Temporal

by FaleYur

(Act I) Chapter 9: Haven

Velvet had never been so scared in all her life.

She had birthed two foals, dealt with her husband’s narrow-minded parents, and took part in a magical duel to the death with a psychopathic unicorn, who obviously wanted nothing more in life than to end her.

But none of that stood up to the adrenaline-pumping, breath-catching terror that shot through her as she sprinted down yet another cobbled street, remaining just a few steps in front of her pursuers. She was very aware of Twilight gripping her neck, her small face buried in her mother’s mane as she ran, the foal bouncing uncomfortably on her back.

One of the freaks roared again, a grating, piercing sound that made Twilight sob harder into Velvet’s soft mane, and made her mother run just a bit faster, fully intent on keeping the abominations away from her little filly.

Velvet had never felt this terrified. Tear tracks streaked their way down her face, cooling and dripping off her snout with the force of both the wind, and the speed of Velvet’s galloping. She gasped in exertion, her lungs burning as she rounded the corner, listening to the cobblestones behind her being ripped up under the jagged claws of the things chasing her.

She could almost feel the leader of the pack breathing down her neck, its hot, blood-filled breath making her skin tingle as it washed over her. She could smell the remnants of its previous victims, what remained of their eviscerated bodies tinging the gleaming teeth red. If she stopped for a second, if she looked back, it would be over. Twilight would be killed, and Nightlight’s sacrifice would have been in vain.

A fresh wave of tears cascaded down her muzzle at the thought of her husband. When she had left, he had still been breathing, although with difficulty. How long had he lasted after she had abandoned him? How long had he lain there, crushed under the pieces of their house, watching the city burn around him?

And the freaks… they had caught on to Velvet not too long after leaving their home, sniffing them out and tracking them like it was a sick game of hide and seek. Had the beasts come across Nightlight? Had he lain there, helpless as the three former ponies approached him, hide glistening with gore, teeth gnashing in delight as they surrounded and devoured her beloved? Was that him that she could smell coming out of the monster’s mouth, his blood that was flecking Twilight as she hung onto her mother for dear life?

With difficulty, and a sob, Velvet pushed the thoughts out of her mind, trying to focus on the task at hand. She had always been a practical mare, and she knew that there would be plenty of time to pay her respects later. The analytical way these thoughts came across Velvet left her shuddering mid-step, almost biting the dust in front of the predators.

She was disgusted with herself, that she could feel so indifferent about his death. That she could have left him so easily, even if it was at his own behest. The only thing that kept her going at this point was her final promise, and the means to complete that promise clinging tightly to her, crying loudly into her fur.

She heard the beasts getting closer, and frantically threw a spell behind her at the feet of her pursuers. She heard them screech in surprise and pain as the cobblestones erupted around them, flying up at them with vicious speed.

To Velvet’s dismay, the stones only succeeded in aggravating the freaks, as they rushed forward with renewed vigor, personal revenge flying into the mix of predatory instincts and telepathic prompts from their master.

Velvet’s breath came in ragged gasps, her chest heaving as she tried to keep her lead ahead of the predators. Just as she thought she might collapse from the strain, the castle came into view, towering, like a perfect flower above the burning city. How had Lulamoon worked so fast? The scope of the destruction took up a large swath of the city, and yet this whole thing had only started a couple of hours ago.

With new energy, she sprinted to the ornate gates of the castle, her teary eyes making out the forms of at least a dozen guards standing vigilant in front of them. The sight didn’t deter her in the slightest, even when a sharp shout came from the guards, warning her to stay back by order of the princess. Velvet couldn’t care less if the order was issued by Faust herself, the beasts were not going to get their way with her filly today.

What did almost make her falter, was the gleaming spear points that were leveled at her as she got nearer to her safety.

“Please!” she screamed, the cry coming out raspy and shrill. “Please, they’re right behind me, help me!”

The guards halted as they saw the lumbering forms of the Vraals careen into view, seething in rage and blood-lust. The soldiers reluctantly moved to let her past, one of them opening the gate and letting Velvet slip in without so much as a nod of acknowledgment. Then, the guards got back into their formation, just as the three beasts slammed into their ranks, scattering bodies and ripping though armour effortlessly.

Velvet took this in as she ran, trying to cover Twilight’s eyes as her daughter looked on in rapt attention at the gory battle. Soon, the guards lay dead, nothing left but visceral body parts and dying screams fading into the din. The Vraals threw themselves at the locked gate, snarling and biting down on the golden bars, distorting the metal.

Velvet made it a little bit farther, before collapsing on her knees in front of the staircase leading into the castle. A panicked shout of, “Velvet?!” made her look up into the eyes of a familiar-looking guard as he knelt next to her and Twilight.

Velvet’s world was a blur, colours and sounds melting together in a cacophony of exhaustion and fear. She got her head together long enough to gasp out an instruction to the guard beside her.

“Victus? G… get her inside!”

The soldier nodded understandingly, and began to peel Twilight off of Velvet’s back, only to see the filly hold on tighter, screwing her eye shut in dread. Her mother reached a numb hoof behind her and began caressing Twilight’s mane, brushing it out of her face.

“Twilight, listen to me, okay sweetheart?” she began, carefully assessing her daughter’s reactions. “You have to go with the nice stallion, okay? You remember him, he’s Victus, one of D-daddy’s friends. He’ll keep you safe, I…” Velvet’s mouth was suddenly dry. She knew the improbability of the statement she was about to make. “I promise.”

Twilight stared at her with her beautiful violet eyes, the orbs glassy with unshed tears. “Is… is dad going to be okay? He said he would be… he doesn’t lie…”

Velvet choked down a sob, hugging her filly to her chest. She couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth, to see the last flames of hope die in her daughter’s eyes. “Y-yes Twily,” she lied through her sobs. “He- he’ll be here, he’s going to show up, and everything’ll be fine… it’ll be okay…”

They were silent for a while, both crying and hugging on the steps of the castle, listening to the relentless pounding of the Vraals on the wrought gates. Velvet gave her daughter one last kiss to her forehead, before levitating her to the ground in front of the empathetic-looking Victus.

The stallion took off his helmet, allowing the enchantment on the armour to lift and leave dark red fur in its wake. He knelt to Twilight’s level, placing the helmet on the stone beside him with a clink and reaching out a hoof to the foal. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s get you safe.”

The small purple filly took one last look at her mother, who nodded tearfully, and then tentatively grabbed the guard’s hoof, clutching at it like it was a lifeline.

The stallion left his helmet on the ground where it lay, allowing his natural colouration to show through. He knew that it would help calm the filly down if he looked somewhat normal. After all, he had two of his own who were the same way with strangers.

He locked eyes with Velvet, and nodded. “And where are you off to?”

Velvet looked down, half ashamed, half enraged. The feeling inside her had been growing since her duel with Icani, and now the burning need for recompense smouldered in her heart. While Lady Lulamoon lived, Twilight was at risk, that much was certain. “I’m… going to find somepony.” She said flatly.

The red stallion stared at her sadly. “I understand. Just… make sure you come back in one piece Vel. You have a filly here that needs you.”

Velvet almost reconsidered. She almost gave in and stayed here, safe with her daughter. And then she remembered Nightlight, dying and bleeding on the cold stone street. She thought of his last words to her.

Velvet… go to the castle. If anypony can keep Twily safe, it’ll be Celestia. Make sure Shining's okay at Victus' sister's place... Go, f-fast as you can, and don’t stop for anything. G-got it?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Twilight would be safe. Nightlight would be avenged. And Icani would pay.

“Please, just make sure she gets to the Princess,” Velvet whispered. “I can take care of myself.” And with that, she turned around and trotted shakily to the gates, barely comprehending the three monsters waiting for her there, still beating at the defenses.

She’ll be okay… she’ll be okay… she’ll be okay…

Then, the gates broke down, sending the Vraals streaming into the courtyard.

***

Jade heard the clanging, entire blocks before she reached the castle.

Her previous tiredness forgotten, she all-out sprinted towards the castle, hoping against hope that she was not too late.

She skidded the corner without missing a beat, not pausing at all at the sight of the beautiful gates crashing down under the onslaught of rage from the Vraals. The legion of guards behind the wall tensed, lowering their weapons in readiness.

Make every second count.

The freaks hit the ranks of guards, but instead of being completely torn apart like Jade had seen before, they held their ground, dispersing and getting the attention of all three of the monsters on a couple of ponies at a time, all the while jabbing and stabbing at them when their backs were turned.

It worked for a couple moments, until one of the beasts broke free of the circle of soldiers, and thundered up the path- straight towards a pale grey unicorn striding down to meet it. With a small jolt of panic, Jade realized that the unicorn was the second VIP.

And she was walking right at the magical killing machine with fire in her eyes.

No, I’m not losing another one!

Jade gained speed as she galloped through the broken gates towards the fight between the two Vraals and the remaining guards. From inside her jacket she pulled her long knife, spinning it gracefully in one hoof. She ran for the brawl, letting out a cry of exertion…

And leaped.

She pushed off from the ground, flying over the first guard’s head by a whole meter and landing with her two rear hooves on the back of one of the Vraals. The instant her hooves touched the altered skin, she sprang again, coiling only for a moment before soaring in a graceful backflip over the rest of the battle, not missing a step as she landed.

The beast roared its indignancy at being used as a spring-board, but Jade was already gone, gaining quickly on the run-away Vraal approaching her VIP.

She saw the Vraal tense in anticipation, back-spines twitching unnaturally. It roared at the unicorn in front of it, unaware of the earth pony approaching from behind. It coiled, ready to pounce at its target, but Jade was in motion, racking her knife back behind her as she flew, directly on course with the Vraal’s back.

As Jade landed, she twisted with a loud cry and plunged the knife hilt deep into the thick hide of the beast, causing an ear-splitting wail. She barely comprehended the look of shocked recognition on the unicorn’s face as she ripped the knife out, tossed the blade high into the air and spun around, slamming both hooves into one of the branching spines on its back.

Looking back on it, she had been sure that would work. She would have stabbed it, threw the knife into the air, and bucked one of the spines off the Vraal’s back, jumping over the beast’s head, catching the knife as it fell and plunging the blade into its skull.

What actually happened, was that everything went according to plan, until the ‘bucking the spine off’ part. As opposed to the scheduled clean snapping sound she should have heard, her hooves instead made a dense thock sound, and she bounced off its back and onto the stones in front of it, slightly dazed.

The knife fell beside her with a disappointed clatter.

Jade shook her head, and looked up, straight into the mouth of the Vraal. She barely had time to curse her luck before she dived under the bite, leaving the Vraal to slam its mouth into the ground where she had been lying only moments ago. Her knife went skittering into the lush grass a few meters away.

She rolled out from under the Vraal, jumping to her hooves in disbelief. On the Vraal’s back, the spines stuck out, stalwart and perfect as ever, hardly a crack to be seen on their surfaces. The Vraal dug its face out of the dirt and turned furiously to its aggressor, forgetting about the grey unicorn still standing in the same place, looking stunned. At least part of my plan worked.

Unfortunately, Jade was now faced with a slight problem. A vicious killing machine stood between her and the only weapon she had brought with her. She stood against a being twice her size that was armed to the teeth, and all she had was her bare hooves.

I’ve had worse odds.

The Vraal roared again, and charged her, flexing its claws and gnashing its teeth. Just before it reached her however, a jet of violet magic burst on its side, sending it flying sideways and missing its mark by inches. Jade looked in appreciation at the unicorn, who was leveling her horn at the Vraal again, preparing another spell. “Much obliged!”

The unicorn grinned, before letting loose another spell at the Vraal, knocking it back down mid-rise. It shrieked at her, spittle flying out of its maw in rage, a fact largely ignored by both mares. Jade ran for the patch of grass that her knife had landed in, searching frantically with her hooves in the thick foliage. She could hear the unicorn blasting the Vraal again and again behind her with magic, and the clangs and yells of the ongoing battle between the rest of the guards and the two other beasts.

The magic blasts stopped for a moment, and Jade’s ears twitched. Instinctively, she dove to the side, just as the Vraal came barrelling past, just missing her again. From her splayed out position in the grass, Jade cast a reproachful look at the unicorn, who looked exhausted from her endeavors.

The Vraal looked confused now. It had two ponies in front of it for almost a minute, and had yet to kill either one. Its vision narrowed in on the green one lying on the ground, and charged again.

Jade panicked, scuttling backwards as fast as she could go, away from the beast, but it was still catching up. Suddenly, her hoof touched something hard amongst the lush, soft grass. Desperately, she wrapped her hoof around it, bringing it to bear in front of the charging Vraal and closing her eyes.

SHUNK.

SNAP.

After a couple of seconds had passed, and Jade realized that she was not in fact dead, she opened her eyes a crack.

The jagged, broken end of a spear stuck out of the Vraal’s right eye, displacing the eyeball slightly. From the wound, a dark red, almost black liquid spurted, pooling on the grass under its head and getting all over her hind legs. Jade looked at her hoof, and lifted up the broken end of the spear she clutched to her eye level.

“Huh.” She murmured, tossing the broken handle away and standing up with a breathless laugh. “That could have gone worse.”

Author's Note:

HA! GET SOME VRAAL! Er, *cough* I mean, good fight Vraal. But not good enough.

Yes, Jade's rather cocky about things, but nothing lasts forever.