Team Awesome Short Stories: Dream's Reality

by Caustizer

Chapter 8

Wretched earth ponies.

Solon can barely contain his anger as the trio of unicorns walk towards the direction of the meteor impact some hours before. Not even thirty minutes ago they had gone through the earth pony village of Manehatten, and the son of Lord Nightstar was freshly reminded of how much he despises them. In his eyes they are mannerless, unclean mongrels that pollute the land like a herd of rats… with their ignorance only being exceeded by their willingness to breed. Indeed, their numbers are obscene and should the king ever order a cull he would be glad to carry it out.

'Like such a thing would ever happen,' Solon thought sarcastically.

At least they serve a purpose. Since the beginning of pony time the unicorns had traded with the earth ponies for food and other culinary necessities, bargaining the fact that they raise the sun and the moon on a daily basis. Naturally both races have gradually grown in population since those first deals were struck, and at some point in the past the earth ponies refused to increase the tariff citing the fact that there is no benefit to providing the unicorns with more food for no more work. Forced to accede, the king of the time offered to pay in the best currency his people had – gold and jewels. This was how money had begun to circulate in greater pony society, and the slight that had been inflicted upon the unicorns that forced their hooves had not been forgotten – in fact it is a reason why relations between them are so poor today, but not the only one.

Of course the earth ponies of the current day hadn't taken too kindly to a trio of 'horn-heads' passing through their village, so it didn't go without incident. There were cat calls and insults, but thankfully no actual violence - their armour and heraldry was intimidating enough to discourage that. Solon wanted to punish them, but he had more important duties to attend, namely investigating the fallen meteor and claiming it for kind and castle.

"What do you suppose it means," mused Zephyr, referring to the fallen star.

"The comet?" replies Sky Sparkle in response, careful to keep his voice down to a whisper, "I think it means that a celestial body has been intercepted in its passage through the stellar spaces by the movements of our world and has therefore collided with-"

The unicorn is interrupted by Zephyr, who pokes him with his plated hoof.

"I don't mean what the books think Sparkle."

Sky Sparkle looks undignified.

"Well they store very important knowledge from the ages within their pages… perhaps they are worth listening to."

"Shhh," insists Zephyr with an aggressive whisper, "…I think snobby can hear us."

Solon heard the comment alright, and given what he had already endured with the earth ponies was about to round on them when a more surprising sight met his eyes. What's this… a unicorn sitting by the rim of the impact site? The trio had finally reached the edge of the crater and though the guards had been too busy talking amongst themselves to notice, the young noble had spotted another pony who appeared to be one of their own kind lying upon the edge.

The first thing Solon notices about her is her impressively loose blue hair that flows down past her shoulders, ending in a smooth and even curl. Further examination reveals the stunning crystal cuirass upon her chest and elegant glass horseshoes that go over and above her hooves creating an exotic and almost royal look that he finds intriguing. Across her rear flank is perhaps the most elaborate cutie mark he has ever seen – a decorative black cover below a white crescent moon. Forgetting about the insolence of his guards, Solon calls out towards the mysterious unicorn.

"Greetings my lady, may I ask what has brought you to such a place of woe tonight?"

Luna hadn't been paying attention and jolts up to her feet in surprise. Her sudden reaction ends Zephyr and Sky Sparkles conversation and they leap forward to defensive formation, though it is far too late to ever have a hope of defending Solon from real danger. He notices that too.

"What do you want?" asks Luna with a hint of fear, waving her horn around, "I can protect myself you know."

Solon stops walking forward, and sensing her discomfort he bows slightly.

"Easy, fellow unicorn," assures the regal navy pony, "we are a patrol sent from Castle Nightstar to investigate the meteor impact. Are you alright miss?"

His concern comes from the fact that this unicorn could possibly be living outside the castle and be in fact a victim of the strike. On the other hoof, Luna appears to realize she is in no immediate danger and relaxes.

"I'm…fine," she manages awkwardly, unsure of how to react to mortal ponies.

"It is proper then that we shall be introduced," declares Solon, asserting his authority, "I am Solon Nightstar, son of Magnus, the Lord of Nightstar Castle."

Luna appears cautious, but decides to proceed.

"I'm Luna," she answers, betraying a hint of shyness. Having never encountered a male pony before, her behaviour came subconsciously.

"Luna," repeats Solon, as if admiring the name, "well my lady it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Unexpectedly the navy unicorn steps forward and grabs Luna's left hoof. She has half a mind to pull it away in indignity, but before she can decide he lowers his head and kisses her slipper in courtesy. The gesture makes her feel kind of… warm inside. Nopony apart from Celestia has ever shown her this much respect. She likes him immediately.

"Now, may I ask what brings you to such a loathsome setting?"

The princess of the moon looks around quickly a few times, to make sure Discord or Dream aren't lurking nearby watching her (when living with such siblings, you never know when to expect a trick) and then opens up completely.

"This is all my sister's fault," complains Luna passionately, "I told her not to go into mother's room without permission but it was hopeless. She touched the orb, and its spell grabbed us and dropped us out here. I tell you, Dream is lucky we didn't get hurt."

Solon found this outburst somewhat confusing, so he questioned her.

"Luna, do you mean that you and your sister are the fallen star? That it is the result of the failure of a spell?"

"Yes," answers the princess of the moon with confidence, "when mother finds us out here I'm going to tell her blame my sister because this mess is all her fault."

The noble's heart sank a little upon discovering that there isn't anything valuable about the 'sign' he had so eagerly volunteered to seek out. It's starting to look like this whole mission is a waste of time… but this unicorn, she is definitely something different.

"Luna," begins Solon, "this 'mother' you speak of… do you live in a large castle with her?"

"Of course," replies Luna immediately, as if it is a moot point.

Ah that settles it, she must be a Lector.

Solon is somewhat familiar with their order, given that a while ago one of the gifted unicorns from their castle had been initiated into one of their monasteries. His father had been loathe to see Sunlight Sparkle go, for her talents could be very useful in helping them raise the sun and the moon, but unfortunately it was an unchangeable part of her family's heritage to become a lector and leave home. By contrast, her brother had ended up as one of the next-to-useless guards in his entourage. Talk about black and white.

"Well then sister Luna, if you are without quarters I would kindly offer you a place to stay within our castle walls," continues Solon, "one cannot be too careful with all the dangers there are about in these woods."

Luna appears unsure.

"I don't know… if mother comes back and finds my sister and I missing we'll be in even more trouble," muses the princess of the moon.

"She will know of our castle," reassures Solon, "we can send word once we arrive."

The thought is somewhat reassuring to Luna, though in the back of her mind she worries about Dream's fate. Solon said there are dangerous creatures out here… what if one of them got her? Then it is her fault, Luna reasons, and she'll be in even more trouble once mother arrives at this 'Castle Nightstar'.

"Alright," answers the princess after some thought, "…I'll go back to your palace with you."

"Hold it horn-heads!"

The shout came from the clouds above, and immediately all four unicorns (one at least in appearance) turn their faces to the sky towards the source.

"Pegasi," mutters Zephyr under his breath.

Three pegasus ponies had left the cover of their puffy domain and are circling above menacingly, no doubt hoping to assert their dominance. It's a technique that only works against easily intimidated ponies, and Solon had long ago ceased to fear their kind – or 'flappers' as they are less affectionately called sometimes.

Halting in a mid-air hover, the militant pegasi formed a semicircle above the crater with the most senior of their number occupying the centre. All were dressed in the cloth-bound attire of the Sky Guard, the trained soldiery of Cloudsdale. Any confrontation involving them isn't going to end well.

"Hear me unicorns," spoke up the senior pegasus, her yellowish coat and flowing dark blue hair distinguishing her as one of their race's small number of elites, "I am Lt. Pridewing of the Pegasi. This meteor hath fallen from our sky… and hence I claim it in the name of my husband, Commander Hurricane."

Luna instinctively backs up from the aggressive speech, recognizing fighting words when she hears them (when you live around someone like Dream… you know). Oppositely, Zephyr and Sky Sparkle step forward to protect and block Solon from an impending attack. As it turns out, they only get in his way.

"Get out of the way," commands Solon with annoyance, and they obey allowing the unicorn lord's son to get to grips with this new foe.

"Charming… the horn-head can't even control his own servants," comments Pridewing with a sneer.

"Be careful how to speak to us, flapper," calls out Solon threateningly, "you are impeding upon the rightful land of my father, Lord Magnus of Nightstar Castle."

Solon knows full well the crater is as useless to them as it is to the pegasus demanding it, but he is not one to turn down an obvious challenge from one so in need of a lesson in manners.

"A noble?" replies Pridewing with anticipation, "what a perfect chance for me to put your kind back in their place."

The hostility in the atmosphere is overwhelming, not only between the two ponies of status but also amongst the guards of either party who looked ready to rip each other to pieces. This isn't something Luna is accustomed to at all, and it is deeply disturbing to her.

"Very well then," shouts Solon, "in the name of my family I challenge you pegasus to defend your honour in personal combat."

Lt. Pridewing lands on the ground and makes her way towards him, stopping a few metres away. Across her face is a look of longing for combat. Having fought every minute of every day since her birth, she is very accustomed to it and good at. Private Pansy she is no more, and has not been for many years (Fluttershy didn't get her future interpretation spot on).

"Just what I was waiting for. In the name of my husband and lineage I answer your challenge unicorn."

The guards of both factions withdrew to make room for the coming duel, with Sky Sparkle ending up right next to Luna as she observes everything that is happening with dread.

"What's going on?" questions Luna, "what are they doing?"

"It's a personal challenge miss," answers Sky Sparkle, "tis the province of nobles to defend their honour… well above the likes of us."

Growling hatefully and walking in circles around each other, Solon and Pridewing both keep their eyes open for an important weakness to exploit. The unicorn is equipped with well fashioned and heavy plated armour, with everything but his joints and parts of his face covered, while the pegasus is more lightly clothed but carries a nasty hoof-blade on her front left foot.

As the duel commences in earnest Pridewing leaps into the air and swoops at Solon, extending her partially extended blade toward his head. The surprise attack strikes a shoulder plate, knocking him back a step and leaving a nasty dent. Angered, the unicorn whirls around and sends a weak bolt of lightning towards his opponent. Disappointingly, the attack misses and skitters off into the air.

"Is that the best you can do?" taunts the pegasus as she lands several metres away in front of a tree. Her breathing isn't even elevated, a testament to her hard training.

Solon growls and lowers his head. Kicking the ground with one of his feet twice, he charges forward with the intent of impaling her on his horn. The attempt goes awry when Pridewing leaps into the air at the last second, not only causing his clumsy attack to miss but giving her the opportunity to kick his behind on the way past with her back feet, driving him straight into the tree. His horn lodged in the hardwood, Solon struggles frantically to pull it out.

"Need some help horn-head?" jabs Pridewing yet again, circling back around to finish him off.

Diving towards him from the side, the pegasus connects her back foot with his armoured chest both dislodging Solon from the tree and knocking the wind out of him. Propelled backwards, the helpless unicorn is knocked on his back.

"w-when do they stop?" asks Luna in fear. That poor unicorn is being beaten senseless in there.

"Until one of them can fight no more," replies Sky Sparkle with actuality, "which usually occurs when one or both of them die."

A fight to the death? Luna can't help but think of how barbaric such a thing is. If only Dream were here, she would know what to do…

"Are you ready to give up yet, or do I have to run you through first?" asks Pridewing with malice as she hovers above her opponent's prone form. With a slight tap of her hoof she extends her hoof-blade to its full length. No more play time.

"Try this!" shouts Solon, and he forms his magic into a reaching claw. It snaps forward and grabs the pegasi's foot, causing her to cry out in shock. With a wrench of his horn he tosses her across the field and into the blackened crater. Her fur is quickly covered with dirt and soot.

As Pridewing gathers herself and leaps back up over the lip, her eyes meet Solon again only this time they are blanketed by rage.

"That reminds me," states Solon through rasping breaths, "father gave me a message to give to your 'commander'."

Shamelessly, the unicorn turns his back to Pridewing and lifts his tail, giving her a perfect view of his rear end. Sky Sparkle and Zephyr guffaw with laughter at the insult, and Luna almost giggles too despite the potentially deadly situation. Pridewing's guards growl with hate, though they restrain themselves as is required for honourable contest.

Snarling, Pridewing takes off back into the air. Solon is ready for her move and turns around, charging up his horn for another attack. Expectedly the pegasus circles around and dives towards him at high speed. Prepared, the unicorn sends a rapid collection of power bolts her way. Astonishingly they miss one after another as Pridewing using her supreme agility to dodge them. Solon is hastily preparing another spell when his opponent extends a blade and slashes his face. The helmet absorbs most of the blow, but the sharpened edge connects with his exposed eye leaving a long and slender cut. The unicorn cries out as his helmet is ripped from his head and thrown aside, Pridewing's hoof-blade still embedded within in it.

Coming back around, the pegasus lieutenant notices she has been disarmed… but that it also doesn't matter since her blow definitely connected. The unicorn is on the ground sobbing and has both his hooves to his left eye, which is covered in blood. If she's lucky the bastard is blind, but Pridewing isn't about to be satisfied with simply weakening her opponent… she wants payment for insults given.

Charging at Solon the pegasus pounds his back with her hooves, only exasperating his cries of pain. Wanting him to suffer, she pounds him repeatedly with her bare hooves until he ceases to make a sound. Looking down at his dented and dirty armour, the steady rise and fall of his chest is the only indication her opponent is still alive at all. Assured in her victory, Pridewing slowly strides over to Solon's front and looks down upon him. The unicorn is broken, and barely opens his remaining good eye to acknowledge her presence.

"You look dirty," comments Pridewing with a villainous smile as she stands over her defeated opponent. Turning around until her rear end is right above him, she lifts her tail.

"I think you need a shower."

Luna's stomach churns with disgust. Is that pegasus about to do what she thinks it is about to do?

Fortunately those gathered would never find out, as right at the moment Pridewing is most exposed Solon takes the opportunity to strike. Leaping forward with the last of his strength, the unicorn snaps his jaws around one of her back legs. The pegasus cries out in pain and rage, and flails around in an attempt to dislodge him from her hamstrings. Finally succeeding, she plants a hoof right between his shoulder blades. Totally spent, Solon collapses to the ground and begins crawling away from his enraged assailant.

Pridewing turns away from the unicorn for a moment to examine the injury to her left back leg, discovering a few minor cuts where his teeth had bored into her flesh. Incensed beyond measure, her training kicked in to suppress the bloodlust. Turning towards the helpless unicorn, the elite pegasus glowered at him.

"Leave… leave before I KILL YOU HORN-HEAD!"

That admission was taken by the unicorn guards as the end of the challenge, and both Sky Sparkle and Zephyr rushed forward to attend their fallen charge. Luna followed more slowly… she is very pale and had nearly fainted throughout the ordeal. With the end of the fight, she began to recover and her instincts to help another pony in need kick in.

"Your eye my lord," stated Sky Sparkle with fear, "It's all swelled up, I don't know if the surface is cut or not."

"Give me your tabard," commands Princess Luna, desperate need bringing out her assertive side.

Hastily, the unicorn guard obeys. Instinctively she rips away his armour to check for wounds underneath, and is not surprised to see multiple fray marks and bruises but nothing too serious or life threatening.

"Can you walk?" asks Luna, not thinking about anything else.

"I…I…can… I," Solon responds, but his attempts to rise are fruitless.

"We'll need to carry him back to the castle," remarks Zephyr, unsure of what else to do but watch.

Barely registering the comment, the princess of the moon looks all over Solon to access his physical state. He is covered in dirt, blood and sweat… none of which she can stand.

"We have to wash him," declares Luna.

"But where are we going to find any water?" asks Zephyr, "the nearest river is kilometres away."

Looking upwards, Luna eyes a nearby cloud. She could use the rain to clean him. Sending a part of her own power into the sky, she draws upon her magic to evoke a rainstorm of the most ferocious calibre. The small cloud expands into a massive mass of thunder until it covers the whole sky, and just as suddenly rain begins to pour.

Feeling the coolness of the rain, Solon opens his good eye. Above him is the smooth, caring face of the unicorn he had gone through all this effort to save. Even in all this pain, he can't help but notice what a miracle of beauty she is. Maybe this quest is worth it.

"…Luna…" Solon whispers weakly, and she smiles at him, covering both his eyes with the now drenched tabard.

…

"Did you see that?" calls out one of the Sky Guards as the trio of pegasi flies higher and higher to escape the rain, "that unicorn changed the weather!"

The guard nearest to him replies.

"Yeah Lieutenant, we should kill her for interfering with our domain!"

"Shut up," shouts Pridewing, clearly not in the mood to be pressured about anything.

"Say, why didn't you kill that runt anyway? He clearly deserved it," commented the first guard, clearly wanting blood just as bad as his compatriot.

"Because you idiot, it would start another war," explains Pridewing with irritation, "it's Hurricane's orders, and if you don't like it then you can take them up with him!"

The reality is that the pegasi can't afford another war with the unicorns, and sparing the young noble's life in defeat achieved both Pridewing's need for vengeance and her kind's need for peace. Too many pegasi had died in the last war – she had seen it – and despite her anger she had no intentions of returning to those times again.

Unless those horn-heads start it that is…

Comments

[onyxclang]

I'm loving this so far.

[McKnight93]

Hmm, Intresante.