a deep breath. For better or for worse, this was the choice she had made, and now she would have to live with it. Or not, as the circumstances might well turn out. “I know it’s asking a lot, but do you think it would be possible for you to do me a little favor?” ~~~~~ Lyra sighed as she adjusted her bite on the package. The idea of being back at her unit and curling up in bed sounded so much more pleasant than fighting her way through the evening crowds at the Eon’s Square Arcade, but this is what she got for agreeing to a favor before hearing it out. Anyway, she thought glumly, it might well be that poor mare’s last request. She shook her head as a few ponies shoved past her, cursing the melodramatic turn her mind had taken. Between erratic sleep, endless intrigue, and magical visions, she felt like she was living out one of Vinyl’s stupid pulp vids. Thank Celestia that was where the similarities ended. Life on the run wasn’t for her. Just surviving her removal from the Council had been hard enough, and she imagined that coffee and energy drinks were way harder to come by while dodging guards and hiding out. She wished Octavia all the luck in the world, but couldn’t silence the little voice in the back of her head saying, Better you than me. The visions might have been annoying, but at least she could have them from the comfort of her home until she figured out why she was having them. For the moment, though, she would just head home, have a bite to eat, and figure out when she felt enough like seeing Vinyl again to drop the package off. Lyra snorted. Something to repay Vinyl’s kindness. The mare gets access to more money than she’s probably ever seen and the first thing she— Kindness. A yellow pegasus with a butterfly cutie mark. Lyra stopped dead in her tracks, causing a pony to run into her. “Oh buck me,” she muttered, ignoring the glares. It could not possibly be that simple. It really couldn’t. But “kind” was always a description that had fit Vinyl well, and it did fit her theory that the Elements would be drawn towards each other. Besides, a pony like Octavia associating with – let alone enjoying the company of – somepony like Vinyl seemed unlikely without magical intervention. Her teeth tightened around the straps of the bag, her mind racing. If Vinyl really was the Element of Kindness, what was should she do with that information? Tell Shimmer? Probably not. While she was right that they should be working together, the ultimate fact was that, if the Elements were really as powerful as the legends claimed, she really didn’t want Shimmer to have them either. Her and Sombra were cast from the exact same mold. The Elements belong together. That’s what she’d told Octavia, and she still believed it, but this was a wild guess at best. Of course, Octavia being the Element of Loyalty had been a wild guess too. But what kind of pony would she be to encourage Vinyl to join this suicidal endeavor even? Or to saddle Octavia with that moron, for that matter? A bad one, obviously. But if there was one thing she had learned from Shimmer and Sombra, it was that sometimes being a bad pony was the only way to get things done. And if the Elements really belonged together and not in the hooves of megalomaniacal, manipulative jerks, then she had a responsibility to do something about it. Even if it meant throwing a former friend right back to the wolves. ~~~~~ Vinyl sighed and stared up at the ceiling of her unit, the light of her console screen dimly illuminating the room while her speakers filled it with the hum of a deep bassline. It was good to be home. Or, at least, it should’ve been. The sorta distant feeling that’d taken over when she’d been auto-piloting through the interrogation and interview had stuck around, leaving her without the energy to do anything. She’d dropped by Crazy Horse long enough to let them know she was alive, but it turned out Neon had things completely under control. She’d done a good job training the staff: it hadn’t even mattered that she’d be gone. She flattened her ears as the sound of a hoof hammering on her door somehow managed to trump her music. The sound dampening spell was definitely in place, the tabloids probably wouldn’t come by her home and knock this late, and if the Council Guard wanted to arrest her it didn’t make much sense to open the door and make it easy on them, so she had absolutely no reason to get up and open the door. She rolled over. The knocking repeated and was joined by the muffled sound of Lyra’s voice. She sat up on the bed, her magic silencing the console, flicking the lights on, and unlocking the door in rapid succession. “Come on in.” As Lyra entered, she added, “Yo, Lyra. What brings you down here?” The bag would have hit her right in the snout if she hadn’t caught it. “Uh… thanks, I guess? Presents are cool, but what’s the occasion?” “Octavia wanted to do something to thank you for helping her out before she left. And since she couldn’t very well bring it down her herself, she asked me to do it.” “Oh.” She turned the little package over and over in her hooves. “Well, tell her thanks for me.” “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to. She’s leaving the station tonight. For all I know, she’s already gone.” “Oh.” Vinyl sighed, setting the package on the bed. “Anything else, then?” “You’re ridiculous, you know that Vinyl?” “Huh?” “You’re upset because… why? You liked hanging out in a nice unit again? You thought it was exciting to be on the run? Or was it because you liked pretending you had a friend again.” Vinyl glared at the mare. “I’m getting real sick of ponies talking bull about me. If that’s all you wanted to do, then just buck off, okay?” Lyra sat down near the door and shrugged. “Guess Octavia wasn’t that different from me or Trixie or Bons, huh? A friend so long as it’s fun and convenient for you, but you bail the first chance you get.” “What the buck are you talking about, Lyra? You and Shimmer were the ones who bucking told me to leave. Octavia’s gotta go lay low for a while. I’m not gonna be much good for that. This—” “You really couldn’t tell that something was up?” Lyra asked. “You’re just a oblivious as ever, too.” Before Vinyl could get another word in, she continued, “Octavia isn’t going into hiding: she’s working with Shimmer. They’re going to try and find the Elements of Harmony before Sombra.” Vinyl stared at her, her muzzle hanging open. “I… What? What’re you talking about?” “Just what I said. Shimmer thinks Octavia has a connection to the Elements and that she’ll be useful for finding them. Octavia agreed, so she’s headed to Ponyville Station tonight. Alone.” Vinyl’s shoulders twitched in something like a shrug as she stared at the floor. “Well? I mean, if she wanted my help she could have—” “She could have what, Vinyl? Said, ‘Hey, wanna throw your life away and come join me on a stupidly dangerous mission, despite only knowing me a couple days?’ I could see you doing something like that, but she actually thinks about other ponies.” Vinyl went quiet. It was true: asking her something like that would’ve been insane. Octavia’d been amazed that she’d done something as simple as not ratting her out to Trixie, and even then, when Vinyl really thought about it, she hadn’t thought of it as a big deal. Neither Guard had ever given her much trouble, and they’d certainly never taken a shot at her before. “Why’re you telling me this?” “She needs somepony to help her, and right now? You’re pretty much the only pony in the universe who might actually care about her welfare. Shimmer will just use her until she’s not useful anymore, Sombra will get whatever information he needs out of her and that’ll be that, Fancy Pants is just letting Shimmer run the show, and, honestly? I’m happy as long as Sombra loses out.” Somehow, Vinyl just couldn’t muster up much anger at Lyra’s claims. “I don’t really care what you do, but I figured you’d appreciate the chance to not let somepony down for once.” “Just get out,” Vinyl mumbled without looking up. Standing up, Lyra shrugged again and headed for the door. After a moment, she added, “It was good to see you again, Vinyl.” “Back at you.” The click of the door was swallowed by the silence filling the room. Vinyl sighed, dropping back down onto the bed, her hoof hitting the bag that Lyra had brought. Tearing it open with magic was no problem, and the box inside was similarly easy to open without needing to move. A pair of shades sat on a pile of tissue paper. The frames were nearly a perfect copy of the ones she’d lost back at the club. The lenses were a different color though. Rather than the familiar purple, the new ones were almost a perfect match for her eyes. “Damn.” ~~~~~ Octavia glanced nervously from side to side as she trotted down the catwalk towards the space docks. It was bad enough being out in the middle of the night – too many years living in the station’s lower tiers had made being out late a worrying prospect – but the dress that Shimmer had lent her added to the discomfort. It concealed her cutie mark well enough and helped make her coat harder to identify at a glance, but it was too tight in all the wrong places. “Don’t look so worried,” Flash said. “Ponies assume you’re up to no good when you seem nervous. Just trot around like you own the place and you’ll be fine.” “I am trying.” “Well, try harder.” She glared at the guard. “That’s more like it,” he said, smiling at her. “That’s the exact look Councilor Shimmer uses to shut ponies up when they question her. Master something like that, and you can get away with anything.” “That is not a very flattering thing to say about your boss.” Flash laughed, but she heard an edge to it. “Anyway, there’s no reason to worry. You’ve got me here if there are any problems.” “Does she really now?” came a voice from behind them. Octavia stiffened. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t possibly be. Flash turned, offering a faint smile. “Oh! Commander Lulamoon! Out for a late night walk? I’d love to chat, but I’m sort of busy right now.” He jerked his head meaningfully toward Octavia. She noted, with relief, that aside from the crimson clasp around her neck, Commander Lulamoon seemed bereft of her Council Guard regalia. This was probably just an unhappy coincidence. Maybe. Possibly. The smile the commander returned to Flash was equally distant. “Trixie noticed, but Trixie must ask: what are you doing with this groundling?” “I was asked to escort her to the shuttle docks.” He sighed and shrugged. “You know how the councilors can be, I’m sure. Go investigate this, go interrogate that, get me lunch, get me coffee, etcetera, etcetera. I swear, Councilor Shimmer would have me cleaning her home and doing her laundry if she could fit it into my schedule.” “Trixie understands. Her work is never done, so far as the council is concerned. Why, they even force her to work during her time off! Did you know that Sombra made her spend the last several days staking out Councilor Shimmer’s residence?” Flash glanced at Octavia out of the corner of his eye. “You do know that a fight here would be a really bad idea, right Commander Lulamoon? You’re looking a bit like a civilian right now, and I’m here on a councilor’s business. You wouldn’t want to embarrass Sombra again, would you?” “That would only happen if somepony found out.” It only took an instant for Flash to close the gap between the two of them, a hoof upraised and its metallic hoof guard crackling with electricity. Unfortunately for him, Trixie was ready for him. The blast of raw magical force that took him in the chest dwarfed the one that had incapacitated Vinyl, lifting him off his hooves and throwing him against the railing. Then through the railing. Octavia ran. Or, at least, she tried to. Something frigid and crimson wrapped itself around her and threw her heavily to the ground. Her cello case absorbed the worst of the impact, but it still knocked the air out of her. “Not this time, groundling,” Trixie growled, walking towards her. “Trixie is still quite upset about the way you humiliated her, but, luckily for you, Trixie is a forgiving pony.” She smiled grimly and added, “Also, Sombra would toss Trixie out an airlock if she didn’t bring you back alive.” “Lucky me,” Octavia grunted, trying to push herself up again. She had almost gotten her hooves under her when Trixie’s magic threw her back to the ground, the world starting to spin as her head bounced off the metal of the ramp. “There are a lot of states that Trixie believes would still qualify as ‘alive,’ so do not try her patience.” Almost as an afterthought, she prodded Octavia with her own metal-shod hoof. The world went white for Octavia as electricity arced through her, stripping her of any desire to try moving again. “See? Now as long as you stay down, Trixie won’t have to do that again.” As she struggled to breathe, Octavia opted to stay silent. Everything she wanted to say would probably earn her another shock. Commander Lulamoon sighed. “Trixie doesn’t suppose that, once you are able to feel your hooves again, you would be willing to simply walk with her? Having to carry you feels like a waste of her talents.” Octavia made a noncommittal noise. Stalling seemed like the only option. Maybe Flash was okay and would swoop back in to kick the bloody unicorn in the head. Then again, based on how he went through that railing and off the edge of the tier, Princess Celestia appearing and banishing Commander Lulamoon to a distant moon seemed like the more realistic hope. “Trixie really does not have all night, little groundling. Either stand up, or Trixie will—” “You won’t do a bucking thing, Trixie,” came the voice of Vinyl. That was an option Octavia had not considered. It was also one that made the situation even worse. She tried to crane her neck to see around Commander Lulamoon, but her muscles refused to cooperate. “I was headed up to the docks and saw a giant magic blast and thought ‘That looks like the spell Trixie hammered me with at Crazy Horse,” the mare said, trotting closer, “And hey, looks like I nailed it.” “Vinyl, don’t—” Octavia managed, but Trixie’s hoof slammed onto the metal just a centimeter from her snout, silencing her. “Shut up, groundling.” There was a noticeable change to the set of Vinyl’s stance that Octavia desperately wished she wasn’t making. Thoughts of Vinyl and the way Commander Lulamoon had casually dispatched Flash overlapped unpleasantly in her head. “Vin—” “You don’t need to say anything, Tavi,” she interrupted. “Don’t worry. Trixie’s too much of a coward to mess with another unicorn.” Commander Lulamoon laughed. “Really? You think Trixie is scared of you? A third-rate unicorn who only made it through the Celestial Academy because her mom and dad paid her way through it?” “Can still kick your flank.” “That’s funny, Vinyl. If Trixie recalls, the only reason you are even here right now is because this little groundling saved you. Trixie completely negated that pitiful spell of yours and then—” “Blah, blah, blah.” Vinyl waved a hoof dismissively. “I was tired, I’d used up most of my magic, and I was a bit drunk. So yeah, congrats, you whooped me when I was totally out of it. Go you.” “You really want to challenge the Great and Powerful Trixie?” Vinyl grinned. Or, perhaps more accurately, her mouth made the shape of a grin. Her rigid posture and the slight shaking of her legs indicated something else entirely. “Fine. It will be your funeral.” Commander Lulamoon wrapped her magic around Octavia again, sliding her aside like a heap of rubbish. Octavia could barely think over the frantic pounding of her heart. She had what was supposed to be one of the most powerful magical relics in the universe in her case, but the best she could do was watch in numb horror as Vinyl got herself killed. “Now then, Vinyl. Show Trixie what you’ve got.” The crimson blast Trixie unleashed was small and slow compared to the one she had used against Flash, but Vinyl still only barely managed to scramble out of the way as the blast tore another railing in half. “Come now, Vinyl. Trixie thought you were going to kick her flank.” “Yeah, I am!” Vinyl’s magic wrapped around the commander and dispersed almost instantly. “Really? Trixie has seen foals with stronger levitation.” She sighed, and shook her head. “She cannot believe she used to be friends with such a pitiful unicorn.” “You’ll change your tune after you see this trick,” Vinyl growled, the dispersed magic condensing into a number of hoof-sized, glowing spheres that floated above the catwalk. They bathed the walkway in kaleidoscopic light and, as far as Octavia could tell, did absolutely nothing else. “What’s this?” Trixie asked, temporarily delaying her retaliatory strike. “Awesome, aren’t they? I’ve used them to make some pretty sick light shows in the past.” Commander Lulamoon deflated, the magic gathered around her horn fading, and glanced back at Octavia. “Do you know if she suffered brain damage? Trixie doesn’t think she put that much force into her spell.” “Go buck yourself,” Octavia snarled, finally managing to get a leg under herself again. Now she just needed to find the strength to stand. And figure out how to beat one of the strongest unicorns in the Empire. “Take it easy, Tavi. I still got this. Gotta pay you back for the new shades.” The unicorn grinned madly. “I’ll give you one chance to apologize and walk away, Trixie. Take it, or I’m gonna make you sorry you ever laid a hoof on Tavi.” The crimson magic swirled around Trixie’s horn again, darkening as she gathered it. “I have had enough of you, Vinyl.” One of the orbs turned white. Octavia closed her eyes just in time, the orb exploding with a cacophonous blast of sound and a blinding flash that burned through her eyelids. The second blast was much quieter – hopefully not because the first one had deafened her – though just as bright, as was the third, the fourth, and the fifth detonation. “Yo, Tavi, can you walk? ‘Cause we should move. Like, now,” Vinyl said, though it was a bit hard to make out over the ringing in her ears. “Maybe. Can you help me up?” “No time for maybes,” Vinyl said, her horn glowing. Octavia started as the warm glow enveloped her and lifted her off the ground. “Sweet Luna,” Vinyl grunted, “You and that case are heavy. Not that I think you’re fat or—” “Not the time! Just support me, okay?” Octavia growled, dropping a hoof around the mare’s shoulder. “I think I can manage if you help.” “Gotcha, gotcha.” Behind them Trixie made an indistinct sound, to which Vinyl responded by detonating another of the spheres. For just an instant, Octavia caught a faint glimmer of blue in the air as the muffled roar rolled over them. “Which dock are we looking for?” “Six-hundred twenty-four.” It was neither the swiftest nor most elegant escape as the pair hobbled along the ramps, pointedly avoiding anypony who seemed to be heading for the source of all the disturbance, but it got them to the right dock ahead of Commander Lulamoon or any other apparent sign of pursuit. “I-is this it?” Vinyl gasped, trying to catch her breath as she gestured at a small, grey shuttle parked at the dock. “It says Drifter on the side, right?” The shuttle looked like one of the cheap charter shuttles poor ponies used when they needed to travel: old, boxy, worn, scuffed, scratched, and stuck together with metal patches and tape. It would certainly look like it belonged on one of the more distant agricultural stations. “Uh… yeah, I think. It’s, uh… it’s mostly scraped off but it might say that.” The two dodged past ponies as they approached the boarding ramp. There was that, at least. It did not matter whether it was day or night: ponies always needed to use the docks. Even if Commander Lulamoon caught up, she probably wouldn’t try to kill them right here. At the very least, she would get in trouble if she tried. “Yo!” Vinyl shouted up the ramp, “You’re here for passengers, right?” “One second, one second!” came a voice from inside the ship. A moment later, a pegasus stepped out onto the ramp, smiling warmly. It only took a second of incredulous recollection for Octavia to recognize that grey coat and the wall-eye, but she let it pass. “Captain Ditzy Do, at your service!” She paused, finally noticing the pair. “Oh! You’re that mare I dropped all those boxes on! Wow, small universe, huh?” “We can talk about that later. We need to leave. Right now.” The pegasus stared at the pair of them, perhaps finally registering the fact that both ponies looked on the verge of collapse. “Sure! But wasn’t Flash supposed to be coming with you?” “He will not be coming.” The pegasus’ brow creased, the cheerful smile dropping away. “Is he okay?” “I don’t know!” Octavia snapped. “But I do know we’re not going to be if we wait around here!” Vinyl smiled weakly. “We really need to leave. The Council Guard is gonna have some really awkward questions to ask us if we don’t hustle.” Barely a second passed before the pegasus’ face brightened again. “Okay! Come on, I’ll get the ship prepped to launch.” The two of them followed the pegasus up the boarding ramp, past a small cargo bay, through the shuttle’s main corridor, and up to the cockpit. The pegasus gestured at a row of benches along the walls, indicating they should seat themselves, before stepping across the boundaries of the control ring. Octavia gratefully collapsed onto one, with Vinyl following suit. It was not very comfortable, but it beat trying to stand. The array of panels – most of them, at least – and the control ring itself lit up after a moment. Stretching her wings, she pressed a button on the panel in front of her. “Manehattan Station dock, this is the Drifter, registration DRP-467954. I am requesting clearance to depart immediately.” The voice that returned over the radio was rough and garbled, but slamming her hoof on the control panel cleared it up, “...repeat, we have been asked to hold all departures at this time. We will provide clearance to depart as soon as we are able.” Octavia hit the wall with the back of her head. Ditzy glanced back at them. “Don’t worry! I know how to handle this sort of thing.” Her hooves tapped a few different buttons on the control panel and the ship suddenly shuddered, several red lights turning green. “Dock, this is the Drifter. I’m having some comm issues, so that didn’t come through clearly! But I see you’ve released the restraint field on the ship, so I’m clear to go, right?” “What? No! I… who the buck released the restraint field on DRP-467954? Drifter! You are not clear to launch! We repeat—” The message ended abruptly as Ditzy turned the speakers off. “Still having trouble hearing you, but my systems are showing that I’ve received clearance to use port...“ she paused, fussing with the controls for a moment before she continued, “Port 17! Thank you!” Octavia stared at the pegasus, her mouth dropping open. “W-wait,” Vinyl said, bolting upright. “Y-you’re gonna launch without clearance? Seriously?” The pegasus smiled. “You said we needed to go, right?” She spread her wings as the flight matrix materialized around her. “No worries, I’ve done this before! Worst that’ll happen is we accidentally bump into somepony because they aren’t paying attention.” “Oh sweet Luna…” Vinyl moaned. She jumped as the ship rocked and lifted off the pad. Octavia prodded her with a hoof, eliciting another jump. “Are you okay?” “Y-yeah I’m t-totally fine,” she said, squeaking as a small movement of Ditzy’s wings caused the ship to turn. “Oh buck me…” “Drifter to Manehattan Docks. Your signal is still getting a little bit scrambled, but everything on my end says I’m good to go! Thanks for your help!” The entire ship shook as the engines activated in time with a flap of the pegasus’ wings. Vinyl hunkered on the bench. “Oh… it looks like they really, really, really don’t want us leaving,” Ditzy said. “They’re actually closing the port.” “What?” Octavia asked, focusing on the viewscreen. Just as the pegasus had said, the normally green gateway through the dome was starting to turn purple, signifying it would soon be as impermeable as the rest of the dome. “You’re going to want to sit tight, because this will be super bumpy!” The ship accelerated, dodging between a pair of freight shuttles that had been levitating, waiting for a chance to land. “Wait!” Octavia shouted, sitting up. “You’re going to hit the dome!” “Don’t worry! It’ll be fine! I’ve done this before! Though last time it nearly tore—” Whatever else she wanted to say was lost in a thunderous screech of the ship slamming into the magical gateway, the violent shuddering of the ship, and a yelp from Vinyl. For a brief moment, as all movement seemed to stop, Octavia wondered what she had done to deserve all this. Then, like a rubber band snapping, the ship suddenly lurched forward, and sent them into empty space. Vinyl slumped over against her. “Are you both okay?” Ditzy called back. “I… am as well as could be expected,” Octavia managed, wondering if she could be heard over the sound of her heartbeat. Shifting gently, she guided her friend down onto the bench proper. “I think Vinyl might have fainted though.” “Sorry about scaring you both like that. You just said we really needed to go so we went!” She looked over her shoulder to offer a smile and continued, “Let me set our jump coordinates so they can’t follow us, then we can get her some water and talk, okay?”