The Stink Bug

by Some1Else

Chapter 5

All eyes were on her. Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled. She began by configuring the crystal to serve as her anchor. If she exceeded her limit, it would end the spell for her before she could take it any further. With the preventative measure in place, she moved on to the next phase of her spell and covered the exterior of the ship in her aura. A quick change in the formula enabled her to seize everything inside of the ship without covering any of it in her aura. She sensed the crushing weight now held by the tip of her horn. The strain produced by the spell came right before the object being manipulated was reduced to atoms and made to move forward and persisted so long as the spell remained in effect.

Twilight cast the teleportation spell. Her horn felt like it had been shoved an additional inch into her skull. The reward for bearing with the blow was a gain of ten miles in less than five seconds. It was impressive, but it wasn’t enough. She used the crystal to be sure no errors had occurred and prepared to jump forward another ten miles before any of them could stop her. Twilight achieved her goal without losing a single sliver of the ship in the process.

Her horn began heating up. Even worse, she could feel the strain creeping into her brain much earlier than she had anticipated. Once it got there, it was only a matter of time before it reached its target. Twilight knew the risks. Casting the spell would hurt her. She had to bear with it. Even if the Salamanders wouldn’t understand what she had gone through to get to them.

Twilight got them through to the next checkpoint. She couldn’t stop to rest while she was doing well. Her face flushed and her brain began burning, mimicking the symptoms of a high fever. Sweat covered her coat. She could no longer stop herself from barring her teeth and clenching her jaw.

Their next jump took them nine miles ahead instead of ten. Unacceptable. Twilight was slipping. If she couldn’t stick to ten, she might as well quit while she was ahead. Her heart was pounding against her chest so hard she wondered if any of them could see it bulging out against the skin of her body. Twilight’s eyes wandered for a moment and found Applejack, who was smiling at her despite how worried she was. A few more jumps could be made before the spell became dangerous. Another ten miles were gained in the blink of an eye, but it did not come without a cost. Twilight felt her bottom right molar on the right side of her mouth crack under the strain of her clenched jaw. A trickle of blood escaped out of her lips. Numbing the pain would draw her concentration away from the spell.

The strain from the spell had reached the top of her chest. Her heart skipped a beat. Another missed beat would activate the anchor. While she had covered an impressive distance, it was not enough.

No.

She could not stop now. She would save the swamp. The strain backed away from her heart. She would prove once again that she was worthy of her title as princess and her status as an alicorn. The pressure inside her skull released. The stories of her accomplishments would be told for centuries and all those who heard them would feel inspired to never give up hope in themselves and others. The heat inside of her horn dissipated. Twilight prepared to make another jump.

The airship erupted into the physical realm with a deafening pop. Points would have been deducted for style if she were being judged. Something about the last jump had felt different. She knew she had accomplished her goal. While her ears rang, she checked their location with the aid of the crystal and discovered she had just broken her former record. Twilight quickly healed her shattered tooth, brushed aside all her sweat, and cleared away the blood that had pooled beneath her tongue. Her second wind gave out after she had tidied up her appearance, dropping the full weight of what she had just done on her all at once. It seemed to take more effort to remain standing than it had to cast the spell.

A smirk appeared on her face as she looked around the bridge. Applejack couldn’t stop herself from checking to make sure her hat was still there. Biggs and Wedge made certain all their limbs were intact. Onyx had his mouth open and was pointing at it for Hocus to examine.

Twilight cleared her throat to get their attention. “Unless I’m mistaken, we are now fifth-teen miles away from the village.”

Elated cheers and the stomping of hoofs in applause filled the bridge with an air of euphoria.

“Incredible!” Red Iris exclaimed. “You did all that by yourself? It must have been nearly impossible!”

Twilight gave her a wink. “Nah, it was a piece of cake.”

Onyx moved back to the window. “It looks like this portion of the land is healthier than where we were a moment ago. Since we’re so close to the village, would you like us to stop the ship for a little while so you can have some time to review your plans once more?”

There was no fooling Onyx. Twilight needed to get out of the room for a few minutes before one of them would have to carry her out.

“Yes, that’s a great idea,” Twilight said. “I won’t be long.”

“Take all the time you need. We’ll ascend so that we are out of sight and remain stationary until you return,” Onyx said.

Twilight desperately wanted to see what was going on outside, but she needed to rest. Dizziness and disorientation set in the moment she started moving. Her horn felt uncomfortably hot even though she wasn’t working with magic. She knew without looking that a welt had formed at its base. Retracted bangs were for a lot more than just looking good.

It took all her focus to trot in a straight line. Disbelief followed her. Had she really managed to get them that far? If she had, it was only because of her second wind. Being able to activate it on command would be immensely helpful. She wasn’t going to get that lucky twice in the same day.

The hallway was devoid of ponies. A quick glance revealed that those on the bridge had returned to their tasks. There were two other ponies to get rid of before she could stop being elegant.

Twilight addressed her escorts. “Could you guys go down to the infirmary and get me an Elixir of Concentration? They will know what it is. I’ll be in Celestia’s room. Please knock when you get back.”

The pair bowed and left Twilight in the hallway with Applejack. It occurred to her that she had just been working with every plank in the stairs they were taking and a burst of pain streaked across her skull.

“Are we alone?” Twilight asked.

Applejack double checked before answering. “Looks like it.”

“I’m going to lean into you.”

“Be my guest.”

Twilight pressed up against Applejack, who stood firm to offer her support. It was disappointing to be reduced to such a weakened state. If Celestia or Luna had done the spell, they would have been ready for more. Giving her anxiety what it had wanted had made it inject her with a healthy dose of guilt and shame. She never learned.

“Can you get those double doors for me?” Twilight asked.

Applejack guided Twilight through the doors leading into the hallway just outside the rooms reserved for the princesses and shut them behind her with a light buck from her hind leg. It was only a little further until they got to Celestia’s couch. Twilight could hardly wait. Once in the room, Twilight collapsed into the couch while Applejack took a seat across from her. Though she had not fallen into a comfortable position and had the bone of a wing against her side, the cushioning still sucked the weariness out of her joints and invited her to have a nap.

After a deep sigh of relief, Twilight rearranged herself so she was on her back and moved her right wing slightly underneath her to work the pinch out. She put one foreleg over her eyes and placed the other hoof on her belly. Using magic, she removed her boots. Applejack followed her example. Twilight took a deep breath, being sure to use her stomach and not her chest, and held it for a moment. Cadance swore by such exercises. Twilight exhaled. Her humiliation was still there.

“I hope Princess Celestia has had this happen at least once in her life,” Twilight said.

“Ah, don’t fret none. I’m sure she has.”

“What do you think would be the politest way to ask her about it?”

“Not in a letter. Think of it this way. At least it will be easier the next time you have to do it.”

A weight had been lifted off her chest. “That’s true.”

“I hope you haven’t forgotten the lesson you taught me about bitin’ off more than you can chew.”

She felt their circumstances were completely different, but she didn’t want to start an argument. “To live is to struggle.”

“I hear that.”

A knock came at her door. Her potion had arrived. Twilight moved to get a better view while Applejack answered the door for her and blocked the guards from entering. Biggs had a glass bottle in his mouth.

“Is everything okay in there?” Wedge asked.

“Yes, why wouldn’t it be?” Applejack replied.

“Sorry. We’re both just really concerned.”

“I know. Guard the door. No boys allowed, y’hear?”

Wedge nodded while Biggs set the bottle down. Applejack picked the bottle up with her teeth. Twilight saw Applejack tuck her tongue down tight so she wouldn’t inadvertently kiss a stallion she had known for less than a day and smirked. Applejack closed the door with a light tap from her hind leg and carried the bottle over to Twilight, who took it from her with her aura.

A white and black striped ribbon was around the neck of the worn glass container containing a thick blue liquid. Zecora had made and sold the drink, leaving no doubt regarding its potency. Twilight popped the cork and started chugging before she could hesitate; doing her best to forget what was in the potion. The taste alone was enough to get her ready to cast a few more spells, but that was just her tummy desperately screaming at her brain to trick her into thinking she didn’t need it. Zecora had been thoughtful enough to add a touch of peppermint to the concoction, which made it taste a little less like pond scum and a lot more like pond scum with a touch of peppermint added to it.

It would take a little while for the potion to reach its full effect, but Twilight had already used up every second she felt she could spare to relax. She had recovered enough to be able to stand on all her hoofs and she would have to make it work.

Applejack studied her carefully. “Are you going to get back to it already?”

“I will be fine unless I have to cast a major spell, which isn’t likely.”

“You’ll blow any chance you have at swayin’ those Salamanders to set up a sister city with Canterlot if you pass out while you’re talkin’ to them.”

“I am in much better shape than that. Speaking of which, do I look presentable?”

Applejack gasped. “Absolutely not, my dear! Your hair is out of place!”

She was mimicking Rarity. Applejack gently messed with the hair around Twilight’s horn. Her hoof brushed against the blister Twilight had sprouted, but she was so caught up in her impersonation that she didn’t notice it.

“A unicorn mare should always display her horn with pride.”

Twilight didn’t need to use magic to see Rarity emitting a sneeze violent enough to knock her sewing glasses off back in Ponyville. “That’s rich.”

“Yeah, I’ll open for Trixie.”

They left Celestia’s room and headed towards the bridge followed by their escorts. Hocus was at the front of the bridge having a conversation with Onyx. Twilight’s unexpected return caused him to trail off. Onyx turned his attention to her. The frown on his face did little to hide how much he wanted to order her to get some more rest.

“Back so soon?” Onyx asked.

“There’s a lot more work to be done,” Twilight replied.

“Maybe. Applejack, would you say she’s ready for the task ahead?” Onyx asked.

“If it’s just for a debate,” Applejack replied.

“I see. Do you think Princess Celestia would agree?”

Applejack stood a little taller. “I reckon she would. Twi’s been through worse. Sure, that might have seemed like quite a show back there to us, but I don’t think it compares to chasin’ Starlight Glimmer through several alternate universes.”

She was right. That had been a bit more challenging.

“Fine,” Onyx said. “Princess, how would you like to handle this?”

“Let’s fly in low, but not too low,” Twilight replied. “Park us in the center of the village so we are clearly visible. Also, do we have binoculars?”

Hocus closed his eyes and began casting a spell. A box full of binoculars appeared nearby. Short, blue lanyards were attached to all of them.

Twilight smiled. “Perfect. I’m going out to the deck.”

“I’ll get you a good view,” Hocus called after her.

She used her magic to put binoculars on the members of her party and kept a pair levitated in front of her while she headed for the stairs leading outside. Goosebumps appeared underneath Twilight’s coat. A mix of anticipation and dread swirled around inside of her stomach. What had seemed so far away a day ago was finally about to be right in front of her.

While in the hallway, the voice of Onyx could be heard as if he was standing in front of her. “All pegasus soldiers will now report to the deck and remain on alert.”

Once outside, the humidity in the air instantly attached itself to her muzzle, making each breath feel as if it were being drawn through a wet cloth. They had flown past the storm, but dark clouds still hung overhead and the scent of rain was in the air. Heat stuck to her coat. Wearing armor would have only made it worse. Twilight looked over the safety rail as the ship began descending while still moving forward.

A light mist came into view. It failed to obscure the terrain. Much to her relief, the environment was flourishing. The temporary backdrop of Ponyville had not done the lush colors of the vegetation any justice. It was a sign of hope, which was welcome considering how much more work remained to be done.

A single negative aspect could not resist making itself known. Her teleportation stunt had not been necessary. Twilight knew they were all thinking it, but none of them wanted to say it. She had wasted a substantial chunk of her energy on nothing. Twilight refused to acknowledge that fact as it crowned her with a paper dunce cap and danced in front of her. Her decision had to have been for something, even if it was as simple as speeding up their trip. She only needed to regret it if she ran into a few more situations that required advanced magical intervention.

Pegasus soldiers joined them on the deck. Onyx was with them. He added himself to Twilight’s entourage and stood next to Wedge.

Onyx gestured beyond the rail. “The village should be coming into view any second now.”

Twilight accidentally banged the binoculars against the rail in her haste to get the specs in front of her eyes. She had to fiddle with the settings for a moment before she brought everything into focus. The Salamanders had decided to do a little construction since the last time the ponies had stopped by to say hi. Twilight had been ready for many things, but a wall was not one of them. A great deal of effort had gone into making the wall as strong as possible. Sharpened tips discouraged nimble tourists from climbing over the barrier. Twilight narrowed her eyes. The wall had seen plenty of abuse. Thick gashes decorated it, giving off the air of offensive graffiti. Something had been trying to get in. She had to amend that thought immediately.

Something had gotten in.

A portion of the wall had been destroyed. The Salamanders were not at the top of their food chain. She could sympathize with them. Her suspicion quickly gave to way to elation when she spotted several of them working around the area, setting up the necessary supplies to rebuild the wall. There were even a few in watchtowers that had been built to allow them to see beyond the barrier surrounding their village. Twilight gasped and tried to zoom in further only to be met with an annoying click that told her she had reached the limit of the binoculars.

“Look!” Twilight exclaimed. “I see one! I see a Salamander! He’s right there!”

She sounded like a filly at a petting zoo, but she could care less. Twilight used her magic to gently adjust the necks and gazes of those next to her until they saw the Salamander she was looking at, which elicited a chorus of grunts, each pitched with their own unique level of surprise.

“They’re so pretty,” Twilight said. She could tell her teammates were exchanging looks, so she had to follow that up with something less vague. “I really hope we can become friends.”

Twenty Salamanders with different colors on their backs were moving lumber closer to the damaged section of the wall. One of them happened to look up at the sky as he popped his neck to relieve the tension that had gotten into it and spotted their giant white boat. He cried out, stumbled back a few steps, and fell flat on his butt. He shouted something in his own language to his friends, who became aware of the descending behemoth and reacted in the way Twilight had hoped they would not. They panicked.

It seemed only natural and it was a bit fun to watch from an analytical perspective. Twilight kept her eyes on the Salamander that had spoken as it ran through the muddy streets until it reached a pole. A set of metal bells was attached to the top of the pole. The Salamander grabbed a piece of rope dangling from the bells and shook it, sounding an alarm. Throughout the village, Salamanders began emerging from their homes and sounding more alarms until the whole place was on full alert.

“This is goin’ well,” Applejack said, her voice almost collapsing under the weight of the sarcasm in her tone.

Twilight had a moment to admire their evident love of gardening while they ran around in circles. Flowers and plants were everywhere around the houses they had built. Large trees were abundant, ready to provide shade on warm days. With as close as they were connected to nature, it seemed strange they would banish an insect responsible for maintaining it. Whoever had cast Shelly out could not have known how important it was to keep her around. Or they simply did not care.

A house larger than the rest was at the center of the town. Flowers in varying shades of red adorned it. No other house had used red flowers. The owner had to be someone important. The pilot of the airship had to have been thinking the same thing and parked the vessel a short distance from the home.

“Princess, they’ve got a catapult,” Onyx said. “Can you do something about that?”

She had to look around for a moment until she saw it. Twelve Salamanders were pulling it out of an open warehouse. A large boulder was already in the bucket. Twilight sent her power down to the ground and seized the rock in her aura. The sight of the boulder being enveloped by a purple mist sent those who were operating the catapult scattering for cover. She teleported the rock to the edge of the village with the rope the catapult relied on to function wrapped around it and tied up in a bow so they could easily fix the contraption after they calmed down.

“Nice,” Wedge said. “They probably have more than one of those, though.”

“And if they have them, then that means they have had the need to swat something out of the sky,” Onyx said.

“Or at range,” Biggs said.

The boys were merely background noise. Twilight watched as the Salamanders brought weapons out of their homes. Beefier Salamanders carried bludgeoning weapons while their smaller counterparts stuck to archery. A few carried crossbows. Children had joined the effort. They carried buckets full of mud balls packed with irritants. None of them looked like they didn’t know what they were doing. If any of them were afraid, they were doing a fantastic job of hiding it.

“I think we should let them blow off some steam before we go down there,” Biggs said.

Twilight gave him a nod in agreement, only partially listening to what he was saying as her mind continued racing towards an unspecified finish line. The hole in their defenses really needed to be fixed. She wasn’t sure how quickly they could get it done, but it would be hard work. So long as she was there, she could give them a break from it.

Her aura took control of the wood the Salamanders had set aside. She gained an audience as she worked. The villagers were completely transfixed by the sight of the logs driving themselves deep into the ground so easily. It was a big job, but pieces of wood lacked overly complicated accessories such as souls, which made them a pleasure to work with. Though she would have preferred not to, Twilight shaved the tops into pointed tips and aligned them as precisely as she could with the rest of the wall. While doing so, she realized the wall wasn’t completely even. Some pointed tips down the line were higher or lower than their neighbors. Her OCD broke the glass and pulled the fire alarm. She resisted the urge to correct the whole wall. If they were nice enough, she would do that for them before heading home. Two Salamanders approached the new wall tentatively and gave it a poke with their staffs to see if it would do anything.

“That’s kind of you, but don’t think it’s going to earn you any points with them,” Onyx said.

She stepped away from the railing, keeping the binoculars levitated in front of her for the moment. Wedge kept watching the Salamanders, but the other ponies joined her.

“I thought this village was going to be a lot larger,” Twilight said.

“They would probably like for it to be, but the land ain’t tame,” Applejack said.

“They aren’t the only reptiles out there, are they?” Onyx asked.

Twilight shook her head. “There are other reptiles, but not like these guys.”

“Isn’t a smaller community better?” Biggs asked. “They are less likely to run out of resources that way.”

“That’s true, but there should still be more of them down there than this,” Twilight said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we left right now and came back five years later to find none of them left.”

Wedge waved a hoof at them without moving from his spot. “Hey, I think they’re signaling us.”

“Are you sure they’re not just being obscene?” Onyx asked.

“A few of them are, but this red one isn’t.”

Twilight stood beside him. Wedge pointed a hoof towards where he was looking and Twilight put her binoculars over her eyes. A Salamander with red markings all over his back had stepped out of the house decorated with red flowers. He was waving at them. If they accepted his invitation, they would teleport smack dab in the middle of a horde that had gathered outside of his home, which was a thrilling prospect.

She needed a pinch of humor. “Who’s being obscene?”

“Right there, across from the red one at four o’ clock,” Wedge replied.

Twilight followed Wedge’s directions. Sure enough, one of them was acting like a pony, much to the amusement of his spectators. His tongue was hanging out, making him look stupid. A few of his friends ran up and slapped his rear. An X had been painted on his left hip. He had been too lazy to put another one on his other hip. Accountant. Archaeologist. Mathematician. Twilight could bore him with a list of at least twenty other reasons why an X would be a desirable mark, but she was certain he would not care. Their insensitivity conveyed an impressive degree of ignorance.

“Wait a minute. They can’t see us all the way up here. How do they know that we’re ponies?” Twilight asked.

Wedge snickered. “Have you checked what’s on both sides of the back of this ship?”

“Yes, Princess Celestia’s Cutie Mark. What does that . . . oh.” Twilight blushed profusely.

She returned her eyes to the red Salamander and began weighing her options. He was taller than the rest by a head. The expression on his face did not convey warmth. He was ready to get this over with. It would be rude to keep him waiting.

“What do you make of their chief, Applejack?” Twilight asked.

Applejack took a minute to get a good look at him. “Impatient and ornery. Probably drives a hard bargain. Looks like he got to where he is because of the red on his back, which means he’s part of a family. If not for that, I’d tell you he got to where he was because he’s bigger than most of them. It’ll be hard to talk him down, but you’re up to the task.”

“I thought all we had to do was ask him if there was a unicorn around here,” Biggs said.

“Yeah, but if there ain’t and they happen to be the ones shootin’ off magic, they won’t fess up easily.”

“Somehow, I think that’s more plausible than a unicorn living around here,” Wedge said. “How many nefarious charlatans can you think of who would pick a miserable place like this to study?”

Applejack and Twilight replied at the same time in the same tone. “Queen Chrysalis.”

“I mean, besides her. She’s like a bug, isn’t she? She’s not a real pony.”

“And where would you go, Wedge?” Onyx asked.

“A cave. The middle of a forest inhabited by monsters I could easily wallop if I wanted to. I’d make them serve as my guards.”

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I think he has a point,” Onyx said. “Keep that in mind, Princess.”

Wedge couldn’t have grinned wider. He tried to hide it by averting his face while Biggs gave him a bro hoof.

“I guess that would mean they might have found a relic somewhere,” Applejack said.

“A what?” Wedge asked.

“A relic,” Biggs replied. “An item that has been enchanted that can be used by anyone.”

“Oh, yeah! Sorry, I thought you said something else.”

Applejack rolled her eyes so hard her neck popped.

“If it isn’t a relic, they might have acquired magic after having lived in a land saturated in it for so long,” Biggs said.

“Those are all decent possibilities, but we won’t know until we talk to them,” Twilight said.

“Yup. We should go down there now before he hops in a catapult and comes up here,” Applejack said.

“I think I’d like to see that,” Twilight said.

“Twilight, I’m sure you haven’t forgotten, but allow me to remind you they were ready to swat us out of the sky not less than ten minutes ago,” Onyx said.

“We don’t know that for sure,” Twilight replied. “They could have just been taking preventative measures of some kind in case they were attacked.”

Onyx sighed, aggravated that she wasn’t listening to him. Twilight walked away from the railing and put a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. His eyes went wide in surprise and he looked down at her hoof to make sure he wasn’t imagining her touch.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” Twilight said. “This isn’t the first time I’ve had to talk with somebody who’s a little grumpy and I highly doubt it will be my last.”

She felt him relax and then lowered her hoof to the deck.

“You’re really something else, Princess Sparkle,” Onyx said, shaking his head.

Twilight smiled. “I’m no different than anyone else who is willing to do what needs to be done.”

Since they were finished looking, Twilight teleported all the binoculars back to the case they had come from. Wedge had still been using his and was momentarily blinded when they were taken away. He stood to attention with Biggs once his eyes regained focus.

“Applejack, you’ll hang back with Fluttershy for a moment while I introduce myself with Biggs and Wedge,” Twilight said. “You’ll be coming down with Shy and Shelly once I get to that part. I’ll be sure to give you girls a warning before I pull you down.”

“We had better go fetch our boots, then.”

Twilight sent her magic through the ship into the rooms reserved for the princesses, located the boots, and rearranged reality to reflect that their boots were once again protecting their hoofs.

Applejack examined her right foreleg. “We could have just as easily gone back down to our rented rooms, Twi.”

“Walking takes too much time. We’re all going to the cargo hold a minute before we hit the ground. I need to talk to Fluttershy.”

“Whenever you’re ready, ma’am,” Biggs said.

In a flash, they were all down in the cargo hold with Fluttershy and Shelly. Their abrupt appearance interrupted the two of them while they were in the middle of passing a ball back and forth.

“Fluttershy, we have arrived at the village,” Twilight said.

She smiled. “I know. That was quite a cast, Twilight. You should be proud.”

“Maybe later. Get your boots on. I’m going to need you down there with me when I am ready to present them with the reason for our unexpected visit. You will have to keep Shelly calm. Applejack will join you. I’ll give you a ten second warning before I grab you, alright?”

Fluttershy nodded.

Twilight turned to address her guards. “Okay, this time it’s the real thing. Be ready.”