Little Ponies Lost

by Al-1701

Chapter 11: The Battle of Spire Island

Wind Whistler froze for a split second at the sight of the harpies diving straight for them. She counted eight, less than the number that attacked Dream Castle. Once her mouth could move, she shouted, “Scatter!”

Everyone dove away in different directions and the harpies flew just over the ground where they had been standing. They scraped their talons across the basalt, sending up sparks. Their talons left deep gashes in the hard stone, showing they were just as hard as they were sharp. Wind Whistler had to swallow at the thought of what they would do to flesh.

“How are supposed to fight that?” Medley asked, wide-eyed at the gashes.

“There are more of us than them,” Wind Whistler said. “We could isolate them so they cannot rely on each other for assistance. We are more maneuverable, so our best strategy is avoidance and taking advantages of any openings they provide.”

“Then we’ll divide on conquer.” Gusty jumped forward. “That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day.”

She summoned her magic and blasted one of the harpies coming around with a gust of wind. She tumbled backwards several times before regaining control.

The pegasi took to the air and spread out around the flock of harpies. Wind Whistler looked to the top of the cliff. She wondered if these were all of the harpies who had remained or if more there waiting in reserve in the stronghold. With the scene descending into dogfights and her apparently unnoticed, she flew upwards.

* * *

Skydancer had practiced ballet both with her hooves and her wings since she was little. Even when just flying along, she would try to make every flap as graceful and productive as possible. She had discovered how to remain in the air with just an occasional flap and dance in midair.

Typically, this was as part of a ballet show. Audiences would watch her gracefully dance across the stage or through the air above it. Minutes could go by between her needing to flap her wings to maintain lift. She had become a prima ballerina, dancing with the male lead as the story’s heroine. However, she was putting all of her grace and agility into avoiding strikes by her harpy opponent in this instance.

The harpy she found herself engaged with slashed at her with sharp talons that seemed to cut the very air. Skydancer watched her movements carefully, using the angles of her preparations to strike to determine where she would slash. She played some of her favorite pieces of music in her head that seemed to match the rhythm of the battle.

Skydancer responded by avoiding them using the least amount of energy possible. Her body was so flexible it must have seemed like the slipstream of the slashes forced her away like a leaf. The harpy also had to flap her wings frantically as she was trying to almost hover in place. The effect was the harpy tiring faster than she was. She could hear her drawing in air while she had not even broken a sweat.

“Stand still,” the harpy huffed.

Skydancer did not respond verbally. She simply continued her silent dance. She was no longer on this alien world locked in a deadly struggle. She was on the stage in Canterlot, the prima ballerina in the climax of her dance where she fought the evil bird creature. She could see the audience enraptured by the aerial display, hanging on every second wondering if the prima would triumph or be struck down in a tragedy.

The harpy flew back several dozen meters and took out her longbow. She loosed an arrow, but Skydancer avoided it. She spiraled towards the harpy, making her a difficult target. She twirled around above her in a beautiful pirouette to face her back and delivered her hoof to her back.

* * *

Lofty rolled away as a harpy dove for her. She watched the harpy spread her wings and slowly climb again.

“You might be good at going down,” Lofty shouted. “What about going up?”

She turned skyward and took off. She climbed higher into the sky. She saw just how tall the mountain was as she was parallel with the summit roughly three kilometers up. The harpy was chasing after, flapping those cumbersome wings as fast as she could.

Lofty kept herself just out of range of the arrows, watching them curve back to the ground before they could reach her. She kept going up, the air getting colder and thinner around her. Things below seemed to flatten as their difference in altitude became academic compared to her distance from them. She could see the curvature of this entire world, and how the blue seemed to stretch until it disappeared behind itself with the other islands scattered about. More of the rings’ arc became visible as the horizon’s angle lowered. The clumps of fair weather cumulus fell behind her, and she entered the part of the atmosphere where the wisps of cirrus made their home along with the icy crowns of the tallest cumulus towers.

She could fly higher than any Pegasus (or anything else) she knew, even holding several records for altitude tolerance. She could withstand the cold and falling air pressure. Even the pegasus adaptations against decompression sickness were particularly well developed in her allowing her to gain and drop altitude quickly with little issue. She wondered if these harpies could take the altitude and all it entailed.

The harpy chased after her, but was falling further behind. Her rise was pulsing with the beat of the wings, a clear sign they were having trouble moving enough air to keep her aloft. Lofty could feel ice crystals forming on her coat and feathers, and her throat burned from her lungs trying to get as much of the thin air in them as possible. She had to be eight kilometers above sea level, a point where almost anything could not survive and even the upper end of her limit.

The harpy was far below her, thoroughly coated in ice and huffing. She finally fell back, the ice and lack of air having taken their toll.

This was Lofty’s opportunity. She tucked in her wings and shot at the harpy like a rocket. She put her hooves forward, and slammed them into the harpy’s chest, sending her down several more meters. However, once they were below three kilometers, the harpy quickly recovered and circled around her.

“I thought I hit you harder than that,” Lofty mumbled to herself.

She flew up a few meters as the harpy shot through where she had just been hovering.

* * *

Firefly reached deep into her bag of aerial tricks as she avoided arrows from the harpy chasing after her. She did rolls, loops, spirals, and flips as arrows shot past.

She noticed Medley was also being chased below her. She glanced back at her partner and a smile crossed her face. “Hey, ever seen a double inside out loop?”

The harpy did not answer except sending another arrow her way.

Firefly dodged it and entered into a tight loop. Instead of her feet out, she had them on the inside. It was more difficult to control, but she built up more speed.

She straightened out at full speed right from the harpy after Medley. She collided with her midsection and sent her tumbling off course. However, the harpy quickly corrected her course and looped back. That was when Firefly’s harpy, trying to imitate her, crashed into this one. The two fell several meters before working free of each other.

“Thanks, Firefly,” Medley said.

Firefly took a chance to catch her breath. “For once, coming out of that into a crash was good thing.”

The harpies came back around and loosed arrows in their direction.

“Watch out!” Medley dove away to avoid the first arrow and those following it.

“What do we have to do to knock these things out of the sky?” Firefly grumbled.

* * *

Whizzer darted across the sky, breaking her speed for a split second to make a tight turn every once in a while. She flew near many of the harpies, disrupting their attempts to train on the other ponies and disappearing before they could react. A harpy trying to aim her longbow at North Star got her arms knocked. Another chasing Masquerade got a hit in the back.

“Come on, harpies, try to keep up. Though, I doubt you could keep up. I’m the fastest pegasus, and you don’t seem able to keep up with even normal pegasi. Though, if you ever did get a hit in I think it would be very bad. Fortunately we can avoid whatever you can throw at us,” she taunted as she flew around.

She went into a series of tight loops around a harpy until she was so dizzy she could barely fly straight.

* * *

Surprise flew as randomly as possible to make herself a difficult target. She would fly fast and then slow or turn, rise, drop, bank, or whatever popped into her head. Keep flying and make it a surprise, she thought.

The harpy coming after her was the blond with the gray symbol on her dress. Wind Whistler had said she seemed to be the weakest of them.

“Hey,” Surprise said to her, making her stop and hover. “You’re the weakest of these harpies, right? Could it be because you’re not really mean and forcing yourself to be because it’s what’s expected of you? You could join us and be all nice and realize your true potential as a good guy.”

The harpy glowered at her and clumsily pulled out an arrow. Her shot was bad and Surprise easily dodged it. However, she was disappointed. “Or I watch too many Saturn Day morning cartoons.”

* * *

Skyflier eyed a harpy diving towards her. She summoned her magic and concentrated on the harpy. She increased the pull of gravity on her—double to almost triple. The harpy’s glide path became a plummet and she hit the ground hard. She tried to push up on her arms, but she collapsed again.

Skyflier smirked. “I think you now see the gravity of the situation.”

She noticed Gusty in the corner of her eye glowering at her. “What?”

“Bad,” Gusty stated and walked away.

“Oh please,” Skyflier replied. “You’ve been spouting stupid, action movie catchphrases since before we warped here.”

“She’s getting up,” Gusty said without turning around.

Skyflier turned her attention back to the harpy. She had let her magic relax, and the harpy was on her hands and knees. She raised her talon, and Skyflier had to wink several meters away to avoid her swipe.

* * *

Gusty galloped to where Powder was shooting beams of her purple magic at a pair of harpies circling over her. The aura surrounding her horn would cause ice crystals form in the air around it, and ice crystals would form around the beam as well. It was impressive, but the harpies simply weaved and rolled away to avoid it. She had to wink out and back in a few meters away to avoid an arrow.

Powder reappeared after another evasive wink next to Gusty and grit her teeth. “They’re too agile.”

“No, your magic is too narrow,” Gusty said. “Combine it with my magic.”

Gusty summoned a blast of wind, and Powder added in hers. The harpies were caught in the blizzard of ice. The ice quickly coated them and especially their wings. They fell from the sky, but managed to land on their talons and brush the ice from their feathers.

Powder winked away, but Gusty hit them with another blast of wind to knock them down before she left them in pain.

* * *

Alecta watched the battle from the top of the cliff. She clenched her teeth seeing the ponies avoid their attacks and get their own hits in. These ponies were inferior, and should not be making sport of them.

She looked up and saw one of the ponies was flying at roughly the same level as her with some kind of bags on her sides. She had a light blue coat and wavy, pale pink mane and tail. Her wings were covered in light blue feathers like the one Desdemona had found in the castle and Frona said belonged to the ring leader.

So, this is the pony who has caused us so much trouble? Alecta thought.

She strung her bow and took out an arrow. She tried to lead the pony, but her flying become more erratic. No doubt she knew she was in Alecta’s sights. Alecta loosed a few arrows the pony dodged, and she dropped back towards the ground below.

Frona landed next to Alecta.

“This is a disgrace, Beta,” Alecta snarled. “Can’t you take care of a few little ponies?”

“They’re too small and quick, Glorious Alpha,” Frona replied. “It’s like trying to fight butterflies. Fortunately, they hit about as hard as butterflies. We’re just shrugging them off.”

She lowered her brow. “Though, being short five of our best archers is making this a lot harder.”

Alecta did not bother turning around. “If you had forced that fat wizard to take the locket instead of another hostage, we would be on our way to finding the Bifröst.”

She watched the ponies avoiding the others. “I have to applaud them for their persistence, but this is getting annoying.”

“I don’t think they’ll be going anywhere anytime soon,” Frona replied.

“Then we will,” Alecta stated.

“You’re going to surrender this stronghold to a bunch of, what was it again, ‘diminutive grass-eaters’?” Frona asked mockingly.

Alecta clenched her teeth at the thought. She did not want to give these ponies a millimeter. The very thought turned her stomach. However, she was smarter than that. “A good chess player knows when to sacrifice a piece for the greater strategy,” she said, suppressing her disdain. “They can have this piece of rock if they’re going to put up this much of a fight. We can take it back whenever we feel like it. As long as we have the girl, the game is still in our favor.”

* * *

Wind Whistler flew down to where Gusty had just used a wind gust to blow a harpy into the canopy of a nearby tree. She turned to another harpy chasing North Star and Masquerade and blew her off course. Wind Whistler landed along with the two.

“There is just one guarding a cave entrance at the top of the cliff,” Wind Whistler reported. “If we could subdue her, we would have access to whatever lies beyond.”

“Is it their stronghold?” North Star asked.

“I believe it is an entrance to it, but there may be others,” Wind Whistler answered.

“Then let’s blow her away.” Gusty disappeared in a shower of aqua sparkles. She reappeared on the nearest ledge before disappearing again and reappearing on the next.

“Wait!” Wind Whistler shouted up to her. “I think it’s their leader.”

Gusty continued winking from ledge to ledge in quick succession, apparently not hearing her or ignoring her.

“We better follow her.” North Star took to the air.

* * *

The world reformed at the opening to the cave Wind Whistler told them about. One harpy had just disappeared off the ledge, but one remained. It was the one with her purple mane tied in bun and called ‘Glorious Alpha’.

“So, you’re the boss,” Gusty said.

The Glorious Alpha glowered. “I’m Alecta, Glorious Alpha of my flock. You have some nerve coming to my stronghold uninvited.”

“You came to our castle. Turnabout’s fair play,” Gusty replied. Then she thought about it. “At least I think that’s what they say.”

She pointed her horn at Alecta. “Whatever. You’re in the way, and I’m here to make you not in the way.” She blasted Alecta back.

North Star and Masquerade flew up over the ledge.

“Perfect timing,” Gusty said. “The way’s clear. Go get Truly and the girl. I’ll keep her busy.”

The two flew into the cave and disappeared into the darkness.

Alecta got to her feet. “You’ll keep me busy, will you, little pony?” She casually walked towards Gusty. “I’ll leave your friends to the surprise waiting inside. However, you had the gall to blow me over.” She presented her talons. “For that, I will deal with you personally.”

* * *

North Star landed and galloped through the tunnel. Torches provided some light, but the rough walls of dark rock made everything dim. The tunnel opened up into a large chamber with a long table leading to a throne.

“What’s this?” Masquerade asked.

“It looks like their great hall,” North Star answered.

A massive bird flew down at them. It looked like a buzzard only even more massive. They stepped aside as it landed hard where North Star had been standing and glared at them. It puffed up its body as it walked around them and then took off down the tunnel they had come through.

“What was that?” Masquerade asked.

“I don’t know,” North Star replied. “Maybe some kind of pet.”

They turned their attention back to the dimly-lit hall. “Where do you think they would be holding them?” Masquerade asked.

North Star looked throughout the hall. Another opening in the opposite wall appeared to go downward. “Over there.”

She took a step when something she had thought was a statue leapt from its perch. It was blue like a harpy with human-like head and arms and legs ending in scaled talons. However, it was otherwise unrecognizable as such. It was incredibly thin, almost like a skeleton with skin pulled tightly over it with wiry limbs and no wings. Its head was completely bald and it wore a black, leather vest and pants.

“What are you?” North Star asked.

The harpy-like thing did not respond. It folded its talons with one claw pointed up. Is closed its eyes and opened up a larger eye in its forehead. The pupil constricted and North Star felt like her entire body had been engulfed in searing flames.

North Star collapsed onto her stomach, her entire body in crippling pain. Masquerade also fell onto her stomach and winced. The eye glared down at them, unblinking and somehow the source of their agony.

* * *

Gusty shot blasts of wind at Alecta, but she sidestepped them. She needed to get the wind going, so it was not as fast or as wide at this close range. She stepped closer and closer to her, and Gusty instinctively stepped back.

“You’re a brave one,” Alecta said.

“You better believe it,” Gusty insisted. “You overgrown feather dusters don’t scare me.”

Gusty’s back hoof went down further than she suspected, and she instantly picked it up. She looked back and realized she was right at the edge. She looked down and saw that the ground was almost a kilometer below her. If she had stepped out any further, she would have fallen.

The thought of falling took over. The distance appeared to increase, and she felt dizzy. Thoughts of falling helplessly filled her mind, drowning out everything else. Her legs felt weak and her horn went numb. She had put it out of her mind going up, but the overwhelming fear was taking over.

“What’s wrong?” Alecta said, mocking concern. “I thought we didn’t scare you.”

* * *

Wind Whistler flew a wide circle around the ledge, watching Gusty. The Glorious Alpha trapped her against the edge of the cliff. Wind Whistler thought she would wink out to somewhere of cover, but she stood there. Alecta raised her talon, getting ready to strike.

Wind Whistler dove in and did the first thing that crossed her mind. She grabbed the Glorious Alpha’s arm and bit down as hard as she could. The Glorious Alpha let out a screech like that of a hawk and swept her arm back.

Wind Whistler was thrown from her and struck the rock with her back mostly and the back of her head to less of a degree. A wave of pain went through her, and her ears rang from the overwhelming sensation.

“I have had enough of this,” the Glorious Alpha snarled.

* * *

Gergo cast a constant stream pain waves on the two ponies. Using psychic suggestion, he made all the pain receptors in their bodies fire at once. They would eventually be rendered unconscious by the overwhelming sensations. They already could not stand. They squealed and writhed as they had to feel like they were on fire inside as well as out. Through his psychic sight, their nervous systems were burning orange, representing the overstimulation he was forcing on them.

Gergo, Alecta’s thoughts reached him, grab the girl and kill the other captives. Do it quickly because we’re abandoning the stronghold as soon as we have an opening.

Gergo relinquished his attack on the two ponies. He closed his third eye and opened his normal ones. They lay there, moaning and wincing. They were crippled enough.

He turned away and walked towards the hall leading to the dungeon. One of the ponies managed to say, “Stop,” weakly. He did not even interrupt his stride at this.

* * *

Wind Whistler shook her head, her ears still ringing and her back aching. She quickly moved each of her legs and her wings to make sure they still worked. Aside from the temporary tinnitus, she seemed to suffer no ill effects to her brain as her vision was sharp and singular and any sense of dizziness was minimal.

A large bird with black feathers and a bald, pink head and neck was eying her. She batted at it with her hoof and it backed away.

She pressed the button her microphone. “Do you read me, Twilight Mist?”

“Let me guess, things have gone sideways?” Twilight Mist asked rhetorically.

“More like diagonal at the moment,” Wind Whistler answered.

She focused on the Glorious Alpha looming over Gusty still just standing there. She seemed completely focused on her, leaving her open to Wind Whistler.

Wind Whistler vaulted forward, not bothering to adjust her body to be hooves first. At this point, it did not matter. She slammed into Alecta’s back, sending her over Gusty and over the cliff. She quickly spread her wings and circled back up towards her.

“Gusty, you need to wink out right now!” Wind Whistler insisted.

Gusty was wide-eyed and her knees were buckling. Alecta must have had her terrified. Wind Whistler knew that her previous bravado was based on ignorance. However, this response was only putting her in greater danger.

* * *

Gergo took the keys off the peg and opened the door to the girl’s cell. She backed up into a corner as he stepped in. The four days of being in the cell had made her dirty and disheveled. Her blond hair was tangled and dull. Her overalls and blouse were filthy. However, her eyes were just as bright blue as when they brought her in and filled with fear at the sight of him.

He closed his normal eyes and opened his third. Instead of over stimulating her like the ponies, he suppressed her nervous impulses. She wavered and her eyes slowly closed. Before she completely collapsed, he put his hands under her.

His physical body was weak, serving little use beyond sustaining his brain and its powers. He added some telekinesis to pick up the girl and carried her out of the cell.

He then remembered Alecta wanted the other captives killed and quickly. Although he had no means to ending their lives quickly, he had one option to begin their demise immediately.

Gergo set the girl down and picked up a torch from the wall. He unlocked the cell holding the pony and the day’s spoils. He paid them no mind as he threw the torch onto the hay covering the floor. The torch hit the ground, throwing out embers. The embers landed in the hay, creating smoke and soon quickly growing flames.

“What are you doing?!” the pony shrieked.

He closed the door and locked it, tossing the keys aside. He then took up the girl and walked towards stairs back up into the grand hall. Smoke came billowing from the opening in the door as the pony screamed and coughed.

* * *

Wind Whistler watched as the Glorious Alpha circled above them. She then looked to Gusty still standing there. “We have to remove ourselves from this situation immediately,” she explained.

Gusty looked down below them and snapped her vision forward. Sweat matted her coat and her eyes wavered.

Wind Whistler returned her attention to the Glorious Alpha above them. This must have been the perspective of a rodent watching a hawk looming above it. She pulled in her wings in and rocketed down towards them. She had her talons forward, ready to deliver a killing blow.

Wind Whistler rushed through her options. There was only one. She could not stop the Glorious Alpha from making more attacks, so she had to remove Gusty from this vulnerable spot. She tackled Gusty and they both went over the edge of the cliff just as the Glorious Alpha slammed her claw into the ground where they had been standing.

She thought, once falling, Gusty would wink to safety. However, she plummeted to the ground like a lifeless dummy. Wind Whistler realized she was completely out of it if not actually unconscious.

She pulled in her wings and shot to Gusty. She took her up into her legs and flapped her wings and fast as they would go to try to slow their descent. Gusty felt like a bag of soft sand in her pasterns, completely limp.

* * *

North Star rubbed her head as her ears continued to ring and her vision was blurry. Her legs and wings felt like they were made of soft rubber. Masquerade was also slow to stand. Whatever that thing had done to them, it seemed to be subsiding albeit slowly.

It emerged from the hallway going down, holding a human girl in filthy clothes. She lay limply in his bony hands, apparently unconscious. Despite being dirty, North Star recognized her as the girl in Daniel’s picture.

North Star broke into as much of a run as she could manage. She and Masquerade were almost to it when her hooves suddenly left the ground and all her forward motion stopped. She was held in midair, and the thing’s third eye was open. It shifted to their left, and they were thrown to the left into the wall.

North Star was still trying to get her full wherewithal and now deal with this latest jolt of hitting the wall. She watched as the thing set down the girly and slung a wide cylinder across its back. It then pulled a carpet from it and tossed it. The carpet unfolded and stopped several centimeters off the ground.

The girl levitated from the ground and settled on the front of the carpet. The thing jumped onto the carpet and sat down with its legs crossed. The carpet floated towards the exit.

North Star got her hooves under her. “We have to go after that thing.”

“North Star, look.” Masquerade pointed to the tunnel he had come out of. Smoke was pouring from it.

North Star realized if he brought the girl from it, it was where the prisoners were kept. “Oh no! Truly!”

* * *

Lofty squinted to better see the objects falling from the cliff. They were Gusty and Wind Whistler, the blue pegasus having the white unicorn in her grip and clearly trying to slow them down.

“Wind Whistler and Gusty fell from the cliff!” she shouted.

“Why isn’t Gusty winking out?” Powder asked.

“I don’t know, but they’re too heavy together for Wind Whistler,” Lofty said.

“Leave that to me.” A purple aura surrounded Skyflier’s horn.

* * *

Alecta watched as all of the ponies were concentrating on the two plummeting towards the ground. Though, a few opportunistic harpies try to take advantage only for the pony to realize and avoid. It was still enough of an opening for them to escape, and she planned to take it.

“All harpies,” she shouted so she could be heard and sent the message to Gergo, “take flight and leave the island.”

She spread her wings and took to the air. It stung to give up the old stronghold, but it was a small sacrifice. She looked back and saw Gergo come out of the entrance on his flying carpet with the girl in front of him. That was what mattered.

The others climbed into the sky to form a ‘V’. Thanatos joined into their formation next to her. Frona passed out spare quivers full of arrows and longbows and strings. There might be a few weapons left behind, but it was not like the ponies could use them with their clumsy hooves.

* * *

North Star ducked down below the choking, sour smoke. It was from a hay fire, she could tell from its stench. The stairs ended into a hall filled with smoke. She and Masquerade remained low as they passed by several doors.

A door ahead had smoke pouring from it. “Truly, are you in there!” North Star shouted at it.

“I’m in here!” Truly’s shouted voice shouted from behind the smoking door and then coughed. “They set the hay in here on fire.”

“I can tell,” North Star said. “We’ll get you out.”

North Star bit the ring on the door and pulled, but it was locked. Masquerade picked up a set of keys and shoved one into the lock. It thankfully turned and the door opened. The fire inside flared as fresh air poured in to feed it.

North Star looked around for something to put the fire out. There were a couple buckets of water against the wall. She and Masquerade grabbed one each and dumped them into the room. The flames quickly died and a choking cloud of steam and smoke billowed up.

“Truly, are you all right?” Masquerade asked.

Truly emerged from the smoke, choking, soaked in sweat, and stained with soot, but otherwise unharmed. “Thank Celestia you made it. We need to help the others.”

“Others?” North Star asked. “What others?”

* * *

Wind Whistler felt herself and Gusty becoming lighter. Not so much losing mass as things like inertia seemed to remain consistent, but gravity’s pull on them was lessening. Their velocity was not decreasing outside of her actions, but the rate of acceleration was, and wind resistance was becoming more of a factor. Her wings could produce sufficient lift to counteract the weaker gravity and work against their unchanged inertia. She slowed their descent to a safe rate. She placed Gusty gently on the ground and shot up with a flap once the extra weight was released.

Gravity seemed to return to normal from there and she landed. She looked around and saw only the other ponies standing around. “What happened?”

“The harpies slipped away while we were saving you,” Powder said. “I think they were ready to abandon the island all along.”

Gusty took in several breaths as she seemed more aware of her surroundings. She suddenly shot a sharp glare at Wind Whistler. “YOU!” She lunged at Wind Whistler; but Whizzer, Skyflier, and Lofty held her back and Firefly and Skydancer got in front of Wind Whistler.

“What were you thinking pushing me off a cliff?!” Gusty snarled. “Were you trying to kill me?!”

“I was trying to save you,” Wind Whistler explained. “Their leader was going to kill us if we remained on that cliff, and you refused to wink out. I thought you would wink to safety once you were over the cliff. It was the only logical option remaining.”

“I’m sick of listening to you go on about logic and information!” Gusty shouted. “You don’t show any feelings or care about others’ feelings. Listening to you is like listening to a machine.”

Wind Whistler felt her heart pick up its pace. Her body grew warm, especially her eyes with tears welling up in them and a lump forcing in her throat.

“That’s enough, Gusty,” Powder stated.

“I bet if we cut you open, we’d find circuits in there and you’d bleed oil,” Gusty continued. “You probably don’t even care about getting back to Equestria, because no one would want to be friends with a walking computer except that bubble-making airhead and the wimp with the sunglasses.”

Wind Whistler had spent her life learning to keep her emotions in check. She did have feelings and did care, but she just did not show it. Emotions were fragile and volatile, seeming to come out for the most illogical reasons. Practical actions were more productive than emotional expression. Feelings were more trouble than they were worth, in fact, and it was best to keep them behind a dam. However, a tsunami of anger and frustration was hitting that dam.

Fortunately, it held. She kept her lip stiff and the tears stayed back. It hurt all over inside, but she kept it from showing. Blowing up at Gusty would solve nothing. However, the wave subsided into a hollowing sorrow. She felt hurt and empty.

“I have feelings, and I do care,” Wind Whistler said weakly. “I—”

She was having trouble keeping the sorrow back. The dam was seriously damaged, and crumbling. The lump in her throat was to the point she could barely get a word out and her eyes were burning for tears. She also wondered if she had missed something about Gusty which would give reason for her not to wink out. She ran out of the crowd, not wanting to lose it in front of them.

* * *

Gusty watched as Wind Whistler ran from them into a group of trees. A sharp pain suddenly came upside the head. She looked back and saw Firefly had her hoof raised. She rubbed the back of her head. “What was that for?”

“First, payback for the first day we got here,” Firefly state. “Second, for a pony, you can be a real jackass.”

“Why didn’t you wink out?” Powder asked.

Gusty felt her heart quicken, but she took it as a reason to go defensive. “Hey, I’m the one she almost killed. I shouldn’t have to defend myself.”

Skyflier heaved a sigh. “Some heroes we turned out to be. We let the bad guys get away and can only fight amongst ourselves.”

North Star landed. “Dear me, what happened here?”

“Gusty insulted Wind Whistler and she ran off,” Surprise answered before anyone could stop her.

“Well, we’re going to need some help up there,” North Star said.

“Is Truly all right?” Medley asked. “What about the girl?”

“They escaped with the girl,” North Star said. “There was something in there with incredible mind powers. Thinking about it, I believe it was a male harpy.” She shuddered. “I don’t want to have to face him again.”

“And Truly?” Powder asked.

“Truly is shaken up but otherwise fine,” North Star said. “It’s the other captives that need our help.”

“Should we get Wind Whistler?” Skydancer asked looking to the trees she had disappeared into.

“I think we should let her have her space for the moment,” Powder said.

Gusty glanced to where Wind Whistler had taken off. She thought of going after her for a split second, but thought better of it. She had nothing to apologize for.

“Hey, Wind Whistler,” Gusty shouted, ignoring Powder, “make yourself useful for once and get up there.”

* * *

Wind Whistler watched as Truly helped the juvenile dragon get the metal muzzle off his head. He opened and closed his mouth and straightened his chin. “How’s that dear?”

“Much better,” the blue dragon said. “Thanks.”

Truly followed him out of the cell which still held the stench of smoke.

Truly shuddered as she stepped through the threshold. “I’ve been officially scarred for life. How was your day?”

Wind Whistler did not answer. Her body was there, but her mind was locked in its safe place. She was simply observing.

The small dragon joined the other six along with the ponies in the hall.

Wind Whistler recognized them as the children with the adult dragon making glass at the port in the Choked Fjord from yesterday. They were a colorful bunch, and all male.

“Who are you?” Lofty asked.

The largest, having purple scales and green spines stepped forward. “I’m Spike and these are my brothers.”

He pointed to the light purple dragon with darker purple spines. “That’s Spiny.” A pink dragon with darker pink spines. “Sparks.” A dragon with scales as bright red as a fire engine and yellow spines. “Fiery.” A yellow dragon with orange spines. “Flash.” A green dragon with darker green spines. “Prickles.” He pointed to the little blue dragon with darker blue spines.

“And the runt Smokey,” Fiery said before Spike could say a thing.

“Hey!” Smokey snapped.

“You heard me.” Fiery loomed over Smokey. “We got caught because you were so slow and Mom had to protect you.”

Smokey retreated behind Spike.

“Speaking of your mother, where is she?” Truly asked.

The dragons were silent.

“Oh, you poor things,” Truly said. “What did those monsters do?”

Spike rubbed the claws on his feet on the stone. “We were going through the mountains when the harpies came down on us. Mom tried to keep us together and head for a cave, but we weren’t fast enough and they cut us off.

“Mom tried to fight them, but they caught her from behind by the neck. She fell over and didn’t move. They caught all of use and tied our mouths shut so we couldn’t breathe fire and threw us in a bag.”

Wind Whistler felt like a dagger had driven itself through her heart. She had watched their mother make that glass plant. Not only had a life been taken, a mother and undoubtedly wife, but all that skill taken from this world in a senseless act violence. It was all gone, and for what reason?

“Tell her what they did to her body!” Fiery insisted. “They ate her! And we were going to be dinner!”

The ponies gasped. Wind Whistler could not stop herself from drawing in air loudly.

“But you’re sentient,” North Star said.

“Doesn’t seem to matter to them,” Truly said. “They were going to leave us to burn to death.”

“Do you know where—” Lofty paused, no doubt looking for the right words “—what’s left of your mother is?”

“Probably in the garbage,” Spike said despairingly.

* * *

The harpy’s garbage pit was more like a badly maintained graveyard with heaps of bones piled high. It reeked with the stench of death and rotting meat. Flies buzzed around and walked over the small pieces of flesh still clinging to the bones.

The sight, smell, and even sound of flies buzzing made Wind Whistler incredibly ill. Ponies had no moral problem with other races that consumed meats long as it was not from sapient species, especially ponies. Ponies did not consume animal flesh because they were biologically incompatible. They ate products from animals like chicken eggs and milk from cows with no qualms outside of those who insisted on only consuming vegetable matter. In fact, now that she thought about it, if their bodies could process animal matter, it would be a good source of protein.

However, this disgusting mess the harpies left behind made her stomach turn.

Most of the skeletons were of smaller mammals, particularly rodents. However, a few larger creatures like cows were also among the remains. She did not see any skulls with the enlarged cranial cavity of a sapient being. Hopefully, this despicable act was a rarity for even harpies.

Quiet sobs caught her attention. She looked over the seven dragons gathered near a bone pile. The skull was clearly reptilian with a blunt snout and spines starting at the forehead of the enlarged cranium. It would have fit perfectly into the dragon’s head.

As Wind Whistler came near, Smokey grabbed her leg and buried his face in it.

“Where’s your father?” Lofty asked.

“We don’t have a father,” Spike answered, his voice cracking. “Our mother just laid a bunch of eggs, and we were the only ones that hatched. She tried to explain its something female dragons sometimes do when they’re alone for a long time, and only boy eggs hatch.”

“So, you have nowhere to go?” Truly asked.

The seven dragons nodded.

“Then you can come back to us,” Truly said. “We’re all alone in this world too.”

“Thanks,” Spike said.

Lofty looked to the skull. “What do we do about her?”

“We should bury her?” North Star said. “It would only be proper.”

* * *

They decided to only bury her skull since finding the rest of her bones would be impossible and it would be indecent to bury her with the skeleton of an animal. Powder took a flat rock and made it into a primitive headstone. She gouged the dragon’s name, Ember, into it with a piece of hardened ice she created.

Her gravesite was under one of the larger yew trees overlooking the ocean. It seemed peaceful enough on this island or volcanic rock. They pulled out rocks to form a suitably deep hole and buried the skull. Powder put the headstone in place and they stood there.

Masquerade cleared her throat. “I don’t know how dragons handle death, but we Crystal ponies have a ritual and belief for when we shed our mortal coil.”

Everyone gathered around and gave Masquerade their attention.

“When a crystal pony is born, a piece is added to the Crystal Heart for them,” she continued. “We believe every life brought into the world makes it a bigger and more vibrant place. The birth of a pony or dragon or whatever brings new life to the world itself.

“However, when their life is lost, we do not take that piece from the Crystal Heart. Although their mortal life is over, the life they have given to the world does not leave with them. They leave a part of themselves in this world with those who knew them and the contributions they made. Even the most inconsequential things we do changes the world for better or worse, and that leaves a legacy long after our body gives out.

“Also, we believe there is more to us than these crude pieces of flesh and collection of bones. Crystal ponies and others have long believed that we are both material and immaterial. Death is merely the separation of the two and our immaterial selves, our true selves, goes into whatever comes next.

“Because of that, I ask that you think of the dearly departed, Ember. She was the mother of seven young dragons and brought joy to others with her craft. She was undoubtedly a daughter and sister as well. May the footprints she has left in this world reform it into a better place than the one she came into. And for her immortal soul, may it find a place of peace far from the violent end her mortal coil came to.”

She turned to the seven dragons. “Is there anything you wish to say on your mother’s behalf?”

Spike stepped up to the headstone. “Mom, I don’t know if you can hear,”—his voice was cracking—“but I’ll take care of the others.”

Spiny patted Spike on the back. “I’ll make sure Spike doesn’t overdo it. You know how he can be when he sets his mind to things.”

Sparks tapped the claws of his hands together. “I’m sorry, but I have nothing.”

Fiery put his fist to his chest. “Mother, know that I’ll make those harpies pay for what they did to you.”

Flash cleared his throat. “Rest well, Mom.”

Prickles heaved a sigh. “I’m with Sparks. I don’t know what to say.”

Smokey slowly approached the headstone. He swallowed. “I’m sorry, Mom. If I had been faster, you might have made it to the cave.” He stopped and just sobbed, the others joined him.

Author's Note:

In the UK and Europe, the Princess ponies came with baby dragons like Spike instead of bushwoolies.

Comments

[NobodieZ]

Amazing work, plenty of action and emotion.

[Al-1701]

8774860
Thank you. This was probably the hardest chapter to write. Getting all that action to flow right and really utilize all of the combatants.

[NobodieZ]

8774994
You're welcome.

[Starlight Nova]

Why aren't there any character tags?

[Al-1701]

8775390
Because these are all G1 ponies, and Fimfiction doesn’t have any character tags for ponies from other generations.