The Nightmare

by Cirrus Sky

Chapter 5

The ruined tower was well behind them now, already they had passed the third of Rainbow’s landmarks. “We only have to wait for sunrise to light the path now.” Was her cryptic remark. She had been mostly silent bar directions the whole day’s journey. Twilight put it down to the rather unpleasant sky-man with the brown hair.

Despite their best efforts, the other group remained level and indeed followed the same route. The thug often catcalled and tried to torment Rainbow who remained detached, Twilight was impressed at her control.

Sunset arrived and the travellers settled down near the half buried remains of a squat stone building, the last leg of the journey needed to wait for the sunrise. Deciding to take watch in turns, Twilight remained awake first, used to late night study sessions. She read by flickering firelight until Shining took over and then bedded down on blankets within sight of the flames.

Howling winds and a hurried shaking woke her. “Come one Twily! We have to make a move!” He manhandled his sister up, fetching her blankets in magic.

“What’s going on?” She mumbled, still half asleep and feeling sand assault her from all directions.

“Sandstorm!” Rainbow shouted from ahead of them. Fully awake, Twilight caught sight of the mass wall of sand heading for them.

“We’re getting into the building; Pinkie moved the camels in after warning the others.” Shining explained, leading her to the structure. “She shouted something about a ‘Pinkie Sense’ and got everyone to start moving. The building will be a good base; I’m hoping my shield and your power will keep us safe.”

“Ok, ok, explain inside! Get moving!” Rainbow hurried them into the walled area. In the corner worried animals were tied, opposite the luggage had been dumped and the other group were sat around looking pensive.

“This old wreck ain’t gonna protect anything.” Jack scowled, pacing with nerves.

“That may be, but my shield will work better with a structure.” Shining said. He conjured the purple shape all his shields began as. With Twilight channelling power to him, it enlarged to fill the gap of the fallen roof. As it reached the walls, purple lines began to weave into the stones and mortar. With a final flourish it sealed. “There...”

The cacophony of the storm hitting them was intense and shocked everyone into shutting their eyes and covering their ears. Twilight felt someone grab hold of her in the momentary panic but the warm feeling that blossomed prevented her from shouting out. She opened her eyes to darkness; an unearthly roaring filled the air.

“I’m going to make a light spell.” She warned, quickly a glowing ball of light formed on her hand. It softly lit the room and revealed the others. It was interesting to see what everyone had done in the panic.

Shining was pressed against the wall; she could see the traces of magic moving from his hand in to strengthen his shield. Pinkie was calming the animals, though the building was long it was narrow and panicked creatures could cause damage. Jack was crouched around Rarity, her arms keeping the woman close while their guide and his friend were curled up away from everyone in separate spots ‘How brave’ Twilight thought, unimpressed.

Lastly she noticed Rainbow. It was her arms wrapped around the mage. Standing protectively between the librarian and the threat she thought was coming. Once more, Twilight was glad that the situation directed attention away from her growing blush. “We’re ok everyone. The sandstorm is just noisy!” she shouted over the sound.

Everyone slowly moved from their sheltering positions, though Pinkie remained near the animals and Shining stayed by the wall. A sheepish Rainbow let go of Twilight with a small smile and then went to join Pinkie. The librarian went and sat beside her brother. “Good work BBBFF.”

“No problem Twily, so long as you can zap a bit of power in if needs be.” He ruffled her hair.

“Of course.” She yawned then, recalling it was late at night. Levitating over her blankets, hastily bundled into the building earlier, she made a new bed to sleep on and was soon drifting off.

-*-

“Hey, you’re going to want to see the show.” Rainbow’s voice woke the librarian. Twilight sat up and rubbed her eyes.
“Hmmm? What show?” She mumbled half asleep.

“Sunrise.” The adventurer replied, helping Twilight up and bundling the blankets into a pack. “We want to be mounted and ready to move once the path appears.”

“Ok.” Tiredness stopped her asking any more questions. She moved about the building slowly, glad the sandstorm was over. The others were all awake and moving about, bar Shining who looked a little worse for wear.

“Hey Twily.” He yawned a little. “Used a bit more magic than usual.” He went to mount his camel. “Nothing I can’t handle though. Just hope we don’t need my shield again soon.”

“Let me help a second BBBFF.” Twilight moved closer and used a refreshing spell. Even as her aura still surrounded him he looked better. She finished it off with a peck on his cheek. “Well done Shining, you kept us all safe.”

Significantly more awake now his reserves had been bolstered, Shining smiled and hugged his sister. “No problem Twily.” He jumped up onto the beast. “Ready to go?”

“Of course!” She found her camel held by Pinkie with her own, she was talking animatedly to them both. The odd woman stopped when Twilight reached her.

“Hey Twilight, Jeremy here was wondering when you’d get here!” The pink haired officer of the law was just as boisterous as ever.

“Jeremy?”

“Yup, that’s his name.” She grinned her manic smile and gave the beige coated animal a pat. “He likes you, you’re nice.”

“Good to know.” Twilight humoured the Corporal and mounted the camel and arranged her bags. “How soon is sunrise?”

“About two more minutes.” Rainbow said from the air. “We need to move quickly if you want to get to the site first.” She landed next to her mount, having long ago learned that most riding animals did not like sky-born folk landing directly on them.

Rarity’s group were working to load their animals with the equipment and Twilight was reminded that however friendly they had been, they were still rivals.

“Twilight, eyes front, we’re just about ready for the path.” Rainbow waved towards the east. Twilight was about to ask once more what she meant.

She was kept silent by the spectacle. As the bright orb of the sun rose above the horizon its new light created a shining path across the sands. It stretched far away and long into the distance. “There’s our route.” Rainbow said.

Twilight found her voice at last, “Beautiful...” though she didn’t stop long to gaze, they were in a race after all. She gee’d her camel to move and gave him a pat as ‘Jeremy’ moved to a gallop.

“Riding camels! Riding camels! I’m riding a camel, he’s riding a camel, she’s riding a camel and she is too!” Pinkie sang badly. It was confusing considering how well she had sung bawdy songs with sailors on the boat.

Twilight sincerely hoped that the singing would not continue.

-*-

Pinkie had fallen asleep on her camel, she had been up and awake most of the night and the chance to sleep while her mount followed his friends was too good to pass up. Her singing had been replaced by Twilight’s observations.

“Look Shining! There is a slab engraved with pre-unification cuneiform script! I have to mark that one on the map for later.”
“Fascinating Twily.” Shining repeated for what he thought had to be the twentieth time.

“On the horizon! There’s an obelisk! Oh, a row of them!” She stood up a little to point them out to the others.

“That’s cool Twilight.” Rainbow said. “Save all the brain for the real ruins right?”

“But... This is such a good chance...”

“You’ll get tired out before we reach the prison.”

While Twilight looked across the desert for points of historical and geographic interest, Rainbow was keeping watch for trouble. In the other group it seemed Jack and Rarity were occupied similarly, the Archaeologist being quite taken by the sparse features of the desert while the gunner scanned for trouble.

As it turned out, trouble found them.

The ululating cry of a cultist alerted them first. It woke Pinkie and sent Rarity and Twilight ducking down. Slightly braver or more foolhardy, Shining scanned the area. Jack and Rainbow held guns at the ready as they searched the dunes.

Half a mile away the noticeable red robes of a cultist stood out. He was horse mounted. The rising noise of more horses spurred the group into action.

“Get going! Down that bank!” Rainbow yelled to the others, pointing to a steep sand dune a few yards ahead. Camels and horses were sped up by their riders and hurried up the dune. On the ridge that the first cultist stood, more appeared.

“I’m not sticking around for that!” Hoops shouted, he abandoned his horse and flew into the air and away, closely followed by his friend.

“Cowards! Y’all can’t expect any money from us now!” Jack shouted after them, disgust in her tone. Now at the top of the dune, they all looked to Rainbow.

“Down there, it’s a good shelter and defensive position.” She pointed to a series of half buried metal hulks, their red streaked iron sides bolstered up by piles of sand. “Solid bullet proof iron and buried in sand. We couldn’t have set up a better position if we tried.” She hurried the camel down the steep sand bank, behind them the noise of massed cultists could be heard. The treasure hunter tried to keep her last confrontation out in the sand from her mind.

“What is that?” Twilight shouted across as they rushed down the slope. As they got closer the iron hulk looked older and larger. Quickly they were around the other side of the impromptu shield. Feeling safer with it between them and the armed cultists.

“I think it is the Bay Ardeth, that old land train that broke.” Rainbow gave the metal vehicle a tap, the heavy clunk it made reassuring to those seeking shelter.

Land trains had once transported people and goods across the long stretches of desert before the rails had been laid for conventional trains. The Bay Ardeth had been one of the older in service, iron clad against bandit attacks and slow moving due to its size. The drive shaft had crumbled one journey and the cargo and crew were airlifted away. The heap had been left to the desert.

“Get the animals into a shutting box.” Jack said quietly. “We want ‘em to be good to carry us the rest of the way.”

“Aye Aye!” Pinkie saluted and grabbed at the lead ropes and reigns to take them to safety. It was noticeable that for the first time since she had joined the historians her gun holster was unbuttoned. Her weapon ready for action.

While the Corporal took charge of the animals, Jack was prepping her rifle. Rainbow followed suite, unrolling her pack to reveal her armoury. “Shining, you any good with a gun?” the sky-born said, gesturing to the selection.

“Decent shot with a rifle, I can peg one or two with a revolver and have a reasonable record with the single shotgun.” He crouched down by the armoury and picked out a repeating rifle and the ammunition packet. “I’ll be happier to use this.” Rainbow nodded.

“Take a good position.” She pointed to one of the empty cargo trucks of the Bay Ardeth, it had a window in the side facing the cultist’s most likely approach. “That should work out. If I take the far end and Jack takes the opposite, we’ll be covered.”

“What about me darling?” Rarity approached, gone was her high class airs but she was still poised. An unusual bracelet and palm jewellery on her hands.

“You can get safe. Quirky bling isn’t going to help.” Rainbow lifted her shotgun and loaded it.

“Bling? Darling, I’m a gold medallist mage-archer.” To demonstrate she held out her left arm as if wielding a bow. From magic and the bracelet a crescent shape formed. When the archaeologist made a drawing motion across it with her right hand, a bolt of pure energy materialised. Rainbow knew it would be deadly.

“Alright. You cover the other end and I can run my other idea.” The flier pointed to the tail end of the buried land train. “With it all covered we should be able to keep them back long enough for me to get rid of them.”

“You got a plan sky-girl?” Jack was holding her rifle ready for action.

“A good one. Now get in to place!” She left the women to take their positions. Running past the truck Pinkie had secured the animals the Corporal stuck her head out.

“Hey Dash, what do I do?” She was still as perky as ever but had an underlying seriousness in her voice.

“Keep the animals safe and use that iron when you have to Pinkie. We need the horses and camels whatever happens.”
“Sure thing.” She saluted and slid back in to the truck, closing the heavy door.

“What about me?” Twilight had walked up behind Rainbow. She looked slightly panicked but determined. “What should I do Ms Dash?”

“Can you shoot? Or do that fancy magic blast thing?” Rainbow kept one ear open for the approaching cultists. All she could be thankful for was their habit of massing ahead of a charge.

“No... No, I can’t. I can make a shield like Shining though. I’m better at defensive magic.” She had wilted under the scrutiny but was confident in her other talents.

“Excellent! Make one in the gaps, something we can shoot through but they can’t get bullets in.” Twilight nodded and smiled, making the hand gestures to conjure the barrier.

“What will you be doing?”

Rainbow grinned and popped her wings into existence. “Just call me Rainbow Dust Storm.”

Comments

[DjentDelaCroix]

Haha Bay Ardeth

[Cirrus Sky]

3115476
I thought of other anagrams but decided to stick with something simple.

Oh, and news for all, did you know that as of this moment I have 22k words written? I am really loving writing this one.