//------------------------------// // No Quarter // Story: Valley Of Rainbows: Seeking Solutions // by Sparx //------------------------------// No Quarter “No way!” “Um… yes.” “But that would mean you must have the strength of a bear!” “Well, when I need to, yes.” Speaking with Lyra, Fluttershy began to remember why she had felt more at home in the wilderness. Conversations were far quieter with merely grunts, chirps, and body movement supplying the words, and the animals cared little about the personal impressions they all made. Her instincts felt dulled with the streets and buildings around her replacing trees and bogs, pulling back that timid nature she had long thought gone. “Channeling the very elements of nature must be a truly exhilarating phenomenon. Calling upon the very strengths of the animals…” Lyra paused in thought for a moment. “Can you get ape hands?” Her sudden volume jump and speed elicited an ‘eep’ from poor Fluttershy. “No. I can’t fully change my physical self, only shift it slightly and mimic the original to a degree. I can alter my teeth to fangs, but I cannot deliver poison like a snake, or even tolerate meat on the level of an omnivore.” As Fluttershy explained, Lyra’s face only seemed to creep closer. “So you don’t copy things perfectly, but as well as the magic will allow you to?” “That seems like a good way to put it, I guess,” Fluttershy accepted. Lyra was about to start up another string of questions before the two of them heard a rather loud thudding noise coming from the wall to their left. It was like a consistent pounding noise from the other side of the brick wall that began to form a crack before the red blocks crumbled out onto the street they were walking on. A primal shriek came from behind the wall as a mass of pink hair and brown feathers tumbled through. The scene took both of the passing ponies aback. Gilda was pulling Pinkie Pies from her body and tossing them against walls or smacking them into one another. “Gilda, what are you doing?” Lyra finally asked in a very understated tone, drawing a puzzled glance from Fluttershy. The griffon moved her head to answer before another Pinkie leapt onto her face and forced her silent. A talon reached up to rip the unwanted facial intruder away and tossed her to the side. “Clones! Fakes!” It was all she could manage before another wave of attackers started pouring out of the hole in the wall. It was all Fluttershy needed to call back upon the wild energy within her though, broken leg or no. She proved to still be an overwhelming force, relying more on her back legs and a stubborn skull that hit like a ram. Lyra’s horn flared up and her eyes went white. She identified the truth behind the creatures and their magical origin. She pulled out Emerald and thrust the blade directly into one’s heart. Everyone around looked suddenly to Lyra with a horrified drop in their jaw, thinking such a cold execution beyond her. However, with a grin, she turned their attention back to the blade. The impaled Pinkie Pie popped with an audible bang and flash of pink smoke. “Not alive. They’re merely magical doppelgangers, go nuts!” Gilda took the message to heart and burst out in a mad chuckle that contrasted the playful giggles of the Pinkie clones. She didn’t just grab at the clones anymore, she jabbed her talons through throats, pushing her full power into each punch and throw. The wave of pink mane and fur began to shrink rapidly as she burst them all into smoke, tearing her way through the horde. Fluttershy followed right after, using her wings to keep off her bad leg. She thrashed about with her thorny arm, splitting the mirror images into halves, thirds, quarters, and more. Pinkies continued to flood out, falling on top of one another as they attempted to wrestle Gilda, and now Fluttershy. They vanished about as fast as they came out however, due to Gilda and Fluttershy keeping up against the steady wave of illusions. Lyra kept her distance, searching for an opening or clue to help her out, though she struck her fair share of Pinkie clones. “Where’s the real one, Gilda?” she called out. Gilda turned to answer before a clone leapt onto her head and forced her to bite her tongue, being answered with an especially furious slash of talons. “She’s tangled up with Dash last time I checked!” Lyra frowned. “Alright, so where’s Dash?” Gilda was again attacked as she attempted to answer. “Fuck!” She slammed a Pinkie’s head flat into the stone at her feet. “Still inside I think!” As if on cue, a rhythmic clanging drew Lyra’s eye into the hole in the wall. She saw Dash backpedaling on her hind legs, her blades in front of her preventing a swinging metallic circle from separating her head from her neck. Within the center of the circle, another Pinkie Pie spun the blade around her neck, advancing on Dash and forcing her on the defensive. Lyra attempted to move forward to aid her friend. “Rainbow Dash!” she called out. It was a mistake, drawing the attentions of many more duplicates and bringing their flooding motion to its maximum potential. Pinkies climbed over Pinkies in an attempt to get at Gilda, Fluttershy, and now Lyra. Lyra hesitated and took a few steps backwards to avoid being crushed by a wave of pink, swinging and slashing away with Emerald using incredible rapidity. Sweat built upon her brow from the amount of energy she used to allow such incredible speed, yet none could pass her fatal wall. To lower her offense would invite capture. She was stuck in her position as the Pinkie Pies kept pouring in an attempt to overwhelm her. Gilda could no longer be seen under her own onslaught, buried under a mountain of attackers. “Welp, this is getting tricky.” Dash felt strain course through her legs as each of Pinkie’s attacks clanged and forced her to forfeit ground. The blank, emotionless gaze in Pinkie Jack’s eyes could almost force retreat alone, especially paired with the wide grin. “Pinkie! Stop it!” Rainbow cried out. Jack continued to advance, ignoring her plea, staring her dead in the eyes as they exited the alleyway. She was leading Rainbow Dash somewhere. Her attacks were predictable and easy to block, if Dash had changed tactics she could easily bring Jack down, but she didn’t want to hurt her. She continued trying to shout over the ringing metal, but to no avail. Onlookers watched as the two made it into the street, none daring to close in on the infamous pirate, with hell reflected in her eyes. A creak of wood blended with the clashing of steel as Rainbow was forced up and onto a ship. “FINE!” Rainbow yelled. She flared her wings and launched herself backwards, putting distance between herself and her attacker. She readied her blades as Pinkie Jack threw her front legs up through the hoop and let her ring blade fall onto her hips. She gyrated as she pressed forward, bringing the weapon in low. She began to clap her hooves to the rhythm of her swaying steps. Rainbow Dash felt taken slightly off guard by the show and didn’t manage to deflect the first cut until Pinkie had already drawn blood from a shallow slash in Dash’s waistline. She didn’t have time to flinch from the cut; Dash moved her blade to slap away the next attack. She couldn’t find an opening to bring her on the offensive, finding Pinkie’s movements and attacks unpredictable, even with her tapping out a beat to her attacks. Rainbow gritted her teeth in frustration and flew back once again, bringing herself above the water to try and think out a plan. Before she could think, she nearly lost her head as Pinkie’s bladed ring flew out across the water in a curve. As the ring flew back to Pinkie, she caught it, thrusting her arm up through the hole and spinning it again. “Great, so you can boomerang the thing too?” Dash growled, only to be answered by another fling of Pinkie’s ring, aimed frighteningly close to her wings. Dash swooped under and back and forth, dodging the ring as it came for her neck, head, and stomach. She forced thoughts to surge through her mind before a desperate idea came to her mind. Well, obviously ain’t gonna lose my head; it’s already gone if I’m trying this insane shit. She saw the ring flying towards her and took a deep breath, holding it before ducking once again, then flinging her head back up. The hit to her throat that made her choke at least let her know she was alive. Her heart began beating once again at the realization her plan had worked, and she looked down at Pinkie with a daring smile on her face. Before she could let out a taunt about her nearly fatal disarm, however, Pinkie smiled back at her, forcing Dash’s heart to stop once again. A quick look down and the sun revealed the trick with a glint on a thin wire attached to the ring. Not boomerang, Yoyo! No sooner had the thought rushed through her head than the consequences of her action began. Pinkie tugged hard at the wire, fishing Rainbow back in close with a slam on the back of the pegasus’ neck and clocking her hard in the jaw with a pink hoof. While Dash had thought Pinkie can fight! What had instead come out of her mouth, aside from a combination of spittle and blood, was “Ponka cack fye!” As Rainbow fell backwards from the hit, Pinkie pulled once again on the wire to bring Dash close for another punch, this time straight in the nose. Dash could smell her own blood and tasted bit coins on her tongue. Pinkie continued to pummel Rainbow in the same fashion repeatedly. Rainbow began to lose her vision as Pinkie’s laughter began to ring in her ears. Her face went numb as her brain rattled about in her head. Pinkie began winding up a punch as she pulled Dash in one more time with a massive, malicious smile on her lips. Before she could land the attack, a loud screech came out from behind her and forced her head through the wooden planks underneath her hooves. Dash had enough time to shake herself out of her slipping consciousness, splattering her blood onto the ship. She removed the ring from around her neck, the pain of her recent experience reminding her to not make the same mistake with this weapon. Her eye was bruised almost shut, but she could still make out the image of Gilda forcing Pinkie’s neck into the deck of the ship. “Ya can’t get soft on her, Dash. Pirates will eat ya alive if you aren’t careful!” Gilda cried out, struggling to hold Jack underneath her talons. “She’s a captain for a reason!” Dash felt woozy and weak as her head became heavy, dropping her chin to the deck. “You have a good point, G. I can’t fight her though. I can’t hurt Pinkie.” Gilda frowned. “Well I just demolished my way through a few hundred, what’s one more?” She let go of Pinkie Pie’s head, letting her pop back up with a snarl on her muzzle before Gilda wiped it away with a punch. “We’re here to bring her back, Gilda,” Dash objected tiredly. “Right, but she’s objecting, so we’ll bring her back in one beaten and bruised piece!” Gilda retorted, landing a new sock into Pinkie’s gut. “She ain’t coming easy, but I prefer hard anyway!” Pinkie avoided the next attack and landed one of her own into Gilda’s beak, but was shocked when the griffon didn’t flinch, but met her hoof with an open beak and bit down hard. Jack’s arm retreated and she jumped back a few steps, making room between her and Gilda. She looked down at her bitten hoof before wiping a trickle of blood across her brow. “Well, the game’s no fun if it’s too easy. ‘Eh, Gilda?” Jack grinned and pulled at the wire on her hoof, bringing her ringblade back around her hips. Gilda returned the smile and stood on her back legs, curling her talons into fists. “Exactly. Besides, I think you still owe me one since our last visit.” Pinkie nodded after she flashed her teeth, gyrating her hips once again as she advanced. “So I do.” “I’m gonna bring you back hogtied and screaming.” Gilda spread her wings wide and let out another avian shriek. She rushed the pink pony with a fire in her eyes. The two met next to the main mast as Pinkie thrust her blade towards Gilda, only for the griffon to catch it with her bare talon. Blood oozed from her palm where the blade sliced into her, rousing even more adrenaline in the beast in her as she knocked skulls with Jack. The pirate was dazed as Gilda grabbed the ring with her other claw and began spinning Pinkie around and around, getting faster and faster before launching her off the ship. Pinkie flew through the air as she let her ring slide onto her forehoof, spinning it and flipping herself upright, then flinging the blade into the mast of the ship. The blade stuck and held Pinkie Pie and she took advantage as she fell, swinging herself back towards the ship. Gilda saw Pinkie swinging towards her, but instead of getting out of the way, braced herself for the attack she saw coming. Pinkie swung in with her back hooves pointed in front of her. Gilda grabbed hold of her legs, catching her as planned. She didn’t expect pinkie’s next move however, immediately smashing her free arm into Gilda’s head and freeing herself from the griffon’s grip. Gilda wobbled back as Pinkie landed, tugging her ring blade back into her grasp as she danced over to Gilda. She jumped, spun, and let her back legs shoot out into Gilda’s stomach. Gilda crumpled up onto the deck. Dash watched through hazy, dazed eyes as Gilda and Pinkie continued to duke it out. She tried to get herself back up on her legs before she felt the pain washing over her again, freezing her in place, almost literally. “Shit,” she whispered through clenched teeth, feeling cold overtaking her again. The haze in her eyes shifted and blurred, turning into visions of snow. “Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy’s voice caught Rainbow’s attention, making her slowly turn her stiff neck to see. Sure enough, floating on the wind, Fluttershy landed at Dash’s side. Keeping off her bad leg, she instantly began inspecting the bruised and battered pegasus. “Flutter-” “No talking. I told you this would happen if I didn’t treat you. You’re speaking like a sloth.” Fluttershy began tugging various leaves and salves from her bags, clenching them in her teeth and studying what she needed. Lyra ran up beside the two, sweating and breathing heavily. She looked obviously exhausted from her ordeal with the Pinkie clones. “What’s wrong with her?” “I can’t explain right now. Hand me that bottle.” Fluttershy moved quickly and with urgency as the sounds of battle cracked behind them. Dash could hardly resist Fluttershy’s treatment with the cold in her veins crippling her. Lyra looked back to Gilda and Pinkie Pie’s ongoing war and took a breath as she stood to rush over and help. “Touch her and you’ll be my next target!” Gilda roared out. Lyra froze in intimidation. “You have no experience with this, but never interfere with a predator when she’s after her prey!” Gilda flashed a burning, almost demonic glare back at Lyra. The unicorn returned a nervous smile and a bow of the head, turning back to Dash and Fluttershy. “So what do you need now, Fluttershy?” In the fight, Gilda still held the upper talon, having more experience and a griffon’s natural ferocity. She fought fiercely, but not terribly honorably. Pinkie was no paragon of fairness either, however; fighting an unarmed opponent with an exotic weapon, hidden tricks, and wires. Gilda returned these tricks in kind, flinging the blood spilling from her palm into Pinkie’s eyes and whipping out her morning star for a momentary bash into Pinkie’s temple. Dash could still see the battle going on, though in her eyes the pair fought in a blizzard, the storm of her mind blowing harder as their attacks grew fiercer. “You know a good game usually ends, Gilda!” Pinkie shouted, throwing her blade above Gilda’s head. It was easy for Gilda to dodge the weapon. “What? Bored already, Jack? The captain on captain showdown not enthralling enough for ya? I’ll let ya know, I’ve actually been looking forward to this! The notorious pirate, Jack; I take you out and I’ll have shipwrights begging to build me a new boat!” Pinkie Pie tugged her hoof back, bringing the blade flying toward the back of Gilda’s neck. “Like I said, no fun if it’s too easy.” Gilda’s eyes widened as she realized the trap she fell into. The last thought going through her head was a feeling of anger for falling into such an obvious ploy. “HALT!” A voice called from off the ship, summoning a light blue aura to surround Pinkie, her weapon, and Gilda. They stood perfectly still. “Quick, get them out of there! The spell won’t last forever! Bring Pinkie to me, and remove her weapon,” Rarity spoke out in command. The dogs leapt onto the boat and went to work. Spot tracked down the wire and gathered the ringblade, separating the two. Fido grabbed hold of Gilda and moved her aside. Rover fetched the wire from Spot and used it to quickly tie Pinkie Pie down, bringing her back to Rarity. The glow subsided and Rarity let out a breath of exhaustion. “Sleep.” She moved onto the next spell, hitting Pinkie with a blast of blue light and causing her to drop into a deep sleep. Gilda began breathing again, panting hard. She frowned and scowled, punching at the wood underneath her. “Fucking stupid of me! I got too cocky.” “I wouldn’t worry too heavily, darling. You put up a valiant effort without even a weapon. The lion’s pride of your kind simply blinded you for a moment.” Rarity offered a reassuring smile to her comrade. “Almost got me killed, too,” Gilda grumbled. She looked to the wound on her talon, still leaking her vital fluid. She balled it up into a fist before wiping the blood across her brow, painting her forehead. “Don’t make a mess, darling, you’ve had worse scrapes than this from what I’ve been hearing.” Rarity busied herself by inspecting Pinkie Pie’s injuries and equipment, stripping her of any hidden weapons. Gilda flinched at the memory. “Another reason why I can’t slip up like that again; I owe a lizard a whole crew’s worth of agony.” “So we learn, we grow, and we put said lizard to the blade. Push aside your pride and use your knowledge to destroy the beast,” Rarity continued without missing a beat. Gilda’s grumbling didn’t stop, but she nodded in understanding. Lyra looked over to Rarity. “You showed up just in time.” “It wasn’t difficult to find you all with the amount of noise you were making.” Rarity tilted her head to the docks where ponies and other folk were gathered, pointing and speaking among one another. “Be quick about what we need to do and let’s get going. I don’t assume we’d get in much trouble for bringing down a dangerous pirate, but there will inevitably be questions and hassles that we can’t afford to deal with at the moment.” “Miss Rarity is correct,” Rover started. “Gather Rainbow Dash and follow us to the po-nee called Bone Saw.” “Who?” Lyra asked. “Skilled po-nee doctor.” Rover turned and exposed his chest, no longer coated with medicinal herbs and salves, but now decorated with a vicious, jagged scar. “Quickly po-nees, quickly. I hear speak of authority coming,” Spot urged. Fido walked over to Rainbow, Fluttershy and Lyra, and offered to carry Rainbow Dash. Not exactly in a position to deny, Dash was scooped in the dog’s mighty arms. Gilda grabbed up the unconscious Pinkie Pie and the party sped down off the boat, Rarity guiding them through the town. “Have any of you spotted Applejack perchance?” Rarity inquired. “Not since we got here,” Lyra answered. “I’ll go find her and meet up with you guys. I don’t have more than a few scrapes and bruises after all.” Rarity nodded. “We’ll be on the south side of town. The place is Bone Saw and Gray Matter’s clinic.” Lyra broke off from the group, taking mental note of Rarity’s words as she left to find their lost comrade. She kept her ears open for sounds of that familiar accent or any speech regarding her friend. It didn’t take long. Finding information on a farm pony in a town full of sailors wasn’t the most difficult of tasks, but what Lyra heard brought a wrinkle to her brow and a frown on her lips.