The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Backup Plan

Two pegasi and a unicorn tramped through a sparsely-lit stone corridor, carrying with them Gerardo's crates and an immobilized Maple. Selma's horn aura almost provided better illumination than the glowing crystals studded too far apart in the walls, though it still sparked and flickered on occasion.

The tunnel had shifted in style, transforming from a natural-looking formation to something obviously and hastily excavated, a rectangular passage of uniform height and width that lacked any sort of sealant around its corners. As such, the cracks that formed there occasionally bled with water, staining the dark blue stone of the walls darker than it already was.

Aside from Selma's angry breathing, the journey was silent, hoofsteps intensifying in volume whenever the guards passed over metal grates designed to drain any water that accumulated in the tunnels. Frequently, corridors branched off to the side, and occasionally, Selma took those branches. Their course was generally downward, however, the slope sometimes as steep as the roads outside.

Overhead, a collection of pipes filled the ceiling, increasing in density the lower they went. Silently, they performed their job, carrying whatever they were meant to carry without so much as a thought for the mare held captive below.

For her part, Maple could barely think... yet thinking was the only thing she had the freedom to do. She had dropped an iron ingot on Selma, one of the two she always carried to make herself heavier. Gerardo had been in trouble. What else could she have done? She had to have done something... right?

Anger bubbled inside her, trying its best to protect and distract her from the fear and hopelessness it knew she was vulnerable to. It was effective, though its targeting was sporadic at best. Gerardo... She fumed. Wasn't this why he had scouted ahead? Why she had pushed him to do so? Had he known his journey with those stupid crates would invite so much trouble? Shouldn't he have gone all the way in contacting his employer first, before getting them involves?

...And then there was Starlight. Her new filly was back there, now, with him. What would they do together? Would the griffon give up on his mission and leave? If he did, would he take her with him, or would he leave her on her own? And if he tried to save her and his crates, would he drag Starlight into more danger to do it? The worst part was, she couldn't even decide what she wanted him to do.

---

Engulfed in blackness, Starlight huddled. Cold metal was jamming into her back and side, making breathing difficult and stretching impossible. A sack of something lumpy, like bolts or wingnuts, was pressed so tightly into her belly that she was infinitely thankful she hadn't eaten yet for the night. Her legs were tucked firmly against her body, and one had already started to fall asleep. Her head was forced into her neck in an even more awkward position, something bending one of her ears back and something else putting pressure on the tip of her horn. But, all things considered, she was surviving.

The crate she was inside of jostled on a stallion's back, its bearer clearly inexperienced in carrying delicate cargo. With each bounce, there was a small prick of fear that she would be crushed, and every time the motion subsided with only a bit of unpleasant rubbing against her ribcage.

Her mouth was open, pressed against the wooden crate wall. It was old, dry, and slightly porous, the miniscule gaps between the boards allowing air in... almost no air, but just enough that she was able to breathe. She considered encasing herself in crystal, as it would lessen the pressure and she never had trouble with air when she was in it, but her horn still throbbed slightly from her teleportation earlier and she didn't want to push it. Whenever the time came to leave the crate and free Maple, that would take another teleport at the least... and after that, who knew how much magic to escape the fort. She wasn't even sure she'd be able to do it at all, in her current state.

Still, that was for the future. Stowed away as she was, the only thing she could do was wait... and so she waited, bumping up and down with the rhythm of the crate.

---

Slowly, Gerardo felt his vision focus and his thoughts become coherent. Taking stock of his situation, he registered the most important thing first: he was alone.

That meant he had time to think, and wasn't in any immediate danger. It also meant that Maple and Starlight weren't present... which meant they likely were in danger. And finally, his crates were gone... which boded poorly for his mission. He coughed, growled, and pushed himself upright slightly faster than his head was willing to take, immediately sitting back down.

"Hey, bro! Welcome back to wakey-land!"

...He wasn't as alone as he thought. And, annoyingly enough, the pony who was there was the last pony he wanted to see.

Surging into action faster than should have been possible, given his condition, Gerardo whirled, a talon expertly closing around Howe's throat. "You," he hissed, "have, through your interference, just caused priceless amounts of damage to my cause and endangered two friends whom I was charged with protecting!" Exerting his superior weight and taking advantage of the pegasus's surprise, he twisted, slamming him to the ground in a suplex. "What have you to say for yourself!?"

"Um... ow?" Howe blinked innocently. "Hey, careful with the 'do, bro. I told you, this thing was expensive. Don't wanna go all dragging it across the ground now, huh?"

Gerardo shoved him aside and stepped away, shaking. "I could care less about your mane, Howe. Now leave me be while I think of a plan!"

"Hey, hold up!" Howe protested, holding out a hoof in defense as he righted himself. "Did you get trashed by those guards or something while I was gone?"

Feathers tattered and dusty, with a slight tear in his new uniform, Gerardo stared levelly at the pegasus. "What does it look like?"

Howe raised a limb and opened his mouth in protest... but put it down, saying nothing. "Yeah, actually you look like you got whupped," he admitted. "Sorry for getting taken out first, bro. You know, given what those last guys were like I thought for sure we would've had them. Good guy advantage and all that, you know?" He shrugged innocently. "So, what do we do now?"

"Be quiet," Gerardo commanded. "I'm thinking, and don't need any more of your help. We are not a team, and wherever I go next, you are not going to be a part of it!" In emphasis, he spread his wings, flapped shakily... and took off, soaring straight upwards.

Howe watched him ascend, raising an interested eyebrow. Gerardo didn't even bother looking back, flapping to power his altitude gain... until a torrent of wind slammed into him out of nowhere, flipping him like a pinball until his wings were useless and he spiraled out of control. He plummeted, righting himself just in time to avoid a crash landing, though it was anything but dignified.

"Yep," Howe announced, "that right there is some grade-A 'I can do it on my own.' Best I've seen all week. Bro..." He leaned forward, face exaggeratedly skeptical. "You do know about the whole wind thing Ironridge has, right? The reason airships dock in the Sky District...?"

"If you have an explanation," Gerardo grunted, straightening his feathers, "be direct about it."

"So, basically..." Howe proudly grinned. "Down there, it's all super hot... and up there, it's all super cold... and where they mix, the air gets wild. It's a nonstop whirly-whirly of fun, and covers the whole Earth District. Makes flying upwards pretty much impossible."

Gerardo sighed, trying to seek out the distant entrance to the skyport along the district rim.

"Really though, doing a good job of convincing me you don't need a guide," Howe added, leaning casually with his forelegs crossed. "Come on, I owe ya! Twice, now! Don't be a guy to cheat a bro out of fulfilling his debts. I can totally help you, just like that!"

"I'm not going to be able to get rid of you, am I?" Gerardo growled, flexing his wings again.

"Nope!" Howe smiled smugly. "It's a pegasus's honor! The Howenator will be your sidekick until the day it is no longer necessary!" He waggled his eyebrows. "And if it's fun, maybe we can get a permanent gig going, you know? I've got this good feeling about our dynamic."

"Just... keep silent..." Gerardo sighed, closing his eyes. "I am doing nothing until I think of something to do, and thus far, you haven't given me a moment to think about it."

Howe drew a wing across his muzzle. "My lippers are zippered!"

Gerardo exhaled in relief, taking a few precious moments of silence just to bury his annoyance at the pegasus. On his own personal scale, matters were a 'last resort' level of dire, and still prone to escalation, which meant he needed a last resort. Fortunately, Arambai had provided him with one... provided he could use it. The Defense Force, supposedly, was authorized by the Sky District, and he had been given an inroad. It was time to seek out Chancellor Dior.

"I am going to the Sky District," he announced, spreading his wings and preparing to take flight. "I can't stop you from coming short of methods I am not willing to resort to, but I will be watching you." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you attempt to sabotage me again, be it deliberately or accidentally, I will do nothing to bail you out. If you interfere at all with my mission or do anything to my detriment, I will be far less inclined to hold back in incapacitation than I am now. Understood?"

"Stood under!" Howe saluted with a wing. "Let's get this show on the road, bro!"

"And stop calling me that," Gerardo sighed, before kicking off the gravelly road and soaring south, aiming for the distant road to the Sky District.

Comments

[RoboRed]

bruh

[alamais]

8437071
breh

[Hap]

8438988
brah

[KMCA]

8440282
broh

The Howenator will be your sidekick until the day it is no longer necessary

and then some.

[Streit]

Howe ducking annoys me. Damn poor character to be in this story and really ruins my enjoyment so far.

[Quinch]

So, is Howe going to be the party's bard?

[bronyheat]

Is... Is Howe basically the 'adoring fan' from Oblivion?
I have mixed feelings...

[sploopy slooder]

in a slightly less pg novel howe would 100% get horribly beaten or killed for what he did. and us readers would be cheering the whole time. very punchable character.