Episode 27: Sequestria Arc; Part Three
Spike watched Night and Swift with worried eyes as they hovered close to the Storm King’s ship. Diamondback, Jackknife and Blaze were grouped up next to him on the mountain wall, and Diamondback even had a magic communication device that they could talk to the impromptu scouts with, but Spike still feared for Night and Swift’s safety.
“What do you two see?” Diamondback asked.
“A lot of Yetis,” Night’s voice replied. “Looks like they’re experimenting with different kinds of weapons. They have these weird orbs with them, they…” Night gasped.
Spike straightened. “Night?”
“Don’t take chances, you guys,” Jackknife warned.
“Aw, you care,” Night teased, before her voice grew serious. “Seriously, though, we’re fine. They just used one of the orbs to turn one of their own to obsidian.”
This is freaky,” Swift said. “What if they see us?”
“We’re right here, darling,” Diamondback assured Swift. “Don’t worry; we’ll come running if anything happens.”
“Unlike some creatures,” Jackknife muttered bitterly, glaring down at the water concealing Sequestria.
Spike pat Jackknife’s shoulder. “Don’t let them get to you, man.”
“How can I not?” Jackknife replied. “We’re out here trying to handle this, while they sit nice and cozy at the bottom of the ocean. We do this, we’re telling them they can order us around like slaves.”
“And if we don’t do this,” Blaze replied curtly, “We’ll be allowing this ‘Storm King’ to have free reign over Equus.”
Jackknife seethed, but sighed in resignation. “Yeah,” he admitted. “Alright. So how’re we handling this?”
Diamondback grimaced. “Easiest thing to do would be to simply blast a hole in the ship, but we have no idea what kind of defenses they have in place.”
“So, let’s find out,” Night replied. “I’m going in, Swift. Cover me?”
“Night, be careful!” Swift stammered.
But the black dragoness was never one for hesitation or caution. And as the group watched, she flew onto the ship and out of sight.
A few seconds later, Swift chimed in. “Okay, she got below deck, but I can’t see her anymore. Oh, Night, what are you thinking?”
Seconds ticked by. Minutes felt like hours. The dragons watched Swift with bated breath, waiting for him to chime in with the good news that Night was out.
But whatever Night was doing took time. And as the time dragged on, Spike and Jackknife started exchanging glances. Fearing that something had happened.
“She’s taking too long,” Jackknife said. “We gotta go in after her.”
Diamondback grabbed him before he could try to reach the ship. “Don’t be a fool, Jack,” she said. “You rush in there, you’ll only make things worse.”
Jackknife threw off Diamondback’s hand. “I am not Sapphire,” he snarled. “I’m not Nova or Storm or any of those cowardly toads. I won’t leave my friends hanging!”
He rushed up the mountain, eluding the others' attempts to grab him.
“Jack!” Spike pleaded, but the sea serpent was set on his goal. Spike cursed and followed him, pursued by the others.
As they made it to the top of the mountain - with the ship hovering just below them - Jackknife took a deep breath.
“Jackknife, please think!” Diamondback pleaded.
But Jackknife didn’t even look back, and with a roar, he leaped off the mountainside, plummeting towards the deck before landing on two Yetis with a wet SPLASH!
“COME ON, YOU MISERABLE BAGS OF FUR!” Jackknife roared, pummeling the first Yetis to run his way.
Spike didn’t even think: as one Yeti rose up with one of the ominous orbs Night had talked about, he launched himself off the mountain, drop kicking said Yeti away and spewing fire at any Yetis who similarly tried to sneak up on Jack.
Seconds later, Swift made a strafing run, catching several Yetis and tangling them up in the rigging. Diamondback and Blaze landed shortly as well, both looking incredibly reluctant, but blasting fire and kicking away Yetis all the same.
For a time, the five actually did rather well; the Yetis scattered, either leaping over the side of the ship with their fur on fire, or laying unconscious in a pile of beaten bodies. Spike dared to think they could actually take the ship.
But then the door burst open, and Night came out. At first, Spike dared to hope that she was making a grand entrance to clear away the last of the Yetis.
But then Night crumbled in a defeated heap before them, and Spike realized the truth: she hadn’t come out of her own free will. She had been thrown.
The victor of her fight stepped out, and Spike had to blink twice to comprehend what he was seeing: it was a pony.
A unicorn, more specifically. Though it was hard to tell, considering her horn was broken. A jagged, sparking mess of a horn dominated her forehead, and her dark red fur was covered up by black armor.
Jackknife beat his chest and rushed at her with a roar, but the unicorn merely smirked. Ducking under his punch, she uppercut him into the air, catching his tail before gravity could catch him, and slamming him right on top of Night.
“OW! Geez, lady!” Night groaned. “You already broke one of my ribs!”
“And you’ve already invaded my master’s ship,” the unicorn replied in a cold tone before turning her ice blue eyes to the others. “You all are going to see what happens when you provoke the wrath of the Storm King.”
Jackknife tried to force himself up, while Diamondback managed a grin.
“You honestly think you stand a chance against four dragons, darling?” Diamondback mused.
“She’s right,” Spike said, before gathering his flames. “This is over.”
“No,” the unicorn replied, her grin not fading. “Now it’s fun.”
Night giggled. “Y’know, I’d like her if she didn’t kick the crud out of me.”
Spike glared at Night before unleashing a torrent of flames.
The unicorn, however, front flipped over his barrage, Swift’s intervention keeping him from getting his head kicked below deck.
The unicorn was worse than wind, ducking in and out of Diamondback and Blaze’s punches. And every time she answered back, the unicorn’s kicks were worse than an angry mule’s. Swift’s fast flying was the only thing keeping them from joining Jack and Night on the ground.
Except… wait. Spike noticed with relief that Night and Jackknife were already picking themselves up. If they could just join this fight: surround and pin down this slippery fighter…
“What’s a unicorn doing here?” Spike demanded as he avoided another swipe. “Who are you? And what do you get out of working with the Storm King?”
The unicorn regarded him with a cold look; one that Blaze capitalized on, allowing her to kick the unicorn into the mast. The unicorn’s glare didn’t falter, even as the dragons closed ranks around her,
“My name is Tempest Shadow,” the unicorn replied. “And if you haven’t noticed what I ‘get’ out of working with the Storm King… let me make it a little clearer.”
The jagged stump of a horn on her head sizzled and popped with light. Blaze gasped.
“Everyone back!”
“GET DOWN!” Night screamed.
But it was too late: with a scream, the unicorn unleashed a shockwave of pure, destructive magic.
The next thing Spike knew, he had skidded halfway across the ship, and hit his head on one of the crates containing the orb. Through fuzzy vision, he saw one of the orbs slip out of the crate and fall right onto his chest.
The orb shattered, and obsidian began to creep across his body. Freezing his limbs down and encasing him in a skin-tight cage.
“I… don’t get it,” Night’s voice mumbled, getting through to Spike’s panicked brain. “The Storm King gave you power?”
“He taught me how to harness my power,” Tempest’s voice replied. Spike just managed to focus on her eyes as she glared his way. “And once he has what he wants, he’ll restore my horn.”
She strode into Spike’s narrowing field of view and pointed around at his friends, all of whom had been knocked out by the blast.
“This,” she declared. “Will be nothing compared to what I can do.” A cold smile flitted across her snout. “Who knows? You might live long enough to see it.”
With that, the obsidian closed over Spike’s eyes, and he was plunged into darkness.
##
When Spike came to, he and the rest of his fellow dragons were still encased in obsidian. But their surroundings had changed.
They seemed to be inside the ship now, in front of some kind of throne room. A Yeti - thinner than the ones they had met, but also bigger in height - lounged on the throne, regarding the dragons with a curious air.
His focus, however, seemed to remain on Jackknife, who struggled and fought against his bindings.
“Oh yes, keep struggling,” the big Yeti goaded. “I’m curious to know just how effective my obsidian orbs are gonna be.” He paused. “Obsidian orbs? Should I call them that? I need to workshop it…”
“Can we assume you’re the Storm King?” Spike asked.
The Yeti glanced up at Spike with an appraising look. “Oh, you’re a smart one, aren’t ya?” he noted, before standing and posing dramatically. “Indeed. I am the Storm King. Bask in my radiance!”
Diamondback scoffed while Jackknife spat. Night, however, called out. “Take off your armor; it’ll be easier to bask that way.”
“Night!” Spike protested.
“Oh, right, sorry, Spike,” Night apologized. “I forgot you’re too young for that kind of stuff.”
“Surprising,” Spike deadpanned. “Considering you never shut up about it.”
“Speaking of shutting up,” the Storm King noted. “Tempest.”
Tempest came out of the shadows, her glare silencing Night and Spike better than any shout or order.
“That’s better. Now then…” the Storm King strode up to Jackknife. “I think I recognize you, snake boy. Aren’t you one of the Sea Snakes who stole my hippogriff slaves?”
Jackknife snapped at him, but the Storm King was wisely out of reach. “My father gave his life to stop you!”
“And how’d that turn out for him?” the Storm King asked with a knowing grin. “Your kind still look back on saving the hippogriffs with fondness? Can you still say it was a good idea?”
Jackknife tried to glare at him, but even Spike could see the doubt in his eyes.
“N-No one deserves to be enslaved!” Spike cried out.
“Not even if they try it first?” the Storm King asked, turning and walking over to Spike. “We tried to live in equality with the hippogriffs, you know? Yeti and hippogriff together, working as one towards a ‘better goal?’” The Storm King scoffed. “A ‘better goal?’ Right. Because we were apparently ‘stronger,’ we were trusted to handle all the tough work, while the hippogriffs got to laze around and order us about.”
“I highly doubt that,” Diamondback snorted.
“Tempest has told me how ponies keep dragons as pets,” the Storm King replied. “And is it really that surprising? The weak will always try to find ways to use the strong. That’s their power: they can’t use brawn, so they gotta use brains. Find ways to exploit the strong, and make them do all the things the smart can’t.”
Spike shook his head, wanting to argue. “It’s not about exploitation or manipulation,” he insisted. “Dragons and ponies can be friends…”
“Only if they can be controlled,” the Storm King replied. “Like you, I guess; since you clearly swallowed their propaganda. Probably like the Sea Snakes; or should I call them the Sea Scarves. Is that what the hippogriffs are using them for now?”
He grinned at the look of doubt and fury mixed on Jackknife’s face. Spike noticed Tempest glancing over to the side, as if curious in something.
“Where have they gotten to, by the way?” the Storm King asked, crossing back over to Jackknife. “I personally wouldn’t mind a little reunion. See how far we’ve all come since we last crossed paths.” He made Jackknife look at him. “Do you really think they’re worth protecting?”
Jackknife’s fury was fully fading into doubt. “I…”
“I mean,” the Storm King shrugged. “Where are they now? Cowering in some hole, while you do their dirty work? Again?”
“Jackknife, he’s toying with you!” Spike cried out.
“Don’t listen…!” Blaze tried to agree, only for Tempest to kick Blaze in the teeth.
“Blaze!” Jackknife barked, only for the Storm King to wrench his head back to focus on him.
“Why let your friends get hurt for someone that doesn’t care,” he said. “I broke free of their shackles, why can’t you?” He grinned. “Tell me where they’re hiding. I think you’ll like what I got planned for them.”
Spike couldn’t speak with Tempest marching around them, but he gazed at Jackknife, hoping the sea serpent could see him out of the corner of his eyes. Pleading with all his being, don’t listen. Please, Jack; you’re better than this! Don’t listen!
Jackknife took a low, shuddering breath. And then…
“You’ll have to kill me,” he replied. “Cuz I ain’t giving them up.”
The Storm King frowned. “That’s disappointing.” He glared at Spike. “Or maybe… you just need the shackles from another master race removed.” He turned to one of his Yeti guards. “Set a course for Equestria.”
“NO!” Spike yelped, but his bindings were still too strong, and the Storm King merely grinned at his outburst in triumph.
“Let’s see if these guys still want to resist me when I steal the magic of their masters.”
“We are no one’s servants, sir!” Diamondback snapped.
“Sure,” the Storm King replied. “At least… you will be.”
Night deadpanned at him. “You’re not fooling anybody with that sympathetic angle, buster. We know you want us to be your servants.”
The Storm King shrugged. “Eh, it was worth a shot,” he replied, before waving his arm. “Take em away.”
The guards moved forward, lifting the dragons up and carrying them out of the throne room and down a long corridor to what was probably the dungeons.
Despite the predicament, Spike gave Jackknife an appraising look. “That was really brave, what you did, man.”
Jackknife didn’t look at him, still struggling in his binds. “Yeah-yeah, I’m a sap and an idiot. Let’s talk about this after we get free.”
“I think you mean ‘if’ we get free,” Blaze muttered, straining against her bonds. “These obsidian things are too strong.”
“Can you not?” Night demanded. “You’re terrifying Swift.”
Indeed, Swift had not said a word. When they looked over, he was staring ahead in complete fear.
Or… was he?
Just as Spike followed his gaze, a flash of yellow, pink and green struck.
The guards hit the ground, unconscious, as Sky Star, Storm and a third young hippogriff started chipping away at the dragon’s bindings.
“Storm?” Jackknife stammered. “You… came for us?”
Storm hugged Jack. “No one gets left behind,” he said.
“You helped us, now it’s time to repay the favor,” Sky Star agreed.
They started to head towards the exit, but Spike stopped them.
“Wait,” he said. “This ship is going for Equestria. If we try to leave now, it’ll just give them free reign to attack.”
Storm gasped, before nodding. “You’re right,” he said. “We need to take out it’s engines.”
“I saw a map of the place,” the pink hippogriff noted, pulling up a hastily drawn map. “I can get us there.”
“Alright,” Jackknife said, turning to the others. “You guys get outta here. I got ya into this mess, so now I’ll get ya out.”
Night chuckled. “Dude, just because you were the Element of Loyalty doesn’t mean you get to hog all the ‘stand by me’ moments.”
“Indeed,” Diamondback said, standing proudly alongside him. “We do this together.”
Swift stepped up. “As friends.”
“As family,” Storm said, clutching Jackknife and Night’s arms.
Jackknife gazed at him and the others with gratitude. His smile would’ve lit up the dark side of the moon.
“Alright,” Jackknife said, turning for the engine room. “Let’s bust this ship.”
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Excellent work on the exchanges, characterizations, action and climax set-up in all the right places. REALLY liked the fight the Drake Six put up against the Storm King's army, up to and including their bouts with Tempest. Jackknife refusing to give the Storm King the information even with his issues concerning the hippogriffs was another wonderful touch. Also appreciated both the recon AND the encounter with the Storm King. DEFINITELY loved Sky Star and her family helping out the Drake Six.
Definitely looking forward to the next chapter And the Storm King and Tempest's first defeat.
11651540
Really happy you enjoyed.
Looking forward to showing how the Drake Six stop the Storm King and Tempest. Still figuring out how to balance it so that the King and Tempest get thrashed, but can still come back later for the events of the movie, but also having fun with it.
Thanks as always for reading and sharing your feedback. 👍
11651544
You're very welcome. Of course, after the adventure is over, the Drake Six can still tell the Princesses and the Mane Six about the Storm King and Tempest so that, at the very least, they AREN'T caught COMPLETELY off-guard by Tempest and the Storm King's army when they strike. I mean, yeah, they would likely still lose at first (especially since the Storm King's officers would be smart enough to factor in the Drake Six by then and have weapons capable of exploiting their most logical weaknesses) but putting up a SLIGHTLY better fight from being more prepared.
Or, alternatively, Storm King and Tempest could strike a year or so early, at the Crystal Empire during Flurry Heart's birth (since all four adult alicorns WOULD be in one place at the same time and they would also have a fifth alicorn there that they could also capture and drain, which would make it a more logical target for the Storm King and Tempest).
The movie, instead, is a loose adaptation of the "Reflections" arc from the IDW comics (since it would be just after the return of the Pillars and Starswirl might be interested in renewing his research concerning other universes).
But, yeah, the first is probably a lot closer to your plans.
11651583
Agreed. 👍
11651544
Two words: Team Rocket
11651972
You mean, the dragons and hippogriffs hit them hard enough to send them flying off into the distance with them vowing to be back, right?
11652250
11651972
Nice idea. 👍
Not sure if it'll fully work with the tone I've got set, but I'll experiment with it a bit over the week, and see how it looks before publishing.
Thanks as always for your input, guys.
11652250
11652268
Well the ship could explode, sending the Storm King and Tempest Shadow away.
11652318
11652250
True. Tempest never struck me as a Jesse of Team Rocket, though.
Though, then again, that could make it funnier.
We'll see.
In the meantime, thanks again for sharing.
👍
11652329
You're welcome
11652318
Yeah. I could see the Drake Six and the Hippogriffs trashing the Storm King's ship and setting the crew at least temporarily on the run, anyway.
11652329
True. Nor Storm King as a James (though Grubber would make a great Meowth [:-D]). Storm King strikes me as closer to Emperor Palpatine with a bit more of a sick sense of humor. Similarly, Tempest being closer to Darth Vader than Jesse.
11652366
Agreed on both counts.