Failure, Eternally Retold, Part One: The Human Element

by Kiernan

Chapter the Seventeenth: Immolation of Intelligence

"How did they find me here!?" shouted Nik, sliding uncomfortably down the pile of books.

"I don't know," answered Kai. "But they're not going to take you. Not while I still draw breath, at any rate. We're going to escape their fire. Terra, do you think you can make it to your study to gather your research notes and still meet us at the door?"

Terra shook his head. "I don't need my notes. I'll just have to rewrite them later."

"Good. Sky, can you--"

"Twilight Sparkle has a copy of all my notes," interrupted Golden Sky. "I trust her not to lose them."

Twilight stood up proudly. "I promise, they're in safe hooves."

Kai nodded. "That just leaves me. The rest of you, follow Terra and Sky to the exit and leave. I'll catch you up. If I don't make it, head for the grove of dreams."

Fluttershy grabbed Kai's shoulder. "I'll come with you."

"No!" shouted Kai. "I'm flying headlong into danger. Nikolas is your responsibility, especially if I fall. I'll catch you up, I promise."

The look in Kai's eyes scared Fluttershy, but not as much as the thought of the assassins catching them. Reluctantly, she nodded. "Okay. I trust you." She wrapped a hoof around his shoulders. "Promise me they won't destroy you?"

Kai returned the hug. "You have my word." Just then, the hooded ponies came into view. Kai turned and shot huge blasts of purified magic from his horn, knocking them out of the air with assistance from Sky. "Go!"

Kai split from the group and flew back toward his study, blasting assassins as he flew. Despite their attempts to kill him with return fire, Kai refused to do any harm above stunning. He had only just returned to Fluttershy's good graces, he didn't want to kill somepony and provoke more of her ire. He landed in his study, now engulfed in flames. Several of his research materials were already destroyed. He would have to replace them. His map, however, was still untouched, so he grabbed that. He also snagged a few books on the areas they'd be going to, if the damage thus far was minimal enough. The last things he grabbed were his cloak and the stand it sat on, as it was actually an overturned glaive. Having everything he would need for the journey, or so he thought, he bolted for the door, leaving a series of stunned intruders in his wake.

The rest of the ponies were faring no better. The assassins had caught up to them, and Sky had her hooves full trying to hold them off. However, as she was restricted to the ground, she was unable to see when they ran right into an ambush. Surrounded on all sides, the group huddled together. "Twilight," she asked, bumping shoulders with her new friend. "Do you have any ties to the Canterlot university of magic?"

"Yeah," answered Twilight. "But I don't think they'll be able to help us out of this one."

Sky shook her head as a drum beat began to sound around them. "I want you to take my notes to the head of the research department." Like the fire of a cannon, Sky's horn blew a massive hole on the enemy, destroying a stack of burning books in the process. An electric violin joined the warsong. "Go! I'll hold them off!"

Terra nodded, leading Nik and Fluttershy out of danger. Twilight, however, stayed, sending out her own blasts, smaller though they may be. "I'm not leaving you behind, Sky!"

"Yes, you are!" With a firm kick, Sky sent Twilight flying through a gap in the enemy's ranks, where she was caught by Terra. Despite her objections, Terra held Twilight down as he carted her off toward the exit. As she looked behind her, tears in her eyes, she was left in awe. As an electric guitar joined the harmony, the magic Twilight now saw could have shamed Celestia.

They arrived at the door through which they had entered, and Fluttershy and Nik piled into the back of the wagon that had been left behind. Twilight latched herself into the harness, her resolve shining through. Golden Sky's dying wish was to have her notes brought to the Canterlot university of magic. On top of that, she was willing to put her life on the line to protect them all. If this was to be the final stand of a brilliant scholar, Twilight would do everything she could to ensure that it wasn't all in vain.

It may have been all for naught, though, as Terra was too preoccupied fighting off the encroaching assailants to open the portal. They were pinned to the wall and couldn't reach the key. To make matters worse, Terra's energy was beginning to run low. He was the weakest of the mages that lived here at the library. If Golden Sky hadn't dug in and acted as a barrier, He never would have been able to break them through the enemy's offensive line.

Luckily for him, he wasn't fighting alone for long. With a bolt of lightning arcing through the cloaked ponies, Kai had arrived. "I'll cover you!" he shouted, turning to face their foe. "Open that gate and pull them out of here!"

Terra did as he was told, opening the way out. He and Twilight rushed across the bridge, resulting in a bumpy ride for Fluttershy and Nik. Slowly, Kai retreated after them while facing the foes still advancing, intermittently looking back until he was sure his friends had made it outside. When he saw that their wheels had touched grass, he ran. Once he was outside, he could hold them all in while Terra closed the gate.

Unfortunately, things don't always go according to plan, especially when you just make up the plan as you go along. The instant Kai landed his hoof outside, Terra had unhitched himself and leaped over Kai's head. As he flew through the air, he rolled, facing behind him. With his magical hooves, he clapped, pulling the sides of the portal together quickly, resulting in a massive explosion that sent everypony flying.

Kai picked himself up and looked back to the gate. It was now closed. Permanently, as the entire cliff face would need to be reformed in order to open it back up. Terra was nowhere to be found. He had been inside the portal when it had collapsed. Best case scenario, he was back in the library, surrounded by assassins and fire. If the explosion hadn't pushed him back through, he was most certainly dead. There was no way of knowing. Not until they had the time to find one of the other entrances.

Hearing the cart rolling upright behind him, Kai quickly threw on his cloak. He didn't want Fluttershy to see the injuries he'd received from the explosion. Not yet, anyway. Meeting up with Twilight, he released her from her harness. "You're injured," he said calmly. "You should climb in back. Fluttershy has medical knowledge, and there should be a first aid kit back there. I will handle our escape."

"Are you sure, Kai?" Twilight asked. "You have a few injuries yourself, and it's almost dusk. We should rest before we head out."

Kai shook his head as he secured himself to the cart. "They knew where to find us, somehow. They know we came through this door, and even though they can't follow us through it anymore, they know where we are right now. We need to disappear before they arrive. Otherwise, this will all be a waste of our time. Not to mention the lives of Terra and Sky. They gave us this opportunity. I refuse to let it go to waste."

Twilight took a deep breath and nodded. With trembling hooves, she climbed into the back of the wagon to have her wounds treated. Kai set off toward the south, his next destination at the front of his mind. If he focused on that, mayhaps he could forget the tears running down his face.