//------------------------------// // 14 – The Temple of Tides, Part I // Story: No Heroes: Beyond the Everfree // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// Even with the trees all around them, the cheering could be clearly heard from the path leading up the mountainside. Rainbow cast a frown down the hill, where the arena could just barely be seen through the foliage. “Horseapples, it sounds like a real show. Why couldn’t we watch the fight again?” Nye huffed between breaths, his face red with exertion. “Insurance, remember? If he loses, at least we have a chance of getting that piece of gargoyle skin.” She sniffed her displeasure even as she let him lean on her. “Lame. I wanted to see how badly Fine whipped Fang’s tail.” “Don’t think Fang’s going to go down easy,” Polar Aim said from the front of the herd. “She was holding back over at the Weeping Water.” “Really?” said Pinkie, taking up the back of the line. Did Rainbow detect a hint of worry in her tone? Fluttershy, who walked just behind Polar with her head held high, spoke up. “Fine will win. I have every confidence in him.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow at that. She really did have a lot of faith in him, didn’t she? In anypony else, she would have considered it bravado, but Fluttershy couldn’t fake confidence to save her life, and she appeared as certain of Fine’s victory as Rainbow was of her awesomeness. “What I want to know,” Nye grumbled between pants, “is why the hay your ancestors went and built the stupid temple on top of a bucking mountain.” After a moment’s pause, he shook his head. “Nevermind, stupid question. I’d have done the same thing.” Pinkie bounced a little closer. “Why would you do that?” “Aesthetics. Self-importance. Challenge.” He smirked and wiped sweat from his brow. “General stuff I picked up in engineer’s school.” Rainbow nudged his cheek, encouraging him at a glance to lean a little more into her. Guilt swam through her at his weary look; he wasn’t built for this kind of trip. Covering flat ground at an even pace he could handle, and he’d taken the hills in the jungle fairly well, but this steep incline was killing the poor guy. Even she was a little winded by it. She looked to Polar. “Hey, how long does it take to get up to the temple from here?” The muscular thestral had his own layer of sweat, but if this bothered him she couldn’t tell. “It takes about an hour to reach the top of the mountain from the arena. We’ve only been walking for ten minutes.” Rainbow cringed and glanced at her coltfriend once again. Nye gritted his teeth, but appeared as determined as ever. She brought her lips to his ear and whispered, “If you need a break, just let me know, alright?” With a frown, he started to shake his head, but after a moment’s consideration switched to a nod. By his hard look, Rainbow suspected he was going to try to go as far as possible before resorting to that. She glanced back at his saddlebags and wondered, not for the first time, why he’d insisted on being the one to carry them. Polar would have been by far the better choice. She resolved to take them from him when he took his inevitable break. Another cheer rose from the arena, the sound heavily muffled. Rainbow glanced back again. She caught Pinkie doing the same, her friend’s ears folded back and her tail tucked. When Pinkie noticed her watching, however, her ears shot up and she gained a broad smile. “What’s up, Dashie?” Rainbow returned the smile with as much confidence as she could offer. “Don’t worry, Pinks. Fine will totally thrash Fang.” “Of course he will! Fine’s so good, he even managed to kill a—” Pinkie paused in midstep. She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow, almost as if she were in pain. “The doozy still there?” Rainbow asked. “Y-yeah…” Pinkie opened her eyes and walked on, her head bowed and her eyes downcast. Rainbow pondered the situation, more guilt washing through her. Maybe they should have let Pinkie stay behind. “It’ll be okay, Pinkie.” But would it? When Pinkie Sense said something was going to go horribly wrong, something was going to go horribly wrong. She couldn’t help feeling ill at ease with this one; she’d never known Pinkie’s abilities to make her physically uncomfortable. But was the problem with Fine down in the arena, or up ahead at the temple? The lack of certainty could drive a mare crazy. Rainbow’s eyes fell on Nye’s packs yet again. This time, however, they focused on a particular bag near his shoulder. She could just barely make out the bulge within; Zecora’s potions. Perhaps this would be the right time to use one. She nodded to herself and focused her gaze forward. Nye caught the motion. “What?” he asked between huffs. “Nothing,” she said, giving him a small nuzzle for comfort. “Just planning ahead.” He managed to laugh, albeit weakly. “You? Plan ahead? Sure, and when we get back, Rarity will have turned into a full-blown farm pony.” “Ha-ha.” She pushed him lightly with her shoulder. “Keep it up, Sir Laughs-a-Lot, and see if I don’t leave you behind.” He smiled, but it faded swiftly. He looked towards Polar, expression solemn, then back to Rainbow. “Hey…” She thought his pause had to do with being out of breath. When he didn’t continue, however, she paid more attention. “What’s up?” He didn’t answer immediately. His eyes had narrowed and he stared at the ground. “I trust you.” “Umm… okay?” He reached up to touch at a pouch hanging around his his neck, the one he kept looking in when he thought she wasn’t paying attention. “I mean… I know we always talked about my worries. Me, being me, and you, being you.” It took some consideration before she gathered his meaning. “Wait, is this about how you think I’m gonna leave you for some big time athlete?” The next thing she knew, he had his muzzle tucked under her chin. She didn’t know whether to push him away for getting sappy in front of her friends or pull him even closer with her wing. The indecision was so great that she ended up doing neither. Forced to settle for a blush, she waited to see if he would answer. “I trust you, Rainbow,” he whispered as his nuzzles grew stronger. “I spent this entire trip worrying about you hanging with Polar over there. Now I wonder why I was so stupid.” “Hold on.” She pushed him back so that she could look him in the eye. “What happened? I mean, it’s great that you trust me and all, but it seems like a sudden shift for you.” Nye grinned and poked her in the chest. “You remember how drunk you got yesterday?” She returned the expression. “Nope.” “Well, I do. You’re silly when you’re inebriated, you know that?” “I’ve been told that before,” she replied with a laugh. His grin faded to a warm smile, and he went back to nuzzling her. “You talk a lot, too. It was cute.” Despite the fire returning to her cheeks, Rainbow scoffed and held her head high. “Rainbow Dash is not cute.” After a pause, she lowered her head and whispered, “But I guess I could be… for you. When we’re alone.” “You were adorable,” he insisted, but quietly. “And you were kinda needy.” Rainbow sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes darting away from his. Why wouldn’t her cheeks stop burning? This really wasn’t the right time to talk about this! “I’m not… needy.” “Come on, RD,” he said, his voice still low. “You are. We both know it. But until last night, I never realized just how… how clingy you can get.” “Nye, I ain’t comfortable talking about this.” “Yeah, but I couldn’t tell you last night.” He pulled away, and when she glanced at him he wore his brightest smile. “I just thought you should know, I’m not worried anymore. You can hang out with all the hunky stallions you want, I know you’ll be thinking of me the whole time.” “By Celestia’s multi-hued mane,” she hissed through clenched teeth. “What the hay did I tell you last night?” “Enough.” He pressed a little more tightly against her. “More than enough.” A thought struck her, and she began sputtering. “We… I didn’t… I mean, I don’t remember, so…” When she finally managed a complete sentence, it came out as little more than a squeak. “What did we do?” Nye laughed and shook his head “Really, Rainbow? I’m wounded! You honestly think I’d take advantage of you like that?” Regret and guilt swamped her mind. How could she have even considered such a thing? He’d laughed it off, but Rainbow wouldn’t have blamed him if he really had taken offense. Even so, relief mixed in with her emotions. To have already been with Nye, and not even being able to remember it? She’d have never let that one go. “Besides,” he added, his hurt expression betrayed by the amusement in his eyes, “it’s pretty clear that the idea appalls you. I guess I wouldn’t wanna do that with me, either.” Years of sparring made the hole in his attack painfully obvious, and the corner of Rainbow’s mouth rose in a smirk. “I dunno, Nye, we could always use the Mirror Pool. Might be fun to watch.” He made a disgusted face and she laughed. “No? Come on!” He poked her in the chest again. “You can try it, and then I’ll have two of you to play with. I can be the donkey in the middle.” “Right. Keep dreaming, donkey.” “You two are soooo cute together!” Rainbow whipped her head around to glare at the intruder. “Pinkie! Anypony ever tell you not to eavesdrop?” Polar’s voice reached them from the front. “It’s not like we can’t hear most of what you’re saying back there. Go ahead and tie your tails in a knot, already!” Dread filled Rainbow as she looked forward. Fluttershy was covering her lips with a wing, but there was no disguising the mirth in her eyes. Polar, at least, wasn’t bothering to look back. Even so, Rainbow covered her face and groaned. “This is your fault, Nye.” Despite how heavily he leaned against her, Nye still managed to strut. “More than happy to accept responsibility for this one, love.” The sun was still visible over the horizon by the time they reached the top of the mountain, but only barely. An orange haze consumed the Temple of Tides, but grew darker by the moment. It wasn’t as tall a structure as Rainbow had anticipated, the sides rising up by no more than four stories. It was difficult to determine the exact shape of the temple, mostly due to how wide it was. As far as Rainbow could tell, it was little more than a wall of massive brown bricks. Those bricks were covered in carvings that had been worn down over the centuries until the depictions were indiscernible, but they covered so much of the wall that she couldn’t help wondering how long it had taken to carve them all. No stairs led to the entrance, nor were there any sconces for torches. There was, however, a massive statue built around the entryway: a bust of an alicorn. Though cracked and worn, there could be no mistaking the face of Princess Luna. The only way in was to take a short path between two walls, forcing everypony who entered to fall under her gaze and pass through the doorway under her chest. But her gaze was not intimidating; rather, Luna’s visage was warm and welcoming. “Oh, look at that,” Pinkie said, prancing past Rainbow and Nye. “Her eyes are all shiny! Why are her eyes shiny?” “They are made from diamonds.” Polar Aim dropped to a sitting position and raised his legs in the royal submission. “The Eyes of the Monarch.” Rainbow had to step closer to notice, but they were right; Princess Luna’s eyes were shimmering as the sky darkened. “That’s kinda cool.” Just then, the sun disappeared, and the full moon arose in the East. It shone brightly upon them, apparently having changed phases thanks to the unscheduled eclipse. The pale shadows it cast stretched across the thin trees and masonry, giving Luna’s statue a more commanding presence. The diamonds that were her eyes only shined brighter under the moonlight. Fluttershy stood beside Polar, her head tilted back to take in the statue. “I have a question.” Polar didn’t raise his head. “You may ask.” “According to the legend Sera told us, the temple was built before Princess Luna was born. So… why is it devoted to her?” Rainbow and Nye shared curious looks, then turned their attention to Polar. The thestral raised his head to stare in the face of his beloved goddess, and only now did Rainbow notice the worry in his expression. “From what I understand, the Temple of Tides stands over an even older shrine. Who that original shrine was dedicated to, I have no idea.” He began to stand, his movements slow. Pinkie, who had been hopping around the entrance looking at the engravings, abruptly appeared at his side. “Hey, are you alright?” His answer came back surprisingly firm for how anxious he appeared. “I am very uncomfortable with this plan.” As Rainbow and Nye stopped at his side, she asked, “Then why’d you agree to bring us here?” He sighed and rubbed his lower lip with a fang. “Because I don’t trust anypony else to do it. There’s no telling who is in Elder Candid’s camp. If you ponies were sent here by the Night Mother, I will make sure you succeed.” He shuffled in place and lowered his gaze. “But blood and fangs, do I not want to be here. I feel like Lord Rex is going to drag me down to Tartarus at any moment.” Fluttershy turned to him, appearing strangely calm and composed under the circumstances. Rainbow felt a little proud of her fillyhood friend’s apparent confidence. Fluttershy asked, “Rex used this temple as his base of power, didn’t he?” “And every thestral in the Wilds has been scared to come near it,” he replied quietly. “Even before it got overrun by gargoyles.” “Waitaminute.” Nye looked from Polar to the temple and back. “You mean this is the single most sacred place for your entire race, but you won’t even go near it?” Polar gave a feeble nod. “Lord Rex left a deep impression.” “Talk about.” “Polar?” Fluttershy knelt before him so she could look into his downcast eyes. “You don’t have to go in there if you don’t want to. You know that, right?” By this point, Rainbow was almost prepared to question if Fluttershy was a changeling. Had she really changed so much over the years that she was the one comforting others? Polar sat quietly for a few seconds, leathery wings shuffling. At last, he stood. “No. No, I have to try. For the Mother of All Night. For Discord.” He raised his head high and looked at each of the ponies in turn. “Sera asked me to do this, and I gave my word. I will go with you.” Fluttershy opened her mouth, but he raised his hoof. His next words weren’t quite as strong. “Now, please? Before I change my mind.” She nodded and stepped aside, giving him the opportunity to move forward. It took a moment for him to take the first step, but when he did he didn’t falter. Pinkie and Fluttershy walked on either side of him, keeping close for support. Rainbow couldn’t help but feel pride for her friends. And, on afterthought, a curiosity at how quiet Pinkie had been throughout the entire conversation. That doozy must really be bothering her. But they would get through this. Rainbow made herself believe it. She looked to her coltfriend. “Alright, hot tub. You ready for this?” He groaned and facehoofed. “You remember that? Luna have mercy on my soul.” Rainbow’s brow furrowed at his reaction. “What?” “Nothing,” he said quickly, following the others. “I’ve just gotta find some way to lose weight.” “Camping,” she replied with a grin, quickly catching up. “We’ll make it a regular thing.” Nye sighed and patted his belly. “I don’t think going camping every few weeks is gonna get rid of this, RD.” “Who wants to get rid of it?” she replied with a grin. The response earned her a dubious look, but then Nye smiled and nuzzled her. She eagerly returned it as they entered the dark of the temple. ‘Dark’ proved an understatement. Rainbow couldn’t see the end of her muzzle, and guided herself largely by following the sounds of those in front of her. Not for the first time, she questioned the wisdom of leaving their only unicorn behind. Surely Fine’s fight was over by this point. Maybe he had rallied the thestrals into coming up here to help them? Not that they needed it, of course. She kept a wing over Nye’s back and reminded herself of just where the potions were. Just in case. Pinkie’s voice arose as a harsh whisper. “So… the gargoyles are asleep, right?” “Probably,” Polar replied, equally quiet. “Stay close. The hallway has a few doors and I don’t want you to get lost.” “How can you tell?” Nye asked. “We thestrals have good night senses.” “This’ll be even easier than I thought,” Fluttershy said. “If we’re lucky, we can just pick up some discarded skin and leave before they even know we’re here.” Rainbow considered this and saw an immediate flaw in her friend’s plan. “How are you going to know the skin belongs to an alpha?” A moment of quiet. “Ponyfeathers.” Rainbow’s ears perked and her jaw dropped. “Excuse my language.” “That’s gotta be the most awesome thing to ever come out of her mouth,” Nye hissed in Rainbow’s ear. She was inclined to agree. “So, Polar?” Pinkie asked with uncharacteristic hesitation. “You’ve fought these things before, right?” It was a moment before Polar answered. “On two occasions. The region at the foot of the mountain is excellent foraging territory, but that also makes it a game trail. We’ve had a few encounters.” “And they were pushovers?” Nye asked, hope lacing his tone. The thestral hesitated yet again. “We outnumbered them two to one both times. We lost a lot of good thestrals.” “Horseapples.” Rainbow moved closer to the others so she could lower her voice more, tugging Nye along. “But I didn’t see any guards down on the path. What stops them from entering Tidal?” “Don’t know,” Polar replied. “Nopony does. Before I was born, they had all sorts of defenses, but the gargoyles never came to town. Not once.” The sound of hoofsteps ceased, and Rainbow paused. She peered forward, hoping to make something out in the dark. After a moment, she did: a small point of light. “The Lunar Walk is probably up ahead,” Polar whispered. “From the stories passed down, it’s the heart of the temple.” Rainbow cocked her head. “Already? I thought we’d have to go through a maze or dodge a bunch of traps.” For several seconds, all was silent. Then, Polar gave an entirely befuddled “What?” Fluttershy giggled. “This isn’t a Daring Do book, Rainbow.” “I know that,” she grumbled, thankful the darkness hid her blush. “I was just preparing myself, that’s all.” The sound of a few more giggles made her bristle. “When the big deathtrap shows up, don’t come crying to me for help.” She felt Nye pressing his cheek to hers. “You’re adorkable, RD.” “I am not,” she hissed. Pinkie’s voice reached their ears. “Guys? I think it’s time to be quiet.” Rainbow saw her point and locked her lips, but made a mental note to get Nye back for that insult later. ‘Adorkable.’ She grimaced and tried to imagine washing the filth of the word away with a wire brush. And maybe some bleach. They proceeded in silence, the opening ahead gradually growing larger. Rainbow glanced back once and saw that the entrance was barely visible. Was it a trick of the light, or was the temple just that big? Seconds turned to minutes. Rainbow’s wings twitched, ever ready to fly. She watched the darkness closely, ears swiveling. Maybe the gargoyles were asleep, but she still didn’t like being caught in this dark hallway with no idea what was around her. For all she knew, they could be watching from the shadows. Had she bothered to think about it at all, she’d have suggested they just fly in. She was confident Polar and she could carry Nye and Pinkie over the walls. Too late now, of course. With her coltfriend close and her eyes narrow, she focused her attention on watching for trouble. As much as she didn’t want to sink back into ‘Daring Do’ thinking, Rainbow anticipated the exit leading to a vast chamber, perhaps with riches or obvious traps. To her mild disappointment, they stepped into open air. As soon as they did, all five retreated back into the dark. The Lunar Walk was, for lack of a better description, a pony-made valley. The temple rose up on two sides in a curving, half-circle slope that became vertical at the tops. Between these two structures ran a long, straight path covered in onyx and sinking several feet into the stonework, separated from the walls by a couple dozen feet of weed-covered dirt. The design was such that the corners of the temple rose up in tall, thin towers. Rainbow recognized the shape of the temple walls were meant to be like that of crescent moons. If she looked hard enough, she could imagine the moon itself sitting comfortably on the structure, as if the entire temple were designed to cradle it. Benches filled the curved slopes on both long sides, giving the temple more the appearance of a stadium than a place of religious devotion. This illusion was ruined by the structure standing in the middle of the Lunar Walk. It rose high above the rest of the masonry, starting as a block pyramid but becoming a tower after only a dozen steps. Or perhaps ‘gazebo’ would be the right term, as the entire structure appeared to be supported by nothing but columns. Atop these short, obsidian pillars sat a domed ceiling of white marble, on which a variety of engravings could be seen. What had made them all fall back, however, were the shapes that pressed in all around the structure. They were all sitting or crouched. On the steps, between the columns, on the roof, on the grounds nearby. A bead of sweat rolled down Rainbow’s head as she realized just how hard this was going to be. There had to be, what, a hundred of the things? “Alright, we’re here,” Nye hissed. “Now what?” For the first time that evening, Fluttershy’s voice offered no confidence. “If Fine were here, he’d just sneak in and steal a piece of skin.” “Well, Fine’s not here,” Rainbow countered as quietly as she could. “Come on, guys, we need a plan.” They were quiet for a few seconds. Fluttershy turned her head. “Polar?” The thestral twitched and shook his head. “Sorry. I just… never thought I’d see this place with my own eyes.” “Admiration later,” Nye grumbled. “Where’s the alpha?” Polar leaned forward and peered. “I don’t see it. At all. It may be in the chamber under the Sanctuary. Err, that’s the big building in the middle.” Fluttershy hmm-ed. “Maybe we could sneak in there?” “There’s no way we’re sneaking past that many gargoyles,” Nye countered. Rainbow tried to study the closest of the creatures, but even with the Moon rising, it remained too dark to make out much. At best, she thought it had grey skin. And maybe wings. Other than that? It just looked bulky. Then she noticed movement and nearly facehooved. “Pinkie…” All eyes turned to her, then to the Lunar Walk. A collection of gasps filled the air at the sight of a pink, frazzled tail bobbing amongst the sleeping creatures. “It’s official,” Polar said, tone laced with exasperation. “That pony is insane and I will make no further attempts to comprehend her actions.” “Now you’re getting it,” Nye said with a half-hearted chuckle. Fluttershy shook herself and gave a light flap of her wings. “Okay, think like Fine. Fine would… Fine would…” Polar stepped back, his voice abruptly firm. “Alright, here’s the plan. Pinkie’s going to wake them up and be a distraction. Rainbow, you help with that when it happens. While you two keep the gargoyles busy, the three of us will move into the underground chamber and deal with the alpha. Got it?” Rainbow scowled; who did this guy think he was, taking charge? Still, a plan was a plan. She would have preferred to be going down there with them, but had to acknowledge that Polar’s setup made sense. She pushed her negative thoughts down and settled herself into a launch position. “Alright then, let’s—” “Hey, everygoyle! Let’s Party!” “—go!” Rainbow darted out of the dark hallway as the creatures began to stir. Pinkie stood at the foot of the Sanctuary, sending streamers and balloons flying every which way. The first gargoyle let out a guttural roar just as Rainbow reached her friend. “Pinkie, we’re the distractions!” “I know!” Pinkie bounced sideways as one of the things stood up and took a swipe at her. Pinkie responded with a giggle and a whoopee cushion blown in its face. Rainbow paused just long enough to take in the sight of the gargoyles properly under the moonlight. What she saw made her feel nauseous. The first one she looked at appeared to be built like a small minotaur, but that was as far as the similarities went. A discomfiting, flat face decorated a strangely round, bald skull, on either side of which were two pointy ears of mismatched size. One arm was slightly longer and bulkier than the other, and instead of hooves its legs and arms were tipped with thick claws that appeared as bulky as their owner. The entire body was a pale grey, its face twisted, and its lips pulled back to reveal pointed teeth that followed no logic in which direction they poked out of the gums. It had a glare that would have likely given Fine a run for his bits. And that was just one of the beasts. Each and every gargoyle appeared slightly different; different sized arms, different builds, different ear shapes, different legs, the works. Some had wings, some didn’t. It was like the gargoyles couldn’t agree on a single body shape, and so instead took on mismatching, hideous forms. The only thing they all had in common was that they were all at least twice the size of a pony. They had to be the ugliest things Rainbow had ever laid eyes on, and that counted the zombies she’d faced in that town in the Everfree. Okay, maybe they weren’t that ugly. “Wow,” Pinkie said, giving a low whistle. “You kiss your mothers with those faces?” She jumped back as one of the brutes swung an overlong arm at her. “Hey, this isn’t that kind of party, buddy!” If the gargoyles understood a thing she was saying, they gave no indication of it. They were already converging, and Rainbow swooped down to snatch Pinkie from the ground just as they closed the gap. “Come on, you lame-os! Catch the pretty ponies.” They were more than happy to comply, charging after them amidst their growls and roars. She looked back to find that only about a third were following; the rest were too busy waking up to have realized what was going on. “Okay, Pinkie, you think you can keep these guys busy while I deal with the rest?” “You bet I can, or my name’s not Snowfall Frost!” “What?” “Ba-humbug!” Pinkie flicked her mane into Rainbow’s face, tickling it and making her sneeze. The distraction was enough to make her drop the pony, who landed at full gallop as a few more streamers popped noisily into the air. “Come and get me, you merry carolers you!” “Pinkie Pie, you are so random.” Rainbow banked and turned for the Sanctuary, where the remaining gargoyles were looking around groggily. A number of them looked up as her colorful wake hurtled into their midst. She targeted a particularly large one and swung her hoof, cracking it on the side of the head just above the eye when she flew past. She let out a cry and rubbed her hoof; it had been like punching bricks! But, as a roar confirmed, her tactic served its purpose. She took to flying circles around the Sanctuary, giving the creatures enough time to properly home in on her, then darted off in the opposite direction she’d come. She cursed when she spotted a number of them rising up on leathery wings. “So, some of them can fly.” ‘Fly,’ she soon realized, was a generous term. The beasts’ wings were so disproportionate from one another that they had hardly any control in the air. Rainbow was still a newbie when it came to wild weather flying, but she still had a vast advantage. She laughed at their feeble attempts to catch her, zooming circles around the hapless and snarling beasts. This was far easier than she had expected. A glance towards the center of the temple revealed Polar, Fluttershy and Nye booking it for the Sanctuary. A few gargoyles had noticed them, so she flew in and gave one of them a light whack on the head to draw their ire. The beasts howled and gave chase, leading Rainbow to wonder if they had any brains at all. If Rainbow had to choose only one word to describe gargoyles – other than any synonym for ‘ugly’ – it would have been ‘disappointing.’ After all the hype the thestrals had drummed up, she’d expected a lot more. She flew a few more circles, keeping just out of range of their claws and making sure to harass those that seemed about to lose interest. Another glance showed that her friends had disappeared into the Sanctuary. It also revealed Pinkie running at full gallop with a swarm of the things behind her. It looked as though the sheer numbers had finally caught up to her earth-bound friend, for Pinkie was barely keeping ahead thanks to the ones constantly moving to surround her. Rainbow diverted her flight and flew at a shallow dive. “Pinkie!” “Rainbow!” Pinkie bounced once, twice, then — “Alley oop!” – jumped high with forehooves raised. Rainbow caught her easily and swooped for the far corner of the temple. Rainbow deposited Pinkie on the ground. “I thought you said you could handle it?” Pinkie grinned and rubbed the back of her head. “Apparently, my name isn’t Snowfall Frost.” “Right.” Rainbow turned back to see the gargoyles on the move. Not all were headed their way, though. “Ah, horseapples, they’re all over the Sanctuary now!” “Lead them to me.” “Lead them to you? Pinkie, I don’t think—” Rainbow turned back and stared with wide eyes at not one, but four party canons aimed in a quarter circle. Pinkie herself had donned a green officer’s uniform that Rainbow was fairly certain she’d once seen on Discord. “Oookay then, to you.” Pinkie waved a baton around. “Move it, solider! I’ve seen Tanks faster than you!” “Yes, ma’am!” Rainbow flew over the oncoming gargoyles and for the Sanctuary, smirking all the while. “This’ll be fun.” It didn’t take much to catch the attention of the remaining creatures. A few fly-bys, a couple light hits – her poor hooves! – and they were growling and snarling like never before. By the time she turned to lure them towards Pinkie, there came a series of booms and flashes of bright pink smoke and light. Rainbow gave a small gulp when the smoke cleared; the canons didn’t take down as many of the gargoyles as she’d anticipated. Out of the two dozen or so surrounding her friend, only a third were on the ground, and half of those were getting back up! The others were already running past the abandoned canons. Pinkie scrambled up the curving walls of the temple interior as fast as she could. “Okay, not so fun,” Rainbow muttered, pushing extra speed into her wings. Pinkie had climbed about as high as she could go, and the gargoyles were right on her tail. “Not fun, really not fun!” Pinkie’s wide eyes rose to meet hers. “Dashie, catch me!” Rainbow cried out as her friend bounced off the head of the closest gargoyle, set to land amongst a teeming mass of the things! Rainbow put on an extra burst of speed and caught Pinkie’s tail in her mouth, pulling up hard. She breathed a sigh of relief as they soared into the open sky. “Woohoo! Nice catch, Rainbow!” Rainbow paused, released, and caught Pinkie in her hooves. “Anypony tell you your tail tastes like bubblegum?” “All the time!” They shared a grin as Rainbow turned to face the Sanctuary. “But seriously, we can’t keep this up forever. How long does it take to get some skin lying around?” Pinkie frowned, her ears going flat as she followed Rainbow’s gaze. “Well, like you said: how do they know what skin belongs to an alpha? How do we even know what an alpha looks like?” At that moment, a wave of dirt and dust flew from the Sanctuary. A second later, Polar sailed from within. He crashed shoulder-first to the ground and didn’t get back up. Fluttershy bolted out of the building, screaming loud enough that even they could hear it over the howling beasts beneath them. And then an abomination followed, bursting from the shadows like a stone demon. The beast was nearly six times the height of a regular pony, brimming with muscles and sporting four tree trunk-sized arms. Its wings spread as it escaped the confines of the Sanctuary, and it let out an earth-shaking roar that revealed two rows of hideously misaligned teeth. “Oh,” Pinkie whimpered, just audible over the ringing in Rainbow’s ears. “I guess now we know.” But Rainbow had only one thought; she’d not seen Nye escape. Her heart kicking into overdrive, she flew forward, past the gargoyles that had ascended to catch them and straight for the lone building. “Pinkie, help the others!” “What?” Pinkie shouted as she was abruptly dropped. “Oh, o-okay!” It took only a couple of seconds for Rainbow to reach the sanctuary, but it felt like an eternity. She darted inside and landed next to a large, round hole before a crumbling throne. She turned a circle, heart pounding against her ribs. “Nye? Nye, where are you?” “I’m here.” She looked down in time for a foreleg to reach out of the hole. Coated in dust and bleeding from a shoulder wound, Nye crawled out and into the open. “Don’t let the sunny disposition fool you, that thing is mean.” She pulled him out and helped him sit next to a pillar. Another deafening roar brought dust down on top of them. “What happened? Are you okay? Tell me you’re okay!” Nye rubbed his shoulder with a grimace. “It’s not as bad as it looks. Or feels.” Rainbow found herself unable to move. A big part of her wanted to hug her coltfriend, then carry him as far away from this place as she could. Another, a loud voice in her head, reminded her that the rest of her friends were still out there, dealing with a small army of monsters and a single, mean one. “N-Nye, was that the alpha?” “Yeah, I’d say so.” He shook his head as if to clear it, dust falling out of his mane. “Fluttershy decided to try talking to it. It, uh, wasn’t receptive.” Goddess, it was huge! And if she’d gauged the strength of the smaller ones correctly, there was no way they had the power to bring it down, even together. But it was the entire reason they’d made this motherbucking trip! A sense of hopeless began to fall over her. “Alright, we need to… to…” Rainbow’s gaze fell upon Nye’s bags. In particular, the one hanging by his shoulder. A light bulb went off in her head and she grabbed it. “Hey! RD, what are you—” “No time!” She dug through the bag until she found what she was looking for: the bottle full of clear liquid. That one is a new concoction, one to be used with caution. Great strength will the user attain, but this comes at great emotional strain. “Thank you, Zecora. Thank you, thank you!” She pulled out the cork and took a swig. It left a tingling sensation in her mouth and burned going down, but she wasn’t about to complain. After three gulps, she recorked it and shoved it into Nye’s hooves. “Alright, Nye, I need you to go. This place is gonna be overrun with the smaller ones any second!” “Rainbow, wait!” She turned and darted out of the building. “Run, Nye. Now!” Rainbow didn’t feel any different, but that was alright. She trusted Zecora to know her stuff. She hovered outside and looked around, spotting the alpha gargoyle flying after Pinkie and Fluttershy both. The two mares moved in opposite directions, but the massive beast turned for Fluttershy. It moved faster than the smaller ones, but it still didn’t have the ability to keep up with a pony. “Rainbow!” She looked down to see Polar limping for the monster. “We’ve gotta go!” A glance back brought the other gargoyles to Rainbow’s attention. They’d be on Polar soon. “Polar, grab Pinkie and get out of here!” He nodded and lifted off, his air speed much faster than his ground speed. That settled, Rainbow turned to the alpha and Fluttershy. The beast hit the earth hard, its feet large enough to easily squash a pony. It tried to grab Fluttershy out of the air, but she managed to stay just out of reach. Fluttershy spotted Rainbow and flew for her. Rainbow suspected those wings hadn’t flapped so fast since Ponyville had been assigned water duty. “R-Rainbow, help! It won’t stop, I don’t know what to do!” Rainbow smirked and banged her hooves together. “Alright, ugly, let’s see how you handle Super Rainbow Dash!” She darted forward, emitting a battle cry as she aimed straight for the beast’s chest. The thing turned to her, its lopsided brow furrowed and its red eyes following her blurry approach. Rainbow pushed down all her instincts, refusing to be intimidated by the alpha’s size. She had Zecora’s boon, she could beat anything! She smashed into the thing’s chest and the world went white. She thought there might have been a crunch, but was so disoriented she might have imagined it. Pain tore through her entire body, throbbing up and down her forelegs, and her ears rang. Gradually, the light faded. She was on the ground and could barely move. Her head pulsed with pain. Slowly, woozily, she looked up to find the alpha gargoyle staring down at her with a confused expression on its hideous, malformed face. What had happened? She’d used Zecora’s potion, hadn’t she? Yes… Yes, she remembered that. So why? The gargoyle knelt over her, its face becoming two as her vision swam. That was unfortunate, for it’s appearance was particularly gruesome. The thing had a darker grey tone than its smaller brethren. Other than that? Warts. Scars. Mismatched lips. Bulbous, crooked nose. Ugly. Just plain hideous. It sniffed her a couple times, and its rancid breath nearly overwhelmed the pain. Rainbow coughed and tried to move, only to realize that her foreleg was broke. She tried to flap her wings, but one was pinned under her. She cried out in pain as the alpha gargoyle used an iron grip to lift her by one of her hind legs. Hanging limply, she tried to will her body to move, but everything felt sluggish. The world swam in her vision, her ears still rang. Was that Fluttershy and Pinkie calling her name? She tried to wave to them, but couldn’t tell which direction the sounds were coming from. She rotated in the air. Teeth. Lots and lots of teeth. Why couldn’t she move? “N-Nye,” she muttered, voice slurred. “You b-better have gotten out, or I’ll kill you.”