Chapter 9: Smoke, Snow, Shadows, and Sunshine
Chapter 9: Smoke, Snow, Shadows and Sunshine
As I had promised the citizens of Ponyville, I began my journey at the border of the Crystal Empire. I had thought to myself that if I was to start in any particular location, I would make that start my hometown, so to speak. Not long after Spike and I disembarked from the Friendship Express, we began to think of possible courses to go.
"Seeing as you're apparently the more well-traveled of the two of us, I'm trusting you to lead the way," I told Spike as we sat down, examining the map that the princess had kindly provided us.
"No problem," Spike said with a yawn, looking closer at the map. "We've got plenty of ways we could go about this." He then pointed towards what looked to be an approximation of a cityscape on the northeast corner of the map. "If keep northeast, we'll be able to reach Manehattan in a few days. From there, we could take a boat to Canterbury and trek across the Equestrian Union."
"Equestrian Union?"
As Spike dragged his finger across the map, part of Equestria disappeared into the left border of the map as another continent appeared before us. He spread his fingers apart, bringing more focus to it.
"It's a huge continent off to the East where most of Equestria's allies are," Spike explained, pointing to various regions. "Countries like Canterbury, Trotterdam, and Prance lie there. There's also a few members off southwest, too, which we call the Occident."
"And how exactly do you know all this?"
"Trust me, if you'd have had to live with me and Twilight, you'd learn a lot of things you wouldn't think you needed to know," Spike dryly replied. "Alternatively, we could go Southeast and into the Dark Lands. It's where a lot of Zecora's people live, but I think we'd be better off avoiding it for the time being. A good bit of it is desert, and there's apparently some political problems going on there."
I nodded, and allowed him to continue.
"We could also go West and into North Amareica, but not a lot of ponies have really settled it," the drake continued. "There's also South Amareica, but it's pretty much got the same problem. Not to mention the jungle."
Our options before us, we began to think of possible routes. Eventually, we decided on the first option on the basis of it having the most civilizations. Though it may have been more adventurous to go northwest or southwest and see what we could find, it would probably have been in our best interests to stay in territory that was at least somewhat familiar. After all, it wouldn't be much to write home about if most of our journey was spent wandering through forests and battling with the wildlife.
Our course laid out, we began to proceed through the mountains. Though it wasn't particularly freezing, I could still feel the chill of the mountain air through my clothes. In fact, seeing Spike with nothing but the scales on his hide actually surprised me to some degree. You could say it bothered me, to the point where I couldn't help but pop another question.
"Hey Spike," I asked as I cradled my spear against my shoulders. "How exactly can you stand the cold like that?"
"Oh, that's easy!" Spike chuckled. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'Every dragon has a fire in his heart?'"
"No," I said back. "What does it mean?"
"It means that we can be just as hot on the inside as we are on the outside," Spike said with a smile. "We're made to survive in extremes, hot and cold."
I nodded in acknowledgment as we pressed on. Not but perhaps ten minutes into our travels, and already, I'd learned something about dragon physiology.
Much of the trek through the snow was, as expected, uneventful. That was, until we began to see some darker patches in the sky. A black, cloud-like pillar extended upward from afar, and an ashen smell took the air. It was faint, but still somewhat noticeable through the haze. As one might expect, this strange sight gave us both pause.
"Smoke?" Spike wondered aloud. "Who'd start a fire way up here?"
“No clue," I quipped back "But whoever it is, they might need our help. Let's go investigate."
We nodded to ourselves and ran in the direction of the smoke pillar. As we got closer, the smell of burning filled our noses and narrowly choked us of breath. Discarded pieces of tarp and tent poles laid abandoned in the snow. At the heart of it all was a royal purple earth pony who had made a nest of blankets in front of a large fire. She had a cropped cream mane whose tips had become ashen, and was clad in a bright yellow shawl. The hood was an equally bright scarlet, drooping behind her neck. Judging by the weave, she was a fire mage. She also happened to have a fire axe slung across her back.
"What are you doing this high up, Ma'am?" I called out. "Don't you know how cold it is up here?"
"Not really," snapped the mare, turning to face us. "I have fire spells to keep me warm. And the smoldering remains of a treacherous tent."
"Treacherous?" I parroted, cocking my head. "What makes you say that?"
"It collapsed on me and I almost suffocated," the mare snapped back. "So I returned the favor."
The both of remained silent for a moment.
"Did you tie it down properly?" Spike asked. "Or for that matter, drive the stakes in?"
The purple pony lowered her head with an angry frown. "I knew I forgot something."
The two of us shared a fit of internal laughter before righting ourselves.
"It's nothing, miss," I said, kneeling down as I searched through my pack. "I have a spare tent in here. I'm also on a bit of a journey of my own, and I'd be glad to share them both with you."
"Really now?" the mare replied with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "I was just wondering what you were doing in the mountains. And for that matter, just what you are."
Boy, isn't that the question of the hour?
"Well, I supposed it'd be a good place to start. I'm on a quest to learn about friendship and other such things," I stated simply. "As for what I am, I'm not entirely sure. I'm not a race that most ponies seem to know about. That fact alone is about the extent of my knowledge." I placed a hand to my forehead. "I am Lance Petal, a Knight-Errant from the Crystal Empire."
"I'm not sure what kind of friends you'd make up here," the apparent pyromaniac replied. "Only frost giants, ice demons, and feral griffins are in these mountains. They're more likely to see you as a meal than as a comrade.”
The both of us audibly gulped down a lump in our throats.
“If I were you, I’d keep my lips tight about where you’re from,” she suggested, her eyes scanning from the periphery. “That place hasn’t existed for hundreds—maybe even thousands—of years. Not that they would care, of course, but someone out here might think you’re out doing espionage work, and that train of thought could make you quite the target.”
"I suppose I can get your name later, if that's the case," I shuddered, looking around. "Call it a hunch, but I think we might have eyes on us already."
"Oh? Just what were you hunting?" asked the arsonist.
"I wasn't hunting anything," I denounced. "I just have this feeling someone's about to—"
Before I had the chance to finish, a heavy rumbling interrupted us. We all looked about and tried to figure out what the source of it was, and as if on cue, a number of figures shot up from the snow. As the haze whipped around, we were surrounded by a pack of diamond dogs. They looked to be wearing rather warm attire, and their eyes were all aglow with a burgling intent. They also seemed quite a bit burlier than the norm.
"I just had to open my mouth, didn't I?" I groaned as I spun my spear into position. "Might as well skip the conversation and get to the action, then."
Spike seemed eager to get into the fray as he charged forth. I'll give the little guy credit, he's got quite a bit of spunk, but it quickly became apparent they were moving too fast for us to land a direct hit. Even with my experience with Brutus, he was just one. This posse must have been about four or five strong. Even as I swung what was sure to be a glancing blow, it missed entirely.
"Damn!" I grunted, scanning around as fast as my eyes could follow before centering on the earth pony. "Think you can give it a try?"
She nodded and began to weave together a spell. While it looked promising, something stopped it short of completion. Because of this, it ended up backfiring, leaving her face covered in soot. The diamond dogs were not amused, and soon began to circle us closer.
"Well...this is awkward," I noted, looking to her. "Shall we run?"
“Yes, let's," the mare agreed, turning tail and fleeing.
I was about to join her, before one of them pounced on me. He had me pinned down, making it impossible for me to reach for a weapon. Unfortunately for him, I was trained in case of such an event. I soon began to struggle against his pressure, pushing him back. Once I'd made an opening, I quickly seized it, hooking my arms around his. Then, with my hands against his back, the both of us went down with a suplex, giving me the chance to flee before they could catch up.
As I snatched up Spike, he looked fairly awed at what he just saw.
"Whoa," he gasped, looking at me in wonder. "What was that move?"
"Tiger Suplex," I gasped as we ran near to the earth pony. "Learned it from my trainer, Brutus."
Though it wasn't exactly my idea of a baptism by combat, it was good to finally get to use what I learned. I'd have to write this down once I made camp.
***
After running ourselves ragged in the cold snow and icy winds, we finally found refuge in a town called Snowpoint. From the looks, the town appeared to have been made of almost entirely thatched housing, supplemented by stacks of warm, glowing stones. As we caught our breaths, the earth pony looked to me with wide eyes. Our breaths hung in the cold air like a haze as we both took a large gulp of air.
"Let's never do that—again," the arsonist wheezed, knocking at her chest.
"Agreed," I replied back, sitting down as spike joined us. "In all that chaos, I never got around to asking for your name."
"The name's Napalm," she said flatly. "Nice to meet you."
I chuckled to myself for a moment "I suppose it fits."
Then, not long after, a scream pierces the air. As our heads turned, an emerald green crystal pony was defenestrated from the second story of what appeared to be a local inn, crashing to the ground in front of us. He bounced a single time as he neared us, and laid stagnant after.
"Well," I noted, backing slowly away from the body. "I think I'll pass on making sure he's all right. I'm sure he's made of sterner stuff than we are."
"I sure hope so!" Napalm gasped, also backing away. "That looked like it hurt."
"What's with that donkey over there?" Spike interjected, pointing to a nearby jackass near the door.
He looked to be a quite haggard fellow, clad in little but a black and white reverend's attire. By the dry look in his eyes, he'd seen much better days than this. I thought that perhaps some company might lift his weary spirits, and thus, I approached him with care.
"Well met, sir!" I called, waving. "Do you know what happened to this stallion?"
"I—don't know anything about that," murmured the stallion in a bit of a slurred tone. "Truly, I don't."
"Oh, goodness, you're drunk, aren't you," I asked flatly.
"Not quite there, I'm afraid," the stallion chuckled back. "Just a poor drifter, looking to have a roof over his head for the night."
"Do you mind sharing some booze?" Napalm offered.
The donkey nodded and passed his tankard over.
"I am Lance, a knight-errant of the Crystal Empire on a journey of discovery," I spoke clearly. "Perhaps you might fancy joining my friend and I?"
"Perhaps," hiccuped the stallion, looking to me with a slight glaze. "If...you answer me one thing, Sir Knight."
"What might that be?" I asked, curious.
"Just what sort of devil are you?"
It was at this point that I seriously began to consider wearing a name tag that read, "Hello, my name is Lance Petal. I don't know what I am, so please don't ask." Regardless, I sighed and gave him my most earnest of responses.
"I'm not entirely sure, sir," I said honestly. "Most ponies are settled on calling me a hairless ape."
"Hairless ape, eh?" chuckled the donkey bitterly. "I've known devils to take many a form. I will join you on your quest—to see how right I am. Let's hope you prove me wrong."
"Speaking of which, just where are we headed off to?" Napalm asked, breaking the flow as she downed what remained of the tankard.
"Wherever the roads take us," I replied with a bit more gallantry. "The best adventures always seem to be the more spontaneous."
"Knight, I've wandered these roads for quite a while, and I know only a few with my time," the donkey noted. "This may prove to be a new experience for me."
As our banter persisted, we began to catch wind of idle chatter.
"Did you hear about that changeling enclave outside town?"
"Yeah. Heard it may be some splinter group that formed a few years ago. I hear they might be guarding something."
"You mean that axe? The one that's said to drain the life of any it touches?"
"Yeah. Didn't it belong to that ram Grogar or something?"
The chatter went on for a few minutes before Napalm got a gleam in her eye.
"Well, gentlemen," She started with a smirk. "I think we've found some gainful employment."
She approached the group discussing the matter with a smile.
"Did you manage to gleam the location of this group?" she asked, looking over their shoulders.
"Y-yes, ma'am!" one of them stammered. "It's in the woods just outside the town limits."
Napalm smirked and turned to us.
"Well then," she offered, passing us with a flick of her tail. "What are we waiting for?"
"You mean you're actually going through with this?" Spike asked, looking up to me with concern.
"Well, we can't pass up a chance to help these ponies," I said as I crossed my arms. "Let's be off."
Spike seemed ready to object, but nodded in resignation.
"Very well, then," replied the donkey under his breath. "Lead on...devil."
With a new member in our party of four—our new jackass preacher henceforth will be known as Roughshod—we made leave of the tavern and to the city gates.
***
As was to be expected from poking one's head in the proverbial hornet's nest, the four of us were not greeted with warm reception. In fact, judging by the way these two changeling drones bore their fangs at us, I'd be inclined to think that they looked particularly unhappy to see us.
"Well, this is a warm welcome, isn't it?" I ponder aloud as my arms arc into a combat position.
Not missing a beat, one of the changelings immediately lunged for Roughshod, managing to sink his teeth into his hide.
"Oof!" grunted the donkey, trying to shake it off. "Filthy beast!"
For some reason, part of me got a chuckle at seeing a weathered jack like Roughshod trying to shrug off the equivalent of a big, equine-shaped tick. Napalm apparently had a similar thought in her head as I saw a spark igniting on her hoof.
With a calculated strike of fire and axe, Napalm was able to force the drone off our poor pastor's back, while I readied myself to retaliate.
"Hold still, you ass," I warned as I came near. "I'll lance this chitinous wart where he stands."
For a moment, time felt like it was crawling along. In this small confrontation, I felt something between myself and my weapon. As my eyes scanned across the battlefield, I seemed much more aware of my surroundings, as well as of weak points in my foes. Turning my spear to its broader side, I swung with an uncanny amount of precision. A single strike to the neck of my, and he was laid out upon the snow.
"Perhaps that will make you reconsider trifling with me," I stated, pointing my spear towards the other.
Roughshod, with his flank now freed of changeling fangs, began to take deep breaths. The aging mule gave a soft cough, the phlegm dislodging from his throat down to his esophagus as he did so. He stamped his hoof into the snow, his gaze the same texture as aging ironwood. His legs spaced apart as he turned his gaze to Napalm. With a spark igniting in those hardened eyes, he gave a shuddering, but resolute cry.
"Napalm!" he cried out. "I can smell the smoke from your robes. I've seen your magic flames burn bright, hot as the white of the sun. Burn these blasphemers to cinders!"
Napalm's eyes glimmered ever brighter, the flames of her passion becoming ever more apparent as fire pooled in her hooves. A grin came to her face as she gleefully examined the flood of power surging through her body.
"I think I have a better idea," she purred as she doused her fireball. "Why don't we press this one for information about the hive?"
I smiled back and looked to Roughshod, holding my chin.
"That does sound like a good idea," I agreed. "Might you have something that might help us persuade him?"
The weary pastor gave me a nod and began to lean in close to the changeling. Much like the rest of us, his cheeks rose and his lips curled upward. However, where our smiles were cocky grins and confident smirks, this grin was decidedly toothier. On the surface, he appeared jovial. But the more I looked at it, the more unnerved that I—and by extension, the remaining changeling—became. The air seemed to get colder as he walked near the drone, the smile never once fading as his eyes seemed to widen.
It was the kind of smile most sane men would never bear.
"Do you wish to brave the fires of purification?" he asked, leaning in close to the changeling.
The changeling cringed, and began to back away slowly, beads of sweat glistening off his chitinous hide.
"Tell us where your hive is, and I will spare you the wrath of the gods!"
At this point I could swear I saw the drone's resolve snap in two like a twig. What had once been a somewhat threatening guard was broken into a groveling mess. I practically felt sorry for the poor creature, especially having to see him be reduced to such a miserable state.
"The hive is near the rabbit warren!" he cried out, holding his face. "It's heavily guarded, though; we have Diamond Dogs on watch!"
I was going to make a comment about how trivial this first undertaking appeared to be, but it was quickly interrupted by Napalm soundly smashing the changeling over the head with the blunt end of her axe.
"There," she stated simply. "Now they won't follow us."
"Perhaps they will," replied Roughshod. "Perhaps they will."
"Not if we hurry out of here," Napalm countered.
"I doubt that they will return to their home until after we've left," Roughshod said as he looked into the cave. "Then again, I have been wrong before."
With our first minor conflict resolved, we set off in search of the warren to continue our quest.
***
Sure enough, as we made our way to the hive, there were diamond dogs on guard at the entrance. I had to make the assumption that this lot was here on the prospect that they'd get a cut of the profits that this supposed weapon of mass destruction would garner as ransom. After all, if there was one thing that could drive and persuade such folk more than anything, it was things like gems, jewels, ores, and coins; essentially, anything shiny of great value. As we made our approach, they looked particularly ready to tussle.
That was, until I allowed RoughShod to flex his oratory muscles.
"You, dogs!" He called out, pointing at them like some angry sergeant. "Why are you lazing about?! You have a post to guard, and we have business to attend to inside!"
Through what I could only call the "Bridlevarian Fire Drill", the diamond dogs actually took his full attention and complied. For anyone unfamiliar with the term, here's a personal tip if you ever find yourself in need of getting someplace important and don't really want to waste time fighting security; make yourself look and act as important and authoritative as absolutely possible. If done correctly, no one will challenge you, and you can save precious time in your adventure. Though it is not guaranteed to work every time, it can get you most anywhere you need to go. It can also be used to hail assistance in an emergency.
"Really?" one of them asked, scratching his head. "We didn't knows you were coming. Go right ahead!"
Roughshod smiled as he poked a particularly tired looking guard in the chest. "Look sharp, now!"
“Yes, mister loud donkey, sir!"
“Come along now," the pastor prattled, motioning for us to follow him. "Inside we go!"
As we walk past, deeper into the hive, the changelings looked absolutely baffled to see that we had managed to inside with impunity. The number of jaws dropped in that room was almost too priceless to document. That was, until one of them managed to snap out of their shock and return to his senses.
"Stop there, intruders!" he hissed. "You are not meant to be here."
While I had seriously hoped it would work a second time, it looked like the number of changelings in the room was giving the poor pastor a bit of performance anxiety.
"We—" he started, coughing. "We are indeed, yes."
With a bluff so meager and pathetic, the soldier knew very clearly that Roughshod was lying through his teeth, and he and his brood began to close in. One of them was looking at Napalm with particularly hungry eyes. Much like one of them had done to Roughshod, Napalm got to experience a similar pain of being clung onto by a changeling knocking into her backside.
"Sodding bug!" she cried out, trying to fling the creature off as another one of them managed to sink into my back.
As I tried to throw the creature off my shoulders, a stabbing pain brought me to my knees.
"Get off of me, you damned parasite!" I called, trying to get him off my body.
Whilst all this chaos was commencing, Roughshod gave Spike a glance. He had mostly been bringing up the rear for most of this encounter, making note of what we were doing and where we were going. As he looked deep into the dragon's green eyes, he got a familiar smirk on his face.
"Spike—" he started, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "Though I know not of your experience, I can see it in your eyes. You have seen what these creatures can do. You have a warrior's heart inside you, brimming with the heat of passion! I ask you now to aid us, and show them searing heat of your unflinching resolve!"
As the two maintained eye contact, Spike stood there, hands at his hips. Our journey had only just begun, and yet now, his moment to shine was upon him. His claws curled up into fists, shaking with the tremors of burning force throughout his veins. A growing growl raised from his throat as he grit his teeth, a spark igniting in his mouth. In an instant, he pushed the priest away, grinning as he spread his legs apart, fanning out his arms.
Then, with a titanic breath, the room was filled with brilliant green flames. Dancing in a hot-blooded inferno, one of the changelings was engulfed by the heat of draconic flame. Seeing one of his compatriots be swallowed whole, attempting in vain to douse the flames, the parasite that had made his home upon my back detached, while the others stood firm in the face of danger. One of them charged after Roughshod, but tripped before he could go full tilt. Soon enough, only the four of us and the one changeling were left standing as Spike grinned toothily.
"Like ants with a magnifying glass." he grunted, his eyes sparking with emerald flame as he cracked his knuckles.
Part of me felt a pang of regret for what was about to happen to the one of the changelings. As the high of his bravado continued to fill his senses, Spike's eyes caught the failed charger. Crouching down and preparing my shoulder, he shot forward, the changeling's body against his as he sent the both of them to collide into a nearby wall. With a force of adrenaline he hadn't even known he'd had, Spike very nearly plastered the poor creature to the wall, leaving an imprint into the wall. The fact that he'd somehow still managed to keep standing was something of a miracle.
With a sigh of relief, Roughshod smiled.
"Lads and Lasses, let's tend to these wounds," he offered as we all gathered around him.
For the next few moments, the priest worked to mending any wounds we had incurred, sending warm, stinging recovery through our veins.
"By the sisters, I hope that we've cleared out the lot of them," I groaned as the old jack began to work his hooves over my back.
"That bastard bit me," Napalm hissed. "I hope I don't turn into some kind of lycan-changeling thing or some horse apples like that."
"Most likely not," I refuted with a chuckle. "We should be careful, though; those were drones, and where there are drones, there's almost always a queen."
"I worry not for some little bug devils," Roughshod scoffed. "They do not worry me."
"Won't that be fun?" Napalm giggled in a manner was supplemented by her hefting her fire axe. "I have my gift for her highness right here."
As if on cue, a piercing call rattled the walls.
"Who dares to tread upon my land?!"
Sure enough, the broodmother of the swarm appeared. She was flanked by two drones, both of which looking particularly powerful. Just by the look in her eyes, she cast an aura of a mare most certainly not meant to be trifled with. They looked prime to strike, and if we were to fight them, it would be a difficult encounter. Fortunately, the fickle fingers of Fortuna took fancy to us today.
Roughshod decided to step forward and put on his best ruse. Though I could see he was lying his way through another hairy situation, for some reason, something about that look in his eyes told me he wasn't just trying to bluff the queen.
"Your Highness, you are in great danger," he began in a stern tone. "There are things in this world that lurk beyond our normal perception. They wish to take you and your subjects under their control. We tried to exorcise them from your children, but they could not be saved."
Not surprisingly, by some marvel of his silver tongue, the queen bought his explanation like a cupcake freshly baked from Sugarcube Corner. Her eyes grew wide as she looked to me. Whether it was the success of Roughshod's ruse or some unknown familiarity this creature had towards me, she nodded towards her two subordinates.
"Stand down, you two," she barked as she neared me, her pupils widening as she approached me with a strangely genuine smile. "I believe diplomacy is in order. This one looks familiar to me..."
As she brought a perforated hoof to my chin, I gulped down a knot in my throat. Spike didn't look particularly pleased, either.
"Familiar?" I asked, my eyes scanning across the room. "I don't think we've met before."
"That may be," the changeling replied, gazing deeply into my eyes with her own purple pair. "But you remind me very much of a companion of mine. Someone I met long ago."
I had no idea what she was talking about at the time. But, I wasn't about to pass up a chance at avoiding a potentially fatal encounter.
"I apologize for my inhospitality," the queen cooed as she whisked a hoof through what was apparently her mane. "We set up this outpost in order to protect the townsfolk nearby. I had hoped that the pony folk would stay away for their own safety, but given that you have apparently dispatched my cadre of soldiers with impunity, I gather you must not be locals."
"N-No ma'am, we aren't," I stammered, trying to keep a brave face. "We came here because of rumors about your presence, and hoped to do something about the alleged weapon here."
The queen scoffed as she smirked. "Well, you've certainly found both. The axe is in fact here, but it is heavily tainted with a dark aura. Even with my cadre, efforts to cleanse it have been unfruitful. If you'd like to take a stab at aiding me, I would be more than grateful."
I gave pause for a moment. If such a weapon were so tainted, then what good would it do to try to claim it for profit? Who in their right mind would even take it? Would it be better to preserve it, or would it be best to destroy it? And just what would be the reward of either?
In a fit of impulsiveness, I clenched my fist and smiled a little too eagerly.
"We'll help you any way we can," I replied.
Judging by the reactions of my companions, they were none too pleased to see me so gung-ho about this.
"Did you even give this any thought?!" Napalm shouted, her mane appearing to briefly catch fire.
"About thirty seconds of it, to be exact."
I could tell that my friends weren't too pleased of my willingness to help such a homely matriarch. In fact, judging by the way that their various appendages grasped their faces, I would say they were most displeased.
"So, shall we proceed?" asked the queen as she winked at me.
"We are ready when you are, miss," I replied, leading the way as my spear drooped.
As the four of us joined the queen in the upcoming chamber, a chill ran across our shoulders. It was an almost deathly cold that nearly stopped the lot of us dead in our tracks. Though the two guards that stood with their queen looked stalwart as ever, the rest of us could definitely feel a sense of foreboding as we stood in awe at the objective of our endeavor.
A massive axe stood blade down in a massive platform of stone. A two-handed behemoth of a weapon, a single edge was driven into a black rock slab like a woodsman's timber axe, while a barbed pick jutted out from the other end. Glowing runes were etched across the entirety of it shape, a dull din filling the room. The cavernous structure of the hive served to make the noise much more maddening than it had any right being. If there were ever a candidate for “most obviously evil weapon to ever exist”, this would dropped from the running for being too professional.
“Well, whoever made this weapon must have worn his heart on his sleeve,” Roughshod grunted. “Even being in its presence makes my hide crawl.”
"You aren't alone there, 'Shod," grumbled Napalm as she began to rub her hooves together.
"Are you sure you wanna go through with this, Lance?" Spike asked, holding me by the shoulder. "I don't like the feel of this place... It feels like death."
Part of my conscience made me honestly wary of what I was about to engage in. I swore I could hear it screaming at me not to go through with what I was about to do. Were I a less naive sod, I may have actually listened to it, too. However, I had made a commitment, and I was going to honor it. I tried to put on my most comforting smile as I slid Spike's claw off my shoulder.
"We may as well get this over with," I said, readying my spear in my hands.
"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, then..."
And so, as the four of us gathered with the queen, we stood ready to face the massive implement of murder before us. Like a heavy fog, darkness billowed from its surface, reaching out to the entrance of its lair. Like some beast determined to trap its prey, the shadow conceived a seal to keep us cornered in. Too quick for thought, we were trapped like rats before we even had time to scurry back out. Though fear ran in our hearts, all we could do was face the coalescing darkness and fight it as best we could.
Soon enough, the shadows began to form a towering colossus. A creature of flaming shade took hold of the great axe as two massive, spiraling horns began to whirl at the sides of its head. Piercing red eyes stared us all down as four legs stamped into the stone and snow, a firm, almost stone-like body taking shape. It's form whipped to and fro as it stamped an ethereal hoof into the floor, smoke billowing from his muzzle. A low growl filled the cave as he reared up, prepared to strike.
The more I looked up at the towering beast before us, the more that doorway looked enticing in hindsight. I wasn’t expecting to have to exorcise a demon through combat.
The changeling broodmother was the first to take action, firing a bolt of eldritch lavender energy at the giant shade. A purple plume of flame splashed against the shadow, bouncing off his body like a burst of water. Though it wasn't the strongest looking burst, the colossus staggered slightly. However, it wasn't going to take that lightly, by the looks. As retaliation, the shadow buck reared back, his neck craning as he slammed down the axe with great fury, sending a wave of pressure to knock us back against the wall with a slashing gale.
With the aid of Spike, I was helped up to my feet, and the lot of us stared down at the beast that assaulted us.
"You'll pay for that, you fiend!" The drake called out, standing ahead of me as he entered the fray more personally.
Much as he had done prior, Spike reared back. A spark caught in his teeth as a ball of jade flame collected in his jaws. His body fanned outward, claws splayed as his legs stood firm, his spade-like tail bracing down into the ground. A guttural growl grew from his throat as he stood erect before the giant shadow. As we were wise to do, the majority of us stood back to refrain from getting caught in its blast. Judging from the amount of air that appeared to be drawing into his mouth, it was going to hurt.
A sphere of piercing jade shot from his mouth, a ring terminating behind it. It slammed into the body of the black ram, causing a considerable shift in his position as it briefly lost its footing. Its back smacked against the wall, and the two changeling guards were quick to take action. Bolstered by their queen's presence, they charged two-abreast into the creature, binding it to continued exposure. It writhed in the piercing light of two eldritch emerald flames, but was completely defenseless.
Napalm was quick to suggest a mode of action.
"The big guy's pinned!" she called out, flames roaring in her hooves that had yet to be truly unleashed. "Let's go for the finishing blow!"
I don't think any of us needed much incentive to oblige her. The five of us, including the queen, prepared our strongest offense possible. With careful aim, I tossed my spear forward. In turn, Napalm unleashed five plumes which orbited the spear during its flight path. The queen tipped the blade with her ethereal flames, and the rest was covered by a cone of Spike's draconic breath. Roughshod chanted something barely understandable, channeling his piety into the massive bolt we had constructed together. Our combined attack crashed into the giant with unrelenting force. What resulted was a shockwave of immeasurable force, a light of blinding intensity, and an almost unbearable heat.
It was as if we'd created a miniature bomb with the explicit purpose of cleansing this small part of the world.
Soon enough, the smoke cleared. In that short instant, the two guards had managed to miraculously pry themselves away in time to survive the blast. The shadow was gone, and most of its weapon had been reduced to little but slag from the heat. Spike aside, we soot covered us all. As we dusted ourselves off, all that we had to show for our accomplishment was a singed handle, glowing dimly before becoming an even shade of black. As Spike grabbed the remains of the weapon, Napalm grimaced.
"I guess that we won't be selling it, then?" she pointedly complained.
The queen smiled as she bowed to me.
"We cannot thank you enough," she said. "For your efforts, you're welcome to ask for any reward you choose."
As Roughshod reluctantly began healing the two guards, Napalm moved in close.
"Let's ask for lots of gold," she whispered.
"I doubt they have any," I whispered back. "But I think I know what we can do."
I approached the queen with a smile.
"If it is any consolation, we are sorry for intruding upon your land," I began in a calm tone.
"However, we came because of hearsay. It may not be safe for you here. If I might, I'd like to help you get to a safer place."
A smirk came upon the queen's face, while Napalm and Spike looked rather uneasy.
"I would be most grateful if you were to do so," the queen replied. "I have a husband back in the town of Pasofino that may be dying to see my face once again."
Napalm rolled her eyes.
"So we're backtracking, then," Spike noted, checking his map, showing that the town in question was back near central Equestria.
"It appears so," I replied.
Meanwhile, Roughshod appeared to be sprinkling some dust on the hilt.
"What are you doing over there?" I called, confused.
"I'm stabilizing it for transport," the donkey grunted. "We don't need its power flaring up, and it must be rendered fully inert."
I would have asked a follow up question, but I had decided it was an exercise in futility and decided to sit down and rest a moment. Spike gave the queen a careful look.
"You better not try and stab us in the back," he said, pointing to his eyes. "I'll be keeping an eye on you."
"You've got nothing to worry about, big boy," The queen assured. "I'll have you know I'm quite well known in Equestria."
Spike simply grumbled in response and sat with me. Today had been exhausting, and with our task mostly completed, I resigned this calm aftermath to take stock with Spike.
~~~
Dearest Mother,
Today, I have learned that first impressions can be deceptive things. Though the very notion of such a thing might be anathema to the purebred socialites back in Canterlot, I bore witness to the sight of an earth pony proficient in pyromancy. Fittingly enough, her name is Napalm, and appears to be quite mercurial. I can't say for sure, but I think she may have a few screws loose, as the saying goes. I sincerely hope that the next time we make camp, she doesn't set the tent ablaze.
I have also made acquaintance with a donkey by the name of Roughshod. Though I'm not certain of his religious standing, it is very clear that this is a man who must have had a great deal of faith. His voice, haggard though it may be at times, appears to be able to sway many folk. When we first met, he seemed to be intoxicated, and mistook me as some form of demon. Yet again, this spurs me ever more to find at least some evidence as to the nature of my people.
Finally, in my first quest—if it could even be called such—I've met a changeling queen for the first time. I do not know her name, but she calls my appearance as familiar to that of a companion of hers. She had made an outpost near a local town due east of the Crystal Empire's capital, and makes claim that she had done so as a precautionary measure to the villagers. Though the cursed battleaxe we discovered in said outpost may give credence to her statement, I am going to be wary for the moment. She claims her husband is in the town of Pasofino, and that she has a reputation in Equestria proper.
I am ambivalent as to the meaning of this, but for this writing, I will keep both my hopes and my guard equally high.
Yours In Love,
Lance Alexis Petal
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Hell, quite an enjoyable chapter
What does Arcana mean?
8236982
The Arcana in Tarot are the suits of cards typically used in both games and divination. You have the Major Arcana (The Fool, the Magician, the Priestess, etc.), and the Minor Arcana (Swords, Cups, Wands, Pentacles). They're also a major motif of shows like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and the Persona games.
I'm guessing that the Strength arcana is a minor one.
Lance is the Star Tarot?
Yare Yare Daze...