Rooks in the Sky
The mist rising from the river curled around the hooves of Sweetie Belle’s group. They numbered seven. She had been separated from Scootaloo and parceled into a group consisting mostly of Changelings, large hulking warriors that had each taken the form of the same dirt-brown Earth pony, trusting the poor weather, fog, and night to hide them as well as their cloaks. Each was well armed, and ready for trouble. A small blessing sent to her, however, was the addition of Night Light, who was the official leader of the group.
Keeping mostly to the shadows, the two groups of ponies slipped into the gathering darkness one after the other, splitting up so as to avoid suspicion. The route had been carefully planned, and all of the right guards had been either paid off or avoided, so they had made it to the river unchallenged. The only sounds to be heard were the rushing of the water below and the carefully muffled sounds of hoofsteps. Sweetie Belle found herself watching the skies nervously, checking for a glimpse of a wing or the glint of armor.
“I wouldn’t worry about them.” one of the Changelings said kindly. “They have an entire city to search. Even if they knew our route, which they don’t, the Solar Wing would still have to look for us among a thousand ponies heading out of the city proper.”
Night Light nodded. “I’ve come up against them before and made it out alright. No stupid heroics and you live to fight another day. And besides, there are reinforcements waiting for us at the boat. If we can make it there, we’ll be fine. But we need to focus and keep moving. Understood?”
There was a murmur of assent from the group. “You make it sound like they’re invincible.” Sweetie Belle grumbled.
The Pegasus laughed. “Hardly. They’re flesh and blood, just like us. But they are very accomplished warriors. Cleared out entire outposts without us even knowing they were on the way. The Lady Twilight had to intervene and take a personal hoof in the matter. In the end, we managed to get a reliable picture of where they were, and now we know the signs of them being nearby. They fight smart. We fight smarter.”
They broke away from the river, following a long alley towards the main gate. Night Light pointed excitedly. “Look! You can see one of their positions up there, right above the tower on the gate if your eyes are sharp enough.”
Sweetie Belle looked where he was pointing. Sure enough, perched on top of the tower, surveilling the crowd, was a Pegasus, her bright yellow and orange coat still visible even though the sky was dark.
“Spitfire…” she whispered. The Wonderbolts had been disbanded after Twilight’s defection, their skills and expertise needed elsewhere. Many had taken jobs as propaganda models, raising morale and gathering support for various services, and more than a few had been listed among the names of those killed in raids or battles. The organization, fifty ponies at its peak, was now estimated to contain no more than twenty. Its highest-profile members, the Class A flyers, had vanished from public life, however. And now Sweetie Belle knew where they had ended up. For all the pomp and circumstance in their shows, all the showpony stunts, they were still fierce flyers. And the biggest name among them was here, probably with a loaded crossbow, waiting for her to slip up.
“Aye, and Soarin’ will be nearby. I imagine that he is hovering near the cloud layer, just high enough for us to miss him if we look for him.” Night Light said. They merged into a large group of ponies, heading into a large square. Sweetie Belle felt the ponies around her form a sort of sphere, a protective shield. The warrior Changelings, knowing that she was unable to defend herself well, were ensuring she made it out alive, even if they did not.
Under her hood, Sweetie Belle’s horn was working furiously, modifying the warriors so they appeared more normal. She added blonde manes, piebald coats, varying Cutie Marks, and more. As she worked, she felt the Changelings’ natural illusion magic help hers along, and each of them locked their disguises into permanence as they walked towards the center of the square. Out of the corner of her eye, Sweetie Belle saw Scootaloo’s group hug the shops closely, following them towards an alley. Her group did likewise.
As the small gathering of ponies walked down the alley, Sweetie Belle began to breathe a bit easier. She could see the gate they would be going through up ahead, and they were almost home free. She could sense a similar brightening in spirits from those around her. They picked up the pace slightly, and Night Light nodded to the guard on duty at the gate, who didn’t bother to ask for identification, before they passed into the exterior of the city.
“And it’s a quick hop, skip, and jump from here to the skiff.” Night Light said. “Piece of cake.”
Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted as something buzzed through the air, tugging at the hem of her cloak before embedding itself in the ground. The air suddenly filled with the sound of thunder, and Sweetie Belle looked up to see a multicolored aura filling the sky, followed by a streak of the same heading right for them. Another buzz, and one of the Changelings by her side stumbled and fell, an arrow in his neck.
Scootaloo cursed. “They’ve got us! Fan out and run!”
Sweetie Belle could only stare in shock as three more streaks filled the air behind the first, one a fiery orange, one a brilliant white, and one crackling with lightning. She fell in behind Scootaloo, processing the information as she ran. They were being chased by Spitfire, Soarin’, Rainbow Dash, and she felt certain the white streak was her sister.
The air was suddenly filled with crossbow bolts, and side by side the two Crusaders sprinted through the mud towards the river.
Running from my sister with Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle thought. Some things never change.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo threw off their cloaks as they ran, exposing the bandoliers underneath and freeing their hooves to run faster. The duo exchanged a glance, instinctively knowing what to do from long afternoons of adventuring together. Sweetie Belle worked one of the flash crystals loose from its holding strap, gripping it tightly with her magic. She could hear the rustle of wings behind them, and as they galloped over a rise in the ground, she tossed it to Scootaloo. The orange Pegasus leapt into the air before spinning around and ramming a hoof into the suspended crystal, cracking it and sending it flying back at the offending pursuer. It exploded into a brilliant flash of light not two feet away from the Pegasus, who crashed into the ground, blinking its eyes rapidly in order to clear them.
Though it had managed to disable their assailant, the crystal had also served to draw attention to their position. Glancing up at the sky, Sweetie Belle saw the rainbow streak arch towards them instead of the Changelings, moving faster than she would have thought possible. The white streak followed close behind. Sweetie Belle wasn’t sure how her sister had gotten wings, but she had. And now they had two ponies they knew personally, both of them Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, heading straight for them.
They ran faster.
The river gleamed dully ahead of them, and Sweetie Belle saw that a skiff was indeed waiting for them, riding low in the water. Two ponies lounged nearby, and her heart sank. Only two? They had the entire Solar Wing after them, and only two ponies had been sent? They altered course slightly, charging towards the skiff. Scootaloo produced a whistle, blowing it wildly as they ran. Sweetie Belle saw several other Changelings running towards the skiff. The two ponies waiting by the boat strode forward, throwing their cloaks off as they did so. The Changelings behind them withdrew spheres from the boat, and they bucked them towards the oncoming pursuers in a single volley.
“Get down!” Scootaloo cried, and both of them hit the dirt. There was a noise like thunder, a rush of heat, and Sweetie Belle felt something lodge itself in her flank and begin burning. She cried out in pain, and staggered to her hooves in order to continue her flight towards the boat, cloaking herself and Scootaloo.
“Let’s go!” she cried, and the two of them lurched towards the relative safety of the skiff. Sweetie Belle looked for the two ponies who had been walking towards them, and her breath caught in her chest. An imposing unicorn, barded in dark armor, stood before her, his solitary eye gleaming gold though there was hardly any light to see by. He was standing by another unicorn, one who appeared to have been fashioned from paper. Silent Shield and Golden Radiance stood before her, and Sweetie Belle saw the Lunar Guard’s eye focus on her.
“Get to the boat, daft filly.” he growled, unleashing a bolt of magic from his horn at the Solar Wing, which had fallen back and regrouped. All of its members were taking formation, creating a wedge in order to smash through the scattered pockets of resistance.
The two of them leapt over the side of the craft, landing in the bottom as Sweetie Belle dispelled her shield. Hearing hoofbeats, she glanced over the side in time to see Night Light, leading another small group, thunder to a halt.
“That’s all we’ve got. Of the sixteen we left with, they took down four. Time for us to go.”
The Wing had finished their preparation work, and as one, they sped towards the huddled ponies. Golden Radiance’s horn flashed, and the clouds above them congealed, suddenly swollen with water. Lightning flickered among them, and Sweetie Bell felt the first drops of rain hit her face. Another bolt of magic hit the boat, and Sweetie felt the wood thrum with life, as if it had been imbued with energy.
“Go, get your followers into the boat.” Golden Radiance said. “We will hold them off.” As she spoke, the wind picked up, and she directed a gust at the Wing, which scattered in order to avoid it. The gust turned into a strong wind, blowing from the Everfree. “Get the boat into the river. There’s a beacon in the bottom. Once you’ve got it moving towards the forest, activate it. We will follow.”
Night Light and the other Changelings began pushing the craft into the water. Sweetie Belle’s horn lit, suspending the boat on a cushion of magic that made it all but frictionless, allowing the ponies to push even faster. She felt the back end slide into the water, and the remaining ponies piled into the boat as it drifted into the river, turning itself to allow current to pass.
“It’s turned the wrong damn way!” Scootaloo shouted.
One of the Changelings hopped on the tiller, turning it sharply as the boat drifted with agonizing slowness, bringing the nose around to face downriver. Sweetie Belle watched as the two unicorns stood alone against the riverbank, fighting to buy them time.
A bolt of lightning shot from the sky, gathering in a rush of sparks along the horn of Silent Shield before he unleashed its power on the unfortunately named Thunderhead, who caught the full blast squarely on his chestplate. The magically enhanced armor, made for Pegasi, was designed to ward off lightning, but the force of it stood his hair on end and knocked him back into the ground. The clouds above them burst, rain slicking the feathers of the Pegasi down, slowing their flight and forcing them to land.
Golden Radiance unleashed a torrent of green flame in the direction of another Solar Wing member, as well as the Element of Generosity. She was rewarded with a cry of pain from Soarin’, as well as a pulse of magic from Rarity that clued her in to her exact location. Another blast of energy, this one intense and needle thin, burned through the air with such brilliance that it left afterimages as it went, giving the appearance of a panoply of spidery lines weaving through the air. A shield of translucent force manifested itself, straining under the unusually intense beam of light. She felt Rarity channel more from her Element, using its strength to bolster her own.
Rainbow Dash, seeing her friend and squadmate both in trouble, adjusted her course to attack Golden Radiance. She drew an explosive quarrel from the belt at her waist, fitting it into the crossbow and sliding the bolt back. Sighting down the shaft, she let fly.
The round was picked from the air by Silent Shield, who detonated the head early, making sure that neither the explosion nor the bolt itself reached his companion. With a roar of rage, he picked up a nearby boulder, hurling it through the air at the Pegasus, who only just managed to dive out of the way. She retaliated by hitting the ground in front of him, her hooves coming around to catch him square in the chest. He twisted to one side, allowing her to hit his side instead as he caught one of her hooves in the deep mud of the riverbank. Trapped, he soon made short work of the Pegasus. A desperate swing of one hoof was easily blocked, another dodged contemptuously. A blow to the side of her head left the Pegasus dazed, and Silent Shield lit his horn for the killing strike.
A quarrel buzzed through the air, impacting him in between two of his ribs and sinking in deeply. He cried out in pain, clutching at the wound, before snapping the shaft off angrily and focusing the bolt of magic meant for Rainbow Dash onto the Pegasus who had shot him. Though it did not kill her, Spitfire hit the ground hard, quite unconscious.
Golden Radiance had closed with Rarity, and the duo was even now trading magic over the still form of Soarin’, who was badly burned and going into shock. The last time they had met, Golden Radiance had toyed with her. The last time they had met, Rarity had been humiliated. This time, Rarity was winning.
“Give her back!” Rarity screamed, as a bolt of argent magic crackled from her horn, forcing Golden Radiance to leap out of the way. “You have my sister! Let her go!”
Golden Radiance vanished from view, her voice coming from three different directions. “Your sister made her own choices. She is a grown mare, she picked her side.”
Rarity’s assault faltered. “You’re lying! She would never, she isn’t a rebel!”
“How well do you know your sister, Bearer? Truly know her? When did you see her last, talk to her in person? Sweetie Belle wants the truth. We offered her the chance to see it.”
A bolt of magic from Rarity’s horn vaporized a nearby tree. “Show yourself, coward!” A pulse of magic thrummed through the air, and Rarity looked to the river in time to see the skiff picking up speed. A papery unicorn waved one hoof from the deck. The voice sounded behind her once more.
“Of course. We are secretive ponies, but the Ever Free is all about truth. Perhaps you may see through Celestia’s lies one day. I hope so. For your sake, and the sake of the love between you and your sister.”
Rarity’s eyes widened to see Sweetie Belle watching her from the prow of the boat. Even from this distance, Rarity could see the sadness and regret on her sister’s face. But there was something more as well. Defiance, and a burning determination, and something else, an expression that was not so much an emotion as a message. Don’t try to stop me, it said. I love you, and if you love me, you won’t stop me. Rarity saw Rainbow Dash struggle free of her bonds, snatching her crossbow from the ground. She loaded another bolt into it, one of the ones with an armor piercing head. “Rainbow, no!” she cried, but it was too late. The bolt sped through the air, heading towards the boat. A figure on the deck slumped to the ground bonelessly as the refugees sped into the night.
“No, no, no, no…” Sweetie Belle mumbled, cradling the bloody Pegasus in her hooves. “Night Light, stay with me, Night Light…”
The Pegasus was trying to speak around the bolt lodged in his chest, coughing weakly as he labored for breath. Scootaloo had sprinted to the back to get the medical kit. His eyes, full of fear, looked at Sweetie Belle, focusing on her before sliding closed. Sweetie Belle felt the boat pick up speed as they raced into the forest. Scootaloo slid to a halt, unclasping the case and unraveling the necessary materials. She began to apply the bandages quickly and professionally, maintaining pressure on the gauze she had put down and tying the strips together tightly. Before she could go further, though, she was shouldered to one side by one of the Changelings.
Sweetie Belle watched as he bent over the wound, inspecting it. He turned to his brothers, who nodded almost in unison. As she watched, he withdrew a few of the spines from his “mane”, taking a black ichor from their bases and smearing it along his hooves. He snapped the quarrel off, leaving the head lodged inside, before he pressed them to the wound gently, watching as the dark paste spread across the hole.
“This is to help with the bleeding.” One of the Changelings explained, taking the form of a pony in order to speak. “It will seep into the wound, and hold it closed. It will also put him in stasis, so that he might yet live. He will appear as one who is dead until we can remove it. But we must arrive soon, or else…”
“Or else what?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Scootaloo laid a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “If we don’t get to the castle in a few hours, sunrise at the latest, it will take root inside of him. It will spread unchecked, and kill him anyway. I’ve seen it used one other time, as a last resort. We were still too late. Sweetie Belle, I hate to tell you this, but there’s a good chance he won’t live to see the sun again.”
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UPDATE!!!!!! Very good :D cant wait for the next one
Lol, I did say Rainbow was like a rook, to continue the chess metaphor. Direct, wide ranging, potent, but ultimately transparent and lacking in subtly.
I wonder if Sweetie's 'defection' will shake up Rarity at all? I'm also interested in Scootaloo/Rainbow Dash. If they had a falling out, or if Rainbow even knows/cares. It's entirely possible that Rainbow doesn't, she really never seemed to be the type.
Well, here is to hoping we see Sweetie with Golden Radiance as they may have some interesting things to discuss.
I have to say, I am impressed with this story. I started it today, and got to this point today. I absolutely LOVE this story! I can't wait to see what happens next. Shame that Night Light dies, well... probably dies. I love the division you have between the groups. Really amazing, I wonder if Trixie will appear, just food for thought. Also Discord seems like a wild card, wonder what will happen with him. All in all, I love this story!
Wings? As in real wings, not that butterfly thing that Rarity had during the Young Flyers' Comp? When did this happen?
1702368
I wouldn't really count on Trixie appearing in this fic anytime soon.
1703267
No, I know. I tend to doubt she would. But for some reason, I just feel like she could fit in... somewhere.
great chapter!
first piece of real action, isn't it?
i wonder how this will affect rarity, it's probably her only family after all, she might try to convince twi to let her see sweetie belle, not sure she would succeed though, given that she probably won't go about in the right way.
im interested in how scootaloo sees RD now, and what has happened between them these past years....
i have to say; that moment when Silent Shield and Golden Radiance appeared before them, it was epic...
1703793
Same here.
1703267
Check the last chapter. They're similar to the wings she had, but rated more for durability than beauty.
Yea rainbow's a bitch and doesn't realize what she did to Twilight. If you hadn't betrayed her then you wouldn't have lost you're lover. so in a way you yourself killed her by betraying the beast and forcing its righteous hooves of fury. I feel twilight is perfectly in the right for what she's doing that is can't wait to see her tear down the areal force dash set up.
Well, I finally caught up with the updates and I'm really excited to find out how things will turn out in the future
The time is near...the time where Celestia will lose her precious pieces...and then Twilight will have her in Check.
NIGHT LIGHT!!!!!
nooooooooooooooo.com/vader.jpg
and it's worse for me because night light is the name adopted for twilight's father
nooooooooooooooo.com/vader.jpg
so in my mind, RD just killed (maybe) twilight's father
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friggen impulsive, reckless, arrogant rainbow dash
tartarus hath no mercy
>Night Light and the other Changelings began pushing the craft
Night Light is a changeling, eh?
2163740 This made me laugh harder than it should have.
Spike's loyalty to Twi is the most powerful thing in this story, and at this point, I hope he ends up officially representing a certain virtue. RD clearly needs to spend some quiet time with her partner.
You know, I never got why Golden Radiance, her husband, and her foal was killed.
Broke the brainwashing? Ok, still doesn't explain the foal.
7185189 her foal was killed too because it was Goldens foal it would eventually question what happened to its mother this leaving them in the same position they just tried to solve that's my belief