Re:Harmony

by starcross7

44 - Fallen Bird

Say what you will about Hollow Shades. This forested city-hive of the unruliest earth ponies, donkeys, buffaloes, and bulls was a necessary military and mercenary outpost filled those willing to take in jobs no ordinary pony would do or allowed to do. Slay a dragon? Rates start at 500 bits. Gas an okapi village? 1000 bits.

Lured here by rumors, a brave yellow filly stepped ahead of her two hooded companions towards the main street where loud music and bar fights ran rampant, and drunkards and prostitutes loitered the sidewalks.

"Apple Bloom," said the hooded gray mare who carried a cloth-wrapped cello case on her back. "Please watch out."

A donkey with a pompadour hairdo flew out from the window and lay splayed before the filly. Just as she suspected, she arrived at the Piss Hole, or at least that was what it read. A few of the letters had fallen off, so it might have been named Sprit Hole or something.

The little filly poked her head in and saw two gray mares surrounded by the Grease Assess, all of whom donned leather-like black jackets and greasy hairdos. Each donkey had knives gripped between their hooves, and each one looked as if they received a punch in the muzzle and the eye. On the other hoof, the Unicorn Hunters appeared unscathed and as beautiful as two female bounty hunters could be. They hardly broke a sweat. They were unarmed.

What followed was an outclassed dance between two mares and a gang of donkeys. Bones fractured and broke. Muzzles were bashed in. Hairdos were ruined. Ingrid and Bellamena punched and bucked donkey after donkey and sent them crawling away in painful shame.

"Tell your boss Cranky to ask nicely next time," said Ingrid. The entire gang was gone and rode off to their usual hangout on their growling motorcycles.

At the minimum, the table had been set back up for the Unicorn Hunters, and that was Apple Bloom's cue to finally approach them. The Unicorn Hunters tried to ignore her and her two escorts, and after downing one draught of mid-grade cider, Ingrid finally acknowledged the brave little filly.

"Kid, you're far too young to be here," said Ingrid. "And we're not taking any jobs at the moment."

"Even if it's from the daughter of the most powerful mare in the world?" Apple Bloom pulled back her headscarf to reveal her red mane and her pink bow. No ordinary pony, especially in Hollow Shades, would recognize her, but she knew that the Unicorn Hunters would.

"Especially from a Chancellor's daughter," replied Ingrid.

"I didn't tell you who I am after."

"We're not interested."

"The infamous Rebel Applejack. I've heard that you've tussled with her a few times."

The perceptive filly could read annoyance growing on Ingrid's face, and that was enough to confirm the truth of the Unicorn Hunters' encounter with Applejack. A lot of bounties had been put up for the Rebel for various reasons, but not many ponies were willing to fight against a pony of special interest. Especially when she wielded one of six Elements of Creation.

For a while, Apple Bloom could sense Ingrid sizing her up, with intrigued eyes. If she accepted the job, she would be grateful, but all the same she prepared herself for rejection. She was not surprised when the two sisters rose up from their seats and slapped a few generous bits on the table.

"Go find some other bounty hunter crazy enough to take on Applejack," said Ingrid as she and Bella walked off. "Sister, we shall take our leave."

"I told you not to get mixed up with bounty hunter scum," said Octavia Melody as she and Deep Blue watched the two legendary sisters leave the bar.

"They told us that they were involved with Applejack," said Apple Bloom.

"Those are the Unicorn Hunters: the best of the best. We shouldn't rely solely on them to find Miss Applejack. We can probably gather some information from this town."

"Fine."

It was almost hard to keep Deep Blue covered up in its tattered beige cloak, but hardly anypony paid him no mind while it guarded Apple Bloom like a hawk. Everypony in the bar just assumed it was another hulking draft horse with a silent demeanor and cybernetic attachments.

That left Octavia Melody to make her inquiries, but the sophisticated mare had trouble eliciting any serious answer from the braggarts around the bar, many of whom made unflattering and downright harassing comments about her flank. Apple Bloom kept quiet in her observation with Octavia's interaction with the scum of Gaea, and as prim and proper Octavia was, she appeared to carry herself well in spite of the stallions ogling her.

Those type of ponies did not worry Apple Bloom. The worry was reserved for the small group of ponies in black suits and shades following her ever since they entered Hollow Shades. Two had entered from behind them and sat themselves in a corner, and another pair came in from the back door.

Apple Bloom motioned to Octavia about their pursuers, and while she did not elaborate in her gesturing, Octavia immediately understood her concern. The filly and her two companions immediately left the bar without raising as much suspicion as possible, and just as they expected, the four ponies at the bar continued to follow her and her group down the street. Another suspicious group of ponies in black suddenly blocked them. Their pincer maneuver persuaded Apple Bloom and her companions down an alleyway and into an empty lot between several buildings. At first it seemed like that the Government had found out, but when two of them took off their brimmed hats and dark shades, Octavia's eyes widened.

"It's been a while Octy," said the pale blue stallion.

"Don't you recognize us?" asked the brown stallion. "Ragtime and Kazooie?"

"So it is," said Octavia. "But how..."

"We've been hidin' in this here town for years," said Ragtime. "It looks you three are on the run."

"You could say that."

"Then come with us. We'll catch up on all times, and reminisce about you and your cousin."

"I would, but here's the thing."

"What is it?"

From the covers of her cello case, Octavia drew out an energy-blade weapon that mimicked the appearance of a cellist's bow. A sharp slash cut across Ragtime's chest, and almost immediately his pony visage gave way to black insectoid with a horn and wings.

"Ragtime and Kazooie were already dead," said Octavia. "Executed in secret in Rock Prison."

The charade ended. The group of ponies that were supposed to be allies turned out to be enemies. The Changelings dropped their magical disguise and hissed and snarled before Octavia and her group. In turn, Octavia and Deep Blue threw off their cloaks, revealing a presumed deceased former scientist and a rogue prototype Robopony. Octavia slammed her case to the ground, revealing it to be nothing more than a mechanical weapons case that deployed several mouth and hoof pistols via a retractable rack.

"Apple Bloom," she said. "Go and hide while we take care of these things."

The little filly was brave, but even knew that given her small size, she would not last long in a fight against Changelings or else she would become wounded in the crossfire. That, and Octavia and Deep Blue would be too focused in protecting her instead of fighting the Changelings. At the sound of the first gunshot, Apple Bloom leapt through a hole in a wall and then galloped through several abandoned rooms before jumping through a boarded window that lead out into the street. Shots were being fired in that empty lot, and the clanging metal smashed against hard exoskeleton. Ponies, donkeys, and buffalo ignored the little filly as they stampeded towards the spectacle. Since there were so many, Apple Bloom saved herself from being trampled or spotted by leaping into a covered truck bed filled with guns, more guns, and autoturrets.

"You sure you don't want to see what's going on, sis?" said a voice from the truck's passenger seat.

"One fight is enough for me today," said an older, familiar voice. "This is Hollow Shades, after all."

The truck's engine started, and Apple Bloom found herself rapidly parting from the main streets and eventually the edge of Hollow Shades.

---

This time, Spike kept his eyes open when Twilight fired a magenta blast from her horn. The spell deflected and diffused harmlessly all over the captain's cabin. Still, the shock of surviving caused him to land on his butt, and he finally got a chance to wipe the sweat off his brow. He then took off the chain necklace that had the black crystal ring looped inside of it and placed it on the desk.

"Resistance to Aegis Spear Level 6 successful," said Twilight as she marked a check on her sheet of paper. "How are you feeling, Spike?"

"Even with thick scales and this ring, I still don't like getting hit point blank with a unicorn's spell."

"I hope you'll forgive me for you using you as test subject. I know dragons have a natural magic resistance, so I had to test it on you in case it goes wrong."

"Happy to be your, um, what is it called? Butt monkey?"

"Assistant, Spike, assistant. Where did you get that idea of being a monkey's bottom?"

"One of the books you made me read."

"I should probably read those more thoroughly before I assign them to you."

"So now that we know that this black ring can resist spells, do you know which pony should use it?"

"I'm not sure..."

Twilight had thoroughly thought this over, even when she first had the accursed accessory clamped around her horn. While it stopped her from casting any spells, it had the unintentional benefit of nullifying any magic being directly cast her, and the unicorn had planned to give it to one of her friends as a protection ward.

More than likely, their enemies would target ponies and not their animal friends, but she was not averse to giving the ring to Owlowiscious, Gummy, Winona, or Angel for special missions. Spike didn't need to wear it, because he already had a natural resistance to most forms of magic. She ruled out Pinkie Pie, because with her Pinkie Gear, no ordinary magician would be able to hit a pink blur. She also ruled out Sunny due to her exceptional martial arts skill, even when she was an Earth-Alicorn. Sunny's skill with weather manipulation or Atmos Arts was rapidly improving, and even if Twilight did offer it to her, the Alicorn would refuse.

That left Twilight with choosing between Applejack and Fluttershy. Applejack would be too proud and stubborn to accept a magical ward, and her Sword of Truth was enough to cut and deflect through many spells or artifacts. Fluttershy had her Butterfly Stars, which turned out to be a dangerous ability than anypony had expected. The timid pegasus would not be able to use that ability so readily. Even with her flight and Atmos skills improving under Sunny's tutelage, she was, out of the five, the weakest member of the group.

"I have a feeling that Fluttershy might need it more than us," said Twilight, "considering the nature of her Element's powers."

"I thought so too," said Spike. "Don't want to be on the receiving end of her attack either. She could practically fight forever if she used it freely"

Perhaps that meant Fluttershy would be the strongest member of the group, if pushed to her absolute limit.

"Hey Twi, you in there?" Applejack poked her head inside the cabin. "Pinkie Pie is gonna set up a poker game, and knowin' you, I'd bet you already a few books on playing. Just don't use anything from books about cheatin'."

An idea came over Twilight's head. It wasn't necessary for anypony to wear the black crystal ring right now, but when the time came, a sensible pony would be able to give it to another at times of crisis. Twilight wasn't one for quick thinking, but she was confident that somepony else could make the decision for her. There was no pony other than the one standing at the doorway whom she could trust.

"Applejack," she said as she carried the necklace in her mouth. "I want to give you this."

"Ain't that the black ring those Unicorn Hunters used against you? Why would I need it?"

"Spike and I performed some tests, and we discovered that it can block most magic effects if you wear it, even if it's not attached to a horn."

"Really, Twi, I don't think I need it. I got my Sword of Truth to protect me."

"I know, but I want you hold on to it so you can give it to some other pony in times of crisis."

"Can't you make that decision?"

"I can, but I know I would take too long, so I'm trusting you with the ring. Here."

"Ooh, is Twilight proposing?" Pirate Pinkie suddenly asked just as she suddenly appeared. "I knew it! You two are getting married! When's the wedding date? Are the foals gonna be unicorns or earth ponies? Or maybe you have pegasi genes in both of you. I can't wait to plan the parties!"

"Oh, just give it to Fluttershy!" cried a red-faced Applejack as she pushed the ring away. "She needs it more than I do! And that's my decision!"

The orange pony galloped away, brushing past Pirate Sunny and Pirate Fluttershy who had just finished their morning training.

"Was it something I said?" Pinkie asked. "I'm pretty sure that Applejack and--

Yellow hooves covered the pink one's mouth, and Fluttershy, in spite of her timidness and tenderness, dragged the hyperactive pink pony in the crew quarters. Sunny remained silent over the scene, and neither she nor Spike looked at or stopped Twilight as she galloped over to the cockpit. Here, Applejack forced herself to stay focused at the various instruments she learned from Twilight a few days ago.

"I'm sorry," said Twilight. "I didn't mean to insult you, and Pinkie Pie says she's sorry."

"You know she didn't say it," said Applejack, "and I know she means well. But I'll accept her apology regardless."

"You've been acting weird ever since we escaped the cavern. You wouldn't look at me straight in the eye anymore."

"What are you talkin' about? I'm lookin' at you right now."

"It's like you're trying to avoid me."

"I'm not tryin'. We're just busy with a lot of chores in this here airship, that's all."

"Then can you tell me what's going on with you?"

"Twi, the thing is... there's bogeys at the port and starboard side."

"What?"

"I flipped the radar on for a sec, and we're surrounded by Gaean tanks, jets, bombers and Pegasi Cloudships."

Her answer would have to wait. Twilight immediately pressed the alarm button for battle stations, and immediately Sunny, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and their animal friends summoned themselves before the unicorn and the orange mare.

"AJ," said Pinkie Pie. "About what I said, and Fluttershy told me--"

"I accept your apology," said Applejack. "Gals, the winds are pickin' up, and the mist cover ain't gonna hide us from any longer. Twi, what do you suggest?"

"We increase speed and raise our altitude," said Twilight. "We'll hide in the cumulus layer until we lose them or they lose us."

"We'll be flyin' blind in a cloud storm."

"We'll have to risk it if we ever need to reach the Crystal Mountains in one piece."

Taking the controls, Applejack stepped on the accelerator and pulled up. Even from the front, the ponies and the baby dragon could see the mist cover rapidly disappearing. Soon, they saw nothing but clouds and snow, and even the windshield wipers had trouble maintaining a clear view. Aside from the pounding hail, rain, the thunder, the humming engines, and the creaking hull, it became unnervingly silent.

They were expecting this, but at the same time they weren't expecting it. The airship jolted and started dipping forward and to the right. One important light beeped red, and in Gaean it read "LR ENGINE". The air vessel lost enough altitude to dip back below the cumulus layer.

Here in the Frozen North, they weren't just in a middle of a violent snowstorm, but they were also in a middle of a violent battle. Left and right, pegasi warriors sliced through fighter jets; mighty Romanesque Cloudships fired hail-cannons at the metal airships. Missiles of weather elements countered of exploding missiles of technology. Below, white tanks and giant cannons returned a rain of fire against Pegasopolis's rain of hail and thunder.

The ponies' airship took another hit from starboard, and they could now smell smoke. Two ice-harpoons skewered cockpit from port side, nearly beheading both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. The overhead video surveillance monitors displayed a growing fire located at "RR ENGINE" and two pegasii soldiers breaking into the airship through one of the side hatches.

"We're gonna crash!" Pinkie Pie yelled. "What do we do?"

"We can soften the landing if we maintain this angle and use my magic," said Twilight.

"But what about the intruders?" Spike asked.

"I'll take care of them myself," said Sunny. "Just maintain your course."

"Sunny," said Twilight, "we have to stick together."

The Pegasus-Alicorn reassured her with a lick on the cheek.

"No matter what, you have to survive, Twilight Sparkle. Applejack, please take care of her. I promise that I will catch up."

"Sunny, wait!"

The Pegasus-Alicorn headed out, and Twilight tried to chase after her, but couldn't open the door to the hallway. Sunny seemed to have trapped everypony, but it became apparent that she was protecting them. On the monitors, the pegasi invaders fought with vicious ferocity Twilight had gleamed from her old books and old videos. Their Atmos Arts sent waves of electricity across the cramped hallways and ignited nearby oils, gunpowder, and exposed wires. Sunny could only contain the damage by using her wing-augmented martial arts by knocking them out and pushing of them out of the airship. Eventually, reinforcements arrived, and Sunny was forced to create heavy cloud barrier to push them out. However, the blizzard was too strong for her wings, and the winds swept her overboard. Eventually the surveillance cameras gave out, and all there was nothing but static on the monitors.

"Sunny!" Twilight cried. She wrestled with the door handle once more, and she started to power up her horn to force the cockpit door open. She would have been successful if not for Applejack pulling her back and wrestling her to the ground.

"We can't go back for her!" Applejack cried.

"But she might be--"

"We can't honor her sacrifice if we die now, Sugarcube. I know when a pony makes a serious promise, and I know Sunny will keep hers for sure. We gotta stay the course. The Fourth Element is close."

Twilight dried her tears. Sunny was like another sister to her, albeit excessively doting. Even with her lightheartedness, the white pony had a strong sense of determination that helped Twilight and her group overcome many obstacles. Twilight owed her for saving her so many times. She didn't have to throw herself in danger so many times just for her.

But Applejack was right. Whether Sunny sacrificed herself or not, they had to press on. Twilight got back to her hooves and faced the approaching horizon.

"Keep her steady, Applejack," said Twilight. "Everypony get close. We're in for a rough landing."

Applejack took control of the wheel again, even as all of the airship's functions failed before their eyes. As everypony huddled together, they could even feel the outside of the airship being eaten away by the battle and the blizzard.

Applejack could only control the airship for so long, and soon they were falling. At the moment before impact, Twilight cast a spherical barrier spell around everypony. The airship around them shattered, and in the safety of their magenta capsule, they bounced and tumbled through snow-white desert of the frozen north. When they stopped rolling, Twilight continued to keep up her barrier until she and her friends were safe and sound.

There were no pegasi, and there were no Gaean Military. Just a blizzard.

They were safe. For now.

Comments

[117dragon]

How is this so good, have so many chapters, and not hit the feature page every time it updates? This is top quality stuff here. It just baffles me.
That is all.

[starcross7]

2873823
That would be the beginning of Chapter 32.

[ALIENwolve]

In an instant, suddenly there were pegasi composed entirely of shadow on the ship which Sunny kicked a bunch of times.

That's what I'm getting out of that. It needs more detail.

[Coco-mix]

SUNNY!!! NOOOOOOO

but Im looking forward for rainbow to join the party

[GMZ_Casper]

Well, they just found themselves in a middle of a massively bad situation. Poor Sunny have been taken in an admirable self-sacrifice and we found our heroes in the middle of a wild blizzard. And, it isn't just them...poor Deep Blue and Octavia just lost Apple Bloom in the madness of the Changelings, as she unknowingly hitched on the Unicorn Hunters' ride.

C&Cs:
...and she her Sword of Truth was enough cut through many spells or artifacts.
> Remove ‘she’.
...which turned out be a dangerous ability than anypony had expected.
> Add ‘to’ after ‘out’.
Here in the Frozen North they weren't just in a middle of a violent snowstorm...
> Comma after ‘North”.

[starcross7]

2894227
Fix'd

[kooarbiter]

wow, the grammar on this one is worse than usual, I know this chapter is like a year old, but it wouldn't hurt to go back over it with a fine tooth comb