31: A Dark Path
An hour prior, Twilight, Pinkie, Silver, and two escorting pegasi were nosing around the city after volunteering to join the scavenging parties. Aside from the wingless Pinkie, everyone around her were sluggish and felt low on energy as the forced march caught up with them. Walking carefully beside her sister, Pinkie Pie gently pulled Twilight’s right wing out, being careful not to overextend her aching muscles.
“How does that feel?” Pinkie asked as she helped Twilight elevate her wings and then back down again. The earther sister was as gentle with it as ever. “Better, or worse?”
Twilight gritted her teeth, teetering between effort and burn in her muscles. “Oohh, that burns, keep it there, please.” Thanks to her lingering aches and pains along with Pinkie’s efforts, Twilight had difficulty keeping an eye out for salvageable firewood or the odd cellar that could be hiding canned food that the Royal Army might have missed.
The group found its way into a factory mess hall, for that same reason. The pegasus soldiers swept lanterns back and forth to pierce the gloom, searching for potential threats. When none were found they placed the lanterns on the floor to light the whole room so everyone could start searching. It wasn't long before one of them found a pantry, and pried the lock off, and discovered four cans of corn and peas. Licking his lips at the small bounty, he opened his saddlebags to claim his prize when he saw the noble sisters’ activity and arched a curious eyebrow. “Beggin’ your pardon, Ladies, but what are you doing?”
Twilight looked over her outstretched wing, and winced at a shot of pain. “I’m trying to relieve aches and pains.”
The soldier shoved the cans in his bag. “With respect, it looks like you’re stretching, and doing a miserable job of it.” That was hardly an observation he ever expected to tell a noble, but these were strange times. Strange enough to grab the other soldiers’ attention as well, wondering if the noble would act upon wounded pride.
“Wrong you say?” Equal parts amused, insulted, and curious, Twilight wiggled a bit to get her wing freed from her sister’s grip. “My martial tutor, Captain-lieutenant Cross Hook taught us these movements.”
Feeling more diplomatic, Pinkie eased her sister’s slightly elevated temper by patting her withers. “Something we haven’t exactly been very diligent about last year.”
Staring at her sister, but ultimately holding her tongue, Twilight heaved a sigh. “No, I suppose not.” She eyed the stallion who had originally interrupted them. “Say, since you’ve taken such an interest, perhaps you can he refresh our memory of proper stretching?”
Having missed all of that, Silver Vein cried out in surprise and jumped a bit after reading a plaque near some counters. “Inconceivable!” He addressed the group with excitement. “Did anypony see the name of this place on the way in?” The soldier Twilight had been pressuring but a moment ago bid a hasty retreat to his compatriot.
Sharing everyone else’s curiosity over the outburst, Pinkie Pie tilted her head. “No. We came in through a broken wall.”
Silver pointed at the plaque no one else as close enough to read. “We’re at the Bogburg Coker!”
No one shared his realization, much to his disappointment. “A coker should have huge amounts of coal stored away, and given that we didn’t see any fire damage anyway, I’d wager it’s still intact.”
Twilight and Pinkie gasped a bit. “If that’s true, we’d be sitting on enough coal to keep the Charlie engine running for months.”
The soldiers brightened up now. “Lady Twilight,” said one of them, “why don’t we split up and look for the bunker?”
Twilight waved them off with a sheepish smile. “There’s no telling what state the bunkers are in, so I’ll have to leave that to all of you.” Her horn spat off a ribbon of lightning. “I don’t exactly mix well with loose coal dust.”
Not too long later, Rainbow Dash was listening to a scout report from the Mirage. She had relocated her headquarters to the bombed out warehouse just west of the campsite. It still had the northeast corner and some of the roof still intact, so it felt sturdy enough for their stay. She repurposed some crates to serve as a table and stool. It was inglorious for her rank, and the soldiers had started calling her Captain Crate, but it served well enough. It’s exactly the same kind of nickname I’d give my superior if I were them, she thought with a chuckle.
Before her stood three of her scouts all lined up. The open sky behind them showed the setting Sun. Rainbow still had enough coffee beans to give her a few more cups after this one. She sipped it slowly, enjoying the heat and the last good cup she’d get until Luna was rescued. The rest she planned to save for the celebration. “So you’re sure there weren’t any illusions? I was led to believe the place lures victims to their deaths.”
Quiet Cutter, the leader of the group wore a corporal’s chevrons. “There was some whispering, and kind of a creepiness to it all, but no visible ghosts or what such nonsense.”
Rainbow scanned the others’ faces, checking for any sign of a dissenting opinion. When she found none, she nodded. “Good work. Unless there is anything else, you’re dismissed.”
The soldiers scattered to avoid Sea Breeze who was running in, mostly to avoid having to stop and salute. Rainbow passively waited for her lieutenant to arrive and speak her mind.
“Ma’am,” Sea Breeze saluted. “Applejack reports a druid has come out from the Mirage and wishes to speak with you.”
Instantly nervous, Rainbow took a moment to steady herself. Silver mentioned a single druid still lived there. But why would he come all this way to Bogburg? “Well send him in. He’s supposed to be the last one isn’t he? If he proves hostile, be ready to handle him.”
“The sea cat’s already bringing him over, Ma’am.”
Nodding and taking another sip of coffee, “to think I’d get to play diplomat already,” Rainbow half-joked. A set of incoming hooves rounding the corner revealed Twilight making a welcome appearance.
“Captain,” she started formally with the other officer present. “I have good news. We found a bit of food, but more importantly, we found a factory’s worth of coal in town. We’ve got enough to keep the engine running for weeks straight.”
It had been a minor concern for Rainbow, but the news was still welcome. “Glad to hear it. Say, since you’re here, the Crookback druid is on the way here, you want to bear witness?”
He is? Whatever for? Twilight’s ears were pulled sharply up and delight filled her eyes. “Oh that would be most welcome. I've never met a druid before.”
Rainbow wilted a bit. “Mores the pity. I was hoping you had, because I haven’t either. This pony could make our lives much easier if we sweet talk him.”
“Ahh. I understand.” Twilight tapped her nose and gave a slight smirk. “Merchant’s Creed two oh three: new customers are like roses. They can be succulent, but beware the thorns.”
Rainbow offered a small crate for a seat. “You have one of those mottos for everything, don’t you?”
“Near enough.”
Rainbow sat down as well to wait for the druid’s arrival, and noticed Twilight was wearing her armor again. “You good to go?”
Twilight followed her friends’ gaze to her barrel, before nodding slowly. “Enough for some light effort should the need arise. I'll fine for the last stretch by tomorrow evening.”
“Already?” Rainbow drew up a stern gaze. “Twilight, no pony doubts your endurance, but you just got done with a forced march and you’re with foal. You need to be careful.”
Trying to smile warmly, only to come across as fatigued, Twilight nodded. “I appreciate the concern, but we’re almost done here, and it’s not like we’re going to be taking the engine back with us.”
Not entirely satisfied, Rainbow knew it was the best she’d get. “Just take it easy, will ya?”
Three sets of approaching hooves reached their ears. Coming in from the west and stepping over some rubble, Applejack and Jacks were escorting an unfamiliar dirty looking earth stallion.
“That must be him now,” Rainbow commented while trying to smooth a crease in her uniform.
The edge of Twilight’s lips pulled down and her nose twitched from an unpleasant odor. And here I thought I had become accustomed to unwashed bodies by now. “I’d offer him some perfumes if I had any.”
“If you did, I’d make it an order.“
Jacks arrived within earshot first and saluted his superior. “Captain Rainbow Dash, may I present Rock Salt, Archdruid of the Crookback Order.”
Rainbow held her tongue at first before something insulting came out. I suppose I could call myself emperor if I was the last Lunarian. “Archdruid Rock Salt, thanks for coming. She waved a wing at her friend. “This is Lady Twilight Sparkle, a close confidante and friend.”
The stallion looked at the noble up and down, and confusion came over him upon seeing her metal clad featherless wings, but ultimately decided the mare wasn’t worth much attention. “May the Green Mother watch over you both.” Casting the noble from his mind, he focused on the thestral. “Captain. The last time I was here, the city was much more… lively.”
“Yes, well the sun lovers will get their due sooner or later.” Rainbow was already not liking him for rubbing salt on the wound. “So why have you come to us?”
The druid grew quite animated in a hurry. “Equestrians have come to my village and have laid claim to the Mirage itself. Since they are at war with you, I was hoping you’d have no issue killing them all.”
The gathered Lunarians almost had a collective heart attack. Twilight managed to speak up first. “Why are they still in your village?” Twilight already knew why, but dared to hope otherwise.
“They claim the Protectors statue which has stood in my village since it was built is actually their stone goddess - ah - along with being yours as well.” Rock Salt may not not have had all that much social experience, but even he could see how grim the ponies around him had become. “If - if you must take the Protectors from me as well, then I can at least have the satisfaction of the thieves’ deaths.”
A cold sweat dampened Rainbow’s neck and withers. Her coffee forgotten, she sat down to compose herself. “How many are there?”
“Fourteen.”
That paltry number was nothing compared to the one hundred under Rainbow's command, quantity was not the issue. Twilight Sparkle was fidgeting over the news. “Were any of them inquisitors?”
Rock Salt’s excitement at finding some willing soldiers waned in a real hurry at the question. He cleared his throat and whispered barely loud enough to be heard. “Three.”
“Three of them!?” Rainbow nearly screamed at Rock Salt while slamming the table. The shout drew the attention of Rainbow's officers and when they moved to eavesdrop, others started following suit.
Applejack went pale, Jacks’ throat went utterly dry, and Twilight was struck dumb and stumbled a bit.
Rainbow pinched her brow, trying to regain her composure, and inwardly kicking herself for the outburst. She waited until she could speak again in a level tone. “Anything else I should know?”
Rock Salt was sorely tempted to say no. To him, it already looked like the Lunarians were going to decline to help. However, lying by omission could be just as dangerous. “They - they have a druid loyal to them who commands the wilds better than I can.”
“Well that’s just wonderful.” Rainbow grabbed her cooling coffee and down it in one go, dearly wishing the dull burn could drown out the growing despair.
Jacks managed to break the silence that fell over them. “Better we found out now rather than them striping us all before we knew it.”
Rainbow glared at him. “They’d stripe you, and kill me. You know they don’t take thestral prisoners.”
“Not sure what’s better,” Applejack added grimly.
As those around her fell into despair, Twilight kept her mind at work. “Can you put their druid to sleep? Surely you must know of some plants that help you sleep better.”
Rainbow scoffed at the question, partially because sleep over killing was suggested. “You don’t actually think we can win against them do you?”
“What’s the alternative?” Twilight challenged firmly. “Leave Luna to the tender mercies of the Inquisition?”
Rainbow grew red in the face, and was about to lay into her, but the words were caught in her throat. Any objections that had been building within the other Lunarians died just as fast.
“If what he says is true…” Twilight’s eyes searched everyone’s faces, and beyond to the edges of the walls, knowing full well others were undoubtedly listening in. “Then this is what will happen. The inquisition releases the sisters from their stone prison, and join Celestia in defeating Luna. From there, Celestia enacts the very plan she had put into place a millennia ago and cages Luna in the mirror world. If she returns to power, Equestria will never end this war until we're all striped or dead. We can’t let that come to pass!” She stomped her hoof, her iron words cutting through the fear induced paralysis. “We don't have the luxury of cowardice this time.”
The uncomfortable silence that followed was deafening to the point where Rainbow could hear tense, fearful whispers coming from behind the walls of her excuse of an office. Eventually, Rock Salt spoke up, his tone was thready and wavering. “I know of some things I could use. Maybe I could fake a desire to speak with Fluttershy, and use enough of the sleep tea to keep her out for a day. Or…”
He felt bile rising up his throat at the very idea that popped in his head. “I could distract her with other means.” Having to actually entertain her horrific view of Mother Nature for potentially days on end deeply unsettled him. Even so, it’d be the perfect excuse to get her far away from the village.
Everyone else around him came to a different conclusion. Were it not for the situation, laughter would have filled the air. As paltry as it was, that iota of humor kickstarted Rainbow’s mind. Steeling herself, standing up, and adopting her best commanding posture, she stood ready to die. “Lady Twilight is right. She Who Protects has watched over us for an age. This is our chance to return the favor.” She slammed a hoof down on the crate. “We’re going in. I need a plan before we tell the boys. Twilight, I need that brain of yours on this one.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Twilight replied firmly, trying to hide her sudden misgivings. Which is what exactly? I learned strategy and logistics, not how to bring down an inquisitor.
“Good. AJ, Jacks, make sure no pony bothers us as we come up with something.”
“Aye, Captain,” the sailor and soldier saluted. Already, the eavesdroppers were scattering to the winds, but with the two of them hot on their heels.
The officers crowded the impromptu table. Rock Salt was unsure what to do so he remained where he was, while Twilight shifted around to stand beside her friend.
Rainbow took the time everyone was shuffling around to breathe. She had not faced an inquisitor during the defense of Black Bluff, so her imagination started running wild.
“Rock Salt,” she said at last. “I need to know exactly what the Equestrians are doing. They’re trying to free Celestia, but how?”
The earth stallion stared at the ground trying to give the best answer he could. “One of the inquisitors, named Topaz, is trying to use some metal tools called staves to empower his efforts since so called soft spells straight from the horn are too weak." His next statement came with some petty satisfaction. "The Prot - the statues resist his efforts. The statues create a cleansing field - well, they keep calling it a purging field. Whatever it is, any time Topaz tries to use his staves, they fail and cause the metal to glow red. So they're trying to use them outside of the field. When I left, they are currently trying to destroy some houses to use the stone to create a raised platform to cast their spells from outside the field.”
“Why not do it on the back of a chariot?” Twilight asked, partially interrupting him.
"I don't know. Perhaps you can ask them before you kill them," Rock Salt suggested with palpable grim humor.
Rainbow stopped him by waving a hoof. “Do you know how long until they're done?”
“They argue over it actually,” Rock Salt stated with a mix of bitterness and resentment over his village being picked apart and defaced. “Topaz just wants to build the platform, Rarity wants to bring in workers, or a boat to transport the statue away.”
While Rainbow listened, she heard Twilight behind her gasp at the inquisitor’s name.
“The leader of the three, Radiant Dawn doesn’t want to make their little invasion any bigger since they need to prove once and for all Celestia is part of the Protectors.” When Rainbow started to look impatient, he had to remember the original question. “I couldn’t say how long though. A few days at least because they did not bring tools to tear my village apart and are too impatient to wait for supplies.”
Lieutenant Feather Dance cut in. “Are they building a portal arch? It would be like a stone doorway with markings on it.”
“I could not say. Nopony had put up any sort of door the last time I was there, but I did see some of the unicorns salvaging stone blocks from the destroyed lair of the Dark Father. I just assumed it was for the platform.”
Twilight’s nerves were raw, and her voice betrayed her. “We should hope that’s all it is. We should ascertain how much time we have. Can you tell me how far this purging field extends from the statue?”
Humming as Rock Salt looked around the open air office, he pointed at the marina’s exterior wall that could only be seen because two buildings between the office and the wall had been leveled. “About that far.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide. “Oh my. That’s -that’s impressive.”
The officers looked at her with faint hope. “Is that a good sign?” Sea Breeze asked.
“It is.” Twilight shivered as some stress left her. “My father and I never tested purging fields since they simply aren’t used anymore, but I did some theory work as a side project. “A purging field is far weaker at disrupting magic than an engine is, and goes about it in a different way. Instead of tearing a spell apart, the moment a spell leaves the horn, or staff in this case, it saps mana from it, destabilizing the whole thing from the outside in. If the field is strong enough to be a mile in diameter, there’s no way a staff is going to work. No pony can aim a staff spell half a mile to something the size of two ponies, and any tracking matrix will be ruined long before it reaches the statues.”
“So a few days at the very least.” Rainbow fixed her gaze on Rock Salt. “Are you sure they’re making a platform?”
Huffing, Rock Salt was slow to answer. “I don’t… I don’t know, I’m only guessing. The inquisitors have made it abundantly clear they don’t need me, and they don’t explain themselves. Only to wait until they leave.”
“Then it looks like we have some time.” Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief. “If Rock Salt can distract their druid, the Equestrians will be blind to our approach. Now we just need to figure out how to go from there.”
The four officers started strategizing an attack while occasionally asking Rock Salt for details, although he always tended to lead his answers back to Fluttershy who he named and described in detail. Through it all, Twilight remained silent as her own idea slowly took shape.
Hours went by before Lieutenant Feather Dance threw her hooves up in frustration. “That won’t work either. If we can’t time the attack perfectly, all while avoiding detection by patrols mind you, as soon as a shot goes off, any still living inquisitors will rip into us like a bullet through wet paper. We might be able to handle one by surprise, but getting all three at once is impossible.”
“What else can we do?” Sea Breeze insisted in desperation.
“We hound them,” Twilight said at last, drawing the attention her way. “We come at all sides. Sometimes not even firing, just revealing ourselves enough to be seen so that another can take a shot.”
“Would that actually work?” Rainbow interjected with fear written over her face. “Don’t they have mind magic that can tell them where anyone close by is?”
Twilight went quiet for a bit as she sifted through her memories. Her encounter with Rarity on the docks caused her to speak up. “No. I don’t believe so. Maybe one or two could in the past, and stories cropped up to make it seem like they could all do it.”
“I hope you’re right.” Rainbow liked the plan, and she started coming up with a briefing speech. Yeah. If all they can see is with their eyes, and the enemy druid is gone, this plan could work. “Because it’s the best plan I’ve heard so far.
“Rock Salt, right?” Rainbow only half-asked. “Think you can lure the other away and distract her long enough to take her out?” Rainbow had not yet asked why Twilight wanted to spare the other druid, but suspected there was a good reason.
“I’d prefer you kill her,” Rock grumbled, then nodded. “Yes, it can be done.”
“Let’s see how things pan out first.” Twilight suggested before Rainbow could promise anything. She tapped her chin with a wing-finger, and walked over to whisper in Rainbow’s ear. “If we could discredit the inquisitors by defeating them, it might get that druid to side with us.”
Scowling, Rainbow fixed Twilight with a dark look. “I'd rather not work with anypony that fickle. Better to just kill her, and let her keep her honor.”
Unable to realistically counter that, Twilight turned to the druid. “Rock Salt, do you know why Fluttershy serves Equestria? I’m not exactly an expert in your… lifestyle, but even I know druids tend to stay out of Equestrian and Lunarian affairs.”
Anger flashed over his face in an instant, putting Twilight and Rainbow off at how fast his temper flared. “Fluttershy is a mockery, that’s why! She has some perverse notion that the civilized are the intended creation of the Green Mother, and that plants and animals are to be slaughtered and used at your whim instead of us ponies being the stewards to protect her.”
Twilight looked to Rainbow with shock, only to see mild bemusement out of the captain. Returning her attention to Rock Salt, Twilight struggled to keep things diplomatic. Her plan hinged on his support, and she had to keep that anger directed at the Equestrians. “That is certainly a - ah - unique philosophy.”
Rock Salt barely heard her. His vision was turning red just thinking about her ideas. “Then she claims by serving the strongest of you civilized, she’s honoring the Green Mother! If anything she’d do a better job returning all of you to the soil and burning your-” He stopped, realizing what he said wasn’t exactly the best thing to say in present company. “Just - just tell me when you’re ready.” He stormed off to escape embarrassment.
“Uh huh.” Rainbow pulled Twilight’s ear, being grazed by a lightning arc for her trouble. “Look, I’m sure trying to get this Fluttershy person to join us is some kind of Merchant’s Creed motto, but how about we just settle on being glad he’s helping.”
Sighing in defeat, Twilight pulled her ear free and nodded. “Fair enough.” Watching the irate stallion depart, Twilight shook her head. “More’s the pity.”
Rainbow got up and clopped her hooves to get her officers’ attention. “Alright listen up. We don’t know how long it will take before the Inquisitors either free Celestia or get tired of waiting and try to move them deeper into Equestria. I need drills for this sort of skirmishing drawn up pronto. We don’t have time to get it perfect, just enough that we don’t end up smacking into each other since we’re not going to have a fixed formation for this one.”
Sea Breeze and the others saluted. “Seems like a more exaggerated form of the porcupine maneuver. Should just need some tweaks.”
“Good get on it.” Rainbow looked to the sky to gauge the time. “I want to attack before the week’s out.”
A few days later, Rarity and the other inquisitors were standing on a stone platform just outside of the Protectors’ purging field. Two head-high pylons sat on either side glowed a warm and steady blue. The trio of inquisitors set three staves in between them, which caused the items to float completely still, and pointed directly at the distant statue. The houses between them had been picked apart over the last few days as the group searched for usable stone, a task made difficult by the stubborn vines whenever Fluttershy was not around to assist. But now they had a clear line of sight on the statues.
The evening sun heralded the end of the day’s toils, but the group was bound and determined to not waste a second of daylight. The swamp had taken its toll on all of them, and impatience had firmly set in.
As Rarity watched the two stallions converse with each other until they waved her over. She brushed back a lock of ruined hair, and stepped up to her staff and began charging it. The humidity of the swamp and the rough living made styling hair to her usual standard near impossible, and the late hour made her give up trying until the morning.
With all the effort we’re going through to free them, I’m beginning to think they don’t want to be free… Such irritating thoughts soiled her mood, but even so she felt the need to stay polite and dignified. “Shall we try again?”
Topaz was in an even worse mood. “Naturally,” he grumbled in directionless irritation. He was staring through a spy glass while Radiant manipulated the staff in his magic. “Fire when ready.”
The staff glowed amber with Radiant’s magic before firing a bolt of magic. The piercing light of the bolt rocketed in the statues’ direction, only to go off course and crash harmlessly into a house.
“Angle up a few degrees and double that to the right.”
Radiant Dawn huffed and tried again. The amber bolt tore away from them like a miniature sun. Halfway down, this bolt too started to wobble and go wide, this time veering up and left until it did a loop before crashing to the ground with little fanfare.
“Confound it!” Radiant hissed. “It’s still throwing off the tracking matrix.”
Topaz agility closed his spyglass. “A broken clock is right twice a day. We just have to keep trying. Even if we have to remove the tracking, we’ll hit it eventually.”
Radiant rubbed his face, fatigue from weeks of labor getting the better of him. “Celestia give me strength.” He waved Rarity forward and the two of them took up staves and waited for Topaz.
Rarity’s blue glow enveloped the rune encrusted staff, and she had to call on her faith to keep the effort up. Dreams of bathes and massages, along with praise for being one of the ones who rescued Celestia certainly helped keep her going.
“Fire at the ready.”
Not too far away, Lock Stock and Lyra were resting on top of a house, watching the streams of magic launch from the platform. Tracking each shot, their mood wasn’t bolstered by how wide each shot tended to be. “You think they’ll actually be able to hit it?” Lyra asked rhetorically. She knew the answer, but felt like it had to be voiced.
“Better question is if one hit is enough.” Lock Stock may not have been exhausting his mana nearly everyday like the unicorns had been, but he was just as sick of the swamp as the rest of them. “I’m just glad Rarity talked the big boss into getting a barge send down so we can take the Sisters out of here.”
“Yeah, as if that’ll be an ‘any-time-soon’ solution.” Lyra pulled a piece of hard tack out of her pack and licked it lazily. The slight saltiness was a lack-luster stand-in for alcohol with perpetually dry Inquisitors around, but at least it was something. “At this point, I just wish something would happen, I don’t care what it is.”
Lock Stock developed a horrified look and swatted her on the barrel. “Why would you jinx us like that!?”
“Because at this point the only things that could happen is a gator attack, Rocky finally getting pissed enough to try something, or Rarity chipping a hoof and dragging us to a spa to get it fixed.”
Taking a few seconds to process that, Lock Stock fixed her with a confused look. “Wait, why would the last thing be bad?”
“Because she would whine the whole time until we got there.”
“Rarity doesn’t whine.” Lock Stock felt as if his compatriot was joking now, but still felt the need to defend the inquisitor’s honor.
Lolling her head in his direction, Lyra leered at him. “Given how many times you fall flat with Fluttershy, I’m not surprised you can’t tell.”
Going red in the face, Lock Stock tried to lightly smack her, only for Lyra to dodge by rolling away, and nearly falling off the rounded roof for her trouble. “She just lives up to her name with such matters is all.”
“Sure, sure, if it makes you feel better,” Lyra teased as she struggled to retain stable footing. Upon getting three legs back onto the roof, she saw the defeatism growing on his face. Feeling pity, Lyra finally stood back up and roped him into a neck hold. “Tell you what. How about I give you all the tips you need to finally get her to agree to being courted. You’ll be thick as thieves come Hearth’s Warming.”
Instantly suspicious, Lock Stock pulled himself free. “Why would you help me like that?”
“Honestly? Rarity keeps threatening to marry me to you. No offense, but I’m looking for a unicorn to marry. And you smell.”
“As if you’re a perfumed peach yourself,” Lock Stock countered evenly. “Feel free to bathe in the leech and gator infested waters if you want, but I’d rather stink.” He straightened his uniform, intending to get something to eat. Before he jumped down, he turned a curious eye to his unpredictable friend. “Would you actually help me?”
“It’ll give me something to do.” Lyra used a singularity to lightly fall to the ground. “But only if you cook some of that fish stew for dinner.”
Wary of her help as he was, Lock Stock was getting desperate at this point, and food was hardly a steep price. “Deal.”
Two miles upriver towards the Equestrian side, Fluttershy was singing a gentle, soothing melody while standing on top of a massive alligator. Thin trails of black smoke bubbled from the river around her. A single pegasus soldier served as her bodyguard, hovered a fair distance away from the monster and its jaws, and yet he was utterly enamored by her melodious power.
Vines and roots that had long clogged the river were being cleared away for a barge. Radiant Dawn was trying to make it a point of pride to have his team free Celestia, but Rarity had quietly tasked Fluttershy to clear the river and had commissioned a river town further west to send a barge, but that was at least a month away. Assuming the coming winter doesn't freeze the river of course.
Her song was not just to clear the way, but a perfect excuse to help cleanse the thinning dark magic as well. Fish swam up to hear her sing, then sank again, creating a cycle of water that dredged up bits of soil. The lingering dark magic that clung to the silt was purified by her voice just as easily as the fish themselves. Having been at it all day, she felt the first signs of throat strain. Oh dear, I better call it for the day. Sighing and taking a sip of water from a skin, Fluttershy nuzzled the gator between the eyes. “Thank you for helping, good sir.” For a few moments, she remained there on top of the alligator while she lazily started up at the myriad of colors in the sky.
With a mighty swing of its tail, the gator angled them towards the river bank. The escort followed after them in the air, until the gator reached the shore before landing in a tree. Fluttershy gently stepped off onto the mud before giving one last nuzzle on the edge of its nose. “May your strength live on,” she whispered to the beast. With a low grumble, the alligator returned to the waters and the hunt. Fluttershy flew up to rest on a tree branch.
Her escort was still awed by the ease with which she handled the beast. After a few minutes to collect her thoughts and think about what to say, she eased her way over to a closer branch. “Miss Fluttershy. Is it possible to learn your song?”
A forlorn, weak smile crawled sluggishly over her. I had hoped Rock Salt would ask that first. Still, the young mare, barely old enough to enlist, sounded sincere. Reinforcing that smile, Fluttershy nodded while standing up. “Of course, Annabel. Anypony can with dedication, but know that you will have to put the Green Mother on equal or higher standing than Celestia.” There was more to it, but it was the simplest test to weed out simple admirers and those truly wishing to join.
Fluttershy being a heathen was no surprise to Annabel, but the condition left her deeply uneasy. She fidgeted with her forelegs. “Do I really have to go that far?”
A voice called out from the ground, “the Green Mother should be the only one venerated.”
Both mares looked down to find Rock Salt standing knee deep in water. He was wearing a leather saddlebag of his own make.
“You’ve returned,” Fluttershy said with mixed delight and concern. “You’ve been gone for over a week.”
It took no effort to look irritated, yet what required monumental effort was what he needed to say to sound sincere. “I needed to do some thinking.” He trudged through the water to reach a tree root that led into a patch of dry-ish ground.
Fluttershy flittered over to join him while the escort remained in the tree. She ultimately decided not to speak up, allowing the other druid to collect his thoughts in peace.
“I… I can’t…” Rock Salt struggled to keep his tone level as the lie was squeezed out of him. “I can’t deny the Green Mother favors you. If it is not too late, I would like to share a custom of my order. A serving of gimyong as an act of forgiveness and apology.” He pulled out a small leaf pouch of ground herbs along with three clay cups and a larger bowl. He waved to Fluttershy. “I have presented the gim as a show of remorse. Now as an act of accepting my apology, you must fill the basin with water as an act of sincerity.”
It was not a practice the Roan had shared, but it sounded easy enough. Fluttershy took out her waterskin and filled the bowl. “Do I say anything?”
“There is no need.” He shook himself, trying to briefly suppress his revulsion. In truth, much was expected of both injured parties, but Rock Salt had no interest in actual forgiveness from her. His eyes swept up to the escort who was still in the tree. “You there.”
“Me?” Annabel flittered down to meet them.
“Yes.” Rock Salt pushed the third cup towards the soldier. “My… anger was not solely directed at Fluttershy, but to your nation. Since you are one of Equestria’s warriors, you can stand in for it.”
Scratching her head, the soldier looked to Fluttershy for help. “I’m flattered, I think, but wouldn’t the inquisitors be better?”
Fluttershy suddenly got antsy to bury the hatchet between her and Rock Salt. Memories of Rarity’s news of Equestria laying claim to the Mirage resurfaced, edging her to speak before he could get second thoughts. “It should be fine.” Fluttershy laid a hoof on the soldier’s own to placate her. “What matters is renewal.” Fluttershy flared her wings and looked to the tree canopy to take a page from Roan’s own forgiveness ritual. “Storms come and go, and life always refreshes itself anew. Let us allow the storm of our grievances pass, and work to renew ourselves and our friendships.”
Rock Salt remained silent as he took the pouch of ground and dried herbs, and emptied it into the bowl. Mixing it with his cup until the water had turned a soupy rich green, he scooped some out for himself. “Please, accept from my cup, and accept my apology.”
Feeling as if she should put in some part of Equestria’s own tradition into it, Annabel lifted her cup up in salute. “A toast, to friends.” She wasn’t sold on Rock Salt at all, but who knows, maybe going along with this could get her assigned to an inquisitor on a more permanent basis.
Fluttershy eagerly clicked her cup, to which Rock Salt mirrored.
As one, they all drank. The sourness of it was like a partially sweetened lemonade. Fluttershy drank it all without complaint, but the escort had to pace herself, while Rock Salt drank it quickly and quietly.
Fluttershy wiped her lips and set the cup down. “I’m glad we can have a fresh start.” She paused upon seeing Rock Salt take some small berries out of his pack and ate them, chewing hard enough to crack the seeds within. “What are those?” Her eyes strangely felt heavy and a yawn was setting in.
“Just some coffee beans the Lunarians left behind. I put them inside some vulberries to improve the flavor. Among other things.” He ate a few more without so much as offering one.
Fluttershy didn’t realize she was suddenly so exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open. Yet her mind remained sharp enough to see the soldier topple over unconscious. Her wings felt numb and she could barely remain sitting upright. “You - you poisoned us?!”
Rock Salt stood up, violently shaking himself to remain strong. “You’ll wake in a day.” He got in close to her face, the familiar hate she saw in his eyes surging anew. “You should consider yourself lucky. The machine lovers seem to think you might join them. I’d rather just kill you here and now, but the featherless one was insistent.”
The thought of murder brought his attention to the sleeping soldier. “We don’t belong with them.” Taking a bone dagger from his bag, he went over to Annabel.
“Wait!” Fluttershy wheezed out as darkness threatened to claim her. “Please, don’t kill her.”
“I don’t need to bloody my hooves, the Lunarians will do that for me.” Rock Salt stopped to watch the yellow pegasus carefully. It was not unheard of for druids to muscle through poison, and his was only a sleeping agent. “She’ll be killed along with the rest of your little band.”
“What?” she forced her eyes open and her mouth to work, but each effort felt harder than the last. The drug still squeezed on her consciousness like a vice. “What are you talking about? The Lunarians are gone. Pushed far to the east.”
Rock Salt grabbed the soldiers’ carbine, which caught against her chest thanks to the strap. With some effort, he began cutting the strap, too wrapped up in keeping a close eye on Fluttershy to simply pull it off of the soldier. “By helping them, I can at least get revenge for Equestria stealing my home from me.” He got the weapon loose, and abandoned the knife to claim the soldier’s carbine. It disgusted him, but it would serve his needs.
The prospect of a force of Lunarians being in the area gave Fluttershy strength to resist. Through sheer will, Fluttershy felt the drug was weakening. The darkness in the edges of her vision was retreating. I need to keep him talking long enough to fight back. “You believe they wouldn’t do the same if they were winning the war?”
“Perhaps they would.” Fully turning in her direction, Rock Salt started walking back over. “But that doesn’t matter to me now. They’re here and they’ll avenge my home through your masters’ deaths.”
Fluttershy saw him flip the firearm around and was about to club her. “They’ll take the Protectors,” she cried out in desperation, no longer thinking clearly, just something to buy her time. “If they fight, the Protectors might be destroyed.”
“You think me a fool?” he barked harshly. “The civilized want the protectors and I am but one stallion. Be it tonight or months from now they are lost to me, but I’ll side with ones who didn’t steal my home.”
Panic surged in Fluttershy as he stepped up next to her. “You call me a heretic, and yet you dishonor yourself by misusing the gimyong? Am I really worth the disgrace before the Green Mother?”
He stopped his swing mid-motion, a smug grin crossed him. “You misunderstand. See, I didn’t waste the ritual. To me, your friend here indeed represented Equestria as a whole, so that I could forgive the wider nation. What she does not represent are your allies inside the village. As for you, you represented the other Orders who could have sent volunteers to help restore my people, but instead, they decided to just let the Crookbacks die with me.” He bent down to meet her struggling, yet terrified eyes to his cold ones. “Who knows, perhaps the Lunarians might agree to gimyong between you and them if you agree to serve Luna.” He raised the rifle, ready to club her into unconsciousness. “But I hope you don’t.” With a grunt of effort, he slammed the rifle butt in the back of her head, ending her struggles.
With Fluttershy finally still, Rock Salt dropped the carbine, and whistled a distinct bird call. A pegasus in a silver and black uniform jumped out of some distant trees and flew over to survey the results. He landed in between Fluttershy and Rock Salt. “Is that her?” he asked while ignoring the snoring uniformed pegasus off to the side.
“Yes. The way is clear for your brethren.” Rock Salt didn’t look him in the eyes, lest his anger for the civilized return anew. “She is stronger than I thought, even so, she will be asleep until daybreak.”
It wasn’t much time, so the scout got jittery. “You have my thanks, and that of Luna herself, for what it’s worth to you.” The scout eyed the downed mares. It was deeply dishonorable to kill an enemy who couldn’t fight, and he was loathe to soil himself in such a way so his rifle remained in place. “Are you coming back?”
Rock Salt saw waves rippling across the water and the air felt heavy. “No. I have no place amongst you, and I have ended my quarrel with you civilized. Luck willing, I will never see any of you again.”
“Just as well, I suppose.” Jumping back into the air, the scout saluted him. “Take care of yourself, druid.” When Rock Salt gave a feeble wave in return, the scout rocketed back to his unit as fast as his wings could carry him.
With the soldier gone, Rock Salt eyed Fluttershy’s still form. Part of him just wanted to leave, but the hatred in his heart wanted the revenge the gimyong still allowed him. Taking his knife back out, the moment he took a step towards Fluttershy however, a slow but undeniable rumble shook through the trees and the waters roiled with predators. The wilds were circling him as if he was threatening the pack.
He dropped the weapon and backed off from the two down ponies. “Even now?” He roared at the encroaching wilderness. “She talks about strength, I lay her low, and you still defend her!?” So utterly lost, the world made no sense anymore. “She’s a heretic! Her life is mine by right!”
The same alligator from before slid out of the waters and hissed a challenge at Rock Salt as it waddled in close. He made no effort to attack, nor leave. He stood his ground and stared it in the eyes, waiting for the Green Mother’s judgment. Birds sang sour notes from among the trees, and more alligators lingered just inside the water. The stand off lasted uncomfortably long, but eventually Rock Salt showed compliance by further backing away from Fluttershy. The beasts quieted down, but kept track of him. All of it got under his skin, and he fully turned away to leave. “What does it matter? She won’t betray her master, and the Lunarians will kill her anyway.”
Rage covered the emptiness in his soul that such betrayal had left, but it was a thin scab indeed. With his revenge denied him, he felt utterly abandoned by the Mirage, so he intended to do the same to it. Intent on leaving his home behind for good this time, he departed to last druid meeting ground he knew about in the frozen north.
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While I hope that Rock Salt finally let's go of his rage he is very out of line.
Man, this is getting real!!! This is where the fun begins.
This, right here, is why I hate Fanatics. This is literally PROOF that YOU are Wrong, and SHE is right, the literal mother earth GODDESS is PROTECTING her, PROVING that SHE is the CORRECT View. But they just ignore that, call her a traitor and want to kill her, effectively spitting in the face of the Goddess they devote their lives to. If they were real Fanatics, he would have bowed down, saw the error of his ways, and dedicated himself to Fluttershy and her views, cause he literally witnessed that the Goddess herself went out of her way to protect Fluttershy. But no, stupid fucking hypocrits.
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Just like the clergy of Equestria and Lunaria.
Do you think Radiant's reaction when Celestia tells him in the face she is not ok with stripping will be any different?
While Rocksalt is a very salty character and quite disagreeable...I'll give him this much, in his anger and wounded pride/grief/what-have-you, he probably feels that he has lost everything and as such couldn't possibly be in any worse straits if he gave assistance to the enemy of his enemy.
As to Rarity and Fluttershy, I can't recall exactly how they came to be working together, but Fluttershy is (at least canonically) a true blue pacifist, she wants everyone to "get along" and has no room in her heart for hatred. At least until her temper boils over, then Faust help whichever poor sap is in the general vicinity.
Rarity here is Canon Rarity without the generosity element. She may play at being kind and loving so long as it suits her ends. She sees her fellow ponies as tools to advance her cause. I'm curious to see how she will react if they freed Celestia and the Princess didn't follow the scripture to a tee.
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Except they don't have any actual proof of it going against Celestia, but also the Church knew it went against Celestia and did it to gain power and control over the nation using slave labor and slave armies.
Here tho, in this chapter, we literally see Mother Nature itself step in, the living breathing goddess itself, protected Fluttershy, and the so called 'Devoted Druid' Just yelled at the Goddess and, literally, turn his back on it.
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It’s hard admitting you might be wrong, especially when it’s about something you devote your whole life into. Happens to the best of us, and you can’t exactly ask much of a guy who had been through all the shit this shitty world had to offer. At least he didn’t kill them and decided to step away for good. People do things much crappier than that on a regular basis.
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I noticed that Twilight still thought Celestia would be okay with the current state of Equestria and would simply execute her original plan once she’s freed, even after reading through the Sisters’ journals. Don’t know why, just seems like something worth mentioning.
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I took that as 'Executing her original Plan', as in the plan in the Journal. Remember, neither sister was meant to be frozen in time. So to the sisters, they were battling at, whatever place they where at. Then a second passes and suddenly in a brand new location. Do you think they would, logically, stop fighting?
Twilight assumes the second they are both Freed, Celestia will continue with the plan she wrote in her journal, cause to Celestia, it was literally only hours ago, and knows nothing about the world or conflict now, and has no reason to believe these strangers around her.
That is my take on her fear.
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Additionally she said "if she returns to power, Equestria will never end this war until we're all striped or dead". Defeating Luna in the heat of things is one thing, but I doubt she could find that mirror in the middle of a forest, which would certainly prompt her to reconsider her plan. Banish Luna, maybe, but actively support striping? I don't remember striping was a thing when Celestia was in power. I made it clear in the comments in the previous chapter that I don't like the Sisters, especially Celestia, but even I don't think she would stoop so low, justifying this kind of horrid act with "we must be patient or precious knowledge would be lost forever". The shitshow had been going on for hundreds of years and even an immortal alicorn should recognize the necessity of swift action. The other possibility is that Twilight automatically thought Celestia wouldn't have a say in governing Equestria and would only serve as a weapon of mass destruction, which sounds even weirder.
This is getting intense. The meeting of the mane six is about to happen.
As it stands, Celestia's squad has less sympathy from me than the Lunarian ponies. Maybe it's because I feel like I don't have enough reason to think why Rarity or Fluttershy would put up with Lock Stock's perversions. I don't really like him and him wanting to date Fluttershy is kinda....eugh.
Even knowing it wouldn't happen, I half expected Rock Salt to pull a "So be it." and kill her anyways, ending the chapter with him being devoured by the wilds. It seemed like something he would do with his hatred and nothing to lose.
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I assumed Twilight was just trying to convince the Lunarians into action, regardless of the threat of Inquisitors.
Considering Sparkle is the one who translated the Sisters journals, and years before that also found out Celestia's original texts which make no mention about "stripping", she had no reason to actually believe such bullshit.