//------------------------------//
// -3- Deadly Designers 
// Story: Vex Mortis 
// by Weavers of Dreams 
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It turned out Fluttershy didn't have to keep her back to the enemy without the shield, and she trotted merrily beside Pinkie Pies and the two guards. The sound of pegasi battle cries as they broke the bale bombs, and the bright flash as the flaming materials scattered across the sky surrounded them, but none of them were too concerned. Not many bale bombs ever hit the ground, but the Discordant seemed adamant about using them anyway. It was more of a nuisance than anything else, something to keep ponies on the edge.

The four ponies made their way around a group of civilians being led to the caves, Pinkie, of course, tried to cheer them up along the way with a few somersaults and silly dance moves without breaking step with the bodyguards. This got a few chuckles from the adults, and outright laughter form the foals.

"Just'a makin' friends, everywhere I go," Pinkie said proudly, much to Fluttershy's amusement.

"You do seem to have a knack for it, Pinkie," she quietly giggle.

A sudden booming noise in the distance made the meek mare squeal and dash between the legs of one of the earth pony guards, much to his discomfort. Now, earth ponies were the largest of the three tribes(alicorns were considered completely separate), the fact that Fluttershy was a pegasus mare simply made sure she fit easily beneath the large stallion if she were to stand up straight. Pinkie Pie knelt down beside her cringing form and patted her sympathetically.

"There-there, Fluttershy," she said sweetly, "It's nothing to be scared of. Look... it's just Dashie... er, Stormy, taking on the ships."

Fluttershy turned to look out at sea. Sure enough, there was a gigantic fireball, quickly dissipating, that illuminated half of the enemy fleet. A figure could be seen zipping around in circles above the burning ship, forcing air down to fan the pillaring flames. The yellow mare didn't look any less frightened, but she did stand back up and press her side against her friend for comfort. Pinkie was taller than her by a good a head, normal for earth pony mares.

"Those Nightmare forms are still scary," she shivered as she watched the flames die out and the figure become invisible against the night sky. The bale bombs promptly stopped launching as the crews began diverting their focus upon the dangerous monster. She felt a hoof draped about her neck.

"It's okay," Pinkie said comfortingly, "Dashie has it all under control. Just look what she can do with the weather. No other Pegasus can do that."

Fluttershy shivered. "You lost control once."

Pinkie became silent and bit her lip. A couple tears formed in her eyes and she released Fluttershy. "No one got hurt... a-and I had to. It was an e-emer... emergency."

Fluttershy felt back and frantically tried to apologize. "Oh, no-no-no-no-no. I didn't mean anything by it, it's just that... w-we can lose control. If we're not careful. That is..."

"It's alright, Fluttershy," Pinkie said with a forced smile. "I understand. I'm not upset with you. It's just some bad memories." She indicated the path ahead and grunted. "Come on, let's find Rarity. She'll know where Twilight is."

"And Applejack," Fluttershy pointed out. "They wanted us all, remember?"

Pinkie tried to shrug, by the shield really made that rather difficult. "Eh, we'll find her too, somewhere. Oh, and, don't let the Colonel know that you spent some time between another stallion's legs." She chuckled at her own joke even as the stallion took on a horrified expression.

Fluttershy quieted Pinkie with a glare and patted the stallion's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, she's just teasing you. Rather inappropriately, but, you know Pinkie Pie, leaps before she looks. Big Mac wouldn't hurt a fly."


*	*	*


Further inland, at a training camp, Colonel Macintosh sat in his office. He wore a uniform of green with purple scrolling, and a yellow sash with wooden beads on the ends, bearing scriptures in the same calligraphy as General Ditzy's about his waist. He looked down at his desk, pulverized beyond recognition in his little battle for supremacy over his long-winded enemy. He grinned in satisfaction as he raised his hoof to examine the gooey remains of the foul creature.

The little fly was little more than a smear on his unshod hoof. He took a deep, satisfied breath and made a mental note to order a new desk. Then he sneezed, hard, sending his paperwork all about the room.

"You know, they say sneezing means someone's talking about you," Lieutenant Braeburn said with a snicker.

Big Mac looked at him and narrowed his eyes, watching his cousin begin to squirm under the weight of his gaze. "Clean it up," he ordered as he got up and left the office. Braeburn sulked a bit as he got up from his own desk and began to pick up the papers. The colonel stuck his head back in. "And organize it, cous'."


*	*	*


"I told you we'd find her," Pinkie said with a dramatic point.

Up ahead was a tall wood and metal tower on wheels, ten pegasi flew about the domed top as aerial guards, metal spikes anchored it in place, and there were harnesses for eight earth pony stallions on each side. Some claims had made that the other two tribes were using the earth ponies as slave labor in their war machinery, and demanded that the other two tribes pull their weight as well. After a demonstration with one hundred unicorns trying to pulled a house, vs. Colonel Macintosh, the protests were quickly quieted. The SJW pegasi and unicorns who made these claims were promptly told to shove off unless they actually knew anything about earth ponies. 

The two escorts stayed on the ground, while the two elements ascended a zigzagging staircase on the back that was the only way inside, thanks to a series of metal bars to keep potential flying saboteurs out. After passing the staircase, they came up to a trapdoor in the ceiling with murder-holes for thrusting spears threw. Pinkie Pie gave a quick knock.

"Open uuup," she said in a singsong voice, "two elements about to go Nightmare out here."

There was a huff from inside, and the door was wrapped in a blue aura before being pulled open. "Really, Pinkie Pie, there's no need to get nasty. I could smell you on the way up. Cupcakes and cinnamon rolls are such a giveaway." The earth pony mare bounced through the door and into the spacious dome, right up to the alabaster unicorn.

Unicorns were the smallest of three tribes, with their stallions hardly standing above a pegasus mare, and their mares about a half head shorter than a pegasus mare. Rarity was a little bit taller than average, compliments of an earth pony mare back in her ancestry, and was just below eyelevel with Fluttershy. She wore a purple uniform with golden fringes in the shape of feathers, and a little purple beret. It all went quite well with her element.

"Well?" she asked with groan as Pinkie hugged her. "I am not a filly," she muttered. "What is it you need? We're in the middle of something important. Rainbow Dash has just gone Nightmare, and we've been analyzing her tactics, and I must say that they are quite extraordinary."

Pinkie let Rarity go and patted her on the head, causing the mare to sigh in exasperation. But she took it like an pro and then turned back to gesture about the dome. "It was quite a surprise when she showed up, at first we thought it was going to be another dull night of examining Discordant tactics. Those unoriginal blowhards."

The inside of the dome was full of ponies, and one donkey, looking through telescopes and writing down notes, which were then passed to other ponies, mostly unicorns who read overt he notes and began drawing diagrams for later review. It was a well oiled machine of living creatures looking for strengths and weaknesses.

"But then Dash shows up and starts to show us some more potential with pegasus weather manipulation."	Rarity began to get a bit excited. She was practically hopping up and down. "Did you see that flame vortex she did? Why, all she had to do was grab the Discordant's bale bombs, throw them back, hitting the unfired bombs, of course, and then create a wind cyclone, and burn down the entire ship. Ooh."

She suddenly wrote conjured over a piece of paper and quill. She spoke as she jotted something down. "Weather theory: attempt arching the flame vortex so it jumps to another ship, and then another. Recommend more research into fire-proof materials for carrying and safe shifting of flame vortex. Second recommendation: train with creating cyclones over bodies of water for target practice. Could also help in dousing fires as well as spreading them. Baroness Rarity, Year of Our Maker 2336, July 27."

She passed it to a young pegasus mare who had excelled in tactical diagramming. "Here you go, dearie, I think we may just have a breakthrough."

"Another one?" the mare asked excitedly, tucking the note under a wing and hurrying off to draw it up. Rarity laughed at her enthusiasm.

"I think someone's going to get a raise in the near future," she announced to Pinkie and Fluttershy in a false whisper to make sure the pegasus heard. She smiled even wider when the mare let out an audible gasp. She looked back at her two friends. "Now, what was it you're here for again?"

"Oh, let me tell her," Pinkie Pie said, waving a hoof in the air as though she were in school. Rarity rolled her eyes.

"Go on, dear."

Pinkie reached over and pulled the device out of Fluttershy's straps, hoofing it over to Rarity. "Amethyst made one."

Rarity took the device in her magic and spun it around a few time. She looked nonplussed. "Um? It's nice, Pinkie Pie. But, don't you think it's rather... plain?"

"I-it is just a prototype," Fluttershy offered. This didn't do much for Rarity's opinion.

"Very well," she said as she put it back into the straps. "Though, next time, I would like to help in designing these things. Sure, they could be devastating, but when the Discordant see our boys wielding these..."

"And mares," someone piped up.

Rarity groaned. She cleared her throat as she began an explanation. "When one is addressing a group of ponies, the masculine term is used to generalize everyone. Now keep your political trash garbler shut and get back to work." She didn't wait for any reply and addressed her friends again. "When they see our boys using these, they'll be the absolute laughingstock. Granted, an enemy keeling over in laughter is easier to... dispatch. But at the same time, think of those poor boys' morale. It would be devastating."

Pinkie Pie giggled at the look on Rarity's face. "Silly Rarity, the hurt feelings are for foals, not soldiers."

"If only that were true," Fluttershy said quietly to herself, remembering the many broken hearts that had passed through her field hospital.

"Was that all?" Rarity asked, looked between the two of them. "Because that seems more like something for Twilight to see."

"That why we stopped by," Fluttershy said, "we're all, the elements, that is, supposed to go find Twilight."

Rarity's eyes went wide. "All of us? Together? But, the only ones who can order us into one room are... ah, let's go." She zipped past the two, heading for the trapdoor.

"But wait, do you even no where we're going?" Pinkie asked.

Rarity didn't slow down. "Just follow me, I know where Twilight is."

"What about Applejack?"

Rarity was already on the stairs as she answered. "She's with Twilight, now follow me."

Pinkie dove after her, flipping onto her back so she could slide down the stairs tail first on the shield. She squealed with delight, and Rarity shrieked in terror as she hurried to outrun the earth pony. Fluttershy sighed and quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Rarity was still screaming, sitting atop of Pinkie's stomach, somehow, as they rounded the turns. "You crazy mud pony, your tail shall hang above my door as warning to you progeny."


*	*	*


There too was a diamond, shaped into a perfect lens, that saw things no one else could see. Things that were, and some things that might never come to pass. She was respected and highly admired. With the grace of a lady unchallengeable, she gave aid through observation and desires unto the future. But, like the others, she too held a darkness within her. A blackness would slip through the lens, distorting the visions, perverting intentions. Yet love was never far from the lips of those who saw her even in her darkness. She was selfless and well spoken, but not faultless. For she truly was a righteous being. -Extract from the Book of Amethyst-