A Roc And A Hard Place - Part 2
♠♣♥♦ King of
Diamonds
The Ambassador's Son - Book 2
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Chapter 25
A Roc and a Hard Place
Part 2
An MLP:FiM Fanfiction by Midnight Shadow
♠♣♥♦
Agent Bentgrass had a nose for trouble. He could also smell dark magic at two hundred paces and unwashed troll at five, so he was in no danger of losing his quarry.
That was, at least, until the thestral showed up, dropping out of the deep blue sky like the chirpiest of bat-winged rainclouds. Bentgrass had once belonged to the Nightguard, and as an agent in Division Six of the R.I.S, thestrals weren't exactly uncommon in his line of work, but of all the things he'd expected to see in Leviathania, the oddball part-bat equines hadn't got a look-in.
"Prithee tell me," asked the thestral smugly, his voice the texture of honeyed silk, "where dost thine legs taketh thee in such haste?"
"Get lost," Bentgrass growled out the side of his muzzle at the intruder. "I'm busy. And you can drop the Ye Olde Equestrian affectations. It doesn't work on me. Neither does giving me the stink-eye." The grubby white stallion increased in speed, but the thestral didn't seem overly bothered, travelling as he was several feet up in the air, backwards, lazily sculling his broad wings. The infernal creature was grinning, Bentgrass noted with ire, and the thestral's ears were flicking about with mirth.
"Oh Romu—" it began.
"And don't. Use. That. Name." Bentgrass growled, eyes fixed on the middle distance. For a second, Cherry thought they seemed to shine as if wet. "I gave it up when I… left." The agent ground his teeth, and for just a moment, his bottom lip quivered. Bentgrass had been left, and it wasn't Luna, the matriarch of the thestrals, he was talking about.
Cherry silently swooped under an awning then aileron-rolled across to the opposite side of the crowded street. When he once again spoke to Bentgrass, his tone and gaze were both somber. "Forgive me. I spoke in jest, and the evidence of your heartfelt pain is clear. There are so few of us yet. Faith I would not lose a single one."
"I remember the flock. I don't remember you, though." Bentgrass' eyes narrowed. He didn't look up at the thestral and concentrated instead on avoiding passers-by, jinking past out-thrust nicknacks and gewgaws as a myriad of creatures tried selling to him, and jumping over carts that half or sometimes fully blocked the street.
Cherry grinned despite the snub as he weaved above and around the haphazard mishmash of stalls. "Then introductions are in order. You may call me Cherry Pie, for all I go by a different name in official documents. Stuffy, straight-laced things that they are."
Bentgrass looked up in surprise at the thestral. "Cherry Pie? Really?"
Cherry stuck a tongue out. "Correct. Oh, and you should really think about ducking." Cherry pointed with a hoof and jerked his head forwards.
Bentgrass turned his gaze forwards again, growled, and rolled under a lumbering, glowing-eyed trollish creature as it haphazardly thundered up the street towards them. As he passed a few delicate organs, Bentgrass jabbed with his hooves in a few strategic places. There was a high-pitched, strained "yelp!" and the creature stumbled, clutching paws to its groin.
Cherry, for his part, was less playful, and simply slashed with a wing, sending a greenish torrent of ichor spewing forth against a wall as he neatly sliced the creature's neck in two. Cries of annoyance were swiftly lost behind them as the two sped onwards.
"He won't be bothering us again. Doesn't have the head for it," quipped Cherry, a few moments later.
Bentgrass groaned and rolled his eyes as they weaved past a number of colourful stalls and their furiously vending occupants. "Must you? And must you follow me? I'm undercover."
"You're disobeying a superior is what you're doing. I heard the instructions to you."
"Stop interfering!" cried Bentgrass, leaning to one side, skidding his back-end around and careening up another road.
Cherry took a more direct route, flapping his mighty wings to rise above the buildings before dropping back down to rejoin the agent. He grinned cheekily and sculled backwards in the air in front of the agent. "I believe that's my line. Leave this place."
"I can't. It's my job, Cherry," Bentgrass snarled, his ears splaying back against his skull. He grit his teeth. "I swore to protect Equestria against all enemies, foreign and domestic. You took the same oath." Between hoof-beats, the agent jabbed a forehoof at the thestral accusingly.
"Aye, soldier, I took that oath. And another, as you know well." Gone was the levity in the thestral's voice. His expression was grim, and his gaze distant. The words he spoke next were level and calm. "It is in the service of both that I now request of you: stay out of this."
Stalls and shops blurred past as the pair continued their frenzied dash through the city, and Bentgrass showed no sign of stopping. For a few long moments, he showed no sign of having heard, but then he spoke. "You know I can't do that." Bentgrass jutted out his lower jaw, scowling.
"So be it." Cherry's demeanour didn't change. His expression barely even flickered as the thestral pulled ahead, leading the way. Agent Bentgrass locked all four legs and skidded to a halt in surprise and the thestral drew far ahead. He looked back the way he'd come, remembering the pile of meat that had only minutes before been a troll and was now doubtless becoming a meal for the more adventurous wyverns in the city, then back at the thestral.
"What's the catch?" Bentgrass called, as Cherry swooped up and over to hover once more before the agent. He turned carefully to watch the airborne pest, then looked out over the city. Somewhere ahead, through the bunting and past the communal fountains, his quarry was getting away. And other hunters were gaining on them. He turned his head again and fixed his gaze on the thestral. Bentgrass' entire mission would hinge on this moment.
"No catch."
The two head-strong ponies glared at each other, but Bentgrass looked away first. Cherry was sincere. "Go on," he said, quietly.
"There's no catch, but I'm not letting you out of my sight. If our purposes do cross, then there will be a reckoning, though until then… I would aid a former brother in staying safe."
Bentgrass took a deep breath, pacing around the cramped market street. "You mean if I learn something you deem… sensitive," Bentgrass waved a hoof experimentally, then polished a dusty model of some palace or other, ignoring the hawker that demanded he now buy it, "then you will be forced to reel me in. I know the drill. I know how ponies sometimes disappear. It wouldn't even be difficult," Bentgrass added, looking around at the secluded streets with the dark cul-de-sacs at every turn. "Not out here with all these dragons and goodness-knows-what."
Cherry was hovering almost silently. He nodded, solemnly. His stark honesty was almost as chilling as the expression in his eyes. "Unless you can be persuaded of the greater need for… discretion, shall we say?" His tone was light, but there was menace behind his words; not so much a threat as a promise.
"Cherry, I serve Equestria." Bentgrass backed away, ears flat against his head, pawing the ground.
Cherry thrust his head forwards, his muzzle mere inches from Bentgrass. He bared his fangs. "As do I!" Looking away, as if ashamed of his outburst, the thestral landed, fidgeting with his wings before he continued speaking in a softer tone. "Trust me. Trust in the system. Has either princess ever led you astray?"
Bentgrass turned from Cherry and looked back the way they'd come, down the crowded street full of hawkers and vendors going blithely about their business, or in some cases packing away merchandise and sharpening weapons. To Bentgrass' relief, most of the angry muttering was directed at the trolls, not him or Cherry. "No," he said, finally. "But I don't like it."
Cherry was silent for a moment, then he seemed to come to a decision. "Very well. Should it become necessary, I promise you full disclosure. I am confident you will see my side of things." The thestral drew a cross on his chest, then held his hoof out to the agent.
"Agreed." Bentgrass lifted his forehoof and pressed it to the other's with a resounding clop. Fraternal moment over, he dropped it. Turning his head, he sniffed. "This way. It's Bentgrass now, for your information, first name Agrostis. So, are you going to tell me what we're chasing?" The earth stallion with the one strange, yellow eye started to gather speed once more.
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?" Cherry replied, his fangs showing whitely through his broad grin. He took off into the air to follow with an extra amount of swagger.
"Glib. A better answer, if you please."
"There is no better answer, Agent Bentgrass. If you require a more immediate answer however, then mayhaps you will be happy with two words: changelings and trolls – with the former being the more, ah, immediate, should we say. Very immediate. Two of them are currently above us."
"I know." Bentgrass snarled through his teeth. "They're on the roofs, trying to outflank us. The only reason they've not attacked yet is they likely saw what we did to their pack mate back there."
"Alley oops?" Cherry suggested, clopping his two forehooves together and lifting them for a moment.
Bentgrass nodded. "Let's switch. I'll take the left, you the right." So saying, Bentgrass leaped onto a hapless produce-sellers cart, and back-flipped off. As he somersaulted through the air past the irate vendor, who was screaming about the damage to his cabbages, Cherry swooped down, slammed all four metal-shod hooves into the ground, slid in under the earth pony and then bounced back up again with one strong swoop of his wings. Bentgrass was propelled up to the top of the two-story building on the opposite side of the market, where he didn't waste a moment and accelerated into a dead gallop. Cherry rocketed straight upwards, stalled, then nose-dived down in a tight corkscrew. Several hundred pounds of spiked, armoured thestral impacted with a dirty brown troll which was still staring upwards in shock.
KABOOM!
The roof of the building all but vaporized under the impact, and a huge plume of dust and debris burst across the street out of the shattered windows. There was another series of explosions, and a roughly thestral-shaped lump of metal unfolded itself through the front siding of yet another building. Almost apologetically, the buildings behind the bat-winged force of nature collapsed into themselves amidst a haze of dust and rubble. Cherry shook himself clean then turned his gaze towards the opposite side of the street, where Bentgrass was cocking his head to one side and setting his shoulders for impact. The brief bright flash of an empty vial in the sunlight spat rainbows across the street, before everything was covered in a generous helping of dust.
KA-WHUMP!
The grubby white stallion slammed into his own target and kept on moving… right through the third floor of the next building and then over the crumpling body as he checked it into the ground. Jinking to one side, Bentgrass plowed straight through a supporting wall. From there, the building next to him similarly crumbling to pieces, he made a single long leap for the ground, barely even slowing down.
"Comes in useful sometimes, being an earth pony," grunted Bentgrass, spitting mortar from his mouth and sneezing it out his nose. "Though I can't imagine myself doing that without a Zebrican stoneskin potion." Bentgrass jerked his head at the shattered remains of a phial still visible in the rubble behind them.
"Luna's gift gave me wings like my mother, but her touch left me what my father gave me," answered Cherry, grinning weakly. "The enchanted armour helps, but 'tis mostly for the looks."
"We're both going to regret that little stunt, aren't we?" Bentgrass coughed and grinned, wheezing painfully.
"I shall be sore for weeks." Cherry slumped in the air, rubbing one wing ruefully. "I think, in future, we should obstruct rather than confront directly."
"Oh, so we are running interference for the main target!" Bentgrass crowed, galloping blithely through the scattering crowds as they fled the scene of destruction.
"When have trolls and changelings ever been the side to root for?" said Cherry, rolling his eyes derisively. He dipped in the air as he dodged a fleeing wyvern, managing to look bashful as he looked back at the devastation. "Granted, one day they may surprise me," he allowed, "but today, I can assure you, is not that day."
"One problem, Cherry," said Bentgrass, chewing his lip. "Stopping these trolls down here on the ground is all well and good, but what are we going to do about the changelings?"
"We aren't going to do anything about them since you cannot fly. We're going to have to trust in my flock-mate's abilities and that our young charges can hold their own."
Bentgrass' ears twitched. Curiouser and curiouser, he said to himself. He grinned thinly as they picked up the pace; he would unravel this mystery one hoofstep at a time. Changelings, dragons and trolls, hmm? Oh my.
♠♣♥♦
Penny's wings were starting to feel the burn now as Bella's spell wore off. A fully trained member of Equestria's Guard could pull incredible amounts of materiel for astounding distances through the skies. Penny was no guard, and the frantic pace was catching up with her. Soaring and gliding was one thing, but powering at speed without a break wasn't something she was used to. Her armour was chafing as she was starting to sweat. She'd thought about asking Bella for a pick-me-up boost to the weight spell, but from the brief glances behind that she'd managed to steal, she'd seen that her friend was looking drained too. Wingbeats perked up her spirits, and she called out to her two griffon friends.
"Oh, thank Celestia and Luna you two are back. I was starting to get wor—AAIIIEEEEE!" Penny's relieved commentary became an ear-splitting shriek as the wing beats that powered in from the side proved to belong to neither of the two griffons but to a green and scaly almost-dragon.
With a sinuous, long neck and a snapping, razor-toothed beak - and only two hind legs and wings - wyverns were a distinctive sight in the skies above Leviathania. It latched onto Penny's llight armour and hissed before sinking its fangs through the reinforced, riveted leather and into her hide. The pegasus screeched again as the wyvern ripped and tore at her barding, tearing great rents in the modified crinet that extended down her neck past her wings and the crupper which protected her hind quarters.
"Get away from her, you—!" There was a sudden flare of green fire, and it became the wyvern's turn to scream. It dropped groundwards, batting at the magefire plasma ball that surrounded it.
"Phew. Thanks, B," said Penny, voice quavering.
"Don't thank me yet! We're still not home free."
"Well, almost."
"But that doesn't change the fact that— We've got more incoming! Dodge!" Bella lowered her horn again and let loose another volley of flame that passed mere inches above Penny's head, and another that sped off to the left. The attacking wyverns screeched indignantly, and then their forms seemed to flicker as the astonished unicorn watched, their green scales becoming hard, black chitin. When their true gossamer wings replaced the leathern wings of the wyverns they'd first appeared to be, the changelings became that much more maneuverable. Now their blue eyes burned brightly and they hissed in pleasure at the fright blooming on their quarries' faces.
"Penny!" screamed Bella as one once more latched on to her friend. It's twisted, angular horn glowed and the strange creature seemed to breathe in. A strange, purple-greenish glow began to flow from the pegasus and into the creature's mouth. Slumping, Penny's wingbeats faltered, and the cart lost speed.
"Don't! Keep going! You can do it! We can do it! Don't let them get to you!" hollered Bella as she let loose another yet another volley of fireballs. The changeling that was sucking on Penny's lifeforce like an ugly, four-legged bloated tick was blasted free. It spun and whirled away behind them. Another fireball - so much smaller than the previous that Bella almost wept - passed harmlessly between three more changelings, but she cheered when her peptalk was enough to spur Penny on.
"I don't... doubt it... for a... minute!" huffed Penny, redoubling her efforts.
"You can do it! I believe in you! Believe in me!" screamed Bella, gritting her teeth and pouring her energy into her horn, powering through the growing, thumping headache to loose off another round. The changelings scattered again, but one latched on to the unicorn with its spindly, disjointed legs. It lunged at Bella, sucking toothlessly as the same purplish-green glow flowed into it from her. She snarled wordlessly and lunged with her horn at it's face, puncturing something in its muzzle. It screeched and fell off and behind, then was torn to shreds by a roaring bundle of griffon-shaped energy.
"Well, you're going to have plenty of chances to prove it," growled Bethany, picking bits of bug out of her metal-shod claws. "Get your war muzzle on, girl," ordered the griffon in her best approximation of a diamond dog. "We've got company." She pointed ahead where several more groups of now-obvious changelings advanced on their position.
"Less than a minute to the ship, B. You keep up the firepower and I'll keep up the go-go juice."
There was a sudden loud, trumpeting cry, and two sets of wings and talons dropped out of the sky, slamming into the two nearest changelings. Beaks pecked, tore and ripped at their prey, sending them tumbling end over end towards the ground. Looping up and around, Bethany and Carmine once more flanked the little cart. They were breathing heavily, and were both bleeding from numerous scratches, but they were otherwise hale and hearty.
"Go, team!" cheered Penny weakly, pumping a forehoof into the air. All four shared a grin.
"No time for lollygagging," harrumphed Carmine. "We've got to get to the airship. According to Chip, it's off limits to… Akhekhu, did he say?"
"We better hope it is," grumbled Bethany, "because otherwise all this is for—"
"Incoming!" screeched Penny suddenly, cutting the griffon off as she wheeled and dove.
"Luna take me to the palace of the stars--" whimpered Bella silently from the back of the cart. Bethany squawked something untranslatable and physically impossible, feathers akimbo as she spun and snatched with her claws at the new targets. Carmine peeled off and turned in behind to come back up from below as six more changelings made their attack. Tossing one shredded changeling aside, Bethany flipped upside down, locked her talons and hindpaws on two of the six and slammed their heads together before hurling them towards the ground. Two more of the six then grabbed her, biting and clawing as they fouled her wings. With barely a cry, she started to fall, fluttering helplessly towards Carmine - who was similarly flailing.
Despair welled in them both as they began hurtling groundwards, but suddenly a purple and grey blur hammered past at great speed. In the blink of an eye, it scored a direct hit on two of the creatures, dislocating their wings and shredding membranes. If it hadn't been for their incredibly tough exoskeleton, the interloper would most likely have shattered the changelings' bones and pulverized their internal organs; whoever-it-was was that fast. Blurring past in another deadly attack run mere moments after the first, the newcomer sliced off a wing of yet another changeling before vanishing into the hazy skies.
Suddenly freed, the two griffons spread their wings, arrested their descent and began to rise.
"What was—?" Carmine began but had to break off and scatter as a plume of what could only be described as white-hot dragonfire speared through the nearby final group of attackers, neatly immolating the two last changelings that were harrying Penny and Bella.
"You can thank me later," said a remarkably refined and calm voice to the four brave young warriors. The owner was bracketed by the blazing sun and all but invisible in the glare. "Just get yourselves and your prize to safety."
"It's, uh, with Chip," whispered Penny.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Don't tell him that! He's the one from the train! They tried to take it from us!" hissed Carmine, her neck feathers fluffing out as she sized up the intruder. He may have saved their lives, but he was still an unknown quantity.
"My lady, plans have changed. And if your information is true, it is unfortunate. I had hoped we would see a favourable resolution. Still, all is not yet lost. Be assured, my mistress no longer wishes to possess your bauble for herself. She only wishes that our common enemies do not. Now go! Fly, you fools!" Leathery wings flapped hard, and whatever it was accelerated at an inequine speed away towards a distant group of changelings and fresh blood.
"What was—?" began Penny, breathlessly, squinting at the receeding dot. She shook her head in wonder. There was no time to waste, even over their enigmatic saviour. She resumed her laboured flapping towards the ship. She could cry, it was such a beautiful sight. It loomed ahead of them now, blotting out the sun.
"I don't know," replied Bella, "but I think he's on our side."
"Don't look a gift… whatever-that-is in the mouth. Let's book!" crowed Carmine.
Bella hurled another ball of fire at some distant changelings. She was exhausted, yet triumphant. The creatures scattered in confusion as it passed, unsure whether to simply flee the mysterious stranger which now threatened to permanently thin their ranks, or to switch targets and fight him. Either way, they were too far to stop their targets from achieving their desires.
Bella cheered silently as the two griffons and two ponies circled the ship. Moments later, however, the cheer changed to a blood-curdling scream as she found herself hanging on for dear life.
Penny had learned about a comfortable approach from her school instructors but had decided she was having none of it. she'd learned about speed from Hairpin, and that suited her just fine. She whooped for joy as she flew almost vertically down the envelope, going into a tight turn to level out as they approached the doors. Breathing heavily, she airbraked with her wings to park, hovering outside, flapping her wings gently with steam rising from her flanks. Unceremoniously, the two griffons ponyhandled the scared-rigid unicorn out of the cart and all but shoved her horn into the lock.
"Open it, or we're done for!" hissed Carmine.
"Opening! Keep your feathers on!" snapped Bella before grumbling a few choice, unrepeatable words under her breath. Moments later, the entryway slid open, and almost before the steps had finished reforming, all four were inside and hammering at the runic gemstone for them to close again, the cart barely fitting and left tilted on one side in the hallway. There then followed a mad dash through the ship towards the two bridges, the aft of which was pointed back the way they had come, as the girls fought to both get a look and prepare for boarders. All four of the girls pressed their beaks and muzzles up against the bay glass windows as they scanned for interlopers. Off in the distance, their mysterious benefactor was again spewing lances of fire at dotted groups of changelings.
"What is he? Another Chip?" asked Penny.
"No, no, that's magic. That's… bottled dragonfire. I can taste the magic from it," said Bella.
"A prince? Like Luna or Celestia?"
"No horn," interjected Carmine, "and his wings are wrong. Look how he flies! It's… well, that's not a pegasus. That's not a normal pony at all. He's not like Chip, but he's not a pegasus or an alicorn either."
"Waaiittt," said Bethany. "I've… heard of these guys. There are stories, old stories… and a few new ones now that Luna has returned. She… she has her own guard. They're different. You don't think...?" The golden-hued griffon peered out of the windows speculatively.
"What, he's working for Luna? Oh stars, we are in so much trouble!" squeaked Bella. "Celestia would just banish us to the moon for a thousand years. Luna? She'll… turn us into pot plants or something!"
"Relax," scoffed Bethany. "If he'd wanted us potted he'd have done it himself. You heard him; his mistress – whoever she is – doesn't want either that staff that Ruff's been carrying around, or those skulls. And he's doing his best to make sure Chip gets here safely. Which we should totally be helping with, by the way. So come on! Get your butts in gear! This junk's gotta still be ticking over, or the lights would be off! That means we've got ammo! we've got weaponry! Time for us to get serious!" The grin on Bethany's beak would have been frightening at any other time, but right now… they all shared the sentiment.
♠♣♥♦
We're almost there. Not long now. We're almost there. Just a little further. The mental litany was repetitive, but it helped calm his mind and keep his attention off the pain. It would have continued to were it not for two huge explosions that rocked the nearby buildings, one after another, just a few seconds apart. They were followed by the unmistakable sound of falling masonry. Chip swore under his breath as he looked up to see two whole buildings nearby seemingly disintegrate. Plumes of dust exploded through the streets, choking his nose and blinding his eyes. He whimpered from the pain as his injured leg and shoulder burned with every jolting impact from fleeing citizens and their thrice-damned mobile market stalls.
"What from Tartarus' rusty gates was that? More trouble?" He coughed, wheezing, as the air became thick with particulates.
"Ruff think not for us," his canine passenger replied, coughing and spitting. "Our trouble drop buildings on us. Ruff think that trouble drop buildings on our trouble."
Stumbling and almost falling flat on his face as he impacted with a low wall he hadn't seen through the grime, Chip howled in pain as he fought to stay upright.
"Hope you're right," he gasped. "Cover's blown. Can't stay... down here. Don't know if... can run much further. Time to fly," he mumbled, his words almost gibberish even to his own ears. So saying, Chip spread his wings, leaped, and came crashing down. "I can't!" he wailed, tears streaming from his eyes as he felt his ankle twist. "My legs… I can't. I can't keep up this speed! I… I can't do it!" He leaped again, but it was little more than a half-hearted hop.
"Ruff say Chip can do it. Wings okay, yes?"
"Uh huh, but… winded!"
"Know how Ruff catch up so quick before, with changeling-troll?"
"Uh-uh." Chip shook his head, wincing as pain flared in his neck. He spat, tasting blood again.
"Ruff stone talker. Stone everywhere. Ready for a boost? Going up!" Ruff closed his eyes, balled his fists, and then slammed them together. Under his hooves, Chip felt the ground swell and surge, and a massive slab of rock erupted from beneath him. It slammed into him, almost knocking the breath out of his body. He felt it accelerate him, pummeling him skywards. Laughing for joy - a strained, weak laugh, it's true, but a laugh none the same - he spread his wings, and flapped. To his amazement, he felt them bite, and he gained altitude. Spitting a mixture of blood and flame as he shifted his attention to his ever-faithful Bevelmiter engines, he flapped his magitech wings laboriously to gain height.
As the city dropped away beneath them, there were a number of similar rumbling demolitions, and plumes of dust rose up, leading in a clear line towards where they'd just been. Whoever it was, they'd either been following the trio, or they'd been following whoever it was who had been. The trio, however, had got clean away.
A mournful howl echoed across the city, and Chip answered it with a derisive, hooting roar and a brief spurt of flame. Seemingly at once, dark, winged shapes appeared out of the surrounding mesa to converge on their position. Ruff growled, and punched Chip in the withers.
"Don't look now, boss, but I think you just put us back on the menu," added Ivan, doing his best facepalm using a digit that didn't have a palm.
"Sorry," rumbled Chip, coughing and spitting another wad of flame. It sailed away on the wind to land a direct hit on one of the converging beasties. Said creature screamed, batted at the resultant flare-up and fell out of the sky.
"Only one thing left to do now, boss," piped up Ivan. "We gotta move fast. Get to the ship, get away."
"Ship far. Think we make it?" asked Ruff plaintively, clutching reflexively at the staff he held in his paws.
"That's the least of our worries," rumbled Chip, his voice thick with molten lava phlegm. "You've still go to make sure you've had a nice chat with the merchandise. I just make the ship go. You and B have got to point it in the right direction."
"No offence kid, but you'se gotta even get there first. Worry about the to when you've got away with the from, eh? And thems what you're running away from look like they're not happy wid the idea."
Chip grit his teeth, wings flapping as hard as he could make them. Flames spurted from between his lips as he strained to pick up speed and altitude. Bella's spell was failing, so with every wingbeat it was getting harder and harder to keep the pace.
"I know! Don't tell me what I already know!" Tears streaked from his eyes as the pain caught up with him. He almost fell out of the sky when his wings seized up as one especially powerful wave of agony shot through his body.
"Then…" Ruff said, once Chip had levelled off. "Ruff want to know… you seen what's following?"
Chip turned his head, Ruff leaning out the way as the plume of smoke from Chip's mouth almost engulfed him.
"What is that." Chip's voice was flat and level, somewhere between rage and fear, as he glared daggers at a large, black shadow that was rapidly gaining behind them.
"Ruff not know, but it gaining. And… ship have lots of things outside it. Ruff pretty sure none of them are the girls."
"Hate to say this, boss, but you're hosed. You're not gonna make it."
For the first time, Chip felt despair wash over him. He felt so heavy and large, so ponderous… but now he thought about it, he didn't feel weak. He felt… dormant. He felt like he was somehow resting. He felt huge, ponderously so. Chip's brow furrowed; something was new, something he'd somehow forgotten about. It was a familiar feeling, and as the ship ahead grew nearer and nearer, it was intensifying. All of a sudden, he understood. Almost instantly, the feeling of despair was chased away by a new feeling of elation. They might make it after all.
"Ivan," said Chip levelly, "I'm gonna ask you to do something—"
"Stow it. I've got wings. I'll be alright, and you can do without the weight. I'll take a few of the smaller guys down for ya, but even so, I don't think it's gonna be enough."
"It'll be enough." Chip grinned now, through the pain.
"It too far!" howled Ruff.
"It would be... if our fully functional airship didn't have engines!"
♠♣♥♦
The airship lurched, throwing Penny into one wall as she made her way to the Wing Motion Gun chamber.
"Split primaries and flayed feathers! What the hell was that? Chip, I wish you were here! We need to—"
"Penny!?" came a voice from one of the wall-mounted speakers. It was barely audible, but understandable.
"Chip?" exclaimed Penny, casting her head about. "What in the nine realms...?"
"Penny! I can… I heard you…"
"Where are you? Onboard?"
"No, I'm…" the voice dropped off as Chip stopped directly addressing her to instead swear profusely at something only he could see, his voice fading in and out. Then it strengthened again. "I can feel the ship," he explained. "As I get closer, I can feel her more and more. When I powered her up, I… linked her to me, the same way I linked my wings. Tell me it's working?"
"You can what!?" shouted Penny, eyes wide.
"I'm moving the ship. Can't talk—" Chip's voice faded out again for a moment then suddenly returned. "—ome towards us. Some big bastard is gaining. You gotta get it off me. You gotta move the ship into position then fire the big gun!"
"We're tied down! You can't move the ship, I've gotta get us off the mooring spire first, or you'll pull it with you!"
"I'll take that chance. We're not gonna make it otherwise."
"Horseapples!" swore Penny. Then she hammered a comms construct on the wall and yelled out, "Bella! Get the ship off the tower! It's moving!"
"No shit!" came the reply from the bridge. "We heard all that. We felt it, too. Doing our best! You just get to the big gun!"
There was a sudden surge as the drive engines kicked in. "I hope your best is good enough," Penny muttered. She picked up her hooves and hammered down the corridor to a door she knew well. Throwing it open, she entered the weapon chamber and strapped herself in. "WMG online. Firing when ready." The pegasus fought to keep her wings steady. Who knew how sensitive this thing was?
"Acknowledged."
♠♣♥♦
Bella waved her horn at the complicated bank of rune-inscribed crystals, and a number of them lit up. There was an echoing crash and the ship lurched again. Outside, debris rained down into the streets as guide-ropes snapped and restraining gantries tore free from their moorings. With a creaking, groaning cacophony of tortured metal, the Great Harmony took flight. Bethany and Carmine dashed from control bank to control bank trying desperately to release the last of the restraints. Ponderously, but gaining speed, the Great Harmony floated above the city towards Chip and Ruff, shedding debris as it went.
Down near the engine room, the intercom crackled into life as the secondary bridge contacted weapon control.
"Penny, we need you!" cried out Bella, one claw pressed desperately against the radio button.
"I'm ready!" Penny called back.
"Fire it!"
"But what about Chip—?"
"Just fire it! Now!" shouted Bella.
"Goddess watch over them," muttered Penny. She pulled on the hoof restraint straps with her mouth, unfurled her wings, and flapped.
♠♣♥♦
"You going to do what!?" shouted Ruff.
"I said I'm going to move my ship."
"No, no, no… you do that, you're just asking to get boarded!" yelled Ivan.
"Don't worry about that. The girls have got things in hoof," Chip replied, grinning around his pain. "And it's not just any airship; it's a battleship. The pride of the fleet."
Ivan whistled, clicking his antennae together. "Somebody's going to be mad in the morning."
"Which is another reason we've got to get out of here. And the reason that you have got to get out of here now. Ruff and I, we've got no choice. You've got to get back and look after Hairpin. You're her valet, right?"
Ivan looked down at the ground then at the swarm of black, chitinous creatures heading their way.
"I don't envy you, boss."
"Get going, bug."
Ivan clicked his mandibles once, saluted, and let go. He dropped like a stone, twirling in the slipstream as he fell towards the city.
"Almost home free," said Chip, returning the salute to their guide.
"Not to be counting rabbits before skinning, Chip," said Ruff darkly, pointing behind them.
"I don't want to look, do I?" huffed Chip. The answering roar from something large and regrettably close confirmed his suspicions.
"Ruff doing what can!" the troll shouted, waving his one free paw about. Chip could feel the flare and flash of the pup's magic. It left a metallic, tinny taste in his mouth. A distant ticking mixed with screeches and the whiz of shrapnel spoke volumes about Ruff's growing ability with stone. The pup was pulling pieces off the buildings as they passed and hurling them at their enemies. From the continued roaring behind them though, it was only having limited success.
"Don't look back!" Ruff shouted. "Just fly!"
"How big is it?" roared Chip, eyeing the growing shape of the Great Harmony. His lungs ached, his vision was blurry and it felt like his entire body was on fire. Worse, it felt like his fire was going out. He hadn't been without fire for almost a year, and found the idea frightening. If they didn't make it to safety soon, they weren't going to make it at all.
"It big!" the pup replied.
"Bigger than us?"
"Much."
Chip dared a look back, and his gaze was caught by the ferocious, empty stare of a gigantic bird of prey. Its beak was serrated and its gaze reptilian, the head extended on a longish thin neck. Its claws glinted in the sun as it screeched in rage.
Chip drew a sharp breath, then was silent for a moment before speaking calmly to Ruff. "I… want to say thanks. If we don't get out of this, thanks."
"What?" yelped Ruff, peering fearfully over his shoulder as he continued his projectile assault on the roc. "What you doing? Chip? Chip?!" Ruff turned to face forwards and whimpered. His ears flattened back against his head and he grabbed even tighter at Chip's mane. Ahead was the Great Harmony. Its engines hummed loudly as it powered towards them. Worryingly, the large, silver, forbidding turret of quite possibly the largest cannon Ruff had ever seen was pointed directly towards them. For a moment, the entire world seemed to breathe in… but that was just the Wing Motion Gun priming itself.
Not that this was a good thing, mused Ruff.
Moments later, with the full fury of the tempest, the cannon fired. With an explosion that was far more felt than heard, the gun spat out a gargantuan whirlwind. In desperation, Chip brought in his wings and dived straight down the eye of the storm.
The world tilted and whirled crazily, earth and sky becoming jumbled in a mass of confusing colours and sensations. All sound had ceased the moment the cannon had fired, replaced with a single, high-pitched tone and a crushing pain in the ears.
His stomach emptied itself as Ruff hung on for dear life, the sick mercifully vanishing somewhere behind and away. Chip was spinning, dead in the air. Not knowing quite what to do, but knowing something had to be done, the pup yanked on a wing, halting the tumble. The sudden jolted brought his ride awake, and the draconic stallion spread both wings, pulled up, and soared into a sky suddenly bereft of changelings and of ominously large flying creatures — other than Chip, of course. Distantly, there came an indignant screeching cry and an almighty crash as something very large and very heavy impacted with the ground. Ruff wasn't sure whether whatever-it-was was going to get up again or not, but chances were they'd be well away before it got airborne.
"Do Ruff one favour?" the pup whined.
"What's that?"
"Never do that again."
"I'll see what I can do. Can you spot our friend?"
Ruff nodded as Chip glanced back. "Can see. Not pretty."
"What a pity."
"Ruff think it good idea we leave. Now."
"I couldn't agree more."
At the firing of the Wing Motion Gun, the changelings swarming around the airship had scattered. A few braver individuals darted closer, to be picked off by Ruff's flying shrapnel and what was, at this point, flaming wads of molten blood from Chip.
Looping under the airship, weaving between dangling guide-ropes and semi-attached girders, Chip headed for the cargo bay hatch. It was still reeling open when he sped through it to come to a quick, short stop in some cargo netting. Breathing heavily, he floundered about for a moment then laid his head down.
"Ruff," he said weakly, "get the headpiece to the bridge. Do what you've got to do, but get us out of here. Jump as soon as you can. I'm taking us up, but I'm done."
"Ruff on it," the pup said. He disentangled himself from Chip's mane and dug around inside the dragon's pannier bags. Pulling out their grisly prize, the pup then scampered off towards the bridge.
For almost a minute after the pitter-patter of Ruff's tiny paws had died away, Chip didn't move. Then he dragged himself to his hooves and moved towards the still-open hatch. There was only one thing left to be done before they could jump, and Chip was going to do it come hell or high water. Gesturing, he bid the hatch open fully. Walking right up to the edge, he stood and surveyed the city below him as he took the ship upwards. The changeling swarm was back, and mushroom-like clouds of debris strewn amongst the buildings spoke of more trolls, but none of them could stop him now.
Summoning his rage, he felt it boil inside him until it bubbled around his ears and threatened to spill over. Then he took a deep breath, swelled his chest, and roared.
"I am Chiphoof Irontail Leatherback of the Diamond Expanse!" he yelled into the aether, his voice echoing across the city. "I seek the treasure of the diamond dog king! And I will find it! And then, Akhekhu, I WILL FIND YOU!"
The changelings were closer now, close enough that a group of them shied back from his lance of flame. But one group accelerated, heading for the open cargo bay.
"You really didn't want to do that," said Chip with a grin. The creatures didn't flinch, didn't slow and didn't change course, which wasn't altogether a wise move. Ruff and Bella, on the bridge, had just finished laying in the jump coordinates. Chip felt the systems engage, but held off for just a moment longer. That one moment was just long enough for the changelings to get almost close enough to get inside… but not quite.
The world lurched as the ship left Leviathania.
The changelings… didn't. Not quite.
There are, if the brutal truth be told, many terrible ways to die. One among those which is spoken of in hushed whispers is what happens when a translocation spell goes wrong. With a ship the size of the Great Harmony, the safety margin is large and well-defined — for those on the inside.
The changelings, however, were outside. As the ship left Leviathania on aethereal wings, space stretched in new and unfathomable ways. The translocation matrix formed a bridge between two points which weren't, technically, connected and the small, unfortunate group of creatures were treated to the unenviable position of having their bodies spread across thousands of miles of real space and an eternity of unreal space, all in one, long, unending instant.
Bidding the cargo hatch close, Chip turned away and fell to his knees… and then to the deck. Whatever was left wouldn't last long, not once time resumed for them at least. Until then, they would be stuck in an eternity of half-life as their essence was ripped asunder.
♠♣♥♦
Bentgrass lay on his side in the shattered remains of a stall that had been, thankfully, selling ornamental cushions. There were, all in all, worse places to end such a chase.
Somewhere above, there was an explosion. Something impossibly big and unlikely to be breathing landed somewhere nearby. Well, 'landed' was the wrong word. It implied control and a safe rate of descent. Not to mention a more graceful cessation of motion than that offered by sudden impact with the ground.
"I don't want to know, do I?" Bentgrass wheezed, trying hard to uncross his eyes.
"Not really." Cherry Pie was breathing heavily too. He was bleeding from a number of deep cuts which didn't look healthy, but he was alive. They both were, surprisingly.
"You know, that's one of the things I don't miss: the monster hunting. Luna's patrols were very rarely boring. I think I've learned to appreciate boring."
"Then, Agent Bentgrass, I shall leave you with plenty to bore you. Namely, the paperwork."
"Oh, no. No, no, no! You get to explain what all this was about. You get to tell me what I was chasing, and you get to tell me why Leviathania is full of trolls and changelings." Bentgrass tried to struggle to his hooves as Cherry backed into a darkened alley.
"My apologies, Agent, but you of all ponies should know how it must be."
"Get back here! Get...!" Bentgrass staggered into the alley then spun in a circle. It was devoid of everything but shadows, drainpipes and moss. "Luna's dusty cr—" Bentgrass ducked, then looked up guiltily. "Sorry," he mumbled. Biting on his lower lip, he listened for the approaching sound of leathery wings and the clip-clop of what sounded for all the world like deer. Collapsing somewhat theatrically to the floor as a group of badged perytons rounded the corner, he spat out a good mouthful of dust and debris. "Did… anypony get… the number of that cart?" he moaned, and closed his eyes.
With cries of attention and an almost military efficiency, the newcomers rushed to his aid, seeing to his injuries with globs of anaesthetic cream and antiseptic swabs. Gratefully — and truth be told, somewhat necessarily — he relaxed his limbs and allowed his body to go limp as they tended his wounds. It wouldn't get him out of the paperwork, but it would give him time to practice his alibi, and it would also mean he wouldn't have to walk back to his hotel. Having said that, it would probably be a good idea to be as gone as possible before nightfall; sooner or later, somedragon was going to start putting the unofficial reports together, and then things could get rather sticky for an Agent of the Equestrian Crown.
As they lifted him onto a stretcher, hooked up an IV and cast a few basic healing spells over his bruised and abused frame, Bentgrass began to smile. Maybe it was the painkillers taking effect, but suddenly the day didn't seem quite so bad.
Humming to himself happily, Bentgrass rolled off into the sunset. And to think, he told himself, that I was hoping things would have stopped at bad drinks and disappointment.
♠♣♥♦
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I have one thing to say about this chapter.
"My cabbages!"
Amazing work, as always, Midnight. Thank you for continuing on this, it's in my top three most anticipated to be updated stories.
Just wanted to say that I find this series to be an excellent piece of literature.
In particular, the concept of what it means to be a dragon is really interesting.
~bass
Cabbage Guy never catches a break, even across the multiverse.
Also, when Chip makes his declaration roar. Awesome.
aweeeesoooome
3813325
3814136
All editors unanimously agreed that a chase scene through a market just had to include that at one point
3816748 And I was personally hoping someone would include a link to those scenes
These commentators never let me down.
Ahh, the cabbage vendor. Now there is a joke that will never get old.
This paragraph confuses me, who is the griffon that is speaking?
I love how powerful Ruff is becoming. His stone abilities are coming in very handy.
Ooooo, and Chip's connection to the airship allows him to fly it remotely? Awesome.
3820980
Oh dammit, that "Bella" is supposed to be "Bethany".
Wing Motion Gun, huh? I got a chuckle out of that one.
Now, trolls, griffins, ponies, and pony-shaped dragons, that's a wholly different matter.
A most thrilling chapter. Fantastic plot twist. Chip is quite good at the whole artifact attunement thing, isn't he?
And the multidimensional splinching... ouch.
In any case, at least our heroes have a desperately needed chance to rest and relax. I'm definitely looking forward to more, especially the political fallout. I can't imagine that the dragons will appreciate this kind of thing happening in their capital city.
3814136
I swear, ever since the Fire Nation attacked, cabbage vendors across the Multiverse have been under siege. Having an earthbender on the protagonists' team only exacerbates the problem.
Can't wait for the next chapter!
3836776
If you kept an eye out, you'd know what Great Harmony translates as. Or rather, what it's the translation of.
3855353
Hmm I wonder what that means... *does a quick Google search*
Oh you magnificent bastard!
**CHAPTER 22 SPOILERS AHEAD!!**
Okay in all seriousness though this was one heckuva chapter, the phrase "action packed" can't even begin to describe it!
Its good to see that at least Luna has more or less caught wind of whats going on and is offering at least some support for Chip and crew. Now if only we didn't need to worry about Celestia banishing him to the moon... ah well that's future Chips problem!
Also I have to say that initial scene with chip and the changeling-dogs does a good job of illustrating that in addition to all the perks he's gained from his new found draconic heritage, it would seem Chip has inherited the classic draconic vice of Pride as well. It should be interesting to see what role this fact will play in the rest of the story.
Also in addition to teaching some unfortunate mooks a harsh lesson with regards to General Rule #1 ("Don't bring an X to a Y fight") I certainly hope Chip took heed of General Rule #2 ("Don't let your guard down in a freaking war zone!") Yikes that had to hurt!
Well in any case I do hope there is some much needed R&R on the way for our intrepid crew. Can't wait for the next chapter!
3860397
Believe you me, I was a pleased as punch to discover what it translated to
Oh, I'm sure they'll be fine. I'm channeling George R.R. Martin after all. He's the one who did LOTR, right? Right?
3860627
Oh dear Celestia GRRM has been invoked. I am now officially terrified!
Did I catch a Gurren Lagann reference in there, or just a coincidence?
And so, does a thirty xanatos pileup begin. Every being has their places in the pawn, yet, the only one with less of a direct interest interest in this, is the kind alone. Whom has everything to gain no matter who triumphs. But ultimately, where celestia and luna respectively have the web of control, nothing stops when a dragon chooses. And this will certainly upset the weave of reality, for the staff controls all diamond dogs, no matter which realm they abide by. And it will be a dragon that unites them, and the power that comes with that.
Will chip reach the end of the board, and find himself more than a pawn? Or, will he be taken?
3874933
Begin? The pileup began a looonnnggg time ago. And all the current players think they have the end-game already plotted out
I'm playing my cards relatively close to my chest, but you should also be able to see the firework show beginning by now
3874946 a pileup doesn't begin until the reader/viewer can see it. You have to establish the players, the obvious ones at least, or you get the giant space flea out of nowhere kinda deals. I rather figured you would with this, (in regards to keeping the story close) and likely the two more books that follow the end of this to show off the nature of what hits the skies when dragons act..
And yes, doesn't mean we can't enjoy a good show, just more so that the only one with any medium to see the end results is letting chaos have its say, and the merit of worth acted upon. There are an infinite amount of choices one being might take, (let alone the many involved) until the time closes shut on their life. To one that reads the threads, its simply a matter of pragmatic nature. You know how the result can end among millions, each act, from powers high and low, shape the course of history. With knowing all of them, its a simple matter to let 'destiny' flow.
Another fun chapter in this story. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.
It better be some dank bud.