The Ghost of Coltistrano: Restless Peace

by EthanClark

Chapter 14: “He was right, though, at least the whelp is a challenge.”

A sea of fierce yellow eyes drowned his vision. Moonlight slipped through the worn and cracked parts of the building and bathed the Ghost’s enemies in its glow, succeeding only in highlighting their snarls and bared teeth. To his back stood Alate, shifting uncomfortably in place. The Ghost resisted the urge to find Gorn among the darkness of the catwalks, fearing he would give him away, but his gaze was instead caught by the parting of the sea, allowing two ponies through. One was dressed in signature dark armor that clinked with each stomp toward the Ghost. It was the other that brought a chill up his spine.

Shield Wall wore only his navy tailcoat and a terrible smirk as he cut through the sea of Night Guard. He stayed behind Glint, allowing the commander his moment of intimidation, before taking one step closer and basking in the scene.

“How truly precious,” he sneered before addressing his warriors. “To those unaware, the enemy before you, who has slain many of your fallen brothers and sisters in such gruesome fashion, is the kin of the Ghost’s mentor. Now, he seeks to protect her. Protect her from us.”

Yelling and harsh words flew from the soldiers’ mouths, fired like arrows toward the Ghost and Alate, still holding firm before their threats.

“As such, this heinous offence makes him an accessory to her crimes, a traitor, and an enemy of Equestria. One who shall pay for his crimes… but! We are better than his kind, are we not? Yes, we are, and he shall be granted the opportunity to justify himself to us before the end… do you have anything to say, whelp?”

Shield Wall’s mockery failed to evoke a response from the Ghost. Instead, he tensed the cloak around his shoulders, scanning the mob around him carefully, searching for an opening. Finally, his gaze returned to Shield Wall.

“Showponyship doesn’t look good on you.”

“Neither does that cloak, yet you persist in wearing it,” he spat. “You have chased us across the country, into the capital of the Crystal Empire, and despite all your drive you lack the spine to finish me. Now, you aid the very murderer you sought to imprison.”

“Don’t talk to me about conflicted interests, Shield Wall. You could’ve killed us all at Twilight’s castle if I never reminded you of your little crush.” The Ghost snuck a smirk.

“Watch your words! Do not forget it was I who escaped with both his prize and his life. You, however, barely escaped with your pride.”

“And that proves what, exactly?” The Ghost caught a glimpse of something black leap between the shadows above.

“That I am the one in control, Ghost.” Shield Wall motioned around the room. “Our plans are unknown to you, you are surrounded by Equestria’s deadliest warriors, and are without means of escape. Normally, I would be inclined to offer surrender, but we have a score to settle, no?”

Shield Wall raised his hoof. Eyes of the bat ponies locked onto the firm appendage, waiting for its signal to relinquish all restraint and rush their quarry. Glint glared at the Ghost, never breaking contact. Alate spun around and pressed her back against the Ghost to better defend against their full enclosure of foes. All the while, the Ghost stared at Shield Wall.

Before his hoof came down a screeching call rang out, diving from the darkened ceiling above and onto Shield Wall. The unicorn flailed against the weight of an almost feral Gorn, who swiped and hacked away at the object of all his rage and fury, staggering the lines of Night Guard caught by surprise. This was when the Ghost and Alate made their move. From within his cloak, the Ghost produced five small orbs and slammed them against the ground to release a huge, bulbous cloud of smoke and gas that engulfed the area, it’s fumes blinding even Night Guard eyes. The cloak shot up to the catwalk, with another length of it wrapping around Alate. She fired green bolts against those few Night Guard who followed as they were pulled upwards. Flash after flash reflected off the now dissipating cloud below.

“Why are you even here?” Alate barked.

“Saving your life, naturally.”

“No! I had a plan, and it would’ve worked had you just-”

“We don’t have time! Look, you know his plan, so you have to get out of here. Find the Tornado, tell Rarity and Gilda what you know and help them stop it.” The Ghost whipped around to the sight of Glint and two more Night guard landing on the catwalk before them.

“I don’t take orders! Least of all from you!”

“Then don’t, Alate, but just go!” He watched her pause then turn from the fight, blasting the few Night Guard who pursued her, before he met his gaze with a furious Glint.

“You need to make up your mind, Ghost,” he said, taking a stance. “You’re either fighting for Equestria with us, or you’re another traitor like her.”

“Spoken like a true lackey. Tell me, Glint, do Streak and Glider still have nightmares about me?”

That was all Glint needed to lunge into a tackle, his other two soldiers buzzing around him looking for opportunities to hit the living shade they did battle with. The cloak struck them faster than they could react, and powerful blows rippled against Glint’s armor, staggering him. Their grunts and cries, however, were drowned out by the chaos below.

Gorn drove his claws deep into the magical barrier Shield Wall had desperately erected around himself. The gryphon’s fury could not be contained. Some night Guard pulled his tail and wings, another climbed over his back, all of whom were cast aside like paper dolls in a hurricane by Gorn. He dove again, this time snagging the unicorn’s grey mane in one claw and pounding against the shield with another. Much to Shield Wall’s horror, the barrier began to crack.

“Damn, meddlin’, pompous, murderin’, colt-lovin’-!”

“Silence, you cursed bird!”

A shockwave from the dispelled barrier threw Gorn and other Night Guard along the stone floor, but with a practiced roll he was back on all fours.

“Pretty magic ain’t enough t’stop the ass whoopin’ that’s comin’!”

“Violent, ill-tempered, and with the subtle reek of rum and swill… yes, I think I remember you. The cabin boy, correct?”

“‘Captain’, you swine!” Gorn’s wings shot him straight for Shield Wall with blinding speed. A small field of magic, though, appeared around his leg, stopping all of his momentum and forcing his leg out of the socket with a wet click, collapsing him onto the floor.

“Yes, I do remember you. You were in Appleloosa with the Ghost, decades ago. I paid five-thousand bits to have the local gangs assault that pitiful spec of a town.”

“Too bad yer only a might bit dumber than I, or ye’d have ye left the money unguarded.” Gorn laughed through a wince as he hobbled onto his good legs.

“How clever, but I do expect recompense…” His horn began to glow as more Night Guard approached. “Five-thousand fold.”

He was tackled by two of the guard, who only barely held on as Gorn flailed his entire body in a mad attempt to shake them loose, unaware of the charging ball of light radiating from Shield Wall’s horn. From the shape flew a wild stream that whipped along the ground, arching to slice into Gorn as he was held at bay. A shadow flew toward Shield Wall’s horn, slicing its base and causing him to cry out, and with two sharp cracks of glass the guards restraining Gorn cried out in agony as alchemical smoke bubbled and rose from their eyes. The Ghost landed between the gryphon and his impending doom. The spell’s deadly light reached the stretched cloak of the Ghost and cascaded along its surface, managing to push him back before the power dissipated into the air.

Wordlessly, the Ghost and Gorn acknowledged each other before standing back to back, their eyes falling upon the thinning fumes that held the bulk of the force at bay. Furious stares locked them in place as the rest of the Night Guard moved in around them, suffocating the precious little space they had left, but no glare held more malice than the fuming unicorn slowly approaching, face marked in a thin streak of blood.

“Got any more surprises in that cloak?” Gorn muttered, claws twitching at each movement of the crowd.

“If I find one, I’ll let you know,” the Ghost said.

He wrapped a foreleg in the cloak, preparing whatever counterattack he could muster against overwhelming numbers. None, not even Shield Wall, spoke to the position the two had found themselves in. The Ghost twitched, though, then again, breaking his composure to find the source of a strange humming sensation shooting up through his leg. He looked to his rear boot. There was a small gap above the sole, torn out, with a soft blue glow flowing from the tear. Then came a voice.

“You are such a dumbass,” stated the annoyed voice of Gilda from the soft glow.

Windows shattered at the impact, and the already crumbling walls of the depot finally gave way as cannonfire tore through them, soaring overhead and piercing through the other side of the building. A second volley erupted from outside. Through the holes they punched out, the Ghost and Gorn could see the outline of the Tornado as it drifted outside the building. Many of the Night Guard turned to face their new attacker, but were met with rows of gleaming indigo armor marching through the demolished entryway. At the front, tall and firm in his stance, stood the prince.

“Crystal Corsairs! Charge!”

Shining Armor sprinted, followed by organized rows of crystal pegasi that broke out in formation, filling the room as a massive wave of armor and feathers, crashing down upon the Night Guard. Bodies were tossed everywhere. Hooves and weapons impacted on each other in a ferocious exchange of might as both sides became focused on dominating the other. Shining Armor cut through the enemy and came to the only two allies still fighting in the center of the horde.

“They said you’d be here. Got to say, pretty crazy idea to ambush them on your own,” Shining Armor said to the Ghost.

The Ghost found his attention divided. A smirk crept across his face, reminiscing on the time he and Shining fought side by side against their enemies, and his strikes started to land with more force. He smiled. Two Night Guard came barrelling toward him and Shining, but in a fantastic display of agility the Ghost cartwheeled in front of the prince and snagged the two aggressors in the cloak. With a tug they spun out of the air and crashed into a crate.

“Nice moves,” the prince said as he hefted one Night Guard over his head and sent him screaming over the battlefield.

“Not bad, yourself,” he said. “Good to see royal life hasn’t cost you all of your skill.”

“A ha! There’s the Ghost’s famous wit.”

They fought together, synchronized as one, in a way that gave the Night Guard pause when they rallied their efforts. A chorus of leathery wings filled the ruin as the Night Guard transformed from an army and into a swarm, flying in tight formation as a single sea of dark armor that crashed against the Corsairs’ flank. Shining Armor barked orders to dig in and helped erect a shield around the overrun soldiers. It was enough, and the swarm of outnumbered bat ponies once again struggled against the might of the Crystal Empire. Shield Wall merely watched his forces fall, one by one, to the ambush before rushing from the scene, cursing the whole way. Gorn’s eyes followed him.

“Filthy coward’s gettin’ away!”

“Gorn, wait! Gorn!”

The Ghost sprinted after him, dodging the flying combatants filling the air around him. One such bout landed just before him, two Night Guard trampling one of the Corsairs, and the Ghost lunged over them, using a single length of his cloak to ensnare and toss the Night Guard away. The Corsair’s thanks were left unheard as the Ghost continued his mad dash through the crumbling complex, desperately keeping pace with Gorn as he slowly escaped his view. After weaving through the relics of war he followed the path out into the cold night, beyond the city and towards the wilderness beyond.

Gorn ignored the Ghost’s call. His senses were fixed on the aged unicorn that now sprinted away from him. Bolts of power were cast back toward him, pillars of magic rose to block him, but nothing managed to break Gorn’s will as he shot himself forward with a terrifying flap of his wings. All around him became a blur except for the unicorn now coming into full view, but something gripped him hard.

Shield Wall spun around and held his hooves out. With impeccable timing, he clamped down around Gorn’s neck just as he leapt off the snow-covered ground, throwing Gorn off course and diverting his force into a powerful bodyslam. They skidded a ways before Shield Wall finally saved his balance, looking down on the wounded gryphon.

“I… I’ll kill ye… kill ye like ye killed…” Gorn coughed, desperately trying to stand as Shield Wall chuckled.

“I do remember the little hatchling, always tending to Darrox’s every whim, always squawking whenever somepony spoke ill of him. Good to see you still have yet to be any real threat to me. Hardly a ‘sidekick’, more of a servant.”

“A better life at his side than under yer hoof.” Gorn swung a fast and fierce claw at Shield Wall, who ducked and threw a knee into his stomach.

“Spare me the prattling, you came looking for vengeance but all you will receive is a quick and unceremonious end befitting of your kind.” Shield Wall raised his foreleg, avoiding the tail swipe from Gorn and prepared for the incoming flurry.

“Yer a damn bastard, and I’ll be the one t’save us from yer evil!” His blows, though mighty, were deftly parried by the unicorn as a hoof crashed against his ribs, breaking them.

“Aw, you want to be a hero, and how must that feel? All your years of dedication and unflinching loyalty, only to be passed up by the whelp.”

“Shut it an’ fight me!” His dark wings flapped, kicking up the snow as he lunged forward, narrowly dodged by Shield Wall.

“Was he a father to you? A role model? The selfish old bug was so absorbed in his delusions he never saw how much you idolized him. How desperate you were to be him.”

“Don’t ye dare speak like that!”

“He was right, though, at least the whelp is a challenge.”

Only cries of rage flew from Gorn’s beak as he poured every ounce of his strength into a tackle. The Ghost finally arrived, witnessing the gryphon’s brutality as he and Shield Wall rolled on the snow, struggling for dominance. Shield Wall could see the mass of black approaching. With a wince of pain from his wounded horn, he summoned enough magic to lift Gorn from him and throw him against the Ghost, tumbling to the ground.

The Ghost tried desperately to speak, but Gorn was too fast in rummaging through the cloak and stealing the hidden dagger. When he tried to hold Gorn back, the gryphon struck back against him, knocking the Ghost’s head against the ground before charging again. Shield Wall watched the dagger slice the air as the panting gryphon sluggishly swiped the air just outside his intended target.

Each attack came slower than the last. A swift kick to the knees forced Gorn to tumble, and another crashing blow on his beak sent him to the snow with a splash of blood. Limp claws gripped the ground. The dagger was pulled from his grasp as a firm hoof pressed down on Gorn’s broken body, drawing a scream from his bruised beak, and with another jab he felt something snap deep within him.

As the Ghost’s vision recovered, he was met with the sight of Shield Wall standing over Gorn, and the glinting dagger hovering dangerously close. He stumbled to his hooves and rushed as fast as he could to them. A golden flash struck his shoulder, bouncing off the cloak and staggering him back, then another passed just beneath the cloak and clipped his hoof. He fell to his knees with a hiss, his eyes finding the weary gaze of Gorn.

Through a pain shout, the Ghost poured all of his strength into a final whip of the cloak, stretching out toward Shield Wall. Its dark limb sliced through the night. A whistle rose from it’s flight that echoed in the air as it homed in on its nefarious target, and Gorn could see it traveling closer and closer. A hoof blocked its path. Shield Wall shot a frightening glance to the Ghost, the cloak caught firmly around his hoof, and the only sound he could hear was the sickening tear of flesh as the dagger was plunged into Gorn’s neck.

“Damn bird.”

The unicorn turned his gaze to the Ghost, still limping and struggling to stand. Shield Wall spared himself the sight, turning away with a smirk and relinquishing the cloak before trotting off into the snow-covered night as the Ghost finally managed to crawl across the ground to Gorn, choking and sputtering. Blood stained the white earth. The Ghost pulled Gorn’s head up and felt around the wound. The blade was deep enough to contort Gorn’s face in agony with each subtle movement, and he could see the skin already turning pale beneath the dark feathers of Gorn’s face. Puffs of hot, shallow breath rose into the cold air.

“You need… you need to keep still, Gorn. The blade’s not that deep. There’s blood, but I can pull it… and your… oh, no.”

A large patch of matted feathers on his side announced his broken ribs, with points of bone threatening to break the skin. Gorn wheezed. Hooves fumbled over his body in search of another ailment, something within his power to heal. Limp eyes stared at him.

“Quit it,” Gorn choked. “Yer lettin’... lettin’... get away.”

“He doesn’t matter, Gorn, you’re bleeding out.” The Ghost timidly placed a hoof on the dagger, but the flinch from Gorn forced him back.

“D-Dammit, boy, forget me a-... do yer damn… damn job.”

“No!” The Ghost’s cry carried across the cold air as his whole body shook and trampled beneath the cloak. “I’m not leaving and I’m not letting you die out here! Just let me save you!”

A claw forcefully grasped the Ghost’s shirt. It pulled him in to meet Gorn’s weary and pale face, a harsh whisper rising from his beak with what strength he had left.

“Stop it… stop tryin’ t’be… yer a boy. Ye never a-asked fer this life. I’m sorry... he forced it on ye, robbin’ ye of… of yer…”

A wet cough forced more blood onto the snow, landing at the Ghost’s knees.

“Don’t do what I did, Silver… don’t live yer life for him. Yer blind to life and love and… and the whole world. Quit tryin’ t’save a dead changeling, and quit tryin’ t’save me… save yerself.”

His limp claw hit the ground. A final breath escaped his broken chest as the final holdouts of life faded away, leaving the Ghost alone. He couldn’t move. No scream or cry or desperate whimper, only shock painted across his face like blood across the snow, and a haunting expression that lingered on Gorn’s motionless body. Not even his ears perked up at the sounds of shouting from the city and the clinking of armor as ponies approached the scene.

He ignored the questions, the cursing, and the muffled scream that followed. His knife, standing like a bloody, spiteful totem, had cut him deeper than any before.

--

There was silent milling about the small campground established at the foot of the large mountain. Only the minimum of supplies was stored for the vanguard of bat ponies stationed there. Lamps, shovels, and barrels of blasting powder. The Night Guard diligently continued their work unearthing worn, protruding columns of dark crystal in a path that led to a glossy black opening of a crystal cave. Far above, the stars still blanketed the sky in their flickering presence, but the faintest line of red color began to stretch across the eastern horizon. Dawn was approaching, and so was their leader.

Shield Wall firmly stamped across the chilled ground, a saddlebag around him. Glint was beside him, sending silent orders to the other Night Guard with sharp eyes and whispered chirps. The unicorn shrugged off the cold air that kissed his fresh bruises and scrapes, relishing the sting, and glared at the small detachment that hurriedly came to attention around him.

“Vice general!” Their cry was in unison.

“Kindle,” Glint called out, summoning the bat pony to him. “We need a report. How is the digging progressing?”

“We’ve almost finished. The crystal is tough to get through, but the powder’s been enough to shatter it into movable chunks, but we’re not sure if the cave is traversable. It’s dark in there, unnaturally so.” Kindle’s eyes warily traveled to Shield Wall’s distracted face.

“Thank you, Kindle. What are your orders, sir?”

“Hmm? Ah, of course, establish a perimeter. We only have so much time until the prince finds us. Forgive me, commander, I was relishing.”

“Relishing what, sir?”

“The Ghost’s reaction.”

Glint hesitated to share in his leader’s enjoyment, nervously ignoring the statement as he sent out chirps and screeches to his troops and watched them slowly close in around the entrance, eyes trained on the city far away from them. Shield Wall, Glint, and Kindle made their way to the mouth of the cave.

As Kindle said, the cave was dark. Glint’s eyes strained to focus, and every time he managed to glimpse the inside, an oppressive darkness came over his vision once again. Kindle, too, struggled to navigate and gave out a loud screech. Their trained ears were sensitive to the sound now bouncing off of every surface the cave provided, giving them a near-clear image of an imposing cavern, with countless rows of stalactites that hung like fangs in a predator’s mouth. Another screech from Glint revealed even more of the cave. Twisting passages and frozen lake beds could be detected through their echolocation.

“Visibility is limited. We can set up routine excursions deeper, but we’ll need to request supplies from the main force. Two scouts will take an hour to-”

“There will be no waiting, commander, step aside.”

Even blindly, the confidence of Shield Wall’s stride could be felt as he passed the two bat ponies and stepped deeper into the cavern. He could feel something curl around his hooves. Tendrils, something he knew quite well by now, but far more animated flicked and writhed beneath him, and as one began to travel up his leg he snatched his hoof away and slammed it down upon the living shadow, smothering it. Then, he produced the scroll.

From his saddlebag flew the tracking ritual, unfurled in a wreath of golden magic. Shield Wall allowed his own power to spill from his horn, bathing the parchment as it began to float on it’s own. Glint and Kindle could now see faint shapes in the darkness. Spirals and runes began to emerge from the parchment and defy the darkness around them, drifting just in front of Shield Wall as he poured even more power into the ritual. He grunted, but the darkness began to retreat. With another exertion, Shield Wall’s golden aura sent a shockwave across the cavern floor and beyond that seemed to push back the spell of darkness for a moment before it slowly returned, covering the trio in shadow again.

“Sir,” Glint whispered. “Did… did it work?”

Shield Wall’s eyes began to glow a brilliant white and through his enhanced vision he could see the cavern around him inverted. He followed the tendrils on the floor to a singular shape in the distance, the only spot of darkness still hidden to him. He grinned. Stepping forward he could feel another tendril, stronger this time, reach up and grab hold of his leg. A blast of golden magic severed it from the larger whole, and Shield Wall wasted no time in summarily terminating the rest of the living darkness as he progressed down the cavern, blasting at it when it dared lash out.

“The way is clear, gentlecolts. Follow me.”

Glint and Kindle hesitated, but soon they were close at their leader’s side and following him deeper down the passage. They both could tell the darkness was beginning to lift as their vision slowly returned with each blast of Shield Wall’s magic. Kindle, with his sensitive ears, could almost hear the shadows as they retreated, hissing and gurgling all the way into the darkest corners. Soon, the path led downward, and the cavern opened up into a truly dark and cold clearing.

At the center of the blackness was a soft red light.

It glimmered from the tip of something curved and sharp, leading upwards to the twisted shape of something resembling a pony that hung upside down from the ceiling like it was one of the stalactites, itself. Shield Wall could make out its distorted features. Ghastly, creeping limbs stretched out from it towards the floor, frozen in place by the black crystal that protruded from what he could only assume was flesh, though the figure was half formed. Strings of material suspended the pony from the ceiling, and long strands of a black mane dangled near the floor.

“‘Hail to the king’,” Shield mocked.

“Sir… i-is this…?”

“It most certainly is. Take a fine look, you two, at what remains of the cursed and traitorous King Sombra, cast to these dreary confines upon his pitiful defeat. It would seem he attempted to regain form before he finally died.”

“It looks awful,” Kindle said, attempting not to gag.

“Good. A death befitting an enemy of Equestria.” Shield Wall dismissed the putrid display and reached into his bag once more, producing his large tome.

“W-Well, um, if we’re going to recover the… the body, we’ll need some serious equipment.”

“Not the body, commander, let it rot. We need only the horn.” Shield Wall’s statement caught Kindle’s attention.

“The horn, sir?”

“The horn is cursed and filled with dark magic. Much of the so-called king’s power lies in the deals he made with evil forces, and his horn was the catalyst of said otherworldly powers.” Shield Wall slowly flipped through the pages of his book, glowing eyes settling on a single, horrific page. “Such power is the key to seizing the Crystal Heart and overthrowing the Crystal Empire, as it did millennia ago.”

“You… you want to…” Kindle stammered. “We’re going to use it? But for what? King Sombra enslaved the whole empire with that power.”

“Then you have answered your own question,” Shield said, dismissively.

Kindle’s next words were cut off by a glow of magic from the book. White eyes soon turned green, and black smoke trailed from the corners as dark power took hold of Shield Wall. The bubbling magic upon his horn coalesced into a single point. The resulting wave of power landed upon the book, and the pages screamed a horrid cry. Ink drained from the paper and onto the floor, trailing to the dangling corpse and slowly reaching up, climbing on top of itself and connecting with the horn. Screaming echoed through the cavern until the entire horn was covered and, in a flash of red light, fell from the body and clinked onto the crystal floor. The darkness that once blanketed them shrieked loudly before disintegrating, allowing them sight once more.

“Finally.”

Shield Wall watched as the enchanted ink peeled itself away, revealing the perfectly severed horn. He gently picked it up in his hooves. Upon close inspection, he found rows of tiny symbols of an ancient script dotting its surface, flowing around the horn in a swirling pattern he recognized as channeling paths. A grin crept across his face until Kindle spoke up once more.

“But you can’t use it, right? Sombra was immortal, like a living shade or something. It’s not like you could just stick it on your head and use dark magic, right?”

“One could, but there are far less barbaric means of harnessing its power.” Shield caressed the horn, studying its every feature.

“But, I mean… should we?”

Shield Wall froze. Slowly, his head turned to face the bat pony, now regretting his words, and slowly approached as the horn slipped into his bag. Each step closer forced Kindle’s stomach to sink that much lower before his leader was upon him, fierce golden eyes consuming his vision.

“What did you say?”

“Sir, please forgive Kindle. He’s on disciplinary-”

“What did you say?!” Shield Wall ignored Glint entirely, his wrath focused on the lone soldier before him.

“Sir, I… the horn is d-dangerous, and if we use it… I don’t want anypony to be hurt by th-.”

“I decide who is worth hurting, not you! I decide who is to be saved and who is collateral, who lives and who dies! You are to remain quiet until I have need of you!”

“Vice general, please,” Glint managed to say before golden eyes locked onto him.

“Silence, unless you wish to take his place!”

“Glint, please,” Kindle muttered. “This is insane. We can’t just let this happen. There are thousands of ponies in that city.”

“Then there shall be thousands of graves, should I will it so!” Shield Wall seethed, glaring, an inch away from Kindle’s trembling face. “You remind me of another soldier, Kindle. A sergeant, a whelp, who persisted in seeing I was undermined at every turn. He inspired mischief, spat in the face of proper discipline, and every breath he took held the stench of insurrection. And what did I do to him? I drowned him. Carved him into meat and cast him into the sea before I killed his father, conquered his city, and claimed his mare. What do you think I would do to you?”

“Glint… please,” Kindle whispered.

Glint looked on, stunned, confused at the scene unfolding before him. His silence was enough to bring a chuckle from Shield Wall’s throat, deep and sharp, echoing across the cavern as he slowly stepped to his side.

“The commander understands that peace can only be secured after war, that prosperity can only be sown from pain.” Shield Wall leaned in close to Glint. “Are you still loyal to our cause?”

“... Yes, sir.”

“Then kill him. There is no room for traitors in our nation.”

“... Sir?” Glint stood stiff, locking eyes with Shield Wall as the unicorn glared back.

“You heard me, commander.”

“Sir, w-with respect… Kindle isn’t-”

“Reliable? Diligent? A true ally to our cause? There are many things he fails to be, commander, yet he succeeds in distracting you from your duty.”

“My duty is to the troops, sir.”

“Your duty is to me!” Shield Wall’s voice shook the cavern, rumbling in Glint’s head as a hot breath touched his face. “You told me, swore to me, that you would give everything for our mission. For Equestria. But unlike the nation we love so dearly, I am generous and ask you only to kill this foul, insipid worm before he compromises you further!”

“Glint, please, he’s crazy,” Kindle declared through a shaky voice. “He killed Nox, and he’s gonna kill more!”

“Those who lack the strength to carry our burden should never stand at all, lest their weakness topple our dream!”

“Who even talks like that?! Glint, don’t let him do this, man. He’s insane!”

“Kill him!”

Between the cries of his leader and the whimpering of his friend, Glint felt a heavy fog in his mind, and with each word fired between the two ponies could be felt in his very core like cracks of thunder. It shook him like nothing else. He tried to focus his vision on Kindle and conjure some form of defence against his own confusion, but he couldn’t. The same indifference he felt towards Nox now entered his mind, and things became clear.

The firmness in Glint’s eyes told him everything. In a second, Kindle lunged for Shield Wall’s saddlebag, causing the unicorn to spin around and launch a thin beam of light. It grazed Kindle’s hip, and with a flailing hoof he managed to snatch the saddlebag and pull it from Shield’s back. Then he bolted. His wings carried him as fast as the treacherous cavern would allow as the sound of yelling and hoofsteps rang out behind him, and soon his keen eyes could see Glint charging after him as he approached the mouth of the cave. Kindle ejected from the dug-out path and tumbled along the cold earth, scrambling to his hooves as his eyes met his new surroundings.

The bat ponies that once stood guard were now dead. Bubbling pools of viscous green fluid stained the ground, with carnage strewn across the patches of pure snow. A cloaked figure stood before them, slowly turning to see Kindle, and pulled a vile of sinister liquid from her tattered rags. Kindle raised his hooves towards her.

“No, no! Don’t kill me!”

“A pitiful last request,” the Ragged Mare said with a gravelly tone.

“No, you don’t understand, I’m not with them anymore. I swear!”

“You sure look like them.” She lifted the vial higher in the air.

“No! You can’t melt me, I know what he’s planning!

“KINDLE!” Glint’s fury arrived in a thunderous cry from the cave, and Kindle turned frantically to the Ragged Mare.

“If you’re going to melt anything, melt the entrance to the cave. They’ll be trapped for a while, just please trust me!”

The Ragged Mare paused for a moment, but when another loud roar came from within the cave she hurled the vial overhead, sending it crashing against the entrance and turning the top layer of crystal into a slimy, putrid wall of muck that oozed down to the ground.

“Talk,” she demanded.

“That place is King Sombra’s tomb. I-I don’t know what the vice general did, but there was some weird ink, and living darkness, and… whatever! He wanted his horn. It’s the key to using whatever evil junk Sombra was using while he was alive, and the vice general wants to do Luna-knows-what to the Crystal Empire when he attacks. But I have it and we’ve got to keep it away from him!”

“If it’s dangerous then give it to me.”

“N-No! No, no, no, no, no, I’m taking it to the Ghost.” Kindle clutched the saddlebag close, ignoring the shouting form behind the melted wall of crystal.

“I can always kill you and take it,” the Ragged Mare said as she closed in on him.

“Maybe, but I know his full plan. Numbers, supplies, locations, everything! And I’ll spill, but to the Ghost, not you.”

The Ragged Mare was silent. Even as the shouting grew louder from within the cave, she remained fixed on Kindle, who met her gaze with one just as fearsome. A crack was heard from the cave wall, and the Ragged Mare gave a raspy sigh.

“Get going… but if you even think of running, you’ll join your friends in their puddle.”

Kindle’s stuttering words were silenced by the eruption of crystal and stone from the mouth of the cave. Shield Wall emerged, eyes frenzied, a piercing glow at the tip of his horn. As he stomped up the incline towards Kindle and the Ragged Mare, the hooded changeling threw the rest of her ammunition at him. They disintegrated against a wreath of golden power.

Once the blasts of magic began flying, so too did Kindle, frantically spreading his wings and taking to the sky as fast as he could. Shouting, cursing, and even a roar followed him into the night, soon joined by an equally frantic changeling that hurried to his side. From the corner of his eye came a flash. A streak of power sailed toward like a bolt of lightning. On instinct, Kindle shifted his weight to the left, allowing the beam to glide past his right pectoral and off into the sky, and the two doubled their speed. A hoof found its way to his barely rescued hide, a part that had not yet fully healed, and Kindle gave a manic laugh.

“Ha ha! Thank you, Ghost!”