A Rather Large Adventure

by BradyBunch

Chapter Sixty-seven: Bribery Fails

Appleoosa was a small town in the middle of the desert, which ordinarily meant the villagers would all be out and about. However, when the trio of Rarity, Freedom Fighter, and Spike arrived at the borders of the old town, nopony was in the street. Even stranger, though, was the boarded-up windows and blocked doors.

"Where do you think the others are?" Spike asked Rarity.

"In the city hall, I'd imagine," was her dubious response.

"The villagers are probably in hiding because of the close Noxxa camp," Freedom Fighter deduced. "Are they afraid of us?"

"I would assume they are," Rarity agreed.

When they finally approached the city hall on the far end of the main boulevarde, a window near the door slid open and a pink hoof waved out. "Come in!" Pinkie whispered.

They opened the doors and entered one by one. Inside the suddenly-cool building, a slow fan rotated on the ceiling over an old, rotten wooden floor with tables and desks all over, ready to be barricaded against the doors at a moment's notice.

Twilight and the others were in a corner. Sitting next to Applejack was a pony Freedom Fighter narrowed his eyes at.

"Easy there," Applejack calmed him, seeing his face. "This is cousin Braeburn. He's here to help. Braeburn, meet Freedom Fighter."

Braeburn, in an open vest and a wide-brimmed fedora, gave him a curt nod.

"Where's Shining Armor and Tempest and the other guard?" Freedom Fighter asked.

"They're out keeping an eye on the town's perimeter," Twilight replied. "Tempest is with them to avoid her breaking free. The desert is miles and miles in every direction. This town is the only source of shelter, food, and water."

"What town?" Spike drily asked. "Appleoosa doesn't seem like the town I remember."

"Yer absolutely right," Braeburn murmured. "Many things've changed in this here old place."

"What do you mean?"

Braeburn pointed out the open window towards the cluster of black a few miles off. "It all started when that there camp sprung up outta nowhere about a month ago. Nopony wanted to investigate, and they didn't send any emissaries, either, so we didn't think much o' it. But then…"

Braeburn wiped his brow and rose off the ground. There was a strange look in his eyes of distant fear, rarely seen in a soul as hardy as Braeburn.

"We still don't know what manner of creature's in there, but durin' th' night, they used ta make raids on our apple supplies. No matter how many guards we stationed at the borders, they disappeared as well by mornin'. Soon apples weren't enough. Soon our cattle disappeared. Then our crops. We've gotten to living off dried food reserves at this point!"

"Instead of spreading apples on toast, they hafta spread peas!" Applejack added.

Firestorm widened his eyes and gasped.

"I would rather die," Applejack bluntly admitted.

"Can't you just leave town? There's a railway station right here," Rarity told Braeburn.

"There's only one train here. And besides, the creatures in the camp would simply go out, attack the train, and take us all out in the open," Braeburn pointed out. "Here we have supplies and a defensive position… however useless it would be. I won't risk any more lives than I have to, Rarity."

"Neither will I," Twilight whispered. No one heard her.

"Braeburn," Freedom Fighter explained, "the camp you see is full of vile, evil, buglike creatures more like demons than anything else. They've subsidized on your town for over a month. You must be in a bit of a pickle here. I commend you for handling it with tact and measure. Sometimes there's not much we can do. It can be hard to accept that."

"Speaking of which," Starlight Glimmer pointed out, giving a pointed glance towards the returned trio.

"Oh…" Freedom Fighter cut off.

"Well," Rainbow began, folding her arms as she hovered in the air. "I assume 'diplomacy' failed."

"He's pure evil," Rarity hissed. "Evil!"

"Who was?" Twilight demanded.

"Prince Blueblood!"

Firestorm pushed Pinkie Pie out of the way to make room for him. Though he was not the most easily surprised of ponies, he looked stunned by the news. "What?!"

"The prince?!" Twilight reiterated.

"What the heck was Blueblood doing in a place like that?" Starlight Glimmer asked. "Was he kidnapped as well?"

"No," Spike refuted. "He looked very much in charge of things. Maybe the Noxxa kept him around because they knew he was even viler than they were."

"He was behind the kidnapping?" Rainbow clarified, incredulity overriding her. "Why?"

"He said that Noble Blade pulled a knife on him at the Gala a few weeks back," Rarity fumed. "As if! Noble Blade could never do such a thing!"

"He was by my side the entire time," Fluttershy whispered, curling a lock of hair as she remembered the magical night both of them had. "He could never…"

"Well, you're right about that," Freedom Fighter admitted. He sounded sheepish, for some odd reason. "Noble didn't do it… but it happened anyway."

Rarity craned her head to affix him with a look. "What do you mean?"

"I… while we were at the Gala… you and Starlight were on an overlook, Bluey came along and began to question you about Noble Blade, and when push came to shove, I kind of…"

Rarity's eyes widened. "That?!"

"What did you do?" Starlight Glimmer whispered dangerously.

Freedom Fighter took off his cowl, showing beads of fresh sweat on his pale yellow skin and he grit his teeth nervously. "You see, I may have… pretended to be Noble and threatened him with his life."

Fluttershy looked up. Her eyes were beetled together. "You did this?"

Freedom Fighter took a step back. "I did."

In the next instant, Fluttershy's furious face was inches away from his. Though he was a dark warrior, his heart thundered in his chest as Fluttershy roared, "It's your fault my knight is locked in a dungeon?!"

"I had no idea-" he fearfully began.

"And now, neither do we! We don't know what to do because of you!"

"It's yer fault we're in this mess to begin with?!" Applejack demanded.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Freedom Fighter roared. "I was getting rid of a potential threat! Who knew it would lead him out here in the middle of nowhere?!"

"I'm with him!" Twilight agreed, coming over to him to pry Fluttershy away from him. "He had no idea!"

"You just took him away from us," Fluttershy whispered, and there was a wisp of death in it. "How can I be expected to forgive you?"

Freedom Fighter jabbed her away from him, and Fluttershy went stumbling. "I don't know! I will break him out with my bare hooves if I have to! But you need to stop acting like a psycho just because your boyfriend was-"

Fluttershy's eyes grew wide but hard as steel. They quivered in place as a hateful grimace grew across her mouth.

Freedom Fighter paused, gazing with absolute horror into her eyes. Then he screamed, clutched himself around the chest, and fell to the ground, groaning and thrashing his legs like fire was consuming him. He was even weeping. But his eyes remained open for the whole time.

"What are you doing to him?" Firestorm demanded, flapping over to him and propping him up. He was desperate, hoarse. "Fluttershy! What are you doing?!"

Fluttershy's narrowed eyes only pressed harder.

"Take it away!" Freedom Fighter gasped and threw himself out of Firestorm's grip. He crawled on his back away from the fire in Fluttershy's eyes. "Oh, Faust! Please! Please! Kill it! Take me away! I can't take it! Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop!"

"Fluttershy!" Twilight roared, and tackled her. Both girls rolled on the creaky wooden floor until Twilight ended atop her, pinning her arms to the ground. "Stop using the Stare! Ngh! Stop it!"

Fluttershy's gaze locked on to Twilight next. Twilight felt a thrill of fear shoot through her as the mighty Stare took effect. Her will melted away. Fluttershy's command was law. No other option existed. And if she dared to think otherwise, painful, horrible things would happen to her.

But Twilight fought anyway. Pain screeched in her head as she did, but she fought against Fluttershy's glare anyway.

Twilight let out a scream, raised her hoof, and slammed it on Fluttershy's skull. The wooden floor splintered beneath the impact. Fluttershy closed her eyes instinctively and whimpered in pain.

"Stop it, Fluttershy," she whispered, cradling her to her chest. "I don't want to hurt you. Please, please, come back."

Fluttershy blinked. Hard. Her gaze returned to normal. "Wh…"

"Please!" Twilight begged, hugging her around the neck. "Never ever use the Stare on him again!"

Dazed, Fluttershy put a hoof to her head. It came away red. All she did was quiver as she examined the reddened hoof.

Freedom Fighter was still huddled up against a wall with his hooves above him. He looked like he was cowering from something, and he had his eyes tightly shut.

"Please, please, please, go away! I can't… I can't take it! I…"

He gradually opened one eye. Then the other. Shaking in the legs, he rose.

"What did she do?!" Firestorm demanded of Applejack.

The farmer solemnly took the cowboy hat off her blonde head. "She, uh… used the Stare, Firestorm."

"The what?"

"I saw him," Freedom Fighter filled in. He clamped his left metal hoof around his right arm of flesh to keep it from trembling. "Marshal Malice."

The entire room fell silent.

"I could feel… all the scars on my body… come back at the same time. The blood was… still warm on my body. I heard those bugs laughing and the… the clink of chains, and the sawing of their knives on my… But Malice was looming over it all. And he was laughing! And he dangled my arm in front of my face like a worm and he… slucked it up."

For all his descriptions of what he saw in the Stare, Fluttershy appeared to be in even worse anguish than he, if it was possible.

"Oh, F-Faust," he gasped. "W-we… we can't delay. He's going to kill us all, and we can't stay here. We need to get him out now."

"But we can't," Rarity emphasized. "If I, his quote-unquote 'jewel,' can't persuade him to let him go, nopony can! Except for maybe Twilight, who has royal authority, and even then, he won't care because he's royalty himself!"

"And you had a crush on him?" Pinkie wondered.

"I didn't know he was a scumbag!" Rarity defended.

Spike gave her a pointed look, folding his arms in disapproval.

"Are you sure we can't trick him or persuade him?" Rainbow pressured.

"The prince is vile," Rarity whispered. "He's got the morals and the surface properties of slime. He won't listen to you or anyone else. He's in charge, which is all that matters."

"He has a price for Noble's release, though," Spike added.

"What is it?" Braeburn hopefully supplied. "We've got the town's tax money, I'm sure we can help to pay for-"

"It's Rarity."

"Oh." Braeburn's ears flattened against his skull.

"Heck. No."

"Firestorm-"

"I said, heck no, Twilight!" he roared. "I am not trading lives here. Not Rarity. Not for him. Don't make me choose between them both."

"I know!" Twilight agreed. "I was about to say the same thing as you, but-" She took a deep breath and expelled it. "Look, how else can we do this?"

"I have an idea," Spike declared.

Twilight gave him a curious look. "Explain."

"All we do is give Tempest Shadow to them in exchange for him," Spike offered. "A prisoner trade, you know? They get what they want, we get what we want, and we get rid of Tempest, who's kind of just dead weight to us. This'll solve all our problems!"

"That… does have merit," Rarity admitted. "I say we all try."

"Whoah, whoah, whoah. I might be hearing things. You said 'we all.'"

"Yes? What about it, Rainbow Dash?"

"I think we should all go in together!" Pinkie Pie interjected.

"And I say we all just stay out of the way while Stormy here fireballs the place and gets him out! Twilight, you said yourself that you don't want to sacrifice ourselves. This is the option that'll result in the least loss of life!"

Twilight stomped over to Rainbow Dash so closely that the suddenly-nervous Rainbow had to back away a step. And given Rainbow's nature, it was a significant thing.

"If I said this once, it's permanent. We will not firebomb Black Fang Redoubt! If he dies because of us, we fail!"

"He's probably underground-!" she feebly started.

"No!" she roared. "It will not happen! And neither will exchanging Tempest Shadow!"

"But Twilight-"

"When I said I wouldn't trade lives, Spike, that includes Tempest."

The ponies gasped.

"But… Tempest-"

"Firestorm, did you mean your words when you said you wouldn't trade lives? Or were they empty?"

Firestorm sullenly said no more.

"Tempest is a pony just like us," Twilight affirmed. "What kind of ponies would we be if we abandoned her to the mercy of these merciless monsters? Yes, she's done bad things. But so have we! Remember the problems in Ponyville we've all caused over the years by being focused on ourselves? We've all helped to contribute to the evil in the world in some way. We just don't think about it."

"You don't think about it," Freedom Fighter whispered, clenching his hoof.

"Besides, I know of the potential within her," Twilight said. "And I will not abandon her when she needs us the most. If we give her to the Noxxa, they'd kill her. They don't know if she's an asset to them yet. The only forces that knew was that small group that attacked us on Mount Aris. These Noxxa here don't know about her. They'd be reluctant to trade her in the first place!"

Spike looked more dejected than ever. "All right," he said. "I just thought…"

"It was a great idea, Spike," Twilight reassured him, and gave him a close hug. "I'm impressed you came up with an unorthodox idea on your own! You're a great assistant, Spike. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Spike grinned. "Aww, gee… thanks, Twi."

"This doesn't progress us much further, does it?" Rainbow groaned.

Twilight let go of her number one assistant. "You're right. But thanks to his inspiration, I think I have another idea now that can get us Noble Blade without losing any more ponies."

"Let's hear it," Applejack said, folding her arms.

Twilight pointed at Bradburn. "You said you still have the citizen's tax money, right?"

"Yes, princess."

"Could you bring it here, please?"

Braeburn nodded and trotted off into a back passage of the town courthouse.

Applejack pointed a suspicious hoof at the alicorn. "If yer thinkin' what Ah think yer thinkin'..."

"Think about it, Applejack."

"Oh, Ah think I know plenty," Applejack drily replied. "If you think yer gonna use the tax money of the citizens of Appleoosa to return a single pony… well, Ah'm sworn to be honest. And to me, this just don't sound to be the cleanest thing in the world."

"Well, what would you want to do?"

"Hm. Perhaps not exploitin' the tax money of ma family's settlement might be one of them!"

"I know how much this town means to you, Applejack," Twilight softly said. "That's why I'm doing this. This is to protect the town."

"Ah don't see how."

"The town is already essentially a ghost town," Twilight explained. "It might be uninhabited in a week. What use is tax money going to be in a ghost town? If we use this money, we can get him back, put the inhabitants on a train, and use Shining Armor and Winter Gleam to protect it while it steams the passengers to Canterlot."

"What makes you think they'll listen to money?"

"All we have to convince is Blueblood," Pinkie Pie clarified. "He'll listen to that be-a-utiful sound of clinking coins, all right."

"All that'll happen is we'll go to the gates, they'll let us in, and after we give the money to Blueblood, they'll butcher us and mince us into ground meat and they'll feed us for dinner."

"Not so," Twilight replied to Rarity. "We'll have a powerful third party overseeing the exchange."

"Who?" Starlight asked.

"Tempest Shadow," Twilight said. "As far as she's concerned, she's not on either side. The world isn't divided into ponies and devils, you know. If the trade goes wrong, she'll intervene."

"So at best, this trade will leave the citizens of Appleoosa with nothing," Applejack said. "And at worst, we all die."

"We don't have much of a choice, Rarity," Twilight comforted her. "I hate this deal as much as you. But I will not throw away your life. I promise. No matter what, I will never allow you to be taken away."

"How far are ya willin' to deliver on that promise, Twi?"

"Any measure, Applejack. Anything." A crackling spark appeared on her horn for a brief moment before disappearing. "What'll be the length you will go, Applejack?"

The farm girl was silent. Her eyes quivered in place as her words hit home in her head.

"Twi…" She threw herself around her neck. "Ah'd follow you into Tartarus itself for you! And for anyone else! Because… you'd do the same… fer me."

"Then let's do it," Twilight said. "And if things go wrong, blame me. Please. But no matter what, whether this goes well or not, I will break him out, and I will save your lives, and I will destroy every last bug in that encampment if it means Noble Blade will be safe."

"Gosh," Rainbow murmured. "Twilight… what happened to you?"

Twilight looked much older when she looked at Rainbow to reply.

"I know now how much you mean to me," Twilight whispered. "And I know how evil our enemy is. I simply prioritize which lives matter." She snorted and turned away. "That's what I'm best at."

When Braeburn returned with the key to the safe, Twilight and the girls went deeper into the town hall and entered the massive steel safe. After emptying its contents into about ten bags, they departed to barter with the monsters.

---

When the gates of Black Fang Redoubt opened once more that evening, the Noxxa were both more daring from their previous victory and more cautious from the sheer number of ponies that entered. The party comprised of two battle-hardened warriors, a mature mare with a broken horn and a furious scowl, a baby dragon, and six experienced mares who matched the hateful glares leveled at them from every direction.

Though they walked through the valley of the shadow of death, as the sun was setting deeply in the horizon, Twilight felt no fear. She was emotionless, but at the same time, persistent. One step at a time. One hoof, then another. And if the Noxxa decided to attack her…

Applejack was kneeling with an arrow in her lower gut, and Rarity's lifeless corpse was still bleeding. Noble was moaning in grief over the body of Fluttershy.

...Then Twilight wouldn't hold back this time.

Twilight noticed that a Nox would crawl close to their moving circle, then jump back hissing like a cat. After a few of these, Twilight noticed that it wasn't in jeering or an attempt to penetrate their defenses. They were… afraid. Playing chicken with how close they could get before they would get destroyed.

The group eventually came to Blueblood's building and made a motion to enter the cabin. Starlight Glimmer did it first, then the others.

Blueblood was there behind his wide desk, watching them come in. His expression was unamused, but he was eyeing their bags of gold with shining pupils. Twilight assumed that he knew of their approach before they even came in. He must have been notified beforehand by a sentry. The Noxxa were apparently more loyal than they let on.

Rarity went to the front immediately. So did Fluttershy, Firestorm, Spike, Tempest Shadow, and Twilight.

"Princess Twilight," Blueblood murmured in greeting. "So grand for a princess so young."

"I had to adapt," Twilight coldly replied. Standing so close to Blueblood, she was struck with how regal he looked. His ivory suit was incredibly ornate and impeccably smooth. He had many badges on his front on display. Around his neck was a shining silver necklace inlaid with a priceless blue jewel. By his side was an ornate saber inlaid with gold, the same color as his shiny mane. His teeth were whiter than his body. His horn was like a lance. His eyes, however, were greedy.

She knew the difference between him and Noble Blade almost immediately. Noble was like a fountain, giving back whatever he had to the world. Blueblood was like a sponge, soaking the world dry and leaving it with nothing.

"You know why we're here, Blueblood," Starlight said.

"Please," he humbly said. "Call me prince."

"No, I don't think I will," Rarity huffed.

Blueblood gave her an unsympathetic glare before sighing. "Ah, Rarity. Be civil here. You're here for your prisoner. And I already told you, I will only accept Rarity in exchange."

"Our situation won't improve," Applejack pointed out. "It's unreasonable and unfair to suggest exchanging one life for another as if one is worth more than another. We're here to pay his ransom instead."

Blueblood snorted and tapped his desk. "Do you really think I would exchange Noble Blade… for money?!"

Twilight slammed her bag of gold on his desk, and so did Starlight and Fluttershy. "Yes!"

The heavy clinking sound of the heavy bags settling drew Blueblood's attention. He could sense the wealth inside. Twilight knew it. She also knew that each of the ponies had a similar bag. Her goal was to use as little gold as possible to secure his freedom.

Blueblood felt one of the bags through the burlap. Restraining his thoughts--Twilight knew he was--he gave a negligent huff. "This… isn't half bad…" He hefted one of them next and put on a disapproving look. "But hardly a king's ransom. Is Noble Blade worth so little to you?"

"Can you measure a pony's worth in coins alone?" Tempest Shadow sagely asked, taking center stage. "I have taken prisoners before whose price was a third of the one they offer you now."

Blueblood gave her a stare as he examined her jagged mane and scarred eye and horn. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"The lieutenant of the almighty Storm King," Tempest whispered. "I have no allegiance to you or to these ponies. I agreed to oversee this exchange only so I could go home faster."

"Hm." Blueblood nodded. "I see. Maybe your prisoners did cost very little. Was it because their quality was so low?"

"No, prince," Tempest breathed. "They were much pricier than you believe."

"I see," he repeated. He sighed. "This price does seem fair somehow. But I don't know… it needs something more… Noble Blade isn't your average pony, you see. He's special, is he not? What will you give to prove that he does mean something?"

Twilight nodded at Rainbow Dash, who, with a grumble, plopped her bag on his desk to add to the grand total. "Here you go, you big jerk. Don't expect to ask for more."

"On the contrary," Blueblood corrected, "to burden you with him, you would give me less than half of your grand total amount? You truly are being stingy with your money if this is the way you handle a negotiation. Is Noble Blade worth less than half of your money? Let us bring everything to the table so we may exchange in fairness. Why bring it if not for the purpose of giving it all?"

"Um, m-mister Prince?" said a small and meek voice. "I-I was wondering, just because we've given everything we have to the table, if you could bring my boyfriend here. I just want to see him. Just for a moment! He's got to be so scared!"

Blueblood actually had a look of sympathy cross his face. "Oh, Fluttershy," he said. Then he blinked. "That is your name, right?"

She nodded.

"I would take him out to see you, but he's… indisposed at the moment. It'll be hard to acquire him at this particular time. That cave in the center of this camp leads fifty feet below ground, and it'll be hard to find his cell, so…"

Fluttershy backed away. Twilight inwardly cursed. Tugging at his heartstrings wouldn't work. Not on someone as deplorable as him.

Firestorm slammed a bag of money on his table. "Shut up and take what you've been given, Bluey. This is already more than enough for him."

Blueblood leaned back in his seat. "I remember you," he mused. "You mocked me at the Gala and drove me off in humiliation. Firestorm, right? Hm. Well, I might take what you've given me. If you weren't trying to cheat me out of the lowest possible price for a pony's freedom. Besides… I believe your uncalled-for rudeness before you even knew me accounts for a heavier price for your friend's freedom."

"Turns out I was right," Firestorm affirmed. "You are a jerk, after all."

"Everyone contributes to the darkness in this world," Blueblood reminded him. "Nopony is without their faults. You're as big a jerk as you say I am. I don't think I'm unreasonable, but that's also predictable for all ponies. You likely don't think yourself rude or evil as well."

"What if I do," Firestorm breathed, "and I just don't care?"

"Then you're the villain of the piece. Not me. Now, I believe it's time to go away. You made a tremendous offer and your efforts were grand, but it appears you are too uncivil to continue the discussion." He began to shove the bags back toward the girls.

"Wait!" Fluttershy interrupted, popping up. "You can't do this! We'll give you more!"

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow hissed.

"What are you doing?!" Rarity whispered furiously.

"If we give you what Applejack and Rarity have, surely that will be enough for you! Please!"

Applejack gritted her teeth. "Forgive me, prince, but it appears our friend here's thought to burden ya with much more'n ya expected."

"Oh, don't apologize, you simple farmer," Blueblood soothed her. His brilliant blue eyes glittered. "If anything, it's her that has correctly estimated my capacity to handle a ransom. If you were to add all the gold to the grand total, that would certainly be enough proof of your devotion."

As Applejack thumped her bag of gold on the table, she turned and leaned to whisper to Twilight. "This is a load a' horse crap. Blueblood never intended us to leave with the money! Fluttershy's raised the price for no reason!"

"He means to have it all whether we give it to him or not," Twilight hissed back. "I thought I could bargain low, but it appears this is all that'll work."

"We've got nothing left!"

"Nothing but Noble Blade," Twilight reproved.

Applejack gave the prince a dirty look. "We'll see, won't we?" she growled.

The entire wealth of Appleoosa, save the buildings and land themselves, was now on Blueblood's desk.

"Listen, Goldilocks," Rainbow snapped. "This is all the gold you'll get."

"It's all we have," Fluttershy meekly added.

Blueblood's ears perked up. "All, you say?"

"Give us our friend, Blueblood!" Firestorm ordered. "Then this gold is yours."

"Hmm… yes," he said. "This is enough."

Twilight braced herself.

"Enough to see that the Elements of Harmony cheated a town out of its tax money to barter for a political prisoner," Blueblood finished. "My, my. What will the public think of you when word gets out?"

"It won't!" Rarity declared vehemently, though all of them looked very nervous now.

"It will," Blueblood murmured. "Do you intend for the inhabitants of Appleoosa to stay where they are and get ravaged instead? If not, and you evacuate them to Canterlot on that lone train coming out of the station, they'll have to explain everything to the reporters. I'd say you're in a lose-lose situation here. If you keep them in Appleoosa, they'll die because of you, and Equestria will find out and ask, 'Why didn't the revered Elements do anything sooner?' If you do evacuate them, they'll tell the tale of why they fled with no money reserves, and Equestria will ask, 'How could the revered Elements possibly do something so vile and cruel as robbing them to pay for a personal need?'" Blueblood gave a cruel, empty smile and put his hooves behind his head. "Nevertheless, I'm grateful for the generosity of this little town to grace me with such a…gift."

"Rarity was right," Pinkie Pie breathed, no longer sounding bubbly or happy. "You do have the morals of slime!"

"Aww," Blueblood moaned. "Such a slimy thing to say."

"That's it," Tempest growled. Her horn fizzled like a broken taser and she took a menacing step. "I think you can't be trusted to handle a proper exchange."

"Oh, my dear," Blueblood said. "This was never an exchange to begin with." He clapped twice.

Barging through the doors and sliding open the windows came half a dozen Noxxa carrying wicked spear-saws with hooks and jagged ends. They quickly surrounded the girls, forming no way out.

Blueblood drew his long, ornamental saber with his golden magic. "As the prince of Equestria, I determine you to be thieves and robbers, and hereby banish you from anywhere the law of Equestria has hold. Any attempt to dispute this action will be treated with in ways more ancient than Equestria itself. Guards, get these ponies out of my sight!"

"Oh, you think we're the traitors?" came that soft voice. It had a steely edge to it now, though, that scared anyone in their right mind. "You should take a look at yourself first!"

A streak of yellow shot forward and collided its hoof with Blueblood's nose with an audible crack. The prince flew across the elegant room, slammed his head on the back wall, and slid down to the wooden floor, bleeding profusely from both his nostrils. The saber he held hit the wall at a bad angle, and the top three inches shattered and broke off. It clattered next to the cowering pony, who held a hoof to his scarlet nose.

The Noxxa instantly closed in--and met a spiral of fiery steel that tore through their spears and then their bodies like paper, as Firestorm both spun and drew his swords over the girl's heads at the same time. In the space of two seconds, the half-dozen bugs were ashes.

"Oh my goodness," Fluttershy gasped, holding up her hoof. "Oh, my goodness. I attacked the prince. I just punched somepony. I just punched somepony!"

Blueblood, wincing and saying, "Ow, ow, ow," over and over, stood up holding his dripping red face. "I… that's a capital offense-"

Firestorm leveled the fiery swords at him, face pulled in a sneer of rage as he shouted over what the prince was about to say. "Shut up! Shut! UP! WHEN YOU DIE, YOU'LL KNOW WHY I'M GOING TO-!"

The doors broke down and in came a line of armed and ready Noxxa, slashing their sabers and jabbing with their spears. Only a quick laser blast by Starlight Glimmer, blasting through all of them at once, stopped them from reaching the girls.

"Let's get out of here!" Pinkie shrilled over the commotion.

"I have to do something first," Twilight coldly said, igniting her horn while glaring at the fallen Blueblood with the intent to kill.

"More of them are forming up!" Rainbow screamed, jabbing outside. Indeed, Noxxa were assembling from all over the encampment and forming up right outside the cabin.

That was what made Twilight pause. She stopped glaring at the fallen prince to glance outside.

"Hold them off," she whispered. "Fight."

The ponies bellowed and rushed outside into the hot sun, afraid but ready.

The Noxxa charged in to meet them in a mighty clash.

Starlight's magic solidified into a domed shield around all of them that repelled leaping invaders. Rainbow Dash was already zooming out to smash into the multitude, with Firestorm going the opposite direction. Leaving a rainbow trail in her wake, Rainbow crashed through a dozen Noxxa, and clouds of black ash hung in the air where she went.

Firestorm exploded into a nimbus of orange light and collided into the ground like a comet. The deafening boom sent shockwaves all across the ground that leveled a nearby barracks and sent Noxxa flying.

The rest of the ponies, sprinting out of the shield, fought off the soldiers in their own individualized ways.

Applejack, as always, was simply too strong for any one Nox to handle. With a single blow, she could punch the living daylights out of them and disintegrate them into piles of fine sand. Quick and multi-talented, she could hold off as many as five at a time.

Rarity's magic had taken hold of the smaller pieces of wreckage already in the camp. Slivers of wood, pebbles, and chips of stone were whirling about over her head. A small projectile, if going at enough speed, could embed itself in a Nox deep enough to instantly kill it. There was consequently a large circle around her, full of nervous Noxxa looking for the right opportunity, but failing.

Tempest Shadow, though not as close to the other ponies, was nevertheless urged to fight. And the lieutenant of the Storm King was a one-pony army. With fountains of electricity pouring out and incinerating Noxxa too bunched together, she also made use of her hooves, which were on the same level as the mighty Applejack. Strikes came hard and fast, and so did death. Ash hung in the air around her like a virulent cloud.

Starlight Glimmer was a student of Princess Twilight and a potentially more powerful unicorn than she was. Her powerful laser blasts incinerated a dozen at a time. Those who got too close were caught in magic fields and flung away far distances. Starlight had on a fierce battle face, which alone froze many in their tracks.

Pinkie Pie, however, was a nightmare.

She was pulling out sweets from indeterminable places and hurling them at Noxxa with killing speed. Those who ducked from her cupcakes got splattered by her pies. They slipped and fell in frosting. Unused to anything so sugary, any that got in their faces got spat out in horror.

One time, Pinkie uppercutted a large Nox with a blueberry pie, leaving him stunned with the pie dripping off his face.

"Oh, I'm soo sorry about that!" Pinkie screeched, losing control entirely, wiping the blueberry off his face. She pulled out another. "You wanted cherry pie!" She laughed maniacally and bashed him in the face with the dessert. The Nox collapsed.

She bounced into a new scene and raised her hooves as if about to strike. "ANYONE ELSE WANNA GET A TASTE OF THIS?!"

Some Noxxa fled from her outburst. Others bellowed their challenges and leaped for her, and got blasted back, covered in frosting or completely disintegrated.

In the air, the three pegasi clumped together, with the angry Fluttershy in the middle and the divided pegasus couple on either end. With a nod to each of them, they spread out to take on different areas of the camp.

Finally, the legendary warrior Freedom Fighter held a yellow propeller in his hooves as his staff blazed faster than the eye could see. His identity was still protected by the mask; if the Noxxa saw how he looked underneath, none of them would dare make a move against him.

Twilight, at last, came out of the cabin, a gagged Blueblood at her side, bound by powerful purple energy. Spike, by her side, had his fists balled, ready to fight.

"Don't level the camp entirely!" Twilight cautioned, holding a hoof up. "We still have to take out Noble Blade!"

"Twilight?!"

"What, Spike?!"

"LOOK!"

She did. Spike's sharp reptilian eyes had managed to catch what she had missed. Far away, on the towers surrounding the entire encampment, Noxxa were readying explosive ballistae and rudimentary cannons. Other Noxxa were holding long-range blunderbusses and holding twin pistols in their claws. Others had quick-reloading crossbows.

Her friends didn't see them. How could they? Twilight had to warn them. They'd get slaughtered!

Rarity's lifeless body was still bleeding onto the concrete, and Rainbow's legs were sliced almost in half from the back. Arrows were embedded deep in Adiago's chest and Fluttershy's abdomen. Applejack had one deep in her stomach. Noble Blade's weeping was heartbreaking. Why wasn't she moving? Why didn't she do anything to save her friends? Why why why?!

Twilight bellowed and ignited her magic.

The pegasi in the air suddenly dropped to the ground, covered in violet magic. All of them were protesting: what's going on, what's the big idea, Twilight, what are you doing? Twilight didn't care. There were bigger things they didn't see.

Teleporting away from Blueblood and reappearing in the midst of her friends, she gathered them to her like a hen would gather her chickens. They were dragged to her like a magnet. The Noxxa paused in their tracks, wondering just what Twilight was going to do.

"Twilight!" Applejack called to her. "What're ya doin'? Ya got a plan?"

"Oh, I do," Twilight breathed. "Stay close. And get ready."

Blueblood was getting out of his magic-bound chains and struggling to rise. His mouth and nose were covered in blood that he didn't dare wipe off on his tux sleeve.

"Any time now~" Fluttershy urged her.

"Spike, keep them away from us while Twilight does her… thing!" Freedom Fighter commanded, pushing him forward.

"How am I supposed to do that?" he demanded.

"You're a dragon! You have fire! Think of something!"

Spike halted. "Oh, no…"

"What's oh, no?" Pinkie questioned, aiming a hoof full of cupcakes.

Instead of answering, Spike waved his arms. "Hey! Rarity! Get over here! Can you see us?"

Rarity couldn't. The cloud of debris that she was swirling around was simply too thick.

"Rarity! Come here! Rarity!"

The pony finally caught wind of her name being called and whirled in every direction before facing the baby dragon. "Spike!"

"Quickly!" Spike urged; the magic Twilight was building up was at its crescendo. "You need to-!"

The thunder of guns and crossbows firing drowned him out.

The projectiles spattered the ground and raised dust where the ponies once were. Twilight and her friends had disappeared with a pop.

All except one.

Rarity whirled around in her cloud of swirling debris. All around her were black-faced insects grinning like the devils they were. Distraught panic worked its way onto her face. She was alone.

Blueblood gave her a poignant glance as he advanced towards her. The magic surrounding her died down, and the debris all dropped to the earth. Blueblood, surrounded by Noxxa, merely tilted his head at her.

"Miss Rarity," he said. A warm grin worked its way onto him. "How pleasant of you to join us."

---

Three miles out from the campsite, nine ponies and a baby dragon appeared in the desert, just as the moon was rising in the sky. There was a cavity in the middle of a nearby rock formation, and other rocks were scattered about. They had appeared, at random, in a remote place where many strange rock formations had settled long ago when the entire desert was once an ancient sea.

Those details didn't matter to the group, however. As soon as they regained their footing, every single pony in the group seemed to explode at once.

"What?!" Rainbow exclaimed, in anger and frustration.

"Where's Rarity? She didn't make it! AAAAAUGH! THIS IS TERRIBLE!" Pinkie rushed out in panic.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness," was all Fluttershy was able to manage out, over and over again.

"I was about to destroy them all!" Tempest protested, kicking at the ground. "They could have all been fried to ash, but nooo!"

Twilight herself was almost immediately assaulted by three in the party.

"Are. You. Serious?!" Firestorm demanded, poking her in the chest with each word. "We were this close to getting the upper hand, and you abandoned the fight?!"

Applejack's face was contorted with fury. "Appleoosa's money is gone! All o' it, Twilight! Ya didn't think to save one bag o' money in all that ruckus? What'm Ah gonna tell Braeburn?"

"Why did you leave without Rarity?!" Spike roared, grabbing Twilight by the front and shaking her. "We're even worse off than we were before!"

"I didn't know Rarity wasn't going to make it until too late, Spike!" Twilight defended. "If I knew, I would have saved her too!"

"You're the one that's supposed to know everything!" Firestorm shot.

"You're the one that didn't know!" Twilight retorted. "They were about to use long-range heavy weaponry! We wouldn't stand a chance! It would be just like the massacre at the mirror portal!"

"You and I could have taken them out!"

"Or we would have been too late to stop them and we would be even worse than we are now! Could you imagine Pinkie Pie dead, for example, with us still in the cavity of this rock?!"

"LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!" came Pinkie's cry.

"I would want to at least fight instead of lose as miserably as we did!" Firestorm roared.

"Shut up!" Freedom Fighter snapped, cutting between Twilight and Firestorm. "She did the right thing! I don't want us all to die!"

"Rarity's going to die!" Spike screamed as loudly as he could at Freedom, close to tears. "She's the best out of us all!"

"What use are the Elements without even one of us?" Fluttershy added in, wild-eyed.

Rainbow Dash flapped over, eager to join. "This could have all been prevented if we had just leveled the entire place with a sonic boom! Goldilocks said it himself! He's being kept underground! It wouldn't affect him!"

"How were we supposed to know that?!" Freedom Fighter protested.

"But now that Rarity's also captive, that option still won't work!" Twilight deduced quickly. "He'll use her as leverage! He's got to keep her safe and above ground!"

"This! Is the worst thing! Ever!" Pinkie lamented, waving her hooves about.

"Bluey's got everything he ever wanted thanks ta us," Applejack darkly hissed. "Rarity's his possession now, he's got enough wealth to last him the rest of his miserable life, Noble Blade is gonna die tomorrow morning, and it's all your fault!"

"My fault?" Twilight hissed back. "Freedom Fighter was the one that started his prejudice back at the Gala!"

"I was the one holding his grubby paws off of your precious student!" Freedom instantly retaliated, jabbing at Starlight Glimmer.

"What did I have to do with any of this?!" Starlight demanded. "It was Fluttershy that gave him twice as much as was needed!"

"I was the one preoccupied with saving the one I LOVED!" Fluttershy spat. "All you all were doing was giving in to his demands!"

"Like you always do at the market, Fluttershy?" Applejack countered. "Half of bartering is giving in! A few more minutes and we would've had 'im!"

"Like you can talk!" Twilight jabbed. "He was likely going to take all our gold whether we liked it or not!"

"Then Tempest didn't do her job, did she?"

"Don't you dare cross me," Tempest whispered with death in her breath. Her forehead sparked with a stream of white lightning. "You'll be in for a shock."

"Which is another thing!" Firestorm pointed out, flapping over to the hardened mare. "Why are you still alive, anyway? You betrayed Equestria, slaughtered hundreds under the Storm King's command, captured Shining Armor, and shot my best friend!"

"I should kill you right now, just for that!"

"Do it! Get close enough so I can wring out your filthy little neck!"

"No, Firestorm!" Twilight bellowed, separating both of them with her magic.

"Are you caring more for her than you are for us?" Pinkie asked in shock. "Do your friends even matter to you?"

"I saved your life because I cared!" Twilight roared.

"You doomed Rarity, Noble, and Appleoosa because you didn't!" Applejack retorted.

"You think I don't care?! I care more than you can ever comprehend, Applejack! That's why I did everything on this Faust-forsaken journey!"

A colossal explosive noise tore apart the pony's eardrums and forced them all to collapse to the ground, screaming in sudden fright. The sky, previously dark as pitch, was illuminated from horizon to horizon by a shining light that sent their eyelids squinting. Shockwaves sent boulders tumbling from the rock pillars all around them. They exploded into shrapnel and flew in every direction when they hit the ground. They all covered their heads.

Twilight felt a presence unlike any other she had ever known. It was even grander than the one around Princess Celestia. It sent her shaking and trembling afresh. She lifted her gaze to the light, almost afraid of what she might see.

Floating inches above a boulder much higher than them was a pearly white outline of an alicorn mare.

"Wh… what's happening?" Pinkie trembled.

"What's happening?" echoed the mare. Her voice was soothing and stilling. Twilight felt the urge to resist melt away.

"Ah… Ah dunno whatcha mean…" Applejack breathed, unable to stand up. Her voice was distracted and weak.

"Loyalty is broken," said the alicorn, giving Rainbow Dash a forlorn glance. Then to Fluttershy. "Kindness is broken." Then to Applejack. "Trust is broken." Finally, the alicorn's burning eyes turned to Twilight, and the mare felt herself tremble as she pierced her insides and saw everything inside of her. "Friendship is broken. But you are not broken. Twilight Sparkle, Child of Light, what happened?"

It wasn't as though Faust--for that was obviously who she was--needed a report on what she did. It was instead a hypothetical question. So Twilight responded with the only right way.

"I failed," she admitted, bowing her head. She was afraid to meet her gaze. What would she think of her?

"No, my daughter," whispered the loving voice. "Not yet! The time to act has not yet passed. The Knight Protector and the Huntress can still be salvaged."

"But how?" Fluttershy whimpered. The fact that she had mustered enough courage to even speak to a celestial being was commendable. "How can we still do it?"

"There are many things that are impossible, Dreadful Bear," soothed Faust. "But in me, all things are possible. Does my step not shake the earth? Does my voice not cause evil to flee? Can any force on my earth deny my influence?"

There was a collection of head-shaking and muttered denials at those words.

"Now go, my children," Faust commanded, pointing at the distant black spot. "Return to Black Fang Redoubt, and I will deliver Noble Blade and Rarity into your hooves. And the Prince of Stars will meet his end at last."

The brightness died down, and with it, so did the pony. In only moments, she had vanished.

Pinkie Pie was still staring at where she was. A warm, giddy smile was on her face. "I just…" She laughed. "I just saw an angel!"

"I'm sorry for lashing out, Applejack," Twilight whispered. "You had every reason to be angry at me, but I didn't."

"Ah'm the one that should be sorry, Twi," Applejack refuted, hurt reflected in her face. "Ain't nopony have any right ta say the kinds o' things Ah said."

"I'm sorry too," Fluttershy whimpered. "I shouldn't have acted so harshly."

"Me either," joined Rainbow Dash.

"Same here," Starlight said.

Tempest sniffed imperiously. "Too many apologies," she whispered, but she at least didn't say anything else.

Firestorm gave her a quizzical look. "Are you always like this?"

"Depends. Are you always so tempered?"

Firestorm bowed his head. "No." He sounded surprisingly remorseful.

Tempest looked surprised. "I… would have assumed… with a name like Firestorm…"

"No," he repeated. "Our names aren't a measure of who we are. It's what we do that defines us, Tempest, not what happened to us."

Tempest blinked. Then blinked again. "That's…" She avoided eye contact with him. "Why does that work so well?" she whispered. "Why did that sound so personal?"

"What was that?" he asked; he hadn't heard correctly.

"Nothing." With a shake of her head, she reverted to her original state.

Freedom Fighter took center stage. "You all heard Faust. She doesn't make promises she can't keep. I can testify to that." He patted his left shoulder, where the Element of Sacrifice was embedded. "So come on. Let's get our friends back."

"D-did you see how many Noxxa were in the camp?" Fluttershy asked. "He'll kill us all!"

"Faust is more powerful than Blueblood or hordes of Noxxa. He owns hundreds of demons, but she owns the universe. If Faust doesn't want us to die, we won't die. None of us have died yet."

"What if the Noxxa were lying?" Starlight asked, and worry permeated her eyes. "What if he's already dead and chopped into little bits?"

"He isn't," Firestorm refused. "He isn't."

"If he was dead, she would have said so," Rainbow deduced, pointing where Faust stood a few minutes before. "But she said we could still retrieve him."

"What do you think, Spike?" Twilight asked.

No reply was heard. In fact, Spike was nowhere to be seen.

"Spike?" Twilight worriedly called. "Are you here? Where are you?"

"Search for him!"

The ponies began to spread out. As Freedom Fighter began his search, he naturally reached for a long, double-sided knife on his side, only to grab thin air where the hilt should be.

Freedom widened his eyes. "Twilight?"

"Yes? Did you find him?"

"No. But I have an idea of where he might have gone."

"You don't mean…!"

"Rarity means everything to him, he took my sturdiest knife, and he's missing. It's obvious. He's gone on a rescue mission."

---

The guards had kept to themselves, as per the instructions from the last shift. After some small talk, they had all fallen asleep. It was late, after all. But Noble couldn't fall asleep, no matter how hard he tried.

The air was damp and cool. Noble was teetering on the verge of consciousness; that was all he could comprehend. He was still covered in burns and dried pony blood; he couldn't wipe it off him with his hooves and horn bound. He was hungry. His last sparse meal had been twenty-four hours ago. He felt dirty and reeking with contagion.

Noble wanted nothing more than to simply drop off the edge and plunge into a deep sleep. Maybe during sleep, he could endure less pain. That was the case with his vision.

Then a bright flash blinded him momentarily. It was a small ball of light bobbing in the air in the room beyond as if being carried.

"Wha…" he murmured. Obviously, it was a guard taking him to his execution. Damn it. All he wanted was to get some sleep.

The ball of light melted through the bars of his cell and moved towards the chains holding him. The light floated around the strings on first one side, then the other. And they melted off as if they were snipped string. Most surprisingly, the light moved on its own.

Noble gaped in wonder as his limp, weak arms dropped to his side. The blood flow in his shoulders and fetlocks had been scarce, and those limbs felt like static. His horn was sore and had marks scratched in where the barbed wire bit him. Magic would be tough.

Come with me, said a voice in his head. But it came from the ball of light.

"F… Faust?" he whispered, daring to believe it.

The ball pulsed brighter in his vision in response.

"Keep the light down!" he hushed in his excitement.

You are the only one that can see this light. I illuminate your path alone. And stop whispering so loud. You'll look insane.

"Are you sure I'm not?" he dryly replied, feeling drained of all energy. He tried to move a step and promptly collapsed. His back, his horn, his arms, his eyes, all failed.

A piece of the ball of light broke off, moved towards him, and embedded itself in his chest. Noble Blade felt strength return to his limbs and clarity return to his consciousness. Noble stood up. He could move! He didn't feel so tired. Health and stamina, though brief, was his again.

Follow me, said the goddess. The ball of light came to the lock holding the door shut, and with a click, it opened, creaking ever so slightly.

Noble stepped out, breathing as quietly as he could. It was happening! But Noble needed to be careful. If they woke up, he was in a world of trouble.

I caused them to fall asleep. Don't worry. They'll stay this way.

"You're sure?" he whispered.

Unless you do something stupid like belly flop onto one of them, or singing a hymn at the top of your lungs, you should be safe. I wouldn't advise testing it, though.

Noble nodded, understanding perfectly well.

The ball of light came across the room to the door leading out, and Noble followed, careful to not step where the Noxxa were lying about all over the room. After a furtive glance back, he opened the unlocked door, slipped through, and shut it as quietly as he could.

Author's Note:

With a name like that, the outcome seems fairly obvious, huh? But hey, you expect them to fail. I gave away nothing.

Comments

[Jade Dawn]

See, this is life would be so much easier with transporters. And photon torpedoes.

Or Pony God. That works too.

[FanficReader920]

Faust is a literal deus ex machina in this story.

[BradyBunch]

9771011
And I hate how I had to include her as such. I like to think I handled her tactfully, though. I could have messed up much worse. Mostly, it's the characters themselves that've taken things into their own hooves. It's at this point now that they have to rely on faith and their obedience to a higher power.

At least, that's how I've seen it.

[BradyBunch]

9775065
Awesome response! I can't wait for you to see the next one! And the one after that!