Tailspin
Barren branches reached up to a cloudy sky. Among the tufts of white lay a gang of pegasi in light armor, lying low to stay out of the wind. They alternated between searching the sky for their target and keeping an eye on their commander. The Commander.
Her light blue coat and white tail nearly vanished against the pale cloudstuff. The only thing that stood out was the purple armor clasped across her back and chest. Her feathers shifted, letting the wingblades hidden within glimmer in the dying light.
Zephyr lay on the cloud beside her, wearing a similar set of armor. He grasped a long spear under his wing. “You’re sure they’re coming this way?”
“The message said as much,” she replied. “My contact is rarely wrong.”
Zephyr scratched his short, light-gray mane. “‘Rarely.’ I’ll have to remember that.”
Hurricane pointed with the tip of her wing. “When the airship passes beneath us, we shall leap from the cloud and circle around the envelope. First row breaks the windows, second row tosses the spears. Then we take out our assigned targets.”
Zephyr smirked. “Any last-minute pep talks?”
Hurricane glared at him out of her left eye, the one just above her painful scar. Zephyr held her gaze for a few seconds before buckling. “Okay, then,” he muttered.
A shrill whistle sounded from a nearby cloud. Hurricane turned her attention to a fellow pegasus, who pointed towards the south. Coming up over a mountain ridge was a sizable dirigible. The envelope was white with a red cross on the side. Hearts decorated the cabin below the balloon. Windows gave the passengers a full view of the surrounding skies and the land below, but not of what lay above. Hurricane held a wing aloft, signaling the troops to hold steady until the ship passed underneath the largest cloud.
When the chug of the steam engines grew loud in her ears, Commander Hurricane flapped the wing and sent herself into a dive. The gemstone on her breastplate glowed a bright blue as she picked up speed. The air around her shimmered, the armor protecting her with a thin magical shield. She hugged the fabric of the envelope, nearly touching it with the downbeats of her wingtips.
She twisted her wings to bring her back hooves against a pane of glass. A long, deep crack ran across its surface. She pulled back and bucked it again, her heart racing as adrenaline filled her veins. In the corners of her eyes she could see her teammates doing the same, while five spearponies hovered around the edge. The third buck sent her legs through, right into the chin of a dumbstruck guard.
A quick beat of her wings flung the glass shards at his face, where they bounced harmlessly off the shield provided by his golden armor. She wrapped her forelegs around his neck and threw the both of them to the floor.
With the two of them prone, Zephyr had a straight shot at the chest of another guard. The iron point broke through the enchanted barrier and embedded itself in the pony’s shoulder. Hurricane leaped up, grasped the rod in her mouth, and flipped over the guard’s back. The spear tore its way out of the shoulder as the victim landed painfully on her side.
Hurricane took the spear in her forelegs and spun it, catching the first guard in the back of the head. Zephyr landed inside the cabin and grappled with the guard, leaving Hurricane to her mission.
All around, the sounds of battle drowned out the chuff of the steam engines and the whistle of wind through broken windows. Hurricane marched with solemn purpose to the bridge, where no doubt Blueblood was waiting. After that, it would be a short matter to finish off the two princesses.
Hurricane set her jaw and stabbed the gut of one guard who was getting the upper hoof. A quick pull back, a sudden spin, and a sharp push out the window were the last anypony ever saw of that soldier.
The Commander pushed the door open with her shoulder and threw the spear across the room. In embedded itself next to the head of a unicorn stallion wearing a captain’s cap. He backed away from the ship’s wheel, a smile on his face but fear in his eyes.
Hurricane did not appreciate either expression. “Where is Blueblood?”
“He’s hiding. Somewhere in the ship.” His hoof reached somewhere out of sight. “You won’t find hi—”
A wingblade sang as it sliced through the air and into the pony’s leg. He screamed and fell to the side, his tendon severed. He lifted his other leg and pointed a small, hoof-held crossbow at her. The bolt was released quicker than she anticipated. The force pushed it past her light armor’s defenses and bit into her own leg. She took to the air, circled her wings, and caught the captain in a small whirlwind that ripped the weapon right out of his grasp.
His head bounced off of the wheel, sending the ship tilting to the side. Hurricane braced herself with three legs and picked up the sliding crossbow in her mouth. She hitched it to her leg and pointed it at the captain. “Speak! Where is Blueblood?”
“The crossbow isn’t loaded!” the captain snapped.
She slid the tip of her wing across his throat, just enough that a blade lightly nicked him. “I shan’t ask after the third time.”
He lunged at her, grasping her shoulders. They careened into the wheel and sent the ship rocking in the other direction. Their tumble ended with them leaning against the bridge’s viewing window. The captain struggled to hold her down, but his injured leg had lost all its strength. She pulled out of his grasp easily. She flicked a wing towards her, carrying the spear in a gust of pegasus magic. She raised it over her head and jammed it through the glass.
She scowled. “Perhaps thou shall scream the location as you fall.”
The integrity of the window failed. Their combined weight was the last straw, shattering it into thousands of glass shards. The captain fell down, down, down to the mountains below.
She set four hooves on the deck as Zephyr stumbled through the doorway. “Report, Lieutenant!”
“We’ve routed them, Commander!” Zephyr gasped. “They were prepared, but not for our numbers.”
“They thought me alone.” Hurricane shook her head and brushed past him. “What of the mission? Where are the princesses?”
“No sign of them, ma’am. Not anywhere in the airship.” Zephyr held a hoof over a wound in his upper leg. “I think we’ve been duped.”
Hurricane gripped the spear between her hooves. She snapped the rod with a flex of her forelegs. “Make certain there are no witnesses. We must fly before reinforcements come.”
“No witnesses, ma’am?” Zephyr gnawed on his lip. “You mean—”
“I mean slay what prisoners you have left.” Hurricane kept her voice a cold monotone. She stared out a broken window at the ground. “Art thou uncomfortable with the idea?”
Zephyr held his head high. “Begging your pardon, Commander, but I didn’t join the battle to become a murderer.”
Hurricane snorted hot breath through her nose. “Zephyr, thou have just assaulted a medical vessel ostensibly carrying royal passengers.” She picked up the sharp half of her shattered spear. “To be any more morally corrupt, thou would have to cross the street against a crossing guard’s orders.”
The spear-half whistled through the air. It embedded itself at the base of the ship’s wheel, severing the steering line. The airship rocked off-kilter and lost altitude.
“Leave the injured ponies on board, and they shall meet their fate on the ground.” Hurricane spread her wings. “Does that sate your conscience?”
The wind sucked her out the window before he could answer. He stood in place and doddered before the sight of the earth rushing up to meet him struck his thoughts. “Abandon ship! All pegasi, abandon ship!”
With no pilot to drive it, nor steering to guide it, the airship fell into a tailspin. It collapsed from its own weight when it impacted the deadwood forest. The steam engines exploded with a resounding report, severing the tail end and hurling it over the trees.
Zephyr’s throat bobbed as he hovered beside Hurricane. He dared to glance at her out of the corner of his eye. Her scar burned against her cheek, red and dry. Her ear twitched as she resisted the urge to scratch it.
“I have been a murderer for years, Zephyr,” she said. “After a while, the pain dulls.”
***
Some distance away, nearer to the Crystal Empire, another airship flew. This one was smaller, sleeker, and faster. It was completely enveloped in a cloud formation, obscuring it from above, below, and to the sides. There was a brief flash of blue as a pegasus mare flitted around the edges, straightening clouds and adding moisture as she saw fit. Satisfied, she slipped through the concealing fog and soared to the airship within.
It was a skiff of sorts; barely large enough for the soirées routinely held onboard. The envelope contained three sacks of helium. The basket held an opulent sleeping cabin, a wide viewing deck for passengers, and a proud gold-plated helm.
Blueblood himself attended the ship’s wheel. He turned his head to nod at the pegasus as she flew through an open entrance. “Wonderbolt on deck.”
Rainbow Dash ran a towel through her damp, multicolored mane. She let it hang around her shoulders and walked around the edge of the observation deck. It was crowded from stem to stern with soldiers. They stood at attention, maintained their armor, watched the clouds, or huddled over a table in the center of the room. One stallion in particular hovered over a radio operator, his muzzle scrunched.
“You’re sure they aren’t responding?” Skyhook asked the operator. “Maybe they’re just out of range, or maybe there’s weather interference.”
The operator shook her frizzy mane. “Sorry, sir. Hailing on all frequencies but ain’t come up with bupkis.”
Skyhook cursed several times beneath his breath. His leathery wings fidgeted against his flanks. “Let me know the instant something comes through.”
He paced across the floor and met Rainbow Dash beside a window. “How about you?” he said. “See anything unequivocally devious out there?”
“Assuming ‘unequivocally’ means the same thing as ‘really darn…’” Rainbow shrugged. “Nadda. Looks like blue skies ahead.”
Skyhook straightened his armor. His catlike eyes did a headcount of the ponies under his command. “Thanks for your help, by the way. I wasn’t sure you’d join up when Princess Luna recommended you for the mission.”
“You needed an expert in weather manipulation. I just so happened to be available.” Rainbow Dash leaned against the window with a smirk. The small smile left her face in a flash. “Besides, Twilight’s my friend. I ain’t gonna abandon her ever.”
She looked over her shoulder at the walled-off sleeping area. “Speaking of her, is it really as bad as they say?”
Skyhook’s feathery ears lay back against his head. “They haven’t let you see her?”
“No. Not from lack of trying, either.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth at the ponies around her. “Like they’re worried I’ll tell somepony. Me, of all ponies.”
Skyhook shook his head. “I wouldn’t take it personally.”
She clicked her tongue. “I take everything personally.”
“Commander Skyhook, sir,” an earth pony stallion said. “We just gorra faint message through th’ radio. You better ’ave a listen.”
“Thanks, Caution Tape.” Skyhook rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You’d better come along, Miss Dash. You might get more to do than push around clouds.”
Dash’s brow furrowed. “Sure. Whatever yah need.”
The three of them pushed through a small crowd that had gathered around the radio. Blueblood waited for them, having left the helm to another pony. He pressed the headphones to one ear, listening intently with a grimace on his face.
Skyhook leaned over the operator’s shoulder once more. “What are they saying?”
“It cut off a few seconds ago. I was able tah record it, though. That’s what Prince Blueblood’s listening to.” She fiddled with a couple knobs and gestured to the headset. “You need tah hear it, stat.”
Rainbow Dash rested her back against the table. She regarded Blueblood with lidded eyes as he passed the headphones to Skyhook. “You know, Bluey, this is probably the least drunk I’ve seen you.”
Blueblood sneered. “I had a rather sobering experience, I’m afraid, Lady Rainbow Dash. And I must say, this is the fewest explosions I’ve ever seen in your general vicinity.”
“Then find me something worth blowing up, Your Royalness.” Rainbow Dash chuckled as the prince seethed. She put her hooves on the radio’s table. “So what’s the sitch, Skyhook? What are they saying?”
“—under attack! All un—us out of he—too many of them! Wh—abandon ship—Mayday! Mayda—!”
Skyhook lowered the headphones, his face stony. “And there’s been silence since then?”
“One hundred-percent dark, sir.”
Skyhook reached over to the radio and flipped a lever, erasing the tape. He spoke slowly and carefully. “Blueblood, Rainbow Dash. Join me in the Princess’ chamber, please.”
Rainbow Dash stood up. “What did they—”
“Right now.” Skyhook spread his wings and flew to the back of the basket. “Hop to it!”
When the prince and the Wonderbolt had caught up to him, he swung the door open and shoved the two of them inside. “Nettle, you have the bridge!”
The radio operator jerked her head back. “But I ain’t a—”
The door slammed shut, cutting her off.
“I say, soldier!” Blueblood’s bloodshot eyes glared hot beams of anger at Skyhook. “This is behavior wholly unbecoming of—”
“The plan worked,” Skyhook breathed. “It worked in the worst possible way.”
Blueblood frowned. “If nothing else, the repulsive monster fell for the decoy.”
“She did.” Skyhook pulled his helmet off of his head. His armor’s enchantment faded, turning his gray coat and purple mane to slightly lighter shades. “She fell for it. She and her overwhelming force of troops.”
“Sacrepuce!” Blueblood covered his mouth. “Pardon my Fancy. This turns a rather grim situation a bit darker.”
“That’s a mild way to put it.” Skyhook rubbed his eyes. He rested his forelegs against his sides and let his chest deflate. “We got lucky.”
“Our secret will not keep.” Blueblood nibbled the inside of his cheek as he mulled over his thoughts. “The sudden reassignments, the empty airship docks… the mole will no doubt put two and two together. Do you suppose the Crystal Empire is truly out of reach?”
“I don’t know.” Skyhook looked to Rainbow Dash, who sat a meter away, her back turned to them. “You’ve been to the Crystal Empire, Miss Dash. Do you think it’s secure?”
He received no answer.
“Lady Dash,” Blueblood sniffed, “are you even listening to this highly-confidential, high-stakes conversation?”
“Assassin’s got buddies. Decoy got totaled. Empire’s a safe haven.” She stared straight ahead. Her voice came out in a low, tired crackle. “She’ll be safe in the Crystal Empire. You haven’t met Shining. He isn’t gonna let anything happen to his little sister. Never.”
Skyhook leaned around her to see what she was looking at. The sleeping area was the most comfortable room in the airship, and thus made the most sense as a medical facility. Two hospital beds were secured to the walls, in which were strapped two injured alicorn mares.
Celestia could have been sleeping, if not for the bandaged wrapped around her chest and the breathing mask tied to her face. Her chest rose and fell steadily, the only sign of life save for the slow beep of the heart monitor.
Twilight Sparkle twitched and wriggled. Her wings spasmed as her nurse hurried to give them room to move. A tube bypassed the wound in her throat to carry oxygen straight to her lungs. Her eyes fluttered open, a whine escaped her mouth, and she fell into a deep sleep at last.
Nurse Sweetheart looked at Dash, who stared back with a blank look. “She a bit past morphine right now,” the nurse said. “Keeping her unconscious is the only way to spare her pain.”
Rainbow Dash held still. Her tense muscles came loose when she turned away. “Cuss this. How long until we reach the Empire?”
“Two days, give or take,” Skyhook said. “Just in time for Nightmare Night.”
“Good.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes fell to the floor. “Good. Just hold on, Twi.”
“I know she will.” Blueblood clomped a hoof. “One does not become an alicorn by lying down and giving up.”
Rainbow laughed lightly. “You an expert?”
“Hardly.” Blueblood pulled a canteen of coffee from a shoulder bag. “But we both know what sort of mares lie in this room. The strongest.”
Skyhook clasped the chinstrap of his helmet. His coat shimmered as the active shields covered him from tail to nose. “Then let’s make sure these strong mares make it to safety.”
***
Discord flipped through his photo album. He stopped occasionally to watch one of the pictures move on its own. Each snapshot was a memory of his, a small copy of a moment in his life. And the lives of those around him.
Every few pages, he went back to the first one he’d looked up. It was a small picture, but no less important for the size. It was a fateful scene, the one where Twilight Sparkle gave up her magic, the very thing that she lived for, to save Discord. Him, of all creatures. Him specifically.
“All of my friends.”
His stomach churned. The world spun around him in a way that had little to do with the topsy-turvy windmill he called home. A headache pounded behind his eyes.
A damp cloth draped over his forehead, bringing an iota of relief. A gentle voice said, “Isn’t that better?”
“Thank you, Fluttershy.” He closed the book and rested it on his lap. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I do,” Fluttershy said with a giggle. “Just lean back in your easychair and rest. I’ll be by tomorrow to see how you’re doing.”
She slid a warm saddle over her middle and pulled a fuzz-topped knit cap over her ears. “I swear I don’t understand what’s wrong with you. I’ve tried every remedy I can think of. You’re sure you don’t want to go to the doctor?”
“I don’t think Doctor Cardio is familiar with draconequus physiology, no.”
“It’s just that the last time you were sick, you had to be isolated from the whole town.” Fluttershy hunched her shoulders. “You’re not contagious, are you? If you are, I need to find somepony to look after my little friends.”
“I am beyond surety.” Discord grinned, displaying his snaggletooth proudly. “You’re not gonna catch what I’ve got.”
Fluttershy’s face lit up with a smile. “Have a good night, Discord.”
“You, too,” he replied. “I’m feeling better already. I wish you’d been here yesterday, too.”
Fluttershy lowered her eyebrows. “But I was here yesterday.”
Discord coughed. He scratched his stringy goatee. “Of course you were. I mean the day before yesterday.”
Fluttershy’s lips parted before the breath stopped up in her lungs. She flapped her wings twice before finally finding the words to say. “I was here the day before yesterday, too.”
Discord’s ear twitched. He pulled a face and looked out a porthole that wasn’t there a moment ago. “Yes. I knew that. Silly me.”
Fluttershy lifted a hoof as if to take a step forward. “Discord… what’s really wrong with you?”
Discord squinted out the window. “Well, well, well, look who’s come to call.”
Fluttershy sighed. She took to the air to look through the porthole at his side. Her bright face paled a few shades. “Oh. My.”
The road from the town to Sweet Apple Acres branched off at several points, one of which led to Fluttershy’s cabin, another which turned to Discord’s windmill. Along this smooth dirt road trekked a crowd of ponies of every age, size, and tribe. At their head walked none other than Merry Mare herself, a megaphone resting in her saddlebags. The odd glint in her eye didn’t escape Fluttershy’s attention.
“What are they doing?” she asked.
“Oh, they come by every few days or so.” Discord coughed into a handkerchief. “They’re here to protest my inaction or some such horseapples.”
The mob assembled before the windmill, looking like they were only a few torches and pitchforks short of a lynching. Not a single face among them held less than an angry frown, save for the mare in charge. The former mayor smiled and hefted her megaphone.
“Discord! Are you going to show yourself tonight? Are you going to answer for your lack of action? Or are you going to hide away like a good draconequus? I’ll bet you enjoy the thought of the princesses being snuffed one by one! I’ll bet it warms your black little heart!”
She turned around, her gray mane bouncing in the autumn wind. “Why hasn’t he stepped in to help the princesses? Why isn’t he on the front lines to find the assassin? Why can’t he just wave his paw to make everything better?”
Discord snapped his fingers to make the porthole change into a radio. It played upbeat accordion music that almost drowned out the protestations. “You don’t have to listen to that, Fluttershy. Just go on home. They’ll get bored after a few minutes.”
Fluttershy didn’t answer. Instead, she dropped to the floor and walked to the front door.
“Wait, Fluttershy!” Discord leaned forward. His stomach immediately told him that was a bad idea. “Ugh. Just… use the back door!”
She flashed him a quick beam and stepped through. The door closed behind her with nary a word.
Merry Mare nodded as the crowd applauded against the dormant grass. “Why should we just sit back and suffer while this monster gets off scot free? It’s disgusting! All his power, all his abilities, and he doesn’t have thing to say about—”
“Excuse me.”
Merry Mare’s mouth scrunched shut. She blinked and turned her head to come face-too-face with a soft, fuzzy pegasus mare. Fluttershy lowered her head and looked up with big, wet eyes.
“Excuse me,” Fluttershy said, “but could you have your meeting somewhere else? My friend has a headache, and the loud noise is hurting him terribly so.”
Merry looked over her spectacles. “Young lady, this is an attempt to rectify injustices! The People of Ponyville have a right to know just why the most powerful creature in the Allied Kingdoms sits on his derriere and twiddles his thumbs while Equestria falls apart! It does not concern you—”
“It does.” Fluttershy lifted her head to meet Merry’s eyes. “My friends are my concern and Discord is my friend.”
She took the megaphone from Merry and spoke into the end. “Um. Is this thing—?”
A loud squeal rang out across the countryside.
Fluttershy rubbed her forehead beneath her cap. She shrugged at Merry.
Merry Mare rolled her eyes and pointed at a switch.
Fluttershy took a deep breath in. “Thank you. Now, I know all of you are frightened, but everypony is doing all that they can. You remember a few years back when Discord had the, um, was it the blue flu? Well, he’s sick again, and he can’t really do anything until he shakes that illness. He should be better soon with lots of care and rest—”
“I think we’ve heard enough from the Draconequus Apologist in the crowd today,” Merry growled under her breath. She reached over Fluttershy’s shoulder and snatched the megaphone away. “Don’t think we’ve forgotten about his past misdeeds! Discord still has much to answer for! Every moment he does not act is another moment to—”
“Stop.”
Fluttershy stretched a wingtip to flick the device off. She spoke quietly and forcefully. “We’ve all done things we regret, Merry Mare. Him included. It isn’t right to bring up another’s checkered past when your own has already been forgiven.”
Merry shook her head slowly and steadily. She pulled her spectacles from her nose and wiped them with the tip of her cravat. “I only brought these ponies here to show him the impact he’s already had on—”
“You’re bullying him.” Fluttershy’s left ear dipped down as her eyebrows came together. “I think we both know you’re better than that.”
Merry Mare clenched her jaw as the rest of her face hardened to a frightening scowl. Halfway into the expression, the tightness faded. She nodded sadly and looped a foreleg around Fluttershy’s shoulders. “You’re right as usual, of course, dear. I’m afraid the stress has gotten to us all.”
Fluttershy fluttered her wings. “I know I always feel better after I go home, snuggle up with my little friends, and have a nice, soothing cup of tea.” She looked out over the crowd. “I know you’ll feel much nicer if you do the same.”
Merry led Fluttershy through the gathered herd. The ponies parted like waves. “I do hope we see more of each other, Fluttershy. You’re always such a wonderful light in the darkness. I’m especially looking forward to the next Ponytones show.”
“It’s going to be a very special show.” Fluttershy giggled. “We’re introducing our newest member, Sweetie—”
“What in tarnation is goin’ on here?”
Applejack trotted up with Big McIntosh in tow. The cravat of her office lay loose against her neck. She tipped her hat to the gathered ponies. “Evenin’ folks. Ah got a complaint about a bunch of ponies disturbin’ the peace and thought ah’d check it out mahself.”
“Thank you for your time, Applejack,” Fluttershy said. “I can understand how somepony might not appreciate all this, but it turns out it was all just a big misunderstanding. Merry and these nice ponies were just going home.” Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed. “Weren’t you?”
Merry Mare turned her head and gave the ponies around her a slight nod. They dispersed almost immediately, each headed back to whatever they were doing before.
Once they were gone, Big Mac allowed the coiled muscles in his legs to relax.
Applejack gritted her teeth. “Can’t help a little pre-election season campaignin’, can yah, Merry?”
“I’ve always been a civic-minded individual, Applejack.” Merry stepped away from Fluttershy. She drew close enough to Applejack to feel her breath on the tip of her snout. “Much like you in many ways. I want to help however I can.”
Applejack pulled her hat low over her eyes. “An’ the first such thing that comes to mind is to gather up a mob and picket Discord’s house?”
“Something needs to be done.” Merry tilted her head back. “Somepony needs to step up.”
“Ah don’t suppose that somepony is you?” Applejack waved a hoof towards downtown. “Ah don’t suppose there’s somethin’ y’all can do aside from protestin’ and whatnot? Ain’t there somethin’ constructive you can do with yer time?”
“I am being constructive.” Merry walked around Applejack with slow, even steps. “It shouldn’t surprise you to know that I care about Ponyville. I’m just doing what I hope is the best thing.”
Applejack turned her head to follow her with her gaze. “You’ll wanna give that supreme plan of yours a second look-through. Y’ might find some issues.”
Merry tossed her mane. “We all have issues. Don’t we, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy sucked her lips in and shrugged.
“In any case, I’d better be on my way.” Merry glanced up at Big Mac. “I don’t want to be tossed in jail for ‘disturbing the peace,’ do I?”
“Nope,” Big Mac said.
Merry gave them a noticeably fake grin. “Good night, Lord Mayor Applejack. Good night, everypony. Sweet dreams.”
Applejack waited until the former mayor was out of earshot before speaking up. “Somethin’ about that mare don’t sit right with me lately.”
Big Mac cleared his throat. “Could be th’ way she always seems like she’s ’bout three words away from incitin’ a riot.”
“Probably.” Applejack nuzzled Fluttershy. “Thanks for the help, Sugarcube. Looks like you had things handled before ah even arrived.”
Fluttershy’s knees knocked together as her eyes widened. “I need to hug a fuzzy bunny.”
“An’ yah can. Yer done bein’ brave fer tonight.” Applejack choked when Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around her neck in a hasty embrace. “Ack! That don’t exactly mean—”
“Until I find a fuzzy bunny,” Fluttershy whimpered, “you’ll have to do.”
Applejack patted her friend on the side. “Big Mac an’ ah’ll walk you home. That sound nice?”
Fluttershy swallowed hard. She relaxed her grip enough that Applejack could walk beside her. The three of them set out across the dirt roads to the edge of town. The first stars were peaking out behind the trees before Fluttershy could speak again.
“There’s something wrong with Discord.”
Applejack snorted. “An’ what else is new?”
“Please stop,” Fluttershy whispered. “He’s going through enough without hurtful comments.”
Applejack flicked her tail. “Sorry. Force o’ habit.”
“I mean that he’s really, really sick and I can’t figure out what’s wrong.” Fluttershy rested her head on Applejack’s shoulder. “He’s having trouble eating and sleeping. He can’t remember what happened yesterday or the day before unless I remind him. I’m really worried, Applejack. He won’t tell me what’s wrong, and I can’t figure it out myself.”
Applejack tilted her chin up. “Well, only thing ah can think of is tah ask Twilight what she thinks…” Her eyes widened and turned glassy. She grimaced. “Soon as she gets better, that is.”
“Rainbow will make sure she’s okay.” Fluttershy allowed a lopsided smile to cover her face. “So will Shining and Cadenza. She’ll be better than ever when she gets home. I know it.”
“That’s the spirit, Sugarcube,” Applejack said. “That. Is. The. Spirit.”
***
Discord clenched his fist tight. Light shone from within, radiating from every part of his being. He opened his hand with a flash and watched as tendrils of magic came together to form a picture. It showed Fluttershy talking through the megaphone, speaking with the crowd on his behalf.
“My friends are my concern and Discord is my friend.”
A tear dripped from Discord’s eye as he stuck the moving picture onto a blank page in his photo album. He touched Fluttershy’s face with a gentle talon.
“I wish I could promise I’d never forget you, but I can’t.”
He snapped the book shut and threw it at a waiting bookshelf. He lay back and spent the rest of the night with a rolling stomach, an aching head, and a bitter sense of anticipation.
***
In the deepest of dreams, Luna beheld a land in ruins.
The Crystal Empire had collapsed from within, destroyed by its own rotten core. Homes were reduced to hovels. Streetlamps illuminated piles of rubble. Ponies were chained together in gangs, leading into the deep mines the city was built upon. They harvested magical gemstones in dangerous environments, where cave-ins were as commonplace as pickaxes. The palace no longer shone a brilliant blue that protected the city, but a dark purple that gleamed with solidified malice.
Celestia, now somewhere around nineteen years of age, stood beside her. Two damp tracks ran down her cheeks, giving evidence of the tears she’d suffered. Golden armor gleamed against her back and chest. Plates linked together to give her all the maneuverability that was possible. Purple fabric cushioned her coat and skin from the harsh metal. A pike rested against her shoulder, the blade covered with a strange oil that swallowed up light.
Everypony’s armor had been dimmed to keep them hidden from the city and its new king. The armies of Equestria had gathered a few miles outside the city. Luna suspected they had truly remained undetected due solely to Clover the Clever’s light-bending enchantment. Once a day, a pair of dark, red eyes appeared at the apex of the tower and surveyed the land. Every breath was held until it passed over their camp.
“By the light of the stars!” Commander Hurricane shouted. She stormed through the camp, stomping her hooves and flapping her wings furiously. “Where is that blasted wizard? He said he’d come!”
“We must have patience!” A tall, strong pegasus stallion scampered behind her. “If Starswirl said he would come, then so he will come!”
“We have been here three days and still there is no sign!” Hurricane slammed a hoof on a nearby table. It collapsed beneath the blow. “Our friends are in there, Pansy! Our families! Platinum and her children!”
“Can you imagine the disaster that might result if we attacked without the aid of the Elements?” Centurion Pansy said. “We have no idea the sort of magic Platinum’s son was dabbling with. If he can twist an entire kingdom beneath his hoof so easily—”
“Then we show him what the Elite Squadron can do against his humdrum black magic!” Hurricane shouted at the two alicorns on the ridge. “Celestia! Luna! Come!”
Celestia leapt to obey immediately. Luna hesitated. She looked down at her own set of armor, which would have been silvery if not for the suppressed sheen. She had fully enveloped herself in the dream this time. No more watching from the outside. No more attempts to redirect history. This time, if Celestia had to relive her life, so would Luna.
So a younger, shorter, skinnier Luna settled down before her commander. “Aye, ma’am?”
“Starswirl has not brought the Elements these three days.” Commander Hurricane took to the air to look them in the eye. “We must attack or the entire Empire could be lost. While Pansy, Clover and I draw their forces away from the square, you two will perform a direct strike at the tower. If Sombra falls, I have little doubt his conscripted army will soon follow.”
Celestia sucked in a breath.
Hurricane cast her gaze upon the alicorn, her scar blazing in the cold air. “Thou have something to say, warrior?”
Celestia stood at attention. “I fear that without the use of the Elements, the only alternative ending to a confrontation would be… his death.”
“He has proven himself a monster,” Hurricane spat. “I would like nothing less than to see him put to the sword. You have little reason to fear a battle without the aid of your magic trinkets.” Her face softened as a smile touched the corners of her mouth. She laid a hoof on Celestia’s cheek, followed by one on Luna’s. “You two are the most noble warriors I’ve ever had the honor of training. I have full confidence in you.”
The alicorn sisters bowed their heads. Luna followed up with a hoof to Celestia’s shoulder. The elder sister jerked her head up, her face uncertain. When Luna gave her a reassuring smile, she returned one just as bright.
“Now—now—now—now I don’t want to have to say ‘I told you so!’” An elderly earth pony stallion wobbled his way across the camp, one hoof raised. He only managed to stay on his hooves due to the help of an earthy pony mare to lean on. “You’ll—you’ll—you’ll be awfully embarrassed if Starswirl arrived after the battle is over and it turns out we could have avoided the whole mess!”
“Chancellor Puddinghead.” Pansy bent a knee. “Smart Cookie. I was hoping thou could reason with the commander.”
“That is as unlikely as it’s ever been.” Smart Cookie nudged Pansy in his ribs. She laughed. “Remember the caves? It took even the windigos twenty minutes to hold her!”
Pansy chuckled. “I’ll not forget those blessed caves, you needn’t be concerned.”
“I’m—I’m—I’m sure we’ll want to have one final meal together before the battle.” Puddinghead speared Hurricane with a scrutinizing eye. “You’ll—you’ll grant an old stallion his final meal, will you not?”
Hurricane rolled her eyes. “Aye. We must keep up our strength. We attack at dawn’s first light.” She cocked an eyebrow at Celestia. “That means on your mark, my warrior.”
Celestia saluted. “I shall not let you down, Commander!”
Luna also saluted, though she kept her eye focused on her fellow alicorn. “And I shall not let you down, my sister”
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Action packed and exciting chapter, but of course a sadder note as well.
As awesome a fighter as Hurricane is, isn't this a bit like recruiting Julius Caesar and then having him design your anti-tank strategy?
Only one was thrown this chapter, 'Caney using her spear most of the time. 4 9 on the board!
Julius Caesar wouldn't know how to fire a gun either, well done.
Man, Zephyr deserved that burn. How did he not think he would become a murderer? That there would be no civilians on this ship? Or that in general joining a secret organization committed to assassinating the most popular leader Equestria's ever had would somehow not end in killing a ton of civilians at some point? I can see why they left the strategies to the ancient barbarian, if this is the brains of today's modern assassin.
Nice! Good to see both the good guys and the bad guys are pushing each other to step up their respective game, that's key to making an action story interesting.
Oh snap! The whole scene I was thinking: "He should just be grateful it's not just him and some Diamond Dog flying this thing."
Well, at least the sacrifice of that aid ship bought the good guys valuable information, namely that Hurricane now has up-time allies and a highly-placed mole.
To be fair, if I as the reader didn't know Discord was sick, I'd probably be in that crowd protesting as well.
Ok, I'm a little confused. Is Fluttershy referring to something we don't know about yet? Because as far as she and everypony else should know, the worst thing Merry can be accused of is under-allocating infrastructure spending and creating public disturbances that are not catchy songs about smiling or everything being fine.
Now I am more intrigued than ever into the history between Fluttershy and Merry Mare. In this verse, does Fluttershy have an official government job as the towns wildlife officer or whatever, or does she make all her money on pet services? I've seen it go both ways, but if Fluttershy is a town employee, it would be interesting to see how Merry hired some shy teenager to live next to the woods and talk the manticores out of wandering into town. I did have a theory that there used to be a town guard in Ponyville to chase off dangerous monsters, and Merry Mare cut them as a cost-saving measure when she found one animal-befriending pegasus who would do the job for cheap.
I wold call it a tribute to foreshadowing that I am more afraid of Merry Mare than of Hurricane, even though I just saw her send a ship full of medics to their doom.
Aw yeah, looks like those baby steps have gotten Flutters pretty far! If they add Sweetie Bell though, they'll have like 6 members. Is this the Ponytones or Earth Wind and Fire?
Gosh dang it AJ, learn a little about public relations! She shows up with her cravat loosened like she's looking for a fight, the largest stallion in town looming over her, they come off like Boss Hawg and Sheriff Rosco.
For a moment, I almost believe she means it.
You tell 'em Rosco!
Aw man, maybe taking over Equestria and eternal chaos wouldn't be so bad after all? I mean, cotton candy clouds and soap roads have got to be better than this.
Hold up. Hold the phone.
In this universe, is Blueblood a Prince because he's the heir to the Platinum line? So he's like Sombra greatX52 grand-nephew or something? But Mirror-mirror-on-the-wall is willing to let Hurricane kill Blueblood. That makes me more confused than when I started this chapter. Maybe being evil and immortal means you don't care about your lineage, though I would think a master of dark magic understands the value of preserving your bloodline for... reasons.
So Hurricane is trying to kill former soldiers under her own command? That's a new low.
So an exciting chapter, I can't wait to see Hurricane going up against Shining Armor! ( I'm putting them up on the board: 1 Wife, let's see how often Shiny can reload). Also I love Blueblood and Rainbow, she brings out the Winston Churchill pithiness in him.
I suspect Platinum's son is Sombra. Hurricane blames Celestia and Luna for not finishing him off and for getting her trapped in the Empire for the thousand years. Please Verify.
Dang, and there goes another bunch of dead guardsponies, an entire airship full of them this time.
Hahaha.
I imagine Dash intellectually knew Twilight was badly hurt, but I get the impression seeing her injuries in person just now made it much more real. And now I'm nervous about what you have in store for Shiny now that Hurricane will doubtless be gunning for the Empire.
Poor Discord. It's a shame he is so out of it, I can't imagine there's much about this current crisis he couldn't solve, probably fairly easily too (which I suppose story-wise is part of the reason he's sick).
Go Fluttershy!
Sombra as Platinum's son? Interesting. Makes Celestia's dalliance with AU Sombra just that much more juicy, not to mention potentially plot-relevant.
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Correct! This was revealed when he was introduced during Celestia's dream as Prince Sombra two chapters ago. He's the fruit of Platinum's loins, alright.
Tsk. You don't want me going and giving away the major twist of the story, do you?
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Alas, poor redshirts!
Actually, it's not as bad as you might imagine. Shiny and company will have troubles aplenty, but they'll be more of the horrifying overarching revelations type, not the unstoppable villain type.
That wasn't very reassuring.
I will fully admit to devising that subplot (partially) to keep Discord out of my action adventure story. Still, that just means he's going to get his own story a little ways down the line.
It's a very gossip-worthy situation. Believe you me, the plot shall thicken like oatmeal left out overnight. Look forward to a slurry of heartwarming and heart-wrenching.
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Transferring credits from The Solar Institution for The Criminally Insa-- I mean, The Solar Institute of... um... Happy Kitties to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns takes much more paperwork than it's worth.
That's where clever editing comes in.
It took Yearling a few years before she was able to effectively pace a plot that didn't get bogged down at either the beginning or the end.
You can't just give it up, can you? What happens when I make her failed quilt-repair business fanonical?
Having heard nothing since, I can only assume he was going moose hunting!
Because I'm an evil, evil author!
Even when they loose they win! Zap Apples are crafty!
It's like the Honor Roll of Pure Evil!
BWAhahahahahaha!
Both Andean and Celestia would take offense at that.
Not an A+++-! Anything but that! The horror!
The whole event with Eternal Night wasn't exactly a national secret. At least not in my little corner of the universe.
T'is a thing of beauty.
We'd be constantly growing if we weren't dying of asphyxiation!
Well, I'm sure he could think of something once he learned about its strengths and weaknesses...
Thrown and dropped. She ain't getting that one back.
I have my fun.
Everyone has their own reasons for joining. Recruiters usually spend their time talking about how worthy the cause is, instead of mentioning how very, very many bad things they'll do to achieve it...
They have not yet begun to step up.
Hehehehehehe. I had to remember my roots. They're shallow roots as of yet, but vital for the tree's survival It's at this point that the analogy breaks down.
That sure is some silver lining...
Exactly. I need to make sure I reintroduce events as if readers didn't read Scootaloo Will Fly! and Lord Mayor Applejack. (This also means, however, that I can withhold certain things to be surprising no matter where you start in the series.)
Aren't those horrible enough already?
But really, it may not be as groundbreaking as all that. Merry isn't perfect, no, but she hasn't done anything evil.
There's a history there. Aside from the whole "Neighbors for years" thing, there's been a few moments of closeness.
Heck if I know how she makes a living. I've thought that it'd make for an interesting story element for Fluttershy to be old money. In "Reality" she probably makes a little dough as some sort of vet/caretaker/pet watcher/wildlife refuge/Ponytone/pet shop.
Oh, I was hoping you'd say that!
Rarity resigned from the Ponytones when she moved to Canterlot. Big Mac sings occasionally, but running a farm and taking care of a baby are a double-time job, especially since Applejack's not as involved with the farm work lately. Both who's-his-face and what's-her-name are still there, though! Maybe?
Fluttershy leads, Sweetie Belle just got added to the roster, and Spike plays the piano. Preliminary plans place the Ponytones as actually plot relevant.
Ha ha ha. Even after two years as mayor and like a bazillion as everypony's friend, Applejack still has that darned blunt streak.
People don't often search for a solution when they believe their isn't one.
You're asking me a question I can't answer yet.
You mean you haven't already guessed the twist? I though that was your thing!
In truthfulness, you don't have all the pieces to the puzzle just yet. There are still a few big revelations left to unveil! All shall make some sort of sense eventually.
Reasons like eventual reincarnation?
It gets worse, actually.
You know what we need? A few thousand words of just Equestria and their surrounding neighbors lining up one by one to try their hoof at kicking Hurricane's tail.
It's just this gift she has.
A gift with no returns or exchanges.
So you're saying Caballeron's minions are... committed? I admire their dedication then.
At least tell me she kept in the part where Ahuizotl claimed to have invented Dragonmail Instant Communication!
I never give up. I would have guessed jewelry repair over quilt-repair, but that's honestly a story I would love to hear about some time. I mean, obviously I would crack jokes about what DT had to do on those quilts to cause them to need repairs, but I seriously would love to hear about her trying to set up a quilt-repair business. I wonder if her mother taught her knitting, and if she has Fluttershy-level knitting skills?
Pretty sure that's what Caballeron promised his minions if they steal the Rings of Scorcherro from Daring Do.
I feel like Andean has to have some meat-based dish he loves as much as Celestia loves cake. Mmmmmmmm, sausages.
Twilight screaming that in the middle of the street until Lily comes over and slaps her, shouting "get ahold of yourself!"
True enough, really makes you wonder what the Viscount said to Zephyr to pull him in.
It's a good analogy, you planted this "tree" with two good earth ponies,
, and 
, those two will strengthen any tree.
Many good
bothansmedics died to bring us this info!Interesting, does Merry have a pet? I could see her with a cat similar to Opalescence, she could pet it while she plots...
Oh, like in the Lunaverse, where her birth name is Fluttering Posey, one of those Posies. Very cool.
Don't forget pet beautician, egg farmer, and wildlife diplomat (like an exterminator, but she politely asks them to leave).
Torch Song (the lady) and Toe Tapper (the guy). Incidentally, a "Torch Song" is a name for a ballad about unrequited love, so Torch Song's parents definitely hated her.
Oh I would assume. But if Big Mac is gone and Fluttershy ain't hitting the 'joke, they're overbalanced on the Capella scale. Does Spike sing or just play, either way i imagine him embedding jewels in his scales so he looks like that fabulous performer from the far north, Elkon John. They need a stallion or a mare with a deep and commanding voice. Now if they were going to be fighting Sirens as some sort of awesome Rainbooms tribute, they'd need a washed-up former bully who's hit rock bottom, but where in Ponyville would they find one?
His pride is going to keep this secret until it's far too late... No wonder he used to be good friends with Celestia they are so similar.
The only way to tell if you have all the puzzle pieces is to try and solve the puzzle. Them jam the pieces together if they don't fit, and pester the puzzle-maker. Basic science! I won't complain if they answer is Celestia didn't want to tell the Canterlot nobility that there royal liege line was gone, so she found some drunken unicorn hobo with white fur and blond hair, and told everyone he was Platinum's secret grandson.
That's generally the gist, sure, possession of your descendants, or trading their souls to dark entities for power. If I was Sombra though, would I really want to go back to being in a mortal body, rather than some shadow-smoke lich/wraith? I feel like Sombra never cared for the sensual pleasures or material possessions, all he cared about was political and magical power.
I'm keeping count, so let me just say I want to be 50th in line.
I would love to see those two stuck together at a dinner party, plus LM
on the other. Not Rarity though, at this point she's over him, and she'd probably diffuse the situation in a boring way, rather than let those three go off like Housewives from an unspecified city.
I knew they'd use the ol' decoy airship trick. Still, shame about all of the dead soldiers though.
Sounds like the good Commander's been frequenting Tvtropes!
An excellent chapter. I liked that final scene especially, it felt very LotR inspired. I'm just disappointed Starswirl didn't show up so I could mentally read his lines with Ian McKellan's voice!
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I swear I was gonna reply to this, but missed it when the time came. Better late than never!
Thanks for pointing it out. We may not get it on the mark, but it sure helps to know what to look for. I've noticed myself falling into a trap of cycling the same descriptions over and over again. That's just no fun for the readers or the writer.
I'm going to be particularly careful in the next chapter and the next story. We'll see if I can't put a little flavor into the diet.
Those rascally ponies!
If you were transported from ancient times to now, what would you check out first?
Don't be too disapointed. He's gonna show up next chapter.
Careful Luna your biting off more than you can chew.