The Ghost of Coltistrano: Restless Peace

by EthanClark

Chapter 1: “That is no Ghost, you imbecile!”

“Did you hear me, Shield?”

The unwelcome sound broke the equally unwelcome atmosphere. Dark grey walls lined his vision. All around him were the omnipresent sounds of dripping water, chittering rats, and the distant clinking of metal from down the gloomy hallway, all muffled by the heavy iron door that stood between him and any chance he had at silence. His ears turned from side to side atop his head, twitching at the slightest stimulus. A throbbing coursed through his brain. Again and again, the soft dripping of water from so far away scraped at his patience, eroding his sanity with each small impact against the stone, and it took all of his willpower to not scratch at the iron ring strapped tightly to the base of his horn.

Shield Wall shifted his gaze, glaring through strands of a grey mane, resisting the urge to react to the voice from beyond the bars separating him from his visitor. His only visitor. Save for the occasional negotiator sent to squeeze information from him, or the royal magistrates looking to find him better accommodations, the disgraced Vice General Shield Wall had only one pony with reason to visit him. He hated every second of it.

“Bold to assume I am not always listening, Gavel. Though, I suppose there is something to be said for your persistence.” His voice was deep and firm.

“The princesses have adjourned, Shield. They have agreed to sentence you to reformation if you provide the rest of your contacts.”

“You mean your contacts. After all, you found them for me.”

“You kept secrets from everypony, old friend, even me.”

“Do not call me that! You betrayed me. Turned your back on everything I fought for. Everything I sacrificed for!” Shield Wall lurched from the stone beneath him and lunged for the cell door.

“Because it was insane. A rushed attack on Manehatten, one of Equestria’s most populated cities? A false-flag plot to start a war with Griffonstone? All to instill fear in the populace? It was lunacy.”

“It was perfect!”

“If it was so perfect then you would have succeeded, and your precious war would be underway and my fate would not be tied to the princesses’ will.” Gavel stood his ground against the aged unicorn, unphased by the anger. “How many times must I tell you? You were never going to win.”

“I had everything I needed to save Equestria. I even killed the damned bug!” Shield Wall gave a vile chuckle. “Everything was in place, until-”

“Until the Ghost stopped you.”

“That filthy little whelp doesn’t deserve to call himself that! His mentor was brilliant. My near-equal.”

“Yet, despite all your boasting and plotting, he still managed to stop you. This is exactly why you lost, Shield. You became so focused on him you forgot the plan.” Gavel rubbed his indigo hoof against his brow, pushing firmly against the tense flesh.

“Just like you forgot your place,” Shield Wall growled.

“Oh, you ingrate!” Midnight Gavel stamped his hoof firmly against the stone beneath him. “I toiled away at your schemes and conspiracies for decades, all because I was so enamoured with your conviction. ‘Follow me, Gavel, and together we will make Equestria a shining utopia of justice!’ What malarky, though you were so brilliant I couldn’t help but agree. So please, if for no other reason than to repay the debt you owe me for years of unquestioning servitude, be as smart as I thought you were and accept the damn offer!”

Shield’s voice dwindled in light of the sudden outburst from his once trusted friend. Gavel, however, stood with a scowl on his face, the heat of his anger threatening to melt the very bars holding the pony he was trying to save. The ambience returned. Shield Wall could only gaze at his visitor with a firm, blank face, but inside he secretly mulled over the options before him. His memory reached back to Gavel’s previous visits to his cell and how, time and time again, the futility of his mission would arise. Even now he shunted away the gnawing fear it brought. When he did, though, images of flowing black took root in his mind.

“You seem to have found your bite since I was put in here, Gavel.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“But I mean it,” Shield Wall said calmly, his voice rediscovering its refined enunciation before sitting. “Before the trial you could hardly raise your voice when I cast you out. Now, though, there is something pushing you. What is it?”

“We are discussing your possible release from this dreary hole you call home.”

“They must have made you an offer, too.” Shield Wall’s piercing gold eyes locked onto Gavel. “Under the condition I agree to their terms, though, yes?”

“My arrangement with the princesses is none of your concern,” Gavel said through clenched teeth. “What is your concern is deciding if that muck-covered floor is worthy of carrying your treacherous flank, or if you desire something less evocative of a death sentence.”

“Your punishment, too, should you fail to persuade me? I’ve never known Celestia to be so final. Luna, on the other hoof...”

“You’re looking for something to use against me, Shield, don’t be coy. I recognize that measured tone.”

“There’s nothing measured about it, Gavel, but I am curious just how much this ordeal has changed you. You walk taller now.”

“And this is the part where you attempt flattery, since your usual volley of threats and violence has failed you. You’ll say something along the lines of ‘Oh, it takes such skill to barter with the princesses, of all ponies. How did you accomplish such a task?’ then wring me out like a towel for any information you deem useful. Is that correct?” Gavel cocked an unamused eyebrow.

The scowl returned. Gavel’s words struck Shield Wall like a kick to the gut, leaving him unable to produce much more than a grunt in response, the sight of which caused Gavel’s expression to soften.

“Please don’t treat me like a foal. I know you, remember? All your tricks and tactics, so please, recognize the opportunity the princesses are giving you to not only restore some semblance of honor, but your freedom as well. It is a mercy they rarely grant.”

“You would do well not to patronize me, we both know full well how-”

Shield Wall’s voice pettered off as his ears twitched. His gaze tensed, focused on the empty space before him as Gavel began scanning his surroundings, searching for the imperceptible source of Shield Wall’s distraction. He turned to look down the hall and, standing in the dim light, was a single figure. Gavel’s stance lowered.

“I still have time with the prisoner,” he shouted down the hallway. “I will be done momentarily.”

Torchlight reflected off the polished face of a bat pony’s dark armor. Armored hooves clopped toward Gavel with a constant pace, and each metallic clack forced his heart to sink even deeper into his chest. Gavel produced a scroll from within his coat, holding it in the magical grasp between himself and the stranger.

“Night Guard, on behalf of your mistress, Princess Luna, I act here with full authority of the royal court. Another step and you will be held in contempt and court marshalled for obstruction of jus-”

One of the metal hooves swiped across Gavel’s face, with blinding speed, and sent him face-first into the stone wall beside him. With a thud he fell to the cold floor. The bat pony had already turned from the scene and peered through the tight grate of the cell and into the face of its sole occupant.

“About damn time,” Shield Wall said. “And which of your company is blessed with the part of my rescuer?”

“Nox, sir, First Sergeant Nox.” The pony pulled a small key from within his armor and placed it against the door. It began to hum, vibrating in Nox’s grasp as the deep sound of the prisons’ wards filled the cell before being cut off by a sharp pop. The cell door swung open.

“‘Sergeant’, hm? A cursed rank, if ever there was one.” Shield Wall stood from the cold floor, approaching Nox before pointing a hoof to the base of his own horn. “If you could be so kind.”

Nox raised the key to Shield Wall’s forehead. The ring around his horn began to glow, with runes appearing along the dull surface of the iron band that hummed much like the now dispelled wards. Another pop, and the metal band clacked against the stone at their hooves.

“Finally,” Shield Wall said, instinctively reaching for his horn, trying to soothe the right red rash along its base. “Where is your unit, Nox? What is your number?”

“A squad of eight, sir, with two positioned at the entrance to the prison. The rest are stationed outside to watch for interference.”

“Excellent, and transport has been secured?”

“Yes, sir, an airship is waiting at port. By sunrise, we’ll be fifteen clicks out and nopony the wiser.”

“And the charges?”

“In position.”

“Hmm, I shall deliver my regards to your commander for such excellent planning. If only you had not waited fifteen months to liberate me.” Shield Wall’s tone was sharp enough to cut flesh.

“Y-Yes, sir.” Nox could feel his fur stand on edge in response to the cold glare his master gave him. “The prison was well hidden, and coordinating without Princess Luna’s knowledge was difficult, sir.”

“Oh, of course, because nopony could keep secrets from the princesses for too long. Not even for twenty years, hm?”

“I… We have no excuse, sir.” Nox bowed his head low. Golden eyes rolled in response to the gesture as Shield Wall huffed.

“We will discuss your tardiness once we are away. For now, you can carry him.”

Nox crossed the hallway and reached for the grumbling Midnight Gavel on the floor, hoisting the unicorn over his back and following Shield Wall down the hallway. They passed other cells, and various sets of eyes followed their movements. Nox could identify a few changelings, gryphons, and one chimera who growled from within its cell as they passed through the holding area of the prison, and torchlight danced in the distance. Soon the floor became decorated with the bodies of guardponies clad in gold armor, and two bat ponies stood at attention before the entrance. They saluted and led Shield Wall through the door.

Instead of the outside, they were met with a single, narrow set of stairs leading up to a solid stone wall. One of the bat ponies tapped against the stone in a rhythmic pattern, urging the door to begin slowly sliding to the side, revealing the nighttime world. The moon hung high over what Shield Wall recognized as Canterlot’s east quarter, along the mountainside, with a gentle breeze rolling through the alleyway they found themselves in, prompting Shield Wall to stand still as the wind passed along his neglected form. The breeze kissed the sore beneath his horn and filled him with lightness he had long been denied.

“W-What… Where am I? Are we…”

The stirring prompted Nox to toss Gavel to the pavement. He grunted on impact before limply shuffling his hooves, trying to stand. The display brought a smile out of Shield Wall.

“How kind of you to join us, old friend.”

“Shield? How… oh, of course, these must be your contacts.”

“Unsurprised? How disappointing, I had hoped to have you just like this, on your knees, as you cowered in fear.”

“The only thing surprising me is the identity of your hired help.” Gavel’s face was unchanged, but Shield could spy a bead of sweat trailing down his brow. “Night Guard, truly?”

“Indeed, now…” Shield Wall’s horn glowed for the first time in too long, enveloping Gavel in a sheath of glittering gold magic. He flinched at the power covering him as it brought him to his hooves. Once in place, Shield Wall approached slowly, his face slowly distorting into a scowl as the field lowered to cover only Gavel’s hooves.

“Is this where you kill me, Shield?” Gavel quivered.

“No.” A powerful strike landed on Gavel’s muzzle, causing him to cry out. “This is where I beat you for questioning my methods.”

Blood splattered against the ground as another blow landed. The might of Shield Wall’s spell forced Gavel to stand and endure a swift kick to his exposed abdomen.

“This is where I break you for your betrayal.” The bat ponies looked on as their master pushed a knee into Gavel’s ribs, summoning a loud crack and a scream from within him. Another strike crashed into Gavel’s face and sent him against the ground, the weight of his body ignoring the spell’s hold.

“And this,” Shield Wall said, tilting Gavel’s swollen face upwards. “This is where I slaughter you for choosing that cape-wearing whelp over my glorious future!”

A streak of light caught Shield Wall by surprise. Emerald green flashed against the darkness of the alley and his eyes could follow a small beam sailing into one side of Gavel’s head and out the other, forcing him to erect a glimmering forcefield on instinct. Nox crouched beside him and the four scanned the area for the source of the spell.

“Nightshade, Whisper, do you copy?” Nox spoke into a small sending stone on his armor. There was no answer, and before Nox spoke again there was a loud thump before them. The bat ponies all locked eyes onto the source of the noise.

“By Luna’s mane,” Nox whispered. “It’s Mourne.”

The discarded corpse of their fellow Night Guard began to bubble, melting into a pool of glowing, putrid green slime that just barely reached the body of Midnight Gavel. Shield Wall strained his eyes to scan the darkness just beyond his vision until he spied something fluttering in the distance. His breath caught in his throat.

Another beam of power launched at him, landing square on his chest and deflecting off the barrier. It was then the glowing pile of muck illuminated a shadowed figure as it launched itself towards the group. Shrieks emanated from the bat ponies as they fluttered around each other, dodging the swipes and blasts flying from their enemy. Nox broke off from the scuffle and reached a retreating Shield Wall.

“The Ghost found us. I’ll escort you to the dock, we can-”

“That is no Ghost, you imbecile!”

Shield Wall shoved past Nox and charged his horn. Even in his unpracticed state, magical power crept up the length of his horn and culminated in a brilliant orb that fired off into the middle of the fight, catching the two bat ponies and the assailant in the blast. It was a silent shockwave of magical power, tearing through everything in the area except he and Nox. Shield Wall watched the two bat ponies fall to the ground, shredded by the spell, while the attacker was nowhere to be found.

“You… You killed them,” Nox said.

“A far more merciful fate than that,” Shield Wall shot back, pointing to the puddle of glowing muck. He walked toward the center of the blast. Careful eyes scanned the ground, gazing over the now-charred body of Gavel and the two dead Night Guard. Between them was a worn, dark grey robe, just as torn as the rest of the alleyway.

“A powerful illusion,” Shield Wall muttered.

“Or a trap.”

The voice called down from above, giving Shield Wall hardly enough time to evade another blast of emerald energy. Nox watched as a dark figure fluttered down from the night sky and landed between him and his superior. A green glow washed over the street, pouring out from beneath their hood.

“Nox! Blow the charges!”

“Sir, we need to get clear first.”

“Do as I say!”

The glow peaked and flew from the figure between them, colliding against another of Shield Wall’s barriers. Nox flapped his leathery wings and took to the sky. As the fight continued below him, he pulled a metal box from within his armor, waved his hoof over the glowing red rune on its face, and slammed it down hard.

Shield Wall could feel the tremors in his hooves. As the attacker looked back toward the prison, following the sound of fire and shattering stone, Shield pushed his barrier out as a wall of force toward them, launching them toward the prison to be engulfed in fire, debris, and metal. The stone cracked and burst forth in a brilliant display of destruction. Shrapnel covered any surface not already tarnished by the earlier conflict and Shield Wall quickly turned tail and sprinted out into Canterlot proper, Nox following close behind.

The fireball caught the attention of passersby, drawing a crowd toward the unremarkable street corner. The shouting of guards was heard over the raucous crowd as they formed a line to push them back. Shield Wall barely heard orders being barked between the guards. One gold-plated pony rushed toward the towering Royal Palace, and Shield Wall spared no time in making his way toward the dock.

Comments

[Odd_Sarge]

Things are already kicking off! Really looking forward to seeing the crew together again.