Sunny Starscout and The Mystery of Magic

by OneLonelyPickle

11 - Titan

Rylar screamed, his darkened face becoming rife with anger.

“You have no right to foalnap her! Did she not show you her scroll?”

Sir Bastion rose a single eyebrow – Rylar continued, his eyes becoming cavities of white fire.

“That scroll is proof that our presence in the Realm of the Earth Ponies is purely diplomatic! Your actions will start an open war!”

Sir Bastion chuckled.

“I can only hope it will! Then I can single-hoofedly destroy every last one of you filth and keep our borders safe for a thousand years!”

Rylar screamed again as the dark blue and purple flames that covered him from hoof to mane became larger and hotter. He threw himself at Sir Bastion, but before he could make contact, Sir Bastion effortlessly dodged, turned, and bucked Rylar away with a fierce kick. He flew over the river, the bank, the cobblestone road, and finally crashed into the forest. Dozens of birds took to the skies to escape the woody wreckage, squawking as they did.

“Force it is.”

Sir Bastion chuckled then leapt off the Barge with such power that a thin dust cloud shot up after him. Sunny blinked rapidly.

“C-crazy…”

Hitch scooped up his jaw.

“Y-yeah you think?!”

He looked at Izzy’s passed out form and cringed.

“Listen… she’s cute Sunny, but she’s a Hornhead. It’s — wait, did you know she was a Hornhead?!”

Sunny snapped.

“Of course I did! Why’s that even a problem – you were talking to her just fine when you thought she was an Earth Pony!”

“Yeah that’s because I thought she was one! If she’s a Hornhead, then that’s totally different!”

“Why?!”

“Not to mention, uhh, HELLO?! She’s the SISTER of the WARLOCK KING! Maybe she’s been tricking you this whole time. I know even YOU listened to the stories about the Warlock King!”

“Yeah I did — so what?”

Hitch shrugged and waved a hoof as if it was obvious what his point was.

“So MAYBE just MAYBE it’s dangerous to be trusting her?!”

Sunny softened her expression.

“I trust my friend – that’s all that matters. I know when ponies are lying to me – Hitch, she didn’t lie to me! She wanted to visit the Realm see what it’s like! I would do the same thing if I was her!”

Hitch stared at Sunny. His face did not rest on a single emotion, but was stuck in transition between anger, confusion, and remorse.

“Sunny… it could be dangerous for all of us.”

Sunny was resolute. She moved to the side of the ship and looked to the horizon and the sinking orange sun.

“It’s scary to me, too. The idea of the Warlock King – all the things we heard as foals. All the horrible tales. But I’m sure of this, Hitch, I’ve made my choice.” When Sunny turned and Hitch saw the determined look, the sparkle in Sunny’s aquamarine eyes, he knew arguing was a lost cause. Sunny continued. “Izzy is my friend, and I’m not backing down. I know we can have peace, we can live together! We—”

Hitch’s ear twitched and he walked to the wall facing the lower deck. Looking down, his face became alive with worry.

“Uhhh, can that wait, Sunny? We’re about to have company.”

Sunny moved to see what Hitch was talking about and saw soldiers approaching the stairs, spears in their hooves.

“I assume that’s not the welcoming committee,” Sunny said with a gulp.

“Prisoner and Hitch Trailblazer! Give up that Hornhead or face the consequences!”

Sunny shouted back at the soldier.

“You’re throwing me in jail anyway, I don’t care! Izzy’s my friend, I’m going to keep watch over her until I can ensure the Protector lets her go home!”

Hitch looked around as if to escape. He groaned.

“Aww, hay and oats. I can’t leave a pretty mare to be imprisoned and tortured… what would Casanova think if I did?”

“Casa — Is that even really a real pony?” Sunny asked incredulously.

“What, you never heard of him? He’s my idol, I thought we went over this!”

“Yeah but I thought you were just being an idiot!”

“W-when am I ever an idiot!”

The two returned their focus to the soldiers, now at the top of the deck. Three of the soldiers aimed their pointy spearheads at Sunny, and one at Hitch.

“Give us the Hornhead – NOW!”

* * *

Sir Bastion waited patiently just outside the forest by the river. His silver irises twinkled with excitement, and his tight cheeks shook with anticipation.

“Come out, little dragon. I know that my one attack was not enou—”

The roar of a fast approaching fireball cut Sir Bastion off. Instinct forced his muscles and he jumped out of the way. The fireball was a dark purple, darker than the last few. It whizzed by and then past the departing Barge to crash through the trees on the other side of the river. The fireball blew through the trees for some distance, torching all it touched, before it exploded into a ball of purple light. The wind from the explosion violently shook the bronze plates of Sir Bastion’s armor, and almost tore his moustache clean off.

“Hmph!” He roared amidst the blast. “That attack might have actually hurt! Cheeky, Drake, cheeky!”

Sir Bastion dodged again as the Drake leapt out of the trees for a vicious follow-up attack. His dagger-lined jaws snapped shut right where Sir Bastion had been a second ago.

“Mangy animals that bite should be put DOWN!”

Sir Bastion reared onto his hindhooves and then brought the full brunt of his power down onto the Drake with a slam of his front hooves. The force of the attack crushed the Drake into the dirt and partially into the earth itself.
The Drake strained against the weight of Sir Bastion and shouted with rage but could not budge. Sir Bastion chuckled.

“You cretin. I am going to break you in two.”

Sir Bastion pushed himself off the Drake and into the air. The Drake caught his breath and quickly scurried out of the way as Sir Bastion flew back toward the earth. He rotated during his fall so upon landing he would slam into the earth with one of his backhooves – a sort of aerial kick.

The immediate effect of the attack was an explosion of rock, grass, and dirt. Where once there was a huge chunk of land, the Drake saw only a massive gap when the dust literally settled. Part of the river bank broke off and floated in chunks down the river.

The Drake kept at a distance. Sweat trickled down his neck, the flesh underneath his suit becoming suddenly hot and stifled. He focused his attention and strain on his horn for a minute, and it turned from black to a solid amethyst purple. He closed his eyes, a growling hum of focus escaping his maw. Sir Bastion lodged himself free from the earth and shouted.

“I will not let you prepare another of those fireballs, foal!”

Sir Bastion charged head on, but a few feet away from impact, the Drake opened his eyes and from his scaly suit an opening appeared beside both shoulders. Two ropes with sharp ends shot out, finding the gaps in Sir Bastion’s armor and wrapping around the Knight himself just as he slammed into the Drake. The Drake cried out in pain, but his plan was a success. Both he and Sir Bastion flew backward.

“Damned Hornhead machinery…” Sir Bastion complained, soaring through the air with his opponent. Something inside the Drake’s suit whirred with noise and the ropes tightened around Sir Bastion and brought him closer. The two careened through the air with no way for Sir Bastion to escape. The Drake’s horn blew up with intense purple light, and then…

* * *

Sunny, Hitch, and the soldiers fell to their flanks as another explosion rocked the Barge.

“Not again!” a soldier cried out.

Sunny hovered a hoof over her eyes to shield from dust as she watched the sky in the distance turn purple.

“I hope he’s giving that big jerk what he deserves!”

“We need to focus on our own flanks, Sunny! And don’t cheer on the enemy!”

Hitch unstrapped his shovel and placed it between his hooves like the soldiers had their spears – in such a way that it could be waved about, but not to prevent movement of the legs. The soldiers got up and surrounded Hitch and Sunny, who as best they could guarded Izzy’s sleeping body. Sunny turned to face the two soldiers behind them.

“We aren’t going to hesitate if you don’t surrender,” a soldier declared.

“We’ll spear you!” cried another.

“Just give her up! She’s a Hornhead and you’re Earth Ponies! Don’t you know what that means?!” said one more.

Sunny widened her stance and glared at the two soldiers in front of her.

“She’s my friend! Do YOU know what THAT means?”

Hitch spoke up from behind her.

“Friend today, sure, but what about tomorrow? Can you really trust this Horn— U-Unicorn?”

Sunny nodded swiftly one time. Hitch, looking back, groaned.

“Alright then…”

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

“Won’t you have more control of that shovel if you put it in your mouth?”

“Err… maybe it’s better if I just use it this way. Don’t want to go overboard, haha…”

“ENOUGH!” a soldier cried, and she lunged forward at Sunny, spear hoisted to her side. Sunny stumbled out of the way while Hitch quickly put up his shovel’s grey metal head to deflect the spear and the soldier. He then brought his shovel down and snapped the spear in half.

“Nice!” Sunny cheered. “I’m still not sure why you’re so strong but hey! It works!” Sunny then glared at the other soldier, who was awestruck, and jumped at him. He raised his spear too late so that Sunny pounced on him without being skewered. She winced as her hooves hit the soldier’s hard stone armor, however.

Behind Sunny, Hitch swiveled around as the front soldiers shouted and tried to spear him as well. He flicked his shovel head around to knock both spear tips out of his face, then bonked both soldiers on their heads with it. They crumbled.

Sunny screamed from behind Hitch.

“UHH A LITTLE HELP, MR. KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR?!”

While Sunny wrestled on the ground with the soldier she had tackled, the other soldier grabbed the spear on the ground and quickly inserted in into her hoister on the side. She roared and charged forward, but Hitch put a stop to her with a bonk from his shovel.

“That’s not nice.” He frowned. “Awww, she’s a cutie. I feel bad. Sunny, I’m not going to hit anymore of the mares, okay?”

Sunny and the last soldier grunted and grumbled as they rolled around.

“S-sure… thing…” Sunny managed. She got on top of the soldier, pulled off his helmet, and bit his ear. He yelped in pain.

“Ow ow ow stop!”

“LWEAVE MWY FWEND AWONE!”

“Okay okay!”

Hitch cleared his throat then knocked the soldier out with a shovel bonk. Sunny sat up, panting and sweating.

“I… had… him…”

“Yeaaaaaah I could see that, but the whole biting the ear thing and being all crazy isn’t cute. I couldn’t watch.”

Hitch gave Sunny a look.

“You’re a bit of a rough and tumble mare, aren’t you?”

Sunny, still catching her breath, shrugged.

“Maybe you do stand a chance against the Protector. You’re stubborn like her.” Hitch frowned. “I’ve decided you’re not as cute as I thought you were in Halfway, though.”

Sunny smirked.

“Good, because I decided a while ago that you’re definitely a weirdo and a creep. But, thanks for helping out.”

Hitch struck a pose and smiled wide.

“Hitch doesn’t let the ladies get hurt.” He faltered and looked around at the passed out soldiers. “Errr, usually.” A realization hit him and Hitch’s pupils shrunk.

“Oh no! What have I done?”

Sunny ran to Izzy and shook her. Izzy’s long, silky blue streaks covered most of her pretty, calm face. Sunny lamented the scuffs and marks on Izzy’ mulberry coat, so often covered in a beautiful sheen.

“Hey! Izzy! Wake up!”

Hitch trotted to the side of the upper deck facing the lower level. He watched the soldiers down below toss their burning comrades into the river.

“The water doesn’t get rid of the flames but it keeps them from burning you!” one of the bigger, older soldiers shouted. Soon only a hoofful of unburnt soldiers remained on the main deck. Hitch saw Nate Chivaltarry running about like a headless chicken, while the eight or so prisoners stood and watched and waited, well away from any wayward purple flames.

Sunny appeared beside Hitch.

“Hey you ponies!” Her brows pointed downward. “Don’t just stand there – knock the soldiers into the river! It’s time for a mutiny!”

* * *

The cloud of purple smoke surrounding ground zero of Rylar’s second fireball cleared up slowly. All around the immediate area was black and purple-tinted, burnt ground and ashes. In the middle of the explosion site stood Sir Bastion, purple flames covering his entire form.

Before the flames could burn the remainder of his armor (several pieces were blasted away from the explosion) and flesh, he retrieved a vial from under the side of his chest plate and broke it against his head. A mist of glowing lime green enveloped him, and the purple flames dissipated. He panted deep and long. Cuts and bruises covered his body, and everywhere dark red streaks smeared down his fur.

“So that’s how you got rid of the flames before, Titan.”

“Aye… it is. Earth Ponies… are not all… muscle and brawn.” Sir Bastion spat out a glob of blood. “That will… wake me up… tomorrow… that blast… of yours…”

Sir Bastion grinned.

“Well done… whelpling…”

The Drake stood just inside the forest and away from the blast, though some of the flames had licked the trees and left purple, oozing scars. The Drake was visibly chewing on something. Having calmed himself, he lowered his head and bent his knees.

“I’ll admit that I was afraid last time we fought. That’s why I couldn’t beat you.”

Sir Bastion chuckled, having caught most of his breath.

“You would be an even bigger foal if you were not afraid of me. You stupid Hornheads do not call me the Titan for nothing!”

The Drake shook his head.

“Not afraid of you – afraid that you would hurt Izzy! But she’s not here now to distract me!”

The Drake galloped at Sir Bastion. The Knight blew air out of the side of his mouth.

“You brainless demon, you think I am going to stand here and let you tackle me?”

Sir Bastion stared down his opponent with a sinister grin. The Drake continued his charge. Halfway to Sir Bastion, he spit out something so fast even Sir Bastion did not react in time. Though the Knight made to leap away, the purple substance from the Drake’s mouth slammed into the bottom of his hooves. Sir Bastion was caught off guard, and though his smile did not break, veins of strain popped up on his neck. One single bead of sweat flicked down from his mane.

“WHAT?”

Sir Bastion could not move in time. He looked back up. The Drake pounced, maw wide and knife-like teeth glimmering in the orange light of sunset. His teeth broke through Sir Bastion’s armor with a sound like smashing vases. Sir Bastion cried out in pain, his smile wavering for only a second, where the involuntary cry of pain took over his senses. The Drake’s fangs were long, and half of every one of them was embedded into Sir Bastion’s chest.

The Drake and Sir Bastion both grunted as they struggled – the Drake to get his fangs deeper, and Sir Bastion to keep his muscles tight so that that could not happen. Sir Bastion’s eyes widened.

“Congratulations… indeed… little serpent… puny cretin… you…”

Sir Bastion straightened his body. The sheer force of his flex pushed the Drake off of him. Thick red liquid seeped out of the stallion’s wounds.

“But that… was not enough!”

The Drake felt a shiver as in the span of a second Sir Bastion ripped his hooves out of the purple ooze with a pained grunt, kicked himself forward, and planted his front hooves firmly into the black ground beside The Drake. Sir Bastion swiveled his lower body around and lined up his back hooves for a buck.

“Farewell, Rylar the Drake!”

* * *

The victorious prisoners on the Brimstone Barge cheered with their hooves up high. Nopony heard the object soaring through the sky some distance away.

“Three cheers fer Ms. Starscout!” the eldest of the prisoners cheered.

“We’re free!” another cried.

Hitch put a hoof to his chin.

“That easily? Wait, who is controlling this ship? I’ve never bothered to go below deck before. And what about that little stallion who’s always following Bastion?”

Sunny shrugged. She stood above the prisoners on top of the remains of the wagon. The bulls were sleeping peacefully again off to one side.

“It doesn’t matter. This is good enough.” Sunny turned as she addressed the prisoners. “Listen! All of you need to go! Escape before Bastion gets back!”

Everypony looked to the port side of the Barge – on that side of the river, the forest went right up to the bank. And of course on the starboard side, there was the cobblestone road. The elder prisoner nodded.

“Ah suppose a life of hidin’ s’better than what’s waitin’ at tha castle – and ye, Ms. Starscout? Will ye come with us?”

The other prisoners repeated the same sentiment. Sunny shook her head.

“I’m still going to Castle Rockhoof! I have something I have to do there!”

The prisoners whispered forebodingly. The eldest prisoner shook his head.

“What madness possesses ye? If ye go there they’ll string y’up, whip ye, an’ then let Sir Bastion do Rockhoof-knows-what to ye…”

Sunny paused.

“Equestria.”

Everypony looked up. Sunny stood as tall and proud as she could in her damaged state, and looked up toward the sun.

“I want to see all of Equestria together – Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi. I’m going to convince the Protector that the Realm should embrace that dream, too.”

Most of the prisoners replied with various levels of confusion. One laughed out loud.

“You kidding me?” He mocked. “We got all riled up for this crazy mare? Listen, I might not like Castle Rockhoof, but I hate the Hornheads more. My father died fighting them!”

Some others agreed. The eldest prisoner looked down and sighed. Sunny remained steadfast and spoke steadily.

“I’ve heard that before from other ponies. I know it’s a scary idea, and I know that you’ve all lost ponies you love. I might not have any personal connection to the past wars, but—”

One of the younger prisoners snapped at Sunny. A colt with white fur and a short brown mane.

“Then don’t talk!”

Tears filled his small eyes. The colt shouted at Sunny with all of his heart.

“I lost my mom and dad because of the Hornheads! All we did was walk over the border to pick the tastiest berries, and they took them away! The Hornheads almost got me, too! I said bad things about the Realm because noearthpony wanted to help me save my parents – that doesn’t mean I want to help make it so the Hornheads get to come here! I hate them!”

The other prisoners all agreed in unison. The eldest one shook his head.

“Ms. Starscout… ye’d have ta bring the Warlock King here and get ‘im to beg us for peace ‘fore any of us would agree to that — no, even more than that. He and all the other Hornheads would have to rebuild everythin’ they broke, an’ bring back everyone they took from us! And that’s to say nothin’ of the Featherfreaks… just as bad, them.”

Sunny paused while the prisoners ripped into her. Hitch backed up uneasily.

Then, Sunny found an answer.

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do – I’ll get the Warlock King to come here and apologize! And the leader of the Pegasi, too!”

The prisoners either laughed or glared.

“Rubbish!”

“Stop talking already, I’m leaving. Bleh!”

“Crazy mare…”

The prisoners abandoned ship, a few even spry enough to jump right onto the river bank from the Barge. The eldest of them looked at Sunny and shook his head, sighing.

“We need new leadership… more protection from Hornheads an’ those dogs from the south… but not this craziness. Not again…”

Sunny blinked in rapid succession.

“Again?”

The eldest prisoner, even old as he was, crawled over the ship wall and swam to the shore. Sunny shook and bit her lip. She winced and fell to her knees, the pain having returned. Hitch took a step closer.

“Sunny…”

Her mane covered her face so Hitch could see nothing but a magenta mane. Sunny sniffled.

“It’s possible, Hitch. I know it is.”

Hitch’s mouth became a line and he rubbed his left hoof against his right.

“It just sounds like a foalish dream though, Sunny.” Hitch sighed and hung his head. “We all grow out of them, eventually. I did. I think it’s time for you to, too.”

Sunny looked up. Hitch saw fierce aquamarine eyes without a shred of doubt.

“The only thing I have left of my parents is my memories with them, talking about the perfect paradise where all ponies could play and learn and laugh together! Don’t you ever want more, Hitch? I’m tired of seeing everypony so down in the dumps all the time! It’s all because we separate ourselves and worry about the evil Unicorns or Pegasi like they’re monsters! But they’re just like us, only with horns and wings, aren’t they?”

Hitch looked away in thought, brow furrowed. Sunny continued.

“Us, those soldiers, we’re all Earth Ponies, but we just got in a fight because they had spears pointed in our faces! Isn’t it the same thing with the wars involving the Pegasi and the Unicorns?”

Hitch closed his eyes and sighed.

“Sunny I get what you’re saying, but it doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. The Earth Ponies we lost aren’t coming back, no matter what happens. Even if we all join hooves and sing and dance and throw big parties with cake and balloons! The resentment won’t go away.” Hitch opened his eyes. They were wet. “We’ve lost too much. I’ve…” Hitch looked away and grumble-sighed. His ears drooped and he hung his head. Sunny’s ears twitched and her mouth opened.

“Oh, Hitch, I — I remember. Your parents, I—”

The sound of breaking glass rang through the air. Hitch and Sunny looked up at the upper deck toward the sound, then back at one another, then raced up the stairs. Sunny had to stop at the base of the stairs as pain in her stomach, hooves, and lungs forced her to stop herself before she collapsed. She shook her head and continued upward.

On the upper deck Sunny and Hitch found Nate Chivaltarry, holding a strange lizard in his hoof. Beside him was a pedestal and a bunch of broken glass. Nate threw the wriggling creature into the water and turned to Sunny and Hitch with all the confidence he could muster.

“I-It’s a Warning Skink! It’s going to warn the second dock!” Nate stood up as tall as he could. “This e-ends now!” Sunny and Hitch shared a look once again then ran to the side of the upper deck. Sure enough, up the river, they saw the strange lizard swimming rapidly upstream. Its iridescent scales were hard to miss.

“Sunny,” Hitch said seriously. “Please knock me out so I can pretend not to be a part of this.”

Sunny shook her head.

“It’s too late for that, Hitch. The soldiers already saw you knock them out. Plus, there’s him.” Sunny motioned toward a shaking Nate Chivaltarry. When mentioned he lowered his head and kicked his hoof as if preparing to charge.

“I-If you want to fight… I’ll fight you!”

Hitch sighed. “Ahh, right. Them. Poop.”

“D-Don’t ignore me!”

Izzy groaned and stirred. Sunny lit up. She ran and put a hoof on her friend.

“Izzy! You’re okay!”

Hitch followed behind, leaving Nate Chivaltarry to shiver and stare with worried eyes. Sunny cried with relief and hugged her Unicorn pal.

“Oof.” Izzy groaned. “N-not really. I’m feeling… owwy wowy…”

Sunny chuckled and hugged Izzy tighter. The Unicorn managed to return the embrace. Hitch looked skyward and groaned.

“What a disaster! Here I am with a Hornhead, a—”
“Unicorn!”

“R-right, a Unicorn. A Unicorn, a fugitive Earth Pony who wants to talk everyearthpony into peace, and a couple of soldiers who are going to get me put into stockades for a month. Oh, and then there’s that guy!” He pointed at Nate, who jumped back and yelped. “Well, this couldn’t get any worse!”

Izzy sat up straight, fear in her eyes and voice.

“Wait, w-where’s Rye Rye?!”

A metal bang resounded from the main deck. Hitch’s eyes became pin pricks.

“Oh no. Please, don’t tell me that’s—”

A large blur rushed up the stairs and tackled Hitch. The screaming form of Hitch flew into the air like he weighed nothing. He twirled far down the river, eventually fading away. To where, Sunny couldn’t guess. But she and Izzy had a much bigger problem to worry about.

“Ms. Starscout…”

Sir Bastion, what was left of him in his post-battle state, stood tall above the laying mares. Sunny saw a lot of blood, mashed up armor, dirt, and purple soot. Not one part of Sir Bastion’s otherwise immaculate coat was still tan – it was brown, black, red, or purple.

“You are… quite… the troublemaker… indeed…”

Sunny snarled at the Knight of the Realm. Her vision went foggy. Pangs of pain in her stomach returned, with a vengeance, and she groaned in agony. Izzy looked at her with wet eyes.

“Sunny?”

Sunny’s weary body collapsed, and to the backdrop of Sir Bastion’s strained laughter and Nate’s cry of relief, the waking world disappeared.

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Might be called Titan, but will a cometry nucleus be enough to take him down.

Wonder what kind of evil villain managed to ressurect Dark Rockhoof?

[Bigby Wolf]

11148789
Looking forward to when something, or hopefully even somepony, finally gives that smug piece of trash the no holds barred beat down he deserves.

Not to mention I hope it explains how and why he's somehow able to tank almost anything thrown his way.