9c: Festival Of Friendship, Part 2
Down in the hallways in the lower levels of the castle, the flow of incoming ponies had slowed to a halt. I sat quietly with Sweetie Belle, keeping one eye on her and the other on the disposition of the guards coming back from the upper levels. The day was dragging into late evening, and the magical torches shifted to a brighter hue. The Armory was a solidly defensible position, and the guards had been holding it valiantly. Occasionally, a group of guards would return from the upper level, sporting fresh injuries, faces stoic. I could almost smell the worry radiating from them, though.
Sweetie Belle stuck to my side, watching the guards as well. As one limped past, she pressed a little closer to my side and whispered in my ear. “Do you think they’re going to win?”
I rested a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. “I’m sure they’re doing their best,” I replied. It was a non-answer, and Sweetie seemed to know it, but she gave a nod, turning her green eyes away from the guard and looking at me.
“I hope Applebloom and Scootaloo are okay. And everypony else,” she said quietly, trying not to disturb the nearby guards who were resting, having just rotated out from the fighting on the upper levels.
Whatever was happening up above, it was tough and tight quarters fights, and they were rotating groups of guards up more and more often, and less and less were coming back down to rest. The ones that had returned most recently were looking battered, armor damaged and limbs bandaged. I took in their state and frowned to myself, but tried to focus on Sweetie Belle. “I’m sure they’re okay. Big Mac and the Apple family are a bunch of tough folk. I can’t imagine them letting anything happen to your friends.”
Sweetie nodded, letting out a sigh. “I know. I just… I know we need to hold out. Rarity and all her friends will come to help us, once they have a plan. It always takes them a while to make a good plan, but they’ve never… not come through,” she said, her small smile uncertain.
I didn’t know what to say to that. I’d watched them go off a massive waterfall. Even if they’d somehow survived, the likelihood that they’d be in any shape to mount a rescue was slim. Rainbow Dash and maybe Fluttershy could have flown out of the water, Twilight could have teleported or flew. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity, though? They didn’t have such luxury of easy escapes. I took a slow breath. “Yeah. We just have to hold out,” I agreed. The words felt hollow, even as I spoke them. “We can stay here and… maybe find a way to help the guardponies. They’ve been fighting this whole time to keep us safe, we can find things to do to help them, too.”
Sweetie Belle perked up at that. “Hey, yeah, you’re right. We can help!” Her green eyes got a little of that familiar sparkle back into them, the sadness pushed back by the idea of being useful. I remembered her cutie mark, how part of her special talent was helping others, and realized I’d found the perfect thing to help keep her occupied.
I stood up, brushing off my pants and adjusting my pistol’s holster into a more comfortable position. “Let’s go ask Gunnery Sergeant Iron what we can do to help.”
I strode down the corridor, Sweetie following close. As we moved back towards the armory proper, the situation shifted before my eyes. The ponies deeper in the more protected sections of the armory were the more badly injured ones, and a makeshift field hospital had been set up in the central armory area. A few pony medics hustled about, doing their best to mend injuries and care for hurt guards. Gunny Iron was at the center of it, issuing commands and doling out gear as guards returned and rotated back into the fight. His voice was a sharp bark, “Get me two new sets of greaves, the heavy ones. We’ve got sets to mend, get on that! I need more spear tips and hafts to replace these busted ones, bring me everything we’ve got!”
I approached him. “Gunnery Sergeant Iron?”
Gunny Iron glanced up from a spear shaft that he was affixing a new point to. “I don’t have a lot of time here, Jake.”
“We want to help,” I explained, gesturing to myself and Sweetie Belle. The Gunny paused, looking up properly and taking us in.
“I… don’t know. Do you know any medical stuff?” he asked, frowning thoughtfully, eyes going between myself and Sweetie.
“A bit. I’ve had to help with injuries before,” I replied.
“I know basic first aid! I took a course in it trying to get a medical cutie mark,” Sweetie added on, smiling. “It’s really come in handy a lot more than I’d have thought, honestly. My friends and I used to end up crashing into trees or getting stuck in brambles a lot more than you’d expect.”
The Gunny and I exchanged a look, and then he blew out a slow breath. “Yeah, I could use some help, but… listen, young filly, I’m just worried—”
Sweetie spoke up before he could finish. “I know what’s going on. I’m not a blank flank! Rarity is my sister, I’ve seen a lot more monsters and crazy fights than you’d probably guess! I can help,” she pleaded, eyes wide, “so don’t just treat me like a foal. I know I’m young, but I can be helpful!”
Gunny Iron paused, taking stock of Sweetie Belle again, and he straightened up a bit. “Okay. We need somepony to help the medics, and there’s lots of minor injuries that could benefit from some first aid knowledge. Non-critical stuff, but still needing attention. Go ask Silver Shield over there if he has some low-priority triage ponies that could use some help.”
Sweetie Belle nodded, face serious. It would have been really cute, but the circumstances made it feel solemn. “Aye aye, Gunny!” She did a really adorable salute—nothing could diminish how cute that was—and trotted off after one of the pony medics.
Once she was out of earshot, I stepped forward. “What’s the situation, Gunny?”
Gunny Iron shook his head. “Bad. At this rate, we’re going to be forced to rotate up more injured ponies, and the longer that goes on, the worse it’s going to get. It’s a damn miracle that nopony has been killed yet, but there’ve been some really close calls.”
I bit my lower lip. Damn. “That’s bad.”
The Gunny chuckled. “That’s not the worst of it. We’re getting pushed back. We’ve been able to recover any downed guards as we’ve given ground, but we’re running out of ground to give. They’ve got enough yetis up there that they can keep the pressure up, and we haven’t regained anything in the last few hours. We’re going to be fighting on the steps to the armory halls at this rate. Our backs are to the wall, Jake.”
I glanced down at my front, at the hidden gun there. Fifty five shots. With good aim and the element of surprise, that could gain back a lot of ground. “I could go up. I’ve got my gun.” The Gunny had seen it in action, knew its capabilities. “They don’t have the kind of armor that could stand up to 10mm. I could really cause problems for them.”
Gunnery Sergeant Irons took a long look at me, considering what I’d said. He glanced around the room at the hurt ponies. “I… Jake, I don’t know. The fighting might be rough, but so far we’ve kept our casualties to a minimum because we haven’t been encouraging any kind of drastic measures. We aren’t going for kills up there, just pushing back, holding ground, and the yetis, for all their ferocity, have obviously been told to take prisoners rather than stack bodies,” he said quietly, looking back into my eyes, “Once that tenuous balance shifts, if we start killing them… they might not feel so generous anymore.”
I nodded. That made sense. “What’s the alternative, though? We have to shift the balance, otherwise they’re going to win.”
“Jake, they already won. What we’re doing here is tying down as many of them as possible and hoping against hope that something will change. Maybe if we can keep the brunt of their force here in the palace, it’ll buy time for more ponies to escape, or one of the other guard units to break through, or reinforcements from other cities to arrive. We are buying time, not aiming to win,” Gunny Irons said quietly. “We all know we aren’t winning.”
I blanched at the admission of the dire situation, trying to come to terms with the fact that this was a losing fight. “Damn, Gunny. I didn’t realize it was that bad.”
“It’s been that bad since Major Scope got captured trying to free the princesses. We’ve made a few more attempts at the room where they’re keeping the princesses prisoner, but they’ve basically just been wastes of resources. They’ve got that room guarded and we’ve had more injuries trying to get there than anywhere else. They know they’ve got us by the fetlocks, here,” Gunny replied, ears going flat and tail lashing in irritation. He paused our conversation to bark some orders at incoming guards. “Triage those ponies! Get them organized, non-critical there, critical there! And get me any sets of armor that have been patched, we need to replace those bodies on the line. Move!”
“Well… what can I do, then?” I asked, looking around with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. All these ponies, all the guards, were putting their lives on the line simply to buy time. Ponies and their extreme notion of hope in the face of adversity… it was a sobering thing, today.
Gunny Iron looked around, eyes settling on Sweetie Belle. He smiled as he watched her, chatting with a guard as she put a bandage around a cut. “That filly… that’s Rarity’s sister, right?”
“Yeah,” I said, looking towards her. She was humming a little song, and the guards nearby were smiling, putting on brave faces for her as she tended to their hurts.
“Jake, if… if they’re still alive, somehow, you’ve gotta keep her safe. We’re going to be overrun here, soon. Either they’ll break through or we’ll be forced to surrender because we’re out of able-bodied ponies. And that filly is a weak point that those nasty yetis and their boss won’t hesitate to exploit, if they figure out she’s attached to one of the Elements of Harmony,” he said, lips settling into a firm line of determination. “It isn’t safe here anymore, and every minute you wait, it’ll get worse. We need to get her out of here.”
I tore my gaze away from Sweetie Belle and looked at Gunny Iron. The stalwart pony looked grim, his eyes following the young filly. “So far they haven’t been doing anything bad to prisoners. Just rounding folks up. I’m worried that that might change. There are a lot of civilians here, Jake. We need to try and get them out before our lines collapse,” he said, looking away and meeting my eye. “I have ponies in mind for the job, too. All of these guards that are resting, they’re close enough to fresh that they could be helpful in breaking out these poor ponies, and when they go, you’ll go with them.”
“I want Corporal Spirit and Specialist Roads with me,” I said immediately. “I trust them with my life, but moreso, I trust them to prioritize Sweetie over me.” My voice was firm.
Gunny Iron frowned. “They’re real flank-kickers, Jake. I’m not sure I can spare them.”
“You’re gonna have to figure out what’s more important, then. Buying time here, or getting these civilian ponies out before it’s too late.”
Gunny Iron’s ears went flat and he let out an exasperated snort. “Buck. This is why I never went for a command spot.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the Gunny. “Yeah, well, tough break, the rest of the top brass got themselves captured or got caught with their pants around their ankles… or whatever the pony equivalent of that is.”
Gunny Iron smirked ruefully, tail lashing. “Damn Scope for leaving me in charge.”
“For what it’s worth, you’ve been doing a good job, as far as I can tell. It’s organized here, and the chaos isn’t too bad.” I was right, too. For all the hopelessness of the situation, The Gunny was like a calm spot in the center of the storm. The ponies all looked to him, guards and civilians alike, for how to respond to the situation, but Gunny Iron was cool and collected.
“Yeah. It’s just barely manageable. Can’t let ‘em see ya sweat,” he grumbled, wiping a hoof across his forelock and brushing it back out of his eyes. “Okay. We’ll get you your ponies, plus any other half-able-bodies to help. They won’t be much for keeping the line held, but they know how to herd ponies. You just get ready to go when we say so.”
I breathed in an anxious breath. I hadn’t felt like this in so long, and for the first time, I had more than just me to worry about. I couldn’t help but look back at Sweetie Belle, who noticed my gaze and gave me a small wave before she returned to helping a soldier tighten a sling around a hurt foreleg. I wished, not for the last time, that Rarity was here to see her sister. She was an incredible young filly. I found my fists had clenched and I took a moment to unclench them, turning away from Gunny. “Yeah. I’ll be ready.”
“Good,” Gunny said, before he stepped away, going to oversee what needed to be done to make things as orderly as possible for a break-out attempt with the civilian ponies.
“Hey, Jake, can you help me over here?” Sweetie called out.
It had been almost two hours, during which time Sweetie and I had been working to help the medics with injured ponies. Mostly they kept us to those guards that were lower priority, the ones that didn’t need a limb to be set or a bad wound to be stitched or magicked together. We dealt with bad bruises, cuts, a lot of scrapes, and a variety of other non-critical injuries. The room was getting more full, as the barely injured returned to the front and became the badly injured on their return. It was getting desperate and even I could tell. The chatter from before was getting quieter, and the sounds of fighting were getting closer.
I moved over to Sweetie Belle’s side, kneeling down to check over the guard she’d wanted help with. “What’s up, Sweetie?”
“I think his shoulder is dislocated. I’m not sure how to help, but he’s in a lot of pain,” Sweetie said, pointing out the guard, who held his limb up and tight to his barrel. He was sweating and shaking, eyes closed tight as his breath came in sharp pants.
I frowned, looking over the pony carefully. “Yeah, I think you’re right. I don’t know how to relocate a pony shoulder, though. Medic!”
One of the medic ponies looked up from another soldier, grimacing. “You’ll have to handle it! We’re all busy with critical patients.”
“Damn,” I muttered. “I really don’t know what to do, Sweetie,” I said, turning my attention to the filly, who looked a bit more distressed for not being able to help. “Do you have any more painkillers or anything?”
“I’m out, and the medics said they can’t give me any more,” Sweetie said, reaching a hoof out to gently pat the hurting soldier on the side. “Hey, hang in there, okay? They’ll be coming to help really soon.”
“T-thanks,” the soldier said, wincing one eye open to look at Sweetie and I. The stallion was young, just a few years older than Sweetie Belle, and the similarity in age made a shiver go down my spine. A little shift in ability, a bit of a different life path, and it could have been Sweetie shaking on the floor with a dislocated shoulder from fighting. I found my hand going to Sweetie’s shoulder and resting there, trying to comfort her as she fretted over the hurt guard pony.
There was a commotion outside of the armory, and the Gunny came bustling in, at the head of another group of ponies. There were about ten of them, all sporting bandages and looking a bit worse for wear. Among them were two familiar faces, and I felt a rushing sense of relief as I saw Corporal Sapphire Spirit and Specialist Dusky Roads among the ponies coming in.
Gunny Iron made a direct line to me, expression firm. “We’re out of time. This is the crew that’s going to help you and the other civilians get out of here. The yetis are probably going to break through inside the hour, and we’re down to our last few ponies able to hold them back. I’m going to try and parley with whoever is in charge, see if I can’t negotiate terms for our injured and get an orderly surrender in place. It’s dark now, and it’s your best chance to get out safely, while I’m talking to their leader.”
I swallowed hard, my hand on Sweetie’s shoulder pressing her in a little closer to my side. “Okay. This is it, huh?”
The Gunny nodded. “Yep. This is the best I can give you. I’d hoped… well. Doesn’t matter what I’d hoped,” he said, chuckling to himself. He turned to address the gathered guards. “Ponies, we’re going to try and get these civilians out of here. Round up anypony that can’t carry a spear and get them grouped up by the East Hall Escape Path. Specialist Roads, you’re the right pony for the job, we need you scouting ahead, using that sarosian skill with the shadows to help find the clearest path for our charges.”
Dusky saluted, eyes firm and tail stiff. “Of course, Gunnery Sergeant.”
“Corporal Spirit, stick with our VIPs. You know who.”
Sapphire nodded, moving to stand beside us. “I won’t let anything happen to them, Gunny.”
“Damn right, you won’t. You’ve been fretting like a mother hen separated from her chicks since you got here,” Gunny Iron said with a chuckle.
Sapphire’s eyes darted to Sweetie and I and her cheeks reddened slightly. “All due respect, Gunny, shut up.”
“The rest of you, pair up with two or three civilians each. Keep them safe. Getting them out of the city is priority one. If you can’t escape, evade capture at all costs. We don’t need to give these stinky yetis more hostages. Understood?” Gunny barked.
“Yes, Gunnery Sergeant!” the soldiers said in unison.
“Good. Let’s get this done. Princesses watch over you, my brave ponies,” Gunny said with a crisp salute, which was returned by everypony.
The next few minutes were chaotic, as guards grabbed resting, terrified civilians and grouped them together, assigning them to a minder to help watch over them. By the time things were organized, we had about twenty civilian ponies paired up with eight guards, Sapphire with Sweetie and I, and Dusky leading the way down a side passage. The passage went down into the foundations of the castle, and deeper than that, into caves that were half-carved tunnels, and half natural formations. We all kept quiet, the seriousness of the situation paramount in everypony’s minds. I stuck close to Sweetie Belle, my hand on her back, making sure I knew where she was at all times.
Sapphire was flank to hip with me at all times, her eyes sharp and ready for anything. I’d never seen her in full guard mode, but it was a surprising shift from the goofball, high-spirited mare that I knew to this steely-eyed soldier. It was a welcome surprise, though. She was trained and ready, and I trusted her to help me keep Sweetie Belle safe.
Parts of the tunnel were pitch black, with no magical or mundane lights, but none of the unicorns lit their horns, just following Dusky forward as the sarosian used his superior night vision to guide us. “The less magic and noise we make, the better,” Dusky had said before we’d left, setting the precedent that had been followed until now.
Ahead, Dusky stopped moving, his larger ears twitching, and he held up a hoof. “We’re at the exit to the tunnel. I need a unicorn up here.”
One of the guards stepped forward, horn lighting up. The dark tunnel was revealed, heavy stone blocks forming the walls and an iron door at one end with a strange hole in the center. Dusky pointed to the door. “Horn lock. Just a little magic in it should open it. A smart failsafe from an older time.”
The unicorn guard nodded. “I guess those old snooty unicorns were good for something,” he muttered, pushing his horn into the lock. There was a little sparkle of magic, and then a click as the door’s lock disengaged.
Specialist Dusky gave the unicorn a pat on the shoulder. “Good work, friend. Let’s discover what awaits us in the city, hm?” The group collectively drew back from the door, and Dusky carefully reached forward and pushed the iron door open. The hinges gave a brief squeak of protest, and then the sarosian slipped out into the darkness beyond. He was gone for almost a full minute before he returned, eyes glowing in the dark.
“Well, it wasn’t ever going to be easy,” he muttered, before he ushered us all outside. “Keep quiet.”
I let half of the group go ahead, before Sapphire and Sweetie and I moved forward and out into the night. Canterlot was ablaze with lights, the whole town still brightly lit for the festival, but it was more than just that: the airships overhead had searchlights on, and were scanning the city below. Further out, I could see packs of yeti soldiers carrying torches or magic lights, searching around for hiding creatures. Damn. I could feel Sweetie press closer to me, and I gave her back a light pat, trying to reassure her. Dusky and the other soldiers looked into the town from the secret exit, planning their next move. “I can see lights in the gatehouses. There’s yeti flags on the poles. We… probably will need to hide in the city. I don’t think we can get out,” Dusky said, somewhat dejectedly.
I stepped forward. “Why not stay here in the tunnel?”
“They’ll find it soon enough, there aren’t any doors between here and the armory. We need to find somewhere to hide, preferably big enough to fit all these ponies, but failing that we can split into small groups and try our luck separately,” Dusky explained.
“No way. We’ve got ten fighting ponies here, Dusky. We’ll be stronger together,” Sapphire objected, wings flaring out a bit.
“We’ll be more easy to spot as a large group. Who is the infiltration specialist, Corporal?” Dusky asked, ears laying flat and tail lashing.
Sapphire bit back a retort, bowing her head and folding her wings at her side. “Sorry, Dusky.”
Dusky smiled a toothy grin at her. “Nothing to be sorry for, Sapphire. I have a few ideas. There’s some older houses in this area that have good solid basements. We could hole up there. There’s also a few shops that have upper floors. Pegasai and civilian fliers should go for those, or maybe try to fly out and over the wall where there’s less guards… but for us ground-pounders, escape isn’t the way.”
The three pegasus guards gathered together, discussing options, and then one stepped up. “Specialist Roads, we’re going to try for the wall. The more ponies we can get free, the better. We’ll take all the pegasus civilians we can.” There were seven pegasus civilians, but one refused to leave his partner, an earth pony. That left six, plus the three guards.
Dusky smiled. “H’luun guide you all.” He tapped a salute to the pegasai, and the group of fliers took off into the night sky, flying from rooftop to rooftop. Dusky turned his attention to the rest of the civilians and soldiers. Fourteen civilians, now, plus two unicorn guards and two earth pony guards, and Sapphire, who had stuck with Sweetie and I.
Dusky looked to the remaining group with care. “We need to move. Basements? Or is there somewhere else you have in mind? Sapphire, you know Canterlot better than I do, I don’t go out as much as you.”
I stepped forward. “I know a spot.”
Sapphire and Dusky turned to regard me. “What did you have in mind?”
I smirked. “I’m sure this will be a fun surprise.”
We stood in an alleyway, deeper in the heart of occupied Canterlot. The streets were abandoned except for the occasional scurrying pony or yeti patrol, and it was an eerie sight. I’d come to enjoy both the daytime liveliness and bustling nightlife of Canterlot: they both had their charms. This was different. It was like walking through a tomb, the haze of fear clinging to every cobblestone and pressing against your heart. It was hard to see the city I’d lived in reduced to such a state. I stopped, pointing across the street. “There’s our destination.”
Sapphire and Dusky stepped up next to me and they stared for a moment at the building. They shared a look, and then both turned to glare at me. Sapphire spoke up, “Jake, I swear to Celestia, if this is your idea of a joke, it’s the least funny one you’ve ever made, and you’ve told some real stinkers.”
“I have to agree with Corporal Spirit’s assessment. To elaborate: Jake, what the buck?!”
Across the street was Doughnut Joe’s Coffee Shop.
The canterlot ponies familiar with the place grumbled in confusion, and a few of the guards even looked askance at me. I smirked. “I told you I’m their favorite regular customer, right? And how I tip about 30% every time I come through?”
“What does that have to do with anything?!” Sapphire hissed, trying to keep quiet, her ears flat and tail lashing. “I should be slapping you right now!”
I backed up a step, holding my hands up. “I promise, this isn’t a joke. Doughnut Joe told me that they don’t have any overhead space to store their food or other stuff, so they have to keep it beneath the cafe in an old canterlot cellar. And the cellar has had a few renovations from a previous owner… namely… a secret room beneath the cafe!”
Sapphire and Dusky blinked, staring at me with surprise. “A secret room?”
“Yeah! I’ve seen it, Joe took me down there once. It was probably supposed to be some secret treasure room or something, but Joe just uses it for keeping all his coffee beans and dry goods fresh. It’s much cooler down there than anywhere else in the cafe, but without needing a dedicated fridge just for the dry goods,” I explained quickly, hoping to shift their ire to wonder at the sneaky secret of Joe’s Cafe.
Sweetie Belle finally spoke up from beside me, eyes wide with wonder. “Doughnut Joe has a secret underground lair?”
“It’s more of a secret underground pantry,” I said with a chuckle.
“That’s so cool…” Sweetie said, eyes fixed on the diner now.
The rest of the group’s grumbling grew quiet as they realized how useful a secret room could be. I felt a self-satisfied smirk cross my features, before I heard the clatter of clawed feet and heavy footfalls approaching. I flattened myself against the wall of the alley. A group of Yetis walked down the main avenue, a pony or two in chains in tow. I grimaced and put a hand on Sapphire as she pressed hard against me. I could feel her coat bristle in anger as she watched the captive ponies pass by, but she didn’t move. She knew that taking down a patrol so close to our intended hiding spot could only draw attention.
The yeti patrol passed, and I let out a slow breath. Sapphire stepped away, looking at Dusky. Dusky nodded to the group. “Let’s go.”
Dusky went first, moving across the road, his armored hoofsteps quiet, and made a direct run for the front door. He tried the handle, but the usually-inviting door didn’t budge. He glanced around and then gestured for us to wait, and he crept around the other side of the cafe. We sat quietly, waiting for his signal. Sweetie took a small step closer to me, obviously scared, and Sapphire reached out with one wing protectively, folding it over Sweetie’s back in a comforting gesture. Sweetie looked to the dappled pegasus with gratitude, ears going flat. Sapphire said nothing, her eyes on the road and ears perked, listening for signs of danger.
“What’s taking him so long,” hissed one of the civilian ponies from somewhere in the group.
“Shh,” Sapphire shushed, holding up a hoof and pointing.
Dusky was back, coming from around the side of the building. He checked the street and then gestured for us to come to him. We moved in groups, Sweetie and Sapphire and I out in front, the rest following with their assigned guardsponies. We all made it around the side of the cafe safely, not drawing attention. The back exit of Doughnut Joe’s was open, and I ushered Sweetie inside, stepping quickly to clear the door and get out of the way for the rest. I almost bumped right into a familiar stallion in the dark kitchen, suppressing a yelp as I backpedaled. Joe smirked at me, “Well, Jake, showed up at a bad time for a cuppa coffee.”
“Joe!” I couldn’t help it, I gave the old stallion a hug. He squeezed right back, a wry grin splitting his face.
“Glad you’re safe. It’d be bad business to lose my number two customer.”
Sapphire approached, giving Joe a hug from the side. “Joe! You’re okay!”
Joe’s grin widened. “I guess all it takes for a stallion to get a little attention around here is an invading army. Where were all the hugs after the changelings, huh?”
Sapphire snorted, pushing away from him, and we shared a chuckle. Behind us, the rest of the ponies and guards had entered, cramming into the kitchen. Joe surveyed the group, his expression growing more serious. “That’s a fair few ponies. It’s okay, we’ve got just about enough room. Come on, everypony,” he said, speaking up a bit to be heard, “head on downstairs. Marge is down there, she’ll help get ya settled.”
He opened a small side door in the kitchen, revealing a set of stone stairs going down, and ushered the group onward. I stayed to the side, letting the civilian ponies head down while I waited for Dusky to join us. The rest of the guardsponies stayed at the top of the stairs, grouping together. Joe paused, looking at the guards, and gave them a solemn nod. “I’ll check on the folks downstairs. You ponies need anything, you let me know. Coffee and grub is on the house.”
Sapphire smiled gratefully at Joe. “Thanks. We’re just going to talk up here, try to get a plan in place.”
Joe smirked. “I figured as much. Knowing you heroes, you won’t want to stay out of the action.”
Sapphire and Dusky shared a look with the rest of the guards, and she cleared her throat. “Yeah. We’ll see.”
Joe took the hint and headed downstairs, leaving Sweetie Belle and I as the only civilians in the group. Sapphire looked at me with a small frown. “I’m guessing I won’t be able to tell you to head downstairs.”
“Got it in one,” I said with a smirk, sitting down on the floor of the kitchen. Sweetie leaned against me, her ears drooping. She looked exhausted, and I didn’t blame her. She wasn’t the only one; I was feeling frayed and tired as well.
Sapphire stepped away from the guards as they started to talk quietly, approaching me. “Jake… you need to rest. You’re exhausted, and so is Sweetie Belle. You need to take care of yourself.”
I glanced over at Sweetie Belle, and she looked up at me, smiling a tired smile. “Don’t worry about me, Jake! I’m…” she yawned, and blushed with embarrassment, “I-i’m okay, oh, s-sorry.”
I chuckled. “You’re too cute to be true, kiddo,” I said, ruffling her mane affectionately, making her scrunch her muzzle.
Sapphire gave me a pointed look, and I let out a sigh. “Yeah, you’re right.” I let out a grunt as I stood up. “Come on, Sweetie Belle. Let’s go downstairs and see if we can’t get a snack and a nap. Probably in that order.”
“I don’t think we can do it in a different order. Unless somepony feeds us while we sleep,” Sweetie said with a tired giggle.
“If we’re not careful, we might end up falling asleep in our food,” I joked, happy for the slightly lighter mood. I stopped at the top of the stairs, turning to regard Sapphire. She looked over her shoulder at me, her head tilting questioningly. I looked for the words to say, but all that I managed was, “Be careful, okay?”
She gave me a wink. “Don’t worry about us. You rest up.”
I was a little frustrated to be left out of whatever plans they were making, but Sapphire was right… as usual. I was tired, Sweetie was tired, and we needed rest. It was pointless to get into something with the guardsponies when my job was to watch over Sweetie Belle.
Down at the bottom of the stairs was a large storage room, filled with boxes of produce and hay and the other various necessities of a working restaurant. Ponies had shifted things around the storage area, creating space for themselves to sit or lie down. Marge was there, the older mare marching between the groups and checking in on them, making sure they were comfortable. She spotted Sweetie Belle and I and shot us a bright smile. “Hey, there ya are, Jake. I was worried the yetis had got ya.”
“It’ll take more than some hairy goons to keep me from my coffee, Marge,” I quipped back, walking over to the pony and crouching down to accept a hug from her. She hung on a little longer than normal, really giving me a moment of fuzzy warmth. I leaned into her, grateful for the small show of support. “How’s things down here?”
Marge broke the hug, looking around at the gathered ponies. “About as okay as you’d expect. It was a slow day, what with the festival, but when those airships showed up, we knew what was what. Ever since the Changelings, we’ve had a little plan for emergencies. We shoved the few customers we had down here, locked up the shop and turned out the lights. Better safe than sorry, and we’d’a been awfully sorry if we hadn’t. Next thing ya know, yetis!” She shook her head, looking exasperated. “So, we’ve been down here laying low. Didn’t expect you to bring so many folks along, but we had a little bet going that you’d show up sooner or later.”
I chuckled. “A bet?”
“Joe said first thing in the morning, since you wouldn’t wanna miss a cup of coffee. I guessed a day later, what with you and your gal Rarity needin’ to save the world an’ all that.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, even if I felt a pit in the bottom of my stomach. “Well, you were both off. Does that mean I win?”
Margarine snorted. “You wish. Now, who is this cute little filly?”
I remembered my manners, looking over to Sweetie Belle, who was watching Marge with interest. “Sweetie Belle, this is Margarine. You can call her Marge. Marge, this is Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s little sister.”
Marge grinned, trotting over to Sweetie Belle and giving her a big hug as well. “Sweetie Belle! Welcome to the cafe. Have you eaten, hun?”
Sweetie found herself being squeezed by the older mare, and she giggled softly. “Oh, um, no.”
Marge smiled, releasing the younger filly. “I’ll go rustle you up something. You like apples?”
“Yes ma’am!”
“Course ya do! Let me grab you a few. Jake, you want some?”
I wished for something a little heartier, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. “Sure. Got anything extra? I could use a little more than fruit.”
“We’ve got the leftovers from Taco Tuesday, actually. Will that do ya?”
“Sure, Marge.”
Marge returned in moments with a bag of apples and a half-full bag of tortillas. She hustled the two of us over to a corner, tucking us in between some bags of oats and flour. “Here ya go, kids. We’ll get a tab going,” she said with a wink.
I laughed, sitting down gratefully and taking the bag of tortillas. “Thank you, Marge.”
“Thank you, Marge!” Sweetie said, grabbing an apple from the bag and biting into it with relish.
Marge went to check in on the other ponies, leaving Sweetie Belle and I to our little meal. I rolled up two of the tortillas and just ate them plain, happy for anything. Sweetie Belle leaned on me as she downed an apple, core and all, and ate a tortilla to go with it. She and I just ate silently, happy for the feeling of safety and the quiet of the cellar.
Sweetie spoke up after a minute. “Jake, didn’t you say there was a secret room?”
I smiled. “Yeah, it’s further in the basement, over there,” I said, pointing towards a conspicuous brick wall further back.
“Cool,” Sweetie murmured, leaning harder against me. I glanced down at her and noticed how her eyes were drooping, and her head was nodding slightly as she fought against sleep.
I leaned over a bit, resting against the bags of oats, and pulled Sweetie into my lap. She let out a squeak of surprise, but then leaned against my chest, resting her head on my shoulder. She pressed her soft nose against my neck. “Thank you, Jake,” she whispered.
“What for?” I said softly.
“For… taking care of me,” she said, yawning. I stroked her back comfortingly.
“Of course. I’m here for you, Sweetie.”
“Even if… if…”
“Even if Rarity can’t be. Yeah,” I said, speaking aloud our shared fear.
She was quiet for a moment, but her breath hitched. She sniffled once, and then took a deep breath. “She’s okay. She’ll save us.”
I didn’t have a reply to that, so I just kept rubbing her back and shoulders, and soon her breathing evened out and she fell asleep on my shoulder. I let out a quiet sigh of my own, closing my eyes. Sapphire was right, I was exhausted. I needed to take this opportunity to rest. The quiet murmur of voices and the warm weight of the filly sleeping on my chest slowly lulled me, and I found myself relaxing, my body finally giving in to the desperate feeling of exhaustion.
I woke up as Sweetie Belle shifted on my lap, her hooves on my shoulders, shaking me slightly. I blinked hard, peering around. “Hm?”
“I think you were having a nightmare,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry I woke you up, but you were talking in your sleep and it sounded… bad.”
“Oh,” I blanched, trying to remember whatever dreams had come from my exhausted dozing. It couldn’t have been more than an hour or so, at my best guess, but it was also hard to tell from just my lingering feeling of needing more sleep. I probably could use many, many extra hours after the day we’d had, but that wasn’t in the cards. I let out a grunt, shifting my position, and reached up to gingerly check on the bandage around my head. It seemed fine, I hadn’t sprung a leak in my sleep, and the pain had mostly receded, leaving only a mild irritation.
“How are you feeling?” Sweetie asked, peering up at my bandages.
“Better,” I said simply, sitting up. “Would you mind checking, though?”
Sweetie perked up at having something to do, and she shifted off my lap and stood on her hind legs, carefully unwrapping my bandage. She took what must have been a very quick peek, sticking out her tongue a bit as she peered at my injury, and then she smiled. “It looks okay. It’s a bit messy, we could probably clean up some of the blood in your mane, but it’s not bleeding anymore and it’s scabbed over pretty much.”
I resisted the urge to nod. “Good, thank you, Sweetie.”
“You’re welcome!” she chirped as she re-wrapped the gauze around my head. “We should leave it covered, though.”
“Good idea,” I said. “No need to let it air out just yet,” I added with a little chuckle.
Sweetie giggled at my dumb comment, tying off the wrap with a tight knot that she then tied in a little bow. I grimaced. “A bow?”
“It was very unfabulous before. Rarity wouldn’t approve,” Sweetie said with a little smile.
“Hm,” I hummed, not sure what to say. Sweetie caught my hesitation and she looked me in the eye. “Jake, I know you’re worried, but Rarity and Twilight and all the girls are… they’re real strong and fast and smart and they know lots of cool magic! And they’ve fought awful, nasty, bad creatures a whole ton of times. I know seeing them fall off a waterfall was scary, but they’ve made it through way scarier stuff and been okay. Okay?” Her voice was firm, her eyes serious. I couldn’t decide if this was denial or faith that she was displaying, but I couldn’t help but nod in agreement.
“Okay, Sweetie Belle,” I agreed, letting out a sigh as a bit of tension I’d been feeling left. “I don’t really know what to believe… but if you think they’re okay, then I’ll try to believe.”
“Good. Believe in the girls! They’ll show up and they’ll save the day, and we’ll be safe,” Sweetie said, nodding.
“Right. We just have to sit tight and make sure we stay safe,” I agreed cautiously, shifting my weight to stand up. I groaned, rubbing my backside. “Ugh, well, not the worst bed ever, but not great.”
Sweetie Belle stuck to my side as I took a very short walk, careful not to step on any ponies, and made my way to the stairs. Joe and Marge were there, sitting on the bottom-most step and quietly talking amongst themselves. As I approached they waved me over, and I sat down on the floor beside them. “What’s the word?” I asked.
“Hey, Jake. Get a bit of rest?” Joe asked.
“Yeah. How’s things going?”
Joe glanced at Marge, and then cleared his throat. “The guards all left, except one unicorn. They told us to stay hidden and out of sight down here, hide in the secret room if trouble showed up. Sapphire said they were going to try and scout around, get an idea of what was happening, see if there were any reinforcements, stuff like that. Recon, I guess.”
I frowned, glancing up the stairs. I guess it made sense - if the worst came to pass, we couldn’t keep hidden down here forever. Knowing what was happening in Canterlot made sense. I was surprised they’d left only one guard, but there weren’t a lot of options if they wanted to cover as much ground as possible and really get a clear idea of the situation. “That makes sense. So, we’re just playing the waiting game?”
“Looks like it. The pantry here is pretty okay, we could hide down here for a week at least before we’d need to worry about food or anything. Water isn’t an issue, either, we’ve got the sinks upstairs and I don’t think the yetis are going to be shutting down the water main anytime soon. As far as I’m concerned, we should stay put and not attract attention,” Joe said, listing off things as he rounded out our situation nicely.
“Not too bad. I’d been hoping for a vacation,” Marge chuckled dryly.
Our position wasn’t awful, then. We had supplies enough to last a few days, a secure spot to stay, and no immediate concerns beyond discovery. I allowed the mental checklist to tick off a few boxes and felt some of my tension leave. “Yeah. Not the worst.”
The door upstairs slammed open. “Hey, coming down!”
Joe and Marge scrambled aside as Dusky came down the stairs, supporting one of the earth pony guards, who was limping badly. “Woah,” I stood up, moving out of the way, “what happened?”
“Tripped running from yetis. Rolled his ankle, probably!” Dusky said, getting the limping pony down the stairs. The sarosian got the other guard onto the ground, settling him as he hissed in pain.
“Running from yetis?” I asked, glancing worriedly up the stairs.
“Recon didn’t go so well,” Dusky muttered as he carefully pulled the greave off the hurt guard’s foreleg, checking over the joint with quiet efficiency. “Sprained, not broken, H’luun be praised.”
“Dusky,” I said cautiously, “what does ‘didn’t go so well’ mean?”
Dusky looked up at me, frowning. “It means, Jake, that we had to retreat too quickly to learn much. Perhaps Sapphire had more luck from the air. We shall see.”
“She didn’t come back with you?” I asked, feeling a little spike of worry.
“We split up to cover more ground. It was only luck that I came across my comrade in arms running from a pack of the hairy beasts. Working together, we were able to lose them in the alleyways of Canterlot, but Private Venerable Rose here slipped in the rush and hurt himself,” Dusky explained, reaching into a saddlebag at his side and getting a medical kit out. “I’m afraid, Rose, you’re going to be on extended guard duty down here,” he said as he worked to secure the injured limb in a sling.
“You’re sure you lost them, Dusky?” I asked, feeling my worry increase.
Dusky looked up over his shoulder at me once more. “You’re welcome to check. It would be prudent to be certain, but as far as I’m aware, we were successful.”
I took a deep breath, and looked at Sweetie Belle. “Stay here, okay? I’ll be right back.”
“Be careful,” Sweetie murmured as I went up the stairs.
The dark kitchen was a little strange with nopony in it. It made me feel a bit of anger bubbling up in my chest. This place was supposed to be safe and happy, full of ponies eating meals together and enjoying coffee and doughnuts. This was my place, damn it! I crouched low, going out of the kitchen and into the dining area.
Joe’s sported large windows all around the dining room, providing an excellent view of the boulevard and surrounding streets from behind the counter. The streets were empty and still dark, though the hint of a sunrise was approaching the darkened sky that could be seen between the tall buildings. I stayed crouched, just my eyes above the counter, and watched quietly for any signs of approaching movement. I waited for long minutes, feeling my pulse slowly return to normal from the momentary scare of Dusky’s return. “Damn, what a day,” I muttered to myself.
Just as I headed back downstairs, I heard a sound. Some kind of announcement was being made. I frowned, glancing towards the back door, and made my way over to crack it open so I could hear better.
“... clemency for any ponies or creatures that surrender themselves. Once again, the Storm King, in his magnanimity, has declared clemency for any ponies or creatures that surrender themselves. This offer is on the table until sunset tomorrow, after which point we will begin searching house by house… and we will not be so nice.” The voice had a nasal, simpering quality that made me grimace as I waited to hear if there was more to the message. And, indeed, there was.
Aren’t you tired of hiding? Aren’t you hungry, or thirsty? We’re not here to hurt ponies, we need your help. We’ve got so much work to do for the Storm King. Wouldn’t you rather come now, when we’re offering a nice place to rest and warm food to eat, and not later when all we’ve got on offer is a dungeon and cold leftovers?” The voice chuckled.
Nobody likes cold leftovers! Come on out, and report to the closest troops of the Storm King. We’ll take good care of you. Hey, the clemency goes for any Canterlot guards that are still out there, too. We know you’re out there! It’s totally stupid to keep resisting, your Princesses are all captured, and we’ve got your armory and all your commanding officers. There’s practically nobody left! Just you, all alone. How sad.”
I scowled, moving to slide the door closed, but the soft sound of wings on approach gave me a moment’s pause. I opened the door wider just as Sapphire Spirit landed in front of me, smiling, ears perking up. She gestured that we should go inside with one hoof, and I led the way back down the stairs. Sapphire breathed a sigh as we got back downstairs, and Sweetie Belle glanced up from where she was waiting beside Dusky and Private Rose. She looked a little anxious, but smiled when she saw it was Sapphire and I returning.
“So, your recon go better than Dusky’s?” I sat down on the floor, joining the huddle of ponies. Sweetie Belle scooted over to sit beside me, and I gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
“Looks like it. Rose, you okay?” Sapphire asked, concern for her fellow guard writ large across her features.
“Been better. Just a sprain,” Rose muttered, looking embarrassed.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Sapphire said with a small sigh, before she looked at Dusky. “Well, this doesn’t look like the usual hostage situation. This Storm King seems to be playing for keeps. He’s got cages full of ponies up by the palace, and roaming patrols are bringing more in all the time. They’re starting in on some psychological warfare up there, offering clemency for ponies to turn themselves in. I doubt it’s working very well, but it goes without saying that any pockets of resistance are either laying low or just… not there. It might be just us, at this point, plus whoever is outside Canterlot getting ready to mount a rescue. Cloudsdale isn’t too far, so hopefully they’re planning something. Maybe a few other cities could send reinforcements, too, but it’s going to take a while to get any kind of counter going. We might be stuck for a bit.”
Dusky nodded in resignation, ears laying flat. “As I feared. There may be a number of Night Guards still safe, most were not on assignment during the Festival and our people know how to work in the dark. We can’t rely on any more of the Day Guard showing up, at this point; if they were out there, they most likely already went to the armory and were captured when it fell. We just need to plan to stay hidden, and see if we can’t find a way to escape. Right now, they’re on full alert. They expect desperate groups to make attempts at leaving, but we can’t give in to the desire to flee. We must wait and watch for a moment when their guard is down, and only then should we try anything.”
Sapphire straightened up and looked out at the civilian ponies. For the most part, they were still asleep, but many were awake and listening to the conversation. She set her jaw, looking serious, and nodded. “Yeah. You’re right, Specialist. We’ve got the best chances of keeping these ponies safe here, for the short term. Long term, we’ll escape when the moment is right. There’s side gates and other exits we could use to get out of Canterlot, and we can lay low and wait for the Storm King’s troops to get complacent, and see what opportunities come.”
“So… we wait it out?” I said, looking between Dusky and Sapphire.
“Yeah. Why, you have a better plan?” Sapphire said teasingly. “A secret weapon?”
I hesitated. “Well…” I reached into the holster beneath my shirt and revealed my pistol. “I’ve got this. It might as well be a secret weapon.”
Sapphire frowned, squinting at my gun. “What is that?”
“It’s a gun. You could think of it as a hand-sized crossbow, but with the power of one of the ballistas or big heavy crossbows you guys use. I’ll punch through most armor unless it’s really thick, pierce bone and flesh, and… well, it’s a killing weapon,” I explained, looking down at the small firearm. It was strange to speak of a simple pistol in such terms, but for the ponies it was a pretty heavy weapon.
Sapphire blinked hard. “That thing can pierce armor?”
“It’s like a canon. Literally a tiny canon, really. You guys have firework launchers, right? It’s the same idea. It launches a metal projectile at extremely high speeds. I can shoot this thing about fifty five times before I’m out of ammunition.”
The guards were quiet, looking at the weapon in my hands with a mixture of concern, surprise, and scrutiny. Dusky spoke up first. “So, we have a secret weapon. Something that we can use in dire circumstances.”
I tried not to let myself feel a bit of frustration. “What counts as dire, Dusky? We’re trapped in an occupied city, surrounded, and we need to punch our way out when the opportunity strikes, because we probably aren’t getting rescued.”
“It’s a killing weapon, Jake. We might be fighting, but as far as we’ve heard, nopony has been killed yet, and neither have any of the yetis. I know that this is a frightening situation, but it’s still an escalation of the current status quo if we begin killing our enemies. They might decide to retaliate with the helpless prisoners. This isn’t a do-or-die moment against some unthinking monster, this is a hostage situation. They have our princesses, too. What would they do if they felt like escalating the stakes? The threats they could make could change this to a tragedy,” Dusky said, voice calm.
I grit my teeth. “You ponies sure are committed to the bit, I’ve gotta give you that.”
Sapphire placed a hoof on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I know that it’s not how you’d do things, Jake, but we’re in charge here, not you. You need to have some respect for our way. And Dusky is right, this is a hostage situation. We have to be careful and think about all the ponies they have captive.”
I held my breath for a moment, and then blew it out as a raspberry, making Sapphire giggle slightly. “Fine. You’re right. This isn’t a time for going all-out. There’s… nuance.”
Sapphire grinned, “‘Nuance’? There’s a word I never expected to come out of your mouth.”
I stuck my tongue out at her. “Yeah, well, I’ve been hanging out with a fancy unicorn, maybe I’ve gotten more refined.” Sapphire’s grin faltered slightly at the mention of Rarity, and I felt my own good humor deflate a bit. I glanced over at Sweetie Belle, who had a small smile on her face as she listened to our banter, and I decided to remember to believe in her faith in her sister. “I’m sure that Rarity and the Elements of Harmony will figure something out. They apparently always do, right?”
Sapphire pondered my words for a moment, her eyes shifting to Sweetie Belle, and she seemed to understand. Her ears went flat and her expression softened, and she squeezed my shoulder again. “Yeah. They always do.”
The next few hours were quiet ones. I caught another nap with Sweetie Belle, and this time Sapphire joined us, stretching out beside the two of us and pulling off her armor for some actual decent rest. The other guards on recon returned soon after, bringing similar information: The Storm King seemed to be settling in to hold the city, and the yetis were continuing to patrol diligently inside the city and around the walls. There were no signs of reinforcements, either, not that they could get close enough to the walls to see if any other guard units were present.
The plan was to lie low, and that was what we did. The guards stood watch in the cafe, working in shifts, while the rest of us slept. Marge and Joe kept everypony fed and in good spirits, cracking jokes and telling stories. It would have almost been nice, if not for the threat of discovery.
I was woken up from a doze by Sapphire. “Hey, Jake.”
“Hm?” I grunted, looking up at her with a bit of surprise.
She gestured to her armor. “Help a mare out?”
I sighed and sat up, scooting away from Sweetie Belle. Sapphire pulled on her chamfron and back armor, which was a much more complicated set of gear than it was for unicorns or earth ponies. I helped her get her wings through without too much fuss, though she did get a little red in the cheeks when I messed with her feathers. “Get over yourself,” I muttered with a quiet, wry chuckle.
“Shush, you’ll wake up Sweetie,” Sapphire shot back, settling down a bit. I buckled and tied the armor under her barrel as she worked on getting her greaves and shoes on and secured tightly. Her helmet didn’t need much help, and I sat back as she checked everything over. “Thanks, Jake,” she said quietly as the guard helmet glamour changed her coat and mane color to its usual gray and blue, and then gestured up. “Why don’t you join me? I could use a watch buddy.”
“A watch buddy?” I chuckled quietly. “You mean you’re going to be bored out of your mind and you want a distraction.”
“I won’t deny it, but also, it would be nice to have a little company. You game?” she was already standing up, stretching slightly and flapping her wings to get her armor settled nicely.
I shrugged. “Sure, might as well.”
I stood up carefully, checking on Sweetie briefly before turning to follow Sapphire up the stairs. She led the way, up into the kitchen and quietly slinking behind the counter. I followed in a crouch, keeping myself out of sight of any of the large windows in the dining area. The dining room was well lit, as we were far into the morning, nearly afternoon. The Yeti soldiers were easier to spot, their black armor and white coats really standing out, and we stood still and watched as a group of them marched past. It wasn’t until they were well out of sight that we moved again.
Sapphire and Dusky exchanged a few words, and then they switched places. Dusky paused when he saw me, an eyebrow slowly raising, and I smiled and shrugged at him. “Sapphire said she wanted company.”
“Hm. Well, keep your eyes open. They seem to be getting a bit more focused with their patrols.”
“Focused?” I asked, shifting to peek out into the empty street.
“They’re intensifying patrols. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were doing as threatened, and searching houses.”
“Didn’t they say that clemency went until sunset today?” I frowned, feeling a bit of annoyance.
“It’s not surprising. Keeping soldiers busy is important. An invading army needs something to do,” Dusky said with a shrug. “I never expected them to keep their word, anyway. Clemency is a lie to get the weak-minded to surrender.”
I chuckled, grinning at Dusky. “Well, we won’t be caught so easily.”
“Indeed. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to get some rest. H’luun watch you, Sapphire, Jake.” Dusky did his usual chest-tap salute, and then snuck back into the kitchen behind us.
Sapphire chuckled quietly. “Good old Dusky.”
“Yeah. It’s nice having a dependable pony like him with us,” I replied, sitting down and finding a good position where I could peek up over the counter and easily duck down to avoid being seen.
“We can count ourselves lucky, I suppose. We probably all should have been captured in the armory, but having to help escort all of you civilians out gave us a chance to keep in the game,” Sapphire said, stretching out her wings briefly as her eyes scanned the street quietly. She sighed, glancing up at her helmet, and then undid it. “Stupid mane plume sticks up too much.” She pulled her helmet off and set it nearby, sighing as the glamour returned her to her usual dappled colors.
“It would be really funny if that stupid plume got you spotted by the yetis,” I said, smirking.
“It’d be funny right until we had to fight them, you mean,” she retorted, shaking her head. “Speaking of that… I wanted to ask. If it comes to a fight, do you think you’ll use your gun?”
I paused, pondering the question. “I… I don’t know. I think if things looked really bad, I might have to. I’m not going to let them capture any of us. We can try taking them down quickly, but if it goes sideways, I can’t promise I won’t do what needs to be done to end things quickly.”
Sapphire nodded slowly. “Okay. Good.”
I looked up at her with a bit of surprise. “Good?”
“Yeah,” she said, shrugging with her wings. “I know what Dusky said, and I agree, but if things go bad… I think if they find us after we’ve been hiding for so long, they’re going to be frustrated and angry. They won’t have commanding officers at their backs making sure they pull punches and really bring us all in to be thrown in those cages. I don’t want you to have to use that thing, Jake, but if… if it means you might save your life, or somepony’s life… well, we’ll all do what we have to do.”
I found that I’d been holding my breath while listening to her, and I let it out in a slow sigh. “Yeah. That was my plan all along, honestly. I’m not going to let those goons hurt anypony. If it comes down to it, I’ll use it and try to not kill any yetis, but even if I shoot them in the leg or something they’re gonna be really badly injured.”
Sapphire nodded to me, smiling. “That’s a good idea. Do your best, okay? And we’ll just hope that you won’t have to use it.”
I snorted. “You think our luck will be that good?”
“My luck is,” Sapphire said, casting me a sly grin, “but unfortunately, you’re here, so it’s probably about fifty fifty.”
I stuck my tongue out at her. “Hey, you’re the one with bad luck. After all, you keep getting assigned to me.”
Sapphire chuckled, and then froze, her ears swiveling to the left. I looked up over her shoulder to the street, and I could see a group of Storm King troops moving down the street again. They were dragging a pony behind them, one having grabbed the stallion by his rear leg. We watched quietly as they moved along, but before they could pass us, the pony started squirming. I could just barely hear him yelling.
“You’re gonna b-break my leg!”
The yetis paused, and one dragging him turned fully around, looking down on him with blue glowing eyes through the imposing black helmet. The light blue stallion stopped yelling, looking terrified. The yeti’s eyes traveled down to the leg it was holding, and it dropped it. The stallion let out a yelp, but then curled the leg in close, rubbing at the ankle joint.
Before anyone could react, the yeti soldier lashed out, smashing a giant fist across the stallion’s face and knocking him head over tail to the ground. Sapphire bristled, visibly shifting on her hooves. I frowned, glaring at the yetis and quickly taking stock. There were four of them, all armored, but mostly carrying no weapons, though one carried a long spear. I muttered under my breath, “C’mon, he gets it. Don’t hurt him.”
The yeti towered over the whimpering Stallion, who curled up into a shaking ball, and it kicked him in the back. The stallion yelped. I grimaced. “Fuck. Go get Dusky.”
Sapphire was already moving, sliding past me and heading into the kitchen. I watched as the yeti delivered another kick to the helpless pony’s side, rolling him through the street. The other yetis watched and did nothing to intervene, though I could hear them talking in their deep throated language.
Dusky arrived with Sapphire a moment later, along with the two other unicorn guards and the other earth pony guard. The situation hadn’t gotten better. The Yeti seemed determined to treat the earth pony like a kickball, and the stallion had started screaming for help. Sapphire and Dusky shared a look.
“Yes,” Sapphire said.
“No,” Dusky said at the same time.
They glared at each other. “What the fuck do you mean, no?” I hissed, turning to glare at Dusky.
“We have twenty ponies here that need to be safe. We can’t fight every battle, not as we are. This is a losing choice,” he said quietly, trying to project calm, but I saw him wince when the stallion let out a pitiful yelp.
I looked at Sapphire. “He’s in charge, right?”
Sapphire grit her teeth. “Technically, we’re the same rank but he has seniority.”
“So I just have to convince him?” I asked, feeling an idea form in my head.
Dusky frowned. “Jake, I can see you planning something. Think about Sweetie Belle.”
“I’m thinking about how I need to face that filly after this, and I don’t think it’s gonna be easy if I let that yeti beat that poor pony to death out there,” I said, rising to my full height.
Dusky grimaced, holding up a hoof as I made to move. “Jake! Jake. Okay. I know I can’t talk you out of this. So we’ll do it. We need to do this together. Coordinate, make sure none of them get away.”
I didn’t sit down, but Dusky gave quick orders. “Okay. We’re the distraction. Sapphire, go up and over, everyone else, split up and flank from both sides. We’ll get their attention. Go.” Sapphire and the unicorns and earth pony guards slipped out the back door. Dusky took a breath and then pointed to the front door. “Are you ready?”
I grinned. “I almost lost faith in you, Dusky.”
Dusky tightened his helmet, a grim expression on his face. “It’s easy to be a hero, hard to be a leader. I know I can’t talk you out of your heroics.”
“Yeah, well,” I said, climbing over the counter and stepping up to the front door, “it’s not every day that I actually get to be useful against Equestrian bad guys.” I clicked the lock open, and pushed through the doors into the street.
The yeti kicking the stallion stopped as I stepped into the street, appearing mere feet away from him. It cocked its head, glancing from me to Dusky. Dusky spread his wings and grinned a fanged grin. “We surrender.”
I didn’t even see Sapphire’s approach. She fell out of the sky on top of the yeti with a spear like lightning from a stormcloud, her hooves smashing into the yeti’s face and knocking it to the ground. The rest jumped, startled, as our unicorn pals joined us, spells firing off as they attacked from either side. A lasso of magic hit one, catching it tight, while some kind of befuddling spell hit the other and sent it staggering. The yeti kicking the pony managed to get into some kind of fighting stance before Dusky and I were on him. We worked in tandem, Dusky leaping up high to kick the yeti’s face, while I went low and aimed a shove at his chest.
Our strikes hit in tandem, staggering him back, and he tripped over the injured stallion, falling over. Dusky flew up high and delivered a four-hoof stomp to the yeti’s stomach, knocking the wind out of it, and I came from the side, kicking at his face. He managed to swipe at me with his huge claws, tearing my pants leg but not finding any purchase as I jumped back. Dusky gave him another stomp with his rear hooves, and then punched his front hooves into the Yeti’s face. That knocked him down for good, and we turned to check on the others.
The lassoed yeti had been completely tangled with magical ropes, and was sitting down with an annoyed look in its eyes. The befuddled one was chasing a bunch of magical butterflies around, its eyes completely unfocused. The one Sapphire hit had been reduced to a snoring pile of armor and fur. Dusky got off the yeti and moved directly to the beaten stallion. “We’re here to help. Stay still.”
The stallion didn’t move, staying curled up, whimpering. Dusky began checking him over and ensuring he was going to be okay. Sapphire grabbed hoofcuffs from her saddlebag and magically enlarged them to fit the yetis, and started taking them into custody. I let out a shaky sigh, feeling the adrenaline bleed away, and smiled. “Good work, ponies.”
The earth pony guard pouted. “I didn’t even get a hit in.”
I smirked. “Count yourself lucky. These guys have hard heads, you coulda chipped a hoof.”
The earth pony’s pout intensified, but he moved to help get the yetis, his strength making easy work to drag the yetis into the diner proper. I helped Sapphire with the other unconscious yeti, while the unicorns used their magic to drag or direct their two captives in as well. The four of them lay, sat, or stood woozily in the dining room of Doughnut Joe’s. I glanced at Sapphire. “Well… we beat them. Now what?”
Sapphire considered our four captives, and then grinned. “We can stash them in the walk-in freezer.”
I gave her a surprised look. “Isn’t that inhumane?”
“They’re yetis. I’m pretty sure the freezer is like home for them, right?” Sapphire said with a chuckle.
I looked the beasts over, taking in their thick fur, shaggy coats, and heavy armor filled with fluff. “You actually might be on to something, there.”
With the help of the unicorns and earth pony, we moved the four yeti soldiers into the walk-in freezer. It was a little small, but we managed to cram them in. They didn’t protest much, and once we got them put away we slammed the heavy door shut and set the lock into the latch on the front, ensuring they were stuck. I dusted off my hands, smirking at the closed door. “Score one for Equestria.”
Dusky entered the kitchen, looking around at the group. “You… put them in the freezer?”
“I thought it made sense,” Sapphire said, grinning at him.
Dusky thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “Actually, yes. Good thinking, Corporal.” He shifted his attention to one of the unicorns. “I need your help carrying the stallion inside. How is your magic? Not too exhausted?”
“No, sir,” the unicorn replied with a salute, and the two of them went back outside quickly.
They returned within a minute, the unicorn using his telekinesis to carry the stallion inside. His blue coat was a mess, and I could see swelling where big bruises were forming across his sides and back. He was thankfully unconscious, and Dusky gestured to the stairs. “Let’s get him downstairs. Private Snow, can you guard our prisoners?”
The unicorn guard who had used the lasso spell gave a salute. “On it, sir.”
Dusky nodded. “Okay, good. Keep at it. Sapphire, can you watch the street? I’m worried we might have attracted attention.”
“Is he gonna be okay?” I asked Dusky, gesturing to the blue earth pony stallion who was floating in the telekinetic field.
“Most likely, though he’s going to have a really bad time. Probably has a broken rib or two, but there isn’t much we can do about that but wrap up his sides and try to keep him comfortable,” Dusky explained, looking worriedly over the unconscious stallion.
“Well… at least he’s alive,” I said, shoving my hands in my pockets.
Dusky gave me a nod and then directed the unicorn downstairs, helping guide the unconscious pony down. Sapphire headed back out to the counter to keep watch, and I decided to follow her while Dusky took care of the hurt stallion. She sat back down behind the counter again, her breathing slowly evening out and a bit of a wild look in her eyes. I sat down with her, eyeing her strange expression. She grinned at me suddenly. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a bit. Ever since we saw them taking those ponies away in chains, actually.”
“Yeah?” I chuckled, reaching out and ruffling her mane.
Her ears went flat but she didn’t protest her mane being mussed, though she automatically used one hoof to try and fix it as she spoke, “Yeah. Thanks for backing me up, Jake. I think I would have snapped at Dusky if he’d tried to keep us from helping that pony.”
“No kidding. I did snap at him. I know he meant well, trying to think logically and all that, but I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing,” I said, leaning back against the counter.
“Yeah, I understand.” Sapphire leaned forward a bit more. “Seriously, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. We did the right thing, that’s all, nothing to be thanked for,” I stated simply, shrugging.
She stared at me for a long moment, and then she giggled, shaking her head. “I think I find new ways to be surprised by you all the time, Jake.”
“Listen, I’m working hard to be better than I was. Part of that is knowing that doing the right thing should be its own reward. Nobody needs to throw me a parade for just being a decent person and keeping people safe,” I said quietly, looking down at my hands and noticing that they were shaking.
Sapphire’s hooves reached up and caught my hands, holding them steady. “You almost sound like a guard, talking like that.”
I snorted, smiling at her. “Oh man, you mean I sound like a cop like you? That’s a new low.”
Sapphire snorted, pressing my shaking hands against her chestplate. “I like it.”
We sat quietly like that while the adrenaline bled off and our bodies relaxed. I felt the tremors going through my body slowly quiet, my hands growing still in Sapphire’s hooves. She slowly relaxed as well, her wings settling from a tight position to more loose at her sides, and I could see some of the tension in her face melt away as she held my hands. I found a smirk crossing my face. “You know, where I’m from, hand holding is a sign of romance.”
“Jake?”
“Yes, Sapphire?”
“Shut up.” The tension finally broke and we shared a quiet laugh. Sapphire’s giggles settled down first, and she let my hands go, but shifted to lean against my side. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad you’re here, too. You’re a real tough mare, Sapphire. I’m really lucky to have a friend like you,” I said simply.
She let out a sigh, closing her eyes and resting her head on my shoulder. “I’m glad we’re friends, too. It’s rare for a… a tough mare like me to find somebody that respects that. I’m glad that you’re willing to go into a fight with me like that.”
I chuckled, pondering our situation. “Is this what Rarity and her pals are like? Ready to just go fight some big bad to save the world at a moment’s notice? Tougher together, ready to really throw down for harmony and friendship?”
Sapphire giggled, looking up at me. “I’ve never really thought about it like that, but you’re right. They’re a bunch of really tough mares, too.”
I smirked, leaning my head back to look up at the ceiling. “And I work for the princesses, who are also certified tough mares. Damn, I’m surrounded.”
Sapphire snorted, laughing a little harder, and I joined her. It felt good. We’d done something good, helped somepony, and we’d won. It wouldn’t always be like this and I knew it. “We’re on a clock now, you know,” I said quietly, as my laughter finally slowed down.
“Yeah. They’ll miss their patrol, and they’ll come looking,” Sapphire said, her expression falling slightly for a moment, but she shook her head and looked up at me with a fierce smile. “Well, you know what?”
“What?” I felt like I knew the answer, though, and I was already grinning back.
“Buck ‘em. We’ll show them who we are,” Sapphire said, pressing her shoulder against my side.
I chuckled, ruffling her mane again. “Damn right.”
I was jostled awake by Sapphire once more, back down in the basement. I looked up blearily, shifting to sit up, but discovered that I was pinned on my back by Sweetie Belle, who was snoring quietly on top of my chest. I grimaced and shifted, lifting her up and moving her to the side. Her snoring stopped and she mumbled something incoherent. I turned my attention back to Sapphire. “What time is it?”
“It’s early in the morning,” she said quietly, leaning forward to whisper to me. “They found us.”
I was instantly awake, sitting up fully. “Shit.”
“Shh. No need to start a panic. Just come up, we’re going to see what we can do about this.” Sapphire stepped away, and I got to my feet and quietly stretched before moving after her. I could hear voices as I came up the stairs, and Sapphire pointedly closed the door to the lower area. Doughnut Joe and Marge were in the kitchen, along with all the other guards and Dusky. They stopped talking when we arrived, and Dusky stepped forward.
“Jake, sometime in the last couple minutes, a whole mess of Yetis showed up and started surrounding the building,” Dusky explained to me quietly. “They definitely know we’re here. Maybe those yetis we captured can communicate to the others, or something, but whatever the case, we’re in trouble.”
“How many?” Sapphire asked.
“At least ten that we can see from the front. We peeked out the back using a spell and there’s a half-dozen more at the rear. More than enough to overwhelm us if they rushed us,” Dusky said, grimacing a fanged grimace, his tail lashing.
“Damn, they didn’t cut corners,” Sapphire mumbled.
“Yeah, well, what’s the plan?” I asked, looking around. The guards looked at Dusky and Sapphire. Sapphire frowned and looked at Dusky.
“Dusky, this is your wheelhouse, not mine. I’ll defer to you on this.”
Dusky nodded. “Thank you, Sapphire. I’m glad to take the lead on this.” He looked at the assembled ponies. “I think the best course of action is to wait. They have us surrounded, but they’re not moving in yet. For the ponies downstairs… Joe, Marge, it may be time to get everypony into the secret room and seal it up. Jake, you should go with them.”
I scowled. “What about you guys?”
Dusky glanced at the group briefly before speaking up. “They know that there are ponies here. They probably can guess that there are guards, considering we took down four of their friends. If they don’t find somepony here, they’ll look all the harder for us, and they might find that secret room.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t want to tell anypony what to do, but I think the best course of action is to put up some resistance here in the cafe, encourage them to think that they’ve found the culprits who took down their friends, and give them a reason to think that it was just us. A bunch of guards, and nopony else.”
Joe frowned. “A sacrifice, then? I’m not so sure I like that.”
“I definitely don’t,” I said, crouching down to look Dusky in the eye. “I can stay up here. I know how to fight, you know that. I can be your ace in the hole. Sixteen of them, sure, but I’ve got the secret weapon. We can fight and win.”
Sapphire turned to look at me with a small, sad smile. “Jake… what about Sweetie Belle.” I stopped speaking, feeling my stomach clench. Damn it. “I know you want to help, but you need to remember your duty. This? This is ours.”
“Fuck, I hate it when you get all logical on me,” I said quietly, glaring at her. She smirked and gave me a shrug. I sighed. “Fine. I’ll go down with the civilians. I can be the, uh, last line of defense. Or whatever.” I hated saying that, but it was all I had.
Dusky smiled. “Good. Now that that’s settled, you all should get moving. We’ve got work to do, and you need to get everyone into the secret room safely. Joe, Marge, can you handle that?”
Joe nodded solemnly, and Marge gave a snort. “We’ll do our part, you ponies don’t worry. And we’ll have Jake with us, and if any of those yetis poke their nose where it doesn’t belong, he’ll take care of ‘em. Right, Jake?”
I nodded to her. “Right.”
“Okay then. You ponies be safe, okay? We’ll get everyone into the secret room and settled and quiet. They won’t find us,” Marge said, grabbing Joe by the scruff as she walked by. “And you, I can see you trying to think about how you should stay and fight for the cafe. Nothin’ doin’! You are gonna go downstairs and let the guards do their job. C’mon!” Joe let out a quiet yelp as he was physically dragged back down the stairs.
I chuckled. “You sure we can’t just let Marge loose on them?”
Dusky grinned. “I think that would be against the Geneighva Convention.”
I tilted my head to look at him. “Wait, you guys have that?”
He ignored me, looking to the rest of the group. “I need two ponies guarding the back door. We can probably lock it, but they’re strong enough to break it down. The rest of us need to focus on the front, they can come through the windows no problem. Unicorns at the front, maybe?”
Sapphire turned to regard me as Dusky and the other guards began strategizing. “You better get going, Jake.” I hesitated, frowning at her, and she stepped forward and pulled me into a tight hug, wrapping her wings around my shoulders. “Keep that filly safe. We’ll be okay. They’re taking prisoners, remember?”
“I hate this,” I said, speaking my mind, and I held her tight for a long moment before finally stepping back and taking her hoof to help her back down to all fours. A courtly little mannerism in the middle of this shit situation.
“Yeah. Stay safe, okay?” Sapphire nudged me with her nose. “Go.”
I stood up and turned to the stairs, but a loud voice from outside gave me pause.
“Hello. Hello? Is this thing on? Oh, it is? Ugh, magic, whatever. Okay, hello, hi there, little ponies! It’s the Storm King talking. You’ve probably heard of me by now, and if you haven’t, well where have you been? Ha ha!” The smarmy, deep voice immediately set my nerves on edge. The Storm King himself was here for this?
He continued speaking, voice magically amplified. “Anyway, all jokes aside, it’s really important you take me seriously when I say… the game’s over! It’s all done. You’re surrounded by my elite guards, you have no hope of escape, and we definitely know you’re in there. You have four of my guys in there, too. Now, you may think that having four of my guys gives you some kind of, I dunno, bargaining chip or something? I just really want you to know that I could care less what you do to those guys. So you can’t threaten me or something, because I really really don’t care about them. All I care about is ending this stupid little stand-off. I have so much more important things to do, I had to get woken up early for this little chat, and I’m very, very cranky about it.”
I looked over my shoulder towards Dusky and Sapphire. They were listening intently, but Dusky gestured for the group to move towards the front of the cafe and take up positions. The voice continued, sounding slightly more unhinged. “And when I say cranky, I mean really upset, totally off my game, teeth-grinding kind of mad. It’s not a good look for me, and if you continue to upset me, it’s going to be a really bad look for you. Because you’ll be looking, uh, bad. So, let’s all cut to the chase, shall we?” The Storm King cleared his throat. “I know that there’s a pegasus in there, and an earth pony, and a couple of unicorns, and a bat pony. And you’ve got some kinda hairless yeti, too. Yes, we used magic, yes, we know how many of you there are, no, you can’t escape or try to hide. Don’t forget: surrounded. You know what that means, right?”
Sapphire froze and turned to look at me. I frowned. “Fuck.” I turned on my heel and took the stairs two at a time, getting down to the cellar and missing whatever the Storm King had to say next. The ponies were crowding into the small secret door, and I could see a room beyond that was lit by candles. I looked around for Sweetie Belle, and found her near the back of the group. I could see she was scared, and she was looking around frantically. When she saw me, she perked up, a worried smile on her face. I ran to her, picking her up and giving her a tight hug. “Hey, Sweetie.”
“Jake! There you are. Marge says we’re hiding from the yetis,” she said quietly.
I looked away from her to Marge, who was ushering ponies into the secret room. She saw my expression and she frowned. “Jake, you look like you found a fly in your coffee.”
“A bit worse than that. They know I’m here. Maybe the yetis we captured could talk to them or something, I don’t know. But this doesn’t work unless they find me, too… so…” I shrugged helplessly.
Marge’s frown deepened. “Well… shoot.”
“Yeah. Marge, can you take care of Sweetie for me?” I asked, setting the unicorn filly down beside Marge.
Sweetie gasped, looking up at me with a pained expression. “Jake! You… you can’t go!”
I grimaced, her expression tearing at me. “I have to. They know I’m here, and they know all the guards are here, but they don’t know you’re here, so you can hide from them. I… I’m just gonna have to rely on Rarity and her friends, and so will you. Right?”
Sweetie bit her lip, looking more worried. “I… r-right.”
“Okay. So, you stay with Marge and stay quiet and safe. Okay?” I reached out and pulled her close for another hug. She clung to me for a long moment, a little whine in her throat, but when I pulled back her face was set in a brave expression.
“Rarity will rescue us, Jake. I know it,” she said quietly, and she leaned forward and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “So… be brave, okay?”
I nodded, touched by the gesture. “Yeah. I’ll be brave if you can be brave.”
“I’m a cutie mark crusader, Jake! We definitely know how to be brave,” she replied, giving me a trembling smile.
I stood up, reluctantly letting her go, and she moved to stand next to Marge. I gave Marge a long look. “Take care of her, yeah?”
“With my life,” Marge said seriously, and then she took Sweetie Belle by the hoof and led her through the door, closing it behind her. The door ground closed and there was a shimmer of magic, and then… there was no door.
I raised an eyebrow. “Damn, that’s a good secret door.” I wished I had time to learn how it worked, but I knew I needed to get back upstairs.
I took the stairs fast, getting upstairs. I went out into the cafe, grimacing at the scene. There were, indeed, ten heavily armored yetis in the front. They carried shields and spears, and had formed a line in front of the windows. Sapphire glanced over at me from behind the counter as I joined her, crouching low. “They’re all safe. What’s the word?”
“The Storm King has some kind of magical projection thing, and he’s got some yeti lackey carrying it around so he can talk to us. Dusky was talking to him for a minute, trying to negotiate, but we’re only being offered ‘unconditional surrender’,” Sapphire said, frowning. “This guy isn’t much of a negotiator, honestly. So now it’s just waiting to see.”
“What’s our plan, Dusky?” I asked, looking across to him.
Dusky smiled at me, “No plans. We’re going to fight them. You… maybe you should disable your secret weapon? I’m worried about it falling into the wrong hooves.”
I pulled out the pistol and checked it carefully, and then shook my head. “Nah. I’ve got a better idea.”
“What, pray tell, is that?” Dusky asked.
“Turning this stand-off into a Mexican one,” I said with a smirk, and I stood up from the counter.
The Yeti’s reacted, shifting their stances to raise their shields. I raised my pistol and took careful aim. They weren’t moving, and I could steady myself pretty readily. I switched the safety off and carefully squeezed the trigger.
BLAM
The report of the gun was loud in the cafe, and all the guards winced at the loud sound. The window shattered as my bullet passed through it and clipped through the edge of the shield of one of the Yeti soldiers. The soldier’s shield was knocked aside, and they all leapt back, taking cover away from the windows. I caught a brief glimpse of an unarmed Yeti carrying a big, glowing ball that had a strange monkey-like creature wearing a crown projected in the air above it. That had to be the Storm King. I cleared my throat and yelled out into the street. “You picked the wrong hairless ape to mess with. I’m a powerful wizard, do you understand? But I only know one spell, and it’s that one. I just punched a hole in glass and armor from almost thirty feet away, clean, and I can just keep doing that… again and again. Do you understand? Your guys don’t have enough armor to stop me from making a hole in them. Nothing can stop it, do you get me?” I crouched back down behind the counter and waited for a response.
It came pretty quickly. “I call bluff. If you’re such a powerful wizard with such a powerful spell, why haven’t I heard of you, or that spell, huh?”
I steadied my pistol against the counter, keeping a two-handed grip, aiming carefully. I squeezed the trigger again.
BLAM
I watched with satisfaction as the window across the street shattered. “I like to keep a low profile.”
“Ha! Well, look at that. It’s got some range to it. Okay, ape wizard, I see we’re at a bit of an impasse here, but—”
“It’s called a Mexican standoff where I’m from. You have to call it that,” I said, biting back a laugh.
“A… a what? Listen, it doesn’t matter what it’s called, I just—”
“No, you have to call it that. I need to hear you say it. Mexican. Standoff.”
Sapphire squinted at me. “Jake, what are you doing?”
“Buying time, right? It’s the most important part of a Mexican standoff,” I lied. I couldn’t really explain to her that this was something of a bucket list moment from my old life. I was the only half-latino in Equestria, and by Celestia, I was going to get somebody from this world to say the words ' Mexican standoff’.
“No, I’m not saying it. Listen, ape wizard, obviously this is—”
“I’m not negotiating until you say it.”
“... Is this guy for real?”
Dusky spoke up. “I assure you, he is very real.”
“Listen to the pony, Mister Storm King. I’m real as it gets,” I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Fine. Whatever. Fine. It’s a… what is it?”
“Mexican standoff,” I said solemnly.
“It’s… a Mexican standoff.”
I laughed. “Hell yeah it is. Okay, Mister Storm King, what can I do for you?”
“You’re a powerful wizard. I’m a powerful tyrant-king. I guarantee that there’s some overlap in our goals and desires. I pay well, my minions are well-kept, and I really really want a wizard who can punch holes in armor on my side.”
“Yeah, no kidding, everybody does. It’s why Celestia hired me,” I said, keeping my eye on the yetis as they shuffled around a bit out front, moving to do something.
“Celestia hired you? That doesn’t seem like her. Regardless, are you aware that I’m currently using Celestia as a tasteful piece of decor in my throne room? You aren’t getting paid anytime soon.”
“Money has to come up-front. That’s the deal. So, unless you can pay more, I’m the loyal servant of Equestria for the next moon.” They were definitely up to something. I took aim, shifting my stance a bit so I could aim low. “Hey, tell your boys to stop moving around, they’re making me nervous. They won’t like me when I’m nervous.”
“Who, those guys? They’re fine. Don’t worry abou—”
BLAM
My bullet went through the front edge of the ankle greave of the Yeti nearest to me, just as it was looking to reposition. It yelped and collapsed into the street, blue-black blood seeping from the hole I’d punched through its armor. I could hear the ponies gasp in surprise, but I ignored it. Two other yetis shifted and grabbed the downed one, pulling it away and fully out of view. “I don’t like being nervous, Mister Storm King.”
“Jake, be careful,” Dusky cautioned.
“Don’t worry, Dusky. They needed a little concrete evidence,” I said calmly.
“Let me see! Let me… Oh, would you look at that. It punches through hide and flesh, too.” I could hear him chuckle. “You weren’t joking. Okay, ape wizard. Is it okay if I call you ape wizard?”
“I prefer my wizard name, actually.”
“... Which is?”
“Grandes Bolas,” I said with a smirk.
“Okay, Grand Bolas, anyway, I see that you’re serious. You’ve got one really, really good spell. Damn, that’s a good spell. And you’ve really got me at a disadvantage here. I’m a big fan of unique magic and spells, you know? So, how about we… we negotiate. How much did Celestia pay you? Up front.”
“I’m glad we’re starting to understand each other, Mister Storm King.” I could hear Sapphire giggling.
“Yeah, Grand Bolas, I’m glad too. So, how much?”
“Two million bits,” I said, grinning.
“... Is this guy for real?”
“She cleaned out a portion of the treasury to pay him, yes,” Sapphire shouted, holding back her laughter.
“Wow. Okay, so, I see you come at a high price. That makes sense, considering the power you have.”
“I think it’s a reasonable ask. So, you’ve got two million bits?”
“I mean… yes, I do, but are we open to a little negotiation?”
“I’m open to some haggling, yeah,” I chuckled, shifting my position.
“Cool, great, wonderful, lovely. Okay, so, listen, in about… a few hours, here, I’m going to have something called The Staff of Sacanas, fully operational, in my possession. Very powerful magical artifact. It just needs a little more juice to really get it going. Once I have that, I’m definitely stronger than you.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Actually, yeah, it is. My magical artifact can throw tornadoes and create blizzards, bring whole swaths of destruction, large scale. You can punch a hole in anything, that’s pretty cool, definitely a good skill. I’m going to be a level up, you feel me?”
“I’m not liking where this is going, Mister Storm King.”
“I kind of figured you wouldn’t, Grand Bolas. So, how about we shift what we’re looking for, huh? I’ve got a job on offer, and I can guarantee you… one million bits in total compensation, over the course of the next five years, plus a promise that I won’t use the Staff of Sacanas to mow you down in a tornado the size of that entire stupid building you’re hiding in.”
“You’re a terrible negotiator,” I said honestly.
“I’m kind of a terrible guy. It comes with the ‘powerful tyrant’ territory, you know? But I’ve learned to accept the things I can’t change. You should realize that you can’t change that in a matter of hours you’re going to be horribly outmatched by me, Grand Bolas.”
“I see. How about you just fuck off, then? I don’t have a quarrel with you, you don’t have a quarrel with me. We can go our separate ways.”
“Interesting offer. I suppose that can work. I’ll tell my boys to let you go, and you can walk out of there and go… wherever it is that you want to go, two million bits richer, and not ground into dust in a tornado. Sound good?”
I paused. “One small problem.”
“I kind of figured. Pray tell, Grand Bolas, what is the small problem?”
“I really like this coffee place.”
“You’ve got to be joking. NO. Absolutely not. We are not doing this. This city is mine, that coffee shop is mine, all of it is MINE. You can leave or you can stay and get turned into paste. I really don’t care which you pick, but I’d like to get on with my day.”
“You can’t, not with me here. So you’ll just have to sit there and keep us surrounded, until you can grind me down with that staff or whatever, which, by the way, sounds like a bluff.”
“I am the STORM KING. STORM. It’s my whole… thing! Do you see the dark clouds I conjured to hide my airships? The cold winds? That’s all ME. So you can presume whatever you like, but you are not going to win that bluff. So, what’s it going to be, Grand Bolas!?”
“I’ll stay and die, thanks,” I said, aiming at the corner of the building where the yetis had retreated.
“Stupid. What a waste. You’ve insulted me, you’ve insulted my abilities. You know what? I didn’t want you to work for me anyway. You stink. I’m going to have a lot of fun keeping you surrounded inside that stupid little cafe, and when the winds start tearing that building apart, you’re going to rue the day you ever crossed ME, Bolas! Storm King, OUT!”
I snorted, crouching back down behind the corner when no Yetis made an attempt to charge at us immediately. “Well… that went well.”
Sapphire grabbed my shoulder, grinning. “Jake, you absolute idiot, I think you just saved our flanks.”
I shrugged. “So the gun had a purpose that was better than just a killing machine. As a stall tactic, I think that worked rather well.” I winked at Sapphire. “Es mejor que lo creas.”
Dusky was also smiling, a rare sight on the taciturn sarosian. “Well done, Jake. I’m glad you didn’t seriously harm anyone during that exchange.”
“Me too,” I said quietly. “I was worried for a minute there.”
I heard the back door thud, and a yelp from the kitchen. Sapphire and I exchanged a look of surprise, and I got to my feet again. From the kitchen, we heard a shout. “They’re breaking through!”
Just as I shifted to move towards the kitchen, the front windows all shattered at once as the Storm King’s soldiers burst through the glass, shattering it with bull-rushing shield charges. I grimaced and raised my pistol, taking aim. “You really want to do this?!” I aimed high and pulled the trigger.
BLAM
The round went over the yetis heads, sending them diving for the floor, and the ponies were up in an instant. Sapphire led them into the fight with a cry of “For Equestria!”
I grimaced and held my position behind the counter, and started shooting up over the yeti’s heads
BLAM BLAM BLAM
The yetis were obviously afraid of the sound, because every time I fired they scrambled and startled, and the sound bought the ponies time to get in close with them. Sapphire did a flying kick into one, knocking it over, while Dusky grabbed onto a spear and pulled it from a yeti’s grip, using it to sweep the legs of another yeti.
More yeti soldiers entered the diner, breaking open more windows, slamming open the front door. One of the unicorns let loose some kind of disorienting spell, pushing back a group as magical butterflies swirled around their heads and flapped in their eyes. The other started launching magical ropes, entangling limbs and tripping yetis as they entered. I had a brief moment where I wondered if most unicorns only knew a few types of spells, before a yeti lunged at me. I backstepped, avoiding his spear’s point, and aimed at the floor.
BLAM BLAM
The yeti stumbled back as I shot between its feet, and while it was distracted and off-balance, I threw a hard kick into its thigh, sending it to the floor. I glanced around, spotting the massive coffee machine on the counter above the yeti I’d knocked down.. “Sorry, Joe,” I mumbled, as I shoved the machine, sending it crashing onto the yeti. The yeti struggled under the weight, and I turned my attention to the room once more.
The fight was going poorly. Sapphire was darting about, kicking off of yetis as they came at her, trying to find room to maneuver, but she was getting surrounded. Dusky wasn’t in much better shape, a yeti actually physically throwing itself on top of him and pinning him down. The unicorns were backing into corners, trying to keep their flanks covered as their horns literally started to glow from the amount of magic they were throwing out. Stun spells, ropes, and butterflies filled the space and while it gave the yetis pause, it wasn’t enough. It was getting desperate.
A yeti charged me and I aimed high.
BLAM
The bullet shot between its horns, the noise of it making it duck on reflex, and I launched a strong front-kick, my shoe cracking into its chin. It’s head snapped up and its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed in a heap in front of me.
Another yeti was right behind the one I'd just taken down, and it launched itself at me, a full-body tackle that caught me at the waist and pulled me down behind the counter. The cabinets crackled and clattered and silverware rained down on us as we struggled. I slammed my elbows down on the back of the yeti’s head again and again, grimacing as the hard helmet smashed my arm, and it struggled to pin me down. I brought the gun right beside the side of its head, where I guessed its ears were, and fired.
BLAM
In the tighter space it was definitely much louder, and the sound of a gunshot right beside its head had the desired effect. It let go with one hand and clutched at the side of its helmet, growling in pain. I got my knee between us and pushed, knocking it off of me, and I pushed forward as it fell back. It took a swipe at me with its free hand, the claws raking across my stomach and leaving cuts, and I growled, getting to my feet and shoving it back against the counter. It fell back, its legs dangling, back on the countertop, and I pressed the barrel of my gun right to its forehead. “Don’t fucking move,” I shouted, pressing hard, making sure my point was clear, before I pulled it back a little ways, making sure that my gun would be able to fire.
The yeti put its claws in the air, and the fight in the diner continued as I stood over it. I could hear the yetis growling and the ponies gasping for breath. I could feel the weight of the moment. This could be it. Pull the trigger, get this one out of the fight, do it to the next one.
Don’t stop.
Don’t.
Keep going.
Wait!
Don’t stop until blood covered the carpet and everypony was safe.
Stop!
Don’t stop until blood covered my hands.
“Jake! Stop!” Sapphire’s voice filtered through my thoughts.
I blinked, her voice bringing me back. I looked up and found that the fight was over. Dusky was pinned beneath a yeti, Sapphire was caught by two, who were holding her against a wall. The unicorns were being held at spear-point, their horns literally smoking with excess heat from their spellcasting. It was just me, the yeti I held at gunpoint, and four more yetis with their spears leveled at me. I grimaced. “No.”
“Jake. It’s done,” it was Dusky, this time. He looked at me, his face cut and bleeding, but his eyes were firm. “You don’t have to do this.”
I looked from Dusky to the yeti I’d held at gunpoint. It didn’t move, it’s hands up, frozen in the moment. I turned my gaze to the four yetis. They didn’t move, but the threat was implicit, their spear points ready. I took a shaking breath, looking back down to the yeti on the counter. “I could do it.”
“No you can’t,” Sapphire said quietly.
“I can,” I said, just as quiet.
“That isn’t who you are anymore!” Dusky shouted, closing his eyes and grimacing as he struggled briefly under the weight of the yeti pinning him. “Let me up, you beast. I surrender.”
The yeti actually stood up, but it kept a massive paw on Dusky’s back, holding tight to one of his wings so he couldn’t fly. Dusky got to his hooves with a grunt. “See? We’re done.”
I looked to Sapphire, feeling some desperation welling up inside me, but she had her hooves in the air now, as well. “Yeah. I surrender.”
I swallowed hard, and looked back at the yeti. Everything inside me screamed to fight, to not give up, to keep going. But there was another voice, now. A voice that said it was okay, that I had to stop.
I took another breath, and then took a slow step back from the yeti on the counter. It scrambled back and away, falling off the counter and onto its side as it moved behind the line of yetis with spears. I looked at the gun in my hands, and I pulled the slide carefully, ejecting the round in the chamber out and into my hand and leaving the breach open. The yetis advanced a bit closer, and I calmly jammed the second round into the open breach of the gun before I closed it. That was as good of a failsafe as I was going to get in an improvised second.
I set the pistol down on the counter, and raised my hands. “Okay.”
This fight was over.
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11577382
I just finished the reread I started last week before I went to bed. The timing for me couldn't have been better!
Jake living his dreams here, no shaming him for it.
Wow, I didn't know this had already been recently updated! Huzzah!
Hell of a creative way for him not to kill. Honestly I think you are the only writer I've seen who handled that case adequately 👍.
Jake you moron...use the gun, dead yeti can't take you captive.
This was so close to being a pastiche with the Shadow the Hedgehog game.
11580101
Unintentional, I promise! I've never played that game, lol, I only know it by reputation. I'd hoped to not be too edgy here, the story is about a dude learning to Friendship(tm)!
11580308
haha I only meant in the sense of the shadow game being "what if sonic/mlp but the main character had a gun!"
Overall this chapter strikes a nice balance between characters, the tension of lethal violence, and pacing.
I always did wonder if the original move script had Shining being the one to try and shield the princesses instead of Cadence, although her repping Shining's magic is also sweet in a way. I guess, like Discord, it would be too much to include Shining or the Guard in a strict 90 minute screen time.
Happy to see this got updated again. I re-read the entire story to refresh my memory and it was as good as I remember. Looking forward to the next chapter!
I know it's a Rarity ship story, but I really like Jake and Sapphire together.
Clever way to use the gun without actually fighting. Shame it didn't matter like 20 seconds later.