Chapter 4
“Save me now”
“Do you think we should trust him?” Scootaloo asked Sunset Shimmer.
“Who? Him or that serpent?” Sunset Shimmer asked back.
“The serpent. I’ve got a bad feeling about him” Scootaloo told her.
“Me too but I think he won’t double cross us as long as Grand Slam’s around”
“Hey! Get moving you two!” Grand Slam urged the two ponies to continue walking, “If you keep stalling like that, how in Equestria are we going to be able to reach the Town Square? What the hell are you talking about, huh? Are you still getting uneasy tummies from what you two did back there?”
“That....ugh....I still can’t believe I....can’t believe I....brrr....” Scootaloo shuddered in horror after she recalled shooting those nasty reptiles. She did not want to carry the gun anymore but she knew things were going to get a whole lot messier.
“Try to forget it” Sunset Shimmer tried to comfort the filly, “I know it was hard. Sometimes we have to do things we’re not proud of if it’s the right thing”
“It’ll be difficult but I’ll try” Scootaloo forced a smile. The next second, a small rumble was heard from her abdomen, prompting her to smile sheepishly. Due to all the commotion, she had forgotten that she hadn’t eaten anything ever since she woke up.
“Hungry?” Sunset Shimmer asked with a smile.
“Heheh...yeah...” Scootaloo chuckled.
“I’ve not eaten anything either” Grand Slam stopped before turning to Tempest, “What about you, serpent?”
“Welllll.......” Tempest placed a claw on his chin in deep thought, “We did devour that rotting corpse of an Ursa Major yesterday....” he said, grinning a little when he noticed the disgusted looks on the faces of Scootaloo and Sunset Shimmer, “...but unless you’re really interested in eating contaminated meat, there is one slightly burnt restaurant south of the train station. I remember one of my scout sprites telling me that there were some leftovers which were untouched by anyone”
“Is that true?” Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow.
“Yup!”
“Really? Because it sounds to me like you’re trying to lead us right into a trap” Sunset Shimmer added accusingly, “And now that I think about it, why did you agree to guide us? What’s in it for you?”
“I...I won’t dignify that question with a response” Tempest said nervously.
“Answer, serpent” Grand Slam nudged him.
“Alright!” Tempest sighed before he looked around, searching for any reptiles that might hear him, “The reason I agreed to help you free the other ponies is that I’m tired of my superiors bossing me around”
“What? You expect us to believe that you want to overthrow the bastards behind all of this?” Grand Slam inquired.
“Not just overthrow them. I want to eliminate every single one of them. Every damned reptile that’s allied with them” Tempest replied.
“You want to kill your own kind? You’re even worse than I thought” Sunset Shimmer said in disgust.
“I was the one who freed Nuckelavee but did I get any thanks or even a badge of honor for that? Nooooo!” Tempest ignored Sunset Shimmer’s remark, “I was like “I have freed you, Great One! Make me your right hand of power!” but he was all like, “Good job, now go and round up all the ponies you find while these undeserving jerks get to rule Equestria with me” and then, I was like, “What!? I want to rule too. Tirek and I are the ones who should be ruling besides you ” but he was like, “Ugh! Fine! I’ll control a pony and let the mammal be your supervisor . That’s the problem with freeing ancient “evils” like him; they all have that ancient mindset. “Plunder! Plunder! Don’t reward the little snake who freed you!” Bah! This world’s better off without the lot of them”.
“Someone’s got issues” Scootaloo whispered to Sunset Shimmer.
“At least he sounds serious about his boss being unfair to him” Sunset Shimmer replied.
“Authority issues?” Grand Slam asked.
“You have no idea” Tempest mumbled, “Should’ve never freed that prick”
“Anyway...” Grand Slam motioned to his pony companions to follow him, “Let’s get to that restaurant first. If it’s near the train station then the Town Square won’t be too far”
The four of them continued their path towards the freedom of their pals with different goals in mind. Scootaloo and Sunset Shimmer wanted the freedom of the ponies captured by the monsters, Grand Slam was ready to sacrifice his “friendship” with the mare and the filly to ensure the safety of his family while Tempest was planning for the near future. No one was certain of what might happen when they reached the Town Square.
Fifteen minutes later
Scootaloo, Sunset Shimmer, Grand Slam and Tempest reached the restaurant safely in a matter of minutes. Tempest had told the ponies that they had almost killed all of the reptilians left in Ponyville in that fight near Twilight’s Castle and the remainder were likely to still be stationed at the Town Square so they needn’t worry about encountering any one of the monsters.
Through the green fog in front of them, the ponies noticed the restaurant Tempest had told them of. Upon seeing some intact hayburgers on some of the tables, Scootaloo dashed forward and happily ate them.
“Wow! She must’ve really been hungry” Sunset Shimmer smiled at seeing the joy on Scootaloo’s face.
“You oughta eat too” Grand Slam told her. Even though he still hated her for costing him his position as a royal guard, he wanted Scootaloo and her to be well fed before he would eventually hand them over to Tempest. From his experience, being hungry and trapped was one of the worst things in the world.
“Wellllllll......I guess we don’t really know when we’ll find this much food again” she replied before trotting next to Scootaloo and taking a bite out a hayburger. How long had it been since she last ate the delicacy!
Grand Slam and Tempest watched the two girls devour burger after burger from outside the restaurant. A smile came across the face of the grey stallion. It had been three days since he last saw his beloved wife and kids being content and happy with their lives. He couldn’t wait to see their joyful smiles again.
“Eh? Is that a smile I spy?” Tempest asked curiously, “Oh it is! What a shock! And I thought you were a murderous and ruthless pony”
“Carmine....Onyx.....Evergreen....” Grand Slam’s smile faded, “I promise you’ll be safe”
“Don’t you worry about them” Tempest smirked, remembering the deal he made with the stallion, “After you deliver those two, you won’t ever have to worry about keeping them safe”
“What about that rant about your bosses?” Grand Slam asked.
“Oh! That?” Tempest chuckled nervously, “That was just wishful thinking”
“Mister Grand Slam!” Scootaloo called out from inside, “You should try these burgers! They’re awesome!”
“I’ll pass, kid” Grand Slam replied.
Seeing that Grand Slam was in no mood to eat anything, Scootaloo decided not to press him further. The grey stallion resumed talking to Tempest leaving her to imagine what they might be discussing. She decided to continue to focus on filling her empty stomach.
“I wonder when he’ll wake up” Sunset Shimmer told Scootaloo as she stared at the unconscious Spike.
“Can’t we just shake him till he wakes up?” Scootaloo suggested.
“He slept through the whole...mess. I doubt shaking him will awaken him” Sunset Shimmer replied.
“I’ll go and search for some water in the back” Scootaloo said, getting up from her seat, “If there’s a freezer, there’re probably some bottles of water too”
With that, the orange pegasus trotted towards a door which led to the back of the restaurant. She tugged at the door which had a label “Freezing Room” on top of it.
Scootaloo searched high and low but all she could find was wrapped bread inside the cold room. She proceeded to open every drawer she could get her hooves on. The room looked as if it hadn’t been touched for several days with cobwebs here and there.
The little filly smiled as she saw a bottle of water right next to a broken refrigerator. She grabbed the bottle and kept it close to her before she continued searching for more. However, she could only find more empty bottles and nothing else to revive Spike. Slowly, she trotted towards the door, not wanting to spend another second in the slightly chilly room.
“AHA! Got you, slimeball!!”
Before she could react, a frying pan landed right at the side of Scootaloo’s face just as she was about to leave the room. The utensil left a clean circular mark on the pegasus before it fell to the floor.
The sudden impact caused Scootaloo to fall to the floor in pain. Her hoof lost its grip on the water bottle as she held both to the reddening part of her face.
“OWWWWW!!!!” Scootaloo yelled in agony, “WHO DID THAT!?” she shouted, whimpering due to the blow.
“It’s me!” the voice shouted back, a female one, “I saw what you blokes did and you’re not putting me down before I knock your bloody block off!”
“WHAT IN EQUESTRIA ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?” Scootaloo screamed in anger as she shed tears of pain. She was really infuriated that someone had smacked her right in the face without any reason at all.
“Don’t play dumb with me!” the voice replied from the darker side of the room, behind the cardboard boxes.
The next second, Sunset Shimmer burst through the door, visibly confused by all the shouting she heard from where she sat.
“What’s going on?” Sunset Shimmer asked before she noticed Scootaloo holding her face in agony, “Scootaloo! What’s wrong?” she inquired, bending down to help the pegasus.
“Another one of you bastards?” the voice said.
“Hey! Who are you and what did you do to my friend?” Sunset Shimmer stood up and faced the other side of the room. She was angered by what the mysterious being had done to Scootaloo.
“Pardon?” the voice asked back.
“Huh?” Sunset Shimmer merely responded with a puzzled look on her face.
“The frying pan? That’s what you deserve for all you’ve done!” the voice yelled back.
“Frying pan?” Sunset Shimmer’s eyes caught sight of the pan lying right next to Scootaloo, “Calm down, miss. We’re not here to hurt you”
Cautiously, Sunset Shimmer inched forward while Scootaloo simply stared at her wondering why she would try to talk to the moron who smacked her right in the kisser with a bucking frying pan. She figured that the assailant was probably as much as scared and confused as she was. A diplomatic approach felt like the best solution.
“Come to think of it...” the creature hiding behind the boxes said, “You don’t sound like one of those guys who captured everyone in the restaurant”
“Did the monsters come in here too?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“Of course they did! Why else would I’ve been hiding inside this bloody freezer for two bucking days.....those bastards....”
Sunset Shimmer reached forward and turned on a light bulb that illuminated the rest of the freezer. Just as she thought, there was a mare hiding behind the cardboard boxes.
The mare was a lime green pegasus with a dark brown mane with a paintbrush as her cutie mark. Right next to her, she could see empty water bottles as well as some bread crumbs. Sunset Shimmer looked right at her red eyes and noticed that her eyes were sunken and sleep-deprived. She could only imagine that the mare must have been staying awake out of fear of the dreaded reptiles.
“Oh...you’re a pony....” the mare raised an eyebrow as she saw Sunset Shimmer before she smiled sheepishly, “This is...kind of embarrassing heheh.....I didn’t hit you with anything did I?”
“Fortunately you didn’t” Sunset Shimmer smiled back as she helped the mare up, “But you might have to apologize to my little friend”
“It hurts a bit....” Scootaloo mumbled, standing up as well, “....but you didn’t have to call me “little”
“Sorry, lass” the mare apologized, “Thought you were one of the monsters. I’ve been hiding from them ever since I got here from Manechester”
“You’re from Manechester?” Sunset Shimmer asked, “You’re a long way from home”
“I know that. Hopped onto a goods train three days ago and saw a gigantic explosion above Equestria during the ride” the mare explained as she grabbed a slice of bread before eating it, “You see...the only ones in the train were me, some passengers and the workers. The others went back to Manechester on another train due to fear of being caught by the explosion but I continued, thinking it wasn’t something serious. Bad mistake”
“What happened to the workers then?”
“They jumped off the train some miles from here while it was still running. It really was a miracle that I was able to make it safe and sound on an out-of-control train although the train did run over some crocs” the mare continued.
“And when you saw the monsters, you hid inside this place?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“I had to” the mare replied, “Those blokes were swarming the place after the train stopped. And seeing that there was no way anypony would be able to drive a train with all of them wandering about, I figured it was the best thing to hide for a while and hope that the princesses would find a way to remove the reptiles from the place so I could return home safely”
“So, no one found out you were hiding here?” Scootaloo inquired, holding a cube of ice to her face, “That means you’re one of us!”
“One of who?”
“One of the few ponies who the reptiles can’t detect. They can’t sense our presence unless they saw us” Scootaloo replied.
“Oh! That must explain why they captured everypony else hiding inside this place except for me”
“We’re trying to find a way to free the others who are being kept inside a cage at the Town Square. Would you mind joining us?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“Well....I guess I can’t stay here forever....” the mare thought out loud, “And I would really fancy a safe ride home after all this”
“Oh! I forgot to introduce myself” Sunset Shimmer said hastily, “I’m Sunset Shimmer and this is Scootaloo. What’s your name?”
“I’m Emma” the mare replied with a smile.
“Am a what?” Scootaloo asked.
“Emma. Short for Dilemma”
“Dilemma? That’s a weird name” Scootaloo chuckled.
“So is Scootaloo” Emma smirked before patting the filly, “Sorry again for the flying pan attack”
“That’s okay. I get hit by falling pans a lot back at home” Scootaloo said, “Mostly when I try to cook something especially Mintballs heheh” she added, “Never ever try to make mintballs”
“Should we head out?” Sunset Shimmer asked the two, “Grand Slam and Tempest are waiting for us”
“And Spike too” Scootaloo grabbed the water bottle, “We need to wake him up quick and get him something to eat”
“Who?” Emma asked.
“They’re our friends” Sunset Shimmer replied, “They’re gonna help us free everypony”
“WAAAHH!!” the purple dragon yelled as he woke up with a start. He could feel the cool water splashing on his face and he noticed the figures surrounding him.
“Great! Now that he’s up, we oughta move out now” Grand Slam suggested. Although they had been inside the restaurant for a mere ten minutes, he wanted to go on as soon as possible and finish what he and Tempest had planned.
“Are you alright, Spike?” Sunset Shimmer asked her friend, ignoring Grand Slam.
“I’m alright...” Spike muttered as he sat up, wiping his face with his arms.
“Aww....he’s more cuter when he’s up” Emma said before nudging Tempest, “Uh...you didn’t look like him when you were younger, did you?”
“Of course not! We’re two different species for crying out loud” Tempest replied indifferently. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Spike staring intently at him.
“WAA!!! What are you guys doing with him? He’s one of them!!!” he shouted. From what he saw, Spike instantly knew that Sunset Shimmer and the other ponies were working together with the serpent he saw before.
“Calm down, Spike. He’s with us” Sunset Shimmer assured the scared dragon.
“Yeah! He’s gonna lead us to where the others are being kept” Scootaloo added, “If he knows what’s good for him”.
“Whew!” Spike heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing another familiar face, “Thank Celestia you’re alright”.
“I could say the same” Scootaloo chuckled. It felt heartwarming to know that in spite of everything that had transpired, she still had friends who cared for her.
“Could someone tell me how I got here?” Spike asked, sitting up.
“Some....bad stuff happened near the castle so I carried you all the way here” Sunset Shimmer answered before Grand Slam could. She knew that it wasn’t wise to let the little dragon know about the complete annihilation of Tempest’s minions.
“Really? Thanks...I guess” Spike smiled.
“Now that we’ve got him up, can we move on now? We’re wasting too much time” Grand Slam said impatiently.
“Who are these two?” Spike asked Sunset Shimmer after realizing that he didn’t recognize the other mare and stallion.
“These are Grand Slam and Dilemma. They’ve agreed to help us free the others” the unicorn replied.
“Wow! I can’t believe you guys managed to escape from those goons” Spike said in surprise. He genuinely believed that nopony else could get away without getting captured.
“I could say the same to you too” Dilemma replied.
“No one’s stopping me from keeping my family safe” Grand Slam added before he signaled the others to prepare to move forward, “Anyway, it’s time to go. The sky will be pitch black in just a few hours and if we’re to avoid detection, we’ll have to move fast”.
“He’s correct. Old Nick will likely turn off the celestial objects in order to prevent any outside interference” Tempest agreed.
“Who’s Old Nick? That Nucky-Lucky boss you told us about?” Scootaloo inquired.
“Nuckelavee. He’s one of your kingdom’s original enemies. He has more power than the four princesses combined amplified seventy-fold. You’d be wise not to cross him” Tempest replied.
“Some old timer’s the reason for all this? That’s just so bloody awful” Emma chimed in.
“Wait! I thought you said you wanted to destroy him. How would you do that if he’s that powerful?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“I have a plan but I’m not going to tell you” Tempest crossed his arms. The next second, a pair of grey hooves grabbed him on the neck.
“Spill the beans” Grand Slam growled.
“Alright! Alright!” Tempest threw his claws up in annoyance, “I intend to take the powers of the Sea Ponies to lure him away into the Southern Ocean where he’ll be dissolved in a whim. Nuckelavee hates water. He avoids touching even a single drop of it whenever he can so it’s obvious that’s he’s weak to water”
“You’re going to rely on just a theory?” Emma raised an eyebrow.
“I think giving him a bath won’t do any good” Spike added.
“Shut it! I didn’t ask for your opinion, hatchling” Tempest hissed, getting right at the purple dragon’s face. Spike gulped as he saw the anger inside Tempest’s eyes.
“Whatever! Killing your boss is nothing of our concern for now” Grand Slam pushed the white serpent, “Lead the way and help us free those ponies. We’ll decide your fate afterwards”
Tempest let out a low growl as he walked in front of his enemies. He could hear the faint whispers coming from the two mares who were wondering what his true intentions were. A smile came across his face as he recalled all his past misdeeds, all of the beings he had cheated and taken advantage of.
Along with Tirek, he was responsible was the creation of one of the vilest foes Equestria had ever faced. Whether it was by bribe or by use of inter-dimensional portals, whether it was under the guise of demonic figures or simply his true form, the two of them had instigated many a battles between various races.
Deception was what he did best.
Meanwhile
“Please spare me! I’ll tell you all about Charlie’s plans if you just......”
A pink beam of energy cut off the pleading reptile as he was reduced to bones in a flash. A lone pony stood in the middle of scorching skulls and bones. The energy inside of him manifested as sparks which covered his entire body.
His face had a constant manic expression which made it impossible for anyone to read his or the other thoughts that were making his mind explode every single second. Some of the deceased monsters thought he was a psychotic killer while others believed he was an unholy entity sent to rid the world of their wretched existence.
He was neither.
Glint slowly walked across the clearing he made without paying any heed to the sounds of cracking bones beneath his hooves. Silently, he lowered his head as he tried to do the same thing he had been trying for the last two days: controlling himself.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT!!!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, “....I am tired of all this....”
Still, he heard no reply. Only the familiar voices who conversed with one another without heeding him.
“Stay strong.....we’re here with you.....”
“I don’t know how much more I can take......if they send me back.....I fear I might breathe.....my last breath....”
“Don’t say that! We’ll get through this....I’m sure of it....”
“.....I admire your hope for a better tomorrow but.....I’m convinced it’ll be over soon...”
“That’s the spirit!”
“...for us”
“No....”
“.....and for Equestria....”
As it had happened many times before, Glint found himself saying exactly the same words the voices said. He couldn’t control his mind, his body or even his soul. The sudden surge of power that filled him may have been hurting the voices in his head but it was killing him and almost everyone that had been near him.
He involuntarily charged up again before he teleported away from the scene. Canterlot was the destination in his head. Again.
A few seconds later, a suit-wearing stallion walked out from a house and observed the waning energy left behind by Glint. Mr. M turned to the sky and stared at the eclipse over him before he took out his communicator.
“The Cyan Shadow was here....” Mr. M said, “...yes...he does have their powers....alright....”
In the deepest dungeons of Canterlot
“Hey! Keep it down!” an elite dragon yelled in annoyance at the four princesses who were huddled together and comforting each other as always. His partner, a black drake merely continued sharpening his blade.
“The purple one’s next right?” an armored crocodile inquired.
“Yup! Be back in about three hours. I’m tired of having to lock and unlock their chains every time Old Nick wants to beat some information out of them” the dragon said.
“Alright. Three hours then” the crocodile nodded before he left.
The cell was lit by nothing but torches which were kept beyond the door the princesses were in. They were barely conscious after the being infected with Nuckelavee’s plague. Every visit to the skinless stallion sapped their remaining energy away little by little.
“Sister....please....stay strong....” Celestia urged her younger sibling, holding her head up with her hoof while Twilight Sparkle and Cadance hugged her.
“....I’ll try.......if only we had a chance.....” a drop of tear found its way to the floor of the cell from the corner of Luna’s eye.
“We must not lose hope....if we do...it’ll be the end” Cadance said.
“....I wish I saw this coming....” Twilight sobbed. She broke down at the thought of her friends and family being gone because she wasn’t prepared for the invasion.
“Quit your crying!!” the dragon shouted again from the outside before he turned to his partner, “By the way, do you know why Old Nick keeps interrogating them?”
“I heard he wants his daughter back” the drake replied.
“Huh? I thought Lord Tirek told us his daughter was dead ages ago” the dragon asked, puzzled.
“Apparently she’s not. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left Tartarus at all” the drake said.
“Then what’s so special about that castle in Ponyville?”
“I dunno but after Tirek and Tempest absorb its magic, Old Nick plans on using something inside it to find her daughter” the drake answered.
“Too bad these little shits won’t be around to see Old Nick destroy this pathetic kingdom heheh” the dragon chuckled as he smirked at the princesses through the steel door.
Celestia lowered her head in shame after what she heard. It was too late for her to change the decision she made a lifetime ago. Not even her sister knew about what she did. Luna, Twilight, Cadance and everypony else were taking the fall for something she made an old friend do.
In a dimension, far away
“Quit arguing, you two!”
“She started it”
“Arghhh......whatever! Let’s go before anybody sees us”
“ *squee* This is so exciting!!!”