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Chapter 8

“Sword Shift.” Bluewater looked at his General, trotting in circles as the mare closed the gilded door. His disheveled mane painted the picture of a pony about to suffer a nervous breakdown. “We are losing, aren’t we?”

Sword Shift looked around. What yesterday had been the most excessive oaken table she had ever seen lay now in splinters, smashed with one of her lord’s golden statues. Silken, tacky-colored curtains had been ripped to shreds in one of Bluewater’s infamous tantrums, letting the afternoon sunlight fill the wasteland excess that once stood as a proud office.

“Yes, sir. Flutterblade and her… Rabble have bested Pinkie Sai and they are coming to this office right now.” Sword Shift bowed and inspected her sword.

Lord Bluewater looked at his reflection in one of his statues. Sighing deeply, he turned again. “Well, then it’s time to be a hero, General.”

Sword Shift walked to one of the multiple ornamental panoplies that decorated the walls of Bluewater’s office. “Should I get your armor ready, my Lord?”

Bluewater glanced at Sword Shift, a brow rising in question. “What are you talking about, Sword Shift?”

“Well,” the mare said. “You said that it is time to be a hero, so I guess that means that you’re going to…”

“Absolutely not!” Bluewater scoffed in disgust. “Do I look like a barbarian to you, Sword Shift? Why do I pay you? When I say that it is time to become a hero, I’m talking about you! You’re going to get out of this room and give your life fighting against Flutterblade while I prepare to abscond. I’m way too powerful and important to die in the hooves of mere lowlives!”

Sword Shift ran her hoof through her mane. “Sir, with all due respect, that’s not the Neighponese way.”

“I don’t care about the Neighponese way, Sword Shift! There are plans in motion! Neighpon won’t matter anymore when Lord Silencio wins the war!” Bluewater punched a tea table in fury.

“But…”

“I’m not hearing you die horribly in Flutterblade’s hooves, Sword Shift, and that means you’re not following my orders, so… GO. OUT. AND. DIE.” Bluewater threw a rice bowl. Even though Sword Shift dodged it by a hair’s breadth, she couldn’t avoid being showered in rice soup.

Biting her own tongue, the warrior turned her back to Bluewater. “So be it, my Lord. I hope you find an honorable death. Preferably soon.” Sword Shift readied her sword and left the room.

Meanwhile, in the mighty city of Neighasaki, a black stallion with a crooked horn sat in a throne reading a letter. His green eyes drifted from line to line in contempt, clearly not interested in what he was reading.

Trying to find a more comfortable position in his throne, he gazed across the giant room made of crystal. Twenty guards stood stoically, clad in black and blue armor, spears at ready, waiting for their lord to end his court. They reflected and reflected and reflected on the walls, giving the illusion of an endless army, truly a vision of magnificence.

Finally, in a flash of magic, the stallion crumpled the letter he was reading and picked another from the pile by his side. He started reading again, only to be interrupted by a quiet cough. Scanning the room with a furious scowl, he fixed his eyes in one of his guards, who promptly fell on his knees. With an almost paternal gaze, the black stallion put his hoof to his lips and shushed. The guard rose again, his cheeks burning in shame, and his lord turned his attention to the letter once again.

Clop. Clop. Clop. Clop. Clop. Clop. A soft stepping noise approached the throne room. The black stallion tore the letter in fury and lifted his eyes to the giant crystal door. A powder blue mare, dressed in a purple silk kimono and a conical hat, with a turquoise sword sheathed by her side, approached with a slow and confident gait.

One of the guards approached the mysterious mare intent on stopping her. The mare unstrapped her sword and threw it to the guard, who caught it by the sheath. The rest of the guards started moving, but their lord lifted his hoof and made them stop.

With a smirk, the mare continued walking, enjoying the tinkling sound of every step on the crystal floor. When she reached a respectful distance to the black stallion, she took a letter from inside her kimono with her teeth, left it on the floor and kneeled.

The Lord lifted it in a gray telekinesis field, ripped the seal and started reading. It was a short message: Lord Silencio, Flutterblade is coming for you. I know her. I know her weaknesses. I can kill her.

Lord Silencio folded the letter and left it in the right arm of his throne. Then, he opened his mouth and started talking in a deep, rumbling voice: “Who are you?”

Before the surprised faces of the guards, the blue mare smiled. “My Lord, I am the Great and Powerful Illusive. Will you hear my plan?”

Lord Silencio nodded slowly. “Start talking.”

“… And then you add lots of sugar and leave it distilling for two days, so…” Rainbow Smash stopped her strategy talk as soon as she stepped on the great hallway before Bluewater’s room.

Sword Shift was waiting patiently, dressed in her best armor, although without the helmet. Elegant rings of shiny, spotless metal protected her barrel, and violet padded cloth covered her four legs while still being flexible enough to fight. A metal skirt with engraved filigrees shielded her haunches. Her eyes passed quickly, analyzing the five mares before her. She sighed.

“This one is mine, girls.” Rainbow Smash stepped forward. “Hey, little fox, tired of hiding under Bluewater’s skirt?”

“I’m tired of lots of things, Smash. One of them is your attitude.” Sword Shift fixed her gaze on Rainbow’s eyes.

“Careful, little fox, you’re way out of your zone of comfort now.” Smash clashed her hooves with a confident smirk.

“Maybe, Smash, maybe,” Sword Shift shook her head. “But I must not allow you to cross this hallway, so I don’t think that matters anymore. Will you be the one to fight me? Will you all fight me at the same time?” Sword Shift unsheathed her sword and stood on her hind legs clenching her teeth. “I would give you a talk about honor and fighting one on one, Smash, but I don’t think you understand the meaning of those words. After all, you’re not a soldier.”

Sword Shift snorted, pulling Rainbow Smash’s trigger. The brawler charged with a powerful thrust of her legs. Before the General could even react, Smash punched her on the face, making her crash on the wall.

Curiosity winced in sympathetic pain. “Well, that was anticlimactic.” She turned her back to the downed mare to watch the faces of her companions, at least until the clinking sound of two hoofs in armor clashing on the floor caught her attention again.

“Princess, we haven’t even started.” Sword Shift stood up, using her hoof to clean a little rivulet of blood from her muzzle. “My question stands, Smash. Will you fight me alone or will you all fight me at the same time?”

“Are you crazy?” Rainbow Smash looked dumbfounded. “I almost made you paint that wall red, and you want to fight us all?”

“Sincerely, Smash? What I want is to leave and let you kick Bluewater’s ass.” Sword Shift pointed with a little movement of her neck to the door. “However, I’m bound by honor. In fact, I think I’d like to be the one to kick his pompous ass.” Sword Shift chuckled.

“Well, then I’m going to shove your honor up your…”

Sword Shift launched herself forward, and slashed diagonally. A clanking sound, a yellow feather left hovering by Curiosity’s side, and a gasp. Flutterblade stood between Sword Shift and Rainbow Smash, stopping the General’s blade with hers.

“Get out of my sight!” Rainbow pushed Flutterblade. “I told you she’s mine!”

“Um… Sorry…” Flutterblade lowered her sword and walked meekly towards the rest again. “I just wanted to help you…”

“I don’t care! This is my fight now!” Smash scolded, red in fury, and jumped, ready to kick Sword Shift, only to be caught by the General in mid air. Sword Shift turned with surprising strength and smashed Rainbow on the same wall that had seen her own blood.

“Go, Smashie! You have her!” Pinkie cheered. Five mares looked at her incredulously. “… Yay?”

Suddenly, with lightning speed, Sword Shift took her sword again and launched herself towards Rainbow Smash, pushing her to the wall with her left hoof on her throat and her sword pointing at her face.

“Wha…?” Rainbow tried to talk, but another push on her throat made her swallow her words.

Then, Sword Shift punched her in the snout with all her might. “I! AM! TIRED! SMASH!” Punch. “This?!” Punch. “This is how I got my position, and not, as I recall you saying once ‘sucking Bluewater’s underbelly!’”

Three more swift punches made Rainbow Smash bow her head down. Sword Shift tried to slow her own quickened breath too.

Then, she smirked. “You talk way too much, Smash. You talk about things you don’t even understand, and I’m tired of it, so let me tell you a thing I’ve been hiding for way too long. I know what happened. I know why you hate soldiers. I know your father died.”

Rainbow tried to push Sword Shift in fury at the mention of her father, but the General wouldn’t budge. Another push of her hoof left Smash gasping for air. “And, my dear pest, I might even know who ordered the razing of your village.”

“I’m going to kill you! I’m so going to kill you!” Rainbow Smash struggled.

“No, Smash. I’m going to kill you.” Sword Shift pushed harder, menacing to crush Rainbow’s windpipe.

“I release you from your oath of honor!” Curiosity screamed.

Sword Shift stood stiff, turned her head to the Princess, and let Smash fall to the floor. “What?”

“Did I stutter, darling?” Curiosity kept a neutral smile.

“How…?”

“Even if Lord Bluewater is a traitor, he is also one of my father’s ponies. That makes you one of my father’s soldiers, and, though my rank is lesser than his, it is still greater than Bluewater’s. So yes, I am a Princess. It comes with some perks, like this one.”

“Why, Princess? Why would you do that?”

“Sincerely? Because I wanted to stop you from killing Rainbow Smash. Also because you are a powerful enemy, and I needed a way to get you out of the picture.” Curiosity kept her gaze fixed at Sword Shift’s eyes. “But also because I think you were telling the truth. Were you, Sword Shift?”

“What do you mean, Princess?” Sword Shift couldn’t keep her eyes focused.

“You said you wanted to leave and let us defeat Bluewater. Now I am releasing you, so I ask you: Were you sincere? Will you honor what you said and step aside?” Princess Curiosity smirked.

Sword Shift stood still for a second and then started to laugh. “Oh my Goddess! You’re clever, Princess!”

“I am the best at what I do.” Curiosity kept a cocky smile.

“Very well, Princess Curiosity. I’ll step aside, for I would be lying if I did otherwise. You win.” Sword Shift walked towards the stairs.

“Hey! Were are you going?! We’re not finished here!” Rainbow Smash stumbled, trying to get to Sword Shift. “I’m gonna kill you!”

Sword Shift stopped and looked at Smash’ eyes. “Maybe, but it won’t be today, for today you don’t stand a chance. You’re weak. You fight for the wrong reasons. Soldiers are traitors? You’re the one who sells her punches to the highest bidder. So tell you what, Smash: Train, travel, and learn. Become faster, stronger, cleverer. Then find me.”

“Tell me who killed my father!” Rainbow screamed, trying to hide a tear.

“No. Let that be your first lesson in the path of improvement,” said Sword Shift with a smirk while unstrapping her armor. “Repeat with me: ‘If I’m a huge bitch, ponies might be even huger bitches to me.’”

Sword Shift went down the stairs, laughing in delight. Applesake put her arm around Rainbow’s shoulder. “It’ll be ok, riceball.”

Lord Bluewater awaited his unescapable fate. He looked through a window and sighed when he heard the soft creak of the door. Using the reflection of the giant mirror he had installed in front of his table, he combed his mane. If Death was to find him today, then by all means, he would find him as handsome as ever.

The door opened, revealing four battered mares and a very angry princess in front of them.

“Lord Bluewater! You betrayer!” Princess Curiosity stomped as she entered the room. “Your soldiers have been defeated, your servants have fled. There is nopony else who will stand for you! Surrender yourself to the justice of Emperor Magnificent!”

Rainbow Smash leaned her head towards Applesake’s, sniffled, smiled faintly, and whispered: “She’s going a bit over the top, isn’t she?”

Applesake snickered. “Shush, riceball. Let her have her fun.”

“I see, Princess. I’ve been clearly defeated.” Bluewater turned his back on Curiosity. “There is but one thing a pony in my place can do.”

“Yes, Lord Bluewater,” continued Curiosity. “As I said, you should submit to us so we can bring you to Trotkyo.”

“And what? Be judged by your father? As soon as I step on that city there will be a length of rope with my name. No, my princess. If I’m to die, I’ll be the one to take my life.” Bluewater started trotting towards the window.

The blonde Lord jumped through the window, scaring a flock of sparrows that flew in every direction around him as he turned, taking a last look at his pagoda. He closed his eyes and disappeared from the stunned five vision.

“No!” Flutterblade screamed, launching herself in the air towards the window.

“It is no use, darling.” Princess Curiosity put her leg in front of Flutterblade, stopping her. “It is not our fault. He made his decision, maybe to feel like a noble stallion once in his life.”

“That’s not what I mean!” Flutterblade shoved Curiosity’s hoof and galloped to the window. “This is just the first floor!”

The rest of her dumbfounded companions looked at her until they understood. Then, they all ran to the window, just in time to see Bluewater flying in a chariot pulled by two pegasus guards, cackling like a maniac. “Goodbye, my friends! It is a shame we didn’t have enough time to enjoy together!”

Flutterblade opened her mouth, ready to retort. Instead, a loud crash on her side made her cower under the window. A golden statue flew like a missile, leaving a pony-shaped hole on the wall. The swordsmare opened an eye with caution, just in time to see Applesake in a mid-buck position, returning her hooves to the floor. The statue flew true, the reflection of the sun giving it a magical quality, and crashed into the chariot with a loud, splintery sound. Bluewater fell like a rag doll on the thick canopies of the forest.

Four mares looked astounded at Applesake. “What? Ah still had a mite of my power ready and Ah wasn’t gonna let that varmint go free.”

A few minutes later, the five mares left Bluewater’s Pagoda. All around them, people were getting out of their houses, even making the rest of Silencio’s guard flee in panic.

A clap, two, three… And before they could even react, a shower of applause and cheers. Flutterblade tried to hide behind Curiosity, but the wave of happy ponies was overwhelming.

A brown, white-maned mare came closer to the heroes. “Thank you! Thank you for freeing us! We’ve been jailed in our own town for so long, we didn’t have any hope! But I knew Emperor Magnificent would send help! And look, he sent his own daughter!”

Rainbow Smash opened her mouth, but Curiosity trotted forward quickly. “Oh, it is nothing, my dear ponies. My father sent help as soon as he was able, but we could not rush this mission, lest we put you all in danger.”

Somepony screamed in the background: “All hail our saviors! Hip hip!”

“HOORAY!”

Then, loud as thunder, trumpets announced a new arrival. The pony tide opened cautiously, letting Curiosity watch the spectacle. A full company of her father’s soldiers, led by a unicorn mare, marched towards them. In front of them, a tied, battered Bluewater walked, covered in tree sap, his eyes staring at the floor in defeat.

Curiosity trotted with an elegant gait to the leader of the company.

“Company! Ten… Hut!” The soldiers stopped and stood in formation. Their captain walked to Curiosity, smiling. “I’m happy to find you safe and sound, Princess!”

Curiosity scanned her. Purple coat, a dash of pink on her mane and tail, and a shooting star for a cutie mark. And a dashing smile. A bit chubby, and way too cheerful for a soldier, but cute, she thought.

“Even though I take great pride on knowing all of my father’s ponies, I fear I can’t recognize you, darling.” Curiosity bowed slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Princess. I’m not actually a soldier, and certainly not an officer. My name is Nightfall Flare, and I’m Emperor Magnificent’s palace librarian.” Nightfall bowed deeper than Curiosity.

“That explains why you smell of paper and ink, darling. Just… How did you end leading a rescue mission? And how did you learn how to command a full company?” Curiosity watched the soldiers. They stood in perfect formation, and clearly obeyed Nightfall Flare.

“Books, Princess! Everything one needs to know can be found in books!” Nightfall showed her a copy of Drill Order’s Leading a Company for dummies. “As to why I’m leading a full company… Well, I don’t know, but your father is wise, so I guess he had his reasons.”

“Impressive. Well, I think you got here just a bit too late, but all is well that ends well, and this means we’ll be getting home soon.” Curiosity smiled politely.

“Yes, Princess. Actually, your father wants your companions to come with us, too.” Nightfall pointed at Curiosity’s friends.

“Well, we five are together in this fight, so of course they are coming with me. Come on, girls, let us go to Trotkyo!” Curiosity looked at her party.

Applesake trotted to her side, Rainbow Smash made a “meh” sound and followed the earth mare. Pinkie was already there and Flutterblade…

Flutterblade stood in her place, hiding behind her own mane, watching Nightfall Flare with a goofy smile and burning red cheeks.

It was a happy day. Curiosity was coming home at last, after this unexpected adventure, and everything was going to be alright.

Flutterblade had found a mare to her liking.

It was a happy day. It should have been a happy day.

Curiosity couldn’t smile.

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