Temporal Trotters

by wyattpugsley

13. Ambivalence

The two creatures stand outside the council grand entrance. Cheery Star standing a good distance away from the door to avoid overhearing the conversation between the travelers and the council. With Lucien standing just a few feet behind her. He glares at the mare from behind her back, focusing solely on her. Feeling the sensation of someone watching her, she tilts her head slightly, side eyeing the seapony before turning around and staring back at him.

“What do you want, staff wielder?”

“Your attention, I guess. We have some extra time doing nothing, might as well waste time talking, eh?”

“Why would I humor talking to someone like you? You’re not chosen like the other two, I have no reason to waste my time with you.”

“I don’t know, unbelievably I feel like we might have some things in common. Given your situation I highly doubt you get the opportunity to talk to anyone besides these ‘council’ members you speak of. Might do you good.”

Her body language relaxes, “What’s there to talk about?”

"Ourselves. See, I’m from a broken community just like you. Went down a bit of a different path, though. I took revenge against the people that took my family from me. Meanwhile you seem to be serving the people that doomed your community and family.”

A spiteful expression fills her face, “I never said what happened to my family.”

“You didn’t need to. Look at this place, look at who you serve. We’re in the palace of a dying cult. Put two and two together and it’s easy enough to realize something happened here.”

Cheery Star turns her head, still looking at Lucien, “Assuming you’re even right, why does it matter? I lost my family when I was 12. That was over 10 years ago, I’ve known my current family and life for longer than I knew my old one.”

“And all you’ve ever known is life in the cult. You’re a victim. I wish you’d realize that. These creatures saw an opportunity to use you after your parents died and they took it. Think back at how they’ve treated you. They don’t even trust you to be in the same room as them when talking to Skystar and Posada!”

“Non-council members are not to interfere in council affairs! Of course they wouldn’t let me be in the same room!”

“So you live in their cult your whole life and they don’t even allow you on the council? They don’t let you be involved in an event that you’ve directly had a hoof in? Think, Cheery!”

She thinks back to her childhood, her upbringing alongside the Council of Doria. Deep down she knows what Lucien says is true, but she just can’t bring herself to confront those feelings. “What are you trying to get out of me, Lucien?”

“I’m just trying to get you to see that you’re being used and manipulated by four power hungry monsters. Ever since I left my own imprisonment, I’ve tried to spend my life helping creatures stuck in situations like this. You’re not an exception.”

“I won’t go against the council. Even if I did, I’d have nowhere to go. And I’d be forsaking everything I’ve ever known. My parents would have died in vain. I can’t do that.”

“I know, it sounds impossible. And I won’t lie, if you do leave, it won’t be easy. But you could tag along with me until you get things figured out. You need to see the world outside of this cult, talk to creatures besides the council members. There’s so much more out there besides this.”

Cheery Star looks at Lucien with a reluctant expression. “I’ll do what’s best for me,” she replies. Turning around and facing the grand door entrance again.

“I hope you do. You need to put yourself above those parasites.”

A faint yelling is heard from beyond the door, “Cheery Star, get in here!” Both the creatures snap their attention to the noise, Cheery Star’s horn glowing as she opens the door, Lucien walking in behind her. She kneels to the council, “What do you require?”

"Our pointless attempts at diplomacy have failed. Our visitors outright insult us and refuse to cooperate. You will have full reign to deal with them as we discussed previously. We will not settle for anything less than the complete destruction of their will. We expect that the next time we see you, that will have been achieved. Now take them and leave,” the central figure says to Cheery Star. She stands up from kneeling and pushes both Posada and Skystar out of the room. Bowing to the council before shutting the doors behind her.

Lucien immediately swims over to his companions, “I have a feeling they were pissed you didn’t just kiss their fins and do what they ordered. Idiots, what did they expect to happen?”

“I do not know. They said we were chosen by this ‘Doria’ figure, but I fail to see how that would be anything but self-sabotage if true,” Posada says. “The ritual they talk about seems real given our circumstances but everything else is madness.”

“They did a whole ritual to get you guys here?” Lucien replies.

“Yes. I’ll be honest, we haven’t told you our whole story, Lucien. Allow me to fill you in quick.” Posada then goes on to describe their adventures since the start of the atoll test. Briefly describing the ritual the council had mentioned just a few moments ago as well.

“Well, this little expedition of yours makes a whole lot more sense now. You want the Trident’s Paw to get back home, and the council used that to their advantage. Sneaky.”

“Mhm. Speaking of which…” Posada peers over to Cheery Star, her eyes squinted as she looks to her.

“You’ll pick the artifact off my dead, water logged body. We’re going back outside, move,” the unicorn says, pushing Posada and Skystar forward. They walk through the halls again and out the front door, standing in front of the cult’s palace.

“They acted like you’d know what to do, Cheery Star. So tell us, what are your plans? Going to try and rough us up? I can tell you; I’ve suffered worse. At the hands of a creature far more cruel and far more powerful than you. I might not remember all of it, but I still have the scars,” she pulls down the collar of her shirt, revealing the striking, branching scars all around her upper body and neck. “You didn’t even take away our weapons. You’re out of your league.”

Skystar looks over at Posada in slight shock, not used to her being this direct. She’s also surprised by Posada showing her scars to the unicorn. Something she usually hides from all but the closest creatures in her life.

“I know I am, Posada. But tell me, what would you do if you had to choose between following orders or abandoning your whole life? I’m sure they told you about how this place came to ruin. My parents died when the revolt happened, and the four seaponies on the council have raised me ever since. You’re asking me to turn my back on the creatures that brought me to adulthood, that taught me every bit of magic that I know, I don’t think I can do that.”

Lucien glares at Cheery Star as she stands in front of them, “No, you can do it,” he replies. “You go through with their plan to torture us and where does that leave you? Either dead from fighting us or stuck tending to those four fossils until they finally die.”

Cheery Star’s horn glows, “If your friends had just cooperated, we wouldn’t be here. Just stand down and let me get this over with.”

“We’ve already said that’s not happening,” Posada replies. Then grabbing the dagger from the scabbard on her hips and holding it in her fins.

Skystar does the same. Lucien grabbing hold of his staff as they get ready to face off against Cheery Star.

“Then I’ll do what I must,” Cheery Star quickly casts a magic bolt emanating from her horn directly towards Posada. She swims and rolls out of the way, the bolt darting off into the distance leaving a gleaming trail behind it.

Posada responds by quickly swimming up to Cheery, the unicorn’s bound sword from the previous encounter is summoned from thin air causing Posada to stop just outside of its range on Cheery’s left flank. Lucien attempts to help out; casting an air bullet spell like earlier which bounces off of the protective ward Cheery still has set up. He follows that up by levitating a handful of sizable rocks around the sea floor, throwing them at Cheery just to have them bounce off the bubble. Seeing this, Posada retreats back to the other two creatures as they discuss a strategy.

“Magic is definitely off the table, seems like nothing I can cast will get past her defense,” Lucien remarks.

“And I can’t get close enough to do anything physically. I’m thinking maybe if we all attack at the same time it’ll be enough to overwhelm her. She can’t parry my attack and Skystar’s attack at the same time. Would you be okay with something like that, Sky?”

She nods her head reluctantly, “I can try.”

“Alright. I’ll go on the left again, Sky on the right, and Lucien will keep casting magic to keep her guard up. Go!”

The two seaponies break to the left and right of Cheery Star, Lucien continuing to pelter her protective bubble with debris and spells. Once close enough Posada quickly swims forward and parries the bound sword of the unicorn, struggling to maintain the clash as the sword slowly overpowers her dagger. The dampened noise of rocks hitting the bubble echoing along with the sounds of metal clashing. At the same time Skystar attacks on the right side of Cheery’s flank. Dagger in her fin she swims right up to the side of the spell caster and gets a good swing in on Cheery’s abdomen, drawing a horizontal slash of blood on her fur. Knowing she’s overmatched at the moment, the unicorn teleports away from both of the attacking seaponies, moving further back with her protective ward still up. Blood mixes in the water as the unicorn’s wound seeps. Lucien moves up towards Skystar and Posada as the three companions gather again.

“That was a good strike, Sky!”

“I don’t think I dinged her too hard… I didn’t get close enough to really cut that deep, it’s more like a light scratch.”

“Better than nothing! Plus that just shows she’s going to struggle with all of us attacking at once. We got this!” Posada says confidently. “Should we do the same thing? Switch up sides this time and see how it goes.”

“Let’s do it!” Skystar replies. The two switching sides before quickly swimming up to the unicorn yet again. Lucien swimming closer and casting various minor spells to keep her magical focus on the ward.

They both approach like before, but with Posada on the right and Skystar on the left. Posada swims in first yet again and defends herself against the bound sword with her dagger. Skystar follows after and swims quickly to the side of Cheery Star, getting ready to swing again as she hears Posada yell out “Above you!” and narrowly sees the shadow of another bound sword from the corner of her eye, just about to attack her from above. Putting on the brakes she rolls and avoids a direct hit but ends up losing her balance and falls to the sea floor. Cheery Star, now wielding two bound swords, causes Posada to back away and quickly swim over to her partner, helping her up as both of them flee back towards Lucien.

Posada holds the fin of her Skystar, “Are you okay, Sky?” she asks softly.

“I’m fine,” she rolls her eyes. “Just didn’t expect that, caught me off guard. Figures she’d pull some magic trick at the last second, arghh,” Skystar groans out.

“Time to think of something else. Solo attacks will be pointless, we’re faster and more maneuverable compared to her but with two swords and the potential for a magic attack there’s only so much we can do when attacking one on one. If only she didn’t have that damned shield of hers!”

Lucien stares at the ground around Cheery Star, looking at the soft sand around her hooves. He then turns to the other two, “I have an idea, but it’s only going to work once.”

Posada and Skystar swim closer to Lucien, hearing him out.

“Her bubble only covers the open area around her. She’s also not a seapony so she absolutely needs solid ground to walk on, I think we can use that to our advantage. I can try to manipulate the sand she’s standing on with magic and wrap it around her legs. I might even be able to toss her off the ground depending on how fast she reacts. At the very least it gives us a slight window to catch her off guard. Plus with the bubble, two swords, and a water breathing spell, there’s only so much she can do. One of those will have to give if she ends up teleporting away.”

“I like it. But what’s the backup plan if that ends up failing?”

“You rush her when she teleports away or fall back to here.”

“Alright. We’re ready, just cast the spell and we’ll do our part.”

Lucien then focuses his magic onto the staff, the ground around the three creatures shaking slightly as channels his power towards the sand under Cheery Star’s hooves. The other two swim cautiously towards the unicorn, attacking together as they stop by her right flank, waiting for Lucien’s spell. As they watch closely, they see sand slowly starting to climb up the mare’s rear hooves, she doesn’t even notice it until the sand is almost a quarter of the way up her leg, with her front legs now starting to sink into the sand as well. Posada and Skystar quickly swim their way up to the now immobile unicorn, she swings both her swords towards the two seaponies in response. Skystar narrowly parries one while Posada ducks and swims under the one attacking her. With the dagger in her right fin she slashes upward near the unicorn’s face. cutting her horn in half. The magic gleam to her horn fizzles out instantly, Cheery’s face turning to one of horror as the bound swords she summoned disappear, and the protective ward she had cast completely fades. The little magic she can focus with her horn is spent maintaining her water breathing spell.

“YOU MONSTERS!” Cheery Star yells out, breaking her hooves free from the sand and charging at Posada, who simply swims out of the way of the charging mare. “You have no idea what you’ve done to me!”

“I pacified you. You won’t be threatening us or any other creature ever again.”

The unicorn falls to her knees, smashing the sand with her front hooves, “NO!” she screams. “I’ll be worthless to them now… you should’ve just killed me, put the knife right through my head! It would’ve been mercy compared to what they’ll do to me!”

Posada shakes her head, “No. You don’t deserve to die here. There’s been enough suffering, enough dead creatures in Thistlegorm. And It just doesn’t feel right, you never had a choice in any of this.” Posada sheaths her dagger before swimming over to the defeated pony and grabbing the Trident’s Paw she had strapped to her body. A determined look washes over Posada’s face. “Besides, the council members won’t be here for much longer, we’re going to make sure of that.”

Author's Note:

It is at this point that I realize some of the disadvantages that come with posting chapters individually as I finish them, instead of publishing the whole story all at once. Main disadvantage being that I'm unable to change stuff in previous chapters if the outline of the story ends up changing as I write. However that does keep me from obsessively editing the entire story like 20 times so... tradeoffs I guess.