"War? Now?" Celestia and the other royals looked to one another, Sapphire finding shelter under Blitzkrieg's arm.
"Yes, war is upon us, just like during Cadence and Shining's wedding," with that, everyone looked up to the ceiling as they started to hear the changelings land upon the roof. Ordinary storm clouds bring rain and lighting, possessed or not; however, the clouds outside casted a smoke-like veil upon Canterlot as it rained, but not water...changelings.
"Somepony better git me my rope," Apple Jack spoke.
"Eeyup, because here comes the rodeo," AJ finished the colloquial saying just before he jumped on and over the table, ramming into the doors as changelings tried to push in. "I can't hold them back much longer!" One stuck their hand through the opening and was forced to recoil when AJ shut the doors again.
In glee, "O.M.G! They look like real zombies when they're human!" Pinkie couldn't hold the ejaculation and everyone about the room stared her down. "What, they do," she gave a shrug.
Blitz got up, calm and quietly, and squared up behind AJ. "Let them come, I can buy you all some time. There is a back exit in the throne room that leads down to the catacombs. Get to the armoury and pony up."
Twilight sighed along with Spike, "Really? You had to make that reference."
"I said go!" Blitz wedged himself against the door as AJ and the others retreated down the passage described, led by Sapphire herself. Blitz was ready to release the doors and square for a fight, but when he released the doors the banging had stopped and a glimmer of light faded from behind them. There were groans and the doors creaked in.
"Oh, 'daddy discord,' you obviously have lost your training," A hooded, brown eyed girl (about 17, by the looks of her), strolled in the room and closed the doors with her magic. Her white robes swept at her feet and as she bowed.
"Who are you? And what do you mean?" Blitz gave a wary questioning.
She swept off her hood to show her hair was of gold, like the sun, and she bared the same green in it as Blitz did. She adjusted her belt, a queer shape, almost a spade of sorts.
The one name that kept coming into Blitz's mind as he looked at her was "Ezio" but it meant nothing. "'Who are you,' I ask." Blitz's palms began to spark.
The girl flicked her wrist and a blade extended from it and she held it towards the man in front of her, "Easy there, Doctor. You'll learn of me, and you'll tell this story to your child when she is ready; how an 'assassin' saved you from this mess." She gave a longing smile and a tear came to her cheek. "You'll find that there are more of these arm blades in the catacombs, Doctor. Just where the Professor left them."
Blitz was stunned, "Only I know of her weaponry stash there. Who are you?" Blitz looked the girl in the eyes and saw a flame of tender love, but then fell unconscious as one of the girl's blow darts hit him in the neck.
She leaned over him, her red and white cape covering the man's chest, "I am you...if you can believe that, only a part, though. Aroura is my name." She smiled at the closing eyes and looked up at the sound of rushing feet from whence Blitz's friends had vanished. She got up and turned about, walking towards the doors.
"Stop!" Rainbow Dash warned and took aim at the white, hooded, figure with her acquired slingshot. Fluttershy, with her bow and arrow at the ready, stood beside Dash as the rest brought up the rear as they encircled the royals.
“Bye moms…” the hooded figure, in a flash of light similar to the Tardis, vanished in front of the group.
Rainbow Dash stood stunned, murmuring, “Moms…?” as Fluttershy dropped her weapon and kneeled next to Haiex’s side.
“Haiex?” She stared at him, frantic, but soon calmed at the notice of breath and pulse.
“What did she do to him?” Dusk asked.
Fluttershy started to say something when a jolt of electricity jerked Blitz awake, “A horse tranquilizer.” He bolted upright and hugged Fluttershy in reaction, “But I’m fine.” Fluttershy hugged back as the rest sighed with relief.
“Perfect, now what are we going to do? And where did these weapons come from?” Rainbow Dash insisted as an explosion shook the castle.
Celestia ran over to the window, “It’s warfare out there.”
“They are taking any and all as prisoners?” Luna expressed, moving to see out the window as well.
“The weapons were mine and the Professor’s. Each will find that there is one for each of you, but not me.” Blitz got up, still speaking as he gave Fluttershy a hand up, “The Professor knew this day would come. I didn’t, however, she always spoke in riddles about it.”
Artemis began to clench his fists as Blitz spoke, but Solaris waved his hand to stop the anger. “So, what is to be done?” Solaris spoke.
“We fight,” Blitz grimaced at the thought of it, but also had a smirk disappear once or twice in the moment.
Elusive pushed passed the friends and came to Blitz, carrying a small pack in the opposite hand of his shield and staff. “Seems your Professor left you something to fight with after all.”
Blitz took the pack and realised it were half of an old-looking pair of saddle bags which bared his current cutie mark. “Twilight and Rarity? Have you finished making us colts those saddle bags?” Blitz spoke as if distant, training his five mile stare on the pack that hung from his hand.
“Uh, no. Why?” Twilight asked, walking up to Blitz as the others continued their guard of the room. She gasped at the bag, “It’s completely war-torn and it looks exactly like the ones I have planned for you.”
“But those plans should still be sitting in my boutique—oh, my boutique,” Rarity swooned a little at the thought, gratefully Elusive caught her in time.
Twilight turned back to Blitzkrieg, “Rainbow, do you think—”
Blitz answered, “When we’re dealing with wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, call me the Doctor, Twily.” Blitz waved to AJ and Apple Jack to guard the doors while the others stood guard at the back hallway; the royals in the room encircled Blitz as he dumped the bag’s contents out on the table. “Canst be this,” Blitz’s voice faltered as his eyes roamed over the same items that he saw that girl wearing, down to the robes and belt; however, these were blackened robes, not white, which struck him as odd as well as the other things. “Well, is it a coincidence that we still have robes in this castle?” Blitz eyed the people about the room as an idea came to his head.
Another explosion engulfed the castle walls in smoke as a fight between the guards and changelings…and guards ensued? Then, as eyes turned passed, a black, hooded, figure made his move out of the castle doors and into the bush.
“Come on, they’re distracted by each other,” Blitz waved from the bush at his cloaked friends who rushed to join him, in hiding. The robes he wore didn’t stretch, nor squeeze, they were a perfect fit and oddly smelt of himself and war (gunpowder and soot).
“Alright, what’s the plan?” Bubbles questioned, getting a little happier every time he stroked his newfound axe. Pinkie rubbed into him to settle him down, but to no avail.
“Get the Princes and Princesses out of here. I’ll deal with the guards as you all make it out the gate.” Blitz took another look at the quarreling guards and oddly enough started to see the fakes flicker form back into their changeling states.
“From there, we need to get back to Ponyville and warn the others,” Cadence whispered.
Fluttershy noticed Haiex’s focus on the fight and tried to squeeze his hand, but he only blinked. “Haiex, what is it?”
His vision started to flicker in and out of colour, from coloured to black-red-blue-white. “I don’t know, I think I’m remembering something.” He threw back his hood and squinted his eyes again; no colour change, but the changelings kept flickering in and out of form. “Do you see that?” Blitz whispered.
“What?” Fluttershy asked, looking at the guards fighting each other.
“You don’t see which are changelings and which aren’t?” Blitz looked at her, wide eyed, but the rest of the group eyed him back as if he were daft.
“You okay there, partner? Don’t be tellin’ me that those robes are poisoned, or is it those arm blades you got?” AJ asked, worry being heard in his voice.
“I’m not going crazy, I just saw something.”
Dusk shook his head, “Alright, the sun’s coming out so we better make our run now.”
“Then get going, I’ll catch up.” Blitz said, nonchalantly, as he pull his hood over his head and ran into the fray before them. “Oi, changelings! Come and get me,” something had clicked inside Blitz’s brain, a part of some past memory that gave him a new outlook on the fight. Blitz could see training he’d never thought he had, in his mind’s eye, with some man he honestly didn’t recognize but only by the robes he wore, which were exactly the ones Blitz wore at the moment. Blitz’s mind raced with the memories of training, so many, as he stood there awaiting the changelings (which he could see for what they were, now) that rushed him, then the first changeling swung and Blitz dodged to the left. The fight was over for the enemies before it had begun, it now seemed.
“What the hay got into Rainbow?” Butterscotch asked as he stopped at the gates, watching Blitzkrieg use his arm blades to cut at one of the guard’s knees.
“I don’t know, but if he is fighting them he must have found the changelings out,” Elusive conjectured as she tugged at Butterscotch’s hood. They both nodded and were off with the others towards the train station.
“All aboard!” Pinkie and Bubbles yelled as they put the train in gear.
There was a jerk and everypony grappled to keep their balance as they gathered at the entrance to the conductor’s cabin. “Guys, did he have to highjack the train?” Dusk yelped, then eyed the two troublemakers with surprise by their change into conductor attire.
“Well, duh, silly. The conductor was going to not pullout for he was paid off.” Bubbles growled at their tied-up prisoner, in the corner, and then walked back to the door as Pinkie took over.
“There are passengers on this train, fleeing like us. You sure you know how to operate this?” AJ asked, holding onto the same bar as Dusk, the train now picking up speed.
“Sure I do,” called Pinkie, “is it like flying your balloon Twilight?”
Twilight froze in place, and frantically called, “No.”
Pinkie turned about and hopped to the door and put her chin on Bubble’s shoulder, “Then this will be easy. You know I can’t fly that balloon, Twilight.” She smiled Twilight’s way and then raced back to the controls.
Twilight sat down on one of the benches, hyperventilating at the thought of Pinkie’s words.
“Alright, so Pinkie’s got this. Now, what about Blitzie?” Dash asked, sitting on the bench opposite Twilight.
Twilight was about to say something when they heard a thud on the roof of the train car. She then spoke, “I think that was him.”
The doors of the car swung open and everyone was prepared to see Blitz, but lost their smiles when they saw three men, dressed in suits, enter instead. The car was empty, save the friends, so the men’s heel clicks could be heard over the low rumble of the wheels. “Alright, turn this train around,” one of them ordered.
“Or what?” Dusk stepped closer to the middle of the car.
“Or you, Prince, and the rest of you get peppered,” another spoke.
All the friends looked at each other with questioning stares. “Uh, sorry to disappoint, but apples don’t go good with pepper nor salt,” Bubbles said as he patted AJ and Apple Jack on the heads. The friends snickered, but Celestia and Luna got the impression that they needed to scoot closer to the front of the car.
The final man drew a silver weapon, “The saying means either you turn the train around or you get riddled with bullets.
The friends looked at each other shocked and confused. “Uh, sorry, but if that’s a threat we don’t get it. What are bullets?” Dash looked at the intruders, who by this time were both annoyed and chuckling.
“Why don’t I show you?” The man pulled the hammer of his revolver back and took aim at Dash. “You can say it’s ‘fire’ magic.” He got his finger on the trigger and then the door behind them slid open.
“Why don’t you put the gun away, idiot,” Blitz pulled his hood on again, since the wind outside had blown it off.
The three men turned and looked at the newcomer. “Assassin?” the one with the gun questioned, then fired.
In a roll towards the three, Blitz dodged under the bullet and tackled the one with the gun. Once on the floor, as if by instinct, Blitz plunged one of his arm blades into the man’s neck and recoiled as blood squirted out with each dying heartbeat. The other two stood shocked, along with the friends, and then drew their weapons: an extending sword and another revolver. Blitz heard the gun cock, but didn’t move.
“You bring a knife to a gun fight, how sad,” The man with the gun took aim and Blitz only turned.
As the dark robes swooshed about Blitz, the friends saw his arm reach onto his back and swing forward. They waited for the fire magic, but nothing happened except the gun falling to the floor and then the man, with a knife to the neck. Blitz got up and dusted himself off, “It’s been a while. I was aiming for his head, guess I need a little more practice.”
The calmness in Rainbow’s voice made everyone in the car shiver as well as sink back into their seats. The remaining man, however, put his blade up and was galvanized for a fight. Rainbow had no hesitation and stood his ground in the centre of the car. The man approached, with caution, and swung. The blade was met by Blitz’s arm blade and parried. Swing after swing the clash of metal could be heard, then a quick sweep at the feet and the man was on his back. In one swift, almost natural, motion Blitz pounced on the man and sunk his blades into his neck. Blitz stood, hood covering his eyes, and the words that escaped his lips were quiet, but enough for everyone to hear, “Rest in peace.” The friends’ hearts sank and Pinkie jerked the train again as she sunk to her knees while holding back a shiver. The friends looked on as their hooded friend stood in the midst of three bodies, but their breaths were stolen once more when witnessing Blitz closing each of their eyes, one-by-one, and searching their pockets as if the act of killing had come natural.
“Haiex?” Luna called, her voice quivering.
Blitz turned to see her being sheltered by Artemis and her, herself, holding Sapphire close as Sapphire hid her face in her hair.
“What have you done?” Celestia hissed.
“They’re casualties of war, that’s all. It was either us or them.” Blitz shook as he came to his senses.
“But you’re the Doctor. You save people,” Bubbles stated from the door.
Blitz looked at him, “Yeah, but I was a killer first.” Blitz, gulping back agony, started for Bubble Berry and gently nudged his way into the cabin. Everyone sunk deeper into their seats as Blitz crossed into the conductor’s cabin, he searched the man’s pockets, as the man squirmed, and found what he had found on the other three men: a gold coin that bared a red cross. “Let us just get to Ponyville and I will explain…to listening ears, I hope.”
The somber mood in the car was cut by a voice over the train’s speaker system, “Oh, come on, Doctor. Admit it, you liked seeing their blood pool.” The Master’s laugh rang in their ears.
“Shut up, Master,” Blitz barked at the ceiling.
Then they heard fingers drumming on wood, over the speakers; four knocks, repeating. “Do you hear that, Doctor? I’m always hearing that rhythm in my ears, aren’t you?”
Blitz’s face went pail as the friends looked to him. “The drums of war,” Blitz whispered.
“Yes! Very good Doctor. That’s what I thought too, then I overheard the Professor once. She said it were, ‘a Time Lord’s heartbeat.’”
It made sense, what he had always been hearing was just his hearts, nothing more. He always forgot he had two hearts, but now it all made sense.
“But see, Time Lord, I’ve been driven mad by these ‘drums,’” the finger tapping continued, “and I get it now, they are drums, not my hearts. I need to feed the drums of war with war.” The Master laughed and all the friends looked at each other once more. “One…Two…Three…Four…I declare…a Time…War,” The Master laughed as he had said the words in time with the drumming. The laughs of his accomplices could be heard in the background.
Solaris spoke up as the sound cut out and the car became quiet again, “I guess it has begun.”