“The tunnel goes down about eighty to ninety hooves, then opens up to a large pit area,” the corporal reported. “There are a couple of passageways that lead out from there that probably lead downwards into the lower levels.”
“Good work, soldier. Alright, boys, here’s the plan, we- what are you doing back here so early?” Warrant Officer Breaker said in confusion. His confusion quickly turned to worry, however, when he noticed that the two unicorns of the group had a number of telling battle damage marks on their armor, while all of them had grim looks on their faces.
“Sir, we have a problem. It seems that a number of traitors are rounding up the Element Bearers as we speak,” the sergeant said with a salute.
“Traitors? What do you mean by that?”
“I mean that either a group of our own soldiers decided to suddenly turn on us and attack the Elements, or that someone we don’t know has gotten their hooves on a lot of standard guard equipment and training,” the sergeant said sarcastically.
Warrant Officer Breaker gave a groan at this. Of course. We’ve got undead at all sides, comparatively small numbers, and now traitors? This day can’t possibly get any worse… Warrant Officer Breaker took a deep breath to steady himself, then exhaled. “I can do without the sass, sergeant. Where’s the asset? Chasing these traitors, I assume?”
“No, sir. The traitors we met were chasing the Bearer of Laughter, and… well… he killed them, sir. Most of them, anyway,”
Breaker looked over the three soldiers at that. “So… where are they?”
“‘They’?”
“The Element of Harmony and the asset!” Breaker said tapping his hoof. “If they both survived the attack, then they should be with you, right?”
The three soldiers looked around in confusion at that, then looked back at their commanding officer nervously. “Uh… well, the asset kinda… went to go check on the other Elements when he found out what they actually were. He only stayed around long enough to get some basic directions, and then he was off…”
“And the Element of Laughter?” Breaker asked pointedly.
The three ponies looked abashed at that. “Well…”
“You see…”
“I swear! She was right there in front of me! We came to the door, entered, and I only actually noticed she was gone the moment you mentioned her!” the private of the group said, gesturing wildly with his hooves. “I-I really don’t know what happened! One minute she was there, and the next? Poof!”
“Apparently this day can get worse…” Breaker said with another groan.
* * *
“Ma’am! We have a problem!” the pony said as he burst into the room. He stopped short, however, when he noticed that the place was completely dark, the only sound being the noise that was filtering in from outside the barracks.
“...Ma’am?” the pony asked uneasily as he flipped on the lights. As soon as he had, though, he immediately regretted his decision.
There, sitting on her haunches with her back to the map table, was Lieutenant Feather. Her hooves were held up in front of her, as if to ward off some approaching horror, while her face was frozen in a silent scream. But as terrifying as all of that was, it that wasn’t the most disturbing thing about the corpse.
No, what was most disturbing were the eyes, or rather the lack of them.
The pony tried his best to keep down the rising panic, as well as his rising lunch, but neither seemed possible. With a mighty heave, he emptied the contents of his stomach all over the floor in front of him, making the already pungent room smell even worse.
“We… what…?” he said after a few seconds. He then quickly turned and ran, screaming bloody murder into the night.
“Now… how long will it take before their spirits break?” the shadow with the yellow eyes asked from his little unseen corner. He then hefted his prize and gazed into the two, bloody orbs that rested in his claw. “Now, all I need is some pickling solution and a jar for my first trophy…”
* * *
I crept slowly through the castle halls, taking great care to remember the instructions that had been given me. And no, before you ask, I don’t have an eidetic memory, no matter what my friends back home might say.
What I do, though, is set up a set of mnemonics to help me remember important details. It’s a trick anyone can learn, and one that I picked up during my freshman year of college.
“Let’s see, right at the hallway, up the staircase, just don’t eat the bearcase…” I mumbled to myself.
Yeah, it didn’t make any sense, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that it needed to be memorable, and rhymy. Which is why I usually went with something funny or silly with my mnemonics. It usually didn’t make any sense, and my friends usually made fun of me for it, but my grades were enough to convince anyone that it worked.
“Now, if only there was a mnemonic that took away the crippling pain…”
“I’m pretty sure those don’t exist,” a familiar, bubbly, pink, and completely unexpected voice said next to my ear.
“GHAH!” I said as I simultaneously tried to turn, go into a readied stance, and draw my sword all in one go. What I hadn’t counted on, though, was the fatigue making my movements clumsy and erratic, causing me to trip on my own feet, leaving my sword firmly in its sheath.
Which was a good thing, considering that the person behind me wasn’t really someone I should be drawing my weapon on anytime soon.
The pink pony just giggled at me, then bounced a little. “Hi! My name’s Pinkie Pie! We didn’t really get to introduce ourselves back there, what with all the fighting and seriousnesses, and need to get the guards somewhere safe. But now that we’re going to find my friends, we have some time to become friends! What’s your name!”
Cautiously, I got back to my feet, not really sure that I understood any of what I just heard. However, one fact floated up through my consciousness, one that needed to be addressed. “Why in all that is holy are you here? You’re supposed to be with the guards!”
“Nah, They’ve got it, you looked like you needed my help way more!” she said, her smile positively brilliant.
“That’s not what I… Look, what good will it do anyone if you get caught? There’s traitors about, undead below and around us, and you think following me is a good idea?”
“No, silly, I know it’s a good idea! You’re the one who’s going to be in the most trouble, so you’re the one who needs to be protected the most!”
I just stared at her for a few seconds, then rolled my eyes. “Look, I don’t have time to argue with you. Nor do I have time to take you back to the guards. Just… just don’t get in my way, and be careful, okay?” I told her as I turned around and started up the staircase.
“Okey dokey-wait! You didn’t tell me your name!” she said as she scrambled to keep up.
“The name’s Ammon, though I have a better question,” I said as we came out into a huge, open hall. “I remember coming through here earlier, and there were a lot of staff and guards. Where are they now?”
Pinkie looked around, almost as if she had just noticed that something was off. “Wait, you’re right! Rosemary and Pumpernickel are usually cleaning this area at this time of night!”
It was eerie, and set me even more on edge than I was before. That was good, though. It meant that I had something to focus on, something to distract myself from the pain. “Well... Pinkie, was it?” I asked as I looked at her.
“Yeperoonie!” she said cheerfully.
It felt weird, talking to someone whom I knew was capable of a more adult outlook (if the look she gave me earlier was any indication), yet insisted on speaking like a child. Weird, but not unwanted. In fact, it was almost… refreshing. “Tell me a little more about these… Elements of Harmony, the guard was talking about earlier.”
“The Elements of Harmony are these super duper magical jewel… weapon… thingies!” she said after a bit of thought. “They use the awesome powers of friendship to help us beat down any evil that comes our way!”
“Friendship?” I asked skeptically as I kept moving. “I’ve heard of friendship being powerful, but more in the ‘your friends support you through any trial’ kind of way. What can this… friendship… power do?”
This stopped Pinkie in her tracks. “Well, right now it can’t really do anything, on account of how the Elements were stolen! However, if we did have them, we’d be able to turn all the bad guys running around into stone in a second!” she said proudly.
I stopped as well, turning to look at her at these words. “Wait, they can do that? And they were stolen!?”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, silly! Only me and my friends can use them!”
I cocked my eyeridge at her thoughtfully. “Huh… So that’s why everybody and their dogs want to get their hand on you,” I said thoughtfully as I rubbed the underside of my chin with my still working claw. “If they could, they might- wait, what’s that?” I asked as I saw a blue streak turn a corner and head straight for us.
Before I could even think about what was happening, I saw a flash of light, and felt my head make an attempt to leave my shoulders, then remembered no more.
* * *
Fluttershy bolted down the corridor, the strange ponies from before still chasing her. They had told her that they were going to take her to safety, but something inside of her had told her not to trust them, that she should run before they could take her away.
So that’s what she did.
Her pursuers weren’t going fast. Fluttershy had never been very swift on hoof or wing, and they seemed to realize this. Perhaps they didn’t want to waste energy running after her. Besides, where else would she go? There didn’t seem to be anypony around that could help her, and with the city under attack, all the real guards would be out fighting the monsters. She had been brought to the castle for her own safety, but nowhere was safe now.
“Come on now!” One of the ponies called out. “You can’t run forever!”
“Might as well end it now!” another called, but she ran on, sobbing. She had no idea what to do. They were right. She couldn’t run forever, and she was quickly getting tired.
Something pushed her forward, however, urging her onwards despite her growing exhaustion, pushing her on and giving her the inner strength to keep moving.
She turned a corner and burst through a door, revealing a set of stairs winding upward. Without a second thought she slammed the portal closed behind her and continued onward. She soon heard the sounds of her pursuers as they began to make their way up the staircase, the noise they made growing louder with each passing step.
Just as the landing came into sight, however, the last of her strength wore away. With a terrified squeak, she collapsed at the landing, feeling as if she couldn’t go on any further.
“Just a little more,” she thought she heard a voice say. “Keep going.”
But how could she? She had never been a very active pony like Rainbow Dash or AppleJack. She had always been weak and pathetic, unable to even finish basic flight training.
“Don’t give up when you are so close,” the voice came again. “I will be your strength. Just a few steps more.”
With a bit of a grunt, Fluttershy dug into some hidden cache of inner strength, allowing her to lift herself up, and continue on. It seemed that each step would be her last, but somehow she was able to make one more, and then another, and then another. It seemed like an eternity, but eventually she got to the door that she had seen at the landing.
She had reached to top of a tower.
Fluttershy didn’t know too much about the castle, but from the dusty wood, and rusty hinges, it seemed like this place was rarely used. She opened the door hurriedly, slamming the door shut behind her once she was inside. With a shuddering sob, she collapsed against the door breathing heavily. Her muscles ached, but she had to keep going. She only had a moment before they reached her, and she could already hear their voices from the other side
She had to get out. She turned, planning on going out through a window, but stumbled as her exhausted body began to give out again. She collapsed onto the floor just a few feet from the door as tears streamed freely from her face.
The stone floor was cold against her cheek, feeling somewhat soothing despite what was about to happen to her. Through her tears she could make out a few pieces of furniture; a bed here, a table there, all covered in white dust sheets as well as a thick layer of dust. She lifted her head, looking to the window on the other end of the circular room that would hopefully be her way out.
That’s when she first noticed it.
Sitting cross legged in the center of the round room was a most strange creature. It had the rough body shape of a minotaur, but not nearly as muscular. It wore black clothing with a hooded cloak, which was currently drawn over its head. The cloak did nothing to hide its face, however, allowing her to see the lupine features under the hood. What little of the creature's body that wasn’t covered in clothing was instead covered in a deep, black fur.
The creature made no moves. It sat peacefully, its eyes closed, head bowed, and hands resting on a short spear that lay across its lap.
It’s one of those strange creatures that are rampaging across Equestria, Fluttershy thought to herself. She wanted to shriek as loud as she could, scream in horror, at the unfairness of it all, but her terror was so great she could only lie there and stare as the creature continued its meditation.
After what felt like an eternity, though it was probably only a few moments, the door crashed open, allowing Futtershy’s pursuers to enter the room. As soon as they entered, the creature’s eyes opened, its golden eyes locking with Fluttershy’s.
It rose.
Everything seemed still. Fluttershy, her pursuers, and the creature were all motionless.
“Which one is that?” one of the ponies asked.
“I don’t know” another replied.
“We’re just here for the filly,” the first said “so we’ll just be taking her and going. We don’t want to have to hurt you.”
The creature removed its cloak. It looked down at her with an unreadable expression, then opened its paw, dropping the cloak and letting it fall over her. Darkness surrounded Fluttershy as it covered her.
She heard shouts from the other ponies. She tried to block out the noises, hooves on the stone floor, bodies crashing into furniture, screams of pain. She didn’t know how long the fight lasted. Her sense of time had been suppressed by her fear, but it wasn’t long.
Once everything had stopped, she heard a weird sound similar to a unicorn charging their horn, followed closely by the sounds of something being dragged across the floor. She whimpered, knowing that she was next, but stopped when she heard a sound that she had not expected.
The door closed.
Summoning every shred of what little courage she had, Fluttershy looked out from under the cloak. Some of the furniture was out of place, or broken, but aside from that the room was empty. As she sat up, however, she suddenly noticed the crimson pools on the floor, as well as the splatter marks all over the walls and the ceilings.
Fluttershy jumped slightly when a strange, wet, cracking sound could be heard through the door behind her. Gathering what little strength she had left, Fluttershy half crawled, half dragged herself under the bed, wrapping herself tightly in the dark cloth as she began once again to sob.
This time, however, she cried not in fear, but in relief.
* * *
The Storm of Storms looked up, excitement plastered across his face as he rapidly patted his claws against the table in front of him. His eyes met The Huntress’s from across the table, who seemed to share in his excitement. “Rampage? Rampage?”
“Rampage!” she agreed excitedly as she mimicked his movements.
This, of course, caused several of the players at the table to groan in frustration. A few looked confused, however, The Deceiver being chief among them. “Wait… rampage? what’s that supposed to mean?”
Fate looked at the god of lies tiredly, then shook his head. “Oh, it’s bad. This game, which was only supposed to go on for a few more rounds, a spin at the most, just got drawn out.”
The Deceiver just gave Fate a dubious look at that. “I hardly doubt she could do that. I mean, seriously, it's just one wolf. What harm could it do?”
“You know how every piece, politician, noble, basically everyone important who’s not the royal sisters is currently in Canterlot? How most of our non-violent moves have been centered in that city?” Fate asked him in a level tone.
“Yeah?”
“All dead,” Fate deadpanned.
The Deceiver looked down, looked up again, looked back at the table, tried looking at it from different angles, then gulped. “She… she wouldn’t…”
“Oh, I would in a heartbeat,” The Huntress said, her smile somewhat more sinister as she stared hungrily at The Deceiver.
“But… but how are you going to win without those pieces!” The Deceiver asked as panic started to set in. “Quite a few of them are important to any victory condition! You could drag this game out forever!”
“Now Liar, You know that's not true. There's still a multitude of ways to win, just none that you can use" Gorthok the Devourer said, calling The Deceiver out. “There's still summoning, conquest, surrender... The list goes on, just not in any manner that helps you.”
The Deceiver looked down at the board at this. He already knew that, he was just hoping he could turn The Huntress away from her course. His current champion was ill suited for combat. None of his champions were. He preferred to let the other players duke it out while he quietly built his strategy. Not only that, but he didn’t necessarily have to win. all he had to do was make sure one of his ally players won, and he would count that as a victory for himself.
This… this complicates things… he thought to himself.
“Y-You know, you really don’t have to go on a rampage,” The Deceiver tried to reason with her. “I mean, seriously, do you really want to be stuck in this game for that long? Not even The Defiler was going to do something like that!”
The Huntress just smiled at that as she picked up the dice.
Oh dear… The Deceiver thought as he slumped dejectedly in his seat. He thought he had the perfect plan, the perfect way to get through these in the most profitable manner.
It looked like he would have to rethink his strategy for some of these players.