The Reunion

by Bronyxy

6 Rescue Party

Everypony involved had been nervous about the meeting and none had eaten well last night or that morning, so they all set about attacking the feast that lay before them, all joyfully catching up on gossip. First to leave were the cyan pegasi, their previous animosity reduced to the status of friendly rivalry. Celestia had issued Rainbow with a flight plan that would see the them clear of observers on the ground, so reducing their chances of being seen to a significantly lower level than had been witnessed in Blitz’s world when their joint display had brought Ponyville to a halt.

Twilight and Dusk agreed to supervise the fillies and colts outside as they had foreseen in their paintings and the two reptiles had decided to come along too. This left the particularly handsome couple of white alicorns looking over the eight remaining ponies in their care, all of whom were evidently having a thoroughly enjoyable time in each other’s company; the farmers talking family, the party planners bouncing around excitedly playing a variety of games, while the two other couples were engaged in their own private worlds into which nopony else was invited.

“You know, Solly” said Celestia with a romantic lilt in her voice “This is all very cosy. It’s like we are the parents of a large family, watching our children leave behind their cares and simply have fun.”
“You’re so right” replied Solaris, feeling the white mare nuzzling closely into him “That is what the spirit of the season is all about after all.”
Celestia merely whispered a soft “Uh huh” and nudged her male counterpart’s chin gently, focusing his gaze upwards to notice the mistletoe suspended above them. He needed no further prompting and turned to give his hostess a gentle kiss on the cheek, but at the last second, she turned her head and met his kiss full on, giving them both an opportunity to shut the world out, however briefly.

The magicians had returned with their young charges and an impressive display of snowponies outside bore testament to their crafting skills as well as some conveniently rehearsed spells from the young unicorns. With more ponies to play with, the party ponies kicked it up a gear and the party developed a life of its own.

However, where were Rainbow and Blitz?

One at a time, everypony started to have the same thought. They had been gone for hours and it was now starting to get close to the time when it had been agreed that the party should be looking to wind up. Initial thoughts ranged from them being outright disobedient to their having been injured, but increasingly more towards the latter as time went by.

Eventually Celestia spoke up “Your Majesty, mares, stallions, fillies, colts and dragons, it would appear that two of our subjects have not returned .I do not believe that they would intentionally flaunt the rules on punctuality that we specified, so I am forced to conclude that they may need our help. As it will be dark soon, I consider that a search party should be mounted soonest, but owing to the sensitive nature of one of those lost, we can only draw upon those of us within this room. Twilight and Dusk, would you please accompany Prince Solaris and myself while one of you tell Princess Luna what has happened and request her communicate the same to Prince Artemis? Thank you.”

At this, the four alicorns formed up behind their hostess as they made their way down the same secret passageway as had been used by the snowpony making party earlier and filed out through a magically concealed entrance into the grounds outside the castle walls. They briefly admired the army of lifelike snowponies arrayed before them before springing into the air and setting course along the route laid out in the flight plan that Celestia had devised for the cyan pegasi, and prayed that they had followed it when they had gone out earlier. If not, it was going to be a long night ending in a lot of awkward questions.

They flew the cross-country route, making turns in all the designated places and raced to where they expected their friends to be, but there was no sign. They split up into pairs; the two males and the two females expanding the search pattern wider while the sun seemed to accelerate in its downward trajectory to the horizon – and darkness. Just when it looked like all hope was lost, Solaris caught a glimpse of something that looked like waving tentacles silhouetted against the dying rays of the sun and took Dusk with him to investigate. To his horror he saw just in time that they were hydra; an army of hydra and shouted a warning to Dusk as they both immediately climbed to ensure that they were beyond the reach of their extended necks.

“There!” shouted Dusk “I think we may have found them!”
Solaris looked too, and sure enough there were two cyan shapes almost totally concealed by the long shadows marching across the landscape. They both flew down to attack the hydras that were nearest to securing their evening meal, Solaris firing his magic and taking out the nearest monster, the bolt of his power splitting its body in two as its necks overbalanced and the heads hit the stony ground, still making biting motions with their mouths. They both attacked with everything they had, despatching the advancing crowd of hydras as quickly as they could.

The last of the sun’s rays had passed below the horizon and Solaris knew that they had to land now before darkness deprived them of that option and made such an action suicidal. He ordered Dusk to circle overhead and warn of any more approaching monsters while he made a tricky descent and flared just short of the cowering figures.

“How bad are your injuries?” he asked quickly.
“Blitz has got a broken leg and a sprained wing – he can’t fly and he keeps losing consciousness!” called back Rainbow “I’ve fought them off as best I can, but I was fresh outta luck till you arrived Sir!”
“Get him onto my back quickly and sit with him so he doesn’t fall!”
“Prince Solaris, there’s more coming, and coming fast!” called out Dusk.
“As soon as you can please, Rainbow” said the Prince with quiet determination.
“You won’t get off the ground with both of us Sir!” called Rainbow.
“Well, I would rather give it a try than risk losing Blitz. Are we clear to go?”
“Yes Sir!” cried Rainbow as Dusk shouted a really urgent warning.

Rainbow turned to see a hydra head bearing down on them just as Solaris sprang into the air, his big powerful wingbeats working the hardest they had in years. He put every last ounce of effort into lifting the two ponies and launched into the air as the lunging hydra head smashed into the stones where they had been a moment before.

Dusk formed up with his former mentor as he climbed as best he could aiming back the way he had come, back to the rendezvous point where he and Celestia had parted ways earlier. He did not complain, but everypony could tell the toll it was taking on the brave alicorn to keep going and protect the ponies in his care. With his breathing getting more laboured, he recognised the rendezvous point with its wide open spaces and could just about make out a safe place to land but tasked Dusk with going to investigate while he circled overhead. On hearing it was safe, he made a fast descent and landed more heavily than he had intended, Rainbow catching Blitz as her unconscious friend lurched and threatened to fall.

“Thank you Dusk and thank you Rainbow” he said between gasps then cautioned “Be careful I’m about to light a flare.”
The ponies closed their eyes as he sent a big yellow flash high into the sky and levitated it in place as he then directed his magic to a spot ten yards distant and in another bright flash, a fire appeared.
“Well, I have to say that was a little too close for comfort!” he joked “Now, I think it’s probably safe to dismount and spare my old bones briefly while we wait for Celestia and Twilight to find us.”
“Thank you, Sir” said Rainbow “Another minute and we were gone.”

“Can you still fly Rainbow?”
“Yes Sir, I think I can, but not too well; we were both injured in a hydra attack.”
“Then why did you not leave Blitz and fly for help?” he enquired genially, without any hint of judgement in his voice.
“We were already too close to the hydras. They would have had him before I could have returned.”
“Yet you chose not to escape yourself?”
“I represent the Element of Loyalty, Sir.”
“You are brave Rainbow Dash, and I consider myself very fortunate that Blitz had you as his flying partner today. It could have ended very differently.”
“He would have done the same for me” said Rainbow matter-of-factly.

Just then there was a fluttering of wings as Celestia and Twilight landed next to them by the light of the fire.
“Solly, what happened here?” asked Celestia, deadly serious.
“Hydra attack, Celly. They have massed across the border and are advancing into Equestria. Blitz and Rainbow found them and it appears they went to investigate but were injured. Young Rainbow here fought them off as Blitz was unconscious and we only just found the pair of them in the nick of time. She is very brave Celly. She could have left him to his fate and got away herself, but stayed to protect him and very nearly died in the process.”

“Well done Rainbow” she acknowledged “We must get the pegasi back for medical attention as soon as we can and inform the guards of an imminent attack. It looks like you’ve done your share of carrying tonight Solly, let me take my turn.”
“No Celly, I can manage another stretch, but would be most grateful if you would help me out when we get a bit nearer. Too much cake and not enough exercise, I’m afraid!”

Solaris launched himself into the air once the two pegasi were safely aboard and set course for Canterlot, followed by the two lilac ponies, then Celestia as the last to take off, dousing the fire once she was airborne and then joining the formation of alicorns.

Comments

[Comickook]

Whoa. I'm glad the two Rainbows managed to make it through that hydra attack (though, admittedly, badly injured). Great way to escalate things without going too far.

The exchanges, characterizations, action (during the rescue) and future chapter set-up were, of course, quite well done.

On to the next chapter.