Bulletproof Mirage

by PaulAsaran

Confrontation

The sun hadn’t quite touched the horizon when the town of Little Longhorn became more than an indecipherable dot in the distance. It stood out in a world of green, surrounded by fields of crops. Mirage could see it was a tiny place, perhaps with no more than a hundred or so inhabitants. A sleepy farming community, about as backwater as backwater could be. So this was the place that this world’s Sunset was born in? A far cry from her own origins.

The town was important, but not so much as the other airship that circled above it. Bosun Berry stood at her side, legs braced and eyeing the ship through a telescope. “Can’t make out much,” she declared over the wind, which was much stronger than it had been the day before. “It looks like the Dancing Bunting. Fast boat, smaller than ours. She runs, we won’t catch her.”

“I’m pretty sure I could,” Mirage replied, flexing her wings in preparation for the flight that was sure to come. She closed them quick when the wind tried to tug on them.

Rarity, standing anxiously near the cabin door with a hand on her hat, called out, “Is there any sign that they landed?”

Bosun promptly aimed her scope to the ground. Seconds passed as she scanned in silence, expression grim. “Couldn’t say. Might have, might not.”

Take the ship directly or check on the town? Mirage figured taking out the ship should be the first priority, but she hesitated. Too many times had she taken the ‘obvious’ way through her problems, and too many times that resulted in disaster. Now was not the time to be reckless. She walked to Rarity so that she wouldn’t have to shout over the wind and asked, “How do you want to do this?”

Rarity led her into the cabin, joining Captain Birchleaf. Once they were safely inside – emphasis on ‘safe’ in Rarity’s case – the unicorn answered, “I think we should split up.”

Oh, no. If there was anything Mirage didn’t want to hear, it was that. “You trust me to be on my own.”

“I trust you, period.” Rarity offered a brief but encouraging smile. “You can handle this, Sunset.”

Could she? Sure, if this was GGO, she would have no trouble handling the whole situation. But here? Mirage licked her lips, recalling all the times since arriving that she had not, in fact, ‘handled it’. But it was hard to refuse Rarity right now, and she did want to try and prove to herself that she could be better. She wasn't going to be in a game forever once she returned home, after all. “Fine, but how? One of us hit the ship and the other the town?”

“That’s the idea.” Rarity started checking her guns, ensuring they were loaded and in working order. Mirage lamented that she didn’t have to do any such thing with her own weapons. “We can’t ignore the ship, Sunset might already be onboard. But if Autumn is on the ground already, the priority would be getting to Sunset before she does.”

Mirage turned to glare out the window. They were coming up on the town quickly. Another ten minutes at most and it would be go time. Yet she couldn’t work up any excitement at the prospect. “In that case, I’m checking the town.”

Rarity froze, Silver Lining halfway in its holster. She might have paled just a little. “What? No, that’s absurd. At least you have wings.”

Mirage didn’t stop staring at Little Longhorn. Better than looking at Rarity. Better than the ship, for certain. “The last time I went to investigate an airship, I shot it down.” She tried hard not to recall all the bodies. “Sunset might be on it. I can’t take that risk.”

“Sunset... Mirage. I’m sure you can—”

“Please, Rarity.” Mirage wrapped her wings around herself, trying to stop the shivers. Sure, that one time they had been only bad guys. No... they weren't. They were just ponies doing their jobs. What if the other Sunset was inside? Or townspeople? Could she risk it? “Don’t.”

A few tense heartbeats passed. Mirage silently begged the mare not to press the issue.

“Alright.” Rarity heaved a sigh. “It’s not ideal, but we’ll have to make do. I’ll get onboard the ship and try to find Autumn, while you head to the town to protect Sunset.”

Captain Birchleaf, settled as usual in his captain’s chair, finally deigned to speak up. “Assuming the Dancing Bunting doesn’t try to flee, the Highwind can get up alongside her for boarding. This ain’t some warship though, so don’t expect us to be able to help beyond that.”

“No.” Rarity turned to him, once more the professional giving out orders. It reminded her in some ways of her own Rarity, and was no less impressive for it. Perhaps it was just a ‘Rarity’ thing. “I don’t want the Highwind anywhere near the fighting. You’ve done more than enough. Just place the Dancing Bunting between us and the town. Mirage can drop me off then continue with her part.”

“I can?” Mirage was about to object to this idea. Then she remembered when the two of them had their little fight. She had picked Rarity off the ground then, hadn’t she? “Huh. I guess I can.” She wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to carry Rarity like that, and she was smart enough not to inquire about such things as weight. Another look at the closing distance between the two airships gave her a boost of confidence. It didn’t look all that far, and Rarity was a pretty small pony compared to her.

Captain Birchleaf frowned, eyeing Mirage as though having doubts of his own. “If you’re sure. We’ll hover nearby though, just in case.”

“Please do,” Rarity declared in a tone that rejected the idea of a suggestion. “You still have our lizards in your hold.”

“Quite right,” the captain agreed with a chuckle. He began to turn the wheel and adjust some levers. “Coming about. We should be lined up in just a few minutes.”

Rarity was already out the door. Mirage, caught off guard by her companion’s swiftness, hurried to catch up. She was surprised to find Rarity standing not near the cabin or clinging to the stairs, but standing in the open and facing the side of the ship. There was not a tremble in her small frame as her tail and mane lashed in the strong winds. Where had that little unicorn so afraid of heights gone?

Mirage watched in quiet awe, taking in the confidence and focus presented before her. As she did, she recalled the fight against the chancellor’s ponies. All the stories she’d overheard before she met this mare. And, yet again, the fight. Their fight. A mare, a mere mortal unicorn, going up against an alicorn without fear, without hesitation, and holding her own against all odds.

She wasn’t seeing Rarity Belle right now. This was the Bulletproof Heart.

The Dancing Bunting flew only a few thousand yards away. Rarity’s eyes, narrow and sharp and promising pain, never left it. “Let’s get this done.”

In spite of the beautiful show of certainty before her, Mirage couldn’t help but ask. “Are you sure? I know how you feel about flying.”

Rarity snapped her fingers and pointed at the deck. The message couldn’t be more clear. Chuckling under her breath, Mirage took a moment to call up her HUD and go through her inventory. A few seconds passed as she sorted and itemized, and then a satchel appeared in her hands. She stepped up to Rarity and offered it to her, earning a questioning look. “Some potions. Just in case.”

Rarity accepted them without preamble. As she slung the satchel over her shoulder, she asked, “How many of those things do you have?”

“You can be amazed how quickly they accumulate,” she replied, knowing her stock wouldn’t be depleted anytime soon. Mirage stood behind the unicorn, carefully wrapping her hands around Rarity’s waist. Her wings extended, their great size forcing her to fight against the buffeting winds. For all her silence, Rarity couldn’t hide the way she stiffened at the stumble.

Trying not to smile too much, Mirage leaned forward to whisper in Rarity’s ear. “Just in case things go south, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“I appreciate the appreciation,” Rarity hissed back, “but that is less than encouraging. Please, get me over there before I lose my rapidly dwindling nerve.”

“As you wish, princess.” Using her magic to press Rarity tightly against her, Mirage bent at the knees. “Hold on.” A hop, a skip, and a jump found them in the open skies, and Rarity’s hands promptly latched on to Mirage’s arms as though her life depended on their grip.

To her credit, she didn’t scream. That didn’t stop her from squeaking out a steady chorus of “I regret this, I regret this, I regret this!” under her breath.

The winds were a lot harsher away from the ship, which made flying a bit trickier. Luckily, all that time practicing since she arrived in this world proved its worth as she made a wobbling but direct flight for the nearby airship. A lone crewpony stood amidship, waving and looking noticeably worried, though whether it was from their approach or something else was impossible to discern.

Rarity’s clawed fingers stung against Mirage’s arms. She wondered if they weren’t bleeding. “Almost there,” she called over the wind. She flapped against a particular strong gust and aimed for a few feet to the side of the crewpony. “Get ready!” She counted down from three out loud, fighting to be as close to the deck as possible. A gust pushed her sideways just as she released, but she was relieved to hear the distinct sound of something landing on wood. Free of her burden, Mirage’s speed spiked. She angled herself to get a quick look at the Dancing Bunting and, upon seeing Rarity safely on board and aiming Silver Lining at the crewpony, began her dive.

The airship hadn’t been too high above the town, and it was only a couple seconds before Mirage was amongst the rooftops. Ponies pointed and cried out as she zipped past, fanning her wings in slow beats to kill speed. Eventually she came to a hover and wasted no time turning to the nearest pon… No, thestral. “I’m looking for a unicorn! She looks just like me, but without the wings.”

The thestral stepped back, clearly alarmed at having been singled out. His head swiveled in search of assistance, but his neighbors all were keeping their distance. He looked to Mirage and offered a very hesitant, “M-miss Shimmer?”

Mirage reminded herself that patience was a virtue. “That’s her name, yes.”

“W-well, I don’t… I mean—”

“Don’t tell her anything.” An elderly stallion stepped out of one of the buildings, peering unpleasantly at Mirage. “We’ve done enough damage to Sunset. We don’t need to go outing her to some stranger without knowing what she intends.”

“We’re trying to save her!” Mirage pointed to the Dancing Bunting just visible over the rooftops. “They’re hunting for her! The Bulletproof Heart is trying to stop them, but I’ve got to—”

“You’re with the Bulletproof Heart?”

“Why do you look like Sunset?”

“Anyone can claim to be working with the Bulletproof Heart.”

“We’re not giving you Sunset!”

“Who do you really work for?”

“I really like her mane.”

“Quiet!” Mirage raised her hand, summoned Luna and her Desert Eagle, and fired a round into the air with the latter.

A second later, two dozen guns were pointed at her face. “Oh,” she muttered, very slowly lowering her own weapons. “That is not the reaction I normally get from doing that.” She hadn’t even set hoof on the ground and she was already screwing this up.

The old stallion, one of the few not sporting a firearm, scowled up at her hovering form. “We’re not letting anypony walk all over this town or Sunset Shimmer ever again.”

The dedication in his words struck something within Mirage. Maybe this wasn’t a total loss after all. She was going about this aggressively, but that had never gotten her anywhere in this world. These ponies were clearly protective of this world’s Sunset. She could use that. It was time to tap into the old bag of tricks. It was alright if it was for a good cause… she hoped.

Mirage let her guns fade away and landed amongst them. Though intensely aware of all the barrels aimed her way, she did her best to ignore them and focus on the old codger. “I don’t know what your history is, but if you really care that much then you need to find her and get her into hiding.” She took a step forward, fighting back a wince when a few of the ponies cocked their weapons. “Rarity is trusting me to keep her safe. I can’t leave until I know she is.”

Nopony moved. The stallion met Mirage glare for glare. She tried to channel as much of her good intentions into her gaze as she could and hoped it didn’t come out wrong. The whole time, her worries were less about the lead death aimed at her vulnerable body and more for Rarity probably fighting for her life on that airship.

“You stay right there,” the stallion abruptly growled. Turning from her, he called out, “Jenny! Head to the school, make sure Sunset’s there. We’ll get this sorted.”

The crowd parted to reveal a trembling thestral mare cowering between two of the houses. She shrank back from all the eyes on her. “Oh. Oh, um, Sunset’s not at the school. She’s… Uh…” Timidly, she pointed up.

At the Dancing Bunting.

The old stallion paled. “What? Why didn’t you say so?”

Moving back as if the shadows might hide her, the mare hastily replied, “Th-they looked scary, okay?”

Sunset was already on the ship? Swearing under her breath, Mirage spun about and spread her wings—

And that was when a black hole appeared where the Dancing Bunting was.

---

Rarity landed in a roll, bleeding off her momentum from Mirage’s speed, and came up with Ruby Heart pointed at the face of a very frightened unicorn deckhand. She was sure it would have looked amazing, but she was also sure that her entire face was green. Her free hand went to her stomach as she fought to keep her lunch down. Stupid wind.

The deckhand, a pale brown stallion, slowly raised his hands in surrender. “I j-just work for the company.”

Managing to clear her throat, Rarity answered, “As long as you don’t get in my way, I won’t hurt you.” Slowly, shifting her legs to account for a sharp gust, she stood up straight. This ship had a rail running along its middle, which she thankfully grabbed. “Now, your ship was commandeered by a kirin. Where is she?”

The stallion heaved out a relieved breath. “Oh, thank Mother Night, you’re here for her. That mare is crazy! She forced us to come here and had us grab some unicorn from the town. We’re merchantmen, not pirates!”

Sunset was already here? That might make things more difficult, but it was nothing she hadn’t been expecting. A pity Mirage was already long gone. She asked again, a bit more forcefully, “Where?”

“Below decks. This way!” He wasted no time moving to a small structure towards the bow. Rarity followed, keeping her gun ready in case this was some trick. The structure was little more than covering for a set of narrow stairs leading below. The stallion continued to lead, and when he reached the bottom he put a finger to his lips and made some calming motions. The gesture clearly wasn’t intended for her. She moved warily, poking her head down and pulling out Silver Lining as an extra precaution.

They were in a small room, clearly a combination dining room and lounge like the one on the Highwind. Four ponies were there, three sitting at a nearby table and one cooking some hayfries on the stove. All stared at Rarity as if she’d just dropped out of the sky. Not a one was armed or made any aggressive moves. They didn’t even flinch at the sight of her weapons.

The deckhand leading her said, quietly, “She’s here for the crazy lady.”

Sighs of relief filled the room, every single pony instantly relaxing. “Oh, yes, please,” moaned a mare at the table. Only now did Rarity notice the sling her arm was in. “Get rid of her. I don’t care what she’s paying, this isn’t worth it.” The others nodded or voiced their quiet agreements.

The one at the stove pointed at a nearby doorway. “Door at the end of the hall. She’s got that unicorn with her. Don’t know what she wants with her.”

Rarity had to wonder just what Autumn Blaze had put these ponies through that they were so vehemently eager to be rid of her. As she made for the door, she called, “I suggest heading upstairs. This may get messy.”

Not checking to see if they obeyed, she headed for the closed door. At first she tried moving slow to mask her steps. Her boots on the wooden floor made that outright impossible, even with the humming of the ship’s engine. There was no way Autumn wouldn’t hear her coming.

A familiar voice reached her ears. “What? It’s just a card. I don’t know what you want from me.”

She froze. If she could move while Sunset was speaking, maybe…

“I don’t know sign language, lady.” Rarity moved forward. “Don’t look at me like that! It’s not my fault you’re mute.”

A pause. Rarity abruptly wondered why she was sneaking when Autumn would likely assume it was a member of the crew. Nevertheless, she kept still as seconds passed in silence.

“‘Use my magic on it.’ Is it supposed to do something? Ow, okay, okay! What the hay is your problem, anyway?”

Rarity turned the door handle with her magic and burst through, weapons at the ready. She was in a small bedroom with the stern wall made up almost entirely of windows. Sunset Shimmer – this world’s Sunset – stood near them, a familiar card in hand and her horn lit up. It winked out at Rarity’s arrival, surprise flashing across her features.

Autumn Blaze whipped around to stare at the intrusion. A flash of shock swept across her face as well when she recognized the newcomer, but it was barely a dent in her calm, collected demeanor.

“Rarity?” Sunset asked, still holding the card before her face. “Not that I’m complaining, but what are you doing here?”

“Sunset,” Rarity greeted stiffly, her guns aimed at Autumn. “I strongly encourage you not to use magic on that card.”

The kirin looked between Rarity and Sunset. Her expression was as cool as ever, but there was a smoldering anger in those eyes. She started to move—

“Don’t!” Rarity shifted Ruby Heart so it was aimed at Autumn’s face. “You’ve caused enough trouble this past season. I’m taking you back to Manehattan, where you can face punishment for your misbehavior. I’m sure Neighsay will be wanting a proper explanation after how you tricked him into a fight with us.”

Autumn’s eye twitched. The thin line of her frown grew more pronounced. Once again, she accessed the two ponies in the room.

Then she raised a lone finger. Very slowly, her free hand reached into a pocket. Rarity stiffened, ready to open fire, but all the kirin pulled out was a card. Autumn gestured with it to her, then to Sunset and herself.

“I do want that back,” Rarity admitted. “But I’m not leaving Sunset with you.”

Sunset, still appearing flummoxed, tapped the card she was holding against her palm. “My hero, I guess?”

Autumn’s stare was like a flame all its own threatening to burn Rarity to a crisp. Her fingers clenched around the card, bending it slightly. Still, her face was the definition of serenity. But then she closed her eyes, let out a faint sigh, and nodded. She offered the card to Rarity once more. Not trusting the mare, Rarity reached out to grasp it with her magic.

She only realized how stupid that was a second too late.

The instant her blue aura was wrapped around the card, Autumn’s horn sprang to life! The card levitated between the two of them in a maelstrom of orange and blue magic, the two auras twisting and shifting around one another. Rarity yelped and tried to snatch the card away, but Autumn’s hold was significantly more powerful. She tried to let go, but something was pulling her magic and preventing it. “W-what are you doing?”

Autumn’s eyes were white, her mouth set in a grimace. Rarity could feel it, feel the magic probing at the card. But more than that, she could feel… power. Incredible, alien power.

Sunset danced back from the blazing magics as the room was bathed in warring oranges and cyans. “What’s going on?” Pressing her back to the wall, she gaped at the spectacle between the pony and the kirin. “Rarity, talk to me!”

“I don’t know,” Rarity hissed, straining to control her magic. She tried to take a step back, but it was as if some hidden giant had a hold of her horn. “I think she’s trying to access the card’s magic!”

“The cards are magic?” Sunset glanced at the one in her hand with intense curiosity, but shook it off and refocused on the matter at hand. “So stop her!”

Rarity shook with an effort that felt at once involuntary and invasive. She glared at Autumn, regretting that she hadn’t opened fire the moment she stepped into the room. “I’m open to suggestions!”

“Shoot her!”

An intense, almost painful surge of magic made her horn throb. The auras around the cards intensified. “I don’t know what will happen if the magic stops!”

“Oh, for the love of—” Sunset raised a hand in front of her face and, with a flash of her horn, set it on fire. This was not a surprise to Rarity, having seen that particular trick before. What did surprise her was when Sunset stepped forward, reached up with her flaming hand…

And casually plucked the card out of the swirling magical aura. For a tense second, nothing changed.

Then the space the card had once taken up turned black. Not like the black of night or the black of coal or any of those other common blacks. This was an emptiness, a sucking, gaping maw that Rarity felt tug at something deep inside her. She wasn’t alone; Autumn let out a sharp gasp and tried to pull back, and Sunset let out a pained cry and fell to her knees. Just when Rarity thought she’d pass out, the pull stopped. Even more shocking than anything so far was how perfectly normal she felt after all that, as though nothing had been happening at all.

Then the little black hole grew, bursting in size like a two-dimensional drawing hit with some sort of growth spell. Rarity fell sideways just in time to avoid the sharp-looking edge as the oddly flat blackness cleaved right through solid wood. As alarming as this was, it wasn’t the only thing to draw her attention.

Autumn Blaze had fallen into a kneeling position. Her entire body trembled as she let out heaving breaths. When she met Rarity’s stare, it was with very big eyes and very small pupils. Her expression was twisted in a fierce snarl made all the more ominous by how silent it was. Flames licked at the kirin’s cheeks, flicked out of her lips, danced on the tip of her fingers. She breathed out once, twice, a third time, each time working her jaw in wide motions. It dawned upon Rarity that she was attempting to scream.

On the fourth try, she did, an animal howl that filled the air with its fury as blue and harsh red flames erupted from her body. “I had it! I almost had it!” She charged, and Rarity instinctively opened fire, forgetting all about the big black nothing just to their right in favor of the more immediate threat. Autumn’s body turned black and her eyes glowed white as the bullets burnt in bright red flashes before they could do any damage.

Rarity gasped, tried to dodge, and found herself caught in the kirin’s blazing hands. “What in the—!”

Pale white fangs spat sizzling, stinging phlegm in her face. “You are not taking this away from me!” With a mighty toss, she flung Rarity crashing out the stern windows.

Falling was a novel experience. Rarity didn’t get many of those. Certainly, it wasn’t one of the ways she ever expected to die. The wind buffeted her as the Dancing Bunting and the black hole now bisecting it moved farther and farther away, sending her mane and tail trailing along. That would certainly cause some tangles. Rarity twisted to look over her shoulder, observing the rapidly approaching ground. “Oh dear. This is going to hurt.”

Her first instinct was to look around for Mirage, hoping for a quick rescue. She did see somepony flying up from the town, but they were headed for the ship and didn’t seem to notice her. Probably not enough time to reach her anyway.

Think, Rarity, think! She closed her eyes, the better to not recognize how close she was to the hard earth below, and sought out options. Magic? No, she had nothing in her repertoire to deal with this. Cry out? No time to be caught. If only she had wings like Mirage, she could—

Her eyes snapped open as an insane idea struck. She holstered her weapons and clawed at the pack Mirage had given her, opening it to reveal a half-dozen bottles of potion.

No! No, I promise! That was supposed to burst! It will heal your wounds immediately!

“Dearest Luna and Sweet Celestia, please let this work.” She grabbed two bottles in each hand and two in her magic. Looking over her shoulder again and yelping at how big the world was at her back, she lit her horn and created a conical shield aimed right at the ground and threw together a sloppy link between itself and her body. With no time to think, she threw all six bottles at the air above her and prayed.

Two seconds later, her shield shattered, sending a bolt of lightning through her skull. She felt the jolt of the shield robbing her momentum, and then she smashed back-first into the grass. Bones snapped and the world became white-hot pain. She couldn’t scream, only lay there, motionless and howling in her mind. For a forever that could have only lasted seconds, Rarity felt like her entire body was on fire.

Through the ringing in her ears, she heard several crashing cracks. Her body grew wet. Her screaming mind could only think it was blood.

Then the pain faded like it never was. There came the hideous feeling of bones snapping back into place and wounds closing. With a shocked gasp, she drew air into lungs no longer crushed. She lay perfectly still aside from her heaving breaths in a perfect Rarity-shaped indentation. Finally, she lifted her head to look down at herself, groaning at the soreness of the motion.

Four of the glass bottles had landed and shattered on her chest, the healing fluid within coating every inch of her torso. The other two were near-misses that had still managed to splatter some of the potion on her.

With a faint sigh, she let her head fall back. “Thank you, Mirage.”

The ground rumbled. Her ears were assaulting by a resounding crash. Only now did Rarity remember the black hole in the sky, now grown to several times the height of the Dancing Bunting. She stared up dumbly, watching as strange and hideous creatures began to pour out of it like a flood of horrors.

She closed her eyes and groaned. “Is it really too much to ask that ponies stop trying to kill me?”

Distant shrieks and gunshots were her only answer.

Comments

[PhycoKrusk]

Sigh.

Never try to consume an energy field larger than your head.

[RoboRed]

...What the hell just happened?

On the fourth try, she did, an animal howl that filled the air with its fury as blue and harsh red flames erupted from her body. “I had it! I almost had it!”

The muteness was a ruuuuuusee.(?)

That was a crazy plan Rarity had there with the potions last-minute and thank god it worked. Speaking of...

“How many of those things do you have?”

“You can be amazed how quickly they accumulate,”

Video game logic strikes.

[Wanderer D]

cdn-img.fimfiction.net/generic/vqb2-1680308014-nszimlq-full

[PaulAsaran]

11544113
Part of me wanted to find that image for the Author's Notes. A much bigger part of me didn't want to go page-by-page through a comic I hadn't read in over ten years just to find that one scene.

Thank you for taking the time.

[Wanderer D]

11544118 It needed to be done!

[An everfree rat]

Thanks. I'm now about to make my dnd party have a collective heart attack when i jump off things. That was so goddamn clever!