//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Nouveaux Alliés // Story: Fight for Equestria // by Sakura //------------------------------// Sirocco blinked, and the dark guest room met her tired eyes. The fire must’ve gone out, as it was considerably colder and darker than last night. The pegasus yawned, shaking her head in an effort to wake herself up a bit more. She appeared to be the first one wake, as the other ponies (and wolf) didn’t seem to be moving much. “Not the first time,” Sirocco thought, for she was always the one to wake up first at slumber parties when she was a filly. Without thinking, she lifted her head to - BANG! Metal met the mare’s head with a loud noise, startling her. She quickly lowered her head, covered it with her hooves, and stifled a gasp, trying to be quiet. Sirocco’s eyes darted around the room, hoping the noise didn’t wake anybody up. The bed ruffled above her, and soon Nerdz’s head lowered over the edge of the bed to meet Sirocco’s. She signed, the noise woke up somepony after all. “You okay? That sounded like a pretty nasty bang.” The pink earth pony said, tiredness in her voice. She shifted and climbed off the bed onto her hooves, holding one out to help Sirocco out from under the bed. The pegasus took the offer, extending her own hoof to grasp hold of the earth pony’s, and squeezed out from under the bed. “Yeah, I should be fine, thanks….sorry I woke you.” Sirocco responded, an apologetic smile on her face as she looked at Nerdz. “It’s okay, Reneighah probably wants and early start, so we should start waking up anyway.” Nerdz replied, moving over to the sleeping forms of Chaz and Melody on the other bed. “So uh…how should I wake these guys up?” “…Just try moving them a little bit, if they still don’t wake up we can jump on the bed or something. I’m going to try to get the others awake.” The pegasus responded, walking over to the pile of ponies sleeping in front of the now extinguished fire. Maryana had sprawled out like she was running, taking up a good amount of floor space and pushing the other two mares off to separate sides. Sea Breeze was the opposite, having curled up as tight as she could, most likely a reflex to conserve heat. Whitewolf Stormrunner slept in a similar manner to the silver alicorn, although she didn’t take up as much space. “Oh, good, it’s time to wake up.” Figureen’s telepathic voice cut into Sirocco’s mind. She looked up to see the doll pony standing on the ledge above the fireplace. “How long have you been up?” Sirocco whispered, curious. She was sure she had been the first one to wake up. “All night. I can’t really sleep, since I’m just a wooden toy, after all. You guys all sleep like rocks, though. And hey, Maryana’s kind of a floor hog, isn’t she?” Figureen replied, peering over the ledge to view the alicorn sleeping in a very un-princess-like manner. “Anyway, can you move over here, please? I need to get down from here.” Sirocco carefully stepped over the sleeping ponies and moved her head just below the ledge. Figureen jumped off the shelf onto the pegasus’ head with a soft thud. “Thanks! You can just put me on the desk, I’ll wait while you guys wake everyone else up.” Stepping over the sleeping mares once again, Sirocco quietly stepped over to the desk, hearing a loud rumbling yawn from over by the beds. Nerdz must have succeed in waking up Chaz. After reaching the desk, Figureen leapt over onto the polished wooden surface, nodded her head, and sat down to begin waiting for everyone to arise. Sirocco looked down to see Reneighah still asleep under the desk, turned over onto her back. The black mare cautiously lifted her hoof and softly poked the zebra’s head. Reneighah’s front hooves twitched. Sirocco poked her again, and the zebra mare opened her blue eyes. She blinked slowly, as if processing where she was. Reneighah rolled over, being careful not to hit her legs on the desk, and pulled herself up into a standing position. “Morning, sleepyhead!” Reneighah tilted her head in the direction of Figureen, who was still sitting on the desk. “Morning Figureen…’morning Sirocco. Thanks for waking me up. We’ve got a lot to do today, and a long way to travel,” she said, walking to the center of the room. Figureen jumped back onto Sirocco’s head, who turned and followed Reneighah. Nerdz, followed by Chaz, Melody, and a very tired Night Rain, arrived in the circle of awaked group members. “What time is it again?” Melody asked, yawning and leaning against Chaz. “I don’t know, but we have to get an early start if we want to cover a good amount of distance today.” Reneighah replied, not bothering to whisper. “Maryana snuck out and talked to the guards last night after everyone else had fallen asleep. They know we’ll be departing early. Of course, she didn’t have to wake me up to tell me….but for now, let’s just wake everyone up.” The group nodded, and set off in separate directions, Reneighah, Chaz, and Melody went over to wake up Fang and Digit Blaze, while Nerdz, Sirocco, Figureen, and Night Rain moved over to wake the two sleeping pegasi and alicorn. After a few minutes of poking, awkwardly talking loudly, and Chaz’s wolf howling, everyone in the group had woken up, although how awake they were was up for debate. Maryana and Reneighah lead the group out of the Yakyakistan guest room and down a few hallways until they reached a dining hall with traditional pony (and wolf) breakfast foods spread out on a table. A massive fireplace took up most of the wall in front of the table, blazing with an orange fire. Yak guards stood at the entrance to the dining room. It had been a while since the group had eaten a decent meal, and it wasn’t long before everyone had taken a seat at the table and began eating. Soon enough, empty dishes and plates were being stacked on the white tablecloth. “Now that we’ve finished eating, please allow me to make a proposal. But first, you all know how to swim, right? Maryana announced, finishing a piece of hay bacon. “I can’t, I’m a bit too small for that, and I wouldn’t be getting anywhere fast. Although, if I need to get somewhere, I could hitch a ride on someone, probably.” Figureen said, her voice echoing in everyone’s head. Before the silver alicorn could reply, Sea Breeze spoke up. “Of course! You can come with me, I’m a pretty good swimmer.” “Thank you! I owe you one. Maryana, you can continue.” Maryana cleared her throat. “Now that that’s settled, the rest if you can swim, right?” Everyone nodded. “Good. It doesn’t matter how good or bad you are, since we’ll all be practicing anyway once we find a Kelpie-free water hole. Now onto my idea. Since Kelpies can easily take down an unprotected pony, I propose we get some armor from the Dragon Lands. Dragons are known for their metalwork, and I’m sure they could create some lightweight armor that would be strong but light so we won’t sink when we swim. I’ll try to get in contact with Dragon Lord Ember, I’m sure she can arrange something for us. “Our second option for armor is to get it from the Changelings, which will be a bit more difficult. If the dragons decide not to make armor for us, this is our only other good option. The Gryphons are too far away, we can’t go all the way across the Celestial Sea and back. I know the main dragon lands are across the sea as well, but there are dragon colonies scattered all across Equestria so we wouldn’t have to across the ocean. “Anyways, back to the Changelings. Changeling armor is extremely light, but it’s also weaker than dragon or pony-made armor. Since Changelings have a lighter body structure and smaller wings, they rely more on speed and cunning than brute force, so their armor reflects that. Still, if all else fails, it would still work for us. I know Equestria and the Changeling Kingdom don’t get along very well, but we could try convincing Chrysalis for a trade agreement or something if we win back Equestria. What do you all think?” Sirocco looked around the table. All the others did the same, nodding when they made eye contact with someone else. Fang spoke up. “We’ll do it, but here’s an idea. Since not all of us have the same fighting style, maybe a mixture of both armor types would be better. The ones who are better at strength and physical combat will take the dragon-made armor since they will be up close to the Kelpies, and the ones who are better at long-range attacks and speed should take the Changeling armor so they won’t be slowed down.” “That could work, assuming Chrysalis complies. With both types of armor, we could fight close up as well as far away, out of some immediate danger. Great idea, Fang!” Maryana responded, a small smile on her face. She left her spot at the table and walked over to one of the guards. He leaned down and she talked to him in a low voice, and then the guard left. He returned a few minutes later with pieces of paper and a quill. Maryana thanked him and walked back over to the table were every pony was waiting. She set a piece of paper down and began writing. Dear Dragon Lord Ember, You probably don’t know me, but my name is Maryana. I’m currently with a small group of ponies (and a wolf) who are in need of some of your metalwork. You see, Equestria has fallen and has been taken over by the Kelpies, and we are going to try to win our country back. Our group is wondering if your metalworkers would be willing to make some armor for us. We won’t be able to pay you right away, but we can work something out in the future. Hope to hear your reply soon. ~ Maryana The silver alicorn rolled up the letter in her golden magic, closed her eyes, and teleported the scroll away. “Hopefully that will reach Dragon Lord Ember. Now, the letter to Queen Chrysalis.” She pulled over another piece of paper and began to write. Addressed to Her Majesty Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling Kingdom- My name is Maryana, and I am currently with a small group of ponies (and wolf) who are in need of your assistance. You see, we are looking for some Changeling -made armor, since it is both light and aerodynamic. Equestria has recently fallen to the Kelpies, and we are going to fight to win our country back. We can’t pay you right away, but perhaps we can arrange a trading agreement if we win. Please consider helping us. ~Maryana “There. Hopefully she’ll reply…” She teleported the scroll away. “Now let’s get moving. We’ve spent enough time here already. The yaks have prepared saddle bags for us, complete with food and supplies.” She left the table, prompting the others to follow, and they did. The group exited the dining room, found their way back through the corridors and past the guest room, until they reached the throne room where Prince Rutherford was waiting for them. “Yaks give ponies supplies! We are friends!” The yak prince exclaimed when the group reached the throne room. Multiple yak servants came in carrying a few saddlebags each, giving one to every member of the group. The bags were simple in design, but no one really cared what they looked like. Each bag carried some food, medical supplies, rope, and a map of surrounding mountains. Both Reineighah and Maryana bowed before Rutherford, motioning for the others to do the same. “Thank you, Prince Rutherford. We are forever in your debt, and your acts of kindness will not be forgotten.” The zebra said, standing back up to her full height. “We should be going now, but we will not forget the generosity you showed us today.” Prince Rutherford bowed back, gave Maryana and Reneighah quick hugs, and sent the group on their way. It had stopped snowing sometime in the night, but the sky was still very overcast, threatening to start snowing again. Even through the thick layer of clouds, Sirocco could tell it was still very early in the morning, though the slate colored clouds covered what little light the moon gave off. Reneighah stepped forward to the front of the group, leading everyone out of Yakyakistan. They traveled in silence for a while, until it slowly began to get lighter with the raising of the sun. The clouds began to clear, letting the warm rays of sunlight through to the earth. In the distance, Sirocco caught a glimpse of something reflecting the morning’s light. A tall crystal tower gave away the group’s current location. “Hey, that’s the Crystal Empire!” Digit Blaze exclaimed, pointing a clawed hoof in the direction of the tower. The amber kirin squinted, trying to see farther along the terrain. “Do you guys see that too? Not the tower, but those figures in the distance…could they be Kelpies?” Sirocco heard several ponies gasp, and she herself felt a jolt of nervousness. If the Kelpies found them know, it was over. Without thinking, she opened her mouth. “Quick, hide!” It wasn’t hard to find a hiding spot with all the rocks and crystals jutting up from the snowy ground. Almost everyone had tensed up, ready to attack. It took a while for the figures to reach the group’s hiding area, but by the time they did, it was obvious they weren’t Kelpies. Instead, it was a group of pony stallions and a male Diamond Dog. The one that Sirocco assumed to be leader was a navy blue six-winged alicorn stallion with a white mane that faded to orange near the tips. His cutie mark was a sword surrounded by six wings and a halo over the top of it. His blue eyes looked at the footsteps made by the scurrying ponies in an effort to hide, though it was rather pointless since the footprints led straight to the hiding spots. The second member of the group was a cream earth pony with a short cropped mohawk mane. His tail was slightly longer, tied at the end with some string. His cutie mark was a sledgehammer crossing over a spyglass. The third stallion was a rather short chunky earth pony still wearing the remains of a tattered suit and top hat. His coat was also cream color, though it was slightly darker than his companion’s. A bit coin served as a cutie mark. His mane, tail, and mustache were as white as the snow, having a slightly curled style to them. The Diamond Dog stood a bit taller than the black-maned stallion. His long fur was a was white with brown patches, like a Saint Bernard dog. As big as he was, however, he didn’t look very threatening at the moment. The final member of the group stood out much more than the Diamond Dog did. He was a unicorn, but he stood on two feet, taller than the rest of the stallions. Instead of having front hooves, his arms ended in hands. Tattered clothes and a slightly burned green lab coat covered his fog-gray coat. A vermillion mane fell over his ice blue eyes as he scanned around the rocks. Out of the corner of her eye, Sirocco saw Maryana emerge from her hiding place and step towards the newcomers. Both alicorns stared at each other for what seemed like hours, until Maryana broke the silence. “Are you willing to risk your life for Equestria?” The question caught the stallions off guard, but they recovered and nodded. “Can you swim?” That caught the other group even more off guard, but they continued to nod their heads yes. Maryana smirked. “Welcome aboard.” Dusk had fallen over Canterlot, but not every pony was sleeping inside the comfort of their homes. A black unicorn stallion awkwardly waded through the layer of black water covering the streets of the city. While rubber boots protected his legs and hooves from the cold water, he was still uncomfortable walking through it. Water put out fire, after all. He just hoped trudging through the waterlogged streets at night to reach the castle would have a good outcome, he wasn’t about to go home empty-hooved. The stallion reached the castle gates, and was instantly met by the two Kelpie guards holding spears standing in front of the iron entrance. “What is your business here at this hour, pony!?” The guard on the left snarled, bearing his sharp teeth and pointing his spear at the unicorn. “I simply wish to make a request of the new King and Queen. You see, I will offer them something if they can offer me something in return.” The black stallion said, keeping his cool the entire time. The guards looked at each other, talking in hushed voices. After about a minute, the guard who had previously spoken motioned for the unicorn to follow. “Come with us. And if you try anything funny, we’ll make sure you never set foot out of that castle ever again.” The stallion nodded, and the guards opened up the metal gates, allowing themselves and the black unicorn into the courtyard and into the castle itself. Water still covered the floors, which had been stripped of all carpet, leaving just the bare marble underneath. It wasn’t long before the guards escorted the unicorn to the throne room, were the Kelpie King and Queen sat on the thrones once belonging to Celestia and Luna. Both were draped in regal jewelry and seaweed, and both wore curiosity painted on their faces. “Greetings, your Majesties.” The unicorn said, bowing before Equestria’s new rulers. “I am but a simple unicorn staying in Canterlot, and I have come with a request,” He paused, allowing the King time to think. “Speak.” The King’s low rumbling voice spread throughout the throne room. “Thank you. You know, most ponies don’t quite like the fact that you’ve taken over Equestria and killed the former princesses, but let me say that I personally don’t mind. I fact, I would like to be your first pony guard. Once every pony else sees that a pony can become a guard and rise to some power, they will start to praise you like they once did with Celestia and Luna. You may not be able to control the sun or moon, but ponies will sing your greatness all across Equestria. And I, Hell Fire, will help spread your gracefulness from border to border, in exchange for me becoming a royal guard, provided I have special armor.” The unicorn smirked. “What do you think?” The King sat silent, lost in thought about the proposal he had just received. The Queen, who had remained silent the whole time, decided to speak. “Let him try, husband.” Her smooth voice rolled across the water to reach the unicorn’s ears. “Pony, I will give you a chance to prove yourself. Starting tomorrow, I will allow you to train with some of our new guards. Should you prove worthy, then we will talk. For now, you may sleep in a guest room. The guards will be posted outside your room all night, so if this is a trick, they will know it. If you are truly serious about this, you won’t give them trouble.” Hell Fire nodded. “Of course, M’lady. You shall not be disturbed.” He turned to the two guards. “Lead on.” The guards lead him to a small room, still filled with water, but Hell Fire didn’t mind for now. He climbed onto the bed with only one thought on his mind. Perfect.