Separation
A surprising fact, the travelling group of ponies found, was how calm a prison cell could be, especially given the circumstances. As they had seen in the town below, a horde of approaching dragons generally caused a panic of gigantic proportions. And yet, Ploughmouth’s keep was a place of unnerving quiet, helped only by the damp, dark and gloom. Not a single scream of fleeing terror could be heard from outside the mossy stone walls, though it was up for debate whether this was a good or bad thing.
“…You think Dissy will be okay?”
Surprise’s question was a sombre one that only added to the already sombre mood.
“He’ll be fine! It’s Discord we’re talking about! He’s one of us, which makes him awesome. I bet where ever he is, he’s fine,” Firefly coolly replied from her relaxed pose on her cell’s bench. The pink earth pony seemed to be the only one in a decent mood. Before their arrest, she had managed to resist and give four of the Ploughmouth Guard an introduction to her hind legs that they would be thinking about every time they moved for the next few months. Normally, neither Celestia, Luna, nor Dawn would have approved of such violence against over ponies, but given the nature of their arrest, all three had been secretly rooting for the earth pony under their breaths. “Where'd you they took him anyway?”
“Well, like Uncle says, ‘knowledge is power’. So, given how there’s a massive flock of dragons on its way, they’ll probably try and study him, see if they can’t learn something. It’s all too last minute, obviously. You could never get any kind of reliable data out of just a few hours hasty study,” answered Dawn, clearly not impressed by what she thought was probably going on, evidenced by the slight scowl she shot at her mane as she fiddled with it.
“We have to go save him! We can just magic our way out!” Luna did not wait for a response before aiming her horn at the bars holding her captive. Unsurprisingly however, the cell was not so easily breached, and the aura shining around her horn fizzled almost as soon as it was conjured. The young alicorn looked up speechless to her horn, and promptly tried again, only to be met with the same result. Confused at the loss of her powers, she stared through the bars to the adjacent cell, where her sister lay watching. “Sis! What…?”
“The entire prison will have been made with magic dampening fields, Luna. Don’t bother wasting your strength,” Celestia told her younger sibling with an unusually neutral tone.
“But sis…!”
“But nothing, Luna. We’re already in enough trouble as it is, if we really want to help Discord, then we have to be calm, and wait. Besides, I doubt we would be able to break out even if we tried.” Luna looked ready to question her sister further, but stopped herself, and fell quiet.
“Hey! What’s up with you Tia?” The white alicorn blinked and looked to Surprise. “I know getting physical isn’t your thing but… I dunno, it just sounds like you don’t really care. It’s Discord, your brother!”
“He’s not- No, I mean, I do care, I’m just… worried, is all. Discord… Discord has had to face this sort of treatment a lot. Even in Ponyville, where they’ve known him for years now, barely anypony trusts him. Really trusts him, I mean. And it’s not just what he is that people are wary of, it’s who he is. Do you remember the time where he poured soap down all of the main streets?” A short round of fond giggling ensured. “You may have found it funny, but ponies couldn’t leave their houses for the rest of the day without looking like they were on ice. Things like that, they don’t help him… even if he is just trying to make ponies laugh and be his friend.”
The cells fell into silence once more, though it was quickly broken by a faint scribbling and scratching sound coming from the furthest set of bars. “…Redstone…?” Being in the second to last cage next to his, Surpirse was the only who could really see what it was the geologist was doing.
“…Hmm?” he mumbled, focus elsewhere.
“What are you doing?” the pegasus asked.
“…You see, everypony… I’m sorry to hear what’s happening to Discord, but… we’ve got ourselves much bigger problems. And by that, I mean the dragons…” Redstone paused once more to look and furrow his brow at the only part of the dirt floor of his cell that was lit up by a nearby torch.
“What can we do? You heard Celly, they’ve got us locked up tight,” Firefly idly remarked.
“I know, Firefly. But if we can get out somehow, then we could do something to help, I’m sure of it,” replied Redstone, his focus still on the small, rough diagram he had been sketching in the floor of his cell with a stick.
“…We could?” the speedster lifted her head to look over at her fellow earth pony, a sudden glint of curiosity in her eyes.
“Of course. I don’t know much about magic, but if we could just get a large source of magical power, maybe with all the town’s unicorns or whatever it is you’ve been collecting, then I think I might be able to combine it with a number of devices positioned around the piers and create a shield spell powerful enough to not only cover the entire city, but also capable of actually withstanding a prolonged dragon attack,” Redstone explained, much to the apparent amazement of the others.
Celestia shook her head in disbelief. “Wait… Redstone, how do you know we’ve been collecting…?”
“Some kind of artefact, or power? Begging your pardon, Ms. Celestia, but it wasn’t that hard to work out. You, your sister, brother and Ms. Aumean are all very, well, magical. And I saw that big light show that night coming from your home before you all set out, everypony did. Looked to me like some kind of meteor shower, or at the very least like something was flying through the air. Besides, why else would a band of ponies set off on a journey like that?”
“See! With Redstone’s brains, we’ll be fine!”
“You mean with your coltfriend’s brains?”
The white alicorn ignored Surprise’s vain effort to reach a sniggering Firefly through the bars separating them, and simply nodded along with Redstone’s deductions. “That… makes sense. I’m not going to lie to you Redstone, we do have something that may be that powerful. Except we still need to get out of here.”
It took a moment for the earth pony to stop staring and blushing as Surprise fought for their honours. “…Yes… Yes, you’re right, that still is a problem, but given how severe the situation is, I’m sure that a certain somepony will be brought here as well. If I could just talk to her, then she might be able to secure our release.”
“A certain somepony?”
“Is it… Mother?”
“Who would have that much sway…? Clover the Clever?”
“Some kind of daring adventurer!?”
Celestia, Luna, Dawn and Firefly’s questions were each met with a shake of Redstone’s head, though he seemed to have to think about the latter. “Firefly was closest, she’s an adventurer, of sorts. To be exact, she’s a sailor called…”
______________________________________________________________________________
“Captain Sharpsail! The commander wishes to see you at the keep urgently!”
“About the dragons?”
“Ma’am!”
Sharpsail rolled her eyes, but nodded at the messenger politely. “I will be there as soon all my docking arrangements have been made. Thank you.”
The young colt who had been eagerly waiting and watching as the Octave came into port gave a final salute before galloping off back to the town keep. Not that the invitation was unexpected, on the contrary, Sharpsail had predicated the exact words that had been said to her. It wasn’t the first time the Ploughmouth Guard had turned to her and her crew for help in a time of crisis. Of course, nothing yet compared to a giant flock of dragons with unknown intentions flying directly towards the town. It was made even worse by the precious little time they had, hours at the most. It was lucky the dragons were making sure to stay together as a pack and were taking it slow, had they been travelling at full speed then Ploughmouth may have been a smouldering ruin by the time the Octave had so much as gotten close.
Before the sailor could think on the subject more however, a long, drawn out “oooh” distracted her. Trotting down the gangplank was Kromi; her eyes filled with that irresistibly cute sense of wonder at the new sights. So focused on the zebra was Sharpsail that at first she didn’t even notice Coin Bag limping down after her, his midsection heavily wrapped in bandages, or her First Mate Salt Hoof, closely following behind. Finally managing to snap out of her trance, Sharpsail approached the two, forcing her usual serious expression. “Salt Hoof, I’m wanted at the keep, so I want you to buy our stay and sign all the paperwork, you know the drill.”
“Of course Captain,” he promptly replied, and with a quick nod and salute, Salt Hoof was already on his way to the dockmaster’s office.
“Coin Bag, I want you to stay here and look after Kro…mi…” she trailed off, having found the zebra in question. Kromi was taking part in a staring competition with somepony’s dog that was lying lazily by a tool shed. The excitement over such a strange animal was radiating from the equine’s every pore, and for the second time in as many minutes Sharpsail was transfixed by the sight.
“…Sharpsail, dear? Everything shipshape in that head of yours…?” The merchant did not get a response. Rather than wait, Coin Bag lifted a hoof to wave in front of her blanks eyes, only to quickly think better of it, and simply clear his throat loudly. The trick worked, and the mare’s cutting gaze snapped back to meet his own.
“…Just keep an eye on Kromi.” With that, Sharpsail strode away in the direction of the large stone building that dominated the town, its towers keeping a close vigil on any disorder that might transpire.
There was little to look at on the way, other than the occasional evacuee packing as much as they could. The streets had practically emptied themselves completely, and the mad rush had left them a complete mess. Without any further distractions, Sharpsail made it to the centre of the town, and the fort that stood there. The few guards left on duty at the gates did not question her, and neither did she wait to be questioned, proceeding straight through the massive iron doors as soon as they were sufficiently ajar. The courtyard, and indeed the fort as a whole, was typical of such an old style of architecture and was heavily focused toward a military agenda; training equipment was strewn neatly around the wide-open space and there was plenty of room for any sort of ceremony or rally. What was somewhat out of place however, was the large wheeled cage that sat in its centre, with numerous unicorns and academic-looking ponies poking and peering at whatever was within it.
“Sharpsail! So good to see you again! I’m glad you’re here, though I’m sure I don’t need to tell you why,” a gruff, armoured unicorn stallion called over as cheerily as his gravely voice could muster.
“No, Steel Coat, you do have to tell me. How do you expect me and my crew to help this time? Against dragons? You want me to throw any pegasi or griffins I have under my command at them as cannon fodder? Sacrifice the Octave as a distraction? The kraken was one thing, Captain, and the sirens another, but an entire horde of dragons? We won’t make any difference this time around, so unless you’re going to suggest something that doesn’t involve me or my crew being incinerated, I am going to turn around and leave you to flail in panic with nothing but your excuse for… soldiers.”
The friendly grin fell from Steel Coat’s almost as fast as it had appeared. The normally tough unicorn was left momentarily stunned under Sharpsail’s withering stare. “…Well, no… of course not, but you might be able to…”
“To?”
Steel Coat began tugging at the neck of his armour, sweat trickling down under his coat. “Let’s go somewhere more private, wouldn’t want to… confuse… anypony listening in…” With remarkable agility, Steel Coat trotted off, beckoning for Sharpsail to follow him behind a large equipment shed. Sharpsail’s rolling eyes marked her disapproval, though she still humoured the guard captain and followed. Once hidden in the narrow space behind the shed, Steel Coat met Sharpsail’s eyes one more time, before falling to the floor by her hooves. “Anything! Please, Sharpsail, just work one of your miracles! I have no idea what to do! What can I do!? I don’t want to be remembered as the stallion who let Ploughmouth fall!” He shuffled a little closer, looking up at her with pleading eyes. “Please, please, please! You’re the Sharpsail! You’ve saved us countless times before! You can do it again! Right? Right!?”
“No.”
“But-! But-! W-What if you got to see one!? Up close, in the flesh! You could… spot a weakness maybe! Learn how to drive them off!”
By this point Sharpsail was amazed that she was still entertaining the grovelling unicorn before her. He seemed to have gone completely mad with desperation. There was, however, one thing the guard pony had said that fascinated her. “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve heard in a long time, Steel Coat. But what do you mean by ‘see one’?”
The unicorn’s head, which had been face down in the mud, praying for salvation, shot up faster than a pegasus on salt. “We caught one!”
“No, you didn’t. You don’t catch dragons Steel Coat. You really have lost your mind, haven’t you?”
“No, no, we did! Didn’t you see it? In the cage? Some disorderly crowd of travellers were keeping it as a pet. We’re having our best minds look at in now; see if we can’t find something we can use against its kin! It’s odd looking, must be a foreign species, but a dragon is a dragon, right?”
Sharpsail was no longer listening. Without waiting for Steel Coat to finish, she strode from the ally back into the courtyard, and sauntered right up to the cage, ignoring the warnings shouted at her by the numerous scholars still standing around the cage trying to be useful. What she saw caused her eyebrow to rise steadily. The creature before her certainly resembled a dragon in shape, but looked more like a child’s sculpture of one, hastily put together with whatever happened to be lying around at the time.
“Ah. Now this one is different!”
Plus it also spoke.
“…Well, it seems lady luck decided to give Steel Coat a prize for his valiant efforts. Tell me, dragon-”
“Oh, please, not you too! I’m all for a game of ‘guess the species,’ but it’s my understanding that this lovely city of yours, and it is quite lovely, is about to get uncomfortably warm. I am not a dragon, I have no intention of setting you or anything you own on fire and even if I did, how would I!? So, if you would kindly open up this rusty old cage, then I’ll go and get my friends and we’ll happily be on our way!”
“Its been saying the same thing over and over… We haven’t been able to get much else out of interrogation…” one of the academics helpfully murmured to Sharpsail, who had been listening to the odd being with keen intent.
The sailor studied the dragon-like creature for a moment. “What is your name?”
“Oh! Finally! A hint of civilised intelligence! I, clever pony, am Discord, a draconequus,” he proclaimed, before turning his attention to the surrounding scholars. “And that is a refresher course on how to ask questions. Don’t worry, you’ll all get it into those heads of your eventually! Now, where were we-”
CLANG!
Discord and the ponies alike looked as the padlock holding the cage tightly shut fell to the ground, having been cut clean in two. “There, Discord the Draconequus, your request has been granted. You get to go free, on the condition that I get to see these friends of yours first. You’re different, so it’s quite possible your friends are too, which means they may be able to provide a solution we haven’t thought of,” Sharpsail calmly stated while sheathing her blade.
“Well. Good times then, I suppose. Come along Ms…?”
“Sharpsail. Captain Sharpsail.”
Without a moment’s further hesitation, Discord clambered out of the cage. “Right then, Sharpy, my friends were rather rudely locked up as well. I’m not sure where the prison is, so…”
“No matter, because I do know where it is. And don’t call me ‘Sharpy’ again.” Wanting to emphasise her point, Sharpsail passed the broken halves of the padlock to Discord. The draconequus almost dropped them, having underestimated what he now knew to be two lumps of solid steel. Solid steel that Sharpsail had seemingly cut through without any real hint of exertion.
“Point taken. Lead on!”
“…J-Just hold it right there! What in Equestria do you think you’re doing!? How do you know you can trust it!?” Steel Coat cried, having finally recovered from a form of shock-induced paralysis. The other ponies were not so fortunate, and were still stood gawking in disbelief.
Sharpsail stopped, and craned her neck to stare back at Steel Coat. “How do you know you can’t?”
There was no further complaints, not that either the draconequus or earth pony waited to hear any. Rather, their minds now were focused on grasping at the one last straw that might be able to save an entire city from fiery ruin.
______________________________________________________________________________
Equidae Aumean awoke with a gasp. To the smell of tea, of all things.
“Don’t worry, your highness. Royalty need not get up like the rest of us.”
“…Penwell…?” the alicorn murmured while rubbing her eyes of sleep. Her vision cleared, and the familiar greying mane, ink blue coat and frowning face came into focus.
“The one and only,” he replied with his usual sarcasm.
It was Aumean’s turn to frown. “What are you doing here…? Where’s Star Swirl…?”
“Oh, I just came over, see if you had blown your house up or not. As for Star Swirl, he left already, shortly after I arrived. Said he needed to ‘cross-reference’ some things back home. I’m more concerned about you though. You don’t normally go back to sleep after doing your morning magic.” Penwell offered a mug of steaming tea, which Aumean took with a grateful nod.
“I’ve had a lot on my mind recently.”
The stallion sighed and tapped her lightly on the head. “It’s the children again, isn’t it? You know Aumean, I’m beginning to think this whole ‘quest’ idea was a bad one. It’s done nothing but put undue stress on you. Raising too many questions of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and just over complicating everything.”
Aumean sighed herself, though more from the wave of relaxation that came over her body from the tea than anything else. “But it’s too big a chance to pass up, Penwell. The true power of friendship is beyond comprehension, and with that power they can do so much good, Elements or no.”
Penwell shook his head. “If it was up to me, I think I would have just taken those things and buried them deep in the Everfree by now. Too much trouble, and too much power. Anyway, I’ll go get us both some breakfast.”
Before she could argue with the sceptic, he trotted off in the direction of the library’s kitchen. Looking around, it was quite obvious that despite their efforts to the contrary, the alicorn’s home still looked like somepony had had a book fight. Tomes and scrolls still lay scattered and there was even one or two ink pots whose contents had been spilled all over the floor. Rather than put it off as her mind was telling her, Aumean instead forced herself to light up her horn and begin tidying the mess up. She was fortunate, she thought, to at least have magic to help. Trying to complete such tasks as a pegasus or earth pony would likely be far more tedious than it already was.
“…Aumean…”
The alicorn froze. She had definitely heard a voice whisper her name. A voice that did not belong to Penwell, and a voice that did not originate from the space around her. It was further. Distant. Magical. And perhaps most worryingly, familiar. Could it have been Star Swirl? Possibly, except Star Swirl the Bearded was a friend, and the voice, brief as it had been, had not spoken in a friendly tone.
“…I’ve found you… at long last!…”
Auman’s eyes narrowed in focus, trying to place the mysterious voice, before finally flying open in shocked realisation.
“No… brother…?”
“…So the traitor still recognises her kin…”
A pale mist began to swirl and form before the stunned alicorn. It grew and grew, until finally it began to take a proper shape, condensing into a tall figure. A figure that possessed both a pair of wings, and a long, spiralling horn. The being’s colour and detail was indistinguishable, obscured by the cloud-like form it had taken to communicate with the horrified mare sat before it.
“…Where are they, sister? You have been using them… I can feel the Element’s power! Where is that which you stole!?…”
“You cannot steal from something that does not exist, brother. Nopony ever laid claim to the Element’s as their personal belongings.”
The mist-alicorn snarled with rage. “…Do not make excuses! You stole them from your own people! Our people!…”
Aumean’s shock began to die down. This wasn’t really her brother. Merely some kind of long-range form of magical communication. But the fact that he was still alive and still hunting for her was the most worrying thing. Keeping her expression calm became increasingly difficult.
“…The alicorns are a dead race, brother. You and I both know this. Other than ourselves there must be less than a hoof full of us, scattered around the world. Even less who will give birth to more alicorns.”
The wisp reared up and yet again bellowed in anger. “…The alicorns are not dead! We will live on! We will not give this world up to such an inferior species, even if they are our offspring!…”
“…That was always your problem, brother. You could just never let go,” she held up a hoof to silence a further cry of rage. “…But I won’t argue with you, not anymore. How are you?”
Rather than screech in fury, the wisp snorted, as if amused. “…You think you have nothing to fear, Aumean? Even with an ocean between us, I can best you. I was always the superior sorcerer. And if you will not tell me where exactly you have hidden the Elements, then I will simply rip their location from your traitorous skull!…”
The mare scrabbled to her hooves, but was far too late. The misty impersonation of her brother charged at her, and before she could react, she was enveloped in the thick cloud. Searing pain shot through her head, destroying any hopes of gathering enough concentration to set off a spell to defend herself. Aumean cried in pain as her mind was forcibly invaded and ruthlessly searched for the Element’s resting place. She could feel it, inching closer and closer through her memoires, drawing ever closer to the knowledge that could result in disaster.
And then, a different kind of pain. A physical, hard pain, that was accompanied by a loud “thunk!” as she felt something large and heavy bounce off her head. Aumean was not the only one rattled by the impact, the burning eye within her skull was stunned and the pain tearing at her mind was momentarily stopped. But that was all it took. Realising her chance, Aumean called upon as much magic as her spirit could gather, and struck and the mental invader. With one mighty shove, she expelled the foreign magic coursing through her brain, and quickly cast her horn’s light at the building around her, placing wards on both herself and her home to prevent any future intrusion of the sort.
Spent, the intense golden glow faded, and Aumean collapsed to the floor, panting heavily. The sound of rushing hooves rang closer, until she was being gently propped up. A frantic face looked down at her. “…Next time, Aumean, warn me when you’re going to do whatever it was that you just did, thank you very much.”
“…Penwell… was that you…?”
The stallion knelt down and picked up a thick, heavy copy of “The Art of Intelligent Combat” from the floor beside Aumean. He brought it up to her face and managed a weak chuckle. “I think I took the title a little too literally. Still, you know what they say: ‘Pen is mightier than the sword’! Or nightmarish horror in this case.”
Aumean could not help but chuckle alongside him, but in doing so she was reminded of the dull throb banging into her forehead. Gingerly, she lifted a hoof and felt it. There was a large lump forming.
“Better than the alternative, I suppose…” she murmured.
Penwell shot his friend a smile laced with worry. “…Another cup of tea?”
______________________________________________________________________________
“…And this, is Captain Sharpsail!”
There wasn’t any further introductions, just a round of frowns.
“Okay, sooo… can you bust us out now?”
Firefly’s plea went unheeded as Sharpsail eyed each prisoner in turn, paying particular attention to Celestia and Luna. “Are any of you aware of the situation?”
“You mean the dragons? Yes! Please, help us! We have to get away before they arrive!” Luna pleaded, trying her saddest face which had bagged her a great many treats when she was younger.
The sailor simply raised an eyebrow at her expression however, and turned to Discord. “This city is doomed then.”
“N-No, it isn’t… just… give me a second…”
Sharpsail’s eyes snapped to the last cell at the end of the room. She quickly made her way to it, and stared in, eyeing the auburn earth pony and the bizarre markings he was scratching into the dirt, an intense look of focus on his face. “What do you mean? Explain. Quickly.”
Redstone suddenly looked her straight in the eye. “Ms. Sharpsail, ma’am, your ship is carrying a shipment of mirror rock, right?”
She nodded. “You must be Redstone. You picked a bad time to set an order with us.”
“Actually, I might have picked the best time. Mirror rock is the whole reason I came to Ploughmouth in the first place, and it might be they key to saving it!”
The ship captain raised her eyebrow again and opened her mouth to speak, though Firefly beat her to it. “Woah, woah, what in Equestria is mirror rock?”
“Yeah! If it can help, we need to know!” Surprise added.
“Mirror rock is a rare form of mineral, not often found in Equestria. In appearance, it just resembles dull crystal, but it actually has a highly-complex structure made of-”
“As great as your science is and all Dawn, we’re kinda on a schedule here, so could we get the short version?”
Dawn blushed in embarrassment and nodded apologetically. “S-Sorry… Basically, mirror rock can reflect and amplify kind of magic cast at it, just like a mirror can with light. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”
“That’s exactly what it does, Dawn. Now, Captain Sharpsail, if we can position enough mirror rock at various points in the bay, then have our most potent magic casters use a protection spell-”
“Say no more. I don’t need to know the details, only what needs to be done. Myself, my crew and my ship are all at your disposal.”
Redstone nodded with growing hope. “Alright, I’ve looked at the topography of the bay and calculated what I think will be the best spots, so if you can just help us-”
Once again the earth pony was interrupted, this time by the loud clanging of armour coming from down the halls. Suddenly, the prison room was full of guards, each looking somewhat bewildered and unsure of the situation. “Captain Sharpsail! Captain Steel Coat demands-”
Before the guard could finish, he suddenly found himself staring down the length of a blade held dangerously close to his face. “I could care less what Steel Coat wants. If you want your town to avoid what might be utter ruin, you’ll do what I say. Open the cells and back off. Now.”
“Don’t worry, I received the same treatment, but you might want to do what she says,” Discord whispered to the trembling guard.
There was a moment’s nervous shuffling before the guards relented and hastily set about releasing the prisoners and retreating back into the corridors to give them space.
The former inmates let loose various cries of joy and freedom and quickly turned their attention to Sharpsail and Redstone while retrieving their packs from the prison’s evidence room. “Finally, we’re free! Where to?”
“You all need to assemble at the centre of the harbour, there’s a green there with a large oak tree, you can’t miss it. Meanwhile, I’ll go with Sharpsail to get the mirror rock and position it. Then just wait for my signal,” the earth pony explained.
“But what’s the signal!?” Firefly barked.
“I… don’t know, I’ll think of something. You’ll know it when you see it! Just hurry up and get to the harbour! Come on Ms. Sharpsail, we’re running out of time!” Before anypony could say anything further, the two disappeared, their hooves clattering on the stone floors of the keep.
“We didn’t even get to say thank you…” Celestia muttered while stretching her legs.
Discord nodded in agreement. “I get the feeling we will, Celestia. But you heard the pony, we’d best get a move on!”
“Umm, I don’t really know what’s going on…” Luna quietly mumbled while bumping her sister for attention, a slightly bewildered look spread across the dark fur of her face.
A pair of hovering white hooves suddenly found themselves hugging around the younger alicorn’s waist. “D’aww, don’t worry Woona, I don’t either!” Surprise giggled.
“Yeah… I’m just going to leave it to the smart ponies like. Need to get somewhere fast? I’m your pony! Otherwise… yeah…” the speedster admitted somewhat sheepishly. “Dawn! We’re counting on you! For the smart stuff!”
Dawn blinked and blushed a little. “Umm… thank you?” She shook her head, riding her cheeks of the light scarlet. “Anyway, aren’t we wasting time?”
“We are. Come on everypony!” Celestia ordered, taking charge as she normally did.
A round of nods ensured, and the group began a quick pace out of the prison, and eventually, keep, passing only confused guards on the way. Once out of the stone keep, and into the now-deserted town, they accelerated into a full-out gallop in the general direction of the sea, and the looming black mass that drew ever closer, the shape of powerful, flapping wings distinguishable amongst the dark cloud.
The sight sent unease washing through the six, and they even faltered in their stride upon gazing up to the sky. Firefly, amongst the most confident of the group, had to bite her lip nervously in order to keep her legs pumping, dragons not being a particular favourite species of hers. “…Hey, what happens if this doesn’t work? Will we have enough time to get clear?”
“I trust it will, Fire!” Discord called over his back, though with no great level of confidence.
“But what if it doesn’t!?”
“Calm down Firefly, we should be able to teleport out in case it doesn’t work,” Celestia replied as soothingly as she could, a difficult task given her slightly ragged breath, and the terrifying horde of flying, fire-breathing reptiles that would soon block out the sun with their sheer numbers.
“…Right, okay, I can work with that, I think…”
“Gee Fire, when did you get so jittery, huh? You’re the only one of us to take on a dragon before anyway!” Surprise cheerfully swooped in close and patted her friend on the shoulder.
“I think there’s a slight difference between one, individual dragon, and an entire flock of them Surprise,” Dawn dutifully informed her.
The pegasus stuck her tongue out at the earth pony, but didn’t say anything further, nor did anypony else, though they could not be blamed for their silence. Charging towards a rapidly approaching mass of perhaps the single most dangerous creature in all of Equestria and beyond would render most ponies either mute, or in complete and utter hysterics.
_________________________________
“…So we need to place mirror rock at four different locations, plus a larger centre point for maximum effectiveness.”
“And you know where these points are?”
“Perfect alignment shouldn’t be necessary, so long as they form a rough alignment with each other..”
Sharpsail nodded, needing no further details. The two were galloping as fast as Redstone’s hooves could carry him, a pace Sharpsail was both wanting to, and capable of, exceeding. Their destination was clear; even if the harbour hadn’t been evacuated of nearly every other ship, the Octave’s mast stood out tall and proud.
“Captain! Your orders?” First Mate Salt Hoof called out, having ran out to meet them.
“The mirror rock shipment. Break it into five parts, one larger than the others, and then load it onto separate boats. Use the life dinghy's, and anything else you need to commandeer, and get them in a rectangular formation across the bay, with the larger piece at its centre,” she quickly ordered.
Salt Hoof saluted and galloped off to relay his captain’s orders. He did not understand their purpose, and nor did he need to, only that it was vital it be done ASAP “Yes ma’am!”
Though the command was given, Sharpsail could not rest. Keeping up a fast stride, she approached a unicorn that was idly chatting to a zebra, grabbed him by the horn and began dragging him further along the pier.
“O-Ow! I say, Sharpsail, what’s the meaning of all this? Don’t tell me this old stallion has done something to upset a lady! Again…” Coin Bag muttered and grumbled, finally having his horn released once his attention was fully focused on Sharpsail and it was certain he would continue to follow her rapid pace.
“Sharpsail! What’s going on?” Kromi inquired, struggling to keep up with either of them.
“There’s not much time to explain, so listen carefully, because I’m not going to repeat myself. In order to protect Ploughmouth from the dragons, they’re going to cast a large protection spell over the city.”
“Over the entire city? There’s not a chance in Tartarus that a spell with such a wide area could stop a dragon, let alone an entire-”
“Be quiet, Coin Bag, and let me explain,” she interrupted, holding up a hoof to silence him. “I don’t know who or what is casting the spell, or how it will work, only that they’re going to bounce and focus it off an array of mirror rock, which we have to put in place. But I need you and the Fleur to act as the centre piece in the array, in the middle of the harbour.”
The merchant’s eyes widened in surprise, and looked back and forth between Sharpsail and his ship, which they had stopped by. “Why ever do you need the Fleur!? Why not just use your own ship!?”
“The Octave would take too long to prepare and get into the right position, she’s too big. But other than her, your boat is the largest we have available, meaning it will be able to carry the centre piece of the array and it’s the only other boat we have with an anchor. The middle of the bay is where a lot of forces are going to collide, so an anchor may be necessary to keep it stable,” Sharpsail calmly explained.
“A lot of for- Do you actually expect me to agree to this!? She might get torn apart!” the unicorn angrily retorted.
“I’m not asking this of you, Coin Bag. I’m ordering it. Because it’s the best solution I have available. Now get your ship ready, or I’ll just have to have my crew commandeer it.” The captain’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
Normally Coin Bag would back down at the sight, though having what had become his home away from home threatened gave him a steely resolve. “Now you listen here, Sharpsail! I won’t-”
“Coin Bag… what about the town? We can’t let it…” Kromi’s pleading voice was all it took to shatter that resolve. And she was right, after all. There was far more at stake then a single boat. Even if it was his boat.
A deep sigh resounded from Coin Bag’s throat and he looked down at the ship that for the past few months had been both his home, and provided him with his livelihood. He didn’t want it harmed, but at the same time, it was always possible it could be repaired, were it damaged. If it couldn’t, then at the very least, he would always have fond memories of it, though at no point did Sharpsail say that there was a guarantee that the Fleur was going to be in mortal danger.
“…Too right we can’t! You’ve got yourself a deal, Sharpsail. I hope you realise what a bargain this is!”
The captain smirked and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Thank you, Coin Bag. My crew will be over shortly to help you load the mirror rock, and then it is in your hooves.”
“I want to help too!”
Sharpsail stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder to the zebra. “No, Kromi. Stay here with the Octave. I don’t exactly know what it is the immediate future holds, but I doubt it will be perfectly safe. Which means I don’t want you exposed to it.”
“Sharpsail is right, dear. Things might get just a tad hairy, and you’ve had more than enough brushes with danger already,” agreed Coin Bag, smiling apologetically. “Just stay here with all these fine chaps and chapettes, please.”
“But, I want to… okay…” Kromi looked back and forth between the two older ponies and hung her head in defeat.
“Now don’t go all despairing on me, little Kromi! I’ll be back soon, and we can put this entire sordid affair behind us!” he cheerfully replied. The unicorn’s zeal was ineffective however, and his smile turned into one of sympathy.
Not needed, Kromi slowly trotted over to the dog still lying relaxed by the shed, oblivious, or perhaps uncaring, of the impeding danger. She lay down beside it and began kicking a stone between her hooves idly. She watched as Sharpsail boarded the Octave to bark more orders, and as several large, smooth crystals, a dull blue in colour, were lifted and hoisted onto the pier and into several waiting boats, including the Fleur.
With the operation firmly underway, everypony’s focus was on the vital cargo that was to be shipped around the harbour. And most certainly not on one small, young zebra.
_______________________________________
Rounding one last bend, the group found themselves standing on a massive, crescent-shaped promenade; Ploughmouth Harbour. Like the rest of the town, it was utterly deserted, even the piers and docks were oddly vacant, the boat’s owner’s having evacuated to safer waters. There was, however, one ship that stood out in the distance. A streamlined and finely crafted vessel stood calmly at ease, countless colourful dots running back and forth on its deck. Just vaguely, Celestia thought she could make out two more blobs, one a beige colour and the other auburn, galloping hurriedly in the direction of the ship.
“Tia, there it is! Come on!” Surprise’s voice dragged Celestia’s eyes away from the lone boat and to her left, where she saw a green space, and a single large oak tree sat directly in the centre of the promenade. Without another word, they rushed toward the green, coming to a stop under the oak tree, panting and gasping for breath.
“…So… W-What do we do now…?” asked Firefly through heavy breathing.
Stern faced and with conviction in her eyes, Celestia lit up her horn and drew forth four of the perfectly-cut gems from the group’s saddlebags. “We wait for Redstone’s signal. And then we use these.”
Firefly blinked as she suddenly found the Element of Ambition resting in her hooves, a blank look on her face. Dawn mimicked the expression when the Element of Will found itself to her via Celestia’s magic.
“But… how?” the speedster spluttered, looking at each pony present in turn for guidance, yet finding none.
“I have to ask the same question… we have no idea what it’s like to use regular magic, let alone the Elements…” Dawn pointed out.
Both Celestia and Discord, holding the Elements of Honesty and Laughter respectively, scrunched up their muzzles in an effort to try and think of an adequate way to describe their magic use.
“It’s… like a muscle. You just sort of will it. Believe what you want to happen will happen, and it will,” the white alicorn tried to explain.
“Of course, we don’t actually have any experience in using the Elements either. So we’re guessing as much as you,” Discord added with a shrug.
“Not helping, Dissy!” The draconequus chuckled at Firefly’s remark.
“…W-What about us, sis? What can we do?”
Celestia turned to regard her sister and pegasus friend who were stood, each looking lost in what task they were supposed to be doing. The elder alicorn bit her lip; neither Luna or Surprise had yet earned an Element, and while they could possibly use Loyalty and Pride, she was reluctant to try and make use of magic she had little understanding of as it were. Her mother had taught her that anypony could make use of an Element, but that only one who truly embodied it could unlock its true potential. She didn’t think Luna or Surprise were especially suited to be bearers of those particular Elements, and while she didn’t enjoy making them stand by the sidelines, it was the safest course of action. Four Elements would surely still be enough.
“…I’m sorry, Luna, Surprise, but I think you ought to simply stay back.”
“Huh!? But why, Tia? We’ve already found more than four Elements! We can use those! We can help!”
Luna did not voice any complaint like Surprise did, but the confusion and frustration was evident in her eyes. Celestia could only bite her lip again and look to Discord for aid, though all she got was an evasive gesture telling her she would get none. She scowled at him, but quickly took on a more sympathetic expression as she turned to the two dejected ponies.
“I’m sorry, but it’s difficult to explain… We don’t know much about how the Element’s actually work, and I don’t want to endanger you two any more than I have to. Four should be more than enough. Please, try to understand.”
“Aw, c’mon Tia! It can’t hurt to try, can-”
“Okay, sis. I trust you.”
Surprise stared at Luna, then flicked her eyes back and forth between the two sisters. Finally, she shook her head and smiled. “Alright then. If Luna can trust you on this, then so can I! We’ll be ready to help if anything goes wrong!”
Celestia returned the smile gratefully. “Thank you both. Come on everypony, we should get ready.” Slowly, the alicorn approached the wrought iron rail of the promenade, staring head-on at the looming cloud. Discord, Firefly and Dawn followed, each holding an Element close to their chests. A number of small boats were dashing across the water, each carrying a large lump of a slightly glittering rock. They were all headed to the corners of the harbour, forming a rectangle, with the exception of one; a wooden yacht sat in the middle of the bay, apparently forming some sort of centre point for the entire operation. It too, was carrying a block of mirror rock, and it was quite clear to even Firefly that they should try and direct their spell towards it, when the time came.
“You really think this will work, Celestia?” Discord casually asked, inspecting his Element with a bemused smile.
“I have to. For everypony’s sake.”
He chuckled, but said no more, focusing his attention on the dragons just like the three others beside him.
‘This is going to be interesting.’
____________________________________
Coin Bag sighed once more. He wasn’t particularly happy about having to deny Kromi like he had, but he didn’t want to take any more risks than he had to. Besides, a city-wide shield spell was quite the spectacle. She would get a better sight from the Octave’s rigging, and it would surely cheer her up.
With a small burst of magic, he changed direction, aiming for as close to the centre as he could get. Once he was certain both his position and alignment was correct, his horn sparkled once more, causing the Fleur’s anchor to drop into the relatively shallow depths of the harbour. Once that was done, it was a simple case of waving his hooves in the air, signalling to a watching Sharpsail that he was in position.
“And now all a pony has to do is wait…”
_____________________________________
Though it was unlikely she truly needed it, Sharpsail observed the operation through the eye of a telescope, flitting back and forth between the boats, and waiting for them to signal that they were in position. One by one, she saw waving hooves, and she counted under her breath as each piece fell into place. Taking a moment, she turned to the promenade curling around the bay, and looked upon the small group gathered there; the strange ‘draconequus’ and even stranger ponies stood nervously, something glinting in each of their hooves. She did not know what to think of them, not until she could observe them more. Normally she would not trust the safety of an entire town to strangers, let alone ones so… unique? Foreign? Regardless, she thought, she was out of options. It was either trust Ploughmouth to them, or trust Ploughmouth to a group of dread creatures that were violent and territorial at the best of times. The choice was clear.
Finally, she received the last indicator from Coin Bag, pulled her eye away from the telescope and yelled “Redstone! Everypony is in position, send them your signal!”
Below her on the deck, the earth pony nodded and then nodded in turn to two unicorns of Sharpsail’s crew. Taking a small piece of mirror rock left behind from the main shipment, the two closed their eyes and pointed their glowing horns at it.
“Everypony avert your eyes!” she called, prompting the entire crew still outside to cover their eyes with their hooves.
A beam emitted from each, hitting the mirror rock and causing an explosion of light to radiate from the Octave that made the ship visible for miles around. The unicorns repeated the spell several times over, before stopping and joining other spectators in leaning on the rail, eager to see the plan put into action.
Sharpsail shared their enthusiasm, and quickly scanned the deck and pier. Not finding what she was looking for, she frowned and called out “Salt Hoof! Where is Kromi? She will want to see this…”
_____________________________________
The mood was tense. Nopony had anything to say, and the minutes passed by at an excruciatingly slow rate. And then, without warning, a bright light flashed repeatedly from the deck of the Octave. It had to be Redstone’s signal, calling them to their duty.
The four bearers exchanged a mixture of frowns and bemused expressions, and took a step closer to the railing.
“So… Here goes then?” Firefly nervously asked.
“Yes… Just remember; focus on creating a shield, protecting the town from danger. The Elements should do the rest,” Celestia replied, though the confidence in her voice was clearly forced. “Everypony ready?”
She looked around at the three others. Firefly, Discord and Dawn all nodded. She then looked back to her sister and Surprise. The alicorn received a small wave and wink in response. Finally, turning her attention to the boat moored in the centre of the harbour, she closed her eyes, held the gem close, and concentrated on making the town safe.
The other three followed suite. For a moment, nothing happened. And then, tiny sparks began to fizzle and fly from the stones in their hooves.
________________________________
Coin Bag gritted his teeth against the flare of pain that burned across his chest as he slowly lay down behind some crates for cover. He knew he shouldn’t have been exerting himself, but there was not a chance in all Equestria that he was going to entrust his ship to one of Sharpsail’s crew, regardless of how scarily skilled sailors some of them may have been.
SNAP!
Ignoring the pain, Coin Bag’s eyes shot open and he warily poked his head over the crate. The stallion was no expert on wood, but he certainly recognised the sound of it breaking, a sound that often indicated bad things. In order to make the mirror rock as visible and easy to hit as possible, it had been raised up on an old cart that had then been quickly secured in place on the deck of the Fleur. While this had seemed a simple part of the plan, Coin quickly came to the conclusion that relying on a cart that must have regularly been soaked with water to support a huge, heavy lump of rock was perhaps not quite as bright as they had originally thought. One of the cart’s wheels had a massive crack in it, and the entire thing was leaning dangerously to one side. If it wasn’t given additional support, it would no doubt collapse and send the mirror rock flying, possibly into the ocean.
A bright, white light began flashing from the direction of the Octave. Coin Bag watched in horror and tried to scrabble to his hooves and use himself as a support, only to collapse again as his chest seared in agony. What he saw next however, distracted him from any pain he might have felt; a barrel suddenly fell to the ground and from it popped Kromi. Beaming with pride she forced herself against the cart.
“…K-Kromi!?”
“Don’t worry Coin Bag! I can he-”
She couldn’t finish her sentence as, suddenly, the boat was consumed in rainbow light.
____________________________________
Luna and Surprise looked on as their friends began to enter a trance like state, a serene expression across their muzzles. They gasped as all four of them began to slowly rise from the ground, the magical energy growing exponentially from the stones held close to their chests and levitating them with their power.
The alicorn and pegasus hugged each other tightly as the power of the Elements grew and grew, sending sparks across their fur and skin. And then, when it seemed the light could get no brighter, the spell was cast. A rainbow beam shot from the four bearers that tore across the bay and collided directly with the large lump of blue-ish crystal being carried by the yacht. The resulting reaction saw four new beams explode outward and make contact with even more mirror rock. Eventually, the intense magical energy collided in the sky above Ploughmouth, resulting in a clear dome of raw magic to form around the entire city, something not even dragons could hope to penetrate.
Both Luna and Surprise might have cheered at the success, were it not for the fact that there was something clearly very wrong. Celestia, Discord, Firefly and Dawn were all twitching, their bodies contorting in spasms of pain. The power of the Elements held them aloft, and the ray of energy continued to stream from the stones at their chests.
Surprise, in an act of instinct leapt and flew towards them, intent on tackling them to the ground, break the Element’s hold, do something that would stop them. Instead however, she found herself caught in the magical grip and her mind opening up to her fellow prisoners. There was another, however. Physically far, but caught in the same snare. Surprise, and indeed the four other bearers saw images of a small, far away village burning, feelings of despair and of being lost. And then one of infinite gratitude towards an individual who took it all away in an act of pure, heartfelt kindness.
The link began to fade however, to be replaced with a cold feeling of fear, as their bodies began to shift through space.
“…Finally, I’ve found them!…”
____________________________________
The Fleur silently pulled up by the side of the Octave once more. The small boat’s captain, half-jumped half-fell onto the pier, a dazed look in his red-raw eyes.
“Coin Bag! Where is she!?”
The merchant looked up to Sharpsail, meeting her fury without so much as wincing.
“…She… She must have snuck on board… Wanted to help an old stallion out…”
The face of rage itself came to within a hair’s length of Coin Bag’s face. “Where. Is. She!?”
The unicorn fell to his flank, tears welling up his eyes. “…I don’t know. She was suddenly there, on the deck, got too close to the mirror rock, got caught in that… light. It was just too bright, Sharpsail, I tried, but… and then she was gone. Vanished!”
The captain let out a small howl, before beginning to pace back and forth restlessly, her mind a flurry of thoughts on possible solutions. It was not Sharpsail however, who would provide an idea, however, as the train of mental debate was interrupted by a dark blue pony coming to land near them, tears streaming freely. A spiralled horn stood on her forehead.
“…P-Please! Help… he… he took my friends!”
All eyes snapped to Luna. Who seemed to be having trouble breathing over her own sorrowful cries.
“Who!? Where!?” Sharpsail snapped. She quickly regretted it however, as she realised the tone would not help her get answers as to Kromi’s whereabouts. “…I’m sorry, please, tell us all you can,” she said as soothingly as she could.
“I-I don’t know who, exactly, but… but… he was like me! And like sis!” the little alicorn practically babbled.
“Like you…?” Sharpsail looked over her, noting the unusual height of the pony, as well as the fact she possessed both a set of wings and a horn. “I see. And do you know where this… individual took them?”
By this point, Luna had collapsed to the floor and was trying desperately to wipe her eyes with her hooves. She shook her head at the question, but then seemed to reconsider. “I…I don’t know exactly, but… my mother taught us a lot about who we are, what we are… she said that she came from a country far, far to the east… even further than where modern ponies came from!”
Luna’s answer even partly brought Coin Bag from his stupor. “Further than…?”
Sharpsail nodded and began pacing again. “I’ve heard rumours about such a land. Stories. Legends. It’s possible… Salt Hoof!”
The First Mate, who had been watching quietly snapped to attention. “Yes Captain?”
“I want the Octave ready for an expedition. A long one. We’re to carry nothing but supplies: food, water, medicine. Understand? Anything we have left on the ship that won’t be directly useful we either sell or dump.”
“You know we will lose our place in the merchant rankings if we do this?” Salt hoof calmly replied.
“I don’t care. Spread the word among the crew. Any sailor unwilling to go on this trip is to be paid what they’re owed and taken off the register.”
A small smirk played on the stallion’s lips. “Of course, Captain, right away.” He turned to attend to his orders, but was stopped by a hoof on his shoulder.
“Salt Hoof. You are happy to stand with me on this?”
The smirk only grew. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Captain.”
Sharpsail smiled, and let go of his shoulder. “Good. Thank you.”
With a final salute, Salt Hoof rushed away to his duties.
“Sharpsail, dear… you cannot seriously be considering this? It’s an awful long way to go on the word of a stranger and legends. I let Kromi be taken by some cretin, and I want to help the poor lass, but this…” Coin Bag trailed off, unable to find the right word to describe how irrational Sharpsail was sounding.
“No, Coin Bag, I’m not considering it. I’ve already made my decision. And I know you want to help, and you’re going to help, because you’re coming too.” The captain turned her attention to Luna again, and knelt down to gently stroke her mane. “Do not worry. We will find your friends and family, and we will find our friend as well.” She rose to her hooves once more and gazed out over the harbour, and up into the sky to watch the massive black swarm bouncing harmlessly off the huge barrier that surrounded the entire city as it passed over.
“We will find them.”
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I started reading and I was like
and then this part came up and I was like 
and then it was just so 
but then I was like 
at that one part and in the end I was like 
awesome...
I want to read this but....
ITS SO DAMN LONG
I'll read it eventually....slowly...
Vhat a tweest!
Epiiiiic!
even with several good reads in my read later and other favorites to catch up on, i still find a way to put this on top of all that for when it comes out. another fricken amazing chapter.
OMG THIS WOULD BE BEST JRPG EVER! WOULD BUY!
I..You..wat.
Getting my monthly dosis of this is always a great thing, and a new chapter of THIS is possibly one of the greatest ways to start a new weekend.
But Aumeans brother..
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8rpw9ZQ6k1qde2iwo2_1280.jpg
Interesting!
so help me Celestia if another chapter of this isn't released soon... I LOVE THS STORY, I THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
1398876
If you want to spend your time helping out with this silly little story of mine, you're more than welcome. Would be much appreciated :)
Hehe, no problem. I must warn you, though, that I am in college and as such might only be able to help on a sporadic basis.
Moar story p10x.
I still can't decide if I like Sharpsail or not.
after searching madly for several hours, I finally found it!
I read this a while ago, and completely lost track of it when I moved and lost my laptop.
But now that I've found it again, I can't wait to read it all once more! Woohoo!
I've read this story and this is sensational! I like a lot all the characters and it´s really well-written! It's clear you put some effort in the development of your story, all events are structured to meet together at one time and the rythm is neither too long nor too short.
I wish you good luck for your studies, because they're primordial, and hope you'll find one day both the time and this little spark to complete this awesome story!
4806364 I'm with Floppy on this. I fav'd this ages ago and hoped that it would have had the 'Completed' tag by now. Shame actually. Hope it comes out of Hiatus.
I'm glad this isn't done but I can't wait for more. I like the whole discord is the adopted sibling of the sisters. It makes what's happening in cannon way more interesting and amusing if I keep that idea in mind.
Man, I remember reading this when is was like....13? I feel old now. I never really appreciated how good it actually is. It'd be amazing if you came back to it, but even if you didn't, i'd love to see if you're writing anything else for other fandoms.