From Dusk to Night

by KuroiTsubasaTenshi

46 - Core Issues

I still didn’t quite trust Amethyst Vein or Old Ed. The former had proven to be more than a bit unstable, even in her more lucid moments, while the latter was far more savvy than I’d given him credit for. Still, the longer this went on, the more I believed that they were at least committed to our little tentative alliance.

With Amethyst Vein in the lead, getting into the inner city was somehow easier than easy. The guards didn’t so much as ask for a name. In fact, they barely broke off from their bragging competition to give us a set of half-assed salutes.

If there was one thing that was especially uncanny about Amethyst Vein, it was her sense of time. Underground with no clock and yet there was no doubt in her voice when she told us the day was still young. Bringing our ruse full swing, she led us to a small house that looked like it’d actually been cared for sometime in the last couple weeks. It was far from luxury, but the place was at least clean and had basic accommodations. Judging by the barracks-style setup, I imagined that there had to be dozens of these for the Ostfriesen knights who weren’t quite best buddies with Firetail.

The whole thing made me feel claustrophobic, vulnerable. I didn’t want to let my guard down. The structure could easily be surrounded. We could do little to stop a large group of guards from rushing in. Even if we stayed awake, an infiltrator could probably catch us unaware. But the fact of the matter was that we were already up for far too long. We could either sleep and risk betrayal—or we could stay up all day and have the fatigue get us killed the first time someone draws a blade.

There was one little consolation, though. A well-placed window with ragged curtains allowed whoever was keeping watch to have a very clear view of the path. While that wouldn’t stop anyone from coming overtop of the other buildings, it at least allowed for some peace of mind when it came to the most obvious point of entry.

Amethyst Vein promised to return at midnight, to lead us to the servants’ entrance. With her departure, we took turns collapsing on the beds, trading nerves for restless bouts of sleep. While it felt like she came back all too soon, at least we’d recovered to a state of relative coherency.

And so, that is how we found ourselves hunkered down in a dark alleyway with the warrior-regent of a defunct nation, watching a pair of foreign knights share a flask of Celestia-knows-what. The most jarring part was that the night was almost guaranteed to get stranger.

However, first, those two drunkards needed to let us get at the door. It was heavy and wooden, with no trace of decor—something that was wholly unsurprising. And yet, it still looked out of place. After a couple seconds of staring, I quickly realized that it wasn’t because the door was set against the worn, but deliberately carved, wall. No, the painted red banners, each emblazoned with a horizontal, orange flame, were newer—and gaudier—additions to the wall. If Amethyst Vein was lying about anything, Firetail’s tendencies were not included.

I leaned toward Amethyst Vein and whispered, “You sure they’re not just going to sit here drinking all night?”

“They’re stupid and lazy, but they’re not that stupid,” she replied. “The unwritten rule is the officers turn a blind eye as long as they don’t catch anypony red-hoofed.”

Glancing back at the guards, I let out a short sigh. “Seems like even that pretense is pretty lax. I suppose that’s what eventually leaves the hole, though.”

Amethyst Vein nodded.

I took another moment to review our plan. Bellerophon’s memory only extended from the keep’s main hall into the inner sanctum, though supposedly Amethyst Vein and Old Ed knew the other areas well enough to get us there. Beyond that, Amethyst Vein was able to provide some guesses as to the routes of the guards inside, but it seemed Firetail was pretty intent on keeping her in the dark.

Merriweather was almost certainly important enough to be held within the sanctum. The real challenge would be figuring out, on the fly, how to rescue her and escape without alerting Firetail or Broken Tooth.

As I stewed in my thoughts, I almost wanted to laugh. Somehow, life had decided that fighting vicious thugs, each employed by a ruthless drug kingpin, wasn’t enough. Instead, I was to face an army of professional soldiers, led by the head of a thousand-year-old conspiracy, who also happened to be an equally ancient dragon.

I am not a large pony by any definition of the word, but at that moment, I felt microscopic.

And yet, there was still hope. Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash—they all faced world-ending villains on a yearly basis. If they could step up to that, perhaps I could step up to a ‘mere’ political power grab. As the fire rekindled in my heart, it was decided: I’d be damned before I let them kill my friend.

As the reverie of my self-pep-talk ended, so too, did the guards’ binge session. Once they were out of sight, we proceeded as casually as possible. While this held the unfortunate risk of getting us caught if the guards happened to double back, running up like a bunch of foals would make us look suspicious to everyone else. The streets may have been empty, but one can never know who is watching from an obscure window.

Amethyst Vein strode up to the door like she owned the place, which, given her status, had likely been true at some point. The door unlocked with little difficulty and she waved us through.

The first thing I noticed was an oddly musty smell. As my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, the reason became clear. Aside from a narrow path that cut its way to the far exit, the floor was covered in dust so thick that it was visible at the other end of the room. There were a rather generous amount of wall torches, but only the pillars closest to the path were lit. The rest of the room was populated by rows of barren, rusty bunks, their sheets lost to either time or confiscation.

As Amethyst Vein locked the door behind us, Old Ed stepped out from behind one of the nearest pillars. “You’re late.”

“Couldn’t be helped,” Amethyst Vein replied, disgust spreading across her face. “They boozed up half a flask in front of the door.”

“Figures.” Old Ed shook his head. “I checked up on the north wing. All the servants were accounted for as of an hour ago.”

“Damn! The ritual.” Star stepped in front of us, looking so badly like she wanted to bolt down the hall. “Are we too late?”

“Can’t say,” Old Ed said. “It’s not like he can do the real thing.”

“If I…” Pain slid across Night’s face as he squeezed the words out. “If I have Bellerophon, can he even do anything?”

“A control spell. In the very least, a geas.” By now, Star was staring daggers at the far exit.

I sighed. Always one step behind. “We’d better move, then.”

“With things as they are, we will have to part ways here,” Old Ed said. Perhaps I was imagining things, but there was just the slightest twinge of apology in his tone. “Take the hallway to the intersection and turn left. Pass two more intersections, then turn right, then left at the next. This will get you to the concourse just outside the sanctum. From there, you’re on your own.”

“Wait.” Amethyst trotted up beside Star. “I’m going too. I must see Firetail’s foulness for myself. Then there can be no denying his betrayal.”

“Don’t be foolish!” Old Ed hissed. “If you’re seen, you’ll be tied to them. He’ll brand you a traitor and the hope of our ponies will die with your fall!”

“Grrr! But, how can I just sit back and force foreigners to do our work for us?” She met his gaze with a fiery respect. “We have always fought with all our strength to preserve our home and we have always succeeded. This is our fight.”

Night raised his hoof, hesitating for just a moment before poking firmly at Amethyst Vein’s side. When she turned a steely look upon him, he shrunk a little, then met it with his own determination. “No, Bellerophon says that isn’t true. It’s his fight, started by ancient, misguided anger. He says… he says he’s sorry for the hardships you have endured and that tonight, he will do what he can to put things back on track.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Night? What is he planning?”

“Nothing more than what we’re already doing.” Night shook his head. “He says he’s already done enough rash things in his life.”

“That’s a relief.” I couldn’t help but smile.

Amethyst Vein’s expression turned to shock before finally becoming somber. She lowered her head. “I… I understand. If our cause is to be championed by Lord Bellerophon, then I will obey.”

“Stop.” Night looked her in the eye. “He says it’s not about obedience. He wants you to live. To live your lives for yourselves, not for some old pony from a different time. That is his gift—and apology—to you.”

Amethyst Vein simply stared in awe, her head bobbing to an unheard rhythm.

At last, Old Ed stepped in. “I see. Thank you, Lord Bellerophon. We will consider your words.”

“That’s… that’s all he could ask.” The conversation was clearly taking its toll on Night, but he was holding up quite well.

---

By Amethyst Vein’s limited accounts, the security would be somewhat lax, which seemed odd for a group that was preparing for war. Then again, I supposed if they thought that the exterior was impenetrable, they would see little point in posting many patrols. In fact, I had a suspicion that the guards’ purpose was less about sniffing out infiltrators, and more about keeping the servants from sticking their muzzles into places they didn’t belong.

Ironically, the servant quarters was probably the biggest question mark. While it was quite likely Firetail didn’t give a flying feather if anything happened to the servants, this night was especially important. It wouldn’t be entirely unreasonable to add a couple more sentries, so as to hem the help in.

It seemed that Firetail wasn’t quite so paranoid, which was just as well. The corridors were long with few breaks or cover. For this reason, I took pains to note anything that could be remotely useful. The most common irregularities were alcoves in the wall that looked to house modest supplies of firewood and torch materials. If we tried really hard, all three of us could probably fit, but anyone walking past would have to be blind not to see us in there.

The best place for hiding or retreat turned out to be a kitchen about halfway down the first turn. Like the servant quarters, it suffered from considerable disuse. Where the ground wasn’t littered by broken tables or fallen stones, much of it was populated by piles of dented pans and rusted cauldrons. Only a small section near the door was remotely clean, with clear access to a couple stone stoves. It was a bit more modest than what I imagined Firetail demanding, but then again, I had doubts that these servants even knew what a gourmet meal was, and yelling loudly certainly wouldn’t make it materialize.

We continued on without so much as a hint of opposition until we reached the concourse. The first thing I noticed was just how unlike the rest of the city, or even the servant quarters, this area was. The massive floor was swept clean and repaired, with a noticeably new coat of paint that gave it a whitish-grey shine. The numerous pillars and the walls had received the treatment, though the latter happened to have the raw deal of also acquiring a few of Firetail’s crests. All in all, the room had a very regal feel to it, such that I could almost see dozens of ponies lined up, waiting for their turn in the throne room.

Apparently, such a spacious room merited all of two guards, both of whom patrolled a sort of lazy, almost-perimeter.

Of course, this design also led us to our current issue. The grand, ten-foot doors were presently closed. It would probably take all three of us to push just one open and make enough noise to alert the entire keep. While there was a side door hidden just to the right of it, it was almost assuredly locked.

Taking the keys from a guard would be no easy task. Star’s aura would give her away and I didn’t exactly have practice pilfering things from people. However, I was also loathe to attack them directly, as starting a fight right away was a good way to ruin everything.

So, there I was: an inexperienced mare, huddled up against a pillar, waiting for the right moment to pickpocket a trained knight.

He’s getting closer. I think he’s staggering. Is he drunk too? Maybe that will be enough. As he passed by, I slid out, raising my wing, trying to ease a primary under the keys that were tucked into the girdle on his barrel. Steady… Steady… Too late!

I slumped back against the rear of the pillar, my heart racing. I’d almost had it, yet the angle didn’t feel right. Catching him as his weight came down was the most important part. Anything else, and I was almost sure to alert him. I visualized the plan over and over for so long that he very nearly passed me by again.

Okay. Breathe, Dusky. You can do this. One more time.

This time, everything felt fluid and as he shifted his weight forward, I eased the keys away. I slipped back behind the pillar, shifting the the keys under my wing and clutching them against my body, before I finally allowed myself to breathe again.

“Huh?” The dreaded sound emanated throughout the room, echoing in my ears I seized up. Stealing just the barest glance around the pillar, I could see the guard had stopped. He was staring ahead, but as his eyes turned toward his belt, my mind screamed at me to run. It took all of my willpower to remain still.

But the guard didn’t react. His eyes passed over the girdle without a second glance. That was when his head snapped to the other side. “Ah!”

His head came up with a flask held between his teeth. Each gulp was excruciatingly loud. One. Two. Three. All the way up to ten. When he’d had his fill, he replaced the flask and moved on. It was only when he was almost on the other side of the room that the panic subsided. My eyes flitted over to Night and Star’s pillars. Even though they were well into the shadows, I could tell that they had been as tense as I.

And we weren’t even at the hard part yet.

At least we had a bit of a consolation prize. Since the guards were working pretty hard to sabotage themselves, sneaking through the door was easier than it had any right to be. The turning of the lock and the creaking of the door certainly felt deafeningly loud, anyway.

The throne room wasn’t all that different from the concourse. In fact, it was a practically an extension, with the rear tapering to focus on the heavy stone chairs. The pair of them sat a good three feet off the ground, with a wide partition behind them. Thick metal rods spanned the gaps, though they had long lost their curtains. Instead, they held up a pair of small red banners that, once again, bore Firetail’s crest.

While we still checked the room, it was empty and dead quiet from the moment we entered. I don’t think it surprised anyone that we were completely alone.

I frowned. “Guess it was too much to ask for the easy escape.”

“Indeed,” Star said, sparing one of the banners a glare as she stepped around it. She squinted. “You are certain this will take us to this ‘Forge’?”

Night nodded. “Bellerophon says there’s no way he could forget his personal passage.”

Star glanced back. “Many things can change over one-thousand years.”

“Bellerophon says that The Forge is one of the most valuable artifacts in the world and that somepony would have to hate themselves very much to put so much effort into cutting off easy access.”

“Regardless,” I interjected. “We’re not going to get anything done standing around. This is our safest bet. We need to at least check it out before we consider storming the front door.”

Star sighed. “Good point. Let us make haste.”

While this passage wasn’t privy to the same makeover that the throne room had, the floor and walls had obviously been patched up within the last few years. The farther we went, the more confident I was that we weren’t going to end up cut off by a collapsed tunnel.

After a few minutes, Star’s pace began to steadily increase until she was practically cantering. I had a feeling that she’d be galloping if she felt she could get away with it. Given that the tunnel was about as abandoned as the throne room, there was a decent chance we could have.

As the end of the tunnel came into view, my heart sank a little. Two stone doors, carved with intricate, historical depictions of pegasi, barred our way. If the situation wasn’t so dire, I might have even called them cute. Please don’t be locked. Please don’t be locked.

Of course, it was. Dismayed, I pressed my hooves against it a couple more times just to be sure. With a frown, I turned my attention to the lock, which was set right into the gap between the two doors. Oddly enough, it looked almost exactly like a standard iron lock, but somehow made of stone.

“Stand back.” Star’s horn glowed.

“Whoa! Hold on.” I waved my hooves. “At least let me try the keys before we go blasting things apart.”

In truth, I had no idea how I was supposed to work a stone lock with a metal key. But if there was even a chance of remaining quiet, I was taking it.

“Wait, um, Bellerophon says there’s no need for that either.” Night stepped forward.

“Oh?” I tilted my head as I stood aside. “Well, I guess it is his castle.”

Night stared at the door, slowly raising his right hoof. The bracer seemed to glow a little as he touched the door. After a couple long moments, the centre of the lock began to emit a similar light. Without a sound it spun, breaking apart to slide open.

I froze, not daring to ask: was it the bracer or its owner that the lock recognized?

“I should have guessed.” The barest of smirks formed on Star’s lips. “You had some powerful allies.”

“He says sometimes being a ruler has benefits.”

“So it seems.” With that, Star darted forward, barely taking a moment to look both ways before proceeding to the left.

We hurried after her, though we didn’t have to go far. The new tunnel quickly widened, then ended, outlined in an ominous orange glow. As the heat washed over me, I had a pretty good idea why this place was called The Forge. Turns out, said idea wasn’t extreme enough.

The tunnel broke out into a grand hall, with rows and rows of stone benches forming semi-circles that lead down to a central sort of stage. The stage itself ended rather abruptly, dropping right off into a glowing pit of lava. Around that, I could see the barest shimmer of what must have been the shield stopping us from becoming roasted ponies. Looking a little more carefully, I noted that the stage was more of a workshop, and only the front of it at that. Tunnels burrowed into the mountain to the left and right, undoubtedly leading to numerous rooms just like the first.

Ponies in the usual gaudy gear were scattered throughout the entire area, though one stood out as the gaudiest of the gaudy. Right in the middle of the workshop loomed a bulky earth pony. Best I could tell, it wasn’t his natural stature so much as his armour. He was clad in full golden barding, bulky to the point that I was certain some of the pieces had been shaped expressly for that purpose. A large, two-foot plume sprouted from the top of his helmet, bending down into a pleasing crescent, though not enough to touch the flowing red cape upon his back. With the lava’s light giving him a sinister, orangey-red aura, only one thought crossed my mind: Ahuizotl would be proud.

Before him was Merriweather, bound and unmoving. She lay on her side, at such an angle that I had difficulty ascertaining her status. I couldn’t even be certain whether or not she was conscious. She was flanked on either side by two blobs of brightly coloured gaudiness, under which there were probably ponies. Interestingly, neither of the two guards, nor Firetail, appeared to be paying her any attention.

Instead, their gaze was set upon the guards who were roaming the upper reaches. A couple of them were keeping watch, but by and large, the other knights were either repairing or adjusting the various stone benches. Despite their distraction, their sheer number made the situation more than a little daunting.

Star cursed under her breath. “Two dozen guards and Firetail.”

“There’s no way we can take them on. Honestly, I don’t know if I’d be a match for one of them. We’ll have to find a way to sneak around and slip her out.” As I continued to survey the room, I fought to keep myself composed. “Somehow.”

“I will distract them while you retrieve Merriweather and Night secures our exit.” Star’s statement was not a suggestion; it was a matter of fact.

“Are you crazy?!” I whispered. “Even if you don’t engage them, they’ll corner you. And if all three of us can’t even take them on, what good will that do?”

“As somepony so obsessed with his status, Firetail is bound to certain rules of Ostfriesen etiquette. I will ensure he and his knights focus on that.” The whole plan was a rather devious maneuver. As long as Star could avoid excessively provoking them, Firetail’s peers would unknowingly work to our benefit. Still, the risk was significant, though I couldn’t say I had any better ideas.

Before I could do anything else, Star turned a look upon Firetail that I was certain could bore straight through his armour. “They are getting ready. There will not be another opportunity. Save my sister.”

And with that, she strode out into the room. All I could do was close my eyes and take a deep breath. This would be harder than anything I’d ever done. I wasn’t ready and yet—I had no choice.

I stole a glance at Night. “You’ll stay safe?”

He met my gaze, stepping forward to give me what could very well be our last nuzzle ever. “I will. And you too. No heroism.”

It was strange to hear him say that, to have him throw the phrasing back at me. On the surface, such a promise seemed meaningless in what could only be described as an insane scenario. And yet, it was more important than ever. We were doing this so everyone could come home—not three of us—everyone. As I leaned in, returning his nuzzle, I replied, “No heroism.”

I glanced back into the grand hall. By now, Star almost certainly had to be in position. Focus would be key here. I would have to keep track of everyone and what they were doing. After all, how else would I make someone disappear from right under their noses?

Even without saying anything, Star was already drawing attention. Many of the knights were abandoning their tasks to look at her. Oddly, no one moved to stop her, though I suspect that was because she almost seemed like she should belong among their number. At some point, Firetail had acquired a scroll, which he was completely engrossed in. The situation was almost comical.

With the majority of the eyes diverted, I made my move, creeping along the side of the walls, making my way toward the back. Despite a smattering of torches, there were a surprising amount of shadows for me to utilize. I found it a bit weird at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. It was like any of those deep, large-windowed buildings that could be found anywhere in big cities. The sun would overwhelm the front area, making the rear seem far darker than it really was. Except, instead of a sun, we had a molten pit of death.

I’d just reached the back-right corner when Star called out, “Firetail!”

His first reaction was a pointed look of annoyance, but that quickly became recognition, then amusement. “My, my, the prodigal sister returns! Truly, this is a special day! Your sister and I have talked so much about you, Starshadow.”

“I am uninterested in your little games, Firetail.” By now, every eye was on Star, and as she held her blade in the air, a few guards readied their weapons. “I am here to regain the honour that was stripped from my clan by your accusations.”

Cringing, I scurried a little faster, coming up along the opposite wall. I’d expected her to try to fast talk him, not challenge him to a duel. Things were about to escalate—and if he wasn’t taken in by the gambit, go sour very, very quickly.

However, as every knight turned their attention to Firetail, Star’s efforts seemed to be going exactly to plan. After a couple moments, Firetail let out a boisterous laugh. He took a few steps forward, and pointed a hoof. “Seriously?! Seriously?! I don’t know how you found me, or how you got in here, but that’s all you want? To invoke some old honour duel?”

Undeterred, Star strode up onto the platform, though the guards at the top of the stairs, with some hesitation, barred her way. She talked around them as though they weren’t even there, her indignation requiring little acting. “An honourable death is more than you deserve. You are both a liar and a traitor, Firetail.”

As Firetail waved his guards away, the others took it as a cue to form a bit of a ring, eagerly awaiting the upcoming fight.

I almost wanted to laugh. What is this? A schoolyard hoof brawl?

But as much as I mocked it, the feeling was washed away by a wave of relief. In a way, I was grateful to them, as without this, there was no way I could have approached Merriweather. I eased my way across the floor, taking cover behind the benches.

“You have no idea what we’re doing here, do you?” Contempt oozed from his voice. “Ostfriesen is shackled by old laws of honour and bloodlines, but you know as well as I do the truth of Tapioca’s ancestors, and all the lies your honour is built upon. Bellerophon saw it even then.”

Star snorted. “I know you have been telling these ponies that Justicar Bellerophon will return to them, to lead them in some justified campaign for vengeance. But that is all just you feeding them lies. The royal lineage of Ostfriesen is as much Bellerophon’s as it is Tapioca’s.”

The circle tightened with each word, leaving Merriweather forgotten. All that was missing was for the crowd to start chanting.

I skulked up to Merriweather, who was just barely behind the line of knight butts. Even before I reached her, I could smell their body odour. Wrinkling my muzzle, I at least took solace in the fact that Merriweather’s bindings were made of rope, not chain. With the latter, I’d have had to carry her away, which would have been slow and noisy.

Slowly, steadily, I lowered my wing, sawing my blade in rhythm to the conversation.

“We all know that, but that’s not what those ponies outside this keep believe. I doubt you, heir to the great deceiver herself, can convince them otherwise. Of course, you could be of some use to us, I’m sure. Much like your sister is going to be.”

With the bindings cut, I pressed my hoof to Merriweather’s mouth. Groggily, her eyes slid open. When hers found mine, she raised an eyebrow. I shook my head, pressing my hoof against her lip one more time before motioning to the knights, then behind me.

As Merriweather followed my hoof, she seemed to get the idea. I tried to brace her as we moved, but doing so while sneaking was easier said than done.

Star scoffed. “What makes you think we would help scum like you?”

“Oh, I didn’t say anything about helping.”

I slid down off the platform. We were probably almost home free, though I didn’t know how much more material Star could milk out of that conversation. That was when Merriweather slipped, stumbling over the edge, missing me, and crashing into the nearest bench. The grinding of stone on stone echoed through the chamber.

One of the knights turned to look, looked back, then did a double take. “Huh? What the?! She’s escaped!”

“Shit! Run!” I yelled, swinging around Merriweather to give her a shove.

“I should have guessed that treachery ran in your blood! Seize th—agh!” Firetail’s voice fell away to a sound almost any pegasus would know: shattering ice.

“Lord Firetail!” shouted one of the knights.

“You are one to talk, traitor!” Star’s disdain echoed through the chamber. “Out of my way!”

A nova of magic blasted outward, sending several of the clustered knights sprawling. Almost all of the ones who had turned our way were suddenly focused on Star again.

Not wanting Star’s efforts to go to waste, I pushed Merriweather even harder. “Go! Go! Go!”

While she clambered to make headway, it quickly became clear that she was dead on her hooves. However they treated her had not been well. Despite Star’s help, we were climbing maybe half as fast as our pursuers.

My eyes darted around, searching for something, anything, that might help us. That’s when I remembered the stone benches. Random tools and materials rested on and around them.

“Keep going!” I yelled to Merriweather. “I have an idea!”

With that, I whirled and the dormant tools were returned to use. Hammers, stones, pickaxes—it didn’t matter. I sent all of it down the stairs. The knights cursed as they scrambled to get out of the way. Some tried push through my wall of debris, while the others fumbled their way up over the benches.

One mare in particular came up the side with reckless abandon. Even though she struck from below, the blows were well placed and I had to stay on the move to keep out of her reach. Each time she tried to climb up, I kicked something else at her, until finally, she went all in. I’d been saving a heavy iron bucket for such an occasion. With a quick buck, I sent the container spiraling off her muzzle. She quickly followed.

As I turned back to Merriweather, my heart sank. While we’d been busy with our pursuers, the remainder of the guard had climbed up the opposite side, cutting us off from the exits. Even worse, several had already moved forward, cutting us off from each other. Merriweather was surrounded somewhere twenty feet up. Star was steadily losing ground as she attempted to climb the lower benches. Out of the corner of my eye, I could already see several guards behind me.

Is this really it? Was this all for nothing?

There was nothing to do but surrender. While instinct commanded me to kick and thrash to the last breath, it would have been throwing away my life. As much as it hurt to once more find myself helpless, hoping against all odds that the enemy left an opening, it was still something.

Night followed shortly after us. Several flesh wounds trickled crusting red across his dust-covered coat. I cringed, imagining the wounds I couldn’t see.

Firetail was a volcano, both in appearance and emotion. A deep cut, undoubtedly from Star’s ice magic, drew a thick line down his cheek. The hatred in his eyes was directly almost entirely at Star, though as he screamed at the top of his lungs, I got the impression he wasn’t sure who he wanted to address. “You... filth! How dare you, how dare any of you!? I will be King of Ostfriesen, and nothing, not Queen Papaya, not the Knights, and especially not unworthy trash like you, will stop me.”

Bellerophon chuckled, with a sort of a derision that seemed incredibly unnatural coming from Night’s lips. “Unworthy trash? Every pony that stands here is a thousand times more worthy than you. You are just a power hungry fool who can't even see when he's being used.”

All at once, Star was no longer interesting to Firetail.

“And just who in Tartarus are you? No colours, no clan?” he screeched, pausing only to spit on Night’s face. “Is this the best help that the great Starshadow could find to help her? My how the mighty have fallen.”

Bellerophon smirked and held up the bracer. “This is who I am.”

Firetail’s anger was gone. He looked like he’d been kicked in the gut. When one of the guards tried to prod Bellerophon into obedience, Firetail waved him away. He stared a good ten seconds, likely searching for signs of a fake. At last, he stepped back. “That’s… you’re Bellero…”

A Maelstrom of flapping filled the room. But that was not the beating of pegasus wings, nor griffons, nor multiples of either. These were much heavier, something I couldn’t recognize. And yet, I knew there was only one thing it could be.

A blur with massive, leathery wings, crashed down onto the platform. As the dust settled, it revealed a tower of black, weathered scales. Though he was hunched over, he was still easily as big as a two-story house, with two rows of jagged teeth the size of lampposts. One of the larger ones was snapped at the base, leaving no doubt as to his identity.

Despite Broken Tooth’s size, I found my gaze drawn to his eyes. They bore a certain malicious zeal that scared me more than anything else.

“Lord Bellerophon.” Broken Tooth’s voice was like running sandpaper along my ears. As he leaned forward, his shadow practically blotted out Firetail, he grinned a grin to match his eyes. “Welcome home.”

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

Getting some Goron City flashbacks from this place.

Looks like things have come to a head. Again.

[AppleTank]

Welp, they're all kinds of fucked unless someone can blow up a giant ass dragon.

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Well shit....