The Ghost of Coltistrano: Restless Peace

by EthanClark

Chapter 13: “Ye never meant t’do a lot of things, ye stupid colt, an’ that’s just the problem."

Order’s flew from the commander’s mouth faster than she was flying, leading a tight formation of indigo armor that soared through thick clouds and fog. She barked to pull left, and left they turned. Bursting through the cloud cover, the lights of the world below reached up to greet them, glistening off their armor as they soared, wingtip to wingtip, toward their destination. More pegasi flagged them down to a landing strip upon a long stretch of cloud. The impact of hooves kicked up some of the fog.

The leader of the formation gave a firm salute to another team readying their own ascent into the dark sky above. Once the team was out of sight, she saluted the rest of her own and marched into the fortified structure just beyond, standing tall along the border separating the Crystal Empire from the rest of Equestria along the imposing Crystal Mountains. The signal lights of other outposts dotted the mountain range. She came to her post at the top of the tower and sighed, shaking her wings to defend herself against a stiff, chilling breeze.

Something caught her keen eye. Out in the distance was a dark, bulbous shape closing in on her location.

“Airship! Airship!”

The call was heard by other guards, flying from the outpost and spreading out along the airstrip, standing ready. It slowly came into view, and soon the pegasi were racing off to intercept it, returning only a few moments later with their prize. The commander marched out.

“Attention unknown aircraft. You have crossed into the lands controlled by the Crystal Empire. Who is your captain?”

She strained her ears, carefully listening for a response among the mountain wind.

“I repeat, who is your captain? Failure to comply will lead to an impounding of your vessel and imprisonment.”

“Whoa, whoa, that’s me! Totally me,” a gruff voice called out, peeking her head over the railing. “Captain… Gilda, I guess. Sorry, kinda new to this.”

“Captain, I must inform you that by order of her majesty, Empress Mi Amore Cadenza, the Crystal Empire is on high alert. Any air traffic is to be searched and verified of pure intent before passage may be allowed. If you comply we shall board your vessel and begin our search, otherwise you are free to turn around and leave. Understood?”

“Uh… yes?”

Without warning the pegasi flocked onto the deck. Gilda did her best to stay out of their way as the boarding party scanned every inch of the airship before them. Slowly, she made her way to the door of the captain’s cabin, giving it a knock as the cabin’s occupant emerged into the mountain air.

“Ah, hello,” Rarity said with a wave. “I hope we aren’t being a bother. Silly me, I should've checked earlier with Cadence about any travel restrictions.”

“Lady Rarity,” the commander stated, urging the others to attention. “Forgive me, ma’am, but we weren’t aware you were coming.”

“Oh, that’s quite alright, darling. It’s wonderful to see such fine soldiers doing an equally fi-”

“If you will be patient, we’ll summon the prince at once. Esmerelda, the chalk.”

“You… oh?”

Esmerelda wasted no time in passing a glimmering stick of chalk to the commander. She kneeled onto the deck, dragging lines along the wood in the shape of a large circle, carefully filling the empty spaces with an indecipherable script. Gilda’s beak opened to say something, but a firm hoof from Rarity allowed the commander to finish in silence. Once all lines were connected, the intricate diagram began to glow.

After three pulses of power, a shape began to form in the center of the circle. All pegasi saluted the hastening figure, bathed in violet light, that soon took the form of a tall unicorn in a heavy, polished set of plate armor upon his pure white fur. The two-tone navy fringe of his helmet swayed in the breeze. Once his body had fully materialized he took his first step onto the deck and beside the commander.

“Hail, Prince Shining Armor!”

“Hail!” The rest of the pegasi squadron saluted while Rarity and Gilda looked on in awe.

“Okay, now I see why he’s the favorite,” Gilda whispered.

“Rarity,” he said with a commanding tone, smiling at the unicorn. “I’m sure this is the last thing you expected, right?”

“There’s a lot of that going around, that’s for sure,” she replied.

“Twilight sent us a message about what happened in Ponyville. So, tell me straight… is it true? Is he back?”

“I’m afraid so,” Rarity murmured to him, watching his face fall.

“Then all this security hasn’t gone to waste. Commander, I’ll be escorting this vessel to the palace, myself, thank you for alerting me. Continue with your patrol.”

The commander nodded firmly, ushering the rest of the squadron to exit the vessel. The Tornado lurched forward and continued past the border checkpoint. Shining Armor pulled his heavy helmet from his head, letting his flowing navy mane drift in the wind.

“How much has Twilight told you, Shining?” Rarity asked.

“Everything. She didn’t feel letting you three come up here without some help was a good idea.”

“She’s always such a dear, isn’t she? If nothing else, I’m glad you’ve been made aware of how serious the situation is… did you say ‘three’?”

“Where is he?”

“Who?” Rarity’s voice softened as Shining closed in on her and Gilda.

“The Ghost, Twilight said you were working with him.”

“Oh… oh, yes, he’s here.”

“Not sure you’d wanna talk to him, though,” Gilda chimed in, glancing at Rarity.

“Perhaps later, yes? We’ve been flying for days, now, and-”

“I’m sorry, Rarity, but I’m already taking a risk trusting him. I need to make sure he’s worth the trouble.” Shining Armor stomped past the two, straight for the cabin door.

Despite their efforts to stop the determined unicorn, his magic gripped the knob and swung open the door. He was surrounded by mouds of fabric, leather, chemicals, and obscure materials, but the cabin stood empty of all life besides the trio. Gilda managed to squeeze past him, followed by Rarity.

“I’m gonna kill him,” Gilda huffed.

“I don’t get it. Where is he?”

Rarity’s eyes scanned the room and landed on the only object still moving; the open portion at the far end of the bay window. Her face turned red. Hoof by hoof she marched to the open window and threw her head out of it.

The Ghost could barely hear the obscenities Rarity shouted as he dived toward the earth below. The unnatural cloak fluttered behind him. Empty air rushed past as he set his sights on the flickering lights of the Crystal Empire and the colossal spire in its center. The cloak spread like dark wings around him, converting every inch he fell into speed as he soared across the snow swept landscape draped in the aurora above. Over valleys of white-capped fir trees, the Ghost followed the roads leading from the border towns, flapping the cloak to hold altitude, eyes fixed on the capitol. Another flap lifted him higher.

Wind against his face helped distract him from the scene at the Tornado, and he allowed himself to smile. The tension in his chest dwindled with the approach of city lights just beyond. Outside the glow, however, a shape glided toward him, and before he could divert his course they collided. Instinctively, his hoof found its way into the attacker’s midsection, enough to loosen their grip and allow the Ghost to break free.

The shape fled towards a small cliff overlooking the city. When the Ghost landed, shock betrayed his fighting stance.

“Gorn?”

Tarnished wings twitched, freeing them from the snow, and the gryphon grunted.

“Can’t ye take a damn hint?”

“A hint? You tackled me out of the sky!”

“Good t’know ye still got that mean hook.” Gorn gently held his gut, taking slow breaths.

“I don’t suppose you’re here to apologize.”

“Damn right I’m not, but that don’t mean I’ll listen to yer sobbin’, either.”

“Why are you here, Gorn? Better yet, how are you here? You ditched us back in Ponyville two days ago.”

“An’ I followed the bastard for most of them two days, I’ll ‘ave you know. Might bit more than sittin’ in a bed, bleedin’ away next to yer squeeze.”

“I’m going to need a real answer, or you’ll know what the other hook feels like,” the Ghost said with a strained groan.

“Ha! Least ye got some fight. I told ye, I know the scum, an’ he’s not as clever as he thinks. He pulled the train trick in Appleloosa ‘bout fifteen years ago.” Gorn took a final, strong breath as he twisted his body against itself, cracking his spine. “Maybe ye’d like t’know where he’s gone, eh?”

“Forgive me if I don’t seem thrilled at the idea of working with you, seeing as you nearly tore my head off in Ponyville.”

“Yer still a right moron, but I can’t hit the compound by myself.”

“Compound?”

“Aye, right along the city, over yonder,” Gorn said with an outstretched claw, leading the Ghost’s vision to one of the six corners of the city’s star-shaped border. “Just over there is an old weapons depot from King Sombra’s time. It’s rundown an’ damn near fallin’ apart, but Shield Wall an’ his goons are in there, alright.”

“How many?”

“Too many.”

“Maybe you should’ve thought about that before spouting off like you did and running away.”

“Ye want an apology? I don’t need t’kiss yer hooves and play make-up, you want Shield Wall same as I.”

“A little respect goes a long way when you need somepony to fight your fight.”

“Respect? Is that what yer on about? Like you skulkin’ around and dodging hard questions constitutes as respect for Gilda or Rarity.” Gorn gave a sharp scoff, ignoring the Ghost’s stomping hoof.

“We work as a team, and as far as I’m concerned you haven’t wanted to even be on this team since Darrox died!”

“Well, yer right about that,” Gorn jabbed with a smile.

“Holy… AAAGH!”

The Ghost screamed against the cold air. His cry echoed into the night, waking bats and birds from their resting places in the trees, frantically escaping the perceived threat. Gorn was amused by the display, but the firm stare that locked him in place managed to tame his smile.

“You never respected me! It’s always ‘Bilge rat, quit yer yappin’’ or some snide comment about how I’m not fit to replace Darrox!”

“‘Cause ye never quit with yer bellyachin’, somethin’ I thought Darrox had beaten outta ye when, for some reason, he thought ye’d be a good fit!”

“Well guess what, jackass, he did choose me! I’m the one out here fighting his fight. I’m the one saddled with his dream.”

“Then maybe ye shouldn’t of made such a scene when we burned him, bein’ all ceremonious with yer vows an’ all, but I guess even Darrox had t’make a mistake sometime.”

“You… you have no idea what it’s like being him!”

“Ye aren’t him! Yeah, ye go through the motions. Ye got the fancy words and everythin’ t’make a spectacle outta yerself, but ye aren’t Darrox. Ye… I was a youngin’ when he found me, scrapin’ by with nary a bit an’ all the anger in the world swirlin’ like the sea in me head, but he gave me a chance. Ye think he was a second father t’you, well he was everythin’ t’me! We burned my father that night, an’ everyday I see ye prancing about like ye are him, an’ when I see ye whimperin’ ‘bout everythin’ ye lost and had t’lose all I see is what ye truly are. A blubberin’, frightened boy, wearin’ the greatest person I’ve ever known as a mask t’hide his shame! So don’t ye ever, ever so much as dare t’demand respect from me so long as ye make a mockery of him! And if ye ever cared about him then ye will head them words!”

Gorn’s tearing scream silenced the Ghost. The world fell silent, the air now calm as Gorn shook where he stood.

“I… I-I never meant t-”

“Ye never meant t’do a lot of things, ye stupid colt, an’ that’s just the problem. Had ye considered the weight Darrox passed off before ye started carryin’ it, maybe ye’d have dropped yer own, first.”

The Ghost struggled to even make a sound. Gorn held his gaze for a moment, shook his head, and turned to look over the city once more. His brow was tense.

“Now, are ye gonna help me with this?”

Wordlessly, he stepped to Gorn’s side and the two unfurled their wings of feathers and cloth, tipping gracefully over the cliff as the air broke their fall. The Ghost focused onto the darkened corner of the city, partially hidden by the obelisk-shaped buildings made of crystal. It’s luster was thinner than the other buildings. Even from the air, he could see many of the structures along the city’s outer limits were in similar disrepair.

“Pretty bold of him to hide this deep in enemy territory,” he said over the wind.

“E’erywhere is enemy territory fer that bastard. We can hit the weak wall on the south side.”

They tilted in unison toward the neglected corner of the city, far above the oblivious heads of crystal ponies meandering through the city on their nightly duties. The Ghost scanned the area with focused eyes. He snatched Gorn’s claw and pulled him to one side, wrapping them both in the cloak and made a landing behind one of the larger structures. Gorn coughed on impact.

“The blazes was that about?”

“Quiet, look.”

Guiding his vision, Gorn could see the small, almost ethereal shapes of ponies flying overhead, dressed in dark armor, nearly invisible against the omnipresent night sky. The Night Guard patrol began to descend toward the depot.

“Eyes ain’t what they used t’be. We gotta get closer.”

“I can find a path along the buildings, but you need to stay close. The Night Guard can hear better than either of us could ever see.”

Gorn nodded. The Ghost began his long, silent run along the crystalline rooftops, leaping across alleyways and latching to the iconic obelisks with the cloak. He swung through the longer stretches of the city with Gorn fluttering behind him. All along the path to the depot he could see the same silhouettes from before in windows, behind street corners, soaring overhead, lingering like shadows with no body, and even the brighter parts of the city were prey to their silent station.

Finally, the rooftop of the depot came into view as the duo hurriedly climbed onto it, ducking out of sight. Gorn managed to peak over his cover and found a large skylight just within range. He signaled to the Ghost before crawling the rest of the way over. After tense seconds ticked by in his mind, the Ghost saw the signal to advance.

The two peered into the building. It was a massive storeroom of siege weapons and munitions, and far below, in the center of the large room, dozens of Night Guard went about their tasks. Checking supplies and weapons, maintaining equipment, all the while a small area had been reserved for a single pony, complete with full furnishings. The grey mane struck them both.

“There he is,” Gorn snarled.

“Not yet.” The Ghost held the gryphon back with a firm hoof.

“I’m old, not dumb.” Gorn reached for a small crank beside him and twisted, lifting a patch of the window free. “We’ll find a way around, nab him from behind.”

Slowly, they crawled into the complex, easing their way along the ceiling before touching down gently onto the catwalks. Even blending into the shadows of the complex did little to ease their nerves when the occasional bat pony flew by, oblivious to the danger, and their eyes met the sight of dozens more below, but step after tepid step the two came within range of Shield Wall, speaking to a bat pony the Ghost recognized.

“... and not a moment later, understand? The ruins are only a few miles away, waiting any longer will risk the princess’ retribution.”

“Yes, sir, a distractionary force will be dispatched prior to our departure. I think a group of thirty will do, sir.”

“Yes, a solid number, large enough to cause a diversion but not enough to alert real military intervention. Now, what news of the dig team? Have they found it?”

“Their most recent report was an hour ago. As far as we know, they’re still making their way deeper into the caverns, but progress is being made.”

“Hmm, behind schedule…” Shield Wall peered through one of the towering windows nearby. “Perhaps it was wrong of me to station Kindle with the dig team. His performance has hardly been satisfactory. What do you think, commander?”

“Sir?”

“Of Kindle? More than once I have watched him question your authority, and by extension mine. Insubordination is a punishable offense.”

“He’s not a bad soldier, sir, just needs time to understand what we’re fighting for.” Glint’s eyes fell upon the unicorn’s unphased expression. “He’ll shape up, sir, you’ll see.”

“I disagree, commander,” Shield began. “There have been many soldiers under my command, and of those who would come to support my vision of a strong and supreme Equestria, none shared his insipid meddling. I have seen it with my own eyes. The way he speaks to you, as if to dissuade you from your mission.”

“Kindle’s only been with us for a short while, and even I-”

“He lacks your strength, Glint. You see, of my many supporters, traitorous or no, there were only a select few I could rely on.”

“Rely on, sir?” Glint’s stunned words barely had the strength to reach Shield Wall’s smirk.

“One needs only to look around to see the fruit of your many labors, and how sweet a fruit it is. We have infiltrated one of the most powerful cities in the world, completely under the muzzle of its princess, and smuggled in troops and weapons enough to start and end a war, all because I had somepony as strong as you at my side. And unlike Gavel, you stayed loyal.”

“I-I can’t take all the credit, sir. Your genius and leadership is what brought us here, and the troops have done most of the heavy lifting. I only-”

“Do not sell your achievements short, commander.” Shield Wall stepped to Glint’s side, placing a gentle hoof on his armored shoulder. “We are all soldiers fighting for our country, something the poor Kindle has yet to fully grasp. And even after all you and I have accomplished, I still…”

Shield Wall suddenly stopped, gazing into the space between him and the floor. His ears twitched. All breathing slowed as the unicorn seemed to freeze in place, taking in every minute sensation that reached him. From above, the Ghost and Gorn desperately held their breath.

“Sir?” Glint asked, quizzically.

“I still suspect there may be other attempts to sabotage us, commander,” he continued, slowly.

“Nopony knows we’ve infiltrated the Empire, sir. So far, our scouts have maintained complete anonymity.”

“Yes, yes, but there is somepony on our trail, is there not?” Shield Wall slowly walked from Glint. “Somepony beyond the standard powers of authority.”

“We lost the Ghost in Ponyville, sir,” Glint stated, hesitation in his voice.

“Wrong, commander, we simply have yet to see him.”

“Sir!”

From the side, a bat pony frantically rushed toward the two, skidding to a halt and panting hard. She gripped her chest and gasped before finally standing and giving a weak salute.

“Sir, r-report from the dig team. There was a small cave-in. Most of the team is either dead or wounded, but we found it, sir.”

“You see, commander,” Shield Wall chirped. “All it took was a little faith in the plan, and now everything is on track. Except, however, you seem… unfamiliar.”

“S-Sir?”

Shield Wall closed in on the bat pony before him, eyes glued to hers. Metal swung in a fearsome arc toward him, the gleaming point poised to dive into his neck, but crashed against a thin field of Shield Wall’s power, cracking the blade. He struck her once, twice, and shoved her into the middle of the floor with a kick. The Ghost and Gorn watched, from above, as the facade washed away in a green haze, revealing Alate to all in view.

“Very brave, but this little stunt will cost you your life. Something I take great pleasure in.” Shield Wall grinned as he strode toward her, other Night Guard closing in.

“Then you and your lackeys will have to fight for your meal.” Alate took a low stance, baring her fangs.

“The enemies of Equestria will be given no quarter, and as you are guilty of murdering an appointed royal official, we are merely performing our civic duty… unless you would like to stop us!”

His words carried up to the catwalks where the Ghost and Gorn were crouched. The gryphon turned to him with a firm glare, slowly shaking his head against Shield Wall’s offer. The Ghost could only make the smallest movement before a claw grabbed him.

“Don’t you dare.”

He was trapped in Gorn’s raspy command, but turning his head once more to the desperate scene now unfolding helped him find the will to resist as he lunged over the railing. Fluttering wings guided him around the room like a shadow. Some of the Night Guard below flinched as he soared, others swiped at him with hopes of pulling him to the ground. One lap was all it took to put the eyes of every enemy in the room on him as he landed softly between Alate and Shield Wall.

From this angle the crowd appeared far, far larger.