Life isn’t done with you

by Kibat Grenbuku

Chapter 8: An Adventure Already?! (Part 6: Revelations.)

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

—Hebrews 13:16

---

Tempest breached the water's surface and fixed herself to a nearby crate as she struggled to clear the water from her orifices. Hacking out salt water from her lungs and throat left burning sores that dotted her inner esophagus. As the last of the water left her, she wheezed with painful, hoarse groans as she struggled to ascertain her whereabouts. The ocean surrounding her hung heavy with mist, blocking her view of the two airships above, yet the explosions that rang out clearly indicated the state of her airship. The booms soon became muted as her flagship no doubt began to drift to a watery grave.

She had harpooned her ship to the pirate's own vessel, if they didn't manage to cut the line in time, then she doubted there would be any survivors.

Tempest cast her gaze across the horizon, hoping to spot land or anything of note, but the mist obscured all.

She had lost it all. Her ship, her troops, her chase. There was no possible way she could cover the vast distance of sea in the desperate hope of finding her alicorn prizes, and with the princess abandoning ship before she could get a hint as to her next destination, Tempest was at a roadblock. The Storm King would arrive later that very day, and if he were to find out she was still without a fourth alicorn, after 'generously' allowing three extra days, well, her horn wouldn't be the only thing that was broken.

Luckily, Tempest had an ace, a chance to save her skin, Plan B, one final lead. To say she was reluctant to follow through with the plan was an understatement for multiple reasons, but what choice did she have? If either alicorn had simply decided to come quietly, none of this would have been necessary. The blame was on them... but what was to come would surely be on her hooves... and she couldn't deny that.

Tempest's horn stump flared with all her magic and within a flash, she teleported away, reluctant to follow Plan B, but desperate enough to forgo her concerns with it.

---

They made it. They had actually, finally made it. Twilight almost couldn't believe it. After everything they have endured, from Canterlot's invasion to the daring escape within the train, from their treacherous trek across the desert to their desperate flee from the city, followed by their miraculous survival free falling a thousand meters in the air, they were finally before the gates of the hippogriff's home. After almost three days of nearly nonstop danger and peril, their journey's end was right before them. They all made it... well, most of them anyway.

Casting her eyes to the skies above, the rumbling seas of storm clouds blotted the heavens along with the ship they had ejected from, leaving Psalms, Thomas, and Sunset behind. Many questions lingered on her mind regarding the fiery alicorn. Why did they stay behind? What was happening up there? Were they ok? ...Was he ok? ...Why was she worried about him the most?

These questions were only the tip of the iceberg when it came to everything else that was leaving Twilight a barely functioning wreck. Why was Tempest doing all this? Why was she invading now? What did they want with her magic? Why had they never heard of this Storm King before? Were the princesses ok!? How was she going to free them!? Why didn't she think to get the Elements!? How was she supposed to stop an entire army!? What if the hippogriffs couldn't help!? How were they going to get back home!? What was she going to do!?

"TWILIGHT!" The shout elicited a startled whinny from the Princess as she turned to see a rainbow blur careen straight into her side. Before she knew it, Twilight was dangling from Rainbow's front limbs as the Wonderbolt pitched themselves into the air just as a flaming ball of fire hurtled straight into Mount Aris, narrowly avoiding the Hippogriff statues. A shockwave resounded as the airship impacted the stone, scraping against the mountain's side, spilling debris and flames all around. The screech of metal echoed and ever so slowly, the ship crawled to a full stop. Its airbag slowly began to deflate, covering the pillaring smoke that ascended.

There the remains of Tempest's ship were settled to rest, its last voyage ending with a bang.

"Twilight! Oh Celestia, Twilight, are you both alright!?" Rarity exclaimed as she and the others left the edge of the stairs where they had taken shelter.

Rainbow released Twilight as they touched down. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be a princess pancake right now. What gives?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you until the last second." Her statement earned the worried looks of her friends.

"Twi, we were hollering yer name for a good minute before Dash had to physically move ya." Applejack fixed her with a concerned frown. "What's going on?"

Twilight reflected her eyes across the others before releasing a heavy sigh. "It's...it's nothing girls. The stress of it all, the lack of sleep, it's just getting to me. I'll be fine, I promise."

The others made to express their concerns further, but all attention shifted to the burning wreck as a magical blast resounded from the interior.

A beam of crimson exploded out of the side of the ship and the screams of a familiar stallion echoed from within. A few more beams tore at the wooden hull before it exploded outward as Thomas's figure crashed right through with licking flames flaring upon the sleeves of his raincoat. On his back, the dazed form of Psalms was harshly ejected as they cleared away from the burning wreck. Thomas, screaming all the while, stopped dropped, and rolled, smothering the fire, but he didn't stop there as he grabbed a mouthful of his apparel and began tearing it piece by piece, grinding the burnt bits and fragments into the dirt with ever-increasing vigor.

Psalms, having recovered, continued to lie on the ground as he and the others remained fixated on Thomas's erratic behavior. Soon enough, Thomas switched targets from his torn coat to the burning wreck as he unleashed mega beam after mega beam into the ship, propelling melted slag and splinters in every direction while he roared away. "NO MORE! NO MORE! NO MORE!"

One more beam and silence descended upon the area. All were stunned as choked sobs and fresh tears spilled down Thomas's shivering frame. His eyes were glazed over as he reflected upon them "...No more flames... please... no more fire... I-I can't go back... don't... DON'T TAKE ME BACK!" To the horror of the others, save Spike what with Rarity covering his eyes, Thomas's sharp wing talons flexed inward and gouged themselves deep into his shoulders before pulling down and out, spilling a small stream of blood from each wound. "Take it! It's all I have to offer, just take it! Don't send me back!" He finally collapsed as more choking sobs left him hyperventilating.

What have I done? The thought ran rampant throughout Psalms' mind. What have I done?

Before anyone could move a muscle, a yellow and pink blur was upon him in a flash, cradling the broken alicorn within her lap as she whispered sweet reassurances before quietly switching to a harmonic hum, soothing the former human into a quiet babble. Extending her wings, she wrapped the both of them into a feathery cocoon, providing much-needed privacy.

The rest of the group remained stunned for a bit before Rainbow Dash broke the silence. "...What.... what just happened?"

"Somethin' we weren't meant to see." Applejack began, "I think by now we all knew somethin' was wrong with Thomas, if not then a hunch. Seems to me he's reached a breaking point." She seized her hat and reflected upon it with sorrowful eyes. "I reached a breaking point once myself many years back. Can't say I came anywhere close to what he just done, but it wasn't pretty neither."

"But... but why would he do that to himself?" Pinkie quietly voiced out, her jovial appearance having deflated significantly as well as her colors having become muted.

"Trauma affects ponies in many different ways, Pinkie. I...I can't begin to imagine what he's gone through to elicit that kind of reaction, but it's not our place to know. Not unless he wishes to share. For now, we can only give him and Fluttershy space." Rarity turned to Twilight, fixing her a small smile, "Well, at the very least we have finally arrived at our destination. I believe some quality respite is what we all need at the moment. Rainbow dear, can you perhaps notify the local ushers of our needs?" She shifted her gaze to the burning wreck. "Why they haven't seen to our needs yet, I haven't the faintest clue. Nopony could've missed that at their doorstep."

"I'll go take a look, be back in a sec." Rainbow settles herself into a take-off stance before sparing a glance at the crimson alicorn. With her unable to help him in any way, she dashes through the air and into the Hippogriff's home, her figure becoming obscured by the foggy mist within moments.

The clop of hooves resounded behind Psalms' prone figure as the voice of Twilight reached him. "I'm glad you both are ok. ...Mostly ok." Psalms remained quiet. "...That's Tempest ship, right? What happened up there? Where is Sunset?"

"...She's safe. We decided to help Celaeno's crew and we rescued the cat, Capper. We thought we could hold against Tempest, but she proved to be the superior foe. Collateral damage ensued... she went overboard. Managed to whisk Sunset to safety but..." his gaze shifted over to Fluttershy and Thomas, "...we had to endure the fall... I forced Thomas to endure everything. He never would have agreed to the plan but I forced him into it without his consideration... he's almost died multiple times now.... and it's all my fault..."

"Psalms! Twilight! Up here!" The voice that registered above caused all to reflect upon the sky as the Celaeno's colorful ship slowly descended. Off the port side, Sunset's head along with the crew and feline passenger were sticking out as they hollered. Clearing away to make space, the ship drifted to a halt along the stony steps. A ramp soon extended out and Sunset was quick to slam herself into Psalms' side as a few tears escaped her eyes.

The hug lasted only a few moments before she slugged his shoulder, albeit not as hard as Psalms would've expected. "I know you had a very good reason, but don't you ever pull a stunt like that again on me! I could've helped you both!"

Psalms fixed her a small smile. "I didn't want you in ha-"

"In harm's way, blah blah blah, you care about me, blah blah blah, you had no choice, blah blah blah! You oaf, I can take care of myself you know." Her anger simmered before a bashful smile reflected his way. "...But, thank you."

Sunset didn't hesitate on turning to Twilight and also hug her. "Glad to see everyone is ok... wait where's Thomas?" Both alicorns indicated Fluttershy's way.

The unicorn had to squint to make out the scene and as she turned to inquire, Psalms beat her to it. "He couldn't take the pressure of the last couple of days, and I don't blame him for it. I dragged him into all this, it's my fault his condition's gotten progressively worse."

Sunset reflected upon the first time she had met the two. "Yeah, he hasn't been all... there. Been like that since I first met you two. He has an extreme reaction to fire, enough so that even the name 'Fire Quill' agitated him..."

"It's not our place to dwell on such a topic, and I'm very sorry to say, but we don't have the time either." Twilight reflected upon the gates of the mountain. "At least we made it. With the Hippogriff's help, we can repulse this invasion. Things are looking up for once."

A hiss from Sunset earned the two's attention as she winced upon hearing Twilight's words. "Um, yeah about the Hippogriffs... I don't think we have the time to enlist their help."

Twilight blinked at her words, "What do you mean?"

"Back on Tempest's ship, she managed to knock me out of the fight. When I came to, I wasn't going to be of any help for Psalms or Thomas, so I decided to snoop around while everypony was distracted, and I extracted as much information as I could from Tempest's quarters." Sunset magicked over a pile of notes, scrolls, books, and one onyx journal. "It took a while, but I compiled and looked at everything and... I know the reason why. I know why she's invaded Equestria, why the Storm King is invested, why they need you so much."

"They have an artifact,-" from the pile, she fished out a scroll with a depiction of said artifact outlined from charcoal, "-the staff of Sacanas. Its power can siphon all magic from the most powerful of objects or beings, and harness it for itself and its user. Tempest has spent a lot of time theorizing if her notes are anything to go by, but she ultimately believes that with the harnessing of four alicorns, you princesses specifically, the power held within would restore her horn, the reason she's doing all this, to be made whole."

"That's why she's been chasing you all across the continent. You're the final piece for her Plan A. I've looked through all of her journal entries and it appears she was growing desperate when you fled Klugetown. She had no idea we were headed for Mount Aris as she was fooled by the cat to head East. If it weren't for the rainboom, she never would've found us." Sunset's face settles into a frown as she rubs a hoof against her face while heaving a sigh. "We tried looking for Tempest in the ocean, but she had teleported away before we got sight of her... I'm afraid she has no choice but to head back to Canterlot and with the Storm King coming soon... I fear she will be forced to follow through with Plan B."

"Which means..." The tone Sunset had left Twilight fearing the worse and her fears were confirmed a moment later.

"Tempest only needs one more alicorn, Twilight... there's only one left unaccounted for..."

Disbelief struck Psalms like a truck as the implication was made clear a second later. No... there's no way she'd consider... oh my God... I fucked up... I really, truly, royally, fucked up...

Fear struck deep within Twilight's heart, leaving her legs a shaking mess as her breaths became rapid and ever-increasing. "NO!" she screamed, "No she can't! She won't! I can't let her!" Her desperate pleading eyes reflected upon her shocked friends and the others around, "We need to go! We need to go now! She can't touch Flurry Heart! We have to stop her now!"

"No." Thomas's grave voice boomed out. He gently set Fluttershy aside as he clambered back to his feet. His eyes were bloodshot and the stains of tears were still present across his face. His face was drained of all emotion as he fixed Twilight, then Psalms, with a dead glare. "...I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore." He turned for the ramp, but not before Twilight cried out.

"No! Thomas, please! I need your he-"

"I said I'm done!" Thomas growled out, turning his head to face behind, a snarl fixed on his lips, leaving most ponies, Twilight included, taking a step back. His eyes shifted to Psalsm and he released a snort. "Ever since we left the farm we've been on the run from monsters and airships and evil crippled unicorns, leaving me a hairs width away from death all the while...you promised you'd look after me... instead you forced me into yet another life or death situation! You said everything would turn out just fine without your intervention, yet you still saw fit to interject yourself at every chance you could, and what a surprise it was for me when it inevitably left us burning up in goddamn flames!"

Shivers cascaded through his figure and just as Fluttershy attempted to brace herself by his side once more, he motioned her still with a wave of his hoof as he recovered with choking hiccups. "I can't go back... I refuse to go back... I won't be subject to such torture... not again. I will not let myself get killed because of this stupid adventure. I'm done." He turned once more onto the ramp, leaving Twilight a blubbering mess.

"N-no! Please, Thomas, stop!" Her legs failed to support her as she crashed into the ground as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I-I-I don't understand!? I need you! Flurry needs you! Please! Why are you doing this!?"

"Because if I die, I'm not going up there!" Thomas roared out.

Silence descended, leaving Psalms to finally scramble off the dirt as he took careful steps toward his brother. "...What do you mean?"

"..."

Psalms scrambled to be before Thomas, bringing the brothers face to face. Nothing but unbridled pain and fear was reflected in Thomas's features. "Thomas, talk to me, what do you mean!?"

Sobs threatened to run amock within Thomas. "...Psalms... I died... back on Earth. We both did... and... and I remember everything. I didn't ascend before a singing angel choir, I didn't rise to the pearly gates, I didn't see a bright shining light..." The look of pure unfiltered horror upon his brother's face would forever haunt Psalms. "...I was dragged into the ground... I swam only in darkness... I was greeted with the screeches of the eternally suffering... and mine joined them." His eyes glazed over. "...Fire...fire... forever burning in a lake of fire... choking on the stench of my own charred flesh... surrounded by the shrieking damned...all of us begging... begging... for a single drop of water..."

A few moments of peace passed before Thomas rigorously shook his head clear of the terrible memories, his demeanor calming as he turned to fix Twilight with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry Twilight... I-I really am... but I can't do this anymore... not for you, not for Flurry Heart, not for anyone. I-I need to head home." He once more turned his back to the mare.

"...Please..." Twilight dejectedly croaked out, "...She's just a child..."

Thomas's form paused immediately upon hearing her words. A small glimmer of hope swelled within Twilight.

"...Wha-... what did you say?" Thomas whispered as he turned to her, his expression of shock and disbelief.

"She's my niece, she's just a child. Her mother was turned to stone in Canterlot. She and her father, my brother Shining Armor, are both back in the Crystal Empire." Twilight heaves a shaky sigh before continuing. "All three were supposed to visit for the festival, but Flurry came down with the flu at the last moment, and Shining elected to stay behind." Twilight fixated on Thomas with pleading eyes, "Please, Shining won't know of the coming invasion until it's too late. They can't be allowed to get her."

Thomas's shocked expression remained plastered a moment more before he set his eyes to the side as a frown replaced his previous features. His teeth visibly began to ground against one another and his tail began whipping furiously around. Frustration coursed through every vein before he fixed Twilight with another snarl. "Listen and listen very closely. When you say 'child' you do mean the 'goo-goo gaga, I just shat my diaper' kind, and not the thirty-year-old living in mom's basement dwelling man-child kind, right?" Thomas seethed out, earning the confused faces of all save one.

"She's a child, Thomas." Psalms informs. "She's not even three." A subtle nod from Twilight affirms his information.

"Then you should have said that from the start instead of leaving us idling with our thumbs up our ass. There's no time to waste, we need to go now."

Thomas's three-sixty attitude flip left Twilight momentarily paused. "Yes, thank you, Thomas, thank you! We need to leave now, everypony else, please speak to the Hippogriffs and send help for Canterlot as soon as possible." Twilight was quick to usher herself onboard the ship, but was halted as Psalms hoof blocked her path.

"I'm sorry Twilight, but you have to stay here." He lifted his hoof as Twilight made to object. "I know, it's your niece, I understand, but certain events need to unfold if we are to ensure complete victory, and that means you need to stick with your friends. Thomas and I will go. It's my fault Flurry Heart is in danger, and I swear to my very core and to everything I cherish and value, that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe." Twilight's eyes beheld uncertainty, something Psalms aimed to amend. "Please, Twilight. You must stay with your friends. We cannot risk your capture with the Storm King."

"But if you both go, then it doesn't matter if he captures me or not, he only needs one of you!"

"Which is why we'll have to be extra careful, and besides, aside from looking the part, we don't exactly have any of the other qualities that you true alicorns have. I mean I can barely squeeze out a few shots outta this old ivory thing before I'm left breathless. I'm not sure there's any magic he can suck out of us to begin with." Psalms lifted his hoof before her. "Do you trust me?"

The two remained fixated on each other's gaze as doubt and fear ate away at Twilight's mind. For the longest time, the two remained in place, before a shaky breath was heaved by Twilight as the last of her tears fell away. She wiped her face with her hoof before joining hers to his as the smallest of smiles adorned her face. "...Yes... yes, I... I trust you, Psalms. I trust you both. Please, please protect her, and wait for us."

"You're not coming with me."

The two were left stunned by Thomas's words as they both oriented his way.

"What?" Psalms simply inquired.

"You. Are not. Coming. With me." Thomas articulated, "It's your fault that all of this transpired in the first place, and right now, I can't stand to see your hide a second more. So you're going to give me my space and that's final."

"Thomas," Psalms hesitantly prodded, "I understand and completely agree, this is my fault, but please think this through. You're going to go up against the invasion force alone, you barely have any magical prowess, you can't fly, and you don't even know where the Crystal Empire is or how to even get there. You have every right to hate my guts right now, but Flurry is in danger. We need to do this together."

"You've caused enough damage as is, Psalms and I'm sure I can ask for directions if I somehow can't figure out how to read a map. You sure as shit can't fly either and you have the prowess of a wet noodle so I don't know what the hell you're spouting out."

"Thomas, please, now isn't the time-"

"I'm the one who has been calling the shots in combat situations! Stay in your lane."

"Brute force and mega beams aren't going to be enough against an entire army, Thomas!"

"Of course not, what do you take me for, a shit-for-brains brawny brute? But hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

"Please, you two, stop fighting! We can figure this ou-"

"ENOUGH!" The boom of Sunset's shout silenced all. Sunset took a moment to gather her breath and composure. "I will go. I still have yet to have my heroic moment after all, and we're burning daylight squabbling over who's it or not. The Storm King arrives today, which means Tempest is pressed for time." Her gaze settled upon the pirates ship. "We won't make it to Canterlot in time to stop Tempest, not in that ship."

A snort leaves Thomas. "So, we won't make it to Canterlot to stop the invasion in time, which would mean we have even less of a chance of getting to this Crystal Empire and protecting Flurry." A heavy stomp onto the stony floor perfectly reflects Thomas's simmering frustration. "We just can't catch a fucking break!"

"...Actually, this time we can." A glimmer of hope enters Thomas's eyes. "But you aren't going to like it one bit." It was promptly snuffed out.

"Well, it's not like we got a lot of options at the moment, so despite how I may feel about it, lay it on me."

Sunset fixed him a sharp nod toward their lizardy companion. "Spike."

...
...
...

"...Spike?"

"Spike."

Thomas looked over Sunset's shoulder as the little dude surveyed around for who called his name. "...Spike?"

Sunset nodded. "Spike."

"Me?" the dragon asked, fixing a digit to himself.

"Yep. You."

"Buh?" Twilight intellectually inputted.

Psalms' eyes slit up with the realization. "Dragon Breath!"

Twilight's eyes were quick to be alarmed. "That will never work!" She declared, catching their attention, "There are magical fail-safes in place that ensure the accidental transportation of organic beings cannot occur. Teleportation for living beings via Dragon breath has not been thoroughly tested and the risks far outweigh the benefits."

"Maybe so, but it is the only option that can provide instantaneous transport straight to Canterlot in less than ten seconds, buying us all the time in the world to delay Tempest's attack before you can come in and finish the job. It's the only way Twilight." Sunset set her pleading eyes on her alicorn friend.

"You don't understand, even if I intended to go through with this, I would need to carefully deconstruct the heavily enchanted spell core piece by piece so as not to damage the spell's matrix as well as comb every angle to find the established nodes that prevent organic matter from being utilized by the spells core functions. Then I would have to establish strict parameters and ensure everything was synced together properly to prevent a catastrophic spell defusion. And that's not even mentioning the equipment and time it will take to make the spell compatible for instant travel." Twilight heaved a breath. "Simply put, it's impossible to send you two through." A thought wormed its way into Twilight's head, and from it, blossomed a plan, a very risky plan. "... At least... at least not as you are now... maybe there is still a way I can send you through, but..." Her face bore a worried frown.

"No buts, Twilight." Sunset was quick to dash the caution away. "If there's a way, then we need to use it. We don't have any other options."

"I know, I know, but... it's been so long since I did it, nearly two decades to be exact, and when it happened it wasn't exactly... voluntary...for anypony...a-and there is no guarantee that if I repeat the process, the results will turn out exactly like last time. The statistical probability is one in a-"

A pair of hooves settled upon her shoulders, one from Thomas and Sunset alike. Their reassuring smiles did wonders to calm her nerves.

"It's ok, Twilight," Sunset voiced out. "We have faith in you. That's enough for us."

Twilight shared a look between the two before hooking her hooves with theirs and bringing the two into a tight hug. "Thank you; from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I can never repay this debt. Please, be safe. I don't know what they'll do if they get their claws on you."

"It's alright, Twilight," Thomas reassured, "we can handle ourselves. And don't worry about my potential capture. If it means me over Flurry, then I'll take the fall anytime. No child deserves to have any harm done unto them. I promise to protect her."

Released from the hug, the two volunteers settled at the base of the ramp. All other souls gathered around as Twilight primed her magic, wishing luck and safe farewells.

"Ready when you are, Twilight," Sunset called out.

"Just... give me a moment, I've only turned ponies into inanimate objects once before, not of my volition mind you."

"Wait, she's turning us into objects?"

"Uh, yeah? Didn't you hear her say living things can't travel through dragon breath? What did you think she was going to do to us?"

"Pfft, how should I know? I'm an alien from another world for crying out loud! Give me some slack...so wait, dragons breath only works on inanimate objects?"

"Yep."

"So, we turn into objects, and then Spikes gonna, what, cough on us, or something? Burp out a bubble or something and poof, off we go?" A horrified look adorned Thomas's face. "He's not gonna eat us and throw us back up, is he!?"

"What? Ew, no, no, no, nothing disgusting or weird like that." Reassurance flooded through Thomas's figure.

Twilight's horn rippled with barely contained energy. "Ok, here goes nothing!"

"Spike's just going to use his fire breath to turn us into magical ash and reform us before Princess Celestia."

A toothy snarl was reflected Sunset's way. The smirk on her lips never relented as Thomas began to chew her out. "Oh, you conniving little horse bi-"

*Zap*

"Wow." Twilight reflected upon the two with surprise. "Exactly like Mom and Dad... Spike, quick, before the spell expires!"

With a heave of his breath, Spike summoned forth his inner rumbling depths, before spewing out green flames that engulfed the two former ponies. The magic worked as intended as their new forms collapsed into ash that was whisked away to a Celestial Princess in a capital far, far away. "Not exactly flowers, but I don't think the Princess will mind."

Psalms heaved a sigh as his brother's ashes disappeared in the wind. What a clusterfuck. way to go, me.

Hell. Thomas came from hell... the implications were... harrowing. Psalms shook his head. There's a time and place for everything, focus on the here and now.

"-ouldn't find anypony! The entire place is a ghost town." Rainbow vocalized aloud as she came for a landing before her group with Psalms catching the last of her statement.

Just as Psalms was about to immerse himself into the conversation, a talon found his shoulder at the last second. Turning he found Captain Celaeno and her crew crowding around his figure, varying displays of appreciation adorning their beaks. "Hey, you're that pony fella that risked yourself to save us from Tempest's wrath, right?"

Psalms nodded away, "Me, my brother Thomas, and a friend, Sunset. I'm Psalms, nice to meet you, Captain."

Celaeno accepted his hoof and the two shook with mutual respect. "Because of you three, my crew is safe, the ship is... relatively intact,-"

"And our booty be nice and secure, Yargh!" One of her mates called out, earning more 'yarghs' around.

Celaeno couldn't help but chuckle away, "Yes, our booty is secure because of you three... you ponies truly are something else, you know that? First, you help us get our mojo back, then you risk life and limb to save us, and last but not least, successfully defeated Tempest, all for a bunch of strangers." Celaeno fixed Psalms with an intrigued look. "Maybe there is something to this magic of friendship after all."

"Oh, you better believe it, sister," Capper announced as he jumped down from a boulder he had been using to relax upon. "In all my years within Klugetown, I have done many... eh, 'rambunctious' activities and jobs and other assorted opportunities to better finesse myself to a higher quality of life, so to speak, but..." His features withered ever so slightly as he continued. "...but, I cannot say in any uncertain terms that I have considered or gone through with the attempted sale of sapient goods before, at least not until now. ... I don't know why I ever considered doing such a... well, let's not sugar coat it, a horrible, irredeemable thing..."

His features brightened once more. "But, after groveling in the dirt, begging and pleading with the ones I wronged, doing exactly what Psalms said I should with all of my heart and soul, those ponies that I oh so wronged in the worst possible way..." A tear or two slid down his face, which he was quick to wipe away with his sleeve, leaving his eyes to linger on the button Rarity sewed previously. "They still saw good in me, even after what I did... these ponies, I tell you what, are no ordinary ponies or even ordinary creatures at that, but I am truly humbled and forever grateful, to call them my friends."

"Psalms!" Pinkie shouted out from beyond the gates. The figures of the others disappeared into the mist as they advanced. "Dashie heard singing in a spooky dark cave! We're going to investigate, you coming!?"

"You gals go on ahead, I'll be right behind you."

Pinkie nodded away before bouncing and giggling into the mist.

"Well," Psalms began, "I'm glad all of you are ok."

"Ok? We're better than okay. We're ready and willing to join your fight against the Storm King." Celaeno and her crew joined arms together as they hefted their scabbards and other assorted weapons into the air. Even Capper linked arms with the pirates. "It's the least we can do for all you've done. You have our word."

"Glad to have you and your crew aboard, Captain. You too Capper." Psalms shifted his view unto the cargo ship, eyeing the damage inflicted upon its hull. "Real glad to have your ship too. Should make travel to Canterlot that much faster and easier, but I think it needs some repairs."

"We're on it, you go join your friends, we'll have the ship ready for departure before you know it," Celaeno reassured.

"Thanks, best of luck to you!" Psalms shouted as he galloped after the rest of his group.

"And to you too!" He received in return.

Sprinting for Skystar's little hangout, Psalms ignored the dilapidated and overgrown ruins that adorned every direction. Spotting the open entrance, the sounds of the girl's voices echoed within. Reaching the opening, Psalms tucked himself into a ball and slid through the tight opening. As he crawled onward, the voices soon turned into screams as the sound of rushing water reverberated throughout the cavern halls. The cramped space finally opened into an ornate and extensively flooded atrium, where a vortex of water was being flushed down. Seeing the water quickly disappear, Psalms took one large gulp of air and plunged himself down the spout.

---

Many miles away, centered within the throne room of Canterlot, the petrified figure of Celestia along with her sister Luna and niece Cadence, were arranged within the pictogram etched into the marble flooring, its size and shape perfectly suited for the rune Tempest procured along with the staff for the successful transfer of power. The throneroom was quiet, empty, barring the three trapped souls.

*Pop*

Correction, barring the five trapped souls.

Plopped right before Celestia's stony hooves, two familiar potted plants magicked into existence via Spike's Dragon Breath. Celestia's frozen pose provided the perfect view to examine the plants in detail. One tall prickly cactus with a cute little flower adorning its head, and a common household dracaena, exactly as she remembered all those years ago. There the two plants were deposited and peace reigned for but a few seconds before Twilight's magic expired, plunging the room in a bright flare.

Celestia mildly expected to see the familiar forms of Velvet and Night Light, for whatever reason, but instead, to her surprise, she was greeted with the familiar face of her reconciled former student, Sunset Shimmer, and a crimson unicorn, no wait, a crimson pegas-, no, neither yet both... a stallion... alicorn? Her thoughts were short-lived as said stallion erupted into speech upon immediately transforming, his booming voice having drowned out her inner thoughts.

"-tch! You fucking swindling yellow-bellied rainbow shitter! You knew fire was involved, didn't you!?"

"Of course I did," Sunset nonchalantly replied as she dusted herself off. "And if anypony had told you about it then you wouldn't have volunteered to come, now would you?"

Thomas lifted his hoof to protest further, but her words struck true and he relented with a huff. "...No, no I would have gone insane again. You better believe I'm pissed as all hell, but I understand completely." Thomas clambered back onto his feet. "I'll get over it, in time." Thomas swiveled his head around, taking in the immense expanse of the throne room. "So, this is the Canterlot throneroom, I presume?"

His question goes ignored as Sunset straddles up to his side, her eyes fixed solely on Celestia alone. Thomas examines her before orienting himself before the Sun Princess, leaving all three ponies a moment to reflect upon one another.

"It's good to see you again, Celestia... I just wish it was under better circumstances." A sentiment Celestia deeply agreed with.

Thomas shifted his gaze between the two multiple times before coughing into his hoof. "I, uh, don't mean to ki- er, crash the mood... but um, these petra-nades... they don't, uh, kill their targets, right?" A question we all should've been asking much earlier.

Sunset shook her head. "They work similarly to a cockatrice's stare. The victim remains within suspended animation until released."

"And uh, how exactly do we break them out?"

A soft sigh exited her lungs. "...I don't know. Tempest didn't mention anything in her notes."

As Sunset answered his questions, Thomas took the liberty to survey the other two alicorns present. They may be fixed within their stony prisons, but Thomas couldn't help but feel their eyes crawling all over his form, leaving a shiver that wriggled down his spine, leaving his wings to involuntarily fluster themselves against his side. The chill rebounded down his spine once more.

Looping back around to Sunset's side, he rejoined the examination of Celestia. "...So, this is Celestia. She's the one that controls the Sun." Thomas reflected over his shoulder, back to the others. "And I'm assuming the one with the moon on her bu-, her flank, is Luna?" At Sunset's confirmation, he repositioned himself before Cadence. "Which leaves you...Cadence... Flurry's mother."

The faintest touch of something deep within Thomas's soul was felt, a tug at the heart one could say when he mentioned Flurry's name. Thomas cuffed a hoof at the spot of contact before gazing deep into Cadence's eyes, his expression hard and sturdy. "...Don't worry, I promised Twilight I'd protect her from harm, and I promise you as well. Nothing will befall your daughter, or your husband, nor your kingdom and subjects. You have my word." He felt another tug before it was washed away in soothing warmth.

"Underneath all that gruff macho bravado, you're just a giant teddy bear, aren'tcha?"

Thomas simply shrugged his shoulders. "I got a heart just like everyone else, Sunset, and nothing tugs at it more than the thought of innocent children or animals facing harm from the evils of the world." Thoughts of a child within a quarry with a boulder looming overhead cascaded through his mind. "...There's nothing I could do for them back in my world, but here? Now? We're all that stands between the two, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me neither." Sunset steps to his side, fixing him with a proud smile. "So, what's the plan, oh great general, or was charging blindly into the heart of the enemy it?"

"Right, the plan. Normally I wouldn't charge head-first into a suicidal mission without at least considering the options, but who knows when Tempest will reach here if she hasn't already." Thomas trotted to the stained glass, getting a view of the storm-covered city. "First and foremost, we need to stop Tempest from gathering her forces and heading straight for the Crystal Empire. The problem is, we have no idea if she somehow beat us to the punch or not. I highly, highly, doubt she has, but regardless, we need to keep them here in Canterlot. They're looking for an alicorn, so we'll just have to shine the spotlights on one."

"But," Sunest began as she joined his side "that's assuming Tempest is already here, right?"

"Right. If she hasn't arrived yet, then there's no need to blow our cover. If I remember my history correctly, the element of surprise was almost always the key deciding factor in ancient human battles. The first priority is recon. We need to scope out the local forces, get a rough estimate of their strength and size, find the head of Canterlot's security, and keep an eye out for Tempest."

Sunset frowned as she eyed the sheer size of the city before her. "That's a lot of ground to cover with just the two of us. There's no way we're going to find Tempest through all that."

"We'll know when she gets here. She'll be in a mad scramble to scrounge up whatever she can and head straight for the Empire without delay. It'll be a madhouse of activity when that happens."

A light bulb lit within Sunset's mind. "Then we'll let her do just that." Seeing the puzzled look on Thomas, Sunset explained further, "Canterlot is huge, so it's safe to say it took a really big army to conquer it. There's no possible way we can tackle them all by ourselves and buy the others time to get back; but, if we are correct about Tempest's desperation, then she won't hesitate to cram everything into her fleet and leave a token force behind!"

Thomas nodded along as she finished and was quick to offer his own thoughts. "And hopefully by then, we will have conducted enough recon to locate the imprisoned Canterlot guards, free them and the others, and we'll have a fighting force on our hands, but, how are we going to get Tempest's attention when she races off for the Empire?"

"We'll have to find one of the beasts in charge. They carry with them a blue scrying potion that allows communication with its superiors, I.E Tempest. Plaster your face through the call, and that should be enough to turn her boats around."

Thomas hooked a leg around Sunset's shoulders as a devilish smirk adorned his lips. "Ha-ha, look at us, two guerrilla commanders scheming our enemy's downfall right at the heart of their invasion. They won't know what'll hit 'em."

Thomas's leg retracted as he climbed the staircase to the royal balcony. "You know, the way you're acting right now is a complete far cry from back at Mount Aris," Sunset stated.

"What can I say? I am so over all this bullshit, and if planning a little guerilla op is what it takes to finally end this, then who says I can't have a little fun while doing so?"

Comments

[Cyana Flame]

[Swordfighter125]

Eyy, another chapter in a few days only.

[King98]

Nice chapter