Letters from North Everfree

by FriscoPony

Chapter 9

Two days passed quickly in our temporary camp. We didn’t expect the weather to cooperate so well, more-a-less how much time it would take for us to become undercover stealth alicorns. 5 of us would be sent on this mission, some of them not even being fully alicorn: Me, Spitfire, Cloud Storm, Universae, and Asteroid Run. Since the 3 of us lone pegasi didn’t have horns, we had to do something which we thought was rather naïve. We had to mold clay around Universae’s horn (a brief lesson for him in humility might I add) and then make the first mold of the next clay, and then it would be temporary our horn created by magic, but it was only temporary. We were then taught some temporary spells which were taught to us by Cloud Storm, the former trainee for the stealth alicorns before he and his aunt, Princess Marina, were exiled from Atlantis. At last, the day came. We were going to overthrow King Typhoon and restore power to Princess Marina to calm the seas between here and Equestria, and finish one half of the threat to Equestria and get one step closer to ending this war.

The flight to Atlantis was a rather solemn one; it was quiet and peaceful as we flew over island after island, until at last we caught sight of a large energy shield around a city. The city was made up of towers made of water, literally, water. It was spectacular as you could clearly see the water flowing through the buildings and then being released in a waterfall back down towards the ocean. The castle was the most incredible of them all, as it was counted to have 45 waterfalls, 5 large ones at the base, and the other 40 being smaller streams from certain areas of the castle, including 5 small ones at the peak of the central tower.

The uniforms that we stole from the alicorns had proven successful as we were allowed to pass through the shields of Atlantis with next to no suspicion (possibly because it was night time and everypony was fast asleep) of something going astray; Little did the citizens of Atlantis know that there was a standing army in the nearby islands. As a backup plan, the Celestia and the Reignaria were sent to a nearby gulf, hidden by a large dormant volcano. They would begin firing long broadside towards the city if the plan failed.

At last our hooves touched down on the first floor of the castle. We removed our hoods and immediately pulled out castle blueprints and plotted which way to go. “So,” he began pointing at the castle map, “we are here right now.” He pointed to the base of the castle where the platform was, he then drew his hoof up towards the top of the castle, in a large room, no sign of the throne. “Here is where King Typhoon is, which is also where we find the crown of Neptune, which is said to control the seas of the world. As judging by the typhoon we encountered when we came into Marina,” he said rolling up the map, “That power has been abused.”

“So what do we do?” asked Spitfire still looking around the large display of water.

“Well,” he said, “We all meet up at the doors to the throne room, but we take 3 different staircases. Spitfire, you and I will go up the main staircase which is similar to the stairs back at Canterlot, up a main, then two sides split, then another main, and so forth.” Cloud Storm then turned and looked at Asteroid Run. “Asteroid,” he said pointing at a smaller spiral staircase towards the grand hall in front of the throne room, “You will go up this staircase. You’re a fairly athletic stallion, so I think this should be a piece of cake for you.”

“Understood,” he said with a nod.

“And you Ace,” he said looking at me, “You will have the job of going up the guards stairwell which is right behind that corner to the left.” He then pointed to a large door which had two guards standing and watching for any pony that was of high military rank. “Stealth alicorns are normally the most respected leaders, so you should have no problem on here; however, if you run into a stealth alicorn, kill him quickly and silently. Use the hidden knife if you have to, but make sure that no pony sees the body, understood?”

“I understand sir,” I said with a nod.

“Good,” he said. “Good luck everypony.”

With that, we all pulled our hoods back over our faces and headed towards our respected stairwells. As Cloud Storm had said, I didn’t have any problem getting into the stairwell as the guards quickly opened the doors to let me pass. I didn’t nod, nor say anything, I simply trotted by. I waited for the doors to close before I began a fast gallop up to the top of the stair well. I had the sight of the mare and what she said on my mind as I began to see the top.

“You will be free.”

I had a promise to keep to the citizens of Aquarius, and it only filled me with more determination to find King Typhoon and end his reign over the seas. On my way up though, something was definitely not right. There were no other guards, just the ones at the door. “Wasn’t this supposed to be the guard’s staircase?” I thought to myself as I continued my way up. “If this is the guard’s staircase, then where are all of the guards? Something is not right here, but I hope I’m wrong about my suspicions or else we are all in serious danger.”

At last reaching the top of the staircase, I found myself surrounded by the sights of waterfalls in the great hall before the throne room. The hall was decorated with waterfalls, windows, and water flowing through its walls. “It is beautiful,” I said as I looked around the hall. “Even Canterlot isn’t this amazing, no wonder King Typhoon wanted to live in a castle like this.”

“Indeed,” called Cloud Storm trotting towards me from the main staircase. Spitfire followed close behind and smiled at the sight of me. I couldn’t but to smile back. Asteroid Run eventually finally met us as well at the entrance to the great hall. “Alright everypony,” he said as he looked forward at the doors at the end of the hallway. “This is it, we do this quickly, and then we get out before anypony notices what’s going on here.”

“Understood sir,” we said as we began the long trot down the hall. Spitfire looked at me with the expression of a smile. Even though we had masks on over our faces, it was still obvious that she was smiling.

“It would be amazing to be married in here,” she said looking around the halls as we trotted, “To be surrounded by all of this water, so much life in this room, it’s so romantic just to think about it.”

“Romantic,” chuckled Asteroid Run, “That’s a word I never expected to hear come out of your mouth.”

“Yea well just remember Asteroid Run, I am your squad leader, so I’d watch your tone towards me, got it?” she said with a growl in her tone.

Asteroid Run then straightened up quickly. “Yes ma’am,” he said as he continued the walk down the hall. At last, we arrived at the giant doors. The doors had large waterfalls running through them, as underneath them they would continue on to be one of the waterfalls found pouring from the throne room from the outside. You could tell when the throne doors were open by the waterfall number coming from the throne room: 4 meant the doors were closed, 5 meant that the doors were open. I was sure that back inside of the gulf, everypony on the ships was watching this very closely. “Alright everypony,” said Cloud Storm with his hooves on both of the doors, “On your toes, we don’t know what to expect.”

I could only stand ready for a fight, as I knew that if King Typhoon was behind these doors, it was going to be a long brawl with however many guards were in there. The doors then swung open to a room which was surrounded by a dome of water which was flowing a rate where you could see the stars and here the surrounding waterfalls from the outside. It was a spectacle to behold, and in the center of the room stood the throne. The throne itself was in the shape of spouts of water emerging from the very heart of the castle, but there was a problem: where was Neptune’s crown, and where was King Typhoon?

“Where are you Typhoon?” called Cloud Storm throwing off the stealth alicorn uniform. “I know you’re here.”

Immediately, the doors behind us slammed shut.

“Something tells me we are not alone,” said Asteroid Run looking around at the water, but as if things couldn’t get any worse, they did.

“So,” said a dark voice that boomed around the room, “You have returned to your beloved home Cloud Storm. I congratulate you on your bravery.”

“I would like to have my home back actually, and my aunt kind of wants her crown back as well,” he said looking around the room.

“Yes, yes of course,” said the voice in a more mocking tone. “But then again, I do like this crown, and I enjoy my dominance over the seas. I have created so much beauty out in the oceans until you Equestrians had to ruin my perfect storm.”

“You almost got us all killed,” roared Spitfire getting closer to me. I then put my hoof around her, even though she was trying to be brave, I could still feel that she was simply petrified with fear.

“HA!” mocked the voice. “How cute, you have to have your precious love protect you from me? How sweet, it is a pleasure that you two will be able to perish together.”

This made me angry, “Enough games,” I said looking up towards the center of the dome. “Show yourself.”

“Oh very well,” said the voice. Immediately the water which surrounded the glass dome ceased to flow as it then became nothing more than a glass dome looking around at the city of Atlantis. Then, the water came crashing down upon the throne, and it began to form the shape of a stallion. As it took more form, the stallion showed to be quite strong and muscular. He was a navy color, and had silver hoofs. His eyes were a deep crimson, and he had fangs revealed from his snout. His hair was pitch black and freely flowed. Upon his head sat the crown, and in his left hoof he held Neptune’s trident, the very tool which is said to control the oceans of the earth. He merely smiled at us evilly as we stood in fear, and anger.

“King Typhoon,” said Cloud Storm stepping towards the throne, “You’re reign over my homeland, and the seas have ended. Surrender now and you will be spared death.”

King Typhoon merely laughed in his anguish. “You really think that I am going to give up my throne? My high place among the seas?” He then looked down and began shaking his head. “You poor Equestrians, you simply do not understand what it takes to run a vast and beautiful empire such as this. More a less, you’re country itself is pathetic. You worship the sun, and Celestia does not protect her subjects, which is why you should have been eliminated.”

“Our country is stronger than you and King Inferno’s powers combined,” said Asteroid Run angrily shaking his hoof at King Typhoon.

“Enough,” he said pointing the trident at Asteroid Run. Immediately water shot out of the trident and propelled Asteroid Run through the dome at such a velocity, that he broke through, and began a long plummet down. Spitfire and I could only watch in horror.
“Asteroid!” I called galloping towards the edge. Immediately I saw that he had used the momentum to his advantage as he began his flight back up.
“Don’t worry I’m fine,” he called as he began his flight up. “Get that crown!”
I then looked at King Typhoon and began charging at him. He merely glared.
“You foolish stallion,” he called as he shot magic from the trident. I merely opened my wings and dodged one shot of magic after another. “You really think merely dodging me will do you any good?”
“Watch out Ace!” called Spitfire as she quickly made a move towards King Typhoon. Typhoon was swift to notice this, as he turned the trident toward spitfire, and shot her up to the roof of the dome. It had simply so much force that she rammed the top, leaving a crack, and then plummeted down, landing with a giant crack. I heard a small moan of pain as she began to get up, but King Typhoon then immediately pinned her down.
“Spitfire!” I called as I galloped towards her, but King Typhoon was merely too fast, as he summoned magic so strong, that it immediately pinned me down to the floor and quickly began to drown me. King Typhoon merely smiled in his moment of victory as he turned the trident towards Spitfire. Cloud Storm was imprisoned within the throne with water wrapping around his hoofs so he couldn’t move; and Universae was nowhere to be found.
“You are such a beautiful mare,” he said brushing her mane with the trident. “It is a shame that you must die now.” He then lifted the trident up to impale her wide open. I was sure that this was the end.
“NO!” I screamed begging mercy, but then when all hope seemed lost-
“Hey, Storm boy,” called Universae diving in from above the dome, “You forgot something!” He then charged through the glass, and pinned down Typhoon as Neptune’s crown immediately rolled from his head, and the trident flew in the direction of Cloud Storm. Universae then held Typhoon up by the back, and strangled him so he couldn’t move. Cloud Storm was swift to respond to this as he grabbed the trident breaking the water shackles around his hooves. “Do it now!” he said.
Immediately summoning all of his magic and combining it with the magic of Neptune’s trident, he fired a strong ball of energy towards King Typhoon. The blast in itself was so strong that the glass dome was quickly destroyed, and the top of the castle from the flag pole crumbled down towards the water canals surrounding the castle. “NOOOO!” roared Typhoon as the energy ball quickly vaporized him leaving a small gem in the center where he once stood. The gem was in similar style to the way that the gem which possessed the soldiers was. Cloud Storm walked up to it, and picked it up. “This is for everyone that you imprisoned, this is for my aunt Marina, but most importantly, this is for me.” He then threw the gem down onto the floor of the castle, and stomped on it with his hoof. Immediately a dark radiating pulse flew out from the gem, and then a bright light radiated from it, and the light captured the trident, and made it vanish. The light also restored the top of the castle as if nothing had happened, and the shield surrounding Atlantis immediately fell, as the stars of the night twinkled above. The threat from Marina was finally over. Cloud Storm then immediately picked up the crown, and placed it on the throne.

“Spitfire!” I called galloping over to her side and holding her.
She opened her eyes and smiled. “Don’t worry,” she said smiling, “I’m ok, and it’ll take more than this to kill me.”

I smiled lightly, trying to hide a tear that was beginning to roll down my cheek. Universae and Asteroid Run then trotted over to us as well. “Is that a tear I see there Lieutenant,” teased Universae.

I only smiled, “Oh shut up,” I laughed. “The whole place is surrounded by water so I might as well shed some too.”

Just then a bright light quickly filled the throne room. It shone with radiance and a bluish aurora. From it emerged Princess Marina, a white alicorn with a mane completely made of water and flowing freely through the air. She had a smile on her face as Cloud Storm walked over to her. “Aunt Marina,” he said smiling.

Princess Marina then smiled back at him and hugged him. “Hello Cloud Storm,” she said with a smile. She then looked over at us. We immediately bowed down.

“Princess Marina,” I said.

Marina smiled. “Thank you for restoring my country,” she said as she placed the crown back atop her head. She then used her magic to reverse the flags from the image that King Typhoon had created, back to the original flag, a blue flag with an image of two waves approaching a seagull. “My military has also returned back to normal as well, so you will have them to work with you as well,” she said.

Cloud Storm smiled. “Thank you Aunt Marina.”

“No,” she said, “Thank you Cloud Storm.” She then turned to look at us. “Thank you Equestrian Royal Guards, I am forever grateful.”