Six: Friends and Enemies.
The Friendship Express huffed along its tracks towards Canterlot, having long since left Ponyville behind. Beyond the towering mountain, the sun was getting close to setting and even though it wasn't a long trip by train, Scootaloo expected it would be dark by the time they arrived.
Sitting across from her, Fang silently gazed out the window at the scenery passing by with a faint smile on her lips. Not a lot of ponies had reason to visit the capital at this hour, so they had the car for themselves.
"So, are we really going to visit Princess Celestia?" Scootaloo asked. "Just like that?"
"That's the plan," Fang replied.
Scootaloo couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. She had spoken to Luna on occasion, but while she had seen Celestia in person a few times they had never been formally introduced. Somehow the thought of just suddenly dropping by for a chat with the sun princess felt slightly impudent. "I mean, I get why you're going to see her, since you two are friends and all, but why are you bringing me along?"
"Because it's not just a courtesy call," Fang replied, still looking out the windows. "You are Celestia's subject, after all, so if you are to be my familiar I would like her blessing."
"Didn't stop you from going through with it before you went to see her," Scootaloo pointed out.
"Well, apologizing is preferable to asking permission," Fang chuckled. Then her expression turned more serious. "But more importantly, there is also the issue of your curse. Twilight was right, it's a very serious crime. Celestia needs to be informed of what we've learned so far, and as the victim I think you have every right to be there."
Scootaloo felt uncomfortable being referred to as 'the victim', even though it was true. What Fang said did make sense, however. "So why are we taking the train? Couldn't we just have used the Rook to teleport there or something?"
"The Rook is fine where it is," Fang said. "True, it's very useful for getting around, but I don't want to rely on it too much. Ponyville is right next to Canterlot, after all, and it's not like we're in much of a hurry."
Scootaloo studied Fang's expression for a moment, then cracked a smile. "You just wanted to ride a train, didn't you?"
Fang blinked, let out a small cough and – to Scootaloo's delight – actually looked a bit embarrassed. "...Well, there's nothing wrong with taking it easy and enjoying the scenery."
"If you say so," Scootaloo giggled. "So, what's the deal with that tower, anyway?"
"The Rook?"
Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah. You said it used some really awesome space magic, right? Did you make it yourself?"
"Ah, no," Fang shook her head. "I'm good, but not that good. Actually, I won it in a game of Mahjong."
"Seriously?"
"It was very high stakes Mahjong."
"Okay." Scootaloo made a mental note to get the full story later. "So who did build it?"
"The Rooks are ancient artifacts," Fang explained. "It's pretty rare to find one and they're quite valuable since we don't really know how to make more of them. They were originally created by a people called the Wayfarers. They were an advanced culture with a deep understanding of magic, which they used to perfect the art of dimensional travel. Since they were an adventurous species with a strong wanderlust, they quickly spread out across many worlds in many universes.” She cocked her head. “Unfortunately, they got a bit too caught up with exploring the practically infinite number of worlds they'd gained access to and eventually forgot the location of their original homeworld. Not to mention, at that point they'd spread themselves so thin it had become very rare for a Wayfarer to ever run into one of their own. It's said they've roamed all of creation ever since: the lonely wanderers, moving from world to world, looking for their lost home."
Scootaloo frowned. "That's... kinda sad."
"Well," Fang shrugged, "that's the legend, anyway. I've never even met an actual Wayfarer, so who's to say it's even true?” She turned to look at the pegasus. “So now you know about my house. What about yours?"
"My house?" Scootaloo wasn't sure what to make of that question. "What about it?"
"What Warden said this morning," Fang specified, "is that correct?"
Scootaloo sighed. "Yeah, that's pretty much what I've been told. I don't really get all the complicated technical stuff, but Foal Services weren't able to move me somewhere else for some reason, so I've lived in that house all my life."
"What about relatives?" Fang asked. "Or a foster family?"
Scootaloo fidgeted with her hooves. She didn't particularly like talking about this stuff, but she couldn't bring herself to shut the discussion down either. At least Fang seemed to be taking an interest in her situation, unlike most adults. "Seems they haven't been able to find any relatives, and there aren't any available foster families nearby. At this point I'm just glad I don't have to leave Ponyville. If you asked me a few years ago I might not have minded so much, but now I have Rainbow Dash and Sweetie and Apple Bloom and all my other friends." She smiled, but there was a certain melancholy behind it. "I guess they're my family now."
Fang looked thoughtful. "It still seems strange to me, though. Did that Warden fellow really raise you himself? I can't exactly picture him caring for an infant."
"I don't think he did," Scootaloo said, not sure if she found that mental image humorous or disturbing. "I'm pretty sure there were other ponies looking after me early on, but when I got older they all left except for Mr Warden. He doesn't live in Ponyville himself, though, and he's busy most of the time so I don't see him very often these days."
"Hm. And how often is that?" Fang asked.
"Once every two weeks, usually," Scootaloo said. "He showed up early today. Sometimes it takes even longer than two weeks."
"He must be very busy, then," Fang muttered, her eyes narrowing. "So, do you enjoy living in that house?"
Scootaloo wrinkled her muzzle. "Not really. I mean, I suppose I should be grateful I have a house. Like, at least I'm not living in a cardboard box or something. But I dunno, I always thought it felt too..."
"...Empty?" Fang guessed.
"Yeah," Scootaloo mumbled. "It's too empty and too quiet and it all just kinda gets to me somehow. To be honest, that's probably why I spend so much time outdoors, riding my scooter or whatever. I guess most kids would love having a whole house all to themselves, but whenever I go back there..." She sighed again. "...It just makes me feel small. It's like there's too many rooms and not enough... me."
Fang was silent for a moment. She'd gone back to looking out the window. The sun had nearly reached the horizon. The train rounded the mountain and started its climb up the winding slope, cutting the fading sunlight off and engulfing the car in shadow.
"Yeah," Fang said under her breath. "I thought so as well."
They arrived to the castle just as the sun was setting, casting a soft red glow on the white marble towers. With Scootaloo in tow, Fang marched straight up to the gates where two armored pegasi stood guard.
Seeing them approach, one of the guards took a step forward and addressed Fang: "Halt. What is your business here?"
"Good evening," Fang replied, smiling sweetly at him. "My companion and I would like to see Princess Celestia."
The guard maintained his stoic expression, only a slight furrowing of his brow under the helmet revealing his disposition. "Sorry, ma'am, but the court is closed for the day and the princess is not to be disturbed. If you wish to meet with her you must petition for an audience just like everypony else."
Fang sighed. "Look, just tell Celestia that Fang has come to visit her. That should be enough."
The guard narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "Listen here, I don't think you understand. You can't just..."
But before he could finished that sentence, his colleague leaned over and quickly whispered something in his ear. He blinked and momentarily displayed a look of surprise. "Really?" he asked in a hushed tone. The other guard nodded.
Clearing his throat, the pegasus turned to Fang once more. "A thousand apologies, Lady Fang. It appears you are expected. My orders are to escort you to Princess Celestia immediately. This way, please."
"Much obliged," Fang said and gestured to Scootaloo while the guards opened the gate. Scootaloo followed, not entirely sure what had just happened. As the guard led them into the castle, she started trotting to keep pace with their strides.
"How did Princess Celestia know we were coming?" she asked.
"Twilight wrote her a letter last night explaining what's been going on and that I'm back in Equestria," Fang replied. "I'm not really one for making appointments, so I expect Celestia simply told the guards to let me in whenever I showed up. How's that?" The last part was directed at the guard. "Did I get that right?"
"I'm afraid I'm not privy to the correspondence between the princesses," the guard answered. His tone had turned much more respectful now. "But I presume that is the case, yes. Again, my apologies for the misunderstanding."
After ascending a few wide staircases they were brought to a pair of polished hardwood doors. "Princess Celestia's chamber lies beyond," the guard said. He opened the doors and the trio stepped inside.
The room was smaller than Scootaloo had expected and very sparsely furnished, but it still had a certain air of unembellished majesty. There were a few tasteful potted plants and some ornamental banners hung from the walls, which had been painted to resemble a stylized clouded sky at twilight – a style that reminded Scootaloo of pegasus aesthetics.
Nested on a fine seating mattress, reclining against a long pillow of golden silk, sat Princess Celestia gazing into the flames burning within a modestly sized yet elaborately designed fireplace. She must have just finished lowering the sun, and she had a serene look on her face. Her flowing ethereal mane shone brightly in the soft light. To Scootaloo, she seemed the perfect image of relaxed dignity.
She turned her head to look at them, first in mild surprise, then dawning recognition. Her mouth parted slowly.
The guard took a step back and made gesture towards the two guests. "Your Highness, Lady Fang with company to see you."
Fang raised her hoof and waved. "Hello, Cele..."
There was a blur of white and a flutter of wings. Celestia somehow managed to cross the room in the blink of an eye and immediately caught Fang in a massive bear hug, almost lifting the sorceress off her hooves. "Fang!" she squealed. "Oh, it's been so long, old friend! I missed you!"
"Hrgh!" Fang seemed to struggle to breathe in the crushing glomp. "Yeah, nice to see you too."
Scootaloo had stumbled back in surprise and stared at the scene in front of her with wide eyes. The mood had changed so suddenly that for a moment her stunned mind had no idea what to feel. So much for relaxed dignity.
The guard coughed. "I see everything is in order here. I will excuse myself now." He backed out of the room and closed the doors, making sure to show no emotional reaction to Celestia's enthusiastic greeting.
The princess finally released Fang and beamed a bright smile. "It's been over ten years, and you left so suddenly."
"Well, I had some business to attend to," Fang said, catching her breath. "Long story. It's good to be back and we have a lot to talk about. But before we get into anything else I just have to ask, because I still don't really believe it: Did you seriously rehabilitate Discord?"
Celestia laughed. "Oh yes. It was quite a challenge of course, but he's mostly harmless now. I can't take credit for that, though. It was all Fluttershy's doing."
"Right. I still don't know who that is," Fang said, "but this Fluttershy must be quite a formidable pony."
"Oh, you'd be surprised." Celestia turned her head slightly and winked at Scootaloo, who immediately choked on a giggle.
"Ah, I almost forgot," Fang gestured towards the pegasus. "This is..."
"Scootaloo, right?" Celestia cut in. "I'm glad we finally got a chance to speak to one another."
"Um, thank you, Princess Celestia," Scootaloo bowed her head. "I guess Twilight must have told you about me, huh?"
"Oh, I've heard much about you and your friends," Celestia replied. "Plus, the three of you were Cadence's flower girls at her and Shining Armor's wedding, and you accompanied Rainbow Dash to the last galloping gala."
Scootaloo's eyes lit up in awe. "You remember!"
Celestia smiled. "It would be hard not to, after all the stories Twilight and the girls told me."
Fang witnessed the exchange with a look of idle curiosity, then turned to Celestia. "I take it Twilight informed you about her curse as well?"
Celestia's smile faded. "Yes, of course. That is a very serious matter. Part of me still doesn't want to believe something so atrocious would be done to one of our children. Fang, is it really as bad as Twilight led me to believe?"
Fang nodded. "I'm afraid so. Twilight and I got a good look at it today. It's practically flawless and extraordinarily intricate. In a way it's fortunate all it seems to do is render her flightless, but that's also what worries me. Twilight and I agree that there is much more to it, but we don't know what."
When Fang put it like that, Scootaloo felt worried as well. On a subconscious level she had avoided thinking about it, but it was very possible that the true purpose of the curse had yet to take effect – that it had something even worse in store for her. Her heart started racing and yet she felt cold.
Celestia seemed to notice and reached a wing down to caress her cheek. "Scootaloo, I promise, I will do everything in my power to help you. We will get to the bottom of this and find a way to break the curse."
Her feathers were soft and her voice was sad but still full of warmth. Scootaloo wondered if her mother would have done the same, had she still been with them. It was just a random thought, but it nearly made her cry. She still felt a bit embarrassed, being comforted by Princess Celestia herself, having all these important and amazing ponies devote themselves to her. A small part of her wondered if she was really worth it all. But at the same time she felt vindicated. Her previous diagnosis had earned her nothing but impotent pity, serving only to remind her of her own helplessness. Now, everypony acted as if her problems could be solved, and that doing so really mattered. This did, in fact, bring her some comfort.
"Thank you, Princess Celestia," she said, barely holding back a display of very uncool emotions. "I know you will. Don't worry, I'm not going to let this break me."
Fang spoke up: "Celestia, let me cut to the chase. I've made Scootaloo my familiar."
"Oh?" Celestia looked surprised. "I must say, I didn't expect that. Scootaloo, you agreed to this? You know what it means?"
Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, Fang explained it to me. We did the heart-linking thing, and now I'm basically her apprentice, I guess? She's going to teach me to use my magic. The magic I can use, anyway." She frowned. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Well, it's a bit old-fashioned," Celestia replied, "but it is a valid approach for getting faster results, so I see no reason to object.” She turned to Fang. “What spells are you teaching her?"
"For now, we're aiming for astral projection," Fang said.
Celestia hummed. "Not a conventional choice for a first spell, but then you are hardly a conventional teacher."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Fang chuckled. "But this reminds me, I heard Luna is back. Is she here? I need to speak with her."
Celestia suddenly tensed up and went silent for a moment. "Ah. Yes," she mumbled, averting her eyes. "Luna."
Fang's eyes narrowed. "...Celestia, you did remember to tell Luna about me, right?"
"W-Well..."
"Sister, are you in there?" a voice spoke to the sound of a door opening behind them. Princess Luna sauntered into the room with a smile on her face. "I have finished raising the moon for the evening and I was told we had... visitors..."
She stopped dead in her tracks and recoiled when she saw Fang, her eyes wide in shock and pupils shrinking to pinpricks. "Fang Jinhuo!" The moon princess immediately fell into a battle stance, her horn lowered and brimming with magic. "Get away from my sister, demon!"
"Of course you didn't," Fang deadpanned.
"Sorry," Celestia mumbled, looking quite embarrassed. "I was putting it off..."
"Celestia, I have her dead to rights!" Luna hollered. "Stand back so that I may smite her!"
"Wait, wait!" Celestia quickly stepped between them. "Luna, you've got it all wrong. Fang is here as my guest."
"Hey Luna." Fang waved her hoof. "Long time no see?"
"Guest?" Luna extinguished her magic and stared at Celestia in complete confusion. "Sister, what is the meaning of this?"
"Fang has changed," Celestia explained. "I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier. She's no longer our enemy. She's my friend."
"Friend?" Luna marched past Celestia, glaring daggers at Fang. "You expect me to believe that you have befriended this... this vile, conniving, malevolent creature?"
Scootaloo gave Fang a bewildered look. "Wait, you were a bad guy?"
"Weeell, I guess I may have ended up causing a bit of trouble." Fang shrugged. "It was a long time ago, I was young and impulsive."
Luna glowered at her. "You were a thousand years old!"
"Right, and I may have been a bit mischievous back then..."
"You almost burned our castle down!"
"Yes, but in my defense..."
"Your crimes are legion! Destruction of private and government property! Reckless endangerment! Grand theft of arcane artifacts! Assault and battery! Arson! Sabotage! Kidnapping! Extortion! Conspiracy against the Crown! Disorderly conduct! Impersonating a foreign dignitary! Impersonating a princess of Equestria! Piracy! Attempted regicide!"
Fang leaned towards Scootaloo. "It sounds worse than it is."
"You tried to kill my sister!" Luna roared.
"Yes, yes, she did." Once again, Celestia hurriedly stepped in, using her wings to gently but firmly push the two apart. "There's no denying that Fang has done a lot of bad things in the past. But as she said, it was a long time ago and she is very sorry about all of that. Aren't you, Fang?"
"Oh yes," Fang chuckled. "I was completely out of line, shame on me. But really, Luna, I expected the two of us to get along better now that we have something in common."
"Fang..." Celestia began, already shaking her head.
"I mean," Fang continued happily, "isn't this a little hypocritical coming from you, Nightmare Moon?"
"How dare you?!" Luna growled.
"Stop it, both of you!" Celestia cried. "Fang, you are not helping!"
Meanwhile, Scootaloo just stared at the scene in stunned silence.
Finally, Celestia managed to separate the two belligerents and turned to her sister with a pleading look. "Luna, please, listen to me. After... After I banished you, I was in a very dark place. I blamed myself for everything that happened. I kept thinking I had failed you – that I should have payed more attention, that I could have found a better way to stop you."
"Celestia, that's not..." Luna mumbled, but her sister raised her hoof to silence her.
"I kept doing my duty as ruler," Celestia carried on, "but it all felt empty and meaningless. I was surrounded by ponies yet felt completely alone. I went through the same routine every day with no end in sight, all while my guilt was slowly crushing me. I just wanted to go numb and stop feeling... anything."
She raised a wing, pointing at Fang. "But then she returned to Equestria, and though she was still hostile and aggressive, something had changed. She kept provoking me, breaking down the walls I had built around my heart. She forced me to feel something again. At the time I hated her for it. I thought it was revenge, that she just wanted to see me in pain, but in the end I had to confront that pain so that I could start healing."
"Well, I always saw you as a worthy opponent," Fang cast an idle glance at nothing in particular, "so seeing you turn into such a pathetic mess was really annoying."
Celestia smiled. "Before I knew it, we were getting along. We stopped fighting and started talking instead, and I desperately needed somepony to talk to. Throughout the centuries, Fang was one of the few constants in my life and it was thanks to her I could find the hope to see you again one day. For that I am very grateful to her. All I ask is that you give her a chance, Luna. For me?"
Luna was silent. She still looked doubtful, but Celestia's words seemed to have dulled her anger. "...Do you really trust her?"
"I do," Celestia said. "Just as much as I trust you."
Luna drew a deep sigh. She turned to Fang. "Very well. I suppose I did overreact. Fang Jinhuo, I still cannot claim that I am happy to see you, but as you are my sister's guest it was unbecoming of me to threaten you unprovoked. Out of respect for Celestia I shall endeavor to at least be courteous with you, so long as you give me no reason to doubt your sincerity."
"Understood," Fang replied. "Sorry if I got a bit personal there. I guess I got carried away by all the nostalgia."
Luna huffed. "Be that as it may, know that you are forbidden to trespass within the dreams of my subjects. You may be free to walk among ponies in the waking world, but the realm of dreams is where I draw the line!"
"Riiight," Fang scratched her neck. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about..."
"So I heard that Fang pony actually showed up?"
Out on the castle ramparts, some of the royal guards waiting to be relieved for the night had struck a conversation. Naturally, Princess Celestia's somewhat unusual decree had quickly become the topic.
"Yeah," one of the pegasi leaned on his spear. "I didn't see her myself, but Rush was there. He said she's a unicorn. Real looker, too."
"I never get the pretty ones," his colleague sighed.
A cloud passed over the moon, casting a shadow over the castle.
"Apparently she had a kid with her. Just showed up and asked to see the princess, no appointment or anything. They nearly turned her away."
"That's a bit weird. So, who do you suppose she is?"
The pegasus shrugged. "Probably a noble or some other dignitary visiting from abroad? Maybe from Maretonia or something."
"I dunno. They still need to book an audience, don't they?"
"Well, you know, Celestia can be a bit..."
A third guard, who had simply been listening to the other two, leaned on the railing and gazed idly into the night. He suddenly frowned. "Hey, what's that?"
Snapping out of the conversation, the other two looked to where he pointed. Out there, barely visible against the dark sky, winged shapes approached them.
"Is that the Night Guard?" one of the pegasi asked. "They're early."
The other shook his head. "No, they wouldn't come from that direction."
"Guys," the third one said as the shapes kept growing larger. "...I don't think those are ponies."
They all fell silent, suddenly alert. The cloud passed by the moon, letting it spread its light once more, and they saw...
"Sound the alarm!"
A large, bulbous shape swooped over them as the cry echoed against the stone walls, and many more followed.
"You want to do what?" Luna exclaimed. "Absolutely not!"
"Oh, come on," Fang pleaded. "I promise to be careful."
"I said no, and that is final!" Luna put her hoof down hard against the floor. "It is worrying enough that you have convinced Scootaloo to become your familiar of all things. I cannot allow you to go running wild into her dreams as well."
"Luna, I do believe that learning from Fang would benefit her," Celestia said.
"Perhaps, but neither of you understand dreams like I do," Luna replied. "Even if I am to believe that Fang has nothing but good intentions, the mind of a child is much too fragile."
"Don't I have any say in this?" Scootaloo asked. "I've already agreed to all of this. Princess Luna, I get that it could be dangerous, but I'm willing to risk it. I have to try!"
Luna sighed. "I understand your feelings, Scootaloo. I really do. But as your princess I have a responsibility to keep you safe, and you do not know Fang Jinhuo the way I do."
"I know that she saved my life," Scootaloo said. "I know that she's been trying to help me ever since we met, even though she doesn't have to. And I know that Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle trusts her. Isn't that enough?"
Looking into the filly's earnest eyes, Princess Luna hesitated. "I just..."
Her words were interrupted by the sound of running hooves and clanking armor. The doors slammed open and several guards rushed into the room. "Your highnesses!" one of them cried. "Intruders in the castle! We're under attack!"
"Aha!" Luna twirled around and pointed at fang. "I knew it! It was a ruse!"
Fang blinked in surprise and quickly shook her head. "Ah, no. Whatever this is, I'm not in on it. Honest."
"A likely story!"
"Let's continue this discussion after we deal with the emergency," Celestia firmly declared, directing them to follow her. Luna and Fang exchanged a glare, but did so without further argument. Scootaloo quickly fell in by Fang's side.
"Stay close," Fang told her. Scootaloo just nodded in response.
"I had better not regret this," Luna mumbled.
"Lieutenant Hammerfall!" Celestia called out to one of the guards who had taken a defensive position by the door. "Report, who is attacking us?"
The unicorn officer snapped a quick salute. "We don't know, your Highness. We believe they are some kind of magical constructs. They came flying out of the night and caught us by surprise. I don't know their exact number, but we believe there are at least several dozen of them. Commander Sabaton is leading the attempt to fortify the main entrance as we speak, but some may have entered the castle already."
"Thank you, lieutenant," Celestia said. "For now, we should find a more advantageous position and try to learn more. Everypony, follow me!"
The group left the room, guards and all, and hurried down the corridor towards the main staircase. Scootaloo had to run to keep up and wished she had her scooter, no matter how inappropriate it would have been to bring it into the castle. Her heart pounded and she tried to keep calm. It was not her first time facing danger – memories of Nightmare Moon's return and the Changeling invasion flashed through her mind – but usually she would just find a place to hide until the adults worked everything out. She wanted to see Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom again.
Once they reached the stairs more guards came rushing, and suddenly there was a crashing of broken glass as the invaders smashed through some of the windows. Their bodies seemed to have been crudely stitched together from old canvas sacks and stuffed with something, bulging and pulsating in an unnatural way. They had four limbs like a pony, rudimentary heads without features, and large flaps forming wings on their backs. Their stumpy arms held short spear-like weapons, sparking with electricity at the tips, and their canvas hides had been painted with arcane glyphs in bewildering patterns. They flew into the room, clumsy yet deceptively fast, and through the din and the yelling Scootaloo could hear a strange humming sound emanating from within the creatures.
"They've breached!" Hammerfall shouted. "Protect the princesses!"
"Are those..." Luna began.
Fang frowned. "...Hivers?"
"For Equestria!" one of the guards cried and lunged his spear at one of the creatures.
"No, don't!" Celestia called out, realizing in the same moment it was too late.
"Hiyaaaa...." The spear easily pierced the cloth. The creature seemed to burst and collapse as a large cloud of bees spilled out and swarmed the valiant guard. "...aaaaAAAAAAAH! NO, NOT THE BEES! NOT THE BEEEEEES! AAAAAAAH!"
"I tried to warn you," Celestia sighed.
"THEY'RE IN MY EYES! MY EYES! AAAAAAAAAH!"
Fang quickly cast a spell forming a golden bubble around the unfortunate soldier. The bubble floated up, passing through his body while still trapping the bees inside. Fang's horn flashed again and the bubble turned into a solid chunk of amber falling to the floor with a thud.
Another hiver came flying at them from the side and Fang turned her head, but in the same moment a blue ray of magic shot past her face and struck the enemy, freezing it solid.
Grinning, Fang glanced at Luna whose horn was still glowing after the spell. "I see you still got it."
Before Luna could say anything in response, Fang had fired off a beam of her own. It struck a third hiver which burst into flame, quickly incinerating.
"...As do you," Luna muttered.
"Everypony, be careful!" Celestia called out. "Unicorns, use spells to hold or destroy them! The rest of you, try your best to subdue them, but do not breach their hides!"
A large number of hivers had now entered the room and the battle intensified. Those of the guards who were unicorns formed a rough circle around the princesses, mostly casting levitation and shield spells to hold or trap the hivers. Celestia, Luna and Fang, meanwhile, unleashed their own magic while forming a smaller circle around Scootaloo, who could do little but stay put and hope none of the attackers would make it through. The rest of the guards did their best to keep the swarm from overwhelming the casters – some of them even dropping their spears and resolving to wrestle their foes into submission. A couple of the craftier earth pony guards had managed to produce rope from somewhere and attempted to lasso and bind the hivers together.
Wherever Scootaloo looked, the air was filled with a dazzling lightshow as spells were flung in every direction. Fang and Luna almost seemed to be competing over which one of them could strike down the most attackers, whereas Celestia fired her spells with calm, calculated precision.
Though chaotic, the battle proved fairly brief. Before long the assault died down as the hivers were either incapacitated or destroyed. Some had been petrified into ghoulish statues, some were frozen solid, others transmuted into less harmful containers such as large jars or bottles, still with the bees trapped inside. A fair number had simply been reduced to fine ashes, mainly by Fang. Some of the guards had been struck by the hiver weapons and were badly stunned by the current, but it seemed no lives had been lost. Scootaloo let out a sigh of relief.
But before the defenders could celebrate, dark shadows swooped by outside the windows and the sound of further battles echoed through the castle halls. The mood fell as they all realized that there were still more intruders on the prowl.
"How many of them are there?" Luna asked.
Celestia furled her brow in thought. "Hivers are just primitive golems. To coordinate this many all at once, the spellcaster who sent them must be relatively nearby."
"That, or there's a control unit," Fang added. She closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate for a few moments. Then her eyes snapped open and she turned her head to the ceiling. "Found it!"
"Go then," Celestia said. "The sooner we end this the better."
Fang nodded. "Come along, Scootaloo. We have work to do."
"What do you mean weeaaah!" Scootaloo yelped in surprise as Fang's levitation spell lifted her off her hooves, dropping her off on the sorceress' back.
"Hold on tight!" Fang reared and before Scootaloo could protest she had started running.
"Wait a minute..." Luna began, but at that point Fang had already galloped out of the room. Luna glared after her. "...She took the foal with her."
"Well, it's not like Scootaloo is much safer with us," Celestia said, clearly struggling to be diplomatic.
Luna gave her sister a serious look. "And you are certain that Fang won't put her in any danger?"
"Um..." Celestia turned to see another squadron of hivers advancing on their position. "Heads up! There's more of them!"
"Celestia!"
Fang's hooves rattled against the checkered floor tiles as she galloped through the halls with Scootaloo clinging on to her. A few hivers tried to get in their way but Fang simply blasted them away with her fire spells without slowing down.
"Where are we going?" Scootaloo asked. "This isn't the way to the exit!"
"There is a powerful magical signal coming from above the castle," Fang replied. "We need to go up."
She made a sharp turn and cut through a room. Scootaloo's eyes widened when she saw what lay in front of them. "Fang, that's a balcony!"
"I know!" Fang kept powering on, heading straight for the open doors. Beyond them, stars shone on a clear evening sky.
"Then why aren't you stopping?" Scootaloo shrieked. "Fang, we're on a mountain!" But the sorceress had already leapt onto the railing and kicked off. "Fang!"
For a short moment, Scootaloo felt the sinking sensation in her abdomen as they passed the zenith of the leap and gravity started kicking in. Far below them all of Equestria stretched out as far as the eye could see. Then Fang seemed to kick off once more in mid-air, and suddenly they were rising again, shooting higher into the sky like a rocket.
"You can fly?" Scootaloo gasped.
"Surprise!"
"Oh, that is so unfair!" Scootaloo exclaimed, clinging to Fang as hard as she could. And still, she felt laughter bubbling up inside. "But also totally awesome!"
Fang made a turn in the air, circling the castle while climbing higher. Once the initial surprise had settled, Scootaloo got a better look at their surroundings. The entire castle seemed to crawl with hivers in groups of various sizes.
"That looks like more than just a few dozen," she pointed out with a gulp. As she spoke, several hiver squadrons broke away and congealed into one larger swarm, moving to pursue them.
"Seems like they've noticed us," Fang said. "Hang on tight, this is going to get a bit tricky."
Her horn lit up in a spell and a circle of flames appeared around it. She turned in the air and for a moment they were flying backwards. Fang lowered her horn and sent the flames hurtling towards the pursuers. The fireballs each struck a hiver, causing them to explode in clouds of flame and smoke. The next moment Fang and Scootaloo shot straight up and the remaining hivers passed beneath them, struggling to adjust their course.
"I hope you're not afraid of heights!" Fang said as they kept ascending.
"Oh, come on!" Scootaloo replied and actually felt a bit offended. "I'm still a pegasus!"
Another swarm of hivers tried to flank them, but Fang had already prepared a second fire ring. She made an evasive turn and fired off the salvo, destroying another handful of their foes.
Scootaloo's heart was racing. She felt scared and excited at the same time. But then, all of a sudden, she noticed that it wasn't just her feelings. Beyond them she could sense another set of emotions through the familiar bond. The bond between Fang's heart and her own.
Fang was... enjoying herself. She honestly enjoyed the fight, Scootaloo was sure of it. Not in a reckless way; she was still completely focused and aware of the danger, yet she relished the challenge and the rush. She was having fun. And once Scootaloo became aware of this, that feeling turned infectious. Was it brave or foolish to feel that way? She couldn't tell.
Fang grew bolder, torching several hivers without evading and passing straight through the rest of the group. They had almost reached the highest tower now. "There!" she pointed.
Above the castle a lone hiver floated in the air. It looked different than the others – larger and with several long metal spikes or rods sticking out of its body, blue lightning arcing between them.
"That's the swarm moderator," Fang declared. "We take that one out and the rest will just be sacks full of bees."
Her horn glowed again and she fired an intense beam straight for the creature. But the hiver moderator had reacted to their presence and sent a bolt of electricity at the same time. The two attacks collided in the air with an explosion of magic energies.
"Guess we'll have to get closer and find an opening," Fang muttered.
"Fang, look!" Scootaloo called out just as a loud humming filled the air. The various groups of hivers that had pursued them, along with many more from the castle, rose into the air and formed one massive swarm moving to block them from reaching their leader. There must have been several hundred of them.
"Dammit," Fang cursed. "It's protecting itself. Hang on!"
Some of the hivers had moved in to attack while the majority held position defending the moderator. Fang attempted to advance, making a spiraling turn to outmaneuver the attackers while raining fireballs on them as she moved. She tried to fly around the main swarm but they were moving differently now, attempting to surround their prey. It seemed that their proximity to the moderator had improved their coordination, and no matter what she did she couldn't get through. Worse, they were closing in and Fang's attacks were not reducing their numbers fast enough.
"This isn't working," Scootaloo said.
"I know," Fang replied. "I'll just have to take it up a notch!"
She summoned another ring of flames, but this time they all merged together forming a large fireball at the very tip of her horn. Through the bond Scootaloo could feel Fang's focus sharpening, pushing her magic to its limits. Fang saw an opening and generated a sudden burst of speed, separating them from the swarm. Just as it started to give chase, Fang turned and released her spell.
A massive, roaring blast of fire erupted from her horn. It engulfed the entire swarm, burning them all at once. The bright glare made Scootaloo squint and she felt the intense heat radiating from the inferno on her face. Then the fire dissipated and the hivers were simply gone.
"You did it!" Scootaloo cheered. But Fang had stopped moving, hanging still in the air and breathing heavily. Scootaloo could tell something was wrong – she felt it through the bond, not an emotion like before but rather an unpleasant pressure against the side of her chest: sharp, hot and red. "Fang, are you okay?"
"Just need to catch my breath," Fang gasped. "That took a lot out of me."
Scootaloo had a feeling it was more than just exhaustion, but before she could say anything more she noticed another glaring light in the corner of her eye. She looked up and saw that the large hiver seemed to be charging some kind of attack, the metal rods covering its body channeling large amounts of energy.
"Fang, look out!" she cried. Fang turned her head up just as the moderator unleashed several huge blue thunderbolts towards them, but she seemed too dazed to react in time. Acting on instinct, Scootaloo flapped her wings as hard as she could while clinging to Fang for dear life. Somehow she managed to put out enough thrust to push them out of the way of the first bolt.
As they rolled in the air, Fang was able to cast a spell in the nick of time and a golden shield enveloped them. A second bolt struck the shield hard enough to push them back and Fang gritted her teeth from the strain, but the shield held.
"That was a close one!" she said once the attack subsided. The moderator wasn't done, however, already charging up again.
"Fang, there's more of them on their way," Scootaloo warned. Below them many more hivers were rising from the castle.
"Then we'll have to act fast," Fang said and accelerated straight for the moderator. "Hey, remember when you told me to warn you before teleporting?"
"Yeah?" No sooner had the word left Scootaloo's mouth before the moderator unleashed another bolt of lightning. But Fang was ready this time and the pair vanished in a flash, teleporting a few feet out of the way. The moderator fired more bolts at them, now in quicker succession, but Fang kept teleporting, dancing around them. Scootaloo could barely make sense of where they were and would probably have screamed if she hadn't unconsciously been holding her breath.
They closed the distance and Fang powered up a spell. The next time the moderator fired at them, she dodged rather than teleport and simultaneously shot a wide beam from her horn.
The beam struck true, piercing the great hiver completely. For a moment it seemed to bulge and inflate like a balloon, then it violently erupted in flames. The canvas skin and the bees inside burned away, leaving only the metal framework that held the rods in place. It fell out of the sky like a burning skeleton. The lesser hivers instantly turned inanimate and started falling as well.
"Yeah!" Scootaloo let out a cry of excitement and triumph. "We did it! We did it!"
"We sure did," Fang laughed and turned them around, flying back to the castle.
Back in the palace, Celestia and Luna oversaw the guards rounding up the remaining hivers after the abrupt end to the battle. Lieutenant Hammerfall approached them and saluted.
"Princess Celestia," he said. "I'm happy to inform that the attack has ceased completely and that no casualties or severe injuries have been reported."
"What about the city?" Celestia asked with a worried frown.
"Perfectly safe, your Highness," Hammerfall replied. "It appears the attack was limited to just the castle. On that note, the castle grounds are still littered with those things, but they have all stopped moving about."
"That's a relief," Celestia sighed. "Thank you, lieutenant. Do be careful when collecting them. I guess we'll have to figure out what to do with all those bees, but at least they should be harmless as long as they don't escape. Please report to the captain that security is to be elevated across Canterlot for the time being. We need to be better prepared in case this happens again."
"Yes, your Highness!" Hammerfall snapped another salute.
Celestia addressed the room at large. "Gentlecolts, you all fought bravely tonight and are to be commended."
One of the guards, who was having numerous bee stings tended to, slowly raised a hoof. "Um..."
Celestia smiled. "Yes, Private Wicker, including you."
Once it was clear that the guards had the situation handled, the two princesses retreated into the throne room.
"Seems Fang pulled it off," Celestia said.
"Indeed," Luna grudgingly replied. "Assuming of course she did not arrange the attack in the first place, as a diversion perhaps?"
"You still believe that?" Celestia asked.
Luna shrugged. "Can you really blame me?"
"Perhaps not, but..." Celestia paused. "Luna, maybe Fang had a point?"
"What do you mean?"
"Please don't take this the wrong way," Celestia said, "but are you sure you aren't... projecting, just a little?"
"P-Projecting?" Taken aback, Luna turned away in a huff. "Don't be ridiculous! I... I'm not..."
"Woohoooo!" She was interrupted by Scootaloo, still riding on Fang's back as the two of them flew into the room through the open doors. As they touched down the pegasus jumped off and danced in a little circle like an excited puppy, clearly still feeling the adrenaline. "We beat the thing! Fang blew it up!"
"Are you unharmed, Scootaloo?" Luna asked. She glared at Fang. "Was it really necessary to bring her along? What were you thinking?"
"Are you kidding?" Scootaloo exclaimed. "It was awesome!"
Contrary to her familiar, Fang seemed a bit weary from the exertion. She smiled sheepishly. "I suppose, in hindsight, it was a bit rash of me. I didn't mean to put you in danger, Scootaloo. Still, thanks for saving my tail back there." She raised a hoof at the filly. "Guess you and I are a pretty good team, huh?"
"You bet we are!" Scootaloo beamed and bumped her hoof against Fang's.
Seeing the two of them smile at each other, Luna's grim expression softened. After a moment of hesitation she made her decision and stepped closer. "Scootaloo, may I speak with you in private?"
"Sure, Princess Luna!" Scootaloo replied happily. Luna made a gesture with her head and the two walked over to the end of the room where the bright moon shone through one of the large windows.
Meanwhile, Celestia approached Fang. "Can I have a word?"
"Of course," Fang said and followed the alicorn aside towards the throne, so that both pairs were at opposite ends of the room.
"I said I trust you, Fang," Celestia said, "and I stand by it. That said, this mysterious attack occurring just as you decided to visit for the first time in a decade does seem unlikely to be a coincidence."
"I guess that's fair," Fang replied.
"So?" Celestia asked. "Did this have anything to do with you?"
Fang shrugged. "Honestly? I have no idea."
Celestia gave her an even look, one of her eyebrows arching.
Fang sighed. "Okay, fine. I have no conclusive idea. It's not like I haven't made a lot of enemies over the years, and these hivers could have been sent by any decent enchanter. All you really need is a bunch of sacks, some paint and access to a bee farm." She frowned. "More importantly, nobody is supposed to even know I'm in Equestria, much less that I would visit Canterlot today. If I was the target, that means whoever is behind this is watching me."
Celestia hummed, then turned to look over to Luna and Scootaloo conversing silently. "Maybe it's not you who is being watched?"
Fang followed her gaze. "The child?"
"Twilight mentioned in her letter that you saved Scootaloo from a gaunthound," Celestia said. "Such a creature appearing in Equestria is highly improbable, and that it would attack a foal is equally baffling. Unless, of course, it was commanded to do so by a powerful magician. Perhaps whoever cursed Scootaloo is still paying attention?"
"Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing." Fang scratched her chin. "That would explain a lot, but it still doesn't add up. Why use something as crude as hivers? That curse is a masterpiece, and it would take an exceptional magician to even consider controlling something as dangerous as a gaunthound. And why curse her all those years ago only to send the hound to kill her? Not to mention, if it's the same mastermind behind all of this, then we're talking about a plot at least ten years in the making. This attack was way too clumsy for someone of that caliber. We are definitely missing something here."
"Then I suppose we have no choice but to remain vigilant," Celestia concluded. She glanced at Fang with a concerned look in her eyes. "Fang... are you okay?"
"What?" Fang scoffed. "Of course I am. They were just sacks full of bugs. If they were really meant for me, then frankly I'm a little bit insulted."
Celestia frowned. "That's not what I meant, and I think you know that. I've seen you in battle. I've fought you myself, remember? You weren't just holding back, were you? Something has weakened you."
"You're as annoyingly perceptive as ever." Fang sighed. "It's nothing to worry about, okay? Just an old wound that still hasn't healed properly. I actually came to Equestria to relax for a while, but this little utopia of yours is proving to be more exciting than I expected."
"I'm sorry I've yet to completely rid my realm of danger." Celestia smiled but still looked worried. "As for your injury, I won't press the matter if you don't want to talk about it. I just hope you won't do anything reckless, old friend."
"Me, reckless?" Fang grinned. "It's like you don't know me at all."
"I know that beneath that flippant exterior of yours, you do have a good heart." The princess placed a gentle wing on Fang's shoulder. "I just wish you would be trusting enough to show it to others."
"Heh." Fang chuckled, though her grin faded somewhat. "A thousand years and you're still trying to psychoanalyze me."
She turned her head to give Scootaloo another look. The filly was saying something to Luna, smiling and making emphatic gestures with her hooves. "Getting back to the subject of Scootaloo, there's something I want to ask you about. Did you know she's an orphan?"
"Oh? I was not aware, no." Celestia frowned. "It pains me to hear that. I wish all children of Equestria could be spared from such fates, but tragedies will occur non the less. I can only hope she is living with good ponies who care for her."
"Yeah, about that," Fang said. "Apparently she's living alone, and has for most of her life. Something about bureaucracy getting in the way. There is a pony from Foal Services looking after her, but from what I understand he's mostly absent. That girl hasn't had a real family for as long as she can remember."
"What?" Celestia looked surprised, then distressed. She shook her head in disbelief. "No, that can't be right. Neglecting a child to that degree... that would be inexcusable, no matter the circumstances!"
"That matches what Twilight told me," Fang said. "I'm not a hundred percent certain but it's possible Scootaloo is being neglected on purpose. Though, what that purpose is, I can't say."
"First the curse and now this?" Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "Haven't that girl suffered enough?"
"There's also something... off about that house she lives in," Fang added. "At least I think so, but I'll need to take a closer look at it to be sure."
"You do that, and I shall have her case investigated," Celestia said. "And if what you say is correct, then on my word, somepony will answer for it."
Fang recognized the look on Celestia's face, the glare in her eyes. A long time ago, Fang had been on the receiving end of that look. Princess Celestia was a pony born with a kind heart, one for whom violence and retribution did not come naturally. And yet, Fang knew that somepony out there had made a dire enemy. "Yeah," she said. "I bet they will."
At this point Luna and Scootaloo had finished their conversation and approached them. Scootaloo was smiling brightly whereas Luna bore an inscrutable expression.
"Fang Jinhuo," the night princess said. "I have conversed with Scootaloo, and I would like to apologize for what I said to you earlier. You were right; regardless of our history together, I should have known better. Based on your behavior thus far and my sister's endorsement, I have decided to give you a chance."
"I guess that's all I can ask for," Fang replied. "Don't worry, I'm sure you and I will be good friends in no-time."
Luna rolled her eyes. "That said, I am still loath to allowing you access to the dreams of my subjects, including Scootaloo here."
"Sister..." Celestia began, but Luna raised a hoof to silence her.
"Thus I am offering a compromise," Luna carried on. "I will personally teach Scootaloo to control her dreams, starting tonight. Meanwhile you may continue to instruct her in the ways of magic during her waking hours. Do you find these terms acceptable?"
"Huh." Fang looked mildly surprised by the offer, but nodded. "Yes, that should work. In fact, that's even better than what I had originally planned."
"Then we have an agreement!" Luna declared.
"Yes!" Scootaloo hoof-pumped. Seeing her excitement, Celestia, Fang and Luna shared a smile.
"I shall see you tonight when you dream, my little pony," Luna told her.
Scootaloo could barely believe her luck, getting to be instructed by both Fang and Luna. She felt giddy and hyped, even a little lightheaded. "Oh man! I just hope I'll be able to sleep!"
As it was getting late, Fang and Scootaloo soon excused themselves. Luna appeared to have softened up to Fang quite a bit, even though she did her best to hide it, and suggested they spend the night in the castle. However, Celestia and Fang both agreed that they would be safer in Ponyville considering the hiver attack, and Luna admitted they had a point. Scootaloo couldn't really argue with that either, though she did feel a bit disappointed. After Celestia forced a promise of more frequent visits out of Fang, the two guests left the sisters to return home.
"Well, that was an adventure," Fang said as they exited the castle, stepping out into the autumn night with Canterlot laying silent before them.
"I'll say!" Scootaloo replied with a smile. "You know, at first I thought you were just the brainy, book-worm type like Twilight, but you're actually kind of a badass, aren't you?"
"I've been in my share of fights, yes." Fang said. Then her expression turned serious. "So, um, about all those things Luna said..."
"Oh, yeah." Scootaloo suddenly dropped the smile and looked sharply at Fang from the corner of her eye. "You mean that stuff about how you used to be a super-villain, which you conveniently forgot to tell me about? Guess you didn't think that was important, huh?"
"It's not like I..." Fang cut herself short and sighed. "...Okay, look, I'm sorry. It's just not an easy subject to bring up and I didn't want to scare you away or anything. It's true I wasn't very nice in the past, but..."
"Aw, relax," Scootaloo grinned. "I'm just teasing you, Fang."
Fang fell silent for a moment, blinking in surprise. Then she chuckled. "Touché."
"It's not like we're not used to that sort of thing," Scootaloo said. "There's this girl at school who used to bully me and my friends a lot, I mean she was a real nightmare most of the time, but then we got to know each other better and these days we're getting along. And Luna was really scary the first time I saw her, all like 'The night will last forever! Mwahaha!' But now she's one of the nicest ponies I've ever met. Then there's Discord, and Starlight Glimmer too, apparently. We're even friends with the changelings now, and those guys were bug monsters who ate love." She smiled at Fang. "You don't have to explain, I don't care who you used to be a thousand years ago or whatever. What matters is who you are right now."
Fang didn't answer. She just looked at the little filly with softness in her amber eyes, and for a moment Scootaloo felt a feather-light touch of warmth through their bond. Then Fang stopped walking and knelt down. "Hop on, kid."
"Really?" Scootaloo asked.
"It's a bit late to ride the train back anyway," Fang winked. "Let's take the scenic route."
Smiling even wider than before, Scootaloo wasted no time climbing up on Fang's back, holding on to her barrel just like before. Fang rose to her hooves, then kept rising into the air. They soared over Canterlot and down the mountain with the moon shining silver above them.
They flew through the night, gently this time, and far below them Ponyville lay barely visible. Fang's soft mane brushed against Scootaloo's face and she felt that happy-sad feeling again. One day she would fly by her own power. But for now, this was enough.
Unseen by Fang and Scootaloo, a small black spider crawled across a rooftop on metalic legs. Tiny clockwork whirred inside it as its mechanical eye followed their flight.
Flying to Ponyville was faster than taking the train, but Scootaloo was sure it still had to be past bedtime when Fang touched down on the street outside of her house.
"Well, here we are," Fang said. "Better not keep Luna waiting."
"I still don't know if I'll be able to sleep," Scootaloo commented. She did feel a bit tired, but it was the clear-headed, still somewhat alert tiredness that came with an eventful experience, not the heavy drowsiness that beckoned her to shut her eyes and drift away. "So much happened today, my head won't calm down. Wow, I can't wait to tell my friends about all of this! I don't care if Sweetie is some kind of dark magic genius and Apple Bloom turns into a wolf, this has got to beat whatever they've been up to!"
"Sounds like you have some pretty interesting friends." Fang reached her hoof out. "Hold still for a moment, you have something on your neck."
"Huh? I don't..." Scootaloo began as Fang pushed the edge of her hoof into a spot just below the filly's ear. "...feel... anything..."
Scootaloo's eyes glazed over and her mind immediately fell into the dark embrace of sleep. Her body toppled, but Fang's levitation caught her before she hit the ground.
"Sweet dreams," Fang said. "Give my regards to Luna."
The sorceress turned to look at the building in front of them, a determined look on her face.
"Now then," she said to herself. "Let's figure out what's wrong with this house."
The great beast studied the large video screen in front of him, his tails swishing to and fro in excitement. On the screen, transmitted from the eye of a mechanical spider, played the image of a pale gold unicorn flying across a starry faraway sky, carrying an orange pegasus foal on her back.
The beast made a gesture with his clawed paw. The video froze, then zoomed in on the pair.
He grinned, baring gleaming pointed teeth. "I finally found her."
A glowing purple rectangle suddenly flickered into existence, floating in the air next to him. A moment later, written words appeared within it.
[ guess this means its time for the endgame huh ]
[ you sure you dont need any help dealing with jinhuo?? ]
"That won't be necessary," the beast said. "It would seem your intel was correct. She's nowhere near her former strength."
[ lol yeah shes totally weaksauce now tbh ]
[ pathetic!!! ;D ]
"Besides, you have already done more than enough." The beast's paw crackled with blue lightning. He slammed it into the floor, sending a surge of static through the screen. "I've waited a long time to face her again. This is my fight!"
[ figured youd say that ]
[ knock em dead tiger! xoxo ]
The glowing text window disappeared. The beast turned back to face the screen, his glinting ice-blue eyes focused on the image of the sorceress.
"Oh, I will."
Surprise! Turns out there are actual bad guys in this story.
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I'd guess this beast guy was Ahuizotyl, but he's way too incompetent.
Okay seriously what is so important about Scootaloo that someone would go to this length for her?
8710567
Curious, ain't it?
I get the feeling that fang is one of those Wayfarers since she might have lied about winning that tower. I mean who would bet that crazy tower at all?
It's like Twilight's dilemma with the Fortress of Friendship in Season 5, in other words.
8710591
Insanely so. I actually have a small level of respect just for the effort.
Nice reference.
Yep. Unicorns = master race.
I see what you did there.
In other words, when she finds whoever it is, they'll regret ever being born.
I look forward to seeing that.
8710696
Heh. Fortress of Friendship.
8710787
You know, I never got a chance to work it into the story, but that's nothing compared to Luna's reaction.
Woona is very, very protective of kids.
8710816
1: Well, it's not exactly the Fortress of Solitude.
2: The question is, do you like your villains roasted or freeze-dried?
That's a lot of different charges. So, an RPG campaign?
...the Iblis Trigger.
...sorry, had to do it.
A kitsune, perhaps?
Well that was unexpected... un-bee-leivible work right there!
8710738
The Private's full name is Wicker Cage, of course.
8711539
...I can't believe it took me nine hours to get that joke.
8712238
The best pony joke names are always double-edged in some way.
I mean, this is a wicker cage.
keeleyhire.co.uk/images/items/details/2026.jpg
You can be a jail guard and put some poor pony in it. Perfectly reasonable cutie mark for a guard, right? Also, wicker/whicker for good-natured horse noises. This is the kind of stallion that gives you extra oatmeal while you're doing your time for serial jaywalking in the Royal Dungeons and enjoys basketweaving when off duty. Wicker isn't hard, so jail time with Wicker Cage isn't going to be that bad.
This, of course is a wicker Cage.
3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bg2-sGr-9dc/VSPvh3AEP2I/AAAAAAAAAa0/Jt-9q1fEB2U/s1600/wickerman01.jpg
It is made of NOT THE BEES, suffering, and memes.
8712566
Now I kinda want to change it so that he's actually named Wicker Cage.
Either way, consider that canon to this story from now on.
8712742
Wicker (Cage), Twilight (Sparkle), Pink(amena)ie (Diane) Pie...it's just a Mom Name versus what you use otherwise in normal conversation.
Wow...every time I come back to this story, my mind gets repeatedly blown.
Fang's criminal record, demonic monsters, Wicker Man references, a main antagonist, text-messaging spider-drones... phew! I absolutely cannot wait for more!
By the way, is the new baddie supposed to be a reference to the original concepts for the Storm King? You know, the designs that actually made him menacing instead of the stupid anti-brony metaphor we got in the movie?
8711456
That joke was too punny.
8714379
Nah, I've been planning this story since way before I knew anything about the movie, plus I haven't really payed attention to the associated conceptual material. So that's pretty coincidental.
8714519
I see. For reference, here's the art that I was talking about.
i.pinimg.com/originals/f1/7a/2d/f17a2d34045a0d96e94ee16d62484d22.png
Looking back at it though, it doesn't exactly bear any similarities to your Villain X.
8714559
Interesting. Between that and the original Tempest concept, seems they were originally going for a darker approach. Could have been interesting, but oh well.
Well, I'm intentionally keeping him shrouded in mystery for now. Let's just say I have something a bit different in mind.
Well, this is certainly a fascinating development. Either Luna's not the only one who remembers Fang's bad old days or someone followed her to Equestria. But for what purpose? I get the feeling multiple long-term plots are colliding with one another. The aftermath should be something to see.
8714573
I, for one, would've preferred a much darker MLP movie. Tempest was perfect, but the rest of the Storm King thing felt too lighthearted, even with the conquered Equestria scenes. If they had a subplot with the CMC trying to cope, that would've made things so much better.
I could write a whole blog on my nitpicks with the otherwise-decent MLP movie, but that's not the point of this particular comments section. :)
8714739
I did write a blog on my nitpicks with the otherwise-decent MLP movie, but the tone honestly wasn't something I had a problem with since at least that was fairly consistent and basically matched the show pretty well.
In general, I tend not to criticize stories for what they could have been but rather for what they are.
I'd say the Storm King was a bit lackluster but I didn't really think he was important enough to care much about - Tempest was the real main antagonist.
So, if Fang won the Rook in a game of Mahjong, what would've happened if she'd lost?
Sounds like a lot of fun!
Um, Scoots, you were expecting her to teach you to fly, but didn't expect her to be able to?
I wonder what the odds are that Mr. Warden killed Scoots parents and put the curse on her himself?
--Sweetie Belle
8725868
Villains get to do all the fun stuff.
Well that's just like a bad guy fighting the hero? ant-hero? when thier not at full strength
I need me an instant sleep touch too.
Well that was a fun chapter. Fire and Ice, heh. I guess we’re finally gonna get some answers about Scoot’s living conditions soon enough. While it’s easy to blame emotionless people as being villains in stories, I’m gonna give that social worker dude the benefit of a doubt and say he’s just way too jaded to his job given all the foals he has to deal with I’d imagine. Can’t get attached to one after all with how many come and go in that line of work. I guess he prefers to stay detached. Makes you wonder what makes one that emotionless though aside from being ‘professional’ all the time.
Cool battle. Nice to see some more of the mythical transdimensional body horrors that will probably show up more and more as the story continues.
I think I would have liked a little bit more eluded to the conversation Scootaloo and Luna had, though that may be the next chapter instead. After all, Scoots was the first pony that we've seen Luna in the show dreamwalk on.
Things would seem to be an uphill struggle if some enemy of Fang will end up following her into Equestria and end up causing some general chaos. That's not to say that Equestria isn't without its own powerhouses, though, so that should make things generally interesting. Given the subtext, it may even be an enemy she doesn't know she has. I'd be rather a little bit disappointed if it ends up that either by coincidence or by destiny that Fang's enemy and whomever cursed Scoots is one and the same (or very closely related), as in what appears to be a multiverse-spanning story like this, there's enough sapient life between each world that that kind of coincidence really does only happen through narrative convenience.
Anyways, since I haven't really mentioned it before, I suppose I should predict Fang's species before it's revealed. I suspect she's a kitsune. What I presume to be magatama as her Cutie Mark narrows her down to Japanese mythology. If she's a shapeshifter, there's only a few creatures there that can do that. Most of them are inspired by animals present on the Japanese islands, but I would suspect a kitsune first because they're the creature that have most permeated Western culture (as opposed to tanuki, for instance). Folklore about kitsune lovers would also help support Fang apparently being comfortable in a bipedal form as she first appeared in the first chapter. That, and the big bad mentioned last chapter has 'tails' as in plural amount of tails, so if it were the same species as Fang is, well...Plus, though more in Chinese and Korean folklore (like Daji), they can also be quite malicious, which it sounds like Fang was in her earlier years.
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Basically, Luna just asked Scootaloo how she got to know Fang and what she thinks of her, trying to gauge the situation and figure out if the two of them spending time together is a good idea - at that point she was willing to accept Fang provided the arrangement seemed to have a positive influence on both of them. I decided to just imply all of that, though, since I didn't want to bog down the chapter with lengthy and mostly irrelevant dialogue. Apologies if I made it seem more important than it was.
... Fang is a fox spirit isn't she?
Also its a good thing the powers of Dark did not fall upon Dinky, who cuteness seems to have been commitee designed in a sinister ploy to be used on mens angry wives/girlfriends
That was exciting. Who has it in for Scoots and Fang?
Sorry if im a bit chatty omg omg omg AAAAAAAAA XD