Mortal Coil

by Reeve

XLVIII - Fearless

Author's Note:

Part 7

I was pretty much alone inside the Pantheon the next morning, there were a couple other ponies, but they were keeping to themselves. I leant up against the front desk; my head tilted back, breathing in and out slowly as I waited for Rainbow Dash to arrive. The previous day had certainly been eventful, even after the fight we were never off our hooves until late evening. There was quite a lot a details that needed ironed out regarding Rainbow’s new position, and while she hated every minute of being the top dog, she sucked it up and got it all sorted.

The whole city was in a celebrating mood, it wasn’t that they particularly disliked Iron Sights, they just found life in Olympus to be rather stagnant, and Rainbow Dash’s victory appeared to represent an opportunity for change. It wasn’t until very late that everything was finalised and made official, and Rainbow was allowed to take a well deserved break. Together with Fluttershy, Dew Drop and some of her other casual friends form the Vanguard, we headed to the club she had mentioned on our first meeting.

While there I ran into Golden Belle and her family who were out celebrating the end of their debts. I spoke briefly with her, and she revealed that they would be handing over the hotel to the Marshal, packing their things and leaving Olympus within the coming days. I suggested they head to Glean to get involved in the restoration programme, as well as warning them about travelling near Brine. Fluttershy and I were happy to leave Olympus the next day as well. Rainbow Dash would have to stay nearby for a short while, at least until I could report into Maverick and we could begin the negotiations that would see the Dragoons dissolved and brought back into the Rebellion.

“Morning Rarity,” Rainbow greeted as she made her way down the Pantheon staircase. “Not hung over I see.”

“Good morning Marshal,” I replied, sniggering at the withering look Rainbow shot me. “And no, I’m fine. I can’t say the same for Fluttershy though; poor dear has yet to learn how to pace herself.”

“Well at least everypony had fun,” Rainbow commented as she joined me next to the desk. “Celestia knows there won’t be much of that for the next few weeks. Did those soldiers I called for arrive yet?”

“Yes, they’re outside now,” I reported. “Fluttershy is inspecting them.”

We stepped out through the open doors and out past the pillars to where several dozen Dragoon soldiers stood in formation, waiting for their new Marshal to arrive.

“Alright soldiers!” Rainbow announced as they all snapped to attention. “As you’ve already been briefed, the towns in the Lesser Pastures are being threatened. It is our duty to provide military aid for those towns; you all know which squad you’re in, so I won’t waste time talking to you individually. All three squads will be travelling to Brine, once there, squad A will form a perimeter around the town while squad B will continue south to offer reinforcement to Breakwater. Squad C will travel with squad B to Breakwater, where it will get transport to Anchorage.

“I know there have been a lot of rumours since I proposed this mission,” Rainbow continued. “Rumours about dead ponies walking around Brine and killing travellers, well I am here to tell you now that those rumours are true. Squad A’s mission will be to eradicate this menace from the town so that we can begin the process of restoring it. If any of you think you don’t have the stomach for a job like this, leave now, because once we leave these gates you won’t be given an opportunity to turn back.”

Rainbow waited for a moment, but nopony moved. I nodded in approval of their dedication, or perhaps they just needed to see the town for themselves before they ran away.

“I will be travelling with you,” Rainbow carried on, pacing back and forth in front of her soldiers. “But when we reach Brine, I will be splitting off to take squad B and C to Breakwater. Once I have established our presence with the authorities in Breakwater, I will then travel with squad C to Anchorage to do the same. As such, I will not be in charge of the operation at Brine, that role will fall to Fluttershy here.”

Rainbow indicated Fluttershy, who shrank slightly as all eyes fell upon her.

“Fluttershy will be in charge of purging Brine of the monsters that infest it,” Rainbow explained. “You will treat her as your superior, if she instructs you to do anything as part of the mission, you do it without question. You do not have the option of fighting Fluttershy to prove you are stronger than her and usurping her position as leader of this mission, anypony who attempts to do so will be treated as a traitor for threatening our relationship with the Rebellion and Celestial Sisterhood. You will treat her with utmost respect, and you will address her as Sister Fluttershy at all times, have I made myself absolutely clear?”

“Sir, yes sir!” the soldiers chorused.

Rainbow turned form them and made her way back over to where Fluttershy and I were standing.

“Don’t worry Flutters,” Rainbow assured her. “They wouldn’t dare defy a sister even if I hadn’t told them not to.”

“Thank you none the less Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy replied gratefully.

“Most of these ponies are in squad A,” Rainbow informed her. “I figured the situation at Brine required more attention than Breakwater and Anchorage, which means most of these soldiers will be yours to command when we reach Brine.”

“I’ve never commanded anypony before,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Welcome to my world,” Rainbow sympathised. “But you know it has to be you, if you’re really the only one who can kill these creatures.”

“I know, and I’ll do my best,” Fluttershy promised.

“I know you will,” Rainbow said, before turning back to her troops. “Alright, you’re all dismissed. I want you all ready at the city gates for travelling at three, not a single minute later.”

The soldiers all saluted before filing out.

“You know, you say you don’t like to lead,” I began thoughtfully. “That you don’t think you’re any good at it, but as far as I’ve seen, you fill the role of leader quite well.”

“I do what I have to,” Rainbow replied simply. “But mainly because I know it’s only temporary, if I thought I had to do this on a permanent basis, I think I’d top myself.”

“Don’t even say that,” Fluttershy scolded before looking to me. “I really don’t like the idea of leaving you on your own.”

“Well I’ll be with Rainbow until Breakwater,” I reminded her. “And then it’s only a short travel until Pivot. One of us has to report in about everything that’s happened, and you’re needed at Brine.”

“I know, I know,” Fluttershy responded with a small sigh. “Just promise me you’ll be okay.”

“I will,” I promised. “Now we should go get ourselves ready.”

“You two go on ahead,” Rainbow instructed. “I’ll catch up in a little bit, but first I have to leave instructions for while I’m away. Can’t have the city falling apart in the absence of its new leader, can we?”

Fluttershy and I bid her farewell as we returned through the streets and out of the cloud sector, not a moment too soon as my amulet was considerably colder than it should have been anytime I activated it. We returned to Rainbow Dash’s apartment and started packing our things; we were in the middle of eating lunch when she got back, apparently confident that her instructions would be carried out until she returned. We ate and chatted together for a couple hours before we gathered the last of our things and left the building, making for the plaza at the city gates.

Naturally the soldiers were gathered well ahead of time, I could never fault them for their efficiency, even if their leadership could be a bit loopy with all the swapping about. Rainbow Dash gave a quick speech to the gathered battalion before calling for the gates to be opened and leading the small army out of Olympus and down the mountain trail. Fluttershy and I took up the rear, deciding it would be better not to distract Rainbow while she was busy with leading her troops. We stopped for a break around the area where Fluttershy and I had set up camp on our way to Olympus, but we didn’t stay long before Rainbow had us walking again.

She probably would have had us travelling well into the night until we reached Brine, but Fluttershy advised her to wait until it was light before getting too close to the city. It wouldn’t do to accidently wander beyond the scorched line and get savaged by the walking dead. Rainbow agreed and the soldiers set up camp for the night at the junction where the road from Brine split off to go to Olympus or Cragsburg. We stayed up for a little bit, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and I sitting around our own little fire away from the rest of the soldiers, discussing our arrangements for the next day.

When the sun had risen and the soldiers had packed up their hastily thrown together tents, we were off once more, arriving outside Brine before midday. The closer we got to the town, the more I could hear the soldiers whisper among themselves about what they would be faced with then they got there. Of course, when we reached the farmlands surrounding the town, the whispers were all silenced as all eyes fell upon a single unicorn stumbling out of the wheat fields. The pony had its horn snapped clean off and its lower jaw dangling about, attached only by a shred of flesh.

“Alright soldiers!” Rainbow called out, raising her hoof to silence the whispers that had just started up again. “For those of you who doubted my sincerity, there is a pony who appears to have been dead for some time… walking around and looking at you like you’re its next meal. I’ll pass you over to Sister Fluttershy now, remember, absolute respect.”

“Thank you, uh, Marshal,” Fluttershy began before addressing squad A, who stepped forward slightly to make themselves known. “While we do not know precisely what caused these ponies to become like this, we do know that cannot be killed by any means other than my mace. This means that you will be using restraining tactics, removing limbs to stop them from chasing, and tying their mouths shut to prevent them from biting you. We want to avoid taking on large groups of them, so we’ll be taking it slowly, trying to bait them out a few at a time, slowly pushing our front line, taking the town back street by street.

“Remember, the creatures cannot cross this scorch line,” Fluttershy stated, indicating it with her hoof. “As long as you are on this side of it, you are completely safe. Nopony is to cross on their own, and if you do, always make sure you have a clear exit strategy. It’s not uncommon for them to cluster inside buildings or alleyways, so you must always be vigilant to avoid being taken by surprise. If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them, but right now we will begin by establishing a perimeter around the town. Remember which side of the line to stay on, and turn away any travellers.”

“Sir, yes sir!” the soldiers chorused loudly, making Fluttershy blush intensely.

They immediately set about with their orders while Fluttershy let out a long, shuddering breath.

“How’d I do?” she asked in a shaky voice.

“You were marvellous dear,” I told her brightly.

“Really impressive,” Rainbow complimented. “I suddenly don’t feel as bad about leaving you on your own; I think you’ve got this well-handled.”

“Will you both be leaving now?” Fluttershy asked, looking slightly down at the thought.

“Shortly,” I admitted. “We’d like to reach Breakwater by nightfall.”

“Don’t worry,” Rainbow said in a relaxed voice. “As soon as squads B and C are in place, I’ll be coming straight back here to check up on you.”

“And I’ll hopefully be coming back this way after reporting to Maverick,” I added.

“I know,” Fluttershy replied, sounding a little more accepting of it. “Oh, if you see Applejack while you’re down that way, give her my regards.”

“Applejack…” Rainbow Dash muttered thoughtfully and she stared into space.

“I will indeed,” I promised. “And when you find Pinkie Pie, you do the same from me.”

We stayed true to my word and headed off shortly after that, Rainbow Dash leading her remaining few dozen soldiers around Brine with me trailing along behind. It was certainly nice to arrive in Breakwater and find that it was still as muddy and boring as ever. A few ponies made to stop us from entering, most likely unable to tell the difference between the steel armour of the Rebel soldiers and the silver armour of the Dragoons, but Rainbow Dash just stormed right past them, her soldiers following suit.

I led Rainbow to the same tavern where Pinkie, Fluttershy and I had gone to learn about the Children of the Earth and Brine. At the late hour, it was absolutely packed with ponies, all of whom fell completely silent upon seeing Rainbow Dash walk in. We both surveyed the crowd of suspicious faces for a few seconds before shrugging and making our way up to the bar. Before we could reach it however, one stallion stood up and placed himself between us and our goal.

“Hey, clear off!” he ordered in a gruff tone. “We don’t like your kind around here.”

“Buddy,” Rainbow began with a roll of her eyes. “Just don’t.”

Rainbow made to take another step forward, but the stallion just positioned himself more directly in front of her, spreading his forelegs wide.

“I said…” he began, but didn’t get much further than that.

Rainbow’s hood darted back to her waist and whipped out her new silver rod, extending it out to its full length before placing the head lazily on the stallion’s shoulder, the edge directed towards his neck.

“And I said…” Rainbow retorted. “Don’t.”

The stallion gulped and shifted awkwardly out of the way, the way he moved made it look like he was trying desperately to hold his bladder. Rainbow returned the spear to its baton state, but kept it in her hoof as she strode up to the bar.

“Who’s in charge of this town?” Rainbow asked the barkeeper, the same one I had spoken to before. “And where can I find them?”

“That would be Knots, the mayor,” the barkeeper answered suspiciously. “You can find her in the big building down the docks from here.”

“Thank you,” Rainbow said as she turned away, mumbling under her breath. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

I made to follow her, but got stopped when the barkeeper shouted after me.

“Hey lady, don’t think I don’t remember you from the other week,” he called out. “We said we didn’t want Rebels, what’s the deal bringing them here?!”

“They aren’t Rebels,” I replied. “And I brought them here because you do not want this place to end up like Brine.”

“So you did go there,” the barkeeper commented, a number of his patrons also looked interested at the mention. “So what’s the deal up there anyway?”

“Everypony is dead,” I informed them simply. “Beyond that, you don’t want to know.”

With that said, I marched out of the tavern to where Rainbow was issuing some instructions to a few of her soldiers. Once they left, she turned back to me, an annoyed look on her face.

“You weren’t kidding when you said this town might be difficult,” she commented. “Anyway, I think I can take it from here. The troops are setting up camp outside the town, if you want to go back there now, I’ll catch up in a bit once I’ve sorted stuff out with the mayor.”

I nodded and made my way back through to where the tents were already being pitched, several soldiers were already sitting around a fire and they invited me to join them.

“So you’re a Rebel then?” one of them asked as I sat down. “Feels like ages since we could say the same.”

“So is it true what they’re saying?” another asked. “That the Marshal is planning to bring us back together?”

“I can’t say for certain,” I replied hesitantly. “I still need to report back to my own superiors about what’s happened, it will be some time before any decisions are made.”

“Honestly, after Iron Sights turned out to be a lying scumbag,” one of the soldiers began bitterly. “I think going back to the Rebellion is the best thing for us.”

“Are you kidding?!” another guard exclaimed.

Everypony immediately broke out into a full blown row over whether or not the Dragoons should remain, during which time I decided it would be best to slip away and find a quiet spot to think. I certainly hadn’t been wrong when I said the Dragoons would have to be disassembled gradually, if Rainbow Dash had gone ahead with her first instinct and declared them dissolved as soon as she defeated Iron Sights, I had no doubt she would have been met with a riot.

“You’re not still mad at me are you?” Rainbow asked, interrupting me from my thoughts.

“I told you,” I began as she sat down beside me. “I was never angry about it, Iron Sights was dangerous, especially after he removed the bindings, killing him was probably the safest thing.”

“But you weren’t able to ask him about his involvement with Arcana,” Rainbow reminded me.

“No, I suppose not,” I agreed in a moody tone. “And from my conversation with Fleetfoot, I don’t think she knew how Iron Sights got a hold of the Terrorstone to begin with.”

“Well we’ll know for sure once we capture her,” Rainbow promised. “I’m sure she’ll be apprehended by the time we get back to Olympus, then we can figure out what she meant about her ‘plans’ for the Dragoons.”

“It’s probably going to be really anticlimactic,” I said despondently. “I mean, she acts like she’s some brilliant mastermind, but if she was as smart as she likes to think she is, she wouldn’t have told me as much as she did.”

“That’s how you know she’s a villain,” Rainbow pointed out. “Because rather than do the smart thing and kill their enemies when they have the chance, they start monologuing and revealing their diabolical plans.”

“You really do read too much Daring Do,” I commented with a laugh. “Although… I never did ask, how were you not afraid of Iron Sights after he removed his armour? The Terrorstone should have picked up on even the smallest amount of fear, but he didn’t get a thing from you.”

“I’m a soldier,” Rainbow said with a small shrug. “It’s important to keep your fear in check. Is there anything you’re really afraid of?”

“Well… I did have a bad run in with a Wight,” I revealed. “Ever since, I’ve been having… nightmares about it. I guess you could say undead frighten me.”

It was true, while none of them had disturbed me as much as the one I had on the barge, the dreams were ever-present.

“I used to be afraid of animals,” Rainbow told me, at which point I burst out laughing despite how incredibly insensitive it was. “Yeah, I know, hilarious. This was when I was just a filly, I grew up in the clouds, the ground always seemed like such a hostile place.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so…” I began, feeling guilty for laughing.

“Don’t be,” Rainbow interrupted quickly. “Looking back I know it was stupid, and pretty funny. It did make things difficult for a long time, right up until my accident…”

“Accident?” I repeated in a concerned voice.

“It wasn’t long after I got my cutie mark,” Rainbow explained, indicating the rainbow lightning bolt on her flank. “Getting it made me pretty reckless for a while, right up until I had a pretty bad crash, really mangled my face, did some serious damage to my head.”

“Oh my!” I exclaimed, looking her up and down curiously. “I wouldn’t have known that.”

“Nope,” Rainbow replied with a grin. “I’ll tell you; those sisters down in the Bask can work some real magic. My old man took me straight there from Olympus on his back, I don’t think he’d ever flown so fast in his life. I still remember seeing my face after it happened in a mirror…”

Rainbow shuddered slightly.

“Only for a second, but that image will never leave me,” she continued. “But the sisters there fixed me up so well that nopony could look at me and ever know just how much my face once resembled a…”

“Actually!” I cut in hurriedly. “I don’t really need to know, it’s fixed now and that’s what’s important.”

“Well after I left the Bask,” Rainbow carried on. “I was never afraid of anything, I always figured that being so close to death made me realise that there’s always something worse… or something. That there’s nothing worth being afraid of, because nothing is ever bad enough to warrant it… or that being afraid won’t change anything, so there’s just no point. I don’t think I’m making any sense…”

“No, no, I think I understand,” I assured her while my own thoughts drifted to the times when I had been close to death.

“Well, that’s the best reason I can give for why I wasn’t afraid,” Rainbow finished. “It probably sounds crazy, but with everything I’ve been through since that first accident, everything I’ve done as a soldier right up until that fight with Iron Sights, I just can’t find it in myself to be afraid anymore… or maybe I just have massive amounts of brain damage.”

We both starting laughing at that, it was a nice, light-hearted way to end a conversation that was becoming dangerously serious.

“Anyway, we should get some rest,” Rainbow suggested. “I convinced the mayor to let squad B set up here, and I’ve also arranged for a ship to take me and squad C to Anchorage tomorrow.”

“Already?” I asked, a little surprised. “The mayor must have been considerably more reasonable than the rest of the ponies here.”

“Thankfully, yeah,” Rainbow confirmed. “Will you be able to find some way back to Glean on your own?”

“Well the barge that got us here in the first place isn’t due back for another couple of days,” I informed her. “But I’m sure I can find somepony willing to make the trip for the right price.”

“Well I hope you won’t need any more than that,” Rainbow stated, referring to the bits she was able to gather up for me. “Because that was really all I had to offer.”

“It’ll be fine, I’m sure,” I replied, stifling a yawn. “And if it isn’t, I’ll wait the couple days for Salty to come by with his barge.”

The morning came, and before long I was sitting on the edge of the dock, watching as Rainbow Dash left along with her final squad on the ship that had been provided for them by the mayor of Breakwater. All around me the soldiers of squad B were familiarising themselves with the layout of the town so they could set up their posts and patrol routes, they didn’t bother me any more after their Marshal had left, and I was content to let them get on without my interference. The rest of my day was spent trying to find anypony with a boat who would be willing to make a quick trip south to Salty’s wharf; however I found the ponies of Breakwater to be just as difficult as they were during my last visit.

If anything, they seemed more bothersome, no doubt they resented me for bringing soldiers of any faction to their town. The mayor was apparently happy enough to have them there, but the same could definitely not be said for her citizens. While they didn’t form mobs to chase them from the town or try to spit at any of them, they made up for it by being as purposefully unhelpful to me as possible. That was how my saviour found me, storming up and down the dock, muttering angrily under my breath.

“Well, well, fancy seein’ you here young’un,” a voice said behind me.

I turned and immediately smiled as I saw a familiar stallion stepping off his ferry onto the dock a few metres from where I had been having my miniature tantrum.

“Salty, am I glad to see you,” I greeted. “Although I was under the impression you wouldn’t be due back here for a couple days.”

“My schedule got messed up,” Salty explained. “Nothin’ to concern yourself with, but I suppose it’s lucky for you. I take it you’re lookin’ a lift south?”

“I am, if it’s not too much trouble,” I replied.

“Not at all,” he assured me, waving it off. “I just need to unload the barge and see if there’s anything for me to transport back with me. As soon as that’s taken care of, I’ll be settin’ off.”

“I can help again if you want,” I offered as I trotted alongside him towards one of the warehouses.

“Hopin’ to get that discount again?” he asked with a knowing smirk. “The offer’s still on the table.”

With the aid of my magic, we were able to set off fairly quickly, it also helped that there ended up being very little for Salty to take back with him. Once we’d set off, it was the same drill as the last time, Salty travelled straight through the night and we arrived back at his dock and house early enough the following morning. I did my part to help him unload the barge once more, I didn’t ask for any extra discount, but he insisted that I at least stay for a bite to eat before making my way to Glean.

I ended up setting off shortly after midday, reaching the outskirts of Glean in good time. I was pleased to see that the restoration scheme appeared to be going well, there were still several armed guards patrolling the streets, but there were many more ponies working the fields and the number of sheep and cattle had increased dramatically. I made my way through the town to the usual inn, deciding I would take it easy for the rest of the day, perhaps I would find somepony who could transport me back to Pivot tomorrow without having to make any more stops.

I was just making my way up to the front door of the inn, giving a polite nod and smile to the guards flanking it, who both returned the gesture, when the door itself flew open and a pony came rushing out, stopping just short of cashing into me. The pony was instantly recognisable, and while I was surprised to see her there, I was also very happy.

“Twilight Sparkle?” I greeted, taken aback by her sudden appearance.

“Rarity?” Twilight replied, sounding equally surprised to see me.

“I was sure you’d be on your way back to Equestria by now,” I commented. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, on the contrary it really is wonderful to…”

“Rarity, we have a huge problem!” Twilight interrupted, grabbing me by the shoulders and staring intently at me.

It was only then I realised how distressed she was, her mane was unkempt with several strands sticking out at awkward angles, and eyes looked like they hadn’t seen sleep in some time.

“What’s the matter Twilight?” I asked, my mind immediately switching to serious mode.

“It’s Blueblood!” she exclaimed. “He’s escaped!”

Comments

[Sir Budginton]

You moron, how could you let him escape!!!!