//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Stand Off // Story: Tales of Old Equestria: 1st Saga // by Pending Storm //------------------------------// The group of ponies froze, eyeing the soldiers surrounding them. Hard Counter quickly drew his blade, not that it would do them much good. Not only were they outnumbered by the ebony-clad pegasi, but he was the only one with a weapon, let alone any combat experience. Though he had only just met the pony known as Roswell Rivet, he didn’t seem like the fighting type to Hardy. Hard Counter considered having them make a break for it past the tree, back the way they’d come, while he stayed to fend off the Sky Tribe. He glanced behind them, watching two of the soldiers, a mare and a stallion, circling around behind them to cut off their escape route. A half-dozen armored pegasi stared back at him, their spears at the ready. A blue-coated stallion hovered in front of the rest of the squad. He called out again, “You four may have managed to make it this far, but it ends here!” Pending raised her hoof. “By ‘it ends here’, do you mean you’ll take us prisoner... Or we die?” she asked hesitantly. “That depends on whether or not the earth pony surrenders.” “Me?” Roswell Rivet asked. “Why me? Although, I suppose I am rather intimidating, so it is understandable why you would deem me a threat, however if you knew me personally, you would know that I’m not a fighter, no, but a thinker, a ponderer, an inventor! So while I may disapprove of your capturing of us sweet, innocent ponies, you should expect no violent resistance from me, unless you intend to harm my friends and acquaintances; in that scenario, I would have no choice but to use the authentic fighting moves I’ve learned from watching various action plays! Furthermore-” Hardy sighed in exasperation. “He was referring to me…” “Oh... Yes, that does make more sense.” Storm hid behind Crash Landing. “Maybe we should just do what they say...” “Some moral support you are, Pending!” Counter growled over his shoulder. “Pending? Pending Storm... ?” asked a warrior in the rear. She gave a confused look. “Huh?” As the warrior circled around to the front, Pending immediately recognized him. His coat was a familiar dark green; his mane and tail a fiery orange. It was Tropic Cyclone, or ‘Private Cyclone’, as he was referred to earlier by Commander Sky Fury. Storm knew him as a fellow weather pony for many years after he moved to Cloudsdale from Manehattan, or so he claimed. He was rather unfriendly for the most part, and rarely talked much about himself. Pending stepped out from behind Crashy. “Tropic Cyclone!” she shouted, forgetting for a moment he was in league with the Sky Tribe. The warrior’s eyes narrowed. “That’s Private Cyclone. ‘Tropic’ isn’t even my real name.” “Oh, um, sorry?” Cyclone rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he said, shaking his head. “More importantly, though, how the hay are you still alive? Word on the cloud is that you were killed by the commander.” He looked at the group behind her. “And is that... Roswell?! Roswell Rivet?!” Roswell shifted nervously. “Uuh, no! It is I... Other Roswell! Completely different from... Roswell Rivet, yes! Common mistake, but we’re completely different ponies, with similar tastes in fashionable coats, yes, that is true, what I just said, yes...” Pending was silent for a moment. Seeing Cyclone again had forced her to remember what she had left on Cloudsdale, and who she had left there. “It’s a long story, but Trop- Private Cyclone... How’s my dad?! Is he okay?!” He crossed his forelegs. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he replied tauntingly. “Yes, I would!” she exclaimed. “I wasn’t- Ugh.” The private face-hoofed in disbelief. “Nevermind!” “Hold on, you mean she’s the daughter of that Star Storm guy during the assembly?” asked the blue pegasus. “Yes, sergeant, that’s her: Pending Storm.” Private Cyclone replied. “Watch yourselves,” he said quietly. “She could potentially strike at any moment...” The squad began to spread out, their focus fixed on Pending. Crash Landing and Hard Counter traded puzzled looks. “Ms. Storm, what’s going on?” asked the confused Crashy. Pending didn’t answer. The soldiers were obviously concerned about her lightning powers, and those would take way too long to explain. Fanning out, watching her cautiously, they were clearly expecting her to attack like she had up in Cloudsdale… They’re afraid I might zap them, like I zapped those other soldiers… Pending thought. They’re afraid of me... She stepped closer toward the hovering soldiers, causing a nervous flutter of wings. The soldiers pointed their spears in her direction, but none of them dared to get any closer. “Pending?” Crashy asked with alarm. “What are you doing?” “Pending, no! Those are the bad guys!” Roswell shouted. “Don’t worry,” Hard Counter said, intrigued. “I’ve seen moments like this before; she has a plan. ... Let’s just hope it’s not a crazy one.” Pending stared at the soldiers as she tried to gather her courage. “Stand down, girl!” the sergeant ordered. She stomped her fore-hooves. “No! You stand down!” Pending Storm raised her right hoof and pointed it towards the Sky Tribe soldiers. The warrior pegasi backed up, holding up their spears in a vain attempt to shield themselves from a lightning bolt, gritting their teeth. “You meanies think you can just go around bullying everypony?!” Storm shouted, taking a few steps closer, causing the soldiers to back away even more. “No! I’m done running away from you Sky jerks! Now it’s your turn to run!” The other three ponies watched, mouths agape. They had no idea why the warriors would be even slightly intimidated by her. “I am Pending Storm! And you will fear my lightning power!” She thrust her hoof forward. Nothing happened. “Huh?!” Pending glanced at her hoof, confused by the lack of lightning. She thrust her other hoof at the armored warriors. Again, nothing happened. “Um... Hang on a sec,” Storm said with a sheepish smile. Everypony looked on as she desperately tried in vain to summon up her powers. She struck a gallant pose. She flipped around, using her hind hooves. She began rubbing her hair to build a static charge. The Sky Tribe soldiers were confused, then began to howl with laughter at Storm’s antics. “...And she went with ‘crazy’,” Hard Counter sighed. “... Perhaps her wing isn’t the only thing that got injured.” Crash Landing covered her eyes. “I can’t watch anymore.” “Yah know, this reminds me of a time she drank too much cider,” Roswell remarked. “She tried to do something similar when I wouldn’t give her a discount on shortbread cookies.” After half a minute of desperate attempts, Pending had exhausted herself. Out of breath, she reluctantly looked up at the soldiers; “...This has never happened before, I swear!” Private Cyclone laughed. “I have to hoof it to you, Pending, you actually had us there for a moment. To think, you managed to trick the entire Sky Tribe into thinking you had some sort of supernatural powers, but in reality, you’re still the same worthless pony. I’m impressed; I didn’t think you were capable of such deception.” “I… I don’t understand…” She gazed at her hooves. “Why can’t I...?” “Cut it out, Storm! It’s obvious you were trying to scare us off with your ‘lightning powers’. Unfortunately for you, we saw right through your thinly veiled ruse!” “What about back in Cloudsdale? How did she attack the commander?” one of the other privates chimed in. “She makes storms for a living, and we were all on a giant cloud. She probably just made a small storm cloud beneath her, then used it on the Commander, or something.” Pending had never been so embarrassed. This was her moment to defy the Sky Tribe and help her friends escape, and she had failed. Private Cyclone grinned. “What’s wrong, Storm? I’d think you’d be used to failure by now.” Storm looked up at them again. “Cyclone, please... Just tell me if my dad’s okay!” “Don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough. ... After we bring you to Sky Fury.” Storm gulped. “To Sky Fury?” “Ever since you zapped her, she’s been in a bit of a foul mood... Well, a worse mood than usual. I’m sure she’ll want to have a word with you. ... And you, ‘Other Roswell’.” Roswell shrugged nervously. “I’m not sure what Roswell Rivet did, but I can assure you that Other Roswell, who is me, is completely innocent! I, for one, welcome our new pegasus overlords!” Cyclone simply rolled his eyes. “H-hey, Cyclone, come on, w-we’re friends, right?” Storm stammered. “No.” “How about acquaintances?” “No.” “...We’re both green!” “N- well, yeah.” “That’s gotta count for something right?” “No...” “But Cyclone, a-after all the years we’ve known each other, y-you can’t just-” “Shut up! Shut up!” the private shouted in annoyance. He pointed his spear towards her. “For five years, five years, I’ve had to play nice with idiots like you. Five years, surrounded by the weak and foolish pegasi of Cloudsdale, having to pose as a lowly weather pony! A job, I might add, made worse whenever a certain mare decided to take the day off, leaving more work for everypony else. And yes, Pending, I’m talking about you. Lazy and ignorant... There is nothing I would enjoy more than watching Commander Sky Fury tear you apart with her blades! You as well, Roswell! After that, I will take comfort in knowing I’ll never have to suffer your idiocy ever again! Does that make it clear where I stand on the issue?” Storm couldn’t help but have her feelings hurt. She hung her head low, looking dejected. “That’s enough,” the sergeant said evenly. He directed his eyes at Hard Counter. “I’ll only say this once more: drop your sword, or perish.” Hard Counter gritted his teeth, unyielding. It wasn’t in his nature to give up without a fight. He flinched as Crash Landing placed her hoof on his foreleg, shaking her head. “But Crashy… The potion…” he whispered, briefly glancing at the pouch on his sword belt that contained the vial of purple liquid. “What good will it do for her if you’re dead?” she asked, looking into his eyes. Hardy grimaced. He had come too far to just give in, but nevertheless, Crashy was right. He couldn’t take on this many soldiers by himself. He sighed, tossing his rapier away. He flinched as he heard the hilt hit the dirt with a dull thud, and looked away in shame. The sergeant smirked. “Wise decision.” He turned to his squad. “Cyclone, escort Storm back to Cloudsdale, so that she may be punished for her crimes.” “Yes, sir,” Cyclone replied smugly. “The rest of you, take the ground-dwellers back to their pitiful excuse for a village. If any of them resist, dispose of them.” Private Cyclone hovered down near Pending, his spear pointed at her face. “Come on, move it.” Suddenly, a red and black kunai flew down out of the branches, slicing Cyclone’s spear in half before burying its point in the ground. Cyclone whipped around, only be to be slammed into the dirt by the descending Shadow Ninja. The black-clad unicorn glared up at the Sky Tribe soldiers with her piercing red eyes as she stood upon their comrade, daring them to attack. “To arms!” the sergeant shouted, taken aback by the sudden ambush. He and the rest of the squad aimed their spears at her. “Hey, look, it's the Shadow Ninja,” Roswell casually remarked. “...Jumping gyros! It's the Shadow Ninja!” “Shadow Ninja? What nonsense is this?!” the sergeant demanded. The ninja leapt lightly off the unconscious private, snatching her blade out of the ground. Seizing the distraction, Hardy rolled to the side, grabbing his own sword out of the grass. “The three of you, run! The ninja and I will hold them off,” Hard Counter shouted to the ponies behind him. “No, I’m staying. I can assist you,” Crash Landing replied. “Mr. Rivet, Ms. Storm, you two get out of here.” “Okay!” said Pending as she bolted between the distracted soldiers behind her. “Don’t need to tell us twice!” Roswell added, following Pending’s lead. “Let them go!” the sergeant barked. “We can catch them after we deal with these fools! This won’t take long…” There was no time for Hardy to argue with Crashy as the five pegasus warriors descended upon the group. The Shadow Ninja unleashed a red beam of magic from her horn, striking the sergeant in the chest, and knocking him to the ground. She turned to face the pair of soldiers flying in from behind, leaving the remainder of the main group to the swordspony. She dodged as the pair of spears repeatedly stabbed at her. Teleporting between the attackers, she punched one of her attackers in the face, and kicked the other in the side. Having knocked the two off balance, the Shadow Ninja grabbed them by the edges of their armor plates, and hurled them to the ground. The soldiers stood quickly, shaking off the blow, as the unicorn landed softly. They braced themselves, renewing their attack. Crashy stood behind Hardy as another spear thrust past his side. Swinging his sword left and right, he defended himself, and Crashy, against the relentless onslaught of the two warriors, blocking and countering with swift swings of his rapier. “Crashy, how about that-” Hardy grunted, deflecting a spearpoint within inches of his face. “How about that ‘assistance’ you mentioned?” “Oh, um, right…” She looked left and right, searching for something, anything, that could be used against the Sky Tribe. What was I thinking? Assistance? I don’t know any spells that could be used in a fight! Crashy thought as she frantically looked around, but the only things around them were grass, small twigs, and the tree… The tree! Crashy glanced up at the tree above, and spotted a sizeable branch. Concentrating, she pulled at it, putting all her effort into wrenching it free. With a groan and a crack, she tore it loose from the tree, swinging it down to bash the soldiers away from Hard Counter. One of the soldiers saw the descending limb, banked left, and dropped to the safety of the ground. The other soldier, already committed to a thrust, was caught full in the side by the swinging wood, hurled aside by the force, crashing into the ground with grinding of metal and snapping of twigs. As the soldier clambered back to his hooves, Hard Counter swept his hind leg under the unstable foe, dropping him to the ground once more. Hardy stood over him, his rapier aimed at the warrior’s neck. Hard Counter pressed the swordpoint closer to the enemy soldier. No… he thought. Not in front of Crashy. He pointed the blade away, provoking a sheepish grin from the soldier at his mercy. Hardy responded with a pommel strike to the face, knocking the Sky Tribe warrior out cold. He glanced back, taking note of the state of the battle. The Shadow Ninja was holding her own, dodging a thrust here, deflecting a blow with hoof or blade there. A shadow fell over the unicorn. She rolled to the side, bringing a kunai up to block the sergeant, swinging his spear from above. Pressing the attack, one of the soldiers swung at her exposed side. The ninja reared up against the sergeant’s locked blade, stopping the soldier’s attack with her off-hoof. Her hooves crossed, each straining to maintain their own deadly struggle. The third soldier charged straight for her exposed side, the sharp point of his spear gleaming in the sun. At the last moment, the spear jerked to the side, deflected by a kunai held in the red, glittering grip of magic. The unicorn grunted with exertion, forcing all three spears away, and teleported back before the assault could renew, all three kunai held ready. The three soldiers regrouped, going on the offensive once more. The ninja’s three blades flashed, parrying and deflecting the rapid stabs and strikes. She ducked and weaved, forcing the soldiers’ spears to cross each other to attack. Forcing one of the privates’ spears down into the soft ground, the Shadow Ninja leapt over the spear. As she delivered a roundhouse kick into the soldier’s side, her tail whipped into the face of the other private. Stumbling back, he managed to catch his kicked comrade. The sergeant pressed the attack against the ninja as she landed. She rolled out of the way as the spear buried itself in the dirt where she had just been standing. Whirling around, she caught the sergeant’s descending spear head on the crossed blades of her kunai. The sergeant put his weight into the blade struggle, forcing the point of his spear down towards the masked unicorn. The third kunai flashed across the sergeant’s spear, bisecting it. As the warrior tumbled forward, the ninja delivered an open-hoof strike straight to his face, sending him sprawling. With a groan, the sergeant picked himself up and scanned the area to get a better sense of the situation. The privates had recovered and were taking the fight back to the ninja, but the unicorn seemed to have barely broken a sweat. On the other side, his forces were already down. The situation has deteriorated considerably... Humiliating. Perhaps I should call for a retreat... A flash of red caught his eye. He glanced to the side, in time to see the red-clad stallion disappear back behind a tree. And next to him: a tuft of pink mane visible from behind the trunk. Cowards, thought the sergeant with disgust. Hiding while their allies fight their battles for them… The sergeant picked himself up off the ground, tossing the useless, shattered shaft of wood in his hooves aside. Still, they do seem to be defenseless… Perhaps if I were to bring that Storm mare back to Commander Sky Fury, she’d forgive my failure in capturing the others... As Hard Counter rose from the unconscious soldier, he spotted the Sergeant flying away from the battle. “Hey, where’re you going, feather brain? I didn’t say you could-” Spotting the glint of a Sky Tribe spear out of the corner of his eye, Hardy managed to roll duck and roll away just in time to dodge the attack. Coming to a stop on his back, he saw the other soldier advancing on him, twigs and leaves still stuck in the joints of the black armor. The warrior raised her spear, took aim at Hardy, and… nothing. She jerked it toward Hardy, but it wouldn’t leave her hoof. She tugged on her weapon with mounting frustration, but it wouldn’t budge. The soldier rounded on Crashy, who was concentrating on the spear, her horn sparkling. “You…!” the soldier growled. With a sudden jerk, the spear flew out of the soldier’s grip. Before she could react, the warrior was yanked into the air by her tail, held in Crashy’s magical grip. She struggled, beating her wings furiously, trying to break free. “Hardy! The blue one is heading for Rivet and Storm!” Crashy said, straining to hold on to the soldier. “You have to stop him!” Hard Counter rose cautiously. “What about this one?” “I’ve got her, just hurry up!” “Are you sure?” “Save them, Hardy!” Hard Counter grunted in vexation and dashed off to intercept the sergeant. His gut urged him to go back and deal with the soldier Crashy had seized, but she insisted he help them first. After all, Pending and Roswell were defenseless, Crash Landing was not. He just hoped he wasn’t too late... To be continued...