Chapter 17
**********Task Force Base: Griffon Republic 3rd POV**********
Captain Shining Armor rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and scratched his stubble. His gaze was focused on a map of the known world. Sightings and encounters with the ‘creature’ were marked. Shining Armor was looking for patterns. His eyes roamed the map, looking for any kind of connection between the marked places.
“Captain, you should get some rest,” Hamza said as he walked into the room.
Shining Armor looked up from the map and blinked. It took a moment for his eyes to register what was in front of him. “Hamza, I can’t sleep yet,” Shining said, turning his attention back to the map.
“How are you going to find a complex pattern when you can’t even think straight,” Hamza asked.
Shining Armor spun around, “I can think just…. Where did you go?” He waved his head wildly around the room.
“Captain, I am standing right next to you,” Hamza said worriedly. “I have been for the duration of this conversation.”
Shining Armor yawned. “So you have. I think I will get some sleep. Keep up the search while I’m gone.” Shining Armor started walking out of the room but found himself being blocked by some sort of barrier. Confused, he pushed on the barrier but it wouldn’t budge. He began charging a blast spell when Hamza tapped him on the shoulder.
“Captain, the door is over there,” Hamza gestured with a hoof.
Shining Armor stopped walking and looked up. “So it is. Thank you.” Shining armor took two steps left and walked out of the door.
“I hope he makes it to a bed,” Hamza said to himself.
A head popped out of the doorway. “Is he gone?” Swift Arrow asked as he walked into the room.
“Yes he is,” Hamza replied.
“Great,” Swift Arrow trotted happily into the room. “Cap is terrifying when he’s too tired. He can go a week without sleep but once he hits his limit, KAPOW! All sense is gone.”
“Indeed,” Hamza said turning his attention to the map. “What news do you have, Private Arrow?”
“We added the rock farm to the map when you reported it last week,” Swift Arrow reported. “We got letters from the princess and the Chancellor. Princess Luna said their source indicated travel restrictions would be a good idea. I’ve already sent word to each major city. Also a high concentration of energy was momentarily detected in the Everfree Forest.”
“Very well,” Hamza stroked his chin. “What did the Chancellor have to say?”
“She said the development of new weapons is going smoothly and we should have them before the end of the month,” Swift Arrow walked over to the map. “What’s our next move, boss?”
Hamza looked over the map. “Gather your things and tell Cocidius to gather his as well. If the Lunar Princess thinks that the target is going to start moving, we can’t afford to stay still. We are going to travel to places of interest in Equestria. When Captain Armor and Meat Grinder wake up, Captain Bow will accompany them to the Badlands. We have yet to investigate that lead.”
“Yes sir,” Swift Arrow slauted. “Please don’t let me run into that thing again.”
“You can’t hide forever,” Hamza murmured to himself. “Eventually you will make a mistake. And when you do, we will be there to take you down.”
**********Laputa 1st POV**********
“This is Smoke Puff,” I patted the bunny girl’s head. “She’s new here so try to make her feel welcome.”
In front of me were all of the current residents of Castle Laputa, with the exception of Merlin. I got a few glares from Adagio but everyone else reacted favorably.
Starlight raised a hoof, “How old is this child?”
Smoke Puff puffed her tiny chest. “I’m 12 years old,” she said proudly.
Starlight gave me a pointed look. “Really? At least before everyone you recruited was legal but now? Where did you even find this girl?”
“Listen,” I said, “I didn’t do this one some else… wait, really? Sunset, how old are you?”
Sunset looked at me with slight confusion. “I’m 23. I thought you knew that. I was forced into that teen body and didn’t age.”
“Really?” I asked. “Gilda, how old are you?”
“20,” she said examining her nails. She had lost interest in this conversation a while ago.
“What about you, Trixie?” I was genuinely surprised.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie’s age is none of your concern,” Trixie said. “But if you must know, Trixie is 19.”
“Huh,” I said. “Imagine that.”
“I’m only 17,” Twilight’s meek voice spoke through the crowd.
I nodded. “At least that makes sense.”
“Don’t avoid my question,” Starlight raised her voice. “Where did this little girl come from? Who’s her family? Do they know where she is? Won’t she be missed?”
Smoke Puff twitched her nose and frowned. Her confused face was adorable. “But I was just staying with Uncle Doc until I was strong enough to help Papa,” she said looking up at me.
You could hear a pin drop. No one dared move or even breathe. I had never seen a room with such wide eyes or low jaws. Everyone’s focus was on me and the bunny girl standing next to me. She looked at me with more confusion.
“You didn’t tell anyone?” she asked me. I patted her head.
“How do you have a daughter?” Starlight questioned. “That timeline doesn’t add up. She would’ve had to be conceived while you were still in stone.” She turned to Smoke, “Who is your mother?”
“My birth parents were rabbits. Uncle Doc used a serum on me that came from Father and I was transformed,” Smoke said. “Wasn’t it the same for the rest of you?”
“That just opens up a whole new set of questions,” Sunset said scratching her head. “So then what are we to each other,” she focused on me, “What are we to you?”
“That is an excellent question,” I said. “My answer: don’t think about it too hard because I’m not. I’m me, you’re you, we’re the same we’ve always been. Now that we’ve cleared that up, everyone except for Gilda, Trixie, and Sunset is free to go. Get ready for your various missions tomorrow.”
As everyone left the room, Smoke stayed by my side. Trixie and Sunset exchanged a nervous look, while Gilda tried her hardest to remain confident. The tension in the room grew as it became increasingly empty. Finally, the five of us were alone. I pulled up a chair and sat down. Smoke Puff got her own chair, and for a moment, we all sat in absolute silence.
“I was watching the fight,” I said. “I saw everything, from the beginning to the end. Before I start, do you have anything to say for yourselves?”
“It looked like that duck was trying really hard to beat me,” Gilda said quietly.
Smoke Puff started laughing. “The day Duckle calls that trying is the day that, in this universe, pigs fly.”
Gilda scowled at the laughing girl. “That’s enough, Puffball,” I said. “But she’s right. None of them were trying. You all fought like absolute novices. I realize that you are novices but you do have advantages that would have at least put you close to equal footing. Neither you, Gilda, or you, Sunset, used your Sharingan.” I focused on Gilda. “The duck beat you with hand to hand techniques. Even with only two tomoe, you could match even a martial arts master blow for blow.”
Gilda growled but said nothing.
“And either hit faster or dodge quicker,” Smoke Puff giggled. “Don’t do neither.”
I could see in Gilda’s eyes how much she wanted to rip the bunny girl apart. However, she restrained herself. “Sunset, your Sharingan would have revealed so much information about your enemy. The first being that your enemy wasn’t one solid piece. Even when it splattered everywhere, you wouldn’t have been fooled. Not only that, you were found out before you had a chance to attack. But the biggest thing was that, in a pinch, you relied on techniques that are new to you instead of spells that you know better. Anything to add Puffball?”
“Sunset, if you think your enemy is supernatural, they most likely are. Or they’re mental manipulators. So basically like ten times better than Trixie,” the bunny girl grinned. “Oh, and real blood has an ironish smell thanks to the hemoglobin. Probably want to remember that one.”
I turned my attention to Trixie while Sunset’s face looked crestfallen. “Now Trixie, I know that you know genjutsu can immobilize your target. Genjutsu is control of all sensory input. You had the largest advantage of all, even with your basic knowledge. Not only that but the sheer insanity of the illusion you created. Zombies? Really? You could’ve just created a winding path that went nowhere.”
“I shouldn’t know I’m being tricked until it’s too late!” Smoke Puff added. Trixie huffed and folded her arms. Smoke Puff ignored her and turned to me. “I’m hungry.”
“You know what?” Gilda said, her fingers turning back into claws, “How ‘bout some rabbit stew!”
“You probably shouldn’t,” I started, but it was too late. Gilda launched herself at Smoke Puff. Before Gilda could take a second step, Smoke Puff had a knee in her stomach. Gilda spit up and fell to the ground holding her midsection. “Do that, I finished. “Yeah, Puffball’s been trained since birth by the boss of the guys that beat you. Attacking her is a really bad idea.” The mood of the room dropped even further. Sunset was fighting back tears and Trixie’s face was twitching. I stood up and collected Smoke. “However, I am very proud of you all.”
They all looked up, hope barely registering on their faces. “But... we lost,” Sunset’s huge teary eyes pulled at my heartstrings.
“When you identified a possible threat you evaluated it and took, what you thought, was the best course of action. You all fought your enemies, no one ran away or gave up. And for that, I couldn’t be happier,” I said with a smile.
Smoke Puff twisted her face in confusion. “Why are you happy? They’re so weak.”
“Only for now,” I grabbed Puff’s hand. “Only for now. Let’s go get some food.”
We left the girls in the room. Smoke Puff walked close to me with a huge smile on her face. Her happiness was infectious and I found myself grinning as well. “So, what do you know about me,” I asked her.
She started swinging our arms. “Uncle Doc told me you were super strong and super smart. Uncle Spark said you were whiny and useless but Uncle Bot said that you were a different version from the one he was thinking of.” Jarvis for the win. “Uncle Smash said you were a cheap character that was way too OP and that anybody that uses you has no real skill. I don’t think he likes you very much. But when Uncle Doc told me your stories, I learned how to be a ninja, just like you!” Puff broke out into a full-toothed smile.
“You are absolutely adorable,” I said as we walked into the kitchen.
Remembering the note, I instructed one of the Valkyries to cook her some carrots. No knee to the stomach for me! We sat down and talked as she ate. She told me about her adventures with Jacob and her life before coming to the castle. She told me how excited and nervous she was to meet me. I told her a few stories about my adventures before I turned to stone. She loved them and we talked late into the night.
“It’s about time to go to bed,” I told her. “We’re starting a road trip bright and early tomorrow.”
She crinkled her nose but got up. I walked her to her room and tucked her into bed.
“Good night, Puffball,” I said.
“Wait!” she held my arm. “I need a song.”
“A what now?” I asked.
“A lullaby to help me fall asleep,” she pouted.
I groaned. “What kind of song?”
“Anything that helps me fall asleep,” she looked at me expectantly.
“Fine,” I started wracking my brain. What did I fall asleep to back in the day? Silence. But I did sing for someone else… “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone.” A guitar started playing in the background. “It’s not warm when she’s away. Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone, And she’s always gone too long. Anytime she goes away. Wonder this time where she’s gone. Wonder if she’s gone to stay. Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone. And this house just ain’t no home, anytime she goes away.”
I looked down at Smoke Puff’s sleeping smile. Adorable. I got up and turned out the light. “Your singing voice sucks,” she whispered in her sleep.
I rolled my eyes and closed the door. Walking back to my room I was bombarded with all of the questions and concerns no one dared bring to me while I was with Smoke Puff. Finalizing details, questions about what to bring, how would training continue, and deadlines on the science team’s projects. Everybody needed something. By the time reached my room, I was mentally exhausted. I flopped down on my bed only to hear a knock at my door.
I groaned. “It’s not locked.” I turned my head and watched Adagio Dazzle enter my room. She closed the door behind herself.
“Can we talk?”
***
“Wake, up.”
Someone was pulling me back into the realm of the conscious. I was irritated. It couldn’t possibly be time to wake up yet. As I slowly opened my eyes the darkness told me that it was still night time. I sat up in my bed. Straddling me, giving me a concerned glare, was Smoke Puff.
“The lights in the castle are broken,” she told me.
“What?” I yawned. “What do you mean?”
“When I sat up in my bed the lights didn’t turn on,” she explained. “And they stayed off even when I got out of bed. So I tried saying ‘Lights on’ but that didn’t work either.” She gave me an intense state. “You need to fix this.”
I lay back down. “There’s nothing to fix. You just have to use the light switch.”
Smoke Puff blinked owlishly. “Light switch?” She frowned. “What kind of low-tech, cave-like, backwater shack is this place? Next, you’ll be telling me the toilets have to be manually flushed.”
“Good night, Puffball,” I rolled over onto my side.
“I have to flush the toilet? With my hand?” She yelled. “Do you know how unsanitary that is? This is a house of horrors!” She ran out of the room.
‘Finally,’ I thought. ‘Back to sleep.’
***
“And then we’ll finish up our trip in the Dragon Lands,” I said. Lined up in front of me, in various states of sleep, were all of the recipients of the chakra formula and Starlight Shimmer. They were all yawning and barely paying attention. All except for Twilight. She was eagerly anticipating the trip but I had some bad news for her. “Also, Twilight, you’re going to stay here.”
The light left her eyes. “Why don’t I get to go?” she whimpered.
“Because this is going to be a combat trip,” I replied. “I know you want to study magic. That’s why I’m leaving you in Starswirl’s capable hooves.”
“Did someone say, ‘capable hooves’!” Starswirl appeared in a burst of smoke and fireworks.
“Now that’s an entrance,” Trixie said with awe.
“Twilight Sparkle, meet Starswirl the Bearded,” I said. “This guy is probably the greatest magic researcher to ever have lived. With him, you’ll learn more than ever thought possible.”
“And I’m going to shave so that my title gets changed,” Starswirl said, absentmindedly stroking his beard. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Twilight. Now come along, we have much work to do!” Twilight yelped as Starswirl grabbed her in his magic and teleported away.
“Anyway, by the time we reach the Dragon Lands, the dragons will be migrating to the northernmost part of their territory,” I continued. “That’s where you’re going to have your first test.”
“What exactly is this test?” Adagio asked.
I smiled. “An excellent question. Each one of you is going to fight an elder dragon.” The silence was deafening. “We are going to take our time travelling. You have plenty of time to train. By the time we get there, you should be strong enough to beat an elder dragon.”
All of the girls looked at each other. “I, for one, can say I’ve had a rather exciting life but I didn’t think death by dragon was going to be my story,” Adagio said sarcastically.
“Do you promise I can beat a dragon?” Gilda asked.
“With ease,” I replied.
“I’m in,” Gilda grinned.
“I suppose a defeating a dragon would be the best way to start Trixie’s comeback tour,” Trixie mused.
“I won’t fail,” Sunset eyes glowed with determination.
“I swear to Faust, if my sister gets hurt,” Starlight quietly glared.
“Well it’s not like we have a choice,” Aria rolled her eyes.
“Come on Aria, it’ll be just like old times,” Sonata giggled.
“Now that we’re all in agreement,” I cheered, “Let’s go! To the wagon!”
Adagio frowned. “Did he say wagon?”
***
“You really meant an actual wagon,” Adagio facepalmed.
Everyone stared at the covered wagon at the castle’s main gate. It was a simple thing. A white canvas roof covered a sturdy wood chassis.
“You can’t seriously expect us all to fit in there,” Starlight said.
“Yes, yes I can.”
Smoke Puff ran up to the wagon and crawled inside. “Hey guys! It’s bigger on the inside!” she yelled. The other girls excitedly ran into the wagon.
I smirked as I sauntered over lazily. I already knew what it contained. There was enough space for all of us and then some. Starswirl had been working with the kidnapped mages to create a space-expanding spell. It had worked out pretty well. I had hung up some curtains as dividers. It was better than nothing since there putting walls up would have made the cart too heavy to move(I already tried). The wagon was also self propelling as long as we set a destination. And to top it all off, there was a magic stone in the center. When activated, the stone would either emanate or absorb heat. We had our own air conditioner! Also the more mundane things that make a car comfortable: cushioned seats, ample leg room, suspension, etc. I walked over to the map that sat in my section and put a marker on the Crystal Empire. The wheels slowly started turning as the wagon lurched forward. Everyone wobbled but quickly regained their balance. I sat down and waved the girls over to me. We sat in a circle.
“I am going to train you all,” I said. “You’ve all been given your individual mentors. You will learn from them all the techniques you need to suit your own personal style. I am going to teach you general lessons about chakra and what it means to be human. At every stop I will send you on missions to test your skills and show you your shortcomings. Take advantage of this and learn as much as you can, because I promise you: elder dragons have no mercy. Get ready, now, it begins in earnest.”
**********Canterlot Express 3rd POV**********
Hamza sat in meditation on the train. He searched all the areas they passed, looking for gaps in the magic. His lack of success did not frustrate him. On the contrary, it filled him with relief. Everything was as it should be. The world was blanketed in magic. It swirled around all living things creating a dancing tapestry of unspoken communication. He couldn’t help but smile while feeling the world around him. Now if only his compatriots would contribute to this harmony.
“And I’m telling you, Co, Princess Cadance is the hottest mare alive,” Swift Arrow leaned in the griffon’s face.
“Swift, no offense to the Cap, but clearly Daring Do is the hottest mare alive,” Cocidius grinned.
Swift Arrow pulled a poster out of his saddlebag and unrolled it. “Look at this!” He grabbed Cocidius’ head and pushed it into the paper. “Do you see these sensuous curves? That perfectly toned flank? Look at those wings! Not a feather out of place! And that mane! Cut to perfection! Such sexy, inviting eyes….” Swift Arrow let go of the griffon and lost himself in the picture.
Cocidius took some time to straighten his head feathers while he observed Swift Arrow. It was amusing to be sure but he could probably play with Swift a bit more. “So does the Cap know you have that?”
Swift Arrow was shocked out of his delusions. He quickly and carefully rolled up the poster and stuffed it back into his bag. “You saw nothing,” he muttered.
“Maybe I did, and maybe I didn’t,” Cocidius grinned. “It depends.”
“Depends on what?” Swift Arrow raised an eyebrow.
“Depends on who the hottest mare alive is,” Cocidius said. The only sound that could be heard was the train. He could see Swift Arrow’s internal struggle. Apparently he was taking this way too seriously. Was he twitching? Ok, that was enough it was time to end this. Before Cocidius could say anything, Hamza intervened.
“We are approaching the city,” he said. “This discussion will have to be concluded for now.”
“Looks like you got off easy this time,” Cocidius teased. “But this isn’t over.”
Swift Arrow breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed his cutie mark. “Saved me again,” he whispered. “Let’s get ready to do this!”
**********Canterlot House of Nobles**********
“Ladies and Gentlecolts come to order,” an older earth pony banged a gavel. The conversations grew quiet until attention was focused back on the center of the room. “Please continue, Princess.”
“Thank you, Lord Arbiter,” Luna said. He nodded and she turned her attention to rest of the ponies in the room. “I realize that I am asking for a lot. 500 billion bits is a large sum by any standard. But, we are facing a threat that could destroy our entire society. I don’t mean to fear monger but we all know what Sasuke and his species does to their enemies. And new intelligence tells us he can turn any species into a human.” Luna’s statement drew shocked gasps from the crowd. “We can’t afford normal precautions, we have to willing to give everything we have to protect the ponies we lead.”
The room was abuzz with murmurs and whispered conversations. A unicorn stood up and raised a hoof.
“The chair recognizes Lady Patrician. You have the floor,” Arbiter said.
“Thank you Lord Arbiter,” Patrician said. “Princess, we are all aware of the atrocities of which Sasuke is capable. Every noble is told the story of the Clean House Incident.” The nobles twitched in fear. “We hesitate only because for the past few months, Sasuke has not acted against us. We’ve no wish to draw his attention if it is focused elsewhere. What makes you believe he is going to attack us at all?”
“A valid concern,” Luna said. “When I fought Sasuke in Canterlot, he told me his plan. He wants to force cataclysm after cataclysm upon us in order to force us to evolve. I know his methods, I know his mind. He would be willing to sacrifice thousands in order to see his plans succeed.”
“But he still has not made any moves lately,” Patrician stated. “What makes you think this was more than an idle threat?”
Luna looked Patrician directly in her eyes. “If I were to give you an axe and six hours to cut down a tree, what would you do?”
Patrician cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it obvious? I’d begin cutting down the tree immediately.”
Luna smiled. “Sasuke posed this question to me when I studied under him. I said the same thing you did. You know what he said?” Patrician shook her head. “He said he would spend first four hours sharpening the axe. Make no mistake, Sasuke hasn’t forgotten about us nor is his attention elsewhere. He is sharpening his axe. And we must be ready.”
Patrician sat down. Arbiter stood at his post, “If there are no more questions for the princess we will now conduct the vote. All in favor of passing the princesses’ proposal?”
Luna smirked; it was unanimous. She now had the funding she needed. If Sasuke thought Equestria was going down without a fight, he was in for a rude awakening.
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An easier way to make the eight hundred million would be cut Celestia's cake funds by a quarter for a month. Of course, then you have an old politician with an axe to grind, and the time to spare for it. Make no mistake, there would be no survivors of that prank war.
7431407 She could stand to lose a bit of weight.
7431759 True or not, she is a bored manipulator who can all but ask a pony to drop dead for her.
Smokey didn't sit on her fathers lap? Now I'm disappointed!
Aww! Holding the little ones hands! That's the thing a father should do!
Tucking his daughter in? Check!
Lullaby! Check!
...Well, at least he tried!
Low-tech! That's great!
Too many characters
7432987 This is a Jump Displaced story, there can never be too many characters. Also, I can't help but feel like Luna is doing exactly what Laputa/Sasuke wanted her to do.
Anyone know a good one punch man crossover on here?
Just what are you planning Luna...?