CRISIS: New World Order

by GanonFLCL

Chapter Twenty-Two: Envelopment

Bluebolt had never flown so fast or so far in all her life, so after a week of flying non-stop to reach Newhaven, she was ready to collapse from exhaustion before the town even came into view. She knew she was close because her map told her that the small mountain range just ahead marked the border of House Sky’s territory, so that was a relief at least. Once she got over that, Newhaven—and by extension, aid from Hope’s Point—would be just a dozen or so miles away. It was all that had been keeping her moving all week, and it was what kept her moving now.

But, she was exhausted and hungry, and she needed to stop and rest for lunch before she passed out. So, she settled down on a clear, smooth cliffside on the southern edge of the mountains. She’d already skipped breakfast to make good time today and had woken up a couple of hours earlier than she should’ve, but she was so close now that she couldn’t help herself. She figured if she took thirty minutes now to eat, breathe, and to rest her wings, she’d still make good time. There was no sense in pushing herself beyond what her body could take, after all. If she collapsed before getting her message out, that would defeat the purpose in coming all this way, wouldn’t it?

All she’d been able to think about since the moment she left the camp was Symphony, and her thoughts drifted as she ate her rations. Was Symphony okay? Had she made it to Astropolis yet? Had any monsters tried to attack her and their friends as they climbed through those mountains? She knew Symphony was traveling through what was supposedly a safe area—she’d been assured of it multiple times by multiple individuals, Harvey especially—but that didn’t stop her from worrying.

One thing was for certain, though. When she saw Symphony again, she was ready to have a heartfelt talk with her and to talk about the future, their future. Seeing Rarity so happy to be reunited with Zircon and introducing Rarity to Zyra—and thereby reminded of Zyra’s happy relationship—had put a few things in perspective, and Bluebolt figured it was time for her and Symphony to take the next step. So, Bluebolt thought, Symphony had better keep herself safe through all of this.

As Bluebolt finished her lunch and prepared to move north again, she heard something off in the distance: an explosion. It sounded pretty close, and in fact even sounded like it came from the direction of Newhaven. Then there was another explosion, and another, and another. Bluebolt realized these weren’t just regular explosions at this point, not coming so rapidly. Also, she recognized some of the intermingled noises within the blasts. This was cannon fire, and not from some archaic navy vessel like what House Waters used.

These explosions were from airship cannon fire. That could only realistically mean one thing: Hope’s Point was here in the south again. But why?

Bluebolt took wing and ascended the rest of the mountain, reaching the top in about a minute or two, and looked out onto the northern fields. She could see Newhaven from here, not clearly enough to make out any individual buildings but enough to see the town’s outline and to spot the port’s unique colors that distinguished it from the rest of the town. She could also make out dozens of specks—some large, some small—darting about in the air somewhere above the town, as well as the flashes of explosions against the darkening early evening sky.

“Is that a battle going on?” Bluebolt muttered to herself. “But what— oh no…”

She took flight north immediately, as fast as her wings could take her. Even then it took several minutes before she could clearly see Newhaven, but more importantly, before she could clearly see what was going on above Newhaven, and her assessment had been correct: a battle.

First of all, the battle was not being engaged directly above the town, but above the ocean. Second, the context of the battle was highly unexpected. The NPAF’s fleet of cruisers was here in the south, just a few miles out to sea engaged in fierce battle with the fleet of Hope’s Point. The NPAF hadn’t attacked Hope’s Point at all, it seemed, but moved further south towards Newhaven. Why would they do that? What purpose did that serve?

As Bluebolt flew closer and closer to Newhaven, she could see that once again the town had evacuated into the port, where they would be safe. And, as she flew closer, the battle itself grew clearer, until eventually she could see a lot of the intricate details as to what was happening out there.

The NPAF’s fleet of twenty Pandemonium-Class cruisers had been deployed, and they were every bit as fearsome and intimidating as Bluebolt has believed them to be just from a brief glimpse of them covered up over the winter. They were gun-shaped vessels without any proper wings, but with dozens of engines on the rear, bottom, and sides to give them lift, speed, and maneuverability that she didn’t think possible on ships that large. And they were large, with each one the size of a city block. They were more like buildings than airships, really.

A few of the cruisers were already in the process of drifting towards the ocean below, having been disabled or damaged to the point that they couldn’t fly properly any longer. Those that had already hit the sea managed to stay afloat; they really were as light—and therefore buoyant—as Weaver had described them, which was all the more amazing considering their size.

Hope’s Point had also deployed its own fleet, which numbered some fifty or so smaller ships, each of a different size and model; Hope’s Point employed no two ships that looked alike except for the old stunt flyer flight teams, and those weren’t fit for combat. While it was hard to spot the difference between one ship and another from this distance, Bluebolt knew the fleet’s logistics well enough to recognize a few of the larger ships based on their shapes and colors, and could see that her mother had been very precise in choosing which ships to bring.

For one thing, none of the smallest ships in the fleet were present, as those were suited for quick one-way trips between Hope’s Point and Newhaven, refueling after each journey then flying back, not for extended battles. The fleet’s largest ships weren’t present either, as those were unsuited for combat entirely. ”Moving targets” they’d been described as, and given what the fleet was doing to the huge Pandemonium-class cruisers, that was a rather apt concern. Instead, it was mostly the mid-sized ships, with the largest being the fleet’s gunships, such as the Thunder Two.

As Bluebolt entered into Newhaven’s airspace, she got a good glimpse at one Hope’s Point airship—the Shield of Serenity—that was hovering stationary above the town. With its wings deployed, the ship appeared as a large cross in the sky, and from each wingtip it deployed small probe-like drones that generated parts of a barrier. Said barrier was large enough to cover nearly all of Newhaven, with only the outlying farmlands not protected. The ship was designed to provide a defensive shield around parts of the fleet during combat, but it was clearly here to keep the town and the port safe.

This meant that it wasn’t protecting the fleet itself, which therefore meant that Hope’s Point was experiencing losses. As Bluebolt raced under the Shield of Serenity’s barrier towards the northernmost cliff in town—which overlooked part of the port and the beaches below—she could see clearly now that Hope’s Point was almost struggling—but not quite—to stay on an even keel with the NPAF’s warships at the moment. There was a lot of colorful wreckage floating on the ocean surface, all that remained of some ships that had already been downed. If there were survivors, Bluebolt wouldn’t be able to see them from here even if she tried.

But the fleet fought on, as expected. Now that she was closer, Bluebolt could identify nearly every ship that was still operational and determine its status as they put everything they had into fighting against the enemy cruisers. Apparently, they’d taken to heart the information gleaned from the meeting with Weaver and were equipped to handle their otherwise overpowering opponents.

She recognized the Thunder Two, of course, which maintained a high altitude above the field, moving slow enough to aim but quick enough to avoid most weapons fire. Another gunship, the Rising Phoenix, did the same from a lower altitude, as its guns were positioned on the top. She didn’t see the fleet’s third gunship, the Gemini Star, flying about, and so assumed it had either been left behind or downed. If it was the latter, she couldn’t see any wreckage.

She saw the fleet’s dozens of smaller, faster assault ships jetting about between the enemy cruisers, avoiding enemy fire and returning more of their own as they went. They were larger than the ill-equipped stunt flyers but still small enough to maneuver the battlefield efficiently and effectively. She could almost remember each of their names, but they were too small to identify from here, and she wasn’t even sure if they were all still flying at this point.

There were also the specialist ships, which were equipped defensively and deployed remotely-piloted drones for combat similar to the NPAF’s AMP Troopers, but could reconfigure them to fit any role needed. Bluebolt saw the Gleaming Star—the largest and grandest of these specialist ships—push towards one of the NPAF behemoths alone, despite being less than a quarter of its size. Even with the size disadvantage, it took its target down all by itself in a matter of minutes by swarming it with drones equipped with EMP technology—Bluebolt recognized the impact shockwaves of blue lightning.

Most importantly was the fleet’s command ship, the Wyvern Two, which would be flown by none other than Queen Blackburn herself, who prided herself as one of the best pilots in the fleet even to this day. It was a techno-magical marvel even by the fleet’s standards, employing enough customized, modular systems and hardware to make it capable of anything it needed to be. Her Majesty could outfit the ship with more engines for higher speeds, or adjust the wings for different maneuverability in different conditions, or change the type of weapons she was flying out with. Bluebolt had no idea what loadout her mother was using, but assured herself that it would be perfectly suited for the task at hoof.

And perfectly suited it seemed to be, because the Wyvern Two, which was smaller than the Gleaming Star by half, was flying circles around two separate enemy cruisers at the same time, as they had split off from the NPAF fleet to move on Newhaven instead. Bluebolt could just make out her mother’s ship as it bobbed and weaved through rounds of cannon fire like a fish through water, performing acrobatics nearly impossible—but not improbable—for even the most skilled of pegasus pilots.

The enemy ships’ newfangled targeting systems were smart enough not to fire at her when the opposite ship was in its firing line—which Bluebolt knew her mother had used to cripple NPAF cruisers long ago—but the Wyvern Two was using this to its advantage by keeping itself in both ships’ firing lines so that they wouldn’t fire on it—at least with their heavier guns—almost at all. And all the while, it used its own weapons to take out the smaller guns to give it all the breathing room it needed to force the two cruisers to adjust their formation or be relentlessly hounded by a smaller ship.

Which, of course, was clearly part of the plan, because as soon as one of the two cruisers pulled up to get a better firing line on the Wyvern Two—thereby directing its attention entirely on the smaller ship—it was put into a more open position for the Thunder Two and the Rising Phoenix to lay into it with all of their firepower. The cruiser exploded in a hail of explosive force so strong that Bluebolt could feel the shockwave from this far away even through the Shield of Serenity’s barrier.

This was the turning point in the battle. As more and more of the NPAF cruisers were taken down, the Hope’s Point fleet congregated closer on the remaining ships and took them down more quickly and with fewer losses per cruiser downed. The battle raged on for minute after minute, turning into nearly an hour before the final NPAF cruiser lost altitude and plummeted into the sea below.

The Hope’s Point fleet then opened fire onto the enemy ships that floated in the ocean until every last one of them had sunk beneath the waves, preventing any of them from repairing their engines and taking flight again, and thereby preventing any of them from being a threat.

Bluebolt pumped her hoof. “Yes! They did it!” she cheered.

A part of her really wished she’d been aboard the Wyvern Two to witness the battle from a closer perspective, but that would have required the Hope’s Point fleet to have deployed from Newhaven; clearly they had come at the NPAF fleet from behind to have a tactical advantage, and had also waited until they got this far out to sea to lure the NPAF into a false sense of security and so as not to put Hope’s Point at risk. At least that was Bluebolt’s speculation.

Bluebolt raced towards the port as fast as her wings could take her, keeping her eyes to the sea as most of the Hope’s Point fleet began setting course for landing. The Shield of Serenity dropped its barrier and set about docking as well. A few of the larger ships instead descended towards the sea to hover above the water, which Bluebolt knew meant they were looking for and picking up survivors.

She made her way for the central command building, where several soldiers of the Hope’s Point militia—left here from the previous assault on Newhaven by Houses Green and Waters—were waiting along with several other ponies, including Lord Skycatcher, his wife Lady Spring Dew—a lovely green pegasus with a light blue mane—and their son, Lord Sunny Sky—a sky blue pegasus with an orange mane.

More importantly—and who Bluebolt immediately sought out—was Ambassador Bright Eyes, a yellow, bespeckled unicorn mare with a green mane styled in a short bun, wearing a crisp blue suit and bow tie. She was on Queen Blackburn’s council as the representative of Hope’s Point here in Newhaven, and was apparently grooming her brother, Prince Fireglow, as a replacement. Thus, she would be the mare that would have any information that Bluebolt wanted. And for now, Bluebolt wanted just one thing:

“What hangar is my mother landing in?” Bluebolt asked, approaching Bright Eyes without even giving a proper greeting.

Bright Eyes blinked and adjusted her glasses, clearly taken aback by Bluebolt’s presence and brusque greeting. “Princess? Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you left south with—” She paused, glancing around behind Bluebolt, perplexed. “Where’s Symphony? Where are the others that went with you?”

“It’s a long story, Ambassador, and right now the only pony that needs to hear any of it is my mom,” Bluebolt interjected, shaking her head. “Which hangar is she landing in?”

“Oh, um, let’s see…” Bright Eyes signaled for her assistant to pass over a datapad, which she then manipulated with her magic, sorting through data quickly and efficiently. “Hangar Twelve, Princess.”

Bluebolt nodded. “Thanks. Sorry for the rush, but I’ve gotta see her as soon as possible. Bye!” She then started for the door to leave.

Bright Eyes lifted her hoof and waved goodbye halfheartedly. “Oh, uh, sure. Okay then, Princess, happy to be of service. Bye, I guess?”

Bluebolt quickly made her way to Hangar Twelve on the west end of the port, where she saw the Wyvern Two making its descent. She didn’t need to push her way through guards or officials or workers or anything, since they noticed her and, apart from brief looks of confusion, everypony stepped aside to give her room. She knew she wasn’t supposed to be this far north and everypony else likely knew it too, so the confusion made sense.

As the Wyvern Two—a sleek, black ship shaped like a hawk when its wings were deployed—completed its docking process and the boarding ramp deployed, Bluebolt rushed forward ahead of the maintenance crew to be at the bottom of it. She arrived in time to see her mother, Queen Blackburn, descending the ramp with her flight crew and Zyra. Apart from Zyra, the crew wore black flight jackets, and Blackburn wore white flight suit under hers.

The entire group was given rather clear pause when they saw Bluebolt waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp.

“Bluebolt?” Blackburn muttered, raising an eyebrow. “You’re supposed to be down south.” She, like Bright Eyes before her, glanced behind and around Bluebolt as if looking for the others. “Symphony isn’t here with you. Hmm… then there must be trouble. Explain.”

Bluebolt held up her hooves. “It’s a long story, Mom, so let me just give you the short version with all the facts, okay?”

Blackburn stared her daughter down for a moment, then nodded. “Very well.”

Bluebolt took a deep breath as she prepared to launch into her summary:

“Zeb’ra’den is currently overrun with monsters called wendigos, which are ancient, evil creatures made of ice and snow and fueled by anger, fear, and hatred that can only be killed with heat and light. The zebras had to abandon the city, and they then called for aid from House Snow to help them retake it. Sundial, Weaver, and Venture are going through the old underground tunnels to reach the Beacon because Sundial is convinced that if she diffuses it or whatever, it will wipe out all of the wendigos instantly. So the zebras, Houses Snow and Wind, and Rarity—she went with Zircon because they’re together again—are going to draw the wendigos away from the city while Sundial does her job, but they know they won’t last forever out there. They need help and they need it now. They’ve probably already engaged with the wendigos, actually. I flew all the way here from the mountains of the Hippogriff Commonwealth—it took me an entire week, by the way—so that I could get word to you about it because we’re allies with the zebras and I figured it was the only thing I could do to help. As for Symphony, she’s taking Apple Bloom and Flurry Heart to Astropolis to keep them out of danger. Oh, and I saw Cousin Shine, too, and his horn is broken but he’s best friends with an Order knight named Zarya now, so he’s on the battlefield with her.”

As soon as she got the last words out, Bluebolt started breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. “Whew, that was a lot more than I thought it would be.”

Blackburn stood there for a long moment, quiet and contemplative, then turned to her crew. “Get the ship refueled, prepare to move out,” she said to her engineer, Overdrive, an orange earth pony stallion with a white mane. He saluted and rushed back aboard the ship without a word.

“Issue orders to fleet: do the same,” she said to her co-pilot, Cherry Wine, a dark red unicorn mare with a black mane. “Note that I will determine which ships come south, which return north. Also, inform my husband of the situation.” She, too, saluted and rushed back aboard the ship without a word.

Blackburn then turned to Bluebolt. “Anything else I should know?”

Bluebolt blinked. “Wow, that was fast. You didn’t even grill me with any questions or anything.”

“Story was clear, concise, only included important details. No questions needed. Zebras are our allies; we are obligated to aid them.” Blackburn shook her head and sighed. “News is most troubling. Many friends seem to be at risk if we don’t make haste.”

Zyra leaned against the support of the boarding ramp, clearly floored by everything she’d just heard. “This is horrible. How did such creatures overrun the city? Why would the king abandon our home? Where did these things even come from?”

“Like I said, it’s a long story,” Bluebolt murmured. “I’ll tell you guys the whole thing on the way, but I needed to get the important stuff out first so that we could get moving. We don’t have a lot of time.”

“Why can’t they wait for us?” Blackburn asked, her only question it seemed.

“Sundial said that the wendigos will only grow stronger the longer they’re left alone to feed on the hatred and anger caused by the stupid war going on here in the south, so they needed to attack before it became impossible to do anything. Plus, we didn’t know what was happening back in Hope’s Point, so they couldn’t risk waiting to hear back before they made plans.”

Blackburn nodded glumly. “An unfortunate circumstance.”

“Speaking of which, what are you doing here? I was expecting to have to send a message out and then just wait to hear back. I guess this is good since you’re this much closer to Zeb’ra’den and I was able to talk to you directly, but still. Why was the fleet out here fighting the NPAF? What were they doing here, actually? That’s probably the better question.”

Blackburn snorted. “NPAF set out from New Pandemonium at first light. Analyzed flight path, determined they were not en route to Hope’s Point. We watched and waited; they continued south. Flight plan indicated Newhaven as possible target; deployed the fleet to defend the town.”

“Attack Newhaven?” Bluebolt blinked. “Why would they do that?”

“Unknown, but was technically an excellent strategy.” Blackburn shook her head and sighed. “Unfortunate circumstances. Had to engage away from home base where fleet ships could pull back for repairs mid-combat, could not bring full fleet to bear. Only advantage was angle of our assault. Success due to timing of attack, by which I mean that it was today, rather than last week. Had attack occurred on expected timeline, would not have had sufficient forces to deploy.”

Bluebolt scratched her head. “If that’s the case, then why did they wait? They had to know you’d be at a disadvantage if they left sooner.”

“Unknown. But strategy is troubling. Obviously suggests that Hope’s Point was never the target. Newhaven unsatisfactory secondary—” Blackburn then paused, clearly pondering something in her head intensely. Once she’d finished—Bluebolt knew she was quick—her eyes widened. “Zeb’ra’den.”

Bluebolt tilted her head. “Huh? Zeb’ra’den?”

“Analyzed flight plan. Route would take NPAF fleet directly to Newhaven, but could also indicate continued flight south from here. Zeb’ra’den is directly south of here.”

“What? Why would the NPAF fleet be flying… towards... “ Bluebolt’s eyes widened as well once the pieces started clicking together. “The wendigos used to be minions of Nihila. And we suspect that the NPAF’s new leadership might be in league with her somehow, right?”

“Too convenient to be mere coincidence.”

Bluebolt shook her head. “But still, why would they even be flying all that way? What purpose does that serve? Zeb’ra’den’s already overrun with wendigos, so what does the fleet add to it?”

“Unknown, but will find out when we arrive. If NPAF is in league with Nihila, and wendigos as well, suggests Nihila is not gone at all. Furthermore, suggests this is her plan. Zeb’ra’den is important to her.”

Bluebolt grunted. “Wait, isn’t Zeb’ra’den where the southern Beacon is located? Does that have anything to do with—” She gasped. “Wait! If she does something to the Beacon, then the world’s balance can never be fixed! That’s Nihila’s plan! These wendigos aren’t just some force of nature, they’re working towards a goal! They went after the zebras for a reason!”

Blackburn paused, then nodded in agreement. “Then we’d best hurry. Our friends are in danger.” She set her hoof on Bluebolt’s shoulder. “But some are safe. You sent some away from the battle.”

“Yeah, at least Symphony, Bloom, and Flurry are safe.” Bluebolt let out a breath of relief. “They’re far away from all of the fighting, so they’ll be safe.”

*****

After a week of hiking towards Astropolis, Apple Bloom was getting tired of the snow, and of climbing mountains, and of getting placed aside while everypony else got to do exciting, amazing things. The southern lands were generally lovely and green like Ponyville back home, sure, but the southern southern lands made the snows of the northern winter looks like a Hearth’s Warming snowfall in Canterlot, and made the Crystal Empire look like a Los Manegeles beach. And apparently this weather was supposed to get worse in two months or so when the southern winters rolled around. How did the zebras live like this?

For one thing, Bloom could hardly see anything because of the heavy snowfall, and the only reason she could even see her companions—who all had colorations that blended in well with the snow—was because of their clothes, so she was basically following jackets at this point. She believed it was Symphony’s jacket in front of her if only because Flurry was taller.

For another thing, the winds were so fierce that she could barely hear a word anyone else was saying, whether it was Flurry or Harvey trying to make small talk or Symphony trying to direct them along the route through the mountain pass. She just smiled and nodded most of the time, not really sure where any of the conversations were going, but at least Flurry and Harvey seemed perfectly capable of hearing one another. Must’ve been them being accustomed to snowstorms.

Then there was the mountain itself, which was horrendously tall and not at all suited for folks to travel through conveniently. How the zebra king led all those zebra refugees through this pass was beyond Bloom’s understanding, but then again they were used to the snows of the south too, so maybe it was just her that was having a problem? Flurry didn’t seem to have any trouble, after all. Even Symphony wasn’t struggling too much, though she was grumbling all the while about how long this route was taking.

“We have to be almost there by now, Harvey,” Symphony huffed as they reached the next flat patch of mountainside so that the group could take a breather. “Please tell me we’re almost there. This is getting ridiculous.”

Harvey glanced up through the mountainside, adjusting his glasses. “Oh, not quite yet, my friends, not quite yet. I’m terribly sorry about the hike, but us hippogriffs have been rather slow about getting a proper trail arranged for visitors just yet, what with being allies with the zebras for only ten years or so. And, seeing as we don’t need to walk down the mountain ourselves, it’s difficult to determine where the trail would best be placed.”

“Yeah, well, the Commonwealth better get its act together already. This isn’t exactly the peak of hospitality. Questo fa schifo.”

“And the peak certainly isn’t the most hospitable, either,” Harvey said with a nudge and a grin. “Eh? Peak? Because—”

“Because we’re on a mountain, yes, I get it. Wonderful joke.” Symphony rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, it’s like traveling with Venture all over again, but at least Venture had some interesting stories to tell about all the things she’s seen and done and read about. She makes it sound like she’s seen it all happen, even.”

Harvey tapped his chin. “Well, I’d like to think that I have several fascinating tales I could share, but I think you’ve already heard the most interesting ones already, hmm? Drat, I’m terribly sorry if I’m not making this journey any easier for any of you. I’m really not much more than a researcher and negotiator, and not very good at telling stories.”

“It’s okay, Harvey,” Flurry said, patting the hippogriff on the shoulder and giving him a smile. “We appreciate you guiding us through the mountain. Besides, I think Symphony’s just grumpy because she’s worried about Bluebolt, that’s all.”

“Ah, yes, I suppose that certainly would put a damper on things, wouldn’t it? Well, never fear, my friends, I can assure you that Astropolis is not much further. Only another day’s hike, by my estimate, and that’s just the worst case scenario. I doubt it would even take that long.”

“I still think we should be down there helpin’ wit’ everythin’ that’s goin’ on at Zeb’ra’den,” Bloom snorted, gesturing down the way they came. “It ain’t right that all o’ our friends’re off fightin’ in some kind o’ big battle an’ we ain’t there ta help 'em.”

“You’ve been saying that for days now, Bloom,” Symphony sighed. “Believe me, I’d rather be anywhere than here. Not that I don’t like being with you guys—I do—but I’m a fighter! A warrior! I’m at least on par with that cucchiaio d’argento jackass, no question about it, but he gets to go off and fight while I get stuck climbing another damn mountain.”

“Right? We ain’t helpin’ nobody up here.”

“But we are helping, guys,” Flurry said, setting her hoof on Bloom’s shoulder and giving a look to Symphony. “We’re helping them by not getting in the way in circumstances we’re not suited for. Bloom, you’re not a soldier or a warrior like all of those army ponies and zebras.”

Bloom grunted, but she knew Flurry was right. “No, I guess I’m not. An’ I know mah sister would kill me if she found out I went gallopin’ off ta war after everythin’ that happened wit’ our family. Even though I know fer sure she’d be down there.”

“And Symphony, you’re a bodyguard. You don’t know how to fight in a real war situation, do you?”

Symphony huffed. “It’s not the same, I know that, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish I had the opportunity to prove myself down there.”

“Yeah…” Bloom sighed and shook her head. “I just wanna help. T’ain’t fair that I don’t get ta do nothin’ useful like the rest o’ y’all do. I ain’t got magic or wings or nothin’ like that. I ain’t even as strong as Applejack was when she was here last time. I dunno, I just feel… useless.”

Flurry frowned and pulled Bloom in for a hug. “Don’t say that. You’ve been a big help on this journey. Why, if it wasn’t for you, Weaver would’ve never made it out of that cave when we first got here, and then he’d never be there to help Sundial right now with her mission. Just that one little act of kindness has done so much.”

“Yeah, I guess. But it’s just that I wish I could do more fer all o’ them than that. When mah sister was here, she fought wit’ all she had ta help her friends get home. She risked her life fightin’ against Miss Shadow 'n' her sisters when they weren’t nice.” Bloom shook her head. “And besides all o’ that, don’t ya think that ya’d be more useful down there in the field, Flurry?”

Flurry pulled back from the hug and blinked. “Huh? Me? Why would I think that?”

“Well, 'cause you’ve got some o’ the strongest magic I’ve ever seen, an’ from what we know ‘bout them wendigos, wouldn’t ya be useful fightin’ against 'em? Ya know, usin’ yer ‘Light’ an’ all?”

“Maybe, but that’s a lot to risk. I think that you, or Rarity, or so many others might put themselves in danger to keep me safe from the monsters. Just because I’m strong doesn’t mean I’m a fighter, y’know? Aunt Twilight was strong and a fighter at heart. I’m just… not that. I don’t have it in me.”

Bloom sighed. “Yeah, I suppose not. I guess I wouldn’t want ta make ya do somethin’ ya weren’t comfortable wit’, neither.”

Symphony grunted and gestured up the mountainside. “Look, guys, let’s just keep moving and get up the Astropolis so that we can take a breather and think about what we’re gonna do next, okay? I have every faith that my pecha is getting help from her mom right now, and they’re gonna come storming down south and blast those wendigos into next Tuesday.”

“Yeah, me too. An’ I got faith that Rarity’ll do everythin’ she can out there ta keep herself 'n' everybody else alive—ponies and zebras both—no matter what.”

“And Sundial, Weaver, and Venture will fix that Beacon up good and put an end to all of this,” Flurry concluded with a nod. “I know we’re all worried about everything that’s going on out there right now, guys, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few months, it’s that sometimes, when things look their worst, you can still hold onto hope.”

Harvey clapped his claws together. “Well spoken, Princess, very well spoken indeed. A little bit of hope’s light is all that’s needed to shoo away the darkness of worry, after all, isn’t that right? I believe that might be one of the tenets of Harmonia, though worded slightly differently, of course.”

“Are we gonna keep gabbing, or are we gonna get climbing?” Symphony huffed. “Come on, already, let’s go.”

The group rose up to follow Symphony as she moved on ahead, pushed forward once more through the snowstorm and the mountains.

Sometime just before nightfall, the snowstorm picked up harder than ever, to the point that the quartet had to huddle up close together as they walked so that they didn’t lose track of one another through the swirling snow. It was so cold now that even Flurry, who was used to the cold, was tugging her coat closer to keep herself warm, so for Bloom it was particularly bad.

Then, without warning, Symphony stopped dead, holding up a hoof to indicate to the others to do the same.

“What’s up?” Bloom said as quietly as she could so that Symphony could still hear her. “Why’d we stop?”

Symphony hushed her with a quick “shhh!” then took a few steps forward, drawing out her rapier in the process, looking off into the snow warily, as if watching for something or someone, pointing her blade at any little thing that seemed to catch her attention. As far as Bloom could tell, though, there wasn’t anything out there but snow and rocks.

“Everything alright, Symphony?” Flurry asked, taking a step forward.

“There’s something not right here,” Symphony muttered, not putting away her rapier. “I’ve trained most of my life to be observant for threats and traps and the like, so I’ve got a gut instinct that tells me when something’s fishy. I’ve had little feelings every now and then up the mountain, but I chalked it up to maybe an animal or something. Now, though, it feels different. Like—”

She paused, then pointed her sword up at the pass above them. Bloom and the others followed where she was pointing, and as they did, the storm died down to a faint whisper compared to the fierce roar it was before. A figure stood on the cliffside above, a pegasus mare in light armor with some odd metallic attachments on her wings. Bloom recognized the insignia on her armor as that of House Night, back in Old Town. She’d never met the mare, but this new pony certainly matched the description that the others had given of Lady Stormy Night.

“Like vhat, kleiner singvogel?” asked Stormy.

“Like we’re being watched,” Symphony replied, keeping her sword pointed at Stormy. “What are you doing here? Out for a little stroll through the mountains?”

Stormy smirked. “Nein. I have somethink much more important in mind here.” She eyed the group briefly, then clicked her tongue, disappointed. “Ah, but there are so many of you missink, ja? Vhere is the lovely older mare, Rarity? Or mein schatz, Venture? And vhere is your precious Bluebolt, hmm? I was so lookink forward to havink you all here.”

“Well, they’re not here, so if you’re looking for them you’re gonna have to wait,” Symphony grunted.

“Tsk, such a shame. Oh vell, it cannot be helped.” Stormy then eyed Bloom carefully, and her mouth curled in a little grin. “Ah, but I have not had the pleasure of meetink this one, ja? Vhat is your name, meine schöne blume?”

Bloom blinked. “Uh, mah name’s Apple Bloom. Pleasure ta meet ya.”

“The pleasure is all mine, I assure you,” Stormy said with a wink. “I am Lady Stormy Night of House Night. I do not believe that vee met vhen your friends stayed at my estate a vhile back, ja? That is most unfortunate. You look simply delicious.”

Bloom looked to Symphony, eyebrow raised. “This is mare that ya said was gettin’ all frisky-like 'n' stuff, an’ that spent the night wit’ Venture?”

“Yup, that’s her,” Symphony grunted.

Harvey smiled and fluttered up towards Stormy, claw extended. “Greetings and salu—”

Stormy glared at him. “Keep your filthy claw avay from me, müll.”

Harvey jerked his claw back in surprise, clearly disappointed. “Oh! Um, w-well, I’m terribly sorry for whatever offense I might have caused. I just—”

“Don’t worry about it, Harvey, that’s just how she is,” Symphony scoffed. “The only offense you made is being male.” She turned back to Stormy and gestured lazily with her sword. “I’ll ask again, Lady Night: what are you doing here?”

“My my, you’re still an awfully rude one, aren’t you?” Stormy said with a grin. “Vhen this is all over, I vill have to teach you some manners, ja? A little instruction on how to treat a lady. Ah, but if you must know—” She gestured towards Flurry. “I am here for her.”

Flurry pointed at herself. “What? Me?”

“Ja, schöne, for you. This has been a long time comink, after all.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Symphony said, drawing out her longsword as well and holding them both in her magic, “but you’re not doing anything with Flurry, not on my watch, capische?”

Stormy smiled proudly at Symphony. “Ah, so bold and brave. Vell, you may certainly try to stop me, but I assure you that you vill not. You have no idea who you are dealink vith. I am not just a beautiful, desirable noblemare.”

“Yeah, you’re also a creepy nymphomaniac that practically forced yourself on our friend Venture. And for the record, she said you suck in bed, too.”

Stormy’s smiled faltered briefly, but then returned just as quickly. “You can think vhat you vant, kleiner singvogel, but there is so much more to me than meets the eye. You should treat me vith more respect, child, for you are speakink vith Lady Stormy Night, Varden of Nihila.”

The group was given brief pause, then Symphony’s mouth curled in a tiny grin. “Oh, that’s rich, lady. You’re the new Warden of Nihila? Please. After everything I’ve heard of the previous one, you’re not even close to meeting the standards he set. A second-rate wannabe, just like that, what was his name? Pedigree? Ha!”

“You laugh, but you know nothink of vhat I have done!” Stormy snapped. “It took years of careful vork to ensure that the right ponies were given the right information—or prevented from gettink the right information—to start this civil var in the south, the first var in over one thousand years! But I did it.”

“Wait, you started the war down here?” Flurry asked. “Why? Why would you do that? Do you have any idea how many ponies have already died because of all this fighting?”

“I did it because that is vhat my lady vished of me, and I am but her humble servant.”

“I’m not buying it,” Symphony snorted. “If you’re so great, then how’d you do it, huh? You expect us to believe that you spurred on an entire continent to war all by yourself?”

Stormy smirked. “Ja, I do, because I did, and it vas easy. You all believe that the south is so good and perfect, but you are so misguided. It’s adorable, really.”

Flurry narrowed her eyes. “What did you do, then?”

“I simply ensured that House Golden was provided vith information on vhat the traitor Silvertongue did over the centuries, breakink the long-standink alliance vith House Silver. Lord Golden Shield ate up vhat I had delivered to him vithout a second-thought. He just needed a reason to go to var, nothing else.

“I also ensured that House Light believed that House Silver had alvays been loyal to Nihila, not Harmonia. Vith Harmonia’s Varden dead, they vere eager to prove themselves to the Harmony Guard as dedicated followers of Harmonia and increase their standink. They are zealots nowadays, ja? They vere all too eager to go to var with ‘followers of Nihila’. Like I said: it vas easy.”

Symphony snarled. “So it’s your fault that House Golden betrayed House Silver. It’s your fault Shiny’s grandparents got murdered, and Dawn’s parents, and all those other ponies killed because of this stupid war.” She twirled her blades and took a step forward. “That’s it. You’re going down, puttana.”

Stormy laughed. “As the new Varden of Nihila, I am far beyond anythink you can do, kleiner singvogel, and you have more problems to deal vith than just me.” Her eyes glowed red for a moment, and she hovered in the air without flapping her wings. “You see, Nihila has vaited months for this opportunity. I am honored to have given her my body to use as a vessel for vhen the time came, and that time is now.”

“What the hell are you—”

Stormy then screamed in pain as her body became enveloped with a black glow that crackled with red lightning. She hovered higher into the air for a brief moment, then the glow burst out of her in a ray of black energy that shot straight at Flurry. It moved too fast for anyone to do anything to stop it, and the blast struck Flurry straight in the chest, knocking her back several feet into the mountainside.

“Flurry!” Bloom shouted, rushing over to her friend.

Symphony sneered at Stormy, who collapsed to the ground. “You’re gonna pay for that!” She leapt up onto the cliff and struck down at Stormy with her longsword.

Stormy lifted her wing and blocked the blow with the metal attachment that covered the top. She grinned up at Symphony briefly, then swept her body forward to tackled Symphony off the cliff and down the mountainside. Symphony managed to land a solid punch to Stormy’s jaw mid-flight; Stormy dropped her in the process. The two disappeared into the darkness of the night and the storm.

“Symphony!” Bloom shouted. She lost sight of them in the darkness. She then turned to Harvey. “Harvey, quick, ya gotta go get help from the city.”

“From the city?” Harvey nervously tugged at his collar. “But Astropolis is still a long way from here, Miss Bloom. I don’t know if I can—”

“Just go on! Git! Ya don’t know how ta fight, so ya can’t help Symphony much, an’ it’s gonna take me forever ta carry Flurry up the mountain since ya ain’t strong enough ta carry her yerself. Go get help an’ meet us halfway. I dunno, get some healers, or warriors, or somethin’. Anythin’!”

“R-right. Right, of course. Oh dear, this was not how this hike was supposed to go!” Harvey took wing and flew off up the mountainside faster than Bloom had ever seen him fly.

For now, though, Bloom moved to Flurry’s side. She was motionless, but just barely breathing.

Bloom ran her hoof through her mane. “Shoot, what am I gonna do?”

*****

Symphony landed in a thick patch of snow on a flat stretch of mountainside some hundred feet down from where Stormy had tackled her. The snow was soft and fluffy thanks to the constant snowfall, so it cushioned the fall tremendously, but it left Symphony cold and wet as she clammored out and back onto solid ground.

Luckily, she’d kept her grip on both her swords during the fall, but she was disoriented and had no idea where she was. This part of the pass didn’t look familiar, so she knew she hadn’t led the group up this way, which meant she was on the northern side of the mountain. The storm was thick enough around her that she couldn’t see more than a dozen feet or so around her, so she couldn’t see where she’d been dropped from or if the others were okay.

But for now, she couldn’t worry about any of that. Stormy was still around here somewhere—she had to be, because she’d clearly separated Symphony from the others for a reason—and she was definitely the immediate threat that needed to be dealt with.

“Okay, puttana, come on out!” Symphony shouted against the storm’s winds. “No sense in hiding!” She paused briefly, then turned and pointed her rapier up above her, where she saw Stormy perched on the edge of a rocky outcropping.

“Who is hidink, hmm?” Stormy asked with a grin, tapping her hoof on the rock. “Vell now, just look at you, vith your pretty little swords. You veren’t jokink vhen you said said you vere the Princess’s bodyguard, ja? You’re armed like a proper knight. It is very attractive.”

Symphony took stock of Stormy’s gear for a moment now that they were alone. The other mare was wearing light leather armor and a thick winter coat, so she had a modicum of protection against a blade if Symphony didn’t strike properly. The tops of her wings, where the actual bone was, were covered with a bladed metallic attachment: a pair of old-school wingblades. She also had leather straps around her forelegs that carried concealed blades. This mare was armed to the teeth.

“And look at you, all decked out in a bunch of pegasus fighting gear like some sort of wannabe assassin or something,” Symphony snorted, shaking her head. “Well come on then, we don’t have all day. I’ve gotta finish with you before I can make sure my friends are okay after whatever the hell you did to Flurry. And by the way, since you hurt her, I’m gonna make sure I hurt you right back.”

Stormy smirked. “Such confidence you have. I like your spirit, kleiner singvogel. I might just keep you alive vhen vee’re finished vith our little duel. That vay, you and I can have share quality time together. Although, I vould much rather have your lovely Princess vith us. She’s quite a delicacy, ja? Such supple tone in her rear. She must make you very happy.”

Symphony narrowed her eyes and twirled her blades. “As long as I’m around, you’re not laying one hoof on my pecha, capische? Now stop running your stupid trap and get down here so that I can show you what happens to anypony that threatens my Princess, Warden or not.”

“Vell then, if you vant to get down to business, then let’s get down to business.” Stormy spread her wings so that her wingblades were in full view. “Though I must varn you, as Varden of Nihila, I am far beyond any normal pony. So don’t feel bad vhen I have you begging for forgiveness beneath my hooves. You vill just have the honor of being the first to submit to my awesome might.”

There was a tense pause for a long moment as the two stared one another down.

Then Stormy swept down off the outcropping, one of her concealed blades shifting out of its strap, and she swung her hoof at Symphony’s face mid-flight. Symphony ducked under it and sliced her longsword through the air to try and catch Stormy, but it slid along one of the wingblades.

Stormy, now behind Symphony, twisted around and lunged at Symphony again. Symphony turned and blocked the strike with her rapier, blocked another with her longsword, and backed away from Stormy, on the defensive for now. They continued exchanging blows left and right, above and below, as they moved about the mountainside.

The older mare was definitely faster than Symphony expected her to be, and her strikes came with a strength that a mare of her build couldn’t have possibly had. Maybe there was something to that “Warden” business after all?

But Symphony was no novice, and she could tell that Stormy was brute-forcing her way through this engagement after only a few exchanges. The other mare was well-equipped, empowered by Nihila herself, had decent training in this fighting style, and had the build needed to be swift and deadly in a duel, but she seemed inexperienced. Symphony just had to wait for an opening.

One presented itself when Stormy tried to push Symphony off the side of the cliff. She was strong, sure, but Symphony was strong, too. She resisted the push long enough that she could use Stormy’s strength against her simply by stepping aside instead of pushing back, then ducking under Stormy’s wing in the process.

As Stormy slid past her, Symphony swept her longsword up along Stormy’s side, cutting through the leather armor. When Symphony drew her sword back, there was blood on it; she’d struck true.

Stormy flapped her wings to keep herself from tumbling over the cliff, then, wincing, set her hoof to her side only to draw back blood. “Du kleine schlampe! You dare to make the Varden of Nihila bleed? Hmph… I am reconsiderink my offer to let you live.”

“Oh no, anything but that,” Symphony snorted, rolling her eyes. “Come on, show me what you’ve got. You’re boring me, just like you bored Venture in the sack. If that’s all you’ve got, then I can see why you’ve got to force yourself on mares to get anything out of them, you ugly old strega.”

Stormy growled, then lunged at Symphony again, moving faster than before and striking with more strength. Symphony was again on the defensive, and had to put effort into her magic to keep Stormy’s wingblades from knocking her own swords out of her grip. She wasn’t sure where this new surge in strength came from. Was Stormy holding back earlier? Or was she just stronger now that she was angry? Did that even make sense?

Symphony found herself pressed up against the side of the mountain, but Stormy still pushed forward, striking rapidly with hooves and wings to keep Symphony from having a moment to think or breathe. When Symphony moved to try and reposition herself, Stormy was able to slice through her ear and take a good quarter of it clean off.

The blood in the air was enough to spur Stormy on harder than ever, and after another brief exchange Stormy managed a cut on Symphony’s foreleg and another along her flank. The last one was accompanied by a push that knocked Symphony rolling off the side of the rocks they were on at the moment and back into the snow, where she dropped her longsword.

“Give up, kleiner singvogel,” Stormy taunted from above. “I do not vant to tarnish your beautiful body anymore, ja? Even vith all of your skill, you are nothink against the Varden of Nihila. I have studied every style that you unicorn swordfighters use, so your silly ‘vater dancink’ vill not help you now. Submit yourself before me, and I vill forgive you for vhat you have said and done to me.”

Symphony grunted as she pulled herself out of the snow, rapier still held in her magic. She glanced down at her longsword, which was next to her tail at the moment, then paused as she remembered that it wasn’t a normal longsword like her old one. Zyra’s had been forged of zebrican runic steel and was crafted specifically for a zebra to use. Symphony had been using it wrong.

“Heh… you say you know every unicorn swordfighting style, huh?” Symphony asked, giving Stormy a meaningful look.

Stormy nodded, a proud grin on her lips. “Ja, that vas how I recognized your vater dancink. It is very good and you should be proud of it, but even the greatest vater dancer could not get past me now that Nihila’s power flows in my veins. I am superior to any pony alive. I am the überstute.”

Symphony shifted her tail down over the hilt of her longsword and gripped it tightly. It responded exactly as zebrican runic steel should, allowing her to hoist it up and retake her defensive position, hindquarters up, blade pointed forward just above her nose. A traditional zebra defensive stance.

Stormy tilted her head. “Vhat are you doink? Vhat is this position? How are you holdink your other sword like that?”

“I’m gonna let you in on un piccolo segreto,” Symphony said as she drew her rapier up as well. “I’m not just trained in water dancing. We’re not done here, and you’re not getting a submission out of me that easy. Let’s see how you handle me now.”

Stormy sighed and shook her head. “You are so stubborn, mein schatz. Very vell, if I have to hurt you to make you submit to my authority, then that is vhat I vill do. Auf der hut!”

Stormy leapt down to strike at Symphony again, who merely shifted her tail slightly to block blow after blow after blow. Typically, in this sort of defensive posture, Symphony would be unable to attack effectively unless presented with a very wide opening. But, she wasn’t just some zebra wielding just one sword. She was a unicorn, and she still had her rapier held in her magic ready to use.

And she used it effectively. Stormy’s strikes slowed considerably after her initial assault, as she had to halt her approach to avoid the rapier repeatedly swinging through the air at her face. This allowed Symphony to press forward despite being in a defensive position, and thus allowed her the opening she needed to switch to an aggressive stance instead.

With both her longsword and rapier striking from two directions at once, and from angles that Stormy wasn’t expecting to defend from, the tide turned very quickly in Symphony’s favor. She managed a cut across Stormy’s foreleg, slicing through one of the bands that kept a blade attached, as well as cutting into the armor—not deep enough, unfortunately—across Stormy’s chest, and struck yet another blow across Stormy’s chin.

But Stormy could see when she was being put on the back hoof, and took the opportunity to fly up and out of Symphony’s reach after a few exchanges like this before she lost her other blade and was injured further. Symphony could see, however, that the wound she’d inflicted on Stormy’s chin was already healing up after mere seconds. That wasn’t good.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Symphony taunted, settling back into a defensive stance. “I thought we were having fun.”

Stormy grunted and clenched her teeth. “You have more skill than I gave you credit for, mein schatz. So, I vill give you one last chance to submit yourself to me. You vill be the new captain of my guard once Nihila has conquered these lands and made me Queen of the South. It is much better than just being my slave. Though you still vill have the benefit of sharing my bed, of course.”

“Sheesh, you’re really full of yourself, aren’t you?” Symphony shook her head and twirled her rapier in her magic. “I told you already, creepshow, I’m not submitting to you. Now shut up and get back down here so we can finish this.”

“Hmph. Vell then, I am sorry, kleiner singvogel, but you are too dangerous to leave alive othervise. If you vill not submit before me, then I must kill you. You might try to rise against my lady Nihila in the future, ja?”

“Damn right I would.”

Stormy sighed and spread her wings again. “It is a shame, because I so vanted to taste you, and to break your Princess in front of you and make her submit before me as vell, but it is not to be. But if I cannot have you, at least I can still have her.”

Symphony cracked her neck. “Bring it on, puttana.”

*****

Back up higher on the mountain, Bloom leaned down to Flurry, who was breathing hard and wincing in pain. “Flurry, are y’all alright? Are ya hurt? C’mon, speak ta me. Open yer eyes.”

As Bloom reached out to touch Flurry and check if she was okay, though, Flurry’s eyes snapped open. There was something… off about her pupils. The shape was distorted and the color tinged with red. Bloom took a step back as Flurry rose to her hooves, shakily at first, but then with confidence. She was confused by how her friend was acting, as Flurry shrugged off her winter coat and spread her wings wide, then glanced along her wingspan, then about the rest of her body, even lifting a hoof to her face to look it over.

“Uh… Flurry? Everythin’ okay?”

Flurry then paused and glanced at Bloom, and her mouth curled in a little grin. Without warning, she lit up her horn—it glowed a fierce red color unlike anything Bloom had seen from Flurry before—and fired a blast of energy at Bloom. Bloom barely reacted in time to avoid it. The bolt struck the snow beneath her hooves instead, melting straight through to the rock beneath.

“What the hay?!” Bloom blurted, glancing at the scorch mark left behind, then at Flurry. “What’s gotten inta ya, Flurry? What was that for?”

“Your pathetic friend isn’t here, little whelp,” Flurry said, her voice tainted with some sort of odd reverberation. “Her body belongs to me, now. With this new form, I can undo all of the damage dealt to my world by Harmonia’s disgusting Light at long last. This world will drown in Darkness once again!”

Bloom snarled and settled into a fighting stance, just like Symphony and Bluebolt taught her, ready to fight this Not-Flurry. “No… no, ya can’t do that! Give me back mah friend! Get outta her body, whoever you are! Let her go!”

Not-Flurry let out a sinister chuckle that sounded just wrong coming from such a carefree voice and face, much as her words did. “You know not to whom you speak, for you are not of this world, whelp. You do not belong here. But know this: it is only because of you and your pathetic ‘Flurry Heart’ that I, Nihila, have been able to rise again to drown this world in my Darkness.”

“Nihila?” Bloom’s eyes widened. “Oh no… you’re the one that everypony’s been talkin’ 'bout! What’re ya doin’ wit’ mah friend?! Get yer own dang body!” She scuffed her hoof in the snow, preparing to charge forward and attack. “Let mah friend go!”

Nihila smirked and flared her wings out. “Your fear and anger are palpable, little whelp. I can taste them in the air. What do you think you can do, hmm? Do you wish to strike at me? Go on then. Strike.” She patted the side of her—no, Flurry’s—face. “Strike at your precious Flurry Heart with all of your might. Go on, then. What are you waiting for? Strike!”

Bloom paused and stared at her friend’s body that was speaking with words that didn’t match with the cute, airy voice that Flurry had. But she didn’t move, didn’t act. This “Nihila” had chosen her words very well: if Bloom attacked her, would she be hurting Nihila, or would she be hurting Flurry? What the hay was even going on here? What was she supposed to do?

“You can’t do it, can you?” Nihila asked in a mocking tone. “Pathetic. You simple-minded ponies and your foolish compassion sicken me. Destroying everything you all hold so dear will bring me the greatest joy in existence.” She then smiled wide. “But I tire of this droll conversation. If you cannot provide me with suitable entertainment, whelp, then your life is meaningless. Die!”

Her horn ignited again, and fired another blast at Bloom. It moved so fast that Bloom didn’t have time to react or move.

This time, though, Bloom didn’t need to move out of the way to avoid it, for it sailed past her head by several feet. Bloom glanced out at the sky where the blast had sailed, then back to Nihila, who watched the bolt disappear into the darkness of the night, an intense scowl on her face that didn’t belong on a pony like Flurry Heart.

Then, Nihila winced in pain, and her eyes closed. When they reopened, Bloom saw that her pupils had changed back to normal again. “Apple Bloom!” Flurry exclaimed—Bloom knew it wasn’t Nihila because there wasn’t a reverberation in the words. “Run! Get out of here!”

“Flurry!” Bloom shouted, rushing forward to put her hooves on the sides of her friends face. “What’s goin’ on? Tell me how I can help. Are ya hurt?”

“Bloom, just run! Please! I don’t know if I can—” Flurry then winced and closed her eyes again. When she reopened them, her pupils were tainted again. “Stupid girl! You think you can resist me, the Goddess of Darkness? I am Nihila! I will not be denied!” She then glared at Bloom, whose hooves were still on Flurry’s face. “And you, whelp, you dare to touch me? Imbecile!”

Nihila’s horn glowed red again, and a burst of dark energy knocked Bloom back into the snow. Bloom felt like she’d just been kicked in the gut harder than she’d ever been hit before.

“Hmph. You’re more resilient than I expected. Perhaps you should run while you can, as your friend has suggested? Go on, little rat, scurry away. Flee, like your hippogriff friend, like a coward. You are nothing before me, nothing more than an insect to crush beneath my hoof! Run! Tuck your tail between your legs and run, whelp.“

“I ain’t goin’ nowhere.” Bloom shook her head and slowly rose to her hooves, fixing Nihila with an intense glare. “Now, let go o’ mah friend, ya stupid thing. Give her back ta me! She don’t belong ta you.”

Nihila stepped forward and circled around Bloom. “Ha! That impassioned fire in your heart glows so bright, like a star on a clear night. Perhaps killing you now would be folly. No, I have a more amusing notion in mind for you, worm. Your pathetic spirit will be broken by my hoof, your soul crushed into dust. I will savor your despair instead. Only then will I take your life.”

“Y’all ain’t crushin’ nothin’. Now give mah friend back, dangit! Her body don’t belong ta you, so get out!” Bloom took a deep breath. “I don’t know if you can hear me in there, Flurry, but I ain’t leavin’ ya alone. Y’all gotta fight! Fight this… this Nihila, or whoever she is. I know ya can do it! I believe in ya, just like we believe in all o’ our friends.”

“Your faith in your friends is your weakness, little pony.” Nihila said with a little smirk. “Do you think that they will survive out there against my wendigos, hmm? Against the strongest blizzard that has ever raged across the southern skies? Their fear and despair will fuel the cold and freeze them down to their very bones!”

She gestured towards the east—towards Zeb’ra’den—her grin widening. “Even now, your pathetic little army marches to their doom. In mere moments, they will fall, one by one, until there is nothing left but ice and blood. Their deaths will feed my power and they will break the spirit of your pathetic Flurry Heart. Once her soul is crushed, I will devour her as well. Then nothing, not even Harmonia herself, can stop me.”

Bloom stared off towards where Nihila was pointing, and the worry began setting in. Were they all going to be okay? No, of course they were going to be okay. She had the utmost faith in every single one of her friends out there, Rarity especially. She’d been afraid before when Rarity had decided to go out into a warzone, but now that she knew what was going on, she wasn’t afraid anymore. If there was anypony that could protect all those ponies and zebras down there, it was Rarity.

“They’re stronger’n y’all give 'em credit fer,” she said, taking a deep breath. “They’ll come through in the end, just you wait 'n' see. An’ 'sides that, Bluebolt’s getin’ help from up north, from Hope’s Point. Ain’t no way yer stupid little storm is gonna stand against Queen Blackburn’s fleet o’ airships. Mah sister-in-law don’t pull no punches.”

Nihila’s smirk widened. “You think that that little fleet of hers threatens me in the slightest? Ha! They are merely mechanical birds led by a drunk, self-loathing mare who calls herself a queen. Your pathetic hopes are truly entertaining. It matters not if Hope’s Point arrives here in the south to battle my wendigos. It doesn’t matter if they even defeat the airships of Pandemonium on the way here.”

Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Huh? What in the heck’re ya talkin’ 'bout?”

“Ha! You are so simple and unaware, little worm. It truly is amusing. None of what you or your friends think you’re doing matters in the end. You accomplishments amount to nothing. All of it serves one purpose, and one purpose only: a distraction from my true intentions.” Nihila then shrugged and chuckled. “But a small-minded simpleton like you would never understand my grand design.”

Bloom grunted and stared Nihila right in the eyes. “All I understand is that if I get ya out o’ Flurry’s body, y’all can’t do none o’ that stuff you’re tryin’ ta do.” She took another breath. “Flurry! If ya can hear me, ya gotta keep fightin’! Don’t let her win!”

“She cannot hear your words while she is here with me, whelp,” Nihila snorted. “Try as you might, you cannot reach your precious Flurry Heart, and she cannot help you anymore. Give up. Give in to your despair already. Stop resisting.”

Bloom paused, then smirked right back. “In she can’t do anythin’ while she’s in there, then do somethin’.”

Nihila raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Go on then, ya mangy varmint! If ya think you’re so powerful, then do somethin’!” Bloom stuck out her chest and tapped it with her hoof. “Blast me! Go on! Show me what ya got!”

“Hmm hmm, your bravery is misplaced, worm. Are you so eager for death—”

“You’re stallin’.”

“What?”

“Ya heard me. You’re stallin’. Flurry’s fightin’ ya in there, an’ now I know it fer sure.” Bloom smiled and took another breath. “Go on, Flurry! Show this no-good thing who’s boss o’ yer own body!”

Nihila sneered and ignited her horn. “You dare to mock me? Fool!” She fired another blast at Bloom, but the bolt of magic fizzled out mid-spark and didn’t even reach Bloom’s chest. Nihila was just left to glare at Bloom again. Then, she rose up, wings spread, and laughed. “It matters not. Once her spirit is broken, I will have full control of this body, and you will regret ever daring to speak against me.”

Bloom smirked. “Flurry’s spirit is stronger’n that. Y’all ain’t takin’ her down that easy. Ya hear me, Flurry?! I believe in ya!”

*****

As Flurry was struck by the dark energy released by Stormy Night, the sensations of searing pain, freezing cold, and absolute terror struck her all at once, but only for the briefest instant before she fell unconscious.

When she awoke, she wasn’t sure exactly how long she’d been out, but what she was sure of was that she wasn’t on the mountainside anymore. There was no snow around her, no rocks, no ice, no clouds, she couldn’t feel the wind or the cold around her, and she couldn’t hear the wind howling in her ears. Worst of all, she was alone; Bloom, Symphony, and Harvey were nowhere to be seen.

Where she was, exactly, Flurry didn’t know and couldn’t hope to guess. There was no ground beneath her hooves that she could see and yet she stood on something solid, like ice. There was nothing but a field of darkness around her, pulsating with red lightning. It was like nothing she’d ever seen before, and nothing she’d ever want to see again, but here she was.

As she collected herself and tried to focus on what was going on, she could hear voices all around her, small and quiet at first, but then louder and louder as she gave them her attention. One of the voices was her own, saying things she’d never dreamed of saying to anyone for any reason.

“Her body belongs to me, now. With this new form, I can undo all of the damage dealt to my world by Harmonia’s disgusting Light at long last. This world will drown in Darkness once again!”

As her own voice spoke, the lightning around her crackled and leapt about in time with the words like the strings of a guitar. She tried to speak for herself, to ask what was going on, but her words were caught in her throat and no sound issued forth.

The other voice, which came soon after, she recognized immediately as Bloom’s.

“Nihila? Oh no… you’re the one that everypony’s been talkin’ 'bout! What’re ya doin’ wit’ mah friend?! Get yer own dang body! Let mah friend go!”

She looked around to see if she could see Bloom, but she couldn’t, despite hearing her as clear as if she was right by her side. All she could see was darkness. What was going on? What did Bloom mean? Was Nihila here? Was she wherever Bloom was?

No, she knew what was happening now. This presence all around her, this darkness, it was Nihila, enveloping her within her own mind to take control of her and use her as a vessel of some sort. Stormy had said something about Nihila using her body as a vessel just before everything went dark, right? Was that why she could hear Bloom but not see her? Flurry knew she needed to do something about whatever was happening, but what? What could she do from here?

Flurry’s own voice continued speaking, saying things she hated to hear, but try as she might to stop the words from coming, they came all the same. “But I tire of this droll conversation. If you cannot provide me with suitable entertainment, whelp, then your life is meaningless. Die!”

Flurry felt her horn’s magic ignite, and she heard the words she was saying. She knew what was happening, and her mind raced in a panic to stop Nihila before she did something to Bloom.

“No!” she shouted, managing to get the words out at last.

As she did, the darkness around her gave way briefly to a field of white, powdery snow. She winced in pain and shut her eyes as the sudden white expanse nearly blinded her after being stuck starting at all that darkness.

When she reopened her eyes, she could see Apple Bloom standing there in front of her. She was back on the mountainside. In that instant, she did the only thing she could think to do in order to protect her friend.

“Apple Bloom!” she cried. “Run! Get out of here!”

“Flurry!” Bloom shouted, rushing forward to put her hooves on the sides of Flurry’s face. “What’s goin’ on? Tell me how I can help. Are ya hurt?”

“Bloom, just run! Please! I don’t know if I can—”

Flurry then winced and closed her eyes again. When she reopened them, she was back in the darkness once more. Only this time, she saw something different in the darkness besides red lightning crackling about: she saw another figure. An alicorn like herself, but taller, like her Aunt Twilight. Her coat was the color of the night sky but tinged with purple, and her mane and tail were a brilliant silver, styled in sharp, menacing, blade-like streaks. Her eyes were pale blue with slit-like pupils, more like a snake than a pony.

She watched in horror as the alicorn seemed to tear herself apart—that was the best Flurry could do to describe what she was seeing—and lashed out in anger. The alicorn herself stood motionless a few feet away from her, but this inky black thing seemed to rise up out of the mare and made to pounce upon Flurry, the rest of the darkness around her following suit.

Flurry instinctively lit up her horn to guard herself, and was surprised that the Light that shone forth was enough to drive whatever that inky darkness was back into the alicorn. It seemed to daze her briefly as well, enough that for a brief instant she could see the alicorn’s eyes looked rather normal.

“Stupid girl!” the alicorn snarled, her voice—and Flurry’s own—echoing through Flurry’s head. “You think you can resist me, the Goddess of Darkness? I am Nihila! I will not be denied!”

Flurry narrowed her eyes. “So, you’re Nihila. You’re the one responsible for all of this evil that’s been going on in this world and for bringing Darkness to places that are supposed to be filled with Light. Why are you doing this?”

Nihila laughed. “You would ask me why? You truly are a foolish whelp, unworthy of the power that you’ve been given. I am Darkness incarnate, girl. It is in my nature to destroy, to bring death and suffering to the worms of the mortal realm. You would no sooner ask a fish why it swims than to ask me why I revel in the sorrows and pain of others.”

“Whatever your plan is, my friends will stop it. Even now they’re heading to the Beacon to release the Light within it. Sundial said it would destroy all of your wendigos, and it would return the world to the balanced state it’s supposed to be in. You will lose, just like evil always does in the end.”

“Your faith in your friends is a weakness. I have said as much to your pathetic comrade, ‘Apple Bloom’, and now I say the same to you.” Nihila’s lip curled in a sadistic grin. “The wendigos mean nothing in the end, for they have already served their purpose. The Beacon is unguarded, and your insignificant Chronomancer friend will fail to stop what is to come, and she will die. As will the rest of your friends out in the fields of ice and snow.”

Flurry stood tall and proud. “You’re wrong. They’ll succeed. Just you wait and see.”

“Hmph. I shall enjoy watching that hope of yours be extinguished. You resist me now, whelp, but once your friends are all dead, your despair and sorrow will break your spirit and I will consume you, body and soul.” Nihila then turned and walked into the darkness, vanishing without a trace. “Enjoy your last moments while they last.”

Flurry let out a breath—though she didn’t need to breathe here, it seemed—and shook her head. “You’re wrong. They will succeed. I have faith in them, just like they’ve had in me.”

With Nihila gone, Flurry decided to see if there was more to this… wherever she was. She took a step forward, finding that she could walk just fine. The “ground” beneath her was hard and solid despite being apparently formless, so she took another step, and another, and kept moving onward through the darkness as she went, searching for anything that could help her.

She could hear Bloom’s voice arguing with Nihila. Clearly Bloom hadn’t run away. “All I understand is that if I get ya out o’ Flurry’s body, ya can’t do none o’ the stuff you’re tryin’ ta do. Flurry! If ya can hear me, ya gotta keep fightin’! Don’t let her win!”

“I won’t, Apple Bloom,” Flurry muttered to herself. “I promise. She won’t beat me. I just have to find a way to weaken her hold on me so I can get out of here. Wherever here is.”

Flurry continued to wander through the darkness, not sure how long she was walking or how far or if things like time and distance even mattered in this weird plane of existence, but she didn’t stop walking. There was nothing to guide her direction by, no north or south to decide upon, so she just wandered aimlessly, hoping for some sort of sign that she was making progress.

Then, she saw an odd purple light off in the darkness, faint like a tiny candle flickering about in a fierce wind. Whatever it was, it seemed to be calling to Flurry somehow—she just felt the urge to go to it and couldn’t explain why—and so she approached it without question. It was the only sign of anything else in this nightmare world she was in besides darkness, so it had to be something important, and perhaps helpful, right?

When she got close to the light, she saw that her earlier guess of a candle in the wind wasn’t entirely inaccurate. There was no candle or flame, certainly, but the little glow that sat there on the “ground” beneath her was struggling against the darkness as if it were wind all the same. Flurry could feel a magical energy radiating from it, not unlike the Darkness around her now, but just different somehow, like the difference between two shades of blue.

She knelt down to examine the light, trying to figure out what it was or what it represented. She could feel more than just magic there, actually, but a faint flicker of life as well. What was this thing? Why was it here?

“Your curiosity is as much of a weakness as your faith in your friends,” came Nihila’s voice from behind her. “You continue to resist me, and now you explore my essence with all the foolhardy wonder of a newborn foal. What do you hope to find, whelp? A means to defeat me? A means to escape my grasp?”

Flurry turned to face Nihila and narrowed her eyes. “Of course I am. You haven’t beaten me yet, so I’ll do whatever I have to do to put a stop to you and whatever it is you’re planning. This world doesn’t belong to you, and I will not let you destroy it.”

Nihila smirked. “Then perhaps you need a lesson in caution, little girl.”

As before, an inky black shroud rose up out of the alicorn and leapt at Flurry, and the rest of the darkness around her closed in as well. Flurry tried to ignite her horn, but this time found that she couldn’t; no Light came to her aid.

“Wh-why isn’t my magic—”

“You are in my realm, worm. I am the one in control here, not you.”

As the inky blackness enveloped Flurry, she cried out in pain. It was an agonizing sensation, like being submerged in scalding water, and yet it felt colder than the harshest icy winds that Flurry had ever felt before in all her years in the Crystal Empire, or even in the harsh northern winters of this world.

“Your anguish is delicious,” Nihila cackled in Flurry’s ear, her voice piercing into Flurry’s mind. “Cry out in agony for me, Flurry Heart. Feed me your pain. Feed me your sorrow. You are nothing more than fuel for the Darkness within me.”

“Let… go of… me!” Flurry shouted as she writhed in the darkness’s grip.

“Your pathetic friends are wandering to their doom, whelp. Your armies will fall before the wendigo storm, and even if they somehow succeed, many will have perished. Perhaps somepony you know, hmm?” Nihila snickered. “Perhaps your friend Rarity will be devoured by the cold, frozen in ice forever, or at least until she shatters into a million pieces. Or perhaps she will be impaled upon the fangs and hooves of the wendigos, her blood splattered against the snow.”

“They… will win! They will survive! They’re… stronger than you think!”

“I remember her, you know? Rarity. Though I did not meet her in the flesh, I met her all the same. A mere copy of her body and soul, to be sure, but it was her nonetheless. I twisted her and her pathetic generosity and love into a loathsome creature that only cared for itself and its own desires. Perhaps I will do the same to her again, only to the real one this time? Your friend will vanish. Forever.”

Flurry tried again to ignite her horn, to no avail. “Insipid… broke free of you! She’s good now! You… have no hold on her, or her sisters! You won’t—” Flurry felt the darkness clamp over her mouth to silence her, though she struggled all the same.

“Yes, perhaps, but that was Harmonia’s doing. Once I am through shrouding this world in Darkness, Harmonia will not be able to stand against me. I will destroy her first, then I will snuff out every last bastion of Light there is left, starting with everypony’s precious Hope’s Point.

“That treacherous former Warden of mine allowed it to stand for so long, but I will watch that city burn. I will make their queen and king watch as their children are broken and destroyed before them, and only then will I devour their souls… though perhaps I will let the queen live. Yes, I will extend her life so that she can wallow in grief and misery forever at the full extent of her failure.

“And when I am done with that little gleaming city, I will find every last ounce of good left in this world and I will twist it until it breaks. Perhaps next I will find the gryphon eggs you so graciously rescued. They will make ideal soldiers, or slaves. You have saved them only for them to serve me.

“Everything you find beautiful about this world will be twisted into something so unrecognizable that even you, whelp, will be unable to love it. There will be no more lights in the darkness. There will be no hope. And when I am done with my world… I will use your Chronomancer friends to send me to yours.”

Flurry clenched her teeth and focused everything she had on her horn’s magic. Even such a tiny flicker of light there was enough to break the darkness around her mouth. “No! You! Won’t!”

Her horn then ignited with a fearsome white glow as bright and hot as the sun, and Nihila hissed in agony for a fleeting instant as the darkness around Flurry was driven back entirely. The light was so bright that Flurry herself had to shield her eyes from her own magic as she fell to the ground.

When Flurry opened her eyes again, she was greeted by a most peculiar sight. First, the darkness surrounding her had dulled to little more than a dim gray shadow, though there still wasn’t any sort of terrain to guide her way by.

Second, Nihila had collapsed to the floor, unconscious as best that Flurry could tell, and the color of her coat had become more vibrant than before, not all that dissimilar from Princess Luna’s coat color. The little candlelight that Flurry had followed before approached Nihila’s body slowly, fluttering along at a snail’s pace, drawn to it like, well, a moth to a flame.

Third, and most disturbing, the inky black thing that had enveloped Flurry before had coalesced together with the darkness and red lightning, taking on the form of some shapeless blob that pulsated like a beating heart. Flurry watched as the dark blob writhed about and began taking the shape of another alicorn. Unlike Nihila, this one’s horn was made of molten magma, her wings made of pure fire, her coat made of that inky black substance and pulsing with red lightning, her mane made of smoke. When she opened her eyes, there were no pupils there, just a field of stars.

“You… what have you done?!” this new alicorn shouted, her voice—Nihila’s voice, only more intense and pure—echoing around Flurry and piercing through her mind and soul.

Flurry blinked, her eyes darting between this new alicorn and the unconscious form of Nihila just beside her. She was at a complete loss as to what had just happened or what was going on, but she knew this other alicorn with the magma horn, there was no question about that. Kauldron had spoken of her before, having seen her in his dreams, and Flurry had seen her in her own nightmares. Was this Nihila? But then who was the unconscious alicorn?

“I… I don’t know…” Flurry muttered, shaking her head. “But whatever it is I did, I’ll do it again. Get out of my body, you… thing, whatever you are. You’re not welcome here!” She ignited her horn and prepared to defend herself.

“You think you can still resist me, fool? You are plagued with self-doubt and fear of the future. I can feel it on you. It only serves to make me stronger.”

Flurry clenched her teeth. “My body is not yours to take, just like this world is not yours. Even if it takes everything I have, I will not let you use me to ruin everything that is good.”

“Do you think yourself powerful enough to resist me forever? You are nothing. You are just another vessel to use in my conquest of this world.” Nihila chuckled and ignited her horn as well, causing it to spew sparks of molten rock into the air. “Once your pitiful Chronomancer friend fails to diffuse the Beacon, this world will be mine at long last and you will be truly powerless before me. I am Nihila. I am Darkness made manifest, and I will not be denied what is rightfully mine.”

Flurry glanced briefly at the unconscious alicorn mare beside her and watched as the flickering purple light entered into the mare’s chest. She then turned back to Nihila, confused. “Wait, if you’re Nihila… then who is this?”

Nihila smirked, showing off a row of razor-sharp fangs. “My pathetic previous host, an alicorn much more powerful than you and yet still nothing more than a miserable worm before my power. If she could not resist me, then what hope do you have, whelp, plagued as you are with pitiful self-doubt and uncertainty?”

Flurry paused for a moment. A few gears clicked together as she remembered Venture’s story from back at Goldridge, which felt so long ago now that she’d almost forgotten it. Particularly how Harmonia has once been the sister of another alicorn named Pandemonia, who had at some point started calling herself Nihila instead and completely changed her tenets.

“This other alicorn… this is Pandemonia,” she breathed. She glared at Nihila. “That’s what happened, isn’t it? You took over Harmonia’s sister and tried to destroy the south ages ago.”

“Indeed I did, and now, I will do the same with you. Once I use you to destroy Harmonia’s physical body, I will have free reign over this world. You lack the tenacity and strength to resist me, just as Pandemonia did. Once I have destroyed your soul and taken your body, none shall stand against me!”

“Flurry’s spirit is stronger’n that. Y’all ain’t takin’ her down that easy. Ya hear me, Flurry?! I believe in ya!” Bloom’s voice echoed all around her.

Flurry paused for a moment, then allowed a small smile to come to her lips. “You’re right, I was plagued with self-doubt. But despite everything you’ve said to me and despite all of your attempts to tell me my friends will fail, I still have faith in them, just like they do in me. Because that is what I have: hope.”

She stood tall and proud, her horn glowing brighter than ever. “I am Princess Flurry Heart, and I am the Princess of Hope. And that is why I will continue to resist you, no matter what you say or do. You will never extinguish my spirit. You have already failed.”

Nihila stood silent for a short moment. “We shall see… Princess.”

Comments

[RoboRed]

• NPAF Fleet attacking Newhaven
• Stormy revealed as Warden of Nihlia, starts wailing on Symphony
• Nihilia possessing Flurry Heart

...Yeah, things just went from 0 to 60 to 100 in a real fuckin' hurry. At least the fleet seems to be out of the way.

[My name is R]

performing acrobatics nearly impossible—but not improbable—for even the most skilled of pegasus pilots.

So it's nearly impossible, yet perfectly normal? I'm confused.

Du kleine schlampe! You dare to make the Varden of Nihila bleed? Hmph… I am reconsiderink my offer to let you live.

Oh, but I thought you liked her fiery spirit? Not so much when you get burned?

Or was she just stronger now that she was angry? Did that even make sense?

Wardens and thier ilk have strange powers, she very well might.

“Your faith in your friends is your weakness, little pony.” Nihila said with a little smirk.

No. Or rather, yes, but it is also their strength. No one being has ever, will ever, control everything, not shy of The One. And there shall never be another. Not a mere god. Certainly not mortals like us. But in unity there is tha greatest strength ye'll ever see restricted ta this level a reality.
Friendship is Magic. Teamwork is Power. You are Doomed. It is inevitable. Perhaps not ta die, but you shall never rise up as you wish.

“She cannot hear your words while she is here with me, whelp,” Nihila snorted. “Try as you might, you cannot reach your precious Flurry Heart, and she cannot help you anymore. Give up. Give in to your despair already. Stop resisting.”

Then why're ya tryin' so hard ta talk her down. Almost like ya ain't in quite tha position a power ya claim. Like tha Smooze. G1. Nine times outa ten if somebody who don't like ya tells ya you don't stand a chance, it's cause they're afraid of ya.

I will make their queen and king watch as their children are broken and destroyed before them, and only then will I devour their souls… though perhaps I will let the queen live. Yes, I will extend her life so that she can wallow in grief and misery forever at the full extent of her failure.

If yer so very interested in talkin' 'bout weaknesses, Nilly, there's one for ya. The desire to extend yer enemies' sufferin', even at a tactical disadvantage. If yer gonna destroy somebody, then ya should do it quickly, not draw it out. It gives 'em a chance ta fight back.
I don't make a habit of destroyin' sentient creatures, but when I do there ain't no beatin' around tha bush, tryin' ta break their spirits. I hit 'em with a metal stick, nice an' quick-like. Those varmints ain't tearin' up mah window screens ever again.
Tha purpose a slow torture is fer those ya don't mean ta kill in tha foreseeable future.

If she could not resist me, then what hope do you have, whelp, plagued as you are with pitiful self-doubt and uncertainty?

Oh, like she wasn't? If tha story here's like tha one there, she pro'ly had some doozies of self-worth issues by tha time ya took over.

10277083
And yet... every single front introduced in this chapter has already been put on tha retreat. Tha NP fleet sunk beneath tha waves. Stormy unable ta adjust to an unusual opponent. And Nihila's been ripped from Pandemonia in tha dreamscape while also pushing Flurry inta discoverin' her domain, which is tha perfect counter to 'er. Lots a up 'n downs, but I think we're almost back up ta where we thought we were last chapter, and without as much trouble waiting in tha wings.
Gonna call this a good thing, all in all. Cleared tha board, so ta speak.
No idea what yer link is.

[RoboRed]

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Unfortunately, I can't remember either.