A high ranking member of the Order of the Raven, Daniel Miller has arrived in Equestria in search of his missing brother. However, other factors are at play in the Zealot's mind.
Daniel Miller is one of the highest ranking members of the Fraternal Order of the Raven. Usually living a life of callous animosity, the Zealot soon finds himself pursuing his missing brother in an alien world filled with strange creatures and unlikely allies. However, Thomas' fate isn't the only reason for the Crow's arrival, and his ulterior motives may lead to dire consequences.
Sequel to "Where's the Fire?" which can be found here.
"....Zealots ain't right in the head, least not like regular folk. Their souls get tainted by that vigor of their's, and then they start losin themselves in their own mad delusions. That business with Lady Comstock was just a prelude. They're like leaches, the lot of em. Once they declare loyalty to someone, it don't matter what ya tell em. That there's a contract written in blood, and no one leaves Death outta pocket in this town...."
The sky was a dark grey as large patches of clouds hovered over parts of Equestria like a veil, blocking Celestia's sunlight and darkening the area. Trixie didn't mind the shade at all though. Sure the sun was nice, but when she traveled from town to town, it was a relief to walk outside and not have to worry about its harmful rays, plus the gentle breeze that accompanied the passing cloud cover also provided a cooling comfort, which created quite the relaxing journey. The unicorn always thought it nice to walk outside instead of staying cooped up in her cart.
"Let's see here." the magician said to herself, levitating a list and quill off her cart as it rolled alongside her, magically keeping pace. "Hmmm, well I suppose I could go back to Trottingham after I finish up in Fillydelphia, but I also wanted to make a stop in Hollow Shades to get more supplies." she said, going down the list of settlements and checking off those she most recently visited. She would occasionally talk to herself when traveling alone, making journeys a bit less lonely, and it's not like anypony was around to judge her. Plus, her new found fame had her on the road much more often than before.
Trixie's first time in Ponyville may have thrown the show mare off her game temporarily, but her most recent visit to the town actually gained her some fame, much to her surprise. She supposed taking over an entire town had something to do with ponies taking an interest in her name again, even if her occupation of Ponyville didn't last very long. The blue unicorn seemed to gain a bit of prestige once word of her use of the Alicorn Amulet made its rounds, something that was always welcome. Even so, business was notably slow and she barely made enough bits at each town to keep her off that accursed rock farm. Trixie knew she'd have to step up her game if she wanted to break the unfortunate cycle she found herself in.
"Hopefully the revenue from Fillydelphia will be enough to make a trip to Hollow Shades feasible. I need something fresh for my act if I'm going to really bring in the bits." Trixie said, letting her mind wander. "Just thinking of it makes me excited, maybe I'll even make enough to take my act all the way to the Crystal Empire! That would be an amazing venue to match my amazing talent." she looked up to the sky with stars in her eyes.
Just then, her hopeful thoughts were interrupted by a loud caw.
"What was that?" Trixie asked herself, looking around. Her searching eyes landed on a crow that was perched on top of her travelling cart. It regarded her with black eyes, shifting its head quickly and sporadically.
The blue unicorn growled. "Get off Trixie's cart you filthy creature! Shew!"
She tossed a rock at it with her magic, causing the crow to flap its wings and hover briefly before returning to its previous position. Soon another bird landed on the cart, which was promptly followed by three more.
"What do you want, you winged rats!?" she asked harshly, quickly becoming annoyed with the avian nuisances.
More crows continued to land on the cart until it was almost completely covered. Others found places in surrounding trees. Every single bird kept an eye fixated on the show mare, which caused a great deal of unease to fester in the confused pony. She felt there were hundreds flocking to her cart.
"Wh-wha-what do you want? Food? Trixie doesn't have any food! Go away!" she screamed, trying her best to maintain her composure.
The cart had come to a complete stop. Every tree in the immediate area was occupied by a crow, all of the branches lined with feathers, making the trees look like they had black leaves, gently swaying in the wind. The amount of cawing from the flock was almost deafening. Trixie attempted to cover her ears, desperately trying to lessen the pain that the noise was inflicting on her senses. Suddenly, the crows began landing on the ground mere inches from the unicorn.
"No! Please, leave Trixie alone." she pleaded, abandoning her prideful demeanor. She swatted at the closest ones, trying to get them to flee, but to no avail. One of the birds pecked at her hoof with its sharp beak, causing pain to shoot up her leg. Fear swelled inside the mare as she kept her hooves away from the advancing crows.
Trixie tried forming a protective bubble around herself, but couldn't concentrate between the ear blistering caws and the birds that were getting dangerously close to her on the ground.
"Oh Celestia, what do I do?" she whispered to herself, backing into the side of her cart and closing her eyes, wishing she was anywhere else at that moment.
All at once the crows stopped cawing. Silence came over the area so quickly that for a moment, Trixie thought she might have gone deaf. The crows at her feat stopped their advance and simply stood next to her. Some continued to stare at the bewildered magician while others needlessly pecked at the ground, as if waiting for a command.
"Okay, what's going on here?" Trixie demanded, as if the birds would actually respond.
"I'm merely introducing myself." a disembodied voice whispered. Trixie jumped a little when she heard it, looking around to find its source. As she did, some of the crows in front of her flew up in the air, circling each other before fusing together into a creature that Trixie wasn't familiar with. It was tall and thin looking, bipedal judging by the way it stood, and wore black robes covering every inch of it. Its mask had a symbol of what looked like a sword going down the middle, as well as a red stripe that looked to be crudely painted down the center. The most notable feature, however, was the object chained to its back. It appeared to be a coffin of some kind, and the unicorn shuddered to think what might be inside.
The dark figure studied Trixie for a moment. She couldn't see its eyes through the small slits in its mask, but she could feel its gaze shooting daggers at her.
"A world of talking horses" it sighed dismissively. "Leave it to Thomas to get sent to some fairy tale land of unicorns, rainbows, and flowers."
"Excuse me?" Trixie replied, clearly offended. "Did you just refer to the Great and Powerful Trixie as a talking horse?"
The figure's eyes narrowed. "I just referred to a talking horse as a talking horse." its tone became serious. "Now I'm not going to sit here and go through pointless formalities. I have questions, and you are going to answer every one of them to the best of your ability. Are we clear?"
"We are most certainly NOT clear!" the blue unicorn shot back. "I don't know who you think you are, but Trixie is not a mare to be ordered around like some insignificant thrall."
A few more crows landed near the show mare, staring her down threateningly as they hopped closer. "If Trixie doesn't answer my questions, then Trixie is going to find herself being torn apart by a murder of hungry crows." the figure threatened. "Does Trixie understand what her superior is telling her?"
The pony's fear rose as more birds landed around her. "Y-y-yes, Trixie......understands." she said with reluctant submissiveness.
"Good, then lets begin." it said, walking past its feathered minions and getting closer to the magician. "Where am I?"
Trixie hesitated, unwilling to be such an easily intimidated pony, but another caw from a nearby crow quickly resulted in a hasty response.
"Equestria, you're in the land of Equestria." she replied.
"And can I assume that this land is inhabited by other ponies?" it asked.
"Ponies, griffons, buffalo, dogs, dragons. There are hundreds of different creatures here." the unicorn scoffed.
The figure became impatient. "Do not take me for a fool. I'm well aware of the presence of other creatures. What I'm asking you is whether or not ponies are the dominant species. Do they rule political and military sectors?"
"Yes, more or less."
"Okay, see this isn't so hard. What form of government do you live under?"
Trixie thought for a moment. "Well, most ponies recognize Princess Celestia as their formal ruler."
"A matriarchal monarchy?" it chuckled. "Good God."
The dark figure's tone became serious again. "Well now that we've covered a few useless facts, lets get down to the issue at hand, shall we?" it knelt down and came face to face with the blue unicorn. "Are you aware of the appearance of another human being? One that looks like......"
"A human!?" she interrupted, quickly sitting up. "You're a human?"
The man retracted a bit, caught off guard by the pony's sudden change in mood.
"This is amazing. I can't believe it! Another human in Equestria, and Trixie is the one that makes contact with it!"
"What are you talking about?" the man demanded.
Trixie continued to talk to herself, ignoring the figure's inquires. "I'm so lucky, I mean after everything that happened with that other human in Ponyville; scholars, wizards, necromancers, magicians, and every other unicorn with any kind of magical talent has been trying to conjure one into our world for months." she giggled to herself. "And now one has appeared right before the Great and Powerful Trixie!"
The man grabbed her shoulders so that the two were staring directly at each other. "What other human?"
"The.....other one. The only one that's ever been seen in Equestria." she smirked. "That is, before you of course."
He gave her a hard glare. "And where is this other human?"
"Oh he's dead." Trixie said in matter-of-fact tone.
The figure released his grip from her and stood up, staring off into space. Trixie brushed herself off and continued.
"Apparently he sacrificed himself to save the town from bandits or something. Word is, he was the most powerful being anypony had ever seen. Even the princesses were in awe of his power." she said, her eyes shimmering at the thought. She didn't notice several of the crows becoming agitated. They began cawing and flying into the air, sensing their master's rising anger.
"To think a human is here now. It's too good to be true! I'll make so many bits with you in my shows. Ponies will come from all over the world to see the amazing acts we'll perform together." she continued to fantasize, oblivious to the birds now circling the two.
"Finally, something important happens to Trixie! Trixie swears, she always hears about Twilight and her friends being the center of attention. Twilight gets to be an Element of Harmony, Twilight gets to be a Princess, and Twilight gets to go on an adventure with a human." she smiled and rubbed her hooves together. "But now Trixie will finally make a name for herself. I can see it now!"
The magician finally looked over to the black robed man still standing next to her. He was regarding the pony with an anger and malice that caused her to cringe and back away. The crows continued to circle the cart, ready to attack anything on their master's command.
"He's dead?" the man finally asked.
"Y-y-yes." Trixie shakily responded.
The flying birds got closer to the mare, their sharp talons threatening to make contact.
"MY BROTHER IS DEAD!?" he screamed. Trixie could have sworn she felt the ground shake. The show mare covered her face with a hoof, trying to protect herself from the cyclone of wind.
"Your b-b-brother?" she stuttered.
Suddenly, the crows dispersed in every direction, sensing their master's explosion of anger. Like a swarm of locusts, they flew out of sight. There were only a few birds that lingered nearby in the trees. The man calmed himself, breathing heavily.
"Take me."
Trixie looked at him quizzically. "What?"
"Take me to this town. Take me to Ponyville." he clarified, climbing aboard the magician's cart. He sat on one side of the bench in the front of the vehicle.
"Why? What are you going to do when you get there?" she asked, clearly suspicious of his intentions.
The man stared at her, his patience almost gone. "Nothing, compared to what I'm going to do to you if this cart doesn't start moving."
Trixie hesitated, still startled by his outburst. He clearly had a temper and enough magic, or whatever it was, to make that temper dangerous. However, she couldn't see herself turning him down. The human was already sitting on her cart, and she couldn't really ask him to remove himself without fear of getting devoured by those beastly crows. Plus, curiosity was getting the better of her, and she wanted to know what was going on.
"Okay." she finally said, sitting beside the hooded human. "Just remember who's cart this is. I expect you to treat Trixie with the respect and dignity that Trixie deserves."
The man stared her down coldly and she gulped.
"Um, never mind."
Trixie's horn lit up and the cart began moving again. They both sat in silence, the blue unicorn occasionally risking a peak at her new companion. As the cart gained speed, a few crows lazily circled overhead, keeping a watchful eye on the horizon.
Twilight awoke with a start. She was breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. The alicorn quickly got out of her bed and looked out the bedroom window. To her relief, the capital city of Canterlot was still peacefully perched on the mountainside. A few dim lights made it visible amongst the dark backdrop.
"Still there........it's still there." she whispered to herself between heavy breaths. This was the sixth night in a row she had the same nightmare. She only got a few broken hours of sleep if she was lucky, and the resulting exhaustion had started taking its toll on her.
"Twilight, are you okay? I heard screaming again."
The princess turned to see Spike groggily standing at the entrance to her room. He rubbed sleep from his eyes and Twilight could see that he was worried.
"It's fine Spike, I just had another nightmare, that's all." she reassured, but Spike didn't seem convinced.
"I think it's getting worse Twilight. You hardly ever sleep anymore and when you do, you end up having one of those dreams."
The alicorn sighed. "I know. I'm going to figure things out in the morning, I promise. Just go back to bed, okay?"
The dragon looked like he was about to protest, but the thought of his bed's sweet, warming allure quickly convinced the sleepy assistant that rest was a good idea. Spike nodded and then headed back to bed, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts.
What could these dreams mean? She thought to herself. The alicorn went over the nightmare again in her mind. It would always start with a clear view of Canterlot. The city looked as dazzling and regal as ever. She was never close enough to make out individual ponies, but the streets were busy as citizens happily went about their day.
Twilight would always look on at this part with joy and pride, watching her subjects live their lives in peace and harmony, but it would never last long. Suddenly, the princess would hear a strange siren. It was loud and seemed to come from everywhere at once. Twilight could tell the citizens of Canterlot could hear it too, for they would look up to the sky and point with what Twilight could only guess was horror on their faces.
She would then look in the direction they were pointing and her heart would sink. There, hovering just above the capital, was a massive city of steel and brick. Casting a large shadow, it floated malevolently toward Canterlot, steam and smoke rising from large stacks and towers. She would hear other sirens and loud voices coming from the floating nightmare, but the worst was yet to come. All at once, the city would attack, sending fireballs down onto the helpless capital. Screams could be heard as ponies took cover and guards ran out to face this new threat. High nobles or lower class citizens, it didn't matter. Everypony was in the same dire situation at that moment, and the barriers between ponies quickly fell as they became one in the same.
When the initial barrage of fire ceased its symphony of destruction, Twilight would see large blimps heading toward the capital. Humans sat atop these war machines, dressed in various outfits and armors. They would land in the now broken city, plunging Canterlot into complete chaos. Smoke would rise from the burning buildings as ponies ran and flew for their very lives. All of this horror didn't scare Twilight nearly as much as the last image she would see, however. For in her nightmare, standing on the floating city, was a man in black. Face concealed and standing tall, he would look on as his city wreaked havoc from above. His eyes would go red and he'd turn his gaze from the burning capital and right into Twilight's very soul. She was mortified by his emotionless stare, and slowly the image would blur as hundreds of crows clouded her vision and caused her to wake up, a panicked mess.
"What could it mean?" she asked herself, staring into her mirror. The alicorn could still see the fear in her own eyes. She hardly looked like a princess right then, instead looking more like a scared filly. However, the meaning of these nightmares, if there was even a meaning at all, still eluded her. Obviously the floating city was Columbia, where Thomas had said he was from, but the man in black confused her greatly. Why did he strike such fear in her?
She thought about what Thomas had told her. He had said that his brother controlled birds. Then her mind went back to the crows in her dream. Was that man her mind's rendition of Thomas' sibling?
Clearly I'm constructing these things based off of what Thomas told me. she concluded. It made sense, since all the brain needed was a little bit of information for her imagination to run rampant through her psyche. The alicorn had a good feeling these nightmares were the result of guilt. Her subconscious was clearly under the impression that Thomas' death was her fault, and his brother would come seeking revenge. This was a paranoid delusion at best, but she couldn't very well tell her conscience that, could she?
"I know who I have to talk to about this." she said to herself, sighing. "I just hope she can help."
Twilight slowly got back into bed, determined to get at least a little more sleep before the sun rose, bringing a new day with it.
* * *
"And then I wake up screaming." Twilight explained as she finished telling Zecora about her nightmare. "I don't know what to make of it, but it's driving me crazy."
The zebra opened her eyes and looked at the troubled alicorn. "Your fears of this dream are noted indeed, but in regards to your sleep, they should not impede. You mustn't let guilt take control of your life, for this can only lead to inner conflict and strife."
"So you think it's guilt too, then?" Twilight asked, disheartened. "I was afraid of that."
Zecora elegantly dismounted from the bamboo pole she had been expertly balancing on. "I do believe guilt is truly what is to blame, for the death of Thomas has brought misplaced sadness and shame." she said, walking over to the princess. Her face softened and she put a sympathetic hoof on Twilight's shoulder.
"From what I have heard of this fallen hero, the blame he would put on you is precisely zero. You need to let go of the past and move on, or this insomnia will continue from dusk until dawn." she warned.
Twilight sighed. "I wish letting go was that simple. For a while, I thought I had moved on. Things seemed to be going back to normal, back to the way they were before everything with the bandits, with Thomas." she turned away. "But now these nightmares have brought back memories. Every time I go to sleep, I can't keep myself from dwelling on it. These nightmares have brought back the guilt, and now you say the guilt is feeding more nightmares." Tears formed in her eyes. "I don't know what to do, Zecora."
The zebra shook her head. "These inner demons must be slain, of that I am sure. Otherwise you are in for much more torture." She walked over to her potion table. "But until you can face these demons yourself, let me fetch something off of my top shelf."
Twilight looked on in curiosity as Zecora reached up and grabbed a vial of blue potion. Taking a moment to examine the bottle, the zebra walked back over to the alicorn. "This elixir will put you to sleep, so you will no longer need to count sheep." She held the vial up to Twilight, who gratefully took it using her magic. The potion hovered next to her while Zecora continued. "I will assist you in this nightmare endeavor, though it must be you alone who conquers this foe, however."
The princess nodded, determined to beat this guilt. Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders had moved on from what happened, at least Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had. Twilight had a kingdom to help rule and protect, and she couldn't let some silly nightmare hinder her ability to perform the responsibilities that came with such a position.
"A single sip each night is all you require to sleep alright, but soon we must get to the root of the dream for even with that potion you will run out of steam." the zebra informed.
"Okay, I'll keep working on it back home as well. There's plenty of psychology books in the library."
"These books may offer insight into your plight, but make sure to come back to me again, alright?" Zecora reminded her.
Twilight giggled. "Of course Zecora, you know you're my go to therapist. I seem to always come to you with my problems."
Zecora smiled. "Whenever you seek guidance, have no fear. Your visits to my hut are always welcome, my dear."
Twilight exited the zebra's abode, waving goodbye and then heading back toward Ponyville. The princess didn't think anything of it, but several caws could be heard among the usual forest noise.
* * *
Apple Bloom sat in the old tree house with her two best friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The unicorn and pegasus were busy plotting the day's activities, listing off various ways to achieve the long sought after goal of obtaining their cutie marks.
"Have we tried real estate?" Sweetie Belle asked hopefully.
Scootaloo shook her head, much less enthused. "I don't wanna start doing that boring stuff. I mean I know we're scraping the bottom of the barrel here, but come on, selling houses? I say we try winter sports." she suggested.
"Winter sports? But it's not winter." the unicorn pointed out. "There isn't any snow on the ground."
"So? We're just a train ride away from the Frozen North. We could just take a day to......"
"No way Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle interrupted. "Rarity would never let me go there, unless it was some big vacation, and we don't get a break from school for like a month."
Scootaloo buzzed her wings in annoyance. "Darn it, that's right. Well I'm out of ideas. Do you have anything Apple Bloom?"
The two crusaders looked to their friend, who hadn't been contributing much to the conversation. She seemed to be staring off into space, deep in thought.
"Um, Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle's expression displayed her growing concern.
Scootaloo gently tapped her on the shoulder. "What?" she finally said, coming back to reality.
"You kind of left us again." Scootaloo replied. "Were you thinking about him?"
"What? No no, I was just day dreamin is all." Apple Bloom quickly lied.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exchanged skeptical looks. "You know, maybe if you talked about it, got it off your chest I mean, then you wouldn't be so lost all the time." Sweetie Belle suggested.
"Their ain't nothin to talk about!" Apple Bloom said defensively, raising her voice.
"Come on Apple Bloom, do you really think Thomas would want you to keep thinking about it?" Scootaloo asked.
"As opposed to what? You think it'd be better if we just forgot about him?" Apple Bloom asked.
"I didn't say that!" Scootaloo defended. "I only mean that it isn't good for you to keep your head in the past. You're always so distant these days, you don't pay attention in class, you never wanna go out and do things, it's not healthy."
Apple Bloom sighed. "Listen, I know you girls are just tryin to help, but I'm dealin with this in my own way. It might take some time, but it ain't a permanent thing. I'm just figerin some things out right now, Okay?"
The two gave the earth pony a cautious nod, which was followed by a few moments of awkward silence.
"Look, I gotta get goin. Applejack wanted me to help her with some chores around the farm. I'll catch you two later alright?"
"Yeah." Scootaloo replied.
"See you, Apple Bloom." Sweetie Belle said.
The yellow filly stood up and headed for the exit while the unicorn and pegasus resumed their cutie mark plotting. Apple Bloom climbed down from the tree house and started toward Sweet Apple Acres. She didn't like thinking back on the events with Thomas and the bandits, mostly because she blamed herself for how it turned out. It didn't take her long to realize that it was the crusaders who constantly got in the way when Thomas was in a fight, but it was her in particular who insisted they go and look for that bandit leader. It was she who had gotten them caught and used as bait to get Thomas to fight alone, and it was she who was ultimately to blame for his untimely death. The filly shook the thoughts from her head, desperate to find relief from her inner torment.
The sun began peeking through the clouds as the filly continued toward the farm, allowing the occasional shadow of a passing bird to be seen on the path in front of her. Apple Bloom didn't look up to see what kind of birds they were though. These days she couldn't hold her head very high, for shame and regret carried with it a heaviness that not even the strongest stallion could lift with ease. Instead, she continued to stare at the ground, oblivious to the black eyes regarding her from afar.
The wooden cart was traveling much faster now that Trixie was riding it instead of walking alongside it. Surprisingly, they hadn't run across any ponies since heading toward Ponyville. The unicorn was still unsure of whether or not bringing this human to the town was a smart move, though deep down she knew it probably wasn't, but those birds flying above prevented her from taking any direct action against his wishes. Even so, she did work up enough courage to engage in conversation with the man.
"So what's your story?" she asked, a little more demanding than she'd intended. At first she thought the human was just going to ignore her, but before long he came around.
"My story? Well I suppose all you need to know is that I came here looking for my brother, or in this case, his body."
Trixie felt a pang of remorse when he answered. She remembered how casually she had informed the human of his brother's death, granted she wasn't aware of their relationship, but it still made her feel guilty.
"So that's the only reason you came to Equestria?" she asked.
He glanced at her. "Does a man need anymore motivation than discovering the fate of a missing sibling?"
"Well I suppose not." she said, avoiding his eye. "Were you two close?"
He looked forward. "Close enough."
"And what's your name?" she inquired.
"Daniel." he stated flatly.
"How did you get here? Was it a spell?"
He seemed caught off guard by the question. "How about you answer some of my questions now." he suggested.
Trixie was annoyed by his unwillingness to reply to her inquiry, but decided keeping the conversation going was worth a few secrets. "Fine."
"Tell me in detail how it came to be that my brother met his end."
"Well, Trixie doesn't know many details. Trixie's only heard bits and pieces of the story from various ponies in the towns she's visited; but apparently he protected Ponyville from a bunch of bandits, then he attacked their camp and stopped some giant monster thing, and then he fought off these strange fire demons, and finally he went to some stallion's evil lair and defeated him by sacrificing himself and causing a huge cave-in." she said, almost out of breath by the end.
"Humph, that doesn't sound like the Thomas I knew." he scoffed. "The Thomas I knew would have looked for a way back to Columbia, and wouldn't have been afraid to burn down everything in his path to do it. He wouldn't have gone off on some ludicrous quest to save a pathetic settlement."
"Well maybe you and your brother weren't 'close enough' after all." she retorted.
The Zealot gave her a look, and Trixie instantly regretted saying anything. She had to admit, this human knew how to intimidate.
"So, what exactly are we going to do when we get to Ponyville?" she asked again, hoping the conversation had made him a bit more open.
Daniel eyed her curiously. "We? There is no we. As soon as we reach this town, we go our separate ways. I'll continue my own investigation, and you can go back to doing whatever it was you were doing before we met." he explained.
Trixie became agitated, looking directly at the Zealot. "You think you can just use Trixie as transportation and then toss her away like a used tissue?" she growled.
He chuckled. "Your powers of deduction continue to impress."
The cart suddenly halted and the blue unicorn stood up. "That's not the way this is going to work. Whether you like it or not, Trixie is part of this now and she refuses to be dismissed simply when she is no longer useful to you."
"Listen, I'm....." Daniel started, but was quickly cut off.
"You listen, you're the first human to be seen in Equestria since the last human to be seen in Equestria, and if you think for a second that I'm going to walk away from such a rarity, then you must be the biggest fool in both of our worlds."
The show mare moved closer to the Zealot, their faces almost touching. She didn't break eye contact with him for a second, thus she didn't notice his hand slowly grab the sword tucked neatly under his robe. His fingers calmly wrapped around the handle, ready to act on a moment's notice.
"Understand?" she finished, her eyes narrowing. Daniel stared at her for a moment, surprised by her sudden acquisition of a spine. After a heated stare down, the Crow released his grip from the sheathed weapon and let out a slight laugh.
"Have it your way. If you want to be part of this, then be my guest. Just don't hold me responsible for what happens to you." he warned.
"Trixie is more than capable of taking care of herself." she assured, closing her eyes and sticking her nose in the air.
"Oh yes, you've made that quite evident." the Zealot said sarcastically. Either the sarcasm was too subtle for Trixie to notice or she simply ignored the comment, but her horn lit up and once again the cart began moving.
The rest of the ride to Ponyville consisted of several more Q & A's between Trixie and Daniel. She asked about the world he was from, gaining absolutely no ground on that front, and he asked about her world as well. His questions focused more on various locations throughout Equestria, taking particular interest in the Everfree Forest. When Trixie mentioned its strange properties, the Zealot pressed further, wanting to know everything about it.
Finally, after reaching the top of a final hill, Ponyville could be seen on the horizon. The town was no Manehatten, but over the years it had developed into a bustling settlement.
"So this is the town my brother died for." Daniel muttered in disgust. He was about as happy to see the town as Trixie. After everything that happened with the Alicorn Amulet, this was the last place she wanted to be. Sure Twilight had forgiven her, even if it seemed reluctant, but her friends could make the visit very awkward. Of course, she also had with her a ticking time bomb in the form of a powerful human. She didn't know what to expect from all of it, but taking heed from past experiences, it probably wasn't going to be good.
"So what's the game plan?" she asked, wondering if the Crow had thought any of this through.
"Well, is there a mayor here, or some kind of elected official?"
Trixie couldn't help but giggle a little bit, remembering how she had thrown the mayor into a cage during her temporary rule.
"There's a mayor, but you're probably going to want to talk to Twilight if she's in town." the blue unicorn suggested.
"Oh, and why's that?"
"Well for one, she's a princess." Trixie answered, rolling her eyes. "And another reason might be because she was Thomas' number one friend during his time in Ponyville. She was with him during most of their little adventure, and should be able to answer any questions you have."
"Well, if I needed anymore convincing...."
Several crows landed on the cart, getting a few suspicious glances from the show mare. "What's the deal with your feathered friends?" she inquired.
"What do you mean?"
"Well why do they follow you around? More importantly, how did you transform into them?"
The Zealot looked away. "It's called a vigor. It allows me to connect with the crows on a level that is almost incomprehensible to most."
"I heard your brother had fire abilities. Is that the result of a vigor?" she asked.
"That's correct."
"So in your world, everyone has a specialized vigor?"
Daniel shook his head. "Not exactly. Some people are that way, but there's really no limit to how many vigors one can acquire."
"So how many vigors do you use?" she inquired.
The Crow hesitated. "At least one." he finally said.
Trixie rolled her eyes. "Do you always have to be so cryptic?"
"Listen, I'm not here to indulge your curiosity. We aren't pals, so don't get comfortable with the current arrangement." he harshly explained.
Trixie grumbled something inaudible to the Zealot as the cart started on the last leg of its journey to Ponyville. Just then, a large raven flew over and promptly landed on Daniel's shoulder.
"Are they in position?" he quietly asked.
A caw from the raven answered the question.
"Good."
Trixie looked over at the raven with curiosity, but a glance from the large bird quickly caused her to divert her gaze.
And here I thought that the human was intimidating. she thought to herself, unsure of whether or not the raven was still watching her. The unicorn noticed an increase in the crows' presence as they got closer to Ponyville.
* * *
Twilight flew over the fields of Sweet Apple Acres in a hurry, attempting to locate the owners. When she had gotten back to the library, Spike informed her that Rainbow Dash flew by in a hurry, asking for her help. The pegasus stopped just long enough for Spike to tell her that Twilight wasn't there. Rainbow then told him to tell her to meet up at the farm. Apparently there was a crisis going on.
Now the alicorn desperately scanned the fields in hopes of finding the Apple family.
"Twilight!" she heard a voice yell. Quickly turning to its source, the princess noticed Applejack and Big Macintosh standing in the south field.
"Applejack, what's going on?" she asked, landing next to the two siblings.
"These darn birds are sittin in almost every dang tree we own!" the farm pony answered, clearly annoyed. Twilight looked up in the trees and saw numerous crows occupying every tree in sight.
"We can't harvest apples when these varmints attack anypony gets too close." she exclaimed, pointing to a gash on her cheek.
Twilight gasped. "One of the birds did that?"
"Eyup." Big Mac replied, staring the crows down accusingly.
"The darn thing nicked me when I bucked one of the trees." Applejack explained. "I sent Rainbow Dash to grab Fluttershy, hopin she could talk to the things, but they haven't come by yet."
Twilight looked up at the black creatures sitting in the trees. They all stared back quietly, only a few faint caws escaping their beaks. The alicorn watched in curiosity as one of them quickly flew off, heading toward town. She suddenly felt sick as her breathing quickened and her stomach turned. Something about these crows seemed very wrong.
"When did they show up?" she asked fearfully.
"Dunno, they were here when Big Mac and I got out here, a little over an hour ago." Applejack replied. "I've just never seen this many birds in one place before. Have you Big Mac?"
"Nope." he said, shaking his head.
The crows continued to silently stare at the bewildered ponies with eager anticipation, fully aware that things would get much more interesting soon enough.
It wasn't long before Trixie and Daniel made it into Ponyville itself. The townsponies were busily going about their day, visiting various shops and market stands. Those citizens who passed near Trixie's cart displayed mixed expressions on their faces. At first they seemed angry, noticing the show mare and remembering her from her last visit, but then that anger slowly turned to confusion and curiosity upon seeing who she was travelling with. Daniel felt awkward with everypony staring at him, but much to his relief, none of them stopped for more than a moment, instead continuing about their day.
"They don't seem to be too bothered by my presence." he mumbled to Trixie, slightly surprised.
"Well it's not like you're the first human they've ever seen." she pointed out.
"Yes, but my brother and I don't exactly look that much alike, especially when we're in full uniform."
Trixie grinned. "Maybe your brother was simply more intimidating than you. His fear inducing presence surely desensitized the citizens to the point where someone like you wouldn't cause them to take a second glance." she said slyly.
"Not likely." he muttered. A pair of earth ponies walked by, glaring at Trixie and then leaving with a huff. "It looks like they aren't very fond of you." he said, smiling. "Do you have a history here that you failed to tell me about?"
Trixie looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Well....... The Great and Powerful Trixie may have purchased one of the most powerful amulets in Equestria, trapped the entire town under a large dome, sent Twilight into exile, enslaved all the citizens, and overthrown the local government." she said, blushing slightly.
Daniel just stared at her, wondering if she was going to laugh and say she was kidding. Surprisingly, she did neither and simply stared back, smiling awkwardly.
"Well that's........ interesting." he said, after a moment.
"Yes well, Trixie can be a bit dramatic at times." she coyly admitted, a little proud she was able to leave the Zealot so speechless. The cart came to a stop right in front of Sugarcube Corner, effectively putting an end any business the bakery was going to get that day.
"So, where do I find this Twilight you spoke of?"
Trixie looked around. "The library is over that way." she said, pointing down a street. Just then, a crow flew over and landed near Daniel, cawing loudly before flying away.
"So Twilight is a princess? Horn, wings, a crown and all that?" he asked, turning to Trixie.
"That's right." she said, giving the Crow a curious glance. "How'd you know?"
Daniel ignored her, looking over to the Raven that was still patiently perched on his shoulder. He gave the creature a nod, to which it obediently took off and flew out of sight. The Zealot then stood up and stepped down from the cart.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" she shouted after him. He took a few steps from the cart, before partially turning his head to her.
"I've got business to take care of. Just wait here until I return." he said, shifting into a flock of crows and receiving a few gasps from surprised onlookers in the process.
"HEY!" the aggravated magician screamed at the departing birds. "Come back here this instant you dirty INGRATE!"
Daniel ignored the unicorn, focusing instead on getting to the apple farm he was just informed of. He had a few questions for this "princess", and catching her on her own without any armed guard would make this whole process that much easier.
* * *
"Oh please Mr. Crow, wont you just go find a different tree to rest in?" Fluttershy pleaded to one of the many birds still sitting in the apple trees. "You see, Applejack has a lot of work to do today and you and your friends are making it impossible for her to finish any of it." The crow stared at the yellow pegasus curiously, quickly shifting its head to look at her with each eye.
"Umm, pretty please?" the pony begged, confused as to why the bird didn't seem to be listening. She reached a hoof out to the perched creature, which immediately pecked at it defensively.
"Ouch!" the mare was almost ready to cry. Defeated, she flew back down to the ground where Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight were waiting. "I don't know why they're not listening." Fluttershy admitted. "They don't seem to be amiable at all, they just stare at me when I try talking to them."
Applejack's eyes narrowed. "I bet it's Discord. That meddlesome spirit is always up to no good, and it wouldn't be the first time he's targeted the apple orchard for his little shenanigans."
Twilight shook her head. "It can't be Discord. He's helping Princess Celestia with a private matter at the moment. I don't know specifics, but I do know he wouldn't have the free time to come here and cause trouble."
Fluttershy shot Applejack a dirty look. "I thought we got passed that. Discord's changed." she defended.
"Yeah yeah, if you say so, but if it ain't him, then what in the hay is causin all these darned birds to flock here?" the earth pony asked.
"That would be me." a voice hissed, seemingly coming from everywhere at once. The four ponies looked around, trying to find the source, but all they saw were the crows. The birds had gone completely silent, but all were now looking right at the mares.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Rainbow Dash demanded. Flying up in the air and looking around the nearby trees.
"Twilight." the voice continued, its source still unknown. "Princess Twilight."
The alicorn's ears perked up at the sound of her name. "Who are you and what do you want with me?" she asked, looking all around.
"Ah, so it is you. I'm glad we are finally able to meet. I've heard much about you and the little adventure you had with my dearly departed brother.
Twilight's heart sank. She started feeling dizzy and thought she might lose her lunch. The princess maintained her composure though, not wanting to let anypony see how affected she was by these words.
"And just what in Equestria are you talkin bout?" Applejack asked, clearly unable to connect the dots as easily.
Several of the crows flew into the air, their caws quickly turning into screeches. The ponies covered their ears as the birds circled each other and began fusing together in a cloud of darkness. In mere seconds, Daniel was standing in front of the startled mares.
"Allow me to introduce myself." he said with an icy tone. "My name is Daniel, Daniel Miller."
The harmonious gasp from the group was all he needed to hear. "Ah, I see that name carries some weight around here, at least part of it."
"The late Thomas, from what I hear." the Zealot shot back. The surrounding crows flapped their wings anxiously, but remained perched.
"I also hear that I have you to thank for his untimely death your highness." he said, pointing a pale finger at Twilight accusingly.
The princess' heart rate quickened. "Who have you been talking to?" she demanded, her shaky voice almost betraying her.
"It doesn't matter." he replied coldly. "However, my source wasn't exactly all knowing, so I will allow you to give me more details on exactly what happened with my brother." he raised his arms, gesturing to the crows. "And who knows? Maybe it will keep my flock here from doing anything rash."
As if on cue, the crows began cawing harshly, eagerly awaiting the command to attack. Sweet Apple Acres felt more like a riled up court room at that point, with Twilight and her friends on the witness stand. Of course, it wasn't their freedom they were fighting for.
"I suggest you start from the beginning." Daniel ordered, growing impatient.
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy looked at Twilight with worry. The alicorn let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. "Very well." she said, then proceeded to tell the story of how a Fireman precariously dropped into their world and ended up saving their lives, becoming a hero in his own right.
* * *
Trixie stood on her cart, dumbfounded by Daniel's sudden exit. She was now alone in a town that hated her, with nothing to show for it but a red mark on her hoof from where one of those vile crows had pecked her.
"This is just great." she spat, hopping off of her cart and kicking the dirt angrily. "Now what am I supposed to do?"
Just when the show mare thought things couldn't get any worse, she heard two familiar voices approaching from behind. The magician turned to see Rarity and Pinkie Pie walking together, apparently on their way to Sugarcube Corner.
"Well all I can really say about it is that she was definitely trying too hard with the outfit." Rarity said. "I feel bad for the poor dear, messing up like that on a Canterlot fashion shoot?"
The two ponies stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing Trixie parked in front of the bakery.
"What are you doing here?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I mean, I guess you could be buying cupcakes or something, since you're outside the bakery and all, but somepony as mean and nasty as you probably doesn't like sweets. Of course, you could just be buying baked goods in some nefarious plot to ruin everypony's day and turn Ponyville into a chaotic mess like you do all the time!" she rambled.
"Listen you little foal, don't think that Trixie needs the Alicorn Amulet to wipe that mouth off your face." the blue unicorn threatened.
Pinkie's eyes widened and she covered her mouth fearfully, frantically shaking her head at Trixie.
"So what are you doing here, miss 'Great and Powerful' Trixie?" Rarity asked sarcastically.
"Well if you must know, Trixie came here with a human." she gloated.
"A human!?" the two ponies shouted in unison.
"That's right! In fact, he's the brother of the very same human that was here a few months ago."
Pinkie and Rarity exchanged worried looks. "Where is he?" the white unicorn asked.
"Well........... I don't really know." Trixie admitted, her head slumped.
Just then, Pinkie Pie began shaking and bouncing uncontrollably. "I... think....they're....at......the farm." the earth pony managed to say through her pinkie sense spasms.
"That ability of yours is so convenient, darling. Now let's get going!" Rarity said to the pink mare. They started off toward Sweet Apple Acres.
"Hey, wait for me!" Trixie shouted after them, quickly running in the same direction.
* * *
Twilight finished giving Daniel the general summary of her experience with Thomas. Much of what she said coincided with Trixie's story, though the princess' version offered much more insight. The Zealot didn't think she was lying to him, but he still found it hard to believe that Thomas would simply start playing the hero in this world. He wasn't the cold, hard son-of-a-bitch that most Firemen were known to be, but his loyalty to Comstock was unmatched and Columbia had been his home. He wouldn't just postpone getting back to the city for the sake of a bunch of ponies.
Across from Daniel, Twilight stood by apprehensively, waiting to hear the Zealot's thoughts. She was still incredibly fearful of the man. How had she been so accurate in his appearance? The nightmares that plagued her were a result of her own imagination, yet her mental image of Daniel was spot on with what he really looked like. Thomas had offered no description of his brother's physical appearance, and the likelihood of her correctly guessing was almost non-existent. The alicorn wasn't naive. She knew it couldn't have been a coincidence. Something was going on here, and it gave her a very bad feeling.
"Can you point me to where his body is?" Daniel suddenly asked.
Twilight blinked in disbelief. "What?"
"His tomb, this mountain where he died. I'd like to go see it." he explained.
The princess was speechless. Here she had expected him to be angry, maybe even violent, yet he seemed completely cool, calm, and collected. There was no hostility in his voice, no underlying abrasion in his words. This caused even more fear in Twilight. Her mind was thinking a million things at once.
"I'll take you there, Mr. Miller."
Twilight looked over at Fluttershy as she calmly walked up to the Crow. Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared at her, mouths agape.
"Fluttershy......" Twilight began.
"It's alright girls, Daniel should be able to pay his respects." the shy pegasus spoke softly. The Zealot looked at her curiously. He hadn't expected the most timid member of their group to volunteer as a guide.
"No, I'll be doing this alone." he interjected. "Point me in the direction, and I'll locate it fine by myself."
Twilight hesitantly raised her hoof and pointed east. Without another word, Daniel dispersed into crows and flew in that direction. All of the surrounding crows left as well, silently flying away and disappearing over the treeline. In a matter of seconds, four confused ponies were left in an empty apple orchard, wondering what the hay just happened.
"You want me to follow him, Twi?" Rainbow Dash offered.
"No." the alicorn replied. "We need to get back to the library and find Spike."
"Gonna write a letter to Princess Celestia?" Applejack asked.
Twilight shook her head. "Not exactly."
The group heard hoofsteps approaching from behind several trees. It didn't take long for them to spot Rarity and Pinkie Pie running toward them, with a blue unicorn following close behind. Twilight identified the stranger to be Trixie, who didn't look particularly happy.
"Alright princess." the show mare started, trotting right up to the alicorn. "Where is my human!?"
Apple Bloom didn't know what happened. At first she was walking on the path back to Ponyville, but somehow she had gotten turned around and now didn't know where she was.
"Ah shoot, I really gotta stop gettin lost in thought when I'm walkin." she said, scolding herself. The forest she travelled in was thick with brush, but the filly could see a break in the trees ahead. Relief washed over her as she ran toward the light that crept through the trees. Breaking through the treeline, Apple Bloom found herself next to the trail leading to Ponyville from the mountain where she and the other crusaders were held prisoner. The relief that she was feeling quickly turned into sorrow and anger.
Why did I have to end up here of all places. she thought. A caw jerked Apple Bloom out of her internal conversation. She looked over to a tree and saw a large Raven sitting in it, watching her intently.
"Oh hi there, ya startled me." Apple Bloom laughed. The bird continued to observe her silently. "Uhh, yeah well, I'm gonna go now."
The Raven shifted its gaze past the uncomfortable filly and over to the pathway coming from Ponyville. Apple Bloom followed its stare until her eyes fell upon a massive flock of crows heading her way. The unease she was feeling quickly turned to fear, and she hid in a nearby bush. Peeking out from her vegetated fortress, Apple Bloom saw the flock of crows fly close to the ground and then fuse together. She quietly gasped as a dark figure appeared from the flock, silently walking down the road toward the mountain ruins.
"T-Thomas?" she quietly asked, noticing the uncanny resemblance of the creature before her. It was definitely a human, that much she could be sure of, even from that distance. Her heart skipped a beat and the urge to call out to him almost overcame her, but the filly's voice got caught in her throat as she realized it definitely wasn't the Fireman.
Daniel continued to walk down the dirt path, keeping a brisk pace as the ruins gradually came into view. His Raven gingerly flew over and landed on his shoulder, cawing quietly.
"Where is she?" he asked in response. The bird cawed again and Daniel nonchalantly looked behind him, scanning the nearby bushes. "If she keeps her distance, then don't worry about it, but keep an eye out all the same." The Raven nodded and flew off once again.
It didn't take long for the Zealot to reach the ruins where his brother had died. Even being so close to his tomb, the Crow didn't feel anymore remorse for Thomas' passing than when he had first heard the circumstances surrounding it. Daniel noticed the occasional flash of sunlight reflecting off a piece of metal. Upon further investigation, he discovered a plaque mounted in front of the former cave entrance. He read the words slowly to himself.
In Memory of Thomas Miller. His is a flame that shall never go out, for we are its bearers. Forever loved and eternally missed.
He laughed as he read the plaque again. "You really did waste your life for these heretics, didn't you?" he said, looking at the pile of boulders blocking the entrance. "I'm not going to judge you for what you did while you were here. You had your reasons, I'm sure."
The area was dead silent. Nothing stirred around the mountain, and the passing clouds occasionally blanketed the area in partial darkness. "I just came by to let you know that your sacrifice wasn't in vain. Your arrival in this place may have been accidental, but because of you, the city can now be saved." The Zealot heard hoofsteps behind him, but ignored them, finishing the conversation with his dead sibling. "If my hunch is correct, then both the Prophet and Columbia can be spared the coming destruction that Booker and Elizabeth will inevitably bring about. This world will be the perfect catalyst to pursue that end."
He put a hand on the plaque and lowered his head. "I'll see you soon Thomas." he smiled. "I do hope you have a front row seat."
Now that his brother's case had been closed, it was time to get down to business. Daniel had much to do, and the Crow didn't know exactly how much time he had to do it.
"Hello?"
He turned to see a yellow filly with a pink bow adorning her head. She stood at a distance and looked at him cautiously, waiting for a response.
"Umm, did you know Thomas?" she asked, sensing he wasn't going to answer. A smile crept over Daniel's face, concealed by his mask.
"Yes, I like to think I knew him quite well." he replied, then started laughing malevolently. Apple Bloom didn't notice as a large number of crows surrounded her, cutting off any possible escape.
"W-who are you?" she asked fearfully.
"I'll tell you what I'm not." he said, taking a threatening step toward Apple Bloom. "I am not like my brother."
Apple Bloom's fear finally got the better of her, and she screamed as loud as she could. Unfortunately for the helpless filly, only the crows were there to hear it.
* * *
"So, you want me to send a letter to the Royal Guard?" Spike asked Twilight, still confused by the request. The princess and her five friends had hastily made their way to the library, reluctantly allowing Trixie to tag along as well.
"That's right Spike. Send the letter to the Captain of the Royal Guard." the alicorn replied.
"You mean Shining Armor?" Rarity inquired.
"No, my brother isn't in Canterlot right now, but there's always a captain stationed at the castle." Twilight finished writing the letter and neatly rolled it up, giving it to her dragon assistant.
"And why exactly are we asking for a platoon of guards?" Rainbow Dash asked. The princess hesitated. She didn't want to tell her friends about the dream just yet, there were still too many unknown variables, and getting everypony riled up at this point wouldn't help in the slightest.
"We're going to place Daniel under arrest." Twilight declared, looking serious. Gasps swept over the group as they took in what she just said.
"What do you mean, Twilight?" Fluttershy said with worry. "He hasn't done anything wrong, we can't just arrest him because he scared us a little."
"Fluttershy's right, he ain't done wrong by any of us. Takin him in would just cause more problems." Applejack added.
Everypony seemed to be in agreement.
"We have to keep him under lock and key until we can discover his true motives." the princess tried explaining.
"True motives? Twilight, the man came here to find his brother, and now he's going to pay his respects because he just found out that Thomas is dead." Rainbow Dash pointed out.
"No girls, you have to believe me, he isn't here about his brother. Something is going on, and I fear Equestria is in danger of whatever it is." the alicorn pleaded. The other ponies all gave her skeptical looks. Finally, Trixie could hold her tongue no longer.
"Oh of course, you would try and arrest a human simply because he didn't come to you first. If Princess Twilight can't have a human, then nopony can, is that it?" the unicorn accused, her nostrils flaring.
"What? No! It's nothing like that. I have suspicions that he poses a threat to the land!" Twilight defended.
"Oh? And what evidence do you have to support such a claim, miss high and mighty?" Trixie inquired.
Twilight didn't answer. She couldn't believe how much resistance she was getting. Of course Trixie would argue, but her friends? Why were they so skeptical of her?
They didn't have time to continue the discussion as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo entered the library. "Hey, have you guys seen Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Ain't she with you?" Applejack replied.
"No, she seemed really bummed out and left the clubhouse early, but we got worried and went to go look for her. She isn't at the farm or Sugarcube Corner, and we don't know where else to look.
Everypony looked at each other, all of them thinking the same thing. "We have to get to those ruins!" Rainbow Dash shouted. After putting on the Elements of Harmony, the seven mares plus a baby dragon quickly made their way out of Ponyville.
"Do we even know the Elements will work on him? He is from a completely different world after all." Rarity pointed out.
"Hopefully we won't have to find out." Twilight replied.
"None of you better hurt him. He hasn't done anything wrong, so stop talking like he's a criminal." Trixie warned.
"Why are you so protective of him?" Rainbow asked, perplexed.
"Because Trixie found him first and he's Trixie's ticket to fame and fortune, that's why!" she defensively replied.
Before long, the ponies reached the mountain ruins. At first they didn't see anyone around, but then Daniel's figure slowly came into view. Twilight scanned the surrounding area, attempting to spot any crows that may have been around. Surprisingly however, there didn't seem to be a single bird in the area. As they reached the stationary Zealot, Applejack was naturally the first to speak.
"Where's my sister at?" she demanded. Daniel stood all the way up and turned to them.
"What makes you think I know where your kin is?" he asked mockingly.
"Don't give me that hooey. You had somethin to do with her disappearance, I just know it!"
The Crow's eyes narrowed. "Accusations like that usually demand evidence before they are given serious consideration." he looked around the baron landscape. "And it seems as though you have none." his eyes fell upon Trixie. "Ah, I see waiting at the cart grew tiresome for you. Unfortunately, you're probably going to wish you'd stayed there."
The magician stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. It didn't take long for Daniel to notice subtle differences in the ponies from the last time he saw them. "Lovely jewelry." he joked. "Do you always play dress-up before searching for missing persons?"
"This isn't jewelry, silly." Pinkie Pie blurted out. "These are the Elements of Harmony! Together, we can call on like a ginormous amount of power to defeat enemies from all over Equestria! Isn't it awesome?"
The other ponies looked at her in disbelief. "What is the matter with you Pinkie? Why would you tell him that?" Twilight demanded.
"Oh don't worry Twilight, it's not like we'll even need to use the Elements. I mean come on, as soon as the platoon of guards gets here, they're just gonna take him into custody and lock him up anyway, right?"
The ponies all face-hoofed as Pinkie realized her mistake. "Oopsy."
Daniel was surprised. Sure he had made the ponies sweat a little bit in the apple orchard, but he didn't think he'd given them enough reason to call in the troops. It didn't matter though, this simply meant his plan would be put into motion sooner than expected. He knew this confrontation would only be settled through violence. It was time these ponies found out who they were really dealing with. Almost mechanically, the Crow drew his sword out of its sheath. The blade sung as it cut through the air effortlessly, its tip stopping just above the ground.
"So, I see you've decided to make things difficult." the Zealot's tone grew cold. "Well at least things start to get interesting from here on out."
"No, we don't want to fight you." Twilight assured. "We merely want to ask some questions." The last thing she wanted was for the situation to escalate into physical conflict, and there was no reason why it had to turn into that.
Suddenly, the group of ponies began hearing strange noises. It sounded like muffled moaning and groaning, as if some creature was trapped or injured. Even Daniel seemed caught off guard by the sudden noise, he turned his head to look behind him just as the ponies realized where the moans were coming from. Horror swelled inside them as their eyes fell upon the coffin still chained to the Zealot's back.
"What's in the coffin?" Twilight demanded. The ponies stared at Daniel in fearful suspicion, still listening to the soft whimpers emanating from the casket.
"Is my sister in there!?" Applejack asked with both fear and anger.
"I can assure you she isn't." the Zealot promised.
"Then what is inside?" Rarity questioned.
The Crow glared at them. "That's not something you need to concern yourselves with." he elbowed the coffin hard. "But if it doesn't stop complaining, then it will be severely punished." he mumbled harshly. The whimpered noises abruptly stopped and silence befell the ruins once more.
Applejack took a step closer to him. "Open it, now!"
"What was that?" he asked, his anger quickly rising. "You filthy heathens must be insane if you think you can stand there and give me orders."
"Enough stalling. If you wont open it, then I'll make you open it!" Rainbow Dash shouted, flying at the Crow. It didn't take but a moment for the pegasus to reach Daniel, but just as she was about to connect, the Zealot vanished into thin air. Rainbow stopped mid-flight, initially confused about what had happened, but then the crows appeared out of nowhere and began to attack. All at once they ambushed the pony, pecking and scratching at her from every angle. The mare yelled in both pain and frustration as she could do nothing to defend herself but cover her face.
"Rainbow!" Twilight screamed, charging up her horn and letting loose a fury of attack spells. Several of the crows were struck by the incoming fire and flew away in a hasty retreat, the others regrouped and formed back into the Zealot.
"Ah, I see you have some tricks as well." Daniel laughed, happy this would be more interesting than he anticipated.
"Stand down!" Twilight ordered in her most authoritative voice.
The Zealot smirked under his mask. "Where's the fun in that?"
Daniel once again turned into the birds, and the flock of crows made there way over to Twilight's position. The princess shot more beams of magic at the incoming creatures, but it was no good. Just as they came within striking distance of her, the Zealot reformed and promptly slashed at the alicorn with lightning fast agility. Twilight was barely able to dodge the incoming attack as the sword flew past her head. A few locks of her mane fell to the floor, but other than that, the princess was uninjured. However, she had no time to recover since Daniel was already gearing for a second attack. Another violent swing of his blade ensured he would hit his target, but the weapon never made contact with the princess.
Pinkie Pie had jumped in the way just as the blade came down, hitting the earth pony in the chest. The sword struck her Elemental charm just to the side of the blue gem that decorated the middle. A loud clang of metal on metal echoed through the ruins, causing several onlooking crows to take flight from their hidden perches. Daniel took a few steps back, completely taken by surprise at the pink mare's intervention. He looked up to see all of the ponies, including Spike, surrounding their princess protectively. All but Trixie, who was still standing at a distance, unsure of how to proceed.
"Thanks Pinkie, are you okay?" Twilight asked gratefully.
"Yeppers, didn't even feel a thing." Pinkie replied, though the blade had left a faint mark on her necklace. Twilight was grateful for her friend's sixth sense, but knew it probably wouldn't save her from the Zealot a second time.
"You ponies are full of surprises, I'll give you that." Daniel admitted. "But I have a few of my own."
Suddenly, the Crow came up with an idea that he found quite enticing. He looked from pony to pony, studying each one carefully. His eyes eventually landed on the rainbow maned one who originally had the audacity to strike at him, and thoughts of sweet revenge soon occupied his mind. He was about to teach these ponies a lesson in respect, using this hot head pegasus as his instrument.
The Zealot pointed his hand at the group and let loose a large murder of crows. The birds assaulted the ponies with swipes and pecks, temporarily stunning the group. Twilight's horn lit up and she sent a wave of magic through the air that startled the birds and caused them to retreat, but they had already done their job. There was now a sizable distance between Rainbow Dash and the other Elements. Daniel smiled as his hand changed its physical appearance and a new vigor began to activate.
Rainbow Dash cautiously got to her feet, a bit scratched up, but otherwise unharmed. However, no sooner did she stand up than Daniel charged his left hand and pointed it at her. The ponies looked on as his hand turned an ethereal green and he let loose his vigor. A green phantom-like woman shot out from his hand and soared through the air like a bullet. Rainbow Dash didn't have any time to protect herself as the phantom made contact, causing the battered pegasus to fall once more.
"Dashie!" Pinkie cried out, fearful for her friend's condition.
"Let's run a little experiment, shall we?" Daniel said menacingly. The ponies glared at him with anger, but then looked back to Dash as she began to move. Slowly, Rainbow Dash got back up, but this time something was very wrong with her. There was a green aura surrounding the pegasus, and a strange ghostly figure floating beside her. As Twilight looked into her eyes, she couldn't see her friend anymore, instead an empty shell of the pony that had once been there.
Rainbow looked around for a moment, bewildered at first and seemingly lost. Twilight and the others looked on in horror as their friend finally laid eyes on the Zealot. When she spotted Daniel, relief overcame her and she briskly trotted over and stood by his side, nuzzling up to him affectionately.
"It seems even I can make friends here." the Crow teased, gently running his fingers through her rainbow mane, not out of compassion, but in a display of dominance and control. The pegasus looked up at him with loving regard, but when she looked over to her friends, an expression of anger and hatred appeared on her face.
"Dashie, what's gotten into you?" Pinkie Pie asked. Rainbow looked back up to Daniel expectantly.
"Yes my dear, go have your fun." Daniel said, knowing exactly what her intent was. Rainbow Dash lowered her head and readied her body, setting her sights on Twilight. The green aura that surrounded her remained strong.
"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?" the princess asked with concern and confusion. Without speaking, Rainbow Dash charged at the alicorn with a speed and ferocity that only she herself could ever match. The cyan pegasus closed the gap between her and Twilight in less than a second. With a primal yell, the Element of Loyalty gave the princess a hard buck that sent her flying backward.
Twilight landed on the ground with a thud. She didn't recover as quickly as she should have, dazed by both the massive blow to her midsection and the terrifying behavior of one of her best friends. Unfortunately for the alicorn, Dash was in a much clearer state of mind. Almost immediately, Twilight found herself being bucked senseless by the crazed mare. Hit after hit struck the princess hard and all she could do was raise her hooves in defense. After several more blows to the legs, instinct kicked in and Twilight shot a beam of magic at the attacking pegasus.
Rainbow Dash was briefly knocked on her rump, but it gave Twilight enough time to distance herself from the mare. The other ponies quickly took advantage and regrouped on the princess, creating a protective barricade around her. It was at this point that Daniel decided to get involved as well. He walked over to Rainbow Dash, who had just righted herself, and pointed his sword directly at the princess. The green phantom continued to whisper into Dash's ear seductively, and the blue pegasus charged at her friends, mercilessly slamming into them and knocking them over like bowling pins. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Spike, and Rarity quickly got back up and tackled Dash to the ground, while Fluttershy hid under her hooves.
Daniel saw his opening and moved to strike the alicorn, but Twilight was ready this time. As Daniel swung his blade, the princess caught it with her magic and attempted to tear it away from his grasp. The Zealot held fast though, and the two quickly found themselves in a deadly tug-of-war. The Crow dispersed into birds just as Twilight finally wrenched the sword free. She promptly tossed it away before turning back to the crows, who dive bombed the princess with exposed talons.
"Everypony, get behind me!" Twilight commanded. She ran over to a stunned Trixie and began charging up a powerful spell. Applejack, Spike and Pinkie Pie sprinted to Twilight while Rarity grabbed Fluttershy's tail with her magic and dragged the terrified pegasus over to the meeting point. Daniel took the opportunity to reconstitute and grab his sword, then he and Rainbow Dash charged in once again. However, before they reached the group of ponies, Twilight released her spell and conjured a large bubble around them. The two advancing adversaries stopped at the bubble's edge and struck it. The force field rippled out from the point of impact, but remained steadfast.
"Get out here and fight, you cowards!" the Zealot barked as both he and Dash started to batter the shield with combined blows of sword and hoof. The bubble rippled at each hit, but never faltered. Daniel struck the shield harder and harder, each ineffective hit causing his anger and frustration to grow. He thought of all the things he was going to do to these ponies for causing him such grief.
"Look!" Pinkie said, noticing the phantom woman disappearing and the green aura around Rainbow Dash beginning to blink. The Crow looked over and smiled as he realized the vigor's effect was waning. Calmly, he ceased his assault on the force field and patiently waited for Possession to wear off. Soon enough, the aura around Rainbow Dash completely disappeared, causing the pony to stop her assault. Twilight felt a wave of relief wash over her, thinking that whatever wretched spell had been placed over her friend was now gone.
"The voices.....the voices! Make the voices stop! Please!" Dash began screaming. She looked around in every direction as dementia corrupted her mind. "Filthy, filthy, filthy! It writhes in filth, it basks in filth!" the pegasus' eyes landed on the Zealot's sword and she jumped at it, trying desperately to grab the weapon. "No more love, no more love, the demons bask in the fires!" Daniel kept her away from the sword with one hand while holding the blade in the other.
"What's wrong with her!?" Twilight screamed.
"An unfortunate little side effect of the Possession vigor. Once the initial effects of Possession wear off, the victim doesn't quite know what to do with themselves anymore." he laughed, allowing Rainbow Dash's hoof to get a few inches closer to the sword. "More often than not, they will succumb to dementia and attempt to end their suffering, by any means necessary."
The princess stared at her friend in fear and disbelief. Daniel let her hoof come dangerously close to the weapon. "If you do not yield in the next ten seconds, I will let her have my sword, and you will have to watch as your friend commits the sin of suicide." he hissed.
"Cut the lines, cut the thread, I only wish that I were dead!" the pegasus babbled. Twilight looked at her disturbed friend. It only took her three of the ten seconds to disable her shield and surrender.
"That's a good girl." the Zealot smiled. In a single motion he sheathed his weapon and ran his glowing green hand over Rainbow Dash's face. She immediately stopped struggling and fell into unconsciousness. Daniel gently laid the sleeping pegasus on the ground where she was instantly surrounded by her friends. "She'll be fine." the Crow assured. "Though she might wake up with a slight headache."
They all looked at Daniel with a hatred that none of them had ever experienced before. "So this is how the rest of the day is going to work." he started, addressing Twilight. He pointed at Trixie. "This one tells me that there is an ancient castle in the Everfree Forest. However, she failed to know its exact location. Do you know where this castle is?"
"Yes." Twilight reluctantly said through gritted teeth.
"Good. Then we are going to take a little trip to this castle, right now." he commanded. None of the ponies moved, so the Crow raised his sword and let it come to rest just below Twilight's chin. "I only need one of you alive to show me the way, so I suggest you not test the limit of my patience. Now move!"
The ponies all got up and started walking toward the Everfree. Twilight lifted Rainbow Dash with her magic and put her on her back, using her wings to support her.
"You think she'll be alright, Twi?" Applejack asked.
The princess looked at the Zealot behind her. "She better be."
As he passed Trixie, Daniel put a hand on her and coaxed her to walk along. The two followed close behind the others as the group made there way to the forest.
Apple Bloom walked along the path leading into the Everfree Forest. After her fear inducing encounter with Thomas' brother, the Zealot had instructed her to travel into the forest, offering no explanation as to why. Under normal circumstances, the filly would have run back to Ponyville and gotten help from her big sister, but the raven that was perched on her back greatly hindered her ability to do anything other than exactly what Daniel said. The escort of crows that were flying some distance away also ensured her unwavering compliance. She looked back at the raven and her pink bow flicked it in the beak, resulting in an angered caw.
"Oops, sorry." she apologized half-heartedly. "I was just wonderin, where are we goin?"
The raven stared at her intently, not making a sound. She rolled her eyes. "You do know I can't rightly go where ya want me to if you don't give some kinda direction."
The bird continued to regard her silently, so Apple Bloom merely kept walking along the pathway. Her frequent visits to Zecora's hut had made the filly quite adept in traversing the Everfree Forest. In fact, she could probably navigate its darkened, winding trails better than just about anypony else in Ponyville.
As they walked, Apple Bloom noticed the turn off to Zecora's home, and her heart skipped a beat. This may be the escape she was looking for. All she had to do was make it to the zebra's hut and she'd be home free, at least that was her hope. The trail that branched off from the main pathway was barely noticeable, only used occasionally by Zecora herself, or the rare visitor. Calmly, Apple Bloom made her way to one side of the trail, intent on taking the exit that was coming up. Unfortunately, the bird had other ideas, and pecked her hard in the ear after a loud caw.
"Ow!" she exclaimed. "What was that for!?"
The raven cawed harshly, but she kept going toward the trail. It pecked her again in the same spot. "What!?" she asked, feigning ignorance. Several of the crows landed on the fork in the road, blocking off access to Zecora's trail.
"Ah fiddle sticks!" Apple Bloom muttered under her breath. Reluctantly, she made a course correction and continued down the main trail. She would never usually go down this trail unless she was feeling particularly adventurous and she wasn't expected home for some time, but since Thomas' death, the filly found herself exploring the Everfree much more often, normally to think and ponder. She sometimes had close calls with the local wildlife, like the occasional roving timberwolf or cockatrice, but these encounters did little to deter her from coming back.
In her travels, she never went further than a large river that was deep in the forest, so everything beyond that was uncharted territory for her. Even so, everything this side of the river, she knew like the back of her hoof. Slowly, a plan started to formulate in her head. She knew that along this trail there was a manticore den on the left shoulder. Usually Apple Bloom would tip-toe by its home, and the beast would be none the wiser, but if she happened to alert it to her presence this time around, maybe that could provide her with a nice distraction.
"So, do ya like zap apple jam?" she asked the raven, who seemed uninterested in anything she had to say. "My family is known far n wide for makin the best dang zap apple jam in all of Equestria."
The bird cawed, and the filly couldn't tell if it was interested to hear more or it wanted her to shut up, but judging by the tightening grip of its talons on her coat, she guessed the latter. Apple Bloom could see the manticore den coming up and knew she'd have to get its attention soon. She continued to talk, even louder than before.
"Have ya ever tried zap apple jam before? It's likely the best tastin jam to ever grace your taste buds, I tell ya." the raven pecked her on the head and cawed louder, but she just ignored it and kept talking. "Did ya know that crows are actually a big part of zap apple season? My Granny Smith told me that a murder of crows marks the third sign of zap apples. That's when zap apple flowers appear on the trees!" the filly tried sounding as enthused as possible, practically shouting at the den. The raven squeezed tighter with its talons and Apple Bloom knew she wouldn't get away with anymore small talk. They were now passing the den, and the filly prayed it was enough to get the beast's attention.
Much to her relief and the raven's surprise, a loud roar bellowed out of the den, shaking the ground and causing the crows to fly out of the surrounding trees. The raven quickly looked to the opening as a large manticore angrily stomped out and gave another loud howl. Apple Bloom stopped in her tracks, pretending to be frozen in fear. The large beast roared in her direction, and the crows immediately began attacking. Like an angry swarm of bees, they ambushed the creature with gruesome efficiency. The manticore had clearly not expected the birds to be there, and now they tore at it with talons and beaks, going for exposed parts of soft tissue and obvious facial features, like eyes. The creature covered its face with its front paws while simultaneously flailing its dragon-like wings and scorpion tail in an attempt to discourage the crows from their onslaught.
The raven remained perched on Apple Bloom's back, but it hadn't punished her for stopping. Its eyes remained fixated on the ensuing battle. The crows continued their merciless attack on the manticore. Blood began dripping onto the forest floor as wounds opened up all around the creature's body. It continued to flail around, ineffectively swatting at the assaulting birds, but this only opened up its face for their attacks. Apple Bloom was transfixed, horrified by the sight before her as the creature she once feared was being reduced to a bloody mess. The manticore ran around in a circle, panicked by its inability to retaliate against the birds. It tried flapping its large wings, but there were already large gashes that made it impossible for the creature to get any lift. There was now a thick cloud of crows surrounding the beast, bits of flesh hanging from their bloody beaks.
Finally, the manticore retreated back into its den, desperate to get away from the nightmarish crows. The birds did not relent however, their thirst for blood not yet quenched, so they went in after the retreating beast as it continued to howl in pain. The raven could resist its blood lust no longer, and quickly took off from Apple Bloom's back. It flew into the cave as well, disappearing into the den. Apple Bloom managed to shake herself out of the fearful state she was in long enough to run far away from the grisly scene that was unfolding. She didn't have a clear idea of where she was going, but anywhere was better than there. She stumbled down the pathway, trying to get the manticore's pain filled roars out of her head.
* * *
The expedition to the Everfree Forest had been awkwardly silent. Twilight led the group, still carrying an incapacitated Rainbow Dash on her back. She was followed closely by Spike and the other Elements of Harmony, while Daniel and Trixie brought up the rear. Applejack glanced back at Daniel. The Crow seeemed to be exchanging words with Trixie, but she couldn't hear what they were saying. This gave her confidence that any conversation they had would be equally inaudible to the Zealot.
"Twilight, we gotta do somethin." she whispered. "I need to find Apple Bloom and we gotta stop whatever this guy is plannin!"
"I know, Applejack." Twilight replied.
"Well then what are ya waitin for? Cast a spell at him n lets wrap this up." Applejack suggested.
"No, I can't risk any of you getting hurt. If it were just me and him, then I'd gladly try my luck at putting an end to this, but not if it means putting my friends in danger."
Applejack groaned, clearly frustrated. "Don't worry bout us Twi, we can handle ourselves, but you gotta stop him. Like ya said before, he could be a danger to all of Equestria." she pointed out.
"What do you think he wants, anyway?" Rarity chimed in. "What could he possibly do in that old castle? There's nothing there but ruins."
"Maybe he's throwing a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party for himself, and he wants an old spooky castle theme!" Pinkie whispered excitedly.
"I doubt that." Rarity said, shaking her head. "That......that.....rapscallion hurt Rainbow Dash, forced her to fight her friends and then used her as a bargaining chip! Anyone that heartless wouldn't be thinking about a soiree of any nature." she said, clearly upset.
Pinkie put a reassuring hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry Rarity, I'm not good at name calling either." The white unicorn gave her a quizzical look and then rolled her eyes as they approached the entrance to the Everfree.
Daniel and Trixie hadn't said much on the way to the entrance. The Zealot could easily see she was upset by what took place in the orchard, which made him laugh inside. It was about time he put the show mare in her place.
"You've been pretty quiet. Did something happen?" he asked snidely.
The magician shot him a look. "Don't even speak to me. I've done things in the past I'm not particularly proud of, but what you did back there was outright appalling."
"I don't take kindly to threats." he explained. "They should not have forced my hand by attempting to detain me."
"Why? What are you doing here? You told me it was just for your brother."
"Yes, but you and I both knew I was lying."
The unicorn looked down to the ground. "So? What's the real reason?"
Now it was Daniel's turn to look away. "I'm saving my city."
"From what?"
The Zealot looked back to her. "Obliteration."
Trixie didn't understand, but there was something else bugging her that she wanted the Crow to answer.
"Would you really have let Rainbow Dash kill herself?" she asked sadly.
Daniel didn't answer, so she looked up to him. Trixie couldn't see his face, she couldn't tell what he was thinking, couldn't read him. He was about to answer when Twilight stopped and turned around.
"This is the entrance to the Everfree Forest." she informed. Daniel stopped and thought a moment. The forest was dark and deadly looking, naturally, and it seemed as though the trail got narrower as it went on. He could see roots, vines, and other vegetation slowly creeping onto the path. The Crow concluded that right here was as good a place as any.
"We'll enter the forest in a moment. I have to take care of something first." he said. Carefully, the Zealot unchained the coffin from his back. The chain quickly went slack, and Daniel swiftly turned and caught the coffin before it hit the ground. He gently laid the casket flat on the pathway, and flipped a latch that looked much newer than the coffin itself. The ponies all watched in curiosity as he opened the lid. It made a creaking noise, slowly opening and falling to the other side.
Daniel held his hand out to whatever was inside. The ponies didn't make a sound, waiting on bated breath to discover the source of the noises. Hushed gasps could be heard as another hand slowly and hesitantly reached up and grabbed Daniel's. The Zealot pulled with little effort, and another human became visible. The resulting gasps weren't due to the fact that it was a human, but due to his appearance. He was incredibly lanky, and wore what looked like a school uniform that he'd outgrown years ago. Even with his scrawny physique, the uniform looked tight and constraining. The most disturbing feature was the grey sack that was covering his face. Written near the top were the words Tabula Rasa, as well as a blood red smile crudely smeared on the front where a mouth would be. The Boy stood up with his back hunched, shielding his eyes from the light. He looked scared and confused, whimpering quietly and shaking profusely.
"Jacob." Daniel called. The Boy stopped shaking and he no longer whimpered, instead standing quietly. "Jacob." the Zealot repeated.
Suddenly the Boy faced Daniel and made a noise as if it had a sudden revelation. It hobbled over to the Crow and started hugging him gratefully. Jacob started crying as he grabbed Daniel's robes and used them to support himself.
"It's alright Jacob, you've been very patient." Daniel soothed. The Boy only cried louder. "Come now, stop with that. We're in the presence of company." he said, gesturing to the ponies and dragon. They were all silent, completely taken aback by what they were seeing. The Boy looked over to them and examined them silently, still whimpering a bit. "This is Jacob." the Zealot said, addressing the group. "Please excuse the Boy's crying. He's usually much more Silent."
Twilight didn't know what to think. The creature standing before her looked incredibly feeble, yet for some reason it felt even more threatening than Daniel. The Boy seemed to be looking at them, studying them, but she couldn't tell for sure. There were no eye holes in the sack that covered his face, only the chicken scratch writing and the disturbing smile. The Boy filled her with unease, and from the look of her friends, that seemed to be the general consensus.
Jacob turned back to Daniel and waited, still quivering slightly. The Zealot put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face the entrance of the Everfree Forest. "It's time to bring the others." he whispered into the Boy's ear, stepping back and giving Jacob space. The Boy simply nodded in response, his trembling subsiding momentarily as he began to concentrate. He spread his legs out and hunched over even further, looking as though he was experiencing terrible stomach pains.
"What's he doing?" Twilight asked, but the Crow merely shot his hand up, demanding silence. Jacob continued to concentrate, now standing up straight and bringing his hands further apart as he whimpered in either pain or due to the massive amount of effort he seemed to be exerting. Suddenly, the area in front of the Boy seemed to behave differently. Twilight couldn't tell exactly what was being changed, but it was as if reality itself was bending in that particular spot. At first it looked like a shimmering in the air, like heat waves radiating off a hot surface, but then the fruits of Jacob's labor became much more apparent.
All at once, Jacob let out a blistering scream and arched his back in a way that looked both painful and impossible. He now looked up to the sky as a vertical tear opened up in front of him. Nopony said a word as he went silent once again, but held the pose and maintained the opening. Daniel acted fast, raising his arm and pointing at the open tear. A crow that seemingly came out of nowhere quickly entered into the white light and disappeared from view. The area around the tear seemed to have gotten much darker than it had looked before, fading away as if its importance to the world was now nonexistent, as if this opening in reality were now the whole idea and the only idea.
The crow returned from its journey, flying over to Daniel and hovering there momentarily. After a few caws, it promptly went back to whatever it had been doing before the Zealot's intervention, but he seemed distraught at what it had told him. The ponies shifted their gaze from the annoyed looking Crow and back to the open hole in their world. Muffled gasps accompanied the first sight of a dark silhouette making its way through the tear. Only a black outline was visible against the white background, but none of the Equestrians could identify the figure. The body looked human, but the head looked anything but. The middle was large and rounded with what looked like two bugle horns jutting out of each side. It walked in a way similar to Jacob, although it was clearly staggering more due to the heavy object on its head.
Slowly it exited the tear and became fully visible, only resulting in further gasps from the ponies. Everything about the creature looked wrong. It too wore an outfit reminiscent of a school uniform, but the large helmet on its head was the disturbing centerpiece of its messed up entirety. The oversized object didn't have any human features, save the large mouth which looked like that of a nutcracker's. The orifice in question was now open, allowing the Boy of Silence to see where he was going. He slowly made his way over to Daniel, not even looking at anything besides his goal, as yet another figure moved through the tear. The first Boy reached the Zealot just as two more helmeted Boys entered Equestria. They looked exactly the same as the first Boy, and walked over to Daniel in the same disturbing manner that the first one had.
The ponies didn't have time to study these new arrivals further, as one final figure became visible through the tear. This one was massive, a hulking beast that took up every inch of the available room that the portal provided. It grunted deeply as it squeezed through the opening and stepped into the light. While fear was still present, the ponies felt a different emotion take the helm of their feelings; shear awe. The mechanical behemoth standing before them looked like a large gorilla that found its way into a scrapyard. Its size was its most prominent feature, towering over Daniel like an elephant. It wore a black, tattered overcoat with equally tattered pants, and a pair of large conductors were mounted on its back. The creature's large, porcelain hands were firmly planted on the floor, stabilizing its crouching position. The overcoat was undone, allowing the thing's chest to be seen. A beating red heart behind thick glass was another unsettling aspect of its appearance. As if it were some twisted children's doll, the creature's head was completely normal looking. The man had white hair and a large, neatly kept mustache. There was even a monocle adorning his left eye.
"Jenkins." Daniel growled. "Why did they send you here? I can take care of this on my own."
The Handyman shrugged his broad shoulders in response and walked away from the tear, which immediately closed upon his arrival. Jacob staggered back over to the Zealot while Jenkins examined the group of ponies, bending down and studying Twilight in particular. He ever so gently adjusted his monocle with two giant fingers, a feat that must have taken hundreds of broken eye pieces to master, and looked the princess right in the eye.
"H-hello there." the princess said shakily. Much to her surprise, Jenkins put a hand behind his back and bowed politely to the alicorn, closing his eyes but maintaining an indifferent expression on his face.
"You'll have to forgive Jenkins. The chivalrous old fool doesn't talk much these days." Daniel explained. The ponies were bemused at how such an intimidating creature could be so sobering. After finishing his bow, the Handyman slowly stood up and walked over to Daniel. He looked around the forest entrance and gave the Zealot a confused look.
"We aren't there yet." the Crow explained. "I wanted to bring the Boys here before entering the forest. I don't know how this place will effect Jacob when we go further in."
The Handyman thought for a moment and then nodded, accepting Daniel's logic. He took his place behind the Zealot and the four Boys of Silence, waiting patiently for them to resume their journey. "Well then." Daniel said, looking back to the ponies. "Are we ready to continue?"
"Why are we going to the castle?" Twilight demanded. This new development had made her very on edge, and she'd had enough of the cloak and dagger. He was going to tell her his mission or he wasn't going to complete it. The choice would be left to him.
The Crow gave her a menacing look. "Once again you ponies demand information, and once again I must remind you that you are in no position to demand a thing." he hissed.
Twilight's eyes narrowed. "You don't have the castle's location."
"Yes, but like I said....."
"I don't care what you said." the alicorn interrupted. "If you do anything to harm my friends or anypony else, then good luck getting any of us to take you there."
Daniel took a step forward, intent on making a crystal clear response, when they all heard a series of loud roars come from deep within the forest. "What was that?" Daniel asked the princess.
"I'm not sure. It could have been anything." Twilight replied. Another loud bawl echoed down the path, closer this time.
"Well whatever it is...." Daniel started, elegantly drawing his sword and holding it at the ready. "Its coming this way."
* * *
Apple Bloom was running at a speed that would've made her big sister proud. Out of breath and on the verge of collapse, the only thing keeping her going was the thought of what was likely to happen to her if she stopped. The nightmares that were currently chasing her were relentless in their pursuit. She thought back to when she was running from that blood thirsty raven. It had been the very representation of fear for her up until she took a wrong turn and ended up in a part of the Everfree she'd never been in before. That's where she ran into something that made the raven look like a humming bird.
Another ferocious yell boomed through the forest, but the filly didn't dare look back. She could hear the hungry panting of the creatures as they lustfully closed the gap to their next meal. When she had run into their enclosure, she was desperately trying to evade the raven and its army of crows. Relieved by the lack of cawing she heard, the filly thought she was home free.......then she heard the low growls.
At first she saw the goat head and laughed as her eyes drifted upward, and then her laughs quickly turned into hysterical whimpering when she saw the lion head right above it. The filly stopped making noise altogether when the snake slowly slithered into view as well. Now she thought back to a school lesson she'd only half paid attention to, and Ms. Cheerilee's voice echoed through her head like a bad song.
"All right my little ponies, who can tell me the hunting tactics of the Chimera?"
"............"
"That's right Twist! While the Chimera is normally a lone predator, when food is scarce and the different animal heads become agitated, the Chimera will often hunt in packs with others of its species to promote a more successful hunt and ensure that the various animal heads wont begin attacking each other out of desperate hunger."
"This is a unique form of hunting, known as Pack Safeguard Hunting."
Apple Bloom risked a glance behind her, and instantly regretted it when she saw three of the beasts gaining on her. A scream escaped her lips as the creatures increased their speed. She turned back to the trail that seemed to be never ending. How far had she gone from the entrance? She didn't remember walking that far in before she'd escaped the birds and stumbled into the Chimeras. What would she do if she even made it to the exit of the forest? Would the beasts give up the chase simply because she crossed the Everfree threshold? The filly couldn't think that far ahead. All that mattered was getting out of the forest and back to Ponyville. One hoof in front of the other was all she had time to dwell on.
* * *
The sound of hoofsteps became clear as the group of ponies and humans turned to face whatever was about to exit the forest.
"Ruuuuuuun!" a voice screamed hysterically. The Zealot couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Apple Bloom sprinting down the pathway.
"What, but how?" he asked in angry disbelief. This is the last place he wanted the filly to be. He'd given specific orders to his avian minions, yet there she was, running toward them.
"Apple Bloom, thank Celestia you're alright!" he heard Applejack say behind him. This wasn't a very preferable situation. He didn't want the filly reunited with the other ponies this early on, but the Crow merely stepped aside as she passed and allowed the two siblings unhindered access to each other.
Another roar brought his attention back to the Everfree trail, and he now saw what had Apple Bloom in such a panic. Three creatures were tearing up the pathway, quickly reaching the group and then halting their advance. The creatures had three heads, one goat and one lion, attached to a large four legged body. A snake head also served as a deadly tail on the creature's rear end. They stopped only feet away from Daniel, sizing up their new prey.
"Well since you're here Jenkins, you might as well make yourself useful." Daniel said to his right, not breaking eye contact with the middle Chimera. The Handyman stepped forward to confront the beast on the right, punching one large fist into an open palm. Jacob assumed his position to the Zealot's left, facing the Chimera that was there. The three other Boys stayed where they were, standing completely still yet constantly observing.
"What should we do Twilight?" Fluttershy whispered to the alicorn. As if he could read her mind, Daniel yelled back to the ponies.
"Don't think about trying anything, or there will be hell to pay." he warned, bringing his sword up and preparing to engage the three headed creature standing before him. The Chimera shrieked from every head and bore its different sets of sharp fangs, scratching at the ground with its claw as it got down as low as it could. Jenkins stood his ground and waited for his Chimera to make a move, while Jacob began opening what looked like another tear. Daniel maintained his posture, not giving his own enemy any indication of what he was planning.
"Come on, then!" the Crow shouted at the beast, and in less than a second, all hell broke loose.
"I'm afraid I don't understand, Daniel." the old man said as he stood out on the balcony, watching his breath get carried away in the cold night air. Below him, the grand city of Columbia was vibrantly visible, a dazzling display of lights and structures, all of the districts swayed courtly like gentle giants. A Mosquito lazily floated by, its propeller creating a faint noise barely audible over the distant sounds of the city. The green spotlight shining down from the automaton signaled an all clear and the barrels of its Gatling gun spun longingly, searching for a target to remove from the world.
"Well, these concepts aren't easily understood, my Prophet." the Zealot calmly replied, not at all surprised by Comstock's unwillingness to accept his claims as fact. After all, he did just inform the Prophet of a conversation he had with two dead individuals.
"If what you say is true, then there is no way for us to prevent the coming end? Is there nothing we can do to stop my daughter?" Comstock asked, worriedly scratching underneath his large beard.
"I'm afraid not." Daniel gravely responded. "She and Booker are no longer in our world. Once they learned of the chinaman's death, they departed for an alternate reality." he looked down. "There is no way to locate them."
The Prophet exhaled slowly. Learning of one's impending doom was never an easy pill to swallow. "I take it you are not here solely to inform me of our coming annihilation?" he asked hopefully.
"Not quite." the Crow reassured. "I believe the 'twins' made a fatal error in judgement when they informed me of my brother's location." Comstock turned his gaze from the glimmering lights and looked into Daniel's hidden eyes as he said this. "I believe, there is a way to save us." The Prophet continued to stare into the dark slits, knowing full well that truth lied just beneath them.
"What will you need?" the old man asked, finally.
The Zealot sighed. "Tabula Rasa."
* * *
The middle Chimera lunged at Daniel with cat-like agility, its razor sharp claws heading straight for his torso. The Crow acted with equally impressive speed, turning into his flock of birds and dispersing just as the beast was about to connect. The creature passed right through the flock and landed on the other side, recovering and facing the Zealot once again. Daniel reformed and began thrusting his sword at the Chimera, nicking it in several places but unable to land a critical blow.
Jenkins was in his own battle with the second Chimera, which consisted of straight up head-to-head combat. The two behemoths charged at each other, slamming their massive bodies into a heavy deadlock, neither willing to give up any ground to the other. The snake head began striking at the Handyman, who proceeded to punch it hard in the face with a curled fist, breaking a fang and causing the animal to retreat. Jenkins was using his other arm to keep both the lion and goat heads in a disabling headlock while the creature's legs swung every which way, desperately trying to connect with something.
Jacob finished tearing another hole in reality while the Chimera facing him became tired of waiting. It shrieked menacingly and took a step forward as the Boy's tear became fully active. The beast didn't get a chance to attack before a plethora of young boys emerged from the portal and immediately engaged. The boys wore formal white attire, all wearing various masks. Some carried bats or clubs while others wielded blunted knives and shivs. Their eyes glowed blue as they ran at the Chimera head on, fearing not for their own safety. The creature looked surprised at first, but quickly recovered and readied itself for their assault. As the first few boys made contact with the beast, each head of the Chimera went for a different target. The snake head grabbed the leading boy and promptly tossed him away, not waiting to go for another one. The lion and goat heads were slower, each grabbing a boy and violently gnawing on them hungrily. The snake head swiftly expended with three more boys, but was soon overcome by the shear number of them exiting the portal. It wasn't long before they all jumped on the Chimera and barbarically beat and stabbed at it all over its body.
Meanwhile, Jenkin's Chimera managed to escape his headlock, so the Handyman grabbed the battered snake head and proceeded to rip the body off of the rest of the animal. He then grabbed both ends and crudely wrapped it around the lion head, effectively cutting off its air supply. While the lion head gasped for air, Jenkins pounded the creature's body into the dirt. He then put both hands on the beast and delivered a fatal shock attack using the conductors mounted on his back. The creature went limp and fell to the ground. The Handyman wiped his large hands and adjusted his monocle as he walked back over to the waiting Boys of Silence, making a point to step on the goat head as he did. With a loud crunch, the once intact skull cavity flattened like a pancake under the weight of Jenkin's enormous foot. He let out a low chuckle at the sound.
Daniel's crows continued their relentless assault on the Chimera, but were quickly being taken out by the snake head, which was surprisingly agile. The Zealot decided to remedy the situation by moving to the creature's rear and decapitating the reptile with a swing of his sword, kicking the head away. The ponies watched the slaughter taking place through covered hooves, appalled by the violence that seemed to follow these humans everywhere.
"Now's our chance to get on outta here, Twi." Applejack quietly suggested. Motioning to the trail that was completely open to them.
"I don't think that's such a good idea." the princess replied, aware that a simple escape was probably not in the cards.
"And why in the hay not? These Chimera are givin us the perfect opportunity to get outta dodge. Who knows? Maybe the dang things'll even beat Daniel and his goons." the earth pony suggested. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity all nodded in agreement. Twilight was about to argue, when a snake head rolled right to her, gently tapping her front hoof. Disgusted, she kicked it away and then gave her friends a deadpan stare. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity all averted their eyes while Applejack just looked at the alicorn sheepishly. "Point taken."
Daniel dodged a few swipes from the Chimera and then shouldered the creature hard in the chest. The massive beast hardly moved at this, and came back even harder. Quickly, the Zealot charged his hand up and shot a Possession at the lion head, imagining the two heads fighting each other on the same body. However, the vigor seemed ineffective on the beast, simply vanishing on impact.
"Well, that was disappointing." he commented, dodging another swipe.
The Crow dispersed into birds once more as the creature followed through with another attack, but this time, he reformed right in front of the charging beast, plunging his blade into the lion's open mouth. Without another thought, he withdrew the sword and effortlessly slashed it horizontally, right above the lion head. Daniel shook the excess blood from his blade and sheathed it as he walked away from the Chimera. The goat head slid off its body and fell to the ground, followed by the rest of the creature. The Zealot rejoined Jenkins and turned to see how young Jacob was faring. Out of the three of them, the Boy was having the easiest time, merely watching as his thralls swamped the weakening Chimera. Most of its eyes had been gouged out and it was now blindly swatting at the boys who were still beating and stabbing it. Only a few of the boys were actually on top of the creature, but as it began to walk forward, two of them got on their hands and knees, tripping the beast and causing it to fall. The remaining boys then jumped on the Chimera and it was all over. They continued to land their attacks, but it was a fruitless endevour as the beast was now dead.
"Alright Jacob, that's enough." Daniel ordered. They still had a schedule to keep after all. Jacob nodded his head and let off a wave of energy that passed by the boys, resulting in them vanishing into thin air. "Is that it with the distractions?" the Zealot asked out loud. This whole journey was taking longer than he would have liked. As if to show the universe was not without a sense of humor, Daniel's raven appeared over the trees and sloppily landed on Jenkin's broad shoulder. The Handyman was instantly annoyed by the bird's presence and promptly swatted it off.
"Where have you been?" the Crow demanded, addressing the now hovering raven and pointing to Apple Bloom. "And what is she doing here?"
It was then that the Crow noticed what the raven was holding in it's beak. "Drop it!" he ordered. The bird complied, albeit reluctantly, and dropped the eyeball that was hanging out of the beak, dangling by the optic nerve. "Unbelievable. A fresh piece of meat comes along and your weak will can't even follow a basic command." he scowled.
Applejack gasped. "So you did have somethin to do with my sister's disappearance!" she accused. Daniel looked at her menacingly.
"We are not starting that argument again! She's with you now isn't she, so who really cares? Now lets move out, for the last time. We have a castle to find." he commanded. The party that was now fourteen strong, began the last leg of their journey to the castle. The Elements of Harmony took the lead once again, followed by Jenkins and the Boys, and finally Daniel and Trixie. Once things got going, the remainder of the trip went off without a hitch. They made their way through the thick vegetation and various obstacles, keeping a brisk pace in spite of the Boy's less than desirable walking style. Once again, the Elements began their private conversation in hushed tones, while Daniel and Trixie had a talk of their own.
"This whole thing is probably becoming a bit much for you." the Zealot started.
Trixie sighed. "No, not really. This isn't the first adventure the Great and Powerful Trixie has found herself on." She looked at the Handyman and Boys of Silence. "Though I will admit this is the strangest."
The Zealot didn't respond, but Trixie decided to continue. "So can you tell Trixie why we're going to this castle now, since we're so close and all...."
Daniel chuckled. "Listen, I don't think you'll understand the purpose of our journey even after we get there. The concepts I would have to explain to you would just confuse you and cause your head to hurt."
"I hope you're not insinuating that Trixie is too simple minded to comprehend ideas that are new to her. Anything you can understand, I can understand just as easily if not more so!" she huffed.
The Crow raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well let's test that then. Did you know that there are an infinite number of universes in which every possible outcome to every possible scenario has occurred, is occurring, or will occur? Did you know that there are certain individuals who have the ability to traverse these different universes and even make new ones of their own? Or how about that something as insignificant as the death of a single person in the past can cause hundreds of thousands of those universes to implode upon themselves and cease to exist in a fraction of a second?" he asked, looking at her expectantly.
Trixie stared at him as if he were insane. She coughed uncomfortably, not knowing if there was an appropriate response to his wild accusations. "That's....."
"Insane." he finished. "Yes, I'm well aware."
At last, the Castle of the royal sisters became visible through the dense forest fog. Daniel's excitement grew as the structure appeared. Ever since Trixie informed him of this forest, he knew this would be the best location to meet their needs. The magician had told him all about their world and how things worked. The pegasi controlled the weather and the ponies looked after the wild animals. Hell, even the goddamn plants didn't grow in Equestria without pony intervention. What really got him though, was when she informed him of the two princesses, Celestia and Luna. Apparently the two controlled the movement of the sun and moon, a concept that was so terribly ridiculous it made him question her sanity.
But then he was informed of the Everfree Forest. A place where weather patterns, flora, and fauna all behaved on their own. A place where ponies were unneeded to keep the natural laws in check and where things were very much like the earth he was from, with the exception of the mythical creatures that resided within. She said the place wasn't natural, yet to him, it was the only natural location in all of Equestria, and the Zealot had a fairly good idea why.
"We need to cross this bridge to get to the Castle ruins." Twilight said, interrupting Daniel's thought and pointing to the rickety old death trap that connected the two sides of the forest. Below the bridge was a long drop, the bottom concealed by an eerie fog that floated just above. "I don't think Jenkins will be able to accompany us inside." Twilight pointed out. Clearly the Handyman was far to large to cross the bridge.
"Don't fret over it." Daniel replied, nodding to Jenkins. The Handyman got low to the ground and then jumped up into the air like a giant tree frog, easily clearing the canyon and landing hard on the other side, leaving marks in the thick dirt.
"Figures." Applejack muttered under her breath. Daniel examined the bridge that served as their final obstacle. He put his foot on the first wooden plank, slowly shifting more and more weight on it cautiously. The piece of wood creaked under the newly added weight, but didn't seem to give way. The Zealot stepped off the bridge altogether, convinced it would hold.
"Alright, we'll cross the bridge two at a time." the Crow decided.
"Don't you think it would be safer to go one at a time?" Twilight argued.
"You know what? you're right. It would be safer, but it would also take longer, so we're going to go two at a time." Daniel retorted. The princess merely sighed in response. "Come on, your highness. You and I will cross first." he ordered. Slowly, the two made their way across the worn bridge, Twilight in front and Daniel close behind. Spike hitched a ride on the alicorn's back while she levitated Rainbow Dash with her magic during their cross, so as not to add her weight on in addition to their own. After making it to solid ground on the other side, both let out a sigh of relief. "Alright two more, now." the Zealot shouted across.
The next two to go were Applejack and Apple Bloom, then Fluttershy and Rarity. Daniel wondered why a pegasus needed to cross using the bridge, but he didn't voice his curiosity aloud. Pinkie Pie and Jacob were up next, the Boy getting hammered with questions from the pink earth pony as they crossed.
"What kind of sack is that on your head? Is it a flour sack? Did you use the flour to make a cake? I love cake, you know. Its one of my most favoritist things to make in the bakery. What's that word mean on your head? Does it mean parties? I love parties, they're my favoritist thing to do at the bakery. Cake and parties go together like cupcakes and frosting! Like cookies and milk! I mean, who could ever eat a cookie or any chocolate based item without drinking milk with it? That just doesn't make any sense. You have to drink milk with that kind of stuff or else your life wont be complete and you'll grow up and regret not having milk and then you'll fall into a deep depression and get old without any friends or a very special somepony and you'll end up living in a nursing home with some unlikable nurse giving you powdered milk every day. That's called irony!" she laughed. Jacob whimpered in pain as the relentless talking continued even after they crossed the bridge. The happy mare followed the Boy of Silence away from her friends and over to where Jenkins was standing. Two more Boys crossed the bridge together, leaving Trixie and the other Boy the only two remaining that needed to cross.
Great, I would get stuck crossing with one of these creepy things. The show mare thought. The two made their way across the creaking bridge, carefully. Each plank moaned in pain with every step they took and Trixie was sure one of them was going to break. Unfortunately, her suspicions didn't turn out to be mere paranoid fears. With only two more steps to go, the rope reached its limits and suddenly snapped. Trixie yelled in surprise as she felt herself falling, reaching her hooves up in a desperate attempt to grab anything she could find, but nothing was there. Suddenly a hand grabbed her left hoof and she looked up to see Daniel, who had barely managed to dive over to the cliff and catch both her and the Boy of Silence with each hand before they plummeted to their deaths. Relief washed over the blue unicorn, but the Zealot felt anything but relief.
Daniel knew he had only seconds before he would lose his grip on both Trixie and the Boy. He tried pulling them both up, but quickly realized he didn't have the strength. Dread fell on the Crow's mind as it slowly dawned on him that he could only successfully save one of them, and had only another second or two to make a decision. The boy whimpered quietly while Trixie held back fearful tears. The Zealot thought it was always interesting how time seemed to move slower when these kinds of decisions had to be made. He literally had seconds now, but for some ungodly reason, it felt like years for him to argue back and forth with himself, each side of his brain, logic and emotion, giving their sales pitch and showing why they were right, why so and so should be saved.
Though he knew he had already reached a decision, it was these moments in time when he wished he could just take a vacation. There was always some life or death situation that needed to be overcome, some needless decision that would most likely haunt him for the rest of his life, but even so, it was time to act. The Crow hesitated another moment, before releasing the grip of one arm and fully committing it to the other. The screams that followed would forever echo through Daniel's mind like a mantra.
The Boy of Silence screamed maniacally as he fell to the bottom of the pit. It looked as though he tried opening a tear, but before he could, the young man hit part of the rock wall that jutted out further than the rest. With a loud clunk, he and his helmet separated and both continued to fall, disappearing into the cloud of fog. His screams of fear and confusion still echoed up the cliff, a beautifully horrifying acoustic melody. The sound of his helmet hitting bottom was loud and clear; the sound of his body, less so. With a bit of effort, Daniel pulled Trixie up and over the cliff and they both sat there, panting heavily. The magician looked at him in disbelief, unsure if she truly understood what just transpired. After he caught his breath, the Zealot got up and screamed, jabbing the ground hard with his foot and kicking up a cloud of dirt in the process. Nearby crows started to caw uncomfortably as their master's emotions became their own.
"Goddammit!" he began to shout. Everyone else stared as the Crow let out his anger. Jenkins looked at him with disapproval. "And just what the hell are you looking at, huh!?" he shouted at the Handyman, who just shook his head and looked away. Jacob had broken down and was now crying in the fetal position, a pathetic emotional mess. He and the other Boys shared a connection that went deeper than a common master. It was buried in the foundation of their very souls, mind and body. They were all children of the same mother, but Jacob had the curse of feeling the connection at a physical level. When a Boy died, part of him died as well. The two other Boys walked over and began to comfort him, or at least attempted to, while the Handyman walked over to where the Zealot was still throwing a fit.
"This.........changes........things." he managed to croak. There was a point in time when Jenkins' voice was pleasant sounding, titillating the ears with its soft, almost congenial resonance. When he was a rich high society man, Jenkins would often have social gatherings with his other aristocratic friends. Telling bad jokes and drinking up all his fine wine, he knew they were only there because of his money, but Jenkins was a wealthy, privileged man, and made it a mission to take full advantage of the comforts of that status.
Unfortunately, disease wracked his body at a speed that made most doctors cringe. Even in a utopian city like Columbia, cancer was an extension of the Reaper's bony hand that no one was safe from, regardless of their wealth or intellect. Indeed, the disease seemed to claim more lives each year than even the civil war at its worst. Jenkins was reminded of this when he was diagnosed. All he had wanted was to die peacefully while he could still call himself a man, but as was the fate of so many, it seemed that corrupt young minds and overzealous old men had other plans. After the sanctioned science and engineering department of Bettermen's Autobodies had its way with him, Jenkins could never again grace one of his pent house soirees with the sound of his inviting tone. He would never have another party again, or friends for that matter. Instead, all that he could look forward to was a life of servitude and obedience, turning into nothing more than a lowly henchman, a Handyman.
"This......changes......things." he said again, a bit clearer this time after coughing a bit and clearing his vocal chords of an extended period of neglect.
"This changes nothing!" the Crow shouted back. The Handyman shook his head.
"This place........changed......you."
Daniel looked at the Handyman with a certain type of hatred that was only shown to that of a close friend who seemingly turns against his companion. "What are you saying Jenkins? Do you think I've failed? Do you honestly believe that I would come so far and then throw it all away at this moment?" he walked over to Jacob and the other two Boys, grabbing one of the helmeted figures and dragging him back over to the Handyman. The Boy of Silence was clearly in a great deal of discomfort, but made no attempt to oppose Daniel. "You see these? These are expendable! The're a dime a dozen! There will always be more where they came from, always enough to accommodate! Nothing has changed, and that includes me." he threw the Boy back over to where Jacob lay, the Boy barely managing to keep his balance as he stopped himself from colliding with the others. Jacob was crying even louder now, almost hysterically. His nose started bleeding profusely, the blood soaking in with the tears that already began to dampen his only barrier from the rest of the world. The Boy could taste a mixture of iron and salt as he opened his mouth to wail.
Jenkins pointed a finger at Trixie. "What......is.....she?"
Daniel went silent, his heavy breathing the only sound passing through his mask. "Why......her?" the Handyman demanded. Trixie looked back and forth between the two, keeping quiet as well. "What....is....she?" he repeated, louder this time.
The Zealot turned so that he was completely facing Jenkins. "She's a liability, like what you're starting to turn into."
The Handyman growled and stood up to his full height, stepping close to Daniel so that the two were only inches from each other. Jenkins looked down at Daniel, who had to strain his neck to look back at him. Without breaking eye contact with the Handyman, Daniel pointed at the group of ponies. "Your usefulness has run its course. You are free to leave."
Twilight and the others stared at him, dumbfounded. After all that, he was just going to cut them loose? It was a notion that was difficult for any of them to grasp. After a moment of not hearing hoofsteps on the ground, Daniel broke his gaze with Jenkins and turned to them. "Leave!" he said, raising his voice. Twilight spoke up.
"Not until you tell us why we're here!" she said. Throughout this entire journey, the alicorn had learned nothing of the situation. She still had no idea why Daniel was here or how the other humans played into it. The whole day had brought forth more questions than answers. She thought back to one of the many lessons Princess Celestia had taught her after he rise to royalty.
"You remember what I told you about Saddle Arabia, right Twilight?"
"Good, then you know how close we came to a complete breakdown in diplomatic resolve."
"Yes, but I still don't understand how it escalated so quickly. How did relations with the leaders of the various provinces deteriorate at such a fast pace?"
"You tell me. Why do you think diplomacy almost failed?"
"Well, I suppose it could have been because the leaders were unwilling to pursue a diplomatic approach. They may have thought that conflict was the only option to rectify the turmoil that besieged the land."
"Not quite. Actually, after the situation was resolved, I learned that none of the leaders wanted conflict, and that diplomacy was the hope of all. Any other ideas?"
"None that I can think of. So what was the reason?"
"Well Twilight, originally there was such a lack of communication between the leaders themselves and our own government, that I wasn't fully aware of the situations that were occurring. Regretfully, I wasn't able to resolve the overall situation as swiftly as I would have liked, which brings us to your next lesson. Always make sure you are at least partly aware of the variables at play in any issue, for there are times when acting blindly brings about darker consequences than not acting at all. Understanding the bigger picture can mean the difference between war and peace, but that is not to say you should wait until all of the cards are on the table. Just make a point to get even a little bit of information in order to make wise decisions on complicated matters. Think on it, will you?"
"Yes, Pri....Yes, Celestia."
Twilight thought on it alright, and so she tried gaining more information before doing anything rash, yet still she was in the dark, and the feeling of taking action was steadily creeping into her mind. The Princess could not stand by while these strangers did as they pleased in her backyard.
"What are you planning?" she demanded.
The Crow didn't talk anymore, he didn't have to. A subtle movement he made summoned every nearby bird from every tree. They all flew from their perches and landed on the ground, surrounding the ponies and giving them nowhere to go but back. Daniel himself had both arms consumed with a familiar green aura and pointed them at the group. "Need I provide you with anymore incentive?"
The alicorn was about to protest, about to argue with the Zealot, but then she looked at Apple Bloom. The scared filly had been through so much already, as did the rest of her friends. They were her main concern, and always would be. She couldn't let them be harmed because of her desire to know more. Yes, her dream was still in the front of her mind, still making its presence known like an itch that couldn't be scratched, but it wasn't enough of a lead to warrant a fight, which is exactly what this would turn into if she stayed. Her eyes wandered to Rainbow Dash, still unconscious on her tiring wings. The pegasus probably needed medical attention at the very least. How could she argue with their release when that was so clearly what they needed, now more than ever? There would be time to get to the bottom of things, but for now, they had to regroup and reorganize. She and Daniel would meet again soon enough, but things would go much differently, that much she knew. That much she promised.
"Very well." the Princess gave in. "We will leave." And with that, she turned and led the group away. Twilight charged her horn and levitated the fallen bridge back up to a horizontal position, tying the rope to the two poles and making sure they were secure. "We go one at a time." she said to the others. With Twilight at the helm, the ponies and dragon slowly made their way across the bridge, safely reaching the other side without indecent. Nopony dared look down as they crossed, instead keeping their eyes solely on their princess. Daniel looked over and saw Trixie still sitting where he had left her.
"That means you too." he hissed. The unicorn still seemed lost, as if unaware of the situation. Suddenly, a purple aura surrounded her, and she found herself being lifted over to the others with the help of Twilight.
The Zealot turned to where Jacob sulked. "Get him up." he said to Jenkins. The Handyman exhaled loudly, but did as instructed. He walked over to the crying Boy and his attitude became much calmer. Without any words, he gently pushed the other two Boys aside and lifted Jacob to his feet. The Boy's head hung low, but Jenkins put a finger under his chin and lifted his head up. The blood and tears had taken their toll on the sack covering his head. The Latin words were blurry, almost illegible, and whatever had been used to make the smile was now partly running down the sack, creating an even more disturbing effect that was barely noticeable now that blood covered most of the surface. The two stared at each other, the Boy taking solace in the Handyman's presence. Slowly he stopped crying and was able to hold his head up on his own.
"Still....have work......to do." the Handyman said as softly as his machine of a body would allow. Jacob nodded and gathered the other two boys before turning to the castle itself.
"It's finally time." Daniel said in hushed relief. If he was right, then this would be key to Columbia's salvation. After today, it wouldn't matter what Booker and Elizabeth did, for the city would be outside the bounds of their influence. At least, that was his theory. In all truth it was a crap shoot, but he felt the odds were in their favor, and they had few alternatives. He looked back at Trixie one last time, before following the others into the main atrium of the ruins. The blue unicorn was still looking at him, as if trying to figure him out, but that was a task not even God would ever undertake. Slowly, she turned away and proceeded to leave with the others, as did the Crow. With each step he took, Daniel thought less of the pony and more of his duty. Truly, this would be the day the Prophet's very existence would be saved.
"I just hope that's what you want." the Zealot said to his Lady as he ascended the steps of the castle, but no reply came. No reply ever did. Her voice had died with her body, and now she only spoke through her widower, Comstock. The man was now her vessel, a Prophet of both the Lady and God alike. The contract had not yet been completed, for as long as one Comstock remained, so too would Daniel, acting as his right hand, even if that hand held a sword.
"What do we do now, Twilight?" Spike asked with fearful anticipation as their group walked back toward the exit of the Everfree. The Princess looked at him with new found determination.
"Now, we get answers."
"But how?" the dragon inquired. "That creep wouldn't spill the beans on anything about why they're here. So how are we gonna figure it out?"
Twilight smiled for the first time all day. "There are other ways of discovering the truth, Spike. You should know that better than anypony."
The dragon put a claw to his chin and thought about it. "Oh man." he sighed in realization. Spike had a feeling there would be a lot of reading in his future.
Seclusion. That's all the Zealot had longed for since arriving in this world. His mission demanded that he communicate with the locals, which he understood and respected, but that didn't stop his mind from wandering. He wanted so badly to be in a place of isolation because with that sequestration came something even more valuable to him, silence. It was the one thing that eluded him, even in his own world. The city was a terrible place to reside for someone who wanted nothing more than to be left alone with his thoughts. Not permanently of course, Daniel was no hermit, but every now and then, a solitary place was worth more than anything.
Often the Crow would attempt to find this silence in the Order's headquarters, but even there he would find himself wanting. This was mostly due to the newer members of the Order of the Raven. It was like clockwork; you give a boy some robes and a few pats on the back and suddenly he thinks he's the bee's knees. He couldn't even pray in the church without hearing some greenhorn going off about "racial purity" or chanting John Wilkes Booth's name like the lord and savior. Did the fools not realize they were preaching to the converted? None would set foot in the Order's haven unless they believed in these same ideals as well. Of course there was the occasional Vox prisoner, but they wouldn't step through the door anymore than they would be dragged in. Indeed, many preferred death to being sent to the Order of the Raven, once the stories of torture started circulating.
None of his other high ranking brothers ever voiced their annoyance publicly to the rest of the fraternity, not being very sociable in the first place, but Daniel knew they too found the initiates annoying if not downright insulting. The Zealot himself was the only one known for publicly ridiculing the newer members.
"Audemus Patria Nostra Defendere! Audemus Patria Nostra Defendere! Audemus Patria......"
"We know!" Daniel said at the top of his lungs, silencing the pews of chanting brothers. "See that?" he yelled as he pointed to the banner hanging next to a portrait of Booth. "The words are written right there! So do us all a favor, and read them in your own Goddamn head!"
The young men all looked to their superior, utterly flabbergasted by his outburst, but all did as instructed and the chanting ended. Daniel turned and walked back to his private quarters, leaving the blue robed members red faced and embarrassed.
That was back when authority was not bestowed, but earned. It was when a man could silence a room, not by the decorations on his outfit, but by the strength in his voice, the conviction in his tone, and the confidence in his stance.
Where did that kind of respect go? He wondered. Comstock still had it, but other men often fell short of his superb leadership, instead landing in the sub-par station of poster boy for an Order that was in desperate need of new management.
Now, as Daniel stood in the ancient castle from a time long forgotten in a world just as forgettable, he realized that the silence he so desperately sought after was entirely overrated. The Zealot now wished for the mundane babbling of his subordinates and the often dark conversations of his brothers. For now though, he would endure the peace and quiet, if only to accomplish his mission.
"Are they almost ready?" he asked Jenkins. The Handyman was helping to position the Boys in a way that would bring out the most in their abilities, Jacob being the centerpiece of this display. Jenkins rolled his eyes at the question.
"Not......sure." he said, adjusting his monocle. "Missing........one."
Daniel sighed in annoyance. "Listen Jenkins. I'm not going to say that I was right in my actions. I wont even say I was smart, but I was correct in my previous outburst. I specifically requested three Boys to be brought here should a situation arise where one became incapacitated. That way we would still have what we needed. I regret that we lost one...." he looked over to the Boys of Silence. They shivered and mumbled to themselves, looking in various directions, but not really seeing anything. They simply allowed the Handyman to put them where they needed to be. Daniel looked away. "Although for them, death seems to be a mercy."
Jenkins finished getting the Boys ready and moved to where Daniel was standing. "Ready." he declared.
"Excellent." the Zealot said with a bit of excitement. "Go ahead Jacob, you may begin."
Jacob nodded obediently. His dirty, blood stained mask made it difficult for him to see, but he wouldn't need his vision for what came next. He waited for the other two Boys to kneel behind him, and they started focusing their energy. Once he sensed this, he pooled his power as well. This is what he'd been bred for, what he had come all this way to do. The Boy would finally be able to fulfill his duty to Comstock, and stop his "mother" from destroying the very thing that brought both of them into existence. He shifted his feet slightly as his focused power caused physical changes around him. The air felt thick and heavy, while he could feel his own weight shifting. Slowly, a tear began to form in front of him. However, unlike the others he had made, this was not a doorway to another world, but merely the key to one. Daniel's excitement steadily grew as he saw his plan come to fruition. Jenkins saw the tear and took a step forward.
"Wait!" the Crow shouted immediately. "This is far from over." The Handyman quickly withdrew his foot, but continued to stare in aw at the sight before him.
At last the salvation of the Prophet, of the entire city, perhaps of even America itself was finally here. Daniel was no expert on tears, but his time spent with them allowed him to get a good idea of how they worked. The Zealot knew all about the siphon that Comstock constructed for the sole purpose of preventing his daughter from being able to open tears on a whim, but what truly intrigued the Crow was learning that tears existed in various parts of every world. The tears were unseen by most, except for those like Elizabeth, who could open existing tears even with the active siphon. What Daniel discovered was that there were tears so large, they actually influenced the world around them without the intervention of someone like Elizabeth.
Even in this world, there were tears all over the place, but the Everfree Forest was the location of the largest tear Daniel had ever seen. It was such a massive opening between worlds, that some of the other world actually seeped into Equestria, and while the tear itself was not visible, the effects of it most definitely were. Where the ponies saw unnatural phenomenon, Daniel saw remnants of his own world. The tear, he concluded, was the cause of the forest's strange qualities, not some mystic force, but the simple result of a portal that was too big for its own good, and the Zealot was ready to take full advantage. The door to his world was there all along, but now he had brought the proper key to open it.
"Tabula Rasa." Daniel whispered to himself as he and the Handyman continued to watch Jacob gather power. It was becoming visible now, wisps of energy floating by, entering the tear that was growing larger with each passing second. Tabula Rasa was a cruel joke that the scientists from a darker world had come up with to describe the Boys of Silence. It was a Latin word meaning "Blank Slate", which perfectly described the Boys after they were brainwashed into servitude. Now the term was more fitting than ever, not to describe the Boys' lack of free will, but to declare the new beginning that the city of Columbia was about to receive.
The walls of the old castle began to shake and crack, threatening to collapse, but Daniel knew the structure would hold, it had to. Clouds began to form around the ruins and the wind picked up to hurricane like speeds. The other two Boys began to shake as their own bodies were used as conduits for the immense power that was being summoned, but Jacob remained completely still as his muscles began to contract. His physical body did its best to deal with the trauma that was being exerted upon it. Jacob was unique in that he displayed a much higher affinity for tears than what was usually seen in a Boy. He was always meant to usher in this new era, that much was clear to them now. Bits of the stone ceiling began to fall as the shaking of the ruins escalated. Jenkins held his hand up in time to stop a piece from colliding with his head. He looked at the Crow with uncertainty.
"Don't worry." Daniel reassured. He held his own hands up to block the wind from whipping his face, speaking with a softer tone that the Handyman couldn't catch. "This is all part of the plan."
Parts of the castle crumbled and collapsed after centuries of neglect, unable to withstand the power that was now being summoned within its walls. The tear that was growing in front of Jacob released a string of energy that snaked out of the castle and up into the sky, reaching a height that no pegasus had ever dreamed of flying. Then, the energy expanded, ripping a hole in the sky that could be seen from every corner of Equestria.
* * *
Twilight exited the hospital with her head held low. As soon as they had arrived back in Ponyville, the alicorn immediately brought Rainbow Dash to get medical care. She was now lying comfortably in a bed under suicide watch, in case she were to wake and the worst should happen. The doctors had to reassure Twilight at least a dozen times that her friend would be perfectly fine, before they were able to get her to leave. Now that she was outside, the princess had a clear plan of action. While they were away, the Royal guard had arrived with no shortage of armored stallions with them. After past events in the small town, no Captain of the Guard would take a threat to Ponyville lightly. The guards themselves now patrolled the streets of Ponyville. Their standing orders were to create a perimeter around the town, but Twilight would soon bring them along with her when she returned to the Everfree.
However, before any such siege could be executed, the alicorn would have to learn why Daniel had wanted entry into the castle so badly in the first place. That's where Spike came in. As Twilight flew back to the library, she hoped that her number one assistant had made some headway into his research of the castle. She realized she hadn't given him a lot of time, but Spike was resourceful, and had surprised her in the past with his initiative.
After they had gotten back into town, Applejack went to bring Apple Bloom back home, while Fluttershy left to go lie down in her cottage, mentally strained from the events in the forest. Rarity went to check on Sweetie Belle and Pinkie Pie tagged along, leaving Trixie to collect her thoughts. Twilight felt slight reservation about letting her friends split up like that, but with Rainbow Dash out of commission, she figured the Elements of Harmony wouldn't be very effective anyway, and she knew her friends needed a break.
"Your highness." she heard a voice say. A pegasus guard fell in beside the princess. "I've stationed the guard at every entry way leading into town, reserves are patrolling the streets and I've set up two of our finest in front of the library."
Twilight nodded. "Very good, Commander. Wait for me at the town hall and I will inform you of our next move when I have a better grasp of the situation."
The guard gave a formal salute and a "Yes Princess." before breaking off and flying back to the center of Ponyville. Twilight landed outside the Golden Oaks Library where Trixie was waiting.
"Twilight, I need to talk to you about Daniel." she said immediately.
"Not now Trixie. I don't have time to hear about one of your 'get rich quick schemes'. As you can see, we're dealing with a lot at the moment."
The show mare gasped. "You think Trixie is still trying to use the human as some sort of.....of...cash cow?"
Twilight thought for a moment. "Um, yes."
"Well you're wrong. Trixie is trying to help the situation. I want to help you." she said, desperately.
"Look Trixie, I appreciate that you want to help, but unless you know something I don't, the last thing I want is to endanger more civilians."
"Civilian!? I'm the one who made first contact with him, I've spent more time with him than anypony!" she defended.
"So did he tell you anything useful?" Twilight inquired.
"Well no, but...."
"Goodbye Trixie." the alicorn said, leaving the magician outside as she made her way into the library. The two guards that were standing on either side of the doorway quickly stood at attention upon her approach, relaxing slightly after she passed.
"Spike, please tell me you've found something." the princess pleaded as she entered the library. Her dragon assistant lifted his head from a book he'd been intently reading through.
"Well yeah, I've found some stuff. Actually I've found a bunch of stuff." he responded cheerfully. "How's Rainbow Doing?"
"The doctors say she'll be fine. She just needs more time to rest is all." The alicorn replied. "But what have you discovered?"
All around Spike were books regarding the Everfree Forest. Novels of creatures, locations, and ruins were scattered about the floor. "Well, I don't think Daniel chose the castle because of the ruins themselves. You see, over the years, researchers and explorers alike have agreed that the Everee's strange properties are concentrated at the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, but that's where the agreement ends. What everypony seems to argue about, is why the strange energy seems to be concentrated there. Some say its because of ancient magic that the princesses used to harness, while others say that Celestia and Luna's presence there caused the strange phenomena, but I think they're both wrong." the dragon said, reading through a book.
"What do you mean?" the alicorn inquired.
"Since Princess Celestia hasn't really mentioned anything about the forest, this is only a guess, but I think the forest has always had these weird things happening, and its just coincidence that they built their castle there. Or maybe they built the castle there because of the weird stuff, I dunno, but that's not the point. I think that there's some kind of energy there that the weird sack headed guy can somehow tap into." Spike Concluded. "Remember what Daniel was saying about the forest doing weird stuff to him? Well, I think its because he has some kind of connection with the forest."
"But that doesn't make any sense." Twilight interrupted. "How could a human have a connection with a place located in a world he isn't even from?"
"I don't know, but remember how he opened that strange doorway into his world and brought more things through? I think it has something to do with that."
Twilight suddenly had a flashback to her dream. Her heart sank as she remembered the destruction that ensued after the city appeared. There's no way that could happen, right? How could an entire city be summoned through a small portal like the one she'd seen? It was a ridiculous idea.
"Your highness!" a guard yelled from outside. "I ask that you come out here at once, there's something you need to see!"
The alicorn wasted no time and ran outside to see what the trouble was, a decision she would come to regret as she looked up into the sky. Dark clouds surrounded the Everfree Forest and a column of light shot up into the sky. The clouds swirled around the column as it grew larger, creating a hole that encompassed most of the sky. Gradually, the hole moved so that it no longer floated above the forest, but now went over Froggy Bottom Bogg, then Ghastly Gorge.
"What's happening Twilight!?" Spike yelled as the winds picked up.
"I don't....." the princess was cut off as a wave of energy flew into the air and shook the very ground. The once empty hole in the Equestrian sky started to pulsate with power, and then a blast of white light caused everypony, from Canterlot to Appleloosa, to shield their eyes from its intensity. The bright light lasted only seconds, but accompanied with a large boom that caused a ringing in Twilight's ears. Once the flash died down, she quickly recovered and looked back up to where the hole had been. The alicorn gasped as right before her very eyes, her dreams and reality became one.
It could be seen from everywhere. The object in the sky; in actuality a cluster of objects, but from a distance seen only as one singular entity. Dark and barely recognizable, it dwarfed the city of Cloudsdale like an Ursa Major standing next to a filly. After the bright flash of light, every creature in Equestria looked to the sky, examining the strange anomaly for the few seconds that it was visible. A rancher in the San Palomino Desert put a hoof up to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the sunlight in order to get a view of the city that now looked to be hovering right over Ghastly Gorge, suspended in the sky at an altitude that made him queasy just looking at it.
A changeling was startled from the nap it was taking in a tree, looking up in time to see the dark city. Quickly, the creature buzzed its wings and flew as fast as it could back to its hive. Ponies sitting in office buildings in Manehattan were interrupted from their work as the ground shook and a loud boom was heard. All looked out their windows to see the dark clouds on the horizon.
A Diamond Dog scratched at the dirt near the Appaloosan mountains, looking for jewels to bring home to the others, when out of nowhere, a flash temporarily blinded him. He quickly looked up at its source, jaw falling slack, as he now saw the largest city he'd ever laid eyes on. Gryphons looked on as an alien presence made itself known, suddenly encompassing much of their view of the western sky and causing mass confusion. That confusion was shared by all who now saw the event take place as it forever changed Equestria.
A princess was sleeping in her Canterlot Castle, when the flash of light caused her to wake, suddenly. The dark sapphire blue alicorn walked over to her window, but only to see a large patch of clouds floating by the Everfree that seemed both natural and at the same time very bizarre.
"What dark magic is this?" she asked in a hushed tone.
Back in Ponyville, Twilight only managed to get a quick glance at the newly arrived city before it was swallowed up by the surrounding clouds. Gasps from nearby ponies summed up the general attitude toward this new development, which consisted of shock and concern.
"Twilight, this could be a problem." Spike said, looking up to where Columbia had just been floating. Twilight nodded her head mechanically, her fear reaching a crescendo as thoughts of her dream danced around in her head.
"You have no idea." she said under her breath, using her magic to lift the dragon and place him on her back. She turned to the guards, who were still examining the sky, curiously. "You two, come with me." she ordered. The guards followed their princess without question and they quickly headed to town hall.
* * *
After the loud roar of energy had dissipated, the castle now seemed eerily silent. A few loose pieces of the structure occasionally fell from place, crashing to the floor, but the ruins were now otherwise quiet. Daniel lowered his arms now that the winds had died and the castle was no longer in the immediate danger of collapse. The Zealot looked over to Jenkins, who looked back to him.
"Did it work?" he asked, not knowing why he thought the Handyman would know anymore than he did. As expected, Jenkins merely shrugged and shook his head. "Right, stupid question." Daniel admitted, looking over to the Boys. All three were now lying motionless on the floor. The Crow ran over and knelt beside Jacob. His nose had started bleeding at some point during the "tearing", causing even more blood to drench the already caked sack. Daniel immediately reached for the Boy's neck and felt for a pulse. Relief found its way back to him when he felt the echo of a heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there. After confirming that the other two Boys were indeed alive, the Zealot turned back to Jenkins.
"Keep an eye on them. I'm going to go make sure we succeeded, and if we did, I'll send a ship down to pick you up." he instructed. The Handyman nodded and walked over to the comatose Boys. Without hesitation, Daniel turned into his flock and flew out of a hole in the castle's roof. Quickly, he ascended into the sky, his anxiety increasing with his altitude, hitting an apex when he started passing through the clouds. What would he find when he broke through the layer of water particles? Would he be met with victorious cheers, or crushing disappointment? He knew that something had happened, the energy he felt right before the large boom was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, but the subtle familiarity of it indicated that a tear had most likely been made. Now, as the clouds began to break, he could hear the sounds of the city, and instantly knew that it had worked.
Breaking through the cloud barrier, Daniel almost crashed right into a Zeppelin as it patrolled the perimeter of the large city. The murder of crows flew above the large dirigible and Columbia itself became visible. The large buildings and floating districts were as magnificent as ever, sporting flags, kites, statues, and other decor, all covered in red, white, and blue. The citizens of Columbia were just as lively, walking about the various shops and markets and enjoying the Fair that was still going on strong in spite of the horrors that befell the Raffle not too long ago. Daniel flew over the beach area, his many eyes observing the various sun bathers, swimmers, and children enjoying general horseplay. The dancing and music, the laughter and squeals of joy that could be heard from all directions.
It made the Crow wonder what they had experienced during the transition into this world, but this was definitely the city that the Zealot had left behind. It was a city built on the foundation of American spirit, that the country of freedom and liberty would not die with the world that had birthed it. Daniel wasn't the "fun in the sun" type, but it left him slightly relieved seeing how well the civilians were taking everything. Otherwise, what would have been the point of going through all this? Saving the Prophet was obvious, but a city is only as good as the people who inhabit it. Columbia's life blood rested in its citizens, and they're survival meant its survival.
Many citizens were spared the terrifying experience that was Booker's rampage, not having to witness it directly, but that didn't stop every Columbian from turning their radios on and listening to the news reports as they came in. Mothers, fathers, and children sat around the household radio, gripping each other tightly as word of Booker's atrocities passed through their ears. Even so, this didn't turn them into fearful shut-ins. In fact, the citizens of the fare city were more determined than ever to show that some Vox terrorist would not stop them from living the American dream. Daniel looked over to Monument Island, the tower that once imprisoned Elizabeth. While smoke had stopped billowing out of the top, there was still notable damage to the structure from when the Songbird went on its violent tantrum. The Crow wondered if Comstock would ever get around to ordering it fixed. Speaking of which....
Daniel looked forward, watching Comstock House come into view through some passing clouds as he flew over Emporia. The building was massive, one of the largest single structures in all of Columbia, and sat at one of the highest points in the city. It didn't take long for the Zealot to reach the top of the house, landing on the roof of the building and turning back into human form, receiving nothing short of a hero's welcome upon doing this. After noticing the arriving Crow with the red stripe running down his hood, several soldiers ran over with cheers and congratulations all around. Most of Columbia wasn't informed of the full extent of the situation, but those who were stationed at Comstock House were well aware of the stakes.
"Hey, this is the fuckin guy right here!"
"Your a goddamn legend, man."
"Definitely saved our asses, that's for damn sure!"
The group of armed militants continued their praise, patting the Zealot on the shoulders as well as they could manage with the coffin in the way, and making room for him to reach the small office that rested on top of Comstock House.
"The Prophet is right through that door with some champagne." one of them laughed. After a few more witty comments, the Crow entered into the office, leaving the soldiers outside. After he closed the door, Daniel looked around the room. Comstock was sitting at his desk with several figures standing around him. The first person that the Zealot identified was Jeremiah Fink. Daniel grimaced under his hood. Fink was the last person he wanted to see when he came back into the city. The industrial tyrant had been a pain in Daniel's ass ever since he made it big in Columbia. For the life of him, the Crow couldn't understand how Comstock tolerated the man. It was clear he didn't believe in the ideals of the Founders. He didn't see Comstock as a Prophet, he saw him as an opportunity. The greedy businessman saw Columbia as a place to promote his manufacturing empire without fear of government intervention.
Standing next to Fink was his uptight, gentlemanly assistant, Mr. Flambeau. Daniel had much more respect for Flambeau than he did for the man he worked for, mainly because he didn't talk nearly as much. The other individual in the room was a Beast, both in name and nature. The brute wore golden armor with a ridiculous looking lion helmet, and stood uncomfortably close to Fink himself. Volley Gun at the ready, the man seemed far too tightly wound for his own good, but the Zealot supposed that's what Fink was looking for in a personal guard. Cowards did always tend to overcompensate with protection, after all.
"Ah my boy, Its good to see you! I trust everything went smoothly down below?" Comstock asked, getting up and walking over to the Crow.
"Smoothly enough." Daniel replied coolly as Comstock clasped one of the Zealot's hands in both of his.
"Excellent. I'm glad to see the tear was opened successfully. I'll admit, there were many in Comstock House who didn't think such a feat could be achieved, but I'm glad you were able to prove them wrong."
"Yes, I hear we have you to thank for stopping the apocalypse." Fink commented behind the bearded man. "It's good to see at least one of the Zealots is still operating up to par, especially after the embarrassment you were dealt by DeWitt at your little clubhouse." he laughed. Daniel stared at the Founder coldly.
"Funny, I hear Booker gave you a run for your money right at your front door. Allowing a terrorist to roam the factory?" the Zealot shook his head. "I guess that speaks volumes about your security." he said, looking at the bodyguard, who growled and lifted his Volley Gun threateningly. Fink quickly put a hand on his guard dog's padded shoulder.
"Now now, Arthur. That's no way to treat Columbia's new hero." he said, settling the soldier down a bit. "Clearly the past is not a significant predictor for the future. Anyway, I was just talking with our Prophet about sightings of Daisy Fitzroy around the factory."
Daniel felt a new anger rekindle inside of him at the mention of Fitzroy's name. "Well, it seems multiple terrorists are setting up shop in Finkton." he said with venom in his voice. "Very bad form to allow that to happen."
Fink laughed. "Running an empire is much harder than running a little cult in some broken down shanty." he retorted. "That said, I'm currently working on hiring a new head of security, so if our 'savior' is ever in need of a job, let me know and I'll pencil you in for an interview." He looked at Flambeau, who nodded and made for the door. "Right then, we'll just let you two conduct your business. Can't let a little doomsday stop the factory now can we? Gotta keep those gears turning and those worker bees on schedule!"
Jeremiah Fink shook Comstock's hand and followed his assistant out of the office, escorted closely by the Beast, who continued to stare down the Crow on his way out. When the door was closed and the two were alone, the silence was quickly broken by Comstock. "So what was it like down there?" he asked, rummaging through his desk and pulling out a bottle of scotch and two glasses.
"The population is.....interesting, to say the least." Daniel replied, sitting down in one of the large chairs that faced Comstock's desk. The Prophet poured some of the beverage into each glass, offering the Zealot one. "No, thank you." Daniel said, putting a hand up.
"Right, I often forget you're not one for the bottle, a good quality that I like about you." he put one glass down and tipped back the other. "What kind of a population is it, are they that different looking?"
Daniel laughed a bit. "They aren't even human."
Comstock eyed him curiously. "Oh? Well what are they, martians?" he laughed.
"They're......" the Crow paused. How could he put it without sounding like a fool?
"Well? Don't leave me in suspense, Daniel." the Prophet encouraged.
"They're......talking.....ponies." he finally managed to say, each word getting closer to a mumble.
A long, awkward pause followed the statement, but eventually the Prophet spoke up. "The only reason I'm not laughing in your face is because I know you well enough to know when you're not joking around, but really? Ponies? As in actual ponies.....and they talk?"
The Zealot nodded. "I realize how it sounds, but its something you have to see to believe." Comstock knocked back the glass of scotch he had offered to Daniel.
"Tell me everything." he finally said.
Daniel exhaled slowly. "Of course, my Prophet."
* * *
"What do ya think that was?" Pinkie asked. Rarity lifted her head from the bed she was resting on, removing a slice of cucumber from one of her eyes. The day spa they were in had just shaken and a loud boom could easily be heard.
"Hmm, not sure." she replied. Aloe entered the room, the pink coated, blue maned earth pony scratching her head with a hoof.
"I couldn't see anything unusual outside, a few dark clouds, but nothing out of the ordinary." she informed.
"Well, it was probably nothing." Rarity dismissed. Reapplying the cucumber and resting her head. Aloe walked back over to the unicorn and resumed filing her hooves.
"But but but, with all that's happening, don't ya think we should at least check it out?" Pinkie asked, removing the towel from her lower body and throwing it behind her without even looking. It somehow landed perfectly on a nearby hanger.
After checking on Sweetie Belle, Rarity suggested the two mares unwind a bit at the spa. "After all, we've been through a traumatic experience." she had pointed out. Pinkie agreed, not wanting to leave her friend alone. Of course that meant leaving her other friends alone, but there was only one of her, and she was already with Rarity.
"Oh don't worry, darling. We'll go back to the library with all haste, just as soon as I'm finished with my mud bath." the fashionista promised. Pinkie Pie sighed. She knew Rarity used the spa to deal with the sort of problems that she herself didn't have the ability to solve. During the weeks following Thomas' death, the unicorn spent more time at the spa than she did at her own home. Everypony had their own way of dealing with things things, and this was Rarity's.
"I'm worried about Fluttershy." the pink mare admitted. "She seemed really bummed out when we got back."
"Well of course she was, dear. Seeing that kind of senseless violence would be a hindrance to anypony's good day." Rarity shook her head. "It seems as though humans are simply prone to that sort of barbarism. We've only met a few, and they all have that 'buck first and ask questions later' kind of attitude."
"Yeah, but that kind of attitude saved us when Thomas was here." Pinkie defended.
"Indeed it did, but clearly Daniel wasn't cut from the same cloth as his brother. The way he controlled Rainbow Dash like that was frightening."
Pinkie put a hoof to her chin. "But he did save Trixie from falling."
Rarity thought about that. "Very true, but you know what they say about birds of a feather. The two aren't very different if you boil it down." Aloe removed the unicorn's eye decor and motioned her to the mud bath. "Maybe he saw a bit of himself in her or something. Honestly, I couldn't even begin to guess, nor would I care to. All that matters is that the beast leaves Equestria and never comes back." she said, walking over to the tub.
"Right, well I'm gonna go check on Fluttershy." Pinkie said, starting for the door. Rarity thought about all that'd happened. Fluttershy hadn't been exposed to the kind of carnage that she and the others had witnessed during the bandit assault on Ponyville. The pegasus was frail and delicate. She had to endure so much in such a small period of time. Rarity heard her say she wanted to be left alone, but what she really needed was the company of friends to help her through these trying times.
"Hold it." Rarity called out. Pinkie stopped walking and looked over to her. The unicorn had stopped just before stepping into the tub of mud. "I'll come as well. All this talk is making me a bit on edge, and I can't simply pamper myself while my friends are in distress."
Pinkie Pie smiled, happy that the unicorn was back on board. The two ponies galloped out into the street, leaving a very confused Aloe standing in the day spa.
* * *
Trixie walked beside her cart once again, Ponyville slowly getting smaller each time she looked back at it. After her failed attempt at assisting Twilight and the subsequent appearance of a giant city in the sky, the magician had decided enough was enough. This wasn't her scene, and no matter how many lies she told of saving towns from giant creatures, deep down the show mare knew she'd never saved anything. She wasn't the hero type, not like Twilight and her friends. The princess had been right. There was nothing she could bring to the table that would sort things out with Daniel and her presence their was unnecessary if not undesired. The blue unicorn sighed in defeat, slumping her head and closing her eyes.
"Ah yes, this is the equine right here."
Trixie's eyes shot back open as a voice spoke from her left. She turned to see two humans standing side by side. They were similarly dressed, yet physically different. The one on the left looked male, but the one on the right didn't look male at all. Trixie quickly came to the conclusion that she was a girl.
"W-who are you two?" she asked in surprise.
"Oh I hardly think that's the main concern at the present moment." the woman stated flatly.
"What you should be more concerned about..." the man started.
"....is that." the woman finished, pointing to the large formation of clouds in the sky that were still clearly visible. Trixie looked at the sky and then shook her head.
"I can't do anything about that. If you want to help, go talk to Twilight. She's the one that could use it." the unicorn sadly suggested. The two humans looked at each other.
"You are the one who spoke with Daniel, aren't you? The one who aided him on his task?" the man asked.
"I am, but....."
"Then you are the one who can do quite a bit about that." the woman interrupted, motioning once again to the clouds.
"Listen, I can't stop Daniel. He won't listen to me and I doubt I'll even see him again."
"Ah, but Daniel is no longer the problem." the woman said.
"His is a ship that has already sailed." the man added.
"However, if you would like to stop this world from falling into complete madness, then there is a way to turn our young Zealot into a solution." the woman finished. Trixie raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" she inquired. The humans exchanged looks once again.
"Floating just above that patch of clouds is a city, a city that does not belong in this world, as I'm sure you're already aware." the man explained.
"In this city is a man. A man who should not be alive, or even in existence for that matter."
"Two people went on a very long and strenuous journey to ensure that this man would no longer exist."
"Unfortunately, our little Crow threw a wrench in those plans when he brought the city here. This man in this city is indeed still alive, even though he should not be."
"As long as this man remains alive, this world will be doomed."
"Who is this man?" Trixie asked.
"He goes by Prophet." the man said.
"Or Father Comstock." the woman pointed out.
"Or simply Comstock." the man added. "His presence here causes a problem."
"A problem that we are here to fix." the woman said.
"A problem that you are here to fix." the man added. The unicorn stared at them as if they had both gone mad.
"And just how can I fix this?" she asked, unsure of where all this was going.
"With this." The man reached a hand behind his back and pulled out a strange device. It looked like a small record player with two knobs on its front. Trixie eyed it curiously.
"What is it?" she asked.
"This is a message." the man replied.
"And you are its courier." the woman continued.
"And Daniel is its destination." the man said. "All you need to do is give this to the Zealot. The rest will take care of itself."
Trixie looked from them to the strange device, then back to them. "And where is he, still in the Everfree?"
They both shook their heads, then began staring at something. Trixie followed their gaze, gulping loudly. All three were now looking up.
"That is quite the tale, Daniel." Comstock said with a bit of skepticism. "All of it just sounds so far fetched, its hard to look past the insanity of it."
"I understand, Prophet. If I were in your position, I'd most likely be just as skeptical, but I swear to you it's the truth." Daniel assured. The bottle of scotch was now almost empty, a result that Daniel had expected when he began his tale of mythical creatures, talking ponies, and princesses that could control things like the sun and moon.
"How much do these heathens know?" the Prophet asked. Daniel looked up at him, a bit surprised by the question.
"Nothing important. After the entrance Columbia made, I doubt there are any in this land who are not aware of the city's presence, but that is all they know. I did not reveal anything about our plans to move the city nor about what would take place after that." the Zealot got up and walked over to a nearby window, watching outside as some guards were struggling to load a Motorized Patriot onto an airship. Comstock got up as well, capping the scotch and walking over to the Crow.
"So, they have no God, but worship these things....these......"
"Princesses." Daniel finished. "Yes that was the impression I got when I was down there. Other than that, the society seems mainly secular."
"A world of non-believers, obsessed with the worship of physical deities and ungodly magics." the Prophet laughed. "It's almost as if we never left home behind. Presidents, princesses, it's all the same, isn't it?"
"So your plans have not changed, given the circumstances?"
"Not at all. It doesn't matter what world we are in, or whether or not my daughter is here to lead it. What matters is that the prophecy has been declared and I will see that it comes to pass, even in this Sodom."
Daniel nodded. "Very well, my Prophet."
"How will we know if this plan of your's worked? Is there even a way to determine if we escaped the destruction?"
Daniel turned to him. "No, not to my knowledge. I suppose every day we go on existing is another small piece of assurance that we succeeded, but honestly the concept of time between worlds is still completely unknown to me, as I suspect it even eludes the self proclaimed 'keepers'. There isn't really a way to tell how far along the lamb and shepherd are, if they haven't concluded their journey already." he resumed staring out the window. "But there is nothing more I can do. It's in God's hands now."
Comstock nodded and looked out the window as well. "I have a proposition for you Daniel. You have shown exceptional skill and loyalty in your recent actions. Columbia owes you greatly for saving her, as do I." the Zealot shifted his eyes over to the Prophet curiously. "I do not believe there is anyone better suited to lead the planned surface operations, once preparations are complete, than you. It would be an honor to have you as my Field Marshal down there in this new Sodom."
Daniel was taken by surprise at this news. Sure, he had expected some sort of commendation for his efforts, perhaps a standing ovation or a parade, but to be promoted to Field Marshal? He was no soldier, nor did he feel comfortable commanding other soldiers in combat.
"I'm honored that you would see me as suited for such a prestigious position, my Prophet." the Crow said earnestly. "But I do not wish to spend anymore time down on the surface. I could not see myself as an effective leader in any ranked military."
Comstock eyed the Zealot curiously. "I beg to differ, my boy. You are a sterling example of leadership and valor. Even in times of great emotional duress, you still managed to keep your goals the main focus and stick to your mission. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to learn of your brother's death, but even still you put those thoughts aside and kept their influence over you to a minimum."
"With all due respect, sir..." Daniel interrupted. "My brother's death had nothing to do with my decision making down below. I had already mourned his loss even before reaching this world. I was not expecting to find him alive and well in this alien land. That would have been an optimistic delusion at best." the Crow quickly changed subjects, not wanting to talk about his brother. "In any case, I really must decline your offer. There are still things that I must finish here in Columbia now that this distraction has been dealt with."
"So what will you do instead, if you don't mind my asking." the Prophet asked.
"Of course not, sir. I am quite eager to resume what I was doing before learning of Booker and Elizabeth's inevitable journey."
"Which is?"
Daniel stared at the older man intently. "Finding our lady's murderer and mounting her head on a spike."
Comstock turned away from the Zealot upon hearing this, hiding his face. "I see Jeremiah's news on Fitzroy has sparked some interest. I understand completely Daniel. You have my blessings to resume your search for Daisy."
Daniel bowed. "Thank you my Prophet, I will continue my search immediately." He went for the door, but Comstock quickly grabbed a shoulder, softly but firmly.
"When you find the traitor, make sure you kill her on sight. There will be no prisoners, understand?"
The Crow and Prophet looked into each other's eyes, as if searching for something hidden within them. "Understood."
Comstock nodded and released his grip, allowing the Zealot to continue for the door. "Oh, and Daniel." he said quickly, catching the Crow right as he was in the threshold. He turned and looked at the bearded man. "Whatever happened to Jenkins and the Boys?"
Daniel's eyes went wide as he remembered what he had said to Jenkins right before he left. "Oh, shit." he muttered. Somehow, the Crow had completely forgotten about them. "A certain Handyman is going to be none too pleased with me." he commented, then quickly left the office to find an available airship.
* * *
By the time Twilight made it to the town hall, it was in a chaos that would have made Discord proud. Ponies from all over town had converged to the hall to voice their concerns and demand information on the events that took place in the sky. The mayor was trying desperately to deal with the onslaught of inquiries, but when Twilight entered the building through the crowd of ponies, many started asking her similar questions.
"Jeez, you'd think with all the stuff that goes on in this town all the time, a flash of light and some banging would go right over these ponies' heads." Spike yelled as he covered his ears.
Quickly, the guards kept the scared citizens at bay long enough for the princess to reach Commander Frost Fallen's temporary base of operations, which was set up in one of the town hall's vacant offices. The young commander was as straight forward and by the book as they came. He had started out his military career as a lowly grunt, but eventually made his way up the ranks. Nothing special to his story by any means. He simply did things right and how the older officers preferred them to be done. Some of his men called him a brown noser behind closed doors, but had enough respect for Frost that nopony gave him too much of a hard time when the commander was on duty.
"Your Majesty." the commander addressed, he and his subordinates bowing upon her entry. "I was just about to send word to you when my men reported the strange occurrence over the Everfree Forest. I'm actually in the process of sending a scouting party...."
"No need, Commander." the princess hastily replied, cutting him off. "I need to go to Canterlot for an emergency meeting with whatever diplomats are there or can be there within the next two hours. I don't want anypony going near the Everfree Forest until I say otherwise. I also need you to send some guards to find the other Elements of Harmony." the princess levitated a piece of paper over to Frost. "Here is a list of their last known locations. When you find them, tell them to wait at the hospital until I return."
The commander nodded and grabbed the list with a hoof, tucking it safely under his wing. "Understood. Shall I prepare a chariot for you?"
"That's alright, Frost. I can teleport there much faster." the alicorn replied. She then turned to Spike. "I need you to wait at the hospital as well. Keep an eye on Rainbow Dash. As soon as she wakes up, send me a letter." she handed him her Element, its red lightning bolt reflecting his worried expression. "Keep this safe."
The dragon nodded. "Are you gonna be okay on your own?"
"Don't worry, I won't be alone." Twilight reassured. "Stay safe, okay?"
"You too."
The princess exited the town hall, barely making it through the ponies who were still gathering there. Luckily, the Royal Guard had already begun dispersing them. Twilight found an open area and focused her energy. Her horn lit up and she was quickly covered in a purple aura. In the blink of an eye, the princess was gone.
* * *
"We're right near the forest. Just descend past the clouds and look for all the stupid trees that are huddled together. Then shoot the flare gun over the forest, and Jenkins will shoot his flare back. That's all you have to do." Daniel said impatiently to the pilot.
"I don't know sir, what if there are other forests....?"
"Look, it's the one right below us. This isn't that complicated."
"Can't you just come with me and direct me...."
"NO! You're a grown ass man, now start acting like it." the pilot shook his head, but started the airship anyway and flew down below the platform, the sound of the ship's rockets getting quieter as it entered the clouds. Daniel turned around to find Saltonstall standing right behind him. If the Crow had been easily startled, he probably would have jumped and fallen right off the edge of the platform.
"Hello there Daniel. Long time no see." the old man said, louder than warranted.
"Saltonstall, still sneaking up on people who want nothing to do with you, it seems." the Zealot replied, irritated.
"Yes, yes. Let's start with the petty hostility. Normally, I wouldn't even bother welcoming you back to the city, but since you apparently saved our beloved Columbia, I suppose I should offer you my thanks." he said, straightening up.
"Don't mention it." the Crow said dismissively, walking past the elderly politician.
"I hear Comstock has big plans for this new world." Saltonstall said, causing Daniel to stop.
"Oh?" the Zealot said, not turning around.
"Yes, It seems he's still going to bring about his vision of a new future, grown from the scorched earth of the soon to be dead past that is there now."
"Fascinating." Daniel said half-heatedly. He started walking away again.
"Do you agree with this course of action? Do you feel these heretics deserve what is inevitably coming their way?"
"I agree with whatever Comstock decides to do. As I'm sure you do as well." the Crow replied right before stepping out of earshot. He didn't try to hide his utter annoyance with that dinosaur of a man. Saltonstall didn't do much politically these days. He usually just made noise in some pathetic attempt to show his support for Comstock, and would often "test" the loyalties of the other founders as if he were some secret police. In all honesty, Daniel hoped that he and Fink would fight it out soon and save him a few headaches. It was no secret that the two didn't care much for each other, and it would be an entertaining political battle to witness.
The Zealot felt pressure on his right shoulder, turning his head and finding the raven perched there. "What have you been up to?"
The bird cawed. "Well you took your sweet time getting up here."
It cawed again. "No, that was it for the surface. Now we go for Daisy, and we don't stop until she is lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood." he declared. The raven cawed excitedly. "It's time to pay Shantytown a visit." Daniel said.
"Hey, Danny boy! How the hell are ya?" someone shouted to him. The Zealot turned to see the Dock Overseer, Steve Baker standing at a nearby loading dock. Daniel could tell he'd been working all day. His shirt was covered in muck and oil, and his tired eyes seemed to beg for sleep. Steve was an older man who's indifference toward most things was only matched by his constantly and surprisingly upbeat attitude. He was leaning over the control pad of a large crane as it slowly lifted a turret off the loading dock and onto a waiting airship.
"Mr. Baker, hard at work I see." the Crow replied.
"Yeah, I just got orders from the boys upstairs. Jackasses have me out here off the clock cause apparently they want the warships stocked and ready to go. They want every Security Zeppelin from here to Emporia outfitted with the latest rocket launchers." he sighed. "I tell ya Danny, you should have just let us all fry and given my tired bones a rest." he joked, though Daniel could sense some honesty in his words.
"Yeah, well I doubt we'll even need the warships anyway. There's nothing down there worth using a rocket launcher on." he assured.
The Overseer laughed. "That supposed to make me feel better? You're tellin me I'm doin all this work for nothin, ya bastard?"
"That's what I'm here for, Steve." the Crow smiled. Daniel noticed several of the other workers dropping their tools and looking out in the distance, shading their eyes and pointing at something in the sky.
"Hey Danny, what do ya make of that?" Baker asked, pointing to the object that had captured everyone's attention. The Zealot cupped his eyes and looked out over the clouds. The object looked to be gliding through the sky slowly, and at first he thought it was that idiot pilot he'd sent to retrieve Jenkins, but then it made a movement that suggested it was organic.
"Man, they got some big ass birds here." an onlooking worker commented. It now got close enough that Daniel could see it in more detail. It was dark green with orange spines on its back, its immense size becoming more apparent by the second. Another flap of its large wings confirmed the Crow's suspicions and he quickly turned back to Steve.
"You have to take cover, now!" he shouted, pushing the Overseer toward a nearby warehouse. The other workers followed him, dropping what they were doing and sprinting to the structure upon realizing what was headed their way. Daniel acted fast, turning on as many turrets as he could with the few seconds of time that he had. The automated weapons' lights instantly turned red as they acquired their target, low hums coming from the gear works when they spun to take aim. The Zealot didn't know what else to do. Workers were still running in different directions, yelling in confused fear as the dragon reached the platform and unleashed its first attack.
Daniel ran for cover as the flames came down, watching as the Gun Automatons opened fire on the passing dragon. The Maxim guns seemed to be penetrating the beast's scaly hide, but it continued to fly strong as it turned once again.
Just my luck that I didn't turn on any Rocket Automatons. The Crow thought. He then noticed some of the flames from the first attack as they reached an oil spill, immediately lighting it ablaze. The flames followed the trail of liquid all the way to a nearby tank.
"Get down!" he shouted to the nearby workers just as the tanker exploded. The Zealot shielded himself from the incredible heat that emanated from the blast, watching as three unfortunate workers were caught in the blaze. Several soldiers ran out onto the docks, joining in with the turrets as they engaged the dragon that was flying back down. It landed on the docks with a loud thud, using its tail to crush several of the turrets and bashing four soldiers with a claw, sending two flying off the edge.
All of the troops took cover; some reloading, others pulling out heavier weapons. Right before they reengaged, another dragon flew in from out of nowhere, landing right next to the first. Daniel cursed his luck, but then noticed a statue sitting only a few feet away. He immediately realized it was part of the Songbird Defense System and ran over while the soldiers distracted the two creatures.
"Where the hell is the manual override button?" the Crow asked out loud. Normally the statues only worked when they sensed another individual in Elizabeth's vicinity, making them useless after her departure, but Daniel knew there was a way to activate them by hand.
The dragons took out five more soldiers as the Zealot searched for the button, eventually finding it behind the statues' right thigh. Pressing the button, the statue seemingly came to life. Daniel recognized the notes C,A,G, and E as they played in the tune. A soldier took cover next to Daniel, catching his breath and reloading his RPG.
"That thing coming or what?" he asked the Crow, breathing heavily.
"Any minute now." Daniel replied. The soldier was about to fire the rocket, but the Crow quickly stopped him.
"Hold on." he said, charging a hand up and pointing it at the two dragons. The first dragon was weakening, clearly taking a large amount of damage from all of the ordinance that was being fired upon it, but the other was still fighting strong, sending fire in different directions and keeping the other soldiers at bay. Daniel sent several flocks of crows at the two beasts, which quickly went for their eyes, distracting the dragons and stopping their attacks. "Okay, go ahead."
The trooper smiled and took aim at the first of the creatures, squeezing the trigger system and sending an RPG flying right into the dragon's face. With a loud roar, it fell to the ground, shaking the docks. "Hell yeah!" the soldier shouted, cranking the handle on the weapon and preparing another rocket. Just then, they all heard the familiar screeching and wailing of their backup. A shadow flew past Daniel and the soldier, who both looked up to see the Songbird flying directly at the remaining dragon. While the dragon was clearly larger than the mechanical bird, its ferocity left much to be desired.
Before the reptile could even react, Songbird slammed into its side and brought it down to the ground. With a sharpened, metal talon, it stabbed the dragon several times in the stomach and pounded its head with a fist, causing blood to spatter in its already crimson eyes. The dragon could do nothing but lie there as the large bird continued its anger filled assault, plunging its large talons into the beast while keeping the creature's wings pinned to the ground with its feet. The dragon roared weakly as Songbird slowed its stabbing, cocking its head curiously as it observed the dragons breathing, which was slowing down. Lungs punctured and bleeding out, the reptile lasted only minutes after the bird dismounted it and moved to the side. The Songbird looked around the docks, making sure no other threats were around, before transitioning its eyes back to yellow and flying off into the sky with another loud wail.
Ever since Elizabeth's departure, Daniel never saw the bird's eyes turn green, and wondered if they ever would again. Songbird was attached to the girl at a level that not even the Zealot could empathize with. Even still, he felt like he knew what the Songbird was going through. Losing the thing you were sworn to protect and being left with no purpose in life. That's how Daniel felt when he had lost Lady Comstock.
The Zealot lowered his head, remembering that he was not without purpose. Until Daisy was dead, he would still have a reason for walking this earth. And on that note, he started walking to the end of the docks. Steve Baker and the other workers cautiously exited the warehouse, while the soldiers approached the two dead dragons.
"Holy shit. Are those fucking dragons?" one asked, looking the carcass over.
"Sure looks like it. Definitely a big flying lizard that's for sure." another commented.
"Damn, this place is fucked up if its got these things flyin around. Hey Tommy, get a camera and take my picture with this big bastard!" a third said, climbing on top of the beast and striking a pose. None of them noticed the Zealot disperse into crows and fly with the raven toward Shantytown.
Al never cared much for visitors. They usually brought unwanted drama with them, since only those with particularly checkered pasts ever found themselves in his neck of the woods. His old house was falling apart and his lawn had grown into a forest all its own, weeds and vines grew, unhindered by pony intervention. Al always liked nature, so he didn't mind the vegetation too much. The earth pony had chosen to set up his home just outside of Winsome Falls, in a darker part of the surrounding woods. He knew that few people traveled in that particular area, but the hikers usually kept onto the path and rarely strayed off into the forest unless they were looking to get gone. Wearing a greasy tank top and blue baseball cap, he sat in his rocking chair on the wooden porch of his cabin, banjo in one hoof and mug of cider in the other. The creaks of his old rocker matched the surrounding chirps of the crickets perfectly, making a nice beat that he felt compelled to play a song to.
"Hello Al, long time no see." a pony said, causing him to pause as he tuned his instrument.
"Who's there?" he demanded, ready to reach for the club he kept tucked behind his chair. A blue figure stepped out of the shadows. "Well I'll be, if it ain't my favorite mare, the 'Great and Powerful' Trixie. It's been a mighty long time since you graced my sore eyes." The magician walked up onto the porch. "What brings you all way out to my place of solitude?"
"Remember that favor you owe me, Al?" the unicorn asked. "Well Trixie finally has a use for you."
The earth pony stopped smiling. His missing teeth covered by a frown that now displayed his hesitant curiosity. "Well I'm all ears Ms. Trixie, lay it on me."
Trixie smiled, setting her eyes on the hot air balloon that swayed back and forth behind the cabin, tethered to the ground. The dirigible had seen better days. It had shady patch work and a wicker basket that looked like it couldn't support a small animal let alone a full grown pony, but since Cherry Berry decided that she was going to disappear with Ponyville's only hot air balloon, this was Trixie's next best option. How pathetic is that? She thought.
Ten minutes later and the show mare was floating over Equestria with the cloud formation in her sights. The balloon swayed precariously in the wind, causing Trixie to grow uneasy. There were two things in Equestria that she couldn't stand: wheels and heights. Now she was going even higher, trying desperately not to look down as the balloon steadily climbed into the upper atmosphere. The unicorn felt slightly annoyed by her fear of heights. No doubt the view from the balloon was amazing at that altitude. She could probably see most of Equestria painted like a picture under her hooves. Sadly though, she knew that looking down would result in dizziness, vomiting, and probably passing out.
"Just don't look down, don't look down, don't look down." she kept repeating, occasionally activating the burner and providing the balloon with more hot air. When the unicorn finally reached the clouds, she was already on her last container of fuel.
If this city is much higher than the clouds, then this is going to be a very short trip. She thought. Trixie could feel the moisture in the air as she passed through the thick layer of fog. Her visibility was effectively reduced to zero, but she could hear things just fine. There were strange sounds that the pony had never heard before. Some cities like Manehatten had industrial areas, and that was the only thing that came to mind when she thought of things to compare the noises to, but even this was not an ideal comparison.
There were other things as well, not just the sounds of steam and machine. But music? Was that what she could hear? It was elegant, festive even. The sound traveled through her ears and filled her with memories of carnivals and fairs that she'd attended and performed at in the past. She had told Daniel that her life was dull and uneventful, but thinking back on the places she'd seen and the ponies she'd met, perhaps the magician hadn't given her life enough credit. The balloon broke through the clouds, and immediately Trixie was torn from thoughts of the past and thrust into the future.
The first thing she saw was bright light. Shielding her eyes from the intense sunlight which had suddenly been unhindered by cloud cover, the mare had to allow her irises to adjust to the sudden influx of light particles that were now bombarding her retinas. Once she was able to see, Trixie looked out at the city that floated before her. Her jaw dropped at the shear size of it. The buildings and structures reached well beyond her scope, causing the illusion of being endless, an expanse of artificial landscape that continued on into infinity. The unicorn was still well below most of Columbia. While some of the statues and buildings were visible, much of her view consisted of the undersides of the districts. However, even the few objects she could see were enough to give her a clear idea of what the rest of the city looked like.
The architecture itself was incredible, its breath-taking designs flowing together in a beautiful constancy that blended well with the foundations. Colors seemed to pop and make themselves known without being too obvious or demanding. It all came together perfectly to create structures of intimidating beauty. Statues dotted the streets with humans in various poses, both heroic and distinguished. Trixie could only assume they portrayed figures of great importance that must have received the same kind of respect and admiration that their stone variants now demanded. The show pony had little time to take in the sights however, as she spotted a Security Zeppelin slowly floating in her direction. Panic struck Trixie like lightning as she was now completely out in the open, not noticing the distance she had now gained from the clouds. She was now in an empty divider that separated two different worlds. The dark clouds of Equestria now floated below her like a sea of white and grey, while the city of Columbia hung above her. She now found herself sandwiched between the two, with the hounds of one world closing in.
"Shoot! What do I do, where should I go?" she asked out loud, desperate for a plan. The Zeppelin now turned to her, heading right for her slower moving and considerably smaller dirigible. The pony didn't know if she'd been spotted, but at the speed the airship was travelling, it couldn't be long now.
"You might want to think about ascending to the city." a female voice called out. Startled, Trixie turned to see the two humans she had met on the surface. They were once again standing side by side in a formal pose. The woman was now pointing to a break in the districts that her balloon would easily fit through. "And I would strongly recommend landing immediately upon your ascension." the man added. The two seemed to be standing on top of the clouds, with nothing supporting them, or perhaps something was supporting them and was simply concealed by the clouds.
The unicorn didn't have time to figure it out, if that Zeppelin spotted her, it wouldn't really matter anyway. Trixie quickly activated the burner, quickening her climb to the lower level of the city. This particular part of the city was dark and foggy, and the mare quickly realized this was due to several smoke stacks that were spouting out smoke, giving off a thick haze that smelled of coal and waste. The magician considered this a lucky break, as it made her stealthy entrance that much easier. The hot air balloon easily reached the street, landing softly on a sidewalk that appeared desolate and unused, perfect for sneaking into the city unnoticed. The mare wasted no time, quickly hopping out of the basket and tying a rope to a nearby railing, she made her way to the closest alleyway. The first thing she noticed was the slums. This part of the city looked nothing like what she'd seen coming in. It was grimy and trashed, looking more like a war torn village than a Utopian city. Trixie stayed low as she made her way past a burning barrel and some scattered newspapers. She made a left and started down a narrow passage, careful not to run into any humans.
* * *
"Twilight, it is good to see you, even under these circumstances." Princess Luna said, meeting the fellow alicorn in front of Canterlot Castle and walking her into the main reception room.
"Likewise." Twilight replied. "By now I'm sure you know of the event that took place in the Everfree Forest?"
"I saw the occurrence with my own eyes, but I know nothing about it other than the fact that it happened." she said, shaking her head. "It is my hope that you know more than I do."
"Fortunately, I do." Twilight nodded in reassurance. "I'll gladly fill you in, but first I need to know how many delegates are currently in Canterlot." the princess knew there were always a few representatives from other kingdoms and governments in Canterlot. It was widely known as the political capital of the world, an embassy in its own right.
"In the city itself? There is an ambassador from Saddle Arabia, and a military liaison here on behalf of the Griffons." Luna responded.
Twilight frowned. "That's it? There aren't any other representatives present?" she asked, disappointed.
"I'm afraid not." Luna said. She looked up in thought. "Oh! I do believe that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is on her way here from the Crystal Empire. She should be arriving anytime now."
The lavender alicorn's ears perked up. "Cadence is coming here!? That's great!" she said excitedly. Ever since Twilight had ascended to royalty, she and Princess Cadence had become very close. Taking up a "master and apprentice" relationship, Cadence often gave the new princess lessons and tips on how to effectively rule. This relationship consequently strengthened their bond as in-laws and as friends.
Luna nodded in agreement. "Though I would very much like to know what the situation is. What exactly happened in the Everfree Forest?"
Twilight's excitement was dampened a little, and her facial expression became much more serious. "You remember Thomas, right?" she asked.
The dark princess frowned. Thoughts of the human's valor and sacrifice had weighed heavily on her since the events at the mountain. She had connected with the Fireman on a level that not even Twilight had. "Of course."
"His brother is now in Equestria, as are other humans. They have performed some type of spell or ritual that has allowed them to bring an entire human city into our world." she walked over to a nearby window and pointed at the swirling clouds in the sky. "That is what floats just above the cloud line."
Luna regarded her fellow princess with shock and disbelief, saying nothing in response. Suddenly a guard approached the two, bowing politely. Excuse the interruption your majesties, but I have just received word that Princess Cadence has arrived in Canterlot. Twilight looked away from Luna.
"Excellent, thank you for informing us. I ask that you send somepony to collect her, the Saddle Arabian ambassador, and the Griffon liaison. Please bring them to the conference center of the castle." she instructed. The guard nodded and ran off while Twilight turned back to Luna. "We should probably get to the conference center as well." The older alicorn seemed lost in thought. "Luna?"
She blinked a few times before snapping back to attention. "Oh, um yes. Let us go to the conference hall." she said, a little weary. Luna started walking with Twilight right behind her.
What was that all about? Twilight thought to herself.
* * *
It was the late afternoon and the sun had just passed over the clouds that were still over and near the Everfree. It's light now shined down on Canterlot, illuminating the capital and casting its shadow over the valley below. Jakab observed the city with envious eyes. He had never seen such a place, but even now through his binoculars, he could tell it was unique. The demolitions expert had no idea what could have possessed any creature to construct such a magnificent city in such a terrible location. The capital sat right on the side of a large mountain, not all the way up at the peak, but high enough to cause quite a show if it were to......
"Can we go now?" his pilot asked. Jakab grunted as he stood up from the crouching position he had been in at the bow of the airship. It now floated above a wooded area, far enough away from any settlement that the likelihood of contact with any locals was minimal.
"Are you in some kind of hurry?" he asked, annoyed.
"Well its happy hour at Maguire's, and I'm stuck here taxiing around some Hungarian runt who gets his jollies blowing shit up with his little boom sticks." the pilot hotly replied. Jakab shot him a look before peering through his binoculars again. The city almost brought a tear to his eye. His fingers twitched with anticipation and his heart beat with excitement. It was definitely a successful recon mission. Even from the distance the airship was ordered to stay at, the explosives enthusiast saw three flawed points in the capital's design. These points, once exploited, would render useless any structural integrity that the foundations provided. He predicted at most a thirty second period upon detonation before the entire city sat at the bottom of the mountain in a pile of mangled concrete and plywood. The very thought exhilarated him. It would be the easiest job he'd ever done, but also the most satisfying.
"Alright, we can go now. Just make sure you drop me off in Emporia." Jakab said, turning from the city and looking at the clouds. He smiled, "I don't want to be late for the briefing."
"Twilight! It's so good to see you!" Cadence yelled from across the hall. The two alicorns ran to each other and embraced, breaking off only to perform the ritual of their favorite rhyme.
"Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"
The two exchanged a laugh upon the conclusion. "I'm so glad you're here!" Twilight beamed.
"Well it's good to be here. I heard the loud bang and saw the flash of light when coming in, but I had no idea what it was."
"I do. I'll let you know the details when everypony is seated." Twilight's smile faded and she quickly reclaimed her serious demeanor. It was always great to see a good friend, but the princess couldn't get side tracked, especially now.
Cadence walked over to the rest of the delegates in the conference hall. The other delegates, of course, weren't really delegates anymore than they were bureaucrats sent from various private sectors of the Equestrian free market. While Celestia was the main ruler of the kingdom, there were many other privately owned entities that liked to think they had power over decisions. Therefore, they often sent representatives to Canterlot whenever something unprecedented occurred, such as a city appearing in the sky. Twilight tolerated their presence, much like Celestia did, but deep down the alicorn didn't believe they had any real right to sit in on government proceedings.
Twilight turned back to the entrance in time to welcome Malik, the Saddle Arabian ambassador. Malik was tall and handsome, and dressed in traditional attire. He bowed courtly to the princess. "It always pleases me to see a young ruler, such as yourself, head one of these conferences."
"Thank you, Malik. With Celestia away and me knowing a fair amount of what's going on, I felt it necessary to call this meeting and inform you and the other delegates of what is happening."
"Well in that case, I think I will just take my seat. I eagerly await this news you have." he smiled, walking past her. Twilight always felt he was far too positive for the position he held, but she figured he used the happy attitude as a buffer for his true feelings. Maintaining relations between countries and kingdoms wasn't easy. Twilight knew that first hoof, but he didn't seem to be at all disgruntled by it's daily taxes.
The next individual to enter the room was none other than Kalder, the liaison from the griffon homeland. He was large and incredibly intimidating, even by griffon standards. Twilight didn't know his full story, hearing only bits and pieces from the princesses and other griffon delegates, but from what she gathered, Kalder used to be a general for the griffon military, leading a special force known as Talon Claw. They were the best of the best in matters of stealth and espionage, but also knew how to fight in full on combat as well. The griffon's face supported these rumors. There was a large scar running down the left side of Kalder's face, stopping just short of his eye. His beak was also chipped on one side, turning into a crack that was held together by two staples. The large griffon stopped in front of Twilight, looking down at her, but saying nothing.
"Um, welcome to the conference center, Kalder." the princess hesitantly stated. He didn't take his eyes off her.
"What is this about?" he asked coldly. Twilight had expected this kind of reaction from him. In the times she had seen Kalder, he always struck her as a griffon of few words, and one with a short fuse.
"There has been an incident in the Everfree Forest. The hum....."
"I'm already aware of the situation in the Everfree. My scouts have reported the presence of an alien city up there in the clouds."
Twilight blinked, perplexed. "Have they made contact?"
"No, they've been ordered to stay away from it until we have determined what they want."
"Well that's what this meeting is about."
Now it was Kalder's turn to look perplexed, though he was much better at hiding it. "You know what these creatures are here for?"
"Well, I have a fairly good idea....."
"Hmph, figures." he waved off. "You ponies always jump to conclusions as soon as some crisis occurs. You never stop to analyze a situation before deciding on a course of action. These brash decisions may have worked out for your kingdom in the past, but griffons conduct themselves with more reserve." he walked by Twilight, shaking his head. "I will stay and observe this hearing as requested, but I would advise you not to take any actions until more information has been gathered." The princess watched him as he calmly walked over and took his seat.
If only you knew what I knew. she thought. Now that the final delegate had arrived, Twilight was ready to commence the hearing. She coughed a few times, clearing her throat, when she heard more voices echoing down the passageway. Quickly turning back to the threshold, the alicorn looked back just in time to see herself walking down the hallway with two guards. A castle assistant was leading them toward the conference center.
"Right this way, princess. The other delegates are already waiting inside."
"Good." Twilight heard in a voice that matched her's perfectly. "We have much to discuss."
The castle assistant stopped immediately upon seeing Twilight standing in the doorway. He looked back and forth between the two Twilights, utter confusion plastered on his face. "B-but how?"
Twilight looked just as confused, staring at her alternate self in shock. Her alternate self seemed much less surprised, grinning malevolently. She calmly strolled over to the entrance of the conference hall, her guards following closely.
"If it isn't Twilight Sparkle, the newest 'princess' of Equestria." she laughed. Twilight backed up as she approached. "I never thought I'd be impersonating an alicorn version of you."
"Who are you?" Twilight demanded. As if in response, the other Twilight erupted in a green column of energy. The other delegates looked away, the intense light causing them to raise their hooves defensively. Twilight had to close her eyes as well, the bright light blinding her. However, she had already seen enough to know who would be there when she opened her eyes again. As expected, when Twilight looked again, Chrysalis was standing where her mirror image had been. The changeling queen stood proudly before the delegates, smiling at their reaction to her.
"Well you can't say I don't know how to make an entrance." she laughed, a sly look on her face. The queen didn't look much different from the last time she was in Canterlot. She stood taller than anypony else in the room, even taller than Luna. Her green hair and eyes stuck out against her otherwise black chitin, and her wings occasionally buzzed as her tail slowly waved back and forth. The two guards that had been standing next to her now revealed themselves to be changelings. They stood by their queen protectively as she spoke.
"What are you doing here, vile creature?!"
Both Luna and Cadence galloped to Twilight's side as nearby guards surrounded the three changelings. The two drones hissed at the ponies, but their queen merely laughed.
"It's good to see you again, Luna! I was truly sad when I didn't see you at the wedding. I'm glad you're finally starting to come out of your shell." her green eyes turned to Cadence and her smile faded. "Though I will admit, I'm not entirely happy to see you again. That little trip over Equestria wasn't all that fun, but I did get a nice view of the countryside as I was screaming and flailing helplessly in the air." her smile returned. "Tell me, does Shining ever talk about me?"
"Enough!" Cadence screamed, her horn lighting up. "How dare you come here and speak of my husband after everything you did!"
"Oh please, it's not my fault I made a better you than you." Chrysalis said, rolling her eyes. The queen had a posture and attitude of dark, twisted regality. She held her head up high and stuck her nose even higher. "Anyway, I'd love to stand here and catch up, but I have bigger things on my plate."
"What do you mean?" Cadence asked harshly.
The queen maintained her grin, but walked over to a nearby chair and sat in it nonchalantly, twisting her hair with a hoof. "Well those clouds in the sky, for one thing. I'm assuming that is why all of these nice looking 'representatives' are here? Five of my scouts have reported strange things going on in the Equestrian skies, several have even seen strange objects flying around, so I decided to pay you all a visit to see what all the buzz was about." her wings buzzed as she said this.
"After all, my changelings need a voice in matters such as these. If there is an outside threat to this world that I'm not aware of, I start to get very uncomfortable." she explained.
"You expect us to believe that you're here simply because you want to stay informed?" Cadence asked, clearly not buying it. The queen gave her an annoyed look.
"Do you honestly think I would walk into a room full of ponies with a mere two of my subjects if I intended to start a conflict?"
"Of course not." Luna answered. "You changelings don't have the courage to fight in open combat. You use cowardly tactics of sneaking and lies to get what you want!"
Chrysalis nodded. "While this is very true, I'm sorry to say it isn't the case in this particular situation. I really do just want to find out what's going on."
Cadence stepped forward as her horn grew even brighter, causing Chrysalis to frown. "Still not sold?"
"I'm going to send you back on that trip over Equestria so you can get a good look at what's going on outside firsthoof!"
"Ooooh, Cadence. I may feed off of love, but I can sense quite a bit of hatred in you. It's actually making me consider switching diets." the queen jested.
Twilight tapped Cadence on the shoulder, getting her attention. She then put a hoof across her chest and extended it slowly, exhaling as she did. Cadence nodded and mimicked the gesture with an audible exhale to match her frustration. When this was done, the princess seemed much more calm.
"Thanks Twilight, I'm glad you remember that one." she smiled slightly. "Guess, you've gotten to the point where you're teaching me how to be an effective leader."
"Just reminding you." Twilight said with a wink. She then turned her attention back to the changeling queen. "You can't stay here. I won't allow the safety of this kingdom to be compromised by the likes of you.
"Au contraire, my little pony. It is you who will be endangering your kingdom if you kick me out."
"What do you mean?"
The queen smiled again. "Luna may have been correct in her statement about my usual tactics. Indeed, disguises and beautiful lies are how I usually get things done, but you of all ponies should know that my armies are vast and quite numerous. If I am denied a seat here today, I may then be inclined to declare war tomorrow. I'm sure the last thing any of you want is that kind of headache on top of.....whatever this is"
She stood up and walked over to one of her subjects, rubbing it under its chin with a hoof. "However, if we were to establish some kind of temporary alliance, then maybe you would find us to be useful allies instead of crippling enemies." the changeling drone smiled blissfully as its queen continued to stroke it. "So what do you say, princess?"
Twilight turned to Luna, who was giving her a worried look. "What do you think?"
"I don't trust these creatures in the slightest, but I also don't want the Royal Guard dealing with them if the situation with the humans deteriorates." Luna replied. Twilight nodded.
"And what about you, Cadence?"
The other princess looked distraught. "If having her here will keep the peace, then I'm willing to tolerate it." she decided. "I still don't like it though."
Twilight turned back to the changeling queen. "Alright, you can stay, but if you try anything, we won't hesitate to act." she warned. This decision was met with various moans of protest from the other delegates, who clearly didn't want the changelings present. None argued with the princess' decision, however, and soon the conference hall was called to order as the representatives listened to Twilight's explanation of the situation with various degrees of interest. Though as the alicorn's explanation went on, that interest was soon replaced with fearful apprehension.
* * *
Apple Bloom walked to the outermost fields of Sweet Apple Acres. After Applejack had brought her back to the farm, her older sister had been brought back into town with several guards, leaving the little filly with nothing but the general instruction to do chores. How Applejack thought her little sister would be able to do farm work after everything that had happened in the past few hours, Apple Bloom didn't know. She also didn't know why her sister had been called back to Ponyville, but she guessed it had something to do with the strange things that went on in the sky a while ago. The filly continued to walk aimlessly when she heard a caw in the sky.
Looking up, the filly saw a flock of crows flying low over the fields. Hiding behind a tree, she noticed they weren't flying towards her, but over to a clearing in the south field.
Now what in Equestria could they be lookin at? she wondered. It didn't take long for curiosity's alluring call to convince Apple Bloom to follow the birds. She started walking toward where the birds seemed to be gathering, watching as they slowly descended into the trees that surrounded the clearing. It was then that something strange caught the young filly's attention. Just over the top of the trees, Apple Bloom could see what looked like the top of a large dome. It looked to have a gold color with some kind of burgundy tarp draped over it. She quickly became hesitant to continue, but this thing was on her property and she would at least see what it was before running to tell Big Mac or Granny Smith.
As the small pony neared the clearing, she noticed a few of the crows occasionally glance down at her. The birds were clearly aware of her presence, but seemed far more interested in whatever was parked just beyond the trees, as was Apple Bloom herself. She got closer to the clearing, getting lower and quieter with each step, like a predator stalking its oblivious prey.
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
Apple Bloom froze in place, hugging the ground as much as possible. Her ears were ringing as the sudden outburst of noise concluded and the clearing became silent. The crows had all dispersed, flying away in different directions, except for one that had fallen to the ground right in front of the filly. She examined the dead bird before her. It looked to be bleeding from somewhere, but it was too dark in the brush to see exactly where.
"Goddamn crows! You can bet those things were sent by a fuckin Zealot." she heard a man's voice say. The voice was deep and Apple Bloom sensed the hint of an accent that she wasn't familiar with.
"Who cares? We won't be here long enough for it to matter anyway, but quit shootin up the damn place. We don't want no unwanted attention." a female voice responded. It shared a similar accent with the first voice.
"Well Daisy better get back soon. It was stupid of us to let her go alone."
"Orders are orders. We wait here and guard the First Lady til she gets back, and we don't bitch about it."
"Yeah yeah, I just don't like her running around here by herself."
Apple Bloom started to slowly back away from the clearing, being sure not to make a sound. She stayed low in the patch of tall grass, hoping it was enough to fully conceal her, when she heard more voices coming from behind.
Shantytown wasn't always the decrepit war zone that it soon became known as to the rest of Columbia. The district was created by Fink to house workers and their families during the few hours of down time they were given between work shifts. The little pay that the workers of Finkton actually received often got spent at Fink approved bars, where the overworked lower class could drown their sorrows and find momentary respite from the daily strains that were all too often administered to a man or woman who found themselves in front of the assembly lines.
The town was constructed almost overnight; a place officially named Factory Worker Housing, which became the place where young Jeremiah would store his workers at the end of the day, like a child putting his toys back in the chest once he was done playing with them. After a few domestic disputes and a constant lack of utilities, Factory Worker Housing quickly became the Shantytown that it was seen as presently. Those who resided there were equally degraded, earning close to nothing each day. When the workers did get paid, they would not get actual currency, but instead would receive special tokens that could only be spent at stores of which Fink himself owned.
It was not uncommon to see men and women of color in the bowels of Fink's empire. They were considered second-class citizens, and therefore could easily be segregated to the lower end of the city. In order for America to function as America had always functioned, it became clear to the Founders that laborers would be needed, and needed in large numbers. The United States had only recently done away with the barbarism that was slavery, but the fires of that era had not yet completely died out. It was easy for Fink to find labor in the colored man, much like what had been done a mere forty-seven years prior.
Of course then the Irish began to arrive, and the Founders quickly realized that their drunken ilk would only hinder the good name of the white and bright who had already established themselves as superior in Columbia. It was then that they decided to cast the Irish in with the colored folk, thus unknowingly adding even more numbers to the ranks of the already growing Vox Populi.
Daniel wasn't colored or Irish. He was born in America and never left the country until his first trip to Columbia. The Zealot was not a sympathetic man, and never questioned the doctrines that oppressed those who had been less fortunate than him during their time in the floating city. The Order of the Raven was constructed on the idea that Lincoln was a devil and Booth was a savior for putting a bullet in the fiend's head. Everyone had their place in society, and the sixteenth president of the U.S. had effectively upset the balance of that hierarchy. However, Columbia would instill that balance once again, not with slavery, but with a free market economy. The Order would do it's best to maintain that reestablished hierarchy and Daniel would do his best to aid the Order, and he was damn good at it too.
Due to the Order's violent policies and the group's particularly racist views, Zealots had gained quite a negative reputation in Shantytown. Now, as Daniel landed in the streets of the slums and recombined into his hooded form, those who saw him quickly left the area and did not dare think twice about it. Crow's had always been known to come to districts like this and kill off one or two citizens just for the hell of it. The red stripe that ran down his mask also told the citizens of Columbia a rather dark fact about Daniel, which only further encouraged them to leave the immediate area upon his arrival. The Zealot was indifferent to their reaction to him. He was not there to feed his crows or even his own blood lust. He had a specific objective in mind and so long as they remained out of his way, the denizens of Shantytown had nothing to fear.
The Crow turned his attention to the rundown bar that was cozily tucked between two equally rundown apartment buildings. The outside was filthy; bottles littered the front doorway and the sign that sat above the entrance was splintered and crooked. Any words that had once been there to inform a passerby of the establishment's name had log since faded out of existence.
Daniel wasted no time, and briskly walked over to the saloon, opening the broken door and stepping inside. The hinges shrieked in resistance as the door closed behind him. The inside of the bar was just as pretty looking as its exterior, offering a venue that could only be aesthetically pleasing to a frequent drunkard who'd just downed their twelfth beer. An old record player now quietly projected a soft tune throughout the building. Daniel recognized it as one of Albert Fink's latest master pieces, and listened to the lyrics as he approached the counter.
"Does anybody really know what time it is Does anybody really care If so I can't imagine why We've all got time enough to cry"
The Crow walked up to the counter, keeping tabs on the other customers who were having a drink. None of the workers cared for Zealots, for obvious reasons, but there were some who would outright attack the hooded figures on sight. Also if this was truly the bar that Daniel had learned of, then he was likely walking right into an ambush.
"Are you Seamus?" the Zealot asked calmly to the barkeep. Music continued to play from the music box.
"And I was walking down the street one day. A pretty lady looked at me And said her diamond watch had stopped cold dead.....And I said....."
"Who's askin?" the barkeep replied, not looking up from the glass he was cleaning.
"A friend of Daisy's."
The man stopped cleaning the glass and looked up at the Zealot. Usually this was the part where he would drop the glass on the floor and beg for his life through fearful tears, looking at the Crow with horror and anguish. But the barkeep did nothing of the sort. Instead, he resumed cleaning the mug, stopping only to fully face Daniel.
"Don't know any Daisy there, boyo." the Irishmen responded, not even trying to hide the lie.
"Excuse me?" Daniel hissed. "Would you like to rephrase that? I don't think I heard a 'sir' at the end."
Seamus rolled his eyes. "Don't know any Daisy there, fucker." he said, smiling defiantly. "Now if ya don't wanta meet the maker tonight, I'd suggest you be turnin around and walkin right out that there door."
Daniel's eyes narrowed as he drew his sword, which only caused the barkeep's grin to grow larger. "I was hopin you'd opt to take the hard way out."
Five of them. That's how many Vox the Zealot had counted when he entered the bar. Now there were thirteen of the rebels pulling out weapons and tipping over tables. They must have been waiting in the backroom and basement, looking for a reason to show themselves. Seamus disappeared behind the counter as the music played on.
"Does anybody really know what time it is Does anybody really care If so I can't imagine why We've all got time enough to die"
* * *
Trixie kept walking down the alleyways of Shantytown, navigating the narrow passages without problem, but not truly having any idea where she was going. Columbia looked massive during the ride up, so the unicorn had no idea how she was going to even begin searching for Daniel.
Would it have been too much trouble for those weirdos to give me an address and map?
She continued down an alley that led to an opening in the road. Unlike the area where she had landed, this part of town seemed to be a high traffic area, with humans walking in both directions, holding quiet conversations or mumbling to themselves. Trixie stayed in the safety of the shadows, studying the humans as they commuted. The first thing she noticed were their colors. While ponies boasted a plethora of different colors, humans seemed to be limited only to various shades of black and white. Their manes weren't all that exciting either; only being brown, red, or black it seemed. The next thing she noticed were their clothes. They were dirty and tattered, and probably hadn't been washed since their purchase. In fact, the whole area seemed filthy and gross. Trixie wondered why the rest of Columbia seemed so beautiful and vibrant. This was the complete opposite.
That didn't matter right now, though. The show mare couldn't get distracted by cosmetics. She had to find Daniel and it was important that she not get discovered, for that would lead to certain......
"Is you a unicorn?" a voice behind her asked. Trixie didn't jump or squeal, but she did curse her luck something fierce and wondered if her sneaking abilities were truly that poor. Slowly, the pony turned to face a human standing right behind her, leaning on an overflowing garbage can. She was female, by her looks and the sound of her voice. The human also seemed to be a child, standing only as tall as Trixie herself. She wore torn overalls with an oil blotched shirt underneath, and had skin of a darker shade.
"H-h-hello, um... human." the show mare managed to say.
"Hi." the child replied casually. "Is you really a talkin unicorn?"
Trixie hesitated. How did this girl know what she was? Did the humans learn about the various ponies already?
"I didn't mean to scare ya or nothin. I just didn't think unicorns was really real. My mama said they was just make believe, like the boogeyman. But then Father John told me they was in the Bible, so I didn't know if they was maybe alive back then and then went away or somethin or other."
The blue unicorn was now incredibly confused, understanding maybe half of what the human had just said.
"Yes, I'm a unicorn." she finally replied. "Who are you?"
"My name's Irene. What's yours?"
"Trixie."
"That's a nice name. Well, hello to ya Trixie. I bet you ain't from around here, huh?" the girl said, no longer leaning on the garbage can but keeping her hands in her pockets.
"That's, um, that's right." Trixie said. Clearly this human wasn't aware of the situation down below. Cautiously, the pony breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well let me welcome you to Shantytown. This here ain't much, but it's home to me and mama."
Trixie decided this child was harmless, and concluded that it was safe to ask questions. "What are you doing out here, Irene? Shouldn't you be in school or something?"
The girl shook her head. "Nah, us colored kids don't go to school. Well Father John likes to teach us some stuff afta Sunday mass; like history, geography, and math. He the reason I know my times tables. Multiplyin nines is easiest for me cuz of this nifty trick he showed me with my fingers. Wanna see?"
"Well actually, I really need to find......"
"Ah, it'll jus take a minute. Ain't nothin to it. Ask me what nine times four is."
"Listen, I really....." Trixie paused. The girl seemed to genuinely want to show her this trick, and the show mare didn't want to risk angering her. "Okay, what's nine times four?"
Quickly, the girl stuck all ten fingers up, bending down the forth digit. She then counted the fingers on both sides.
"Nine times four is thirty-six!" she shouted happily. Trixie looked around, praying no other humans heard that.
"Wow, That's... a very neat trick." she whispered, hoping Irene would follow suit.
"Yeah, math is my favorite subject. I always ask Father John to give me extra lessons afta Bible study."
"Where are your parents?" Trixie inquired. Irene's expression quickly changed from excitement to bitter sadness.
"Well mama don't get off work till tomorrow, and my daddy died a few weeks back."
Trixie felt Irene's sadness find its way to her. "I'm so sorry."
"Ah it happens. Most of my friends lost people in the factory too. Mama always said it was cuz daddy was overworked, but I don't know if I believe that. All the white folks say work does ya good." her expression brightened a little. "But soon, I'll be old enough to work the factory too, so I can help mama make tokens n she won't have to work as much. The white folks say there's always a chance to make it outta Shantytown, ya just gotta work hard enough. Mama says that's a load a bullshit, but I don't know. Father John says I ain't old enough to understand certain things, but I think I can understand the world a little bit."
Trixie felt sadness in ways she didn't think possible. How could this place be so horrible? Men, women, and children working themselves to death for the greed of others? The powers that be, promising them false hope so they don't complain when the man or woman next to them falls over dead?
"That's horrible, it's......barbaric.......it's slavery!" she said, daring to raise her voice.
Irene shrugged her shoulders. "That's life, but it ain't slavery. Mama said Mr. Lincoln got rid a slavery in 1865. I think she said the word was....abolished! Yeah, he abolished it."
"Wait, there was slavery before, like actual slavery?" Trixie asked, shocked. Slavery wasn't new to Equestria; most ponies have heard tales of the Crystal Empire's dark past, but it wasn't something at all prominent. Even when Sombra came to power, his oppression didn't last long before it was stopped.
"Uh-huh, mama said slavery been goin on for hundreds a years. She said it's just human nature for people to hurt each other. That's why the good book teaches us to love each other."
"Human nature....."
Trixie imagined hundreds of Sombras taking over towns, destroying houses and enslaving ponies. Images of smoldering ruins and screaming fillies made their rounds through her mind's eye. These things suddenly became very real possibilities, and all the more reason for Trixie to get the message to Daniel.
"Irene, do you know where I can find a man with a black robe on and a coffin on his back?" Trixie asked hopefully.
"The Crows? They's all around Columbia. Sometimes they come to Shantytown, but mama always rushes me inside when that happens. She said one a them took away my cousin Joanne and did awful things to her cuz she was said to be part of the Vox. Joanne wasn't a Vox, but I don't think they care really. Mama says they just wanna hurt people. Anyway, yeah there's a whole buncha them."
Trixie's hope was once again diminished. "Do they all have red stripes too?"
"Nope." Irene said, shaking her head. "I only seen one with a red mark on him. Actually, he was just around the corner a little while ago. I stayed and watched him when everyone else ran away. He went into a bar I ain't been in before."
The unicorn felt her heart rate quicken. "Is he still here?"
"Maybe. It wasn't too long ago I seen him." she replied.
"Please, can you take me there?" Trixie pleaded.
"Sure, I don't see why not. But them Crows don't take kindly to most folks I seen. You'd prolly do good to watch yourself." Irene warned.
"Don't worry, I know this one." Trixie muttered, and with that, the two quickly moved down another alley.
* * *
The hospital room was like any other hospital room that had ever been constructed; that is, it was sterile and uninviting. Applejack looked around the room with curiosity. Well, not really out of genuine curiosity, but after spending so much time in the room next to her unconscious friend, anything was a valid distraction for the admittedly bored farm pony. There wasn't much to the room aside from a bed and a side table with a lamp placed on top. It was very much like the room Rainbow had been in when she wiped out all that time ago. A heart rate monitor stood beside Rainbow's bed. It's screen was black and lifeless, and the steady beeping that the machine was known for made no such sound. After it was determined that the blue pegasus would make a full recovery, the doctors decided it was no longer necessary for Dash to be hooked up to the machine, so they turned it off and pushed it to the side.
Applejack was the only other pony in the room. After she got back to the farm, it was only a moment or two before that strange flash blinded her like a bat for a good minute or two, as she had the misfortune of looking directly at its source when it happened. Then not too long after she regained her sight, a pair of guards came and asked that she wait for her other friends at the hospital. That all seemed so long ago, now. The earth pony had been waiting there alone, occasionally looking outside and seeing the Royal Guard moving back and forth across town. Every time she saw them, a knot in her stomach made itself present. She knew the feeling, and it indicated fear. Applejack wasn't a fearful pony, never was, but she wasn't dense either. The pony knew that something bad was happening. All the evidence pointed to it.
This wasn't Thomas anymore. Daniel wasn't going to save Equestria from bandit overlords or flame spawns. He and the other humans had their own agenda, and it likely didn't involve making friends. Unbeknownst to most ponies, Applejack would regularly visit Thomas' final resting place. She would talk to the human, not thinking he would actually respond, but simply allowing her imagination to believe that perhaps he could somehow hear her and enjoy her company. It was the least she could do after everything he did for Apple Bloom and the other crusaders, not to mention the whole town. He had shown such an act of selflessness and courage that it was hard to believe he shared blood with the monster that was now there.
"W-what's going on?"
Applejack's head turned around so fast she could hear her neck crack. The pony now looked at Rainbow Dash as she struggled to open her eyes. The time that it took Applejack to clear the room was impressive, taking only half a second to cross the entirety of it, while still managing to stop on a dime. She was now right next to her waking friend.
"Rainbow Dash! Thank Celestia, I was bout ready to buck ya awake." the blonde sighed in relief.
"A-a-applejack, what happened? Where are we?"
"We're in the hospital. Don't worry everypony is fine, but ya had.......an accident and ya were out cold for a spell."
The rainbow maned pegasus put a hoof up to her head and lightly touched it, wincing in pain when it made contact.
"Ouch, my head!" she cursed.
"Now quit fidgetin, ya ain't done recoverin yet." Applejack warned. Rainbow reluctantly nodded, resting both hooves at her sides.
"Where are the others?" she asked.
"They're comin. They just had to take care of some things first, but they're comin." Applejack assured. She was never a good liar, but she tried to make herself believe she was telling the truth as much as her conscience would allow in order to not give off the regular tells that betrayed her on the few occasions that she did lie. Rainbow Dash didn't seem to notice though, still fighting off the foggy weariness that came hoof in hoof with extended periods of unconsciousness. The truth was that Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy should have all been at the hospital by now. The guards had been sent to find them as well, and Applejack knew her friends well enough to know they wouldn't leave town for any reason while one of their friends was in trouble. Spike was also MIA, which confused Applejack even more than the others, since he apparently had been sent straight here by Twilight herself. She couldn't think of any reason they wouldn't be here right now.
Well, there is one reason.....
Applejack shook the tormenting voice in the back of her mind out of her head. There was no time to think like that.
Nothin bad happened to my friends. She quickly corrected. Though as time had gone on, the validity of that declaration seemed to be growing weaker and weaker.
"You're dying, Prophet. That's all there is to it. There are no further variables to study, no other avenues of research to pursue. For whatever reason, fate it seems, has decided that you will die sooner than expected. Exposure to our machine doesn't seem to be the cause, nor is it some disease or other affliction of nature. There is nothing we can do for you, as I'm sure your own doctor has explained........I realize I often seem stoic when it comes to matters such as these, but I truly am sorry for this inconvenience. There's no way to tell for sure when the time will come, but it can't be long now......
Rosalind's voice echoed through Comstock's mind as he stood in the bridge of the Hand of the Prophet, Columbia's flagship and one of the largest warships the city had ever built. The Prophet was accompanied by three soldiers and an officer who was now captaining the airship through the skies of Equestria.
It moved slowly through the clouds, followed by dozens of gulls that hovered by it like bees at a hive. They swooped in and out of surrounding clouds as the large rotors and rockets propelled the ship forward. Even as numerous as they were, the birds were microscopic compared to the giant vessel. That is, except for Songbird, who flew steadily along the ship's hull, guarding the Prophet from any potential danger.
Suddenly, a steady knock came at the bridge's door. The soldiers looked at Comstock, who simply nodded for them to open it. Timothy Moore, a short stocky man with humorously large spectacles, awkwardly entered the room. A man of average build may have found him intimidating were it not for those glasses. He was also probably the only person in Columbia who preferred to be called "Timothy" over "Tim". Moore wasn't exactly a scholar, but he was quite intellectual and resourceful if the situation demanded it.
"Um sir, I uh, I compiled the list you wanted from the scouts." he stuttered, making his way to the Prophet. Comstock turned to him, causing the man to stop in his tracks and look down, avoiding his eye. He held a piece of paper out in front of him, which Zachary promptly took. He studied it thoroughly.
"What are these numbers next to the names?" he asked, showing Timothy the paper. Even with his thick eyeglasses, the short man had to squint and put his face almost completely against the list.
"Oh, yes I decided to make things easier and came up with a quick ranking system for the list. The number you see next to each settlement roughly indicates the town or city's size; between the numbers 1 and 10, 1 being the smallest and 10 being the largest." Moore explained. The Prophet looked over the list once again. Most of the settlement names were generic codes that the scouts had given to the towns and cities, but others were a bit less straightforward.
"Appleloosa? Why are some of these names so odd?"
"Well, some of the scouts were able to determine the actual name of several settlements by looking at signs and other such things."
Comstock nodded. He closely examined the list, looking at each name carefully. Finally, he pointed to one in particular, showing it to Timothy.
"This one." he said with stern conviction. "Tell them that this will be the first."
Timothy adjusted his glasses, looking at the name the Prophet had chosen.
"This one, sir?" he asked, surprised.
"I want to test the water a bit before the initial strikes begin. This one will make a fine proving ground." he explained. "Also, tell Antal Jakab that he is permitted to begin his preparations for that city up on the mountain. Make sure he goes in only after nightfall, I don't want them catching wind of our plans just yet."
"Of course, Prophet." Timothy hastily nodded before turning to leave, stopping just short of the exit when he remembered something else. "Oh I almost forgot. Three of our scouting ships have gone missing. They've missed check-in three times now."
The Prophet waved his hand dismissively, seemingly deep in thought over another matter. "Not entirely surprising that we've lost a few scouting parties. I trust you've heard about the dragon attack?"
"Oh yes sir, I didn't believe the reports until I saw the carcasses first hand; truly astounding. The good doctor is going to have his hands full with them." Timothy raved.
"Clearly there are things in this world we weren't entirely prepared for. It isn't too surprising that a few airships have fallen victim to these demons. The Sodom is as dangerous as ever, which is why we must strike down hard upon it with all of our might."
Timothy bowed out of respect for the Prophet and his wise words. "Of course, dear Prophet. Of course." he said, finally leaving the bridge. Zachary turned back to the window. When Columbia had first arrived, all of her clocks had to be reset so that they lined up with the new world's sun position. Now the sun was beginning to set, coloring the sky a lovely rouge and creating a nice background for the white and fluffy clouds that floated by; the same sun that Daniel claimed was controlled by some pony princess. The idea still caused him to laugh a bit, but when Comstock did get over the ridiculous concept, all that remained was simple anger and disgust. These creatures possessed abilities that no mortal being should ever be permitted to control. It spat in the very face of God himself.
Comstock was dying, that much Rosalind had made undoubtedly clear, but he would not perish before seeing his great vision come to fruition. The lands would burn under the might of Columbia, and in there place, she would usher in a new era of true patriotism.
"Arrival in ten minutes." the officer informed, still at the wheel.
Comstock barely heard him. The sound of the small factory that was located on the ship had seeped its way into his brain and now drowned out all other noise. The gears and steam engines that pounded out a constant rhythm played their foreboding song as Motorized Patriots were constructed in the Prophet's likeness. On the outside, Zachary stood at the helm of his ship, formally positioned and looking out the window into the metal abyss that was displayed. In his head, he danced to the war drums that pounded through his skull, easily covering the weakening beats of his decaying heart.
* * *
Apple Bloom stood in the small cabin of the large blimp that she now found herself in. Her pretty pink bow occasionally brushed against the muzzle of a gun that was almost pressed right up against her head. The humans hadn't asked her any questions, instead taking the action of moving her into the airship at gunpoint. At first the filly didn't understand what they were threatening her with, but a quick demonstration of the weapon on a large oak tree was all the explanation she needed. Now she waited with two of the gun wielding bipedals, not daring to make a sound.
That's it. That's the last time I go off on my own on some little adventure. Celestia, if I make it outta this, I promise I won't ever leave the farm again. I'll do all my chores just like Applejack asks.
One of the doors behind Apple Bloom flew open, causing the filly to tense up. She didn't dare look around though, fearful that her actions may incite the wrath of one of her captors.
"This the one right here?" a female voice asked.
"Yessum, she the one we found pokin' round outside." a familiar male voice replied. Apple Bloom heard footsteps as they slowly made there away around to her right. She winced at each footfall.
"So this is the world we now find ourselves in, huh?"
Apple Bloom felt something brush against her bow. After determining it wasn't the gun, she quickly realized it was a human appendage. The hand was attached to a woman, who was now in full view of the pony. She wore a red scarf over her white blouse, and sported brown pants. Her hair was dark and she had a hard face, and now regarded the farm pony through cold, brown eyes.
"What are you?' she hissed.
"I'm a......pony, ma'am." Apple Bloom replied, the fear clearly present in her voice despite her attempts to suppress it.
"And what, my young pony, is this place our lovely Prophet has seen fit to bring us to?"
"W-w-well yer in the kingdom of E-e-equestria." the pony stuttered. The woman looked up, exchanging unspoken words with another individual Apple Bloom couldn't see, she assumed it was the man who had spoken earlier.
"You seen kind like us before?"
"Yeah, a couple times now."
She rubbed her chin with one hand, keeping the other placed firmly on her holstered weapon. "When was the first time?" she inquired.
"Well, Thomas came here a few months back. That was the first human I ever met. Then his brother came just recently."
"And what did this Thomas look like?"
"He had really weird armor on, kinda like a furnace. He also had fire powers."
"Goddammit." the woman muttered, getting up and walking to the other side of the cabin. "They musta been plannin' this jump for a while now." she said.
"Mhmm, seems like it." the male voice replied. The woman shook her head.
"Alright then, let's take off. I wanna get a lay of the land from the air."
"Yes ma'am. You want I should take care of this one, Daisy?"
Apple Bloom cringed. Were they talking about her?
The woman regard her for a moment. The filly could tell those eyes were calculating, weighing all the variables. "No. Keep her alive and keep her with us for now. She may still be of use to the Vox."
Daisy then left the cabin, going further back into the airship. Apple Bloom felt a sense of relief, which quickly dissipated when she realized the blimp was taking off. She could feel the room ascending into the air. In her sudden panic, she turned to the man still standing beside her.
"What's goin' on? Are we takin' off? I can't go with ya, drop me off!" she demanded. The man smiled.
"Sorry darlin', you ain't done with the Vox, until the Vox done with you."
The airship steadily climbed into the sky, carrying Apple Bloom, and her hopes for a quick escape, with it.
* * *
It was a warm evening in Dodge Junction. Bugs were busily flying around the few lights that were illuminating the empty looking streets. Not much was going on outside of the few taverns that lined the main road, but it wasn't long before a commotion began outside the Fuzzy Buffalo.
"That's it, Flask Filler. I'm cuttin' ya off!" the barkeep shouted from inside the tavern's swinging doors. A drunk pony stumbled out of the bar, falling flat on his face upon reaching the bottom step. The intoxicated stallion muttered something inaudible before finally getting up on his hooves.
"Ah, who needs ya?" he shouted back. "I can go to a million other places in this town!"
The barkeep shook his head as he returned to the counter, leaving the drunkard to wander the streets. As he did his best to move to another establishment, Flask Filler turned around to voice his dislike of the Fuzzy Buffalo once more.
"This whole place'll burn to the ground one day, mark my words!" he shouted. Making empty threats out of angry spite was what Flask was known for. Most ponies would kick the deadbeat out after his first few drinks, at which time they would discover he didn't have a bit to his name.
However, just after saying this, the stallion heard a strange whistling sound that got louder the longer he listened. "What the hay......"
A large explosion sent the colt clear across the street, landing hard on his rump, and simultaneously tossing up a cloud of sand and dirt that further hindered his already poor motor skills. When he finally managed to look up, Flask saw that the Fuzzy Buffalo was now on fire. Smoke billowed out of a large hole in the roof as flames consumed the building's interior.
Another explosion caught Flask Filler's attention from across town, sending more fire flying up into the night sky. This was soon followed by another.
"By Celestia..."
Flask quickly sobered up just as more whistling came from the skies.
It didn't take long for Daniel to realize he was completely surrounded, and his only exit had been cut off. Vox had come out of every nook and cranny of the bar, guns pointed right at the Crow's head. As Daniel scanned the various weapons that were on display, he quietly laughed to himself.
Probably the entire Vox armory right here in this room.
His hand gripped his sword tightly, and he slowly withdrew it from its sheath. Surprisingly, none of the surrounding thugs fired a shot, even when he fully produced his weapon.
"Anyone care to go first?" he asked, searching for volunteers. They all remained silent, sneering at Daniel with malice. "No? Well alright then, I guess I'll lead."
Before anyone could react, the Zealot exploded into a flock of crows. Birds flew everywhere as the Vox immediately opened fire in response, shooting in all directions in their attempt to fell the creatures. Amongst the chaos, Daniel reformed behind one of the Vox, the man had a tattoo of a rose on the side of his neck. The Crow grabbed his neck at the rose's stem and shoved his blade through the man's thigh.
The thug shrieked in pain as his machine gun continued to fire, sending bullets across the room. Daniel used his position to crudely aim the Vox member's weapon, spraying rounds into several of his compatriots while simultaneously using him as a shield against incoming fire. When the magazine fully emptied, the Zealot swiftly removed his blade from the man's thigh and firmly drew it across his throat, releasing his grip and disappearing in a cloud of feathers once more.
The surviving Vox regrouped at the exit, determined to contain the Zealot and finish him off. They quickly reloaded before once again raising their weapons. The birds flew around the room, but did not advance toward the men.
"What the fuck are they doing?" one thug asked fearfully.
"Quiet! Stay focused." another warned.
Three men were crouching with their guns trained on the birds, as four men stood behind them doing the same. Suddenly, Daniel appeared once again in the middle of the room.
"There he is, fire!" one shouted as the rest let loose another series of shots. Daniel pointed a hand at them as a green phantom escaped his palm, flying for the closest Vox thug and hitting him square in the chest.
"Ah shit, he's been possessed!" one of them screamed, shoving the glowing green rebel away from the others. The glowing man pointed his weapon at them as they all lit him up with gunfire. He fell to the floor, coughing up blood, and the remaining men turned there attention back to the crows. They had all landed and were now staring at them with black eyes.
"W-w-where'd he go?"
"Anyone see him?"
The thugs looked all over the bar room, but there was no sign of the Zealot.
"You think he up and left, Frankie?" the one closest to the front asked. "Frankie?"
They all turned around to find the one named Frankie standing with a blank expression on his face. He fell to his knees, revealing the Crow standing right behind him. Daniel pulled his sword up out of the man's shoulder, flicking the excess blood from it before sheathing it. The others tried to point there guns in his direction, but it was too late. All at once the crows flew at the men, disorientating them enough for the Zealot to finish his work with little resistance. He picked up a bottle and broke it over one Vox's head, then swiftly jammed it into the eye of another.
The few remaining Vox did their best to fend off the birds with their dwindled numbers, but there were far too many. Calmly, Daniel walked over to the bar counter and put a hand on the table, banging it twice.
"Come on out, Seamus." he ordered over the screams of agony. The Irishman popped out from behind the counter, clutching a knife. He stabbed down onto the Crow's hand, but missed all of Daniel's digits and planted the knife harmlessly between his middle and ring fingers.
Daniel smiled under his mask. He grabbed the knife from the shocked barkeep and then pressed it hard against his neck.
"You need to work on your aim."
"Fuck off." Seamus shot back.
"In a moment." Daniel calmly replied. "First, I would like to know where Daisy Fitzroy is."
"Hell if I know, boyo." the Irishman smiled. "Ya think they tell me anythin'? She ain't in Columbia anymore."
The Zealot slammed him against the counter, pressing the blade harder against his neck. Blood began to leak down his shirt.
"Don't play dumb with me!" he hissed. "I know she isn't here now, but I also know the airship she's on needs to dock within the next four hours to refuel. The First Lady?"
Daniel's anger rose as he thought of Lady Comstock's murderer riding around in her own personal transport. As a result he unknowingly pressed the knife even harder, resulting in a yell from Seamus.
"I ain't tellin' ya shit!" the barkeep exclaimed.
"Oh no? Well then I suppose we could take a trip to the Order...."
Fear became present in Seamus' eyes at the Crow's words. "No, I can't go there!"
"Then tell me where the ship will be, or else we go there now!" Daniel instructed.
"Okay okay! She'll be refuelin' at Finkton Docks, Pier 8, I swear to God!"
Daniel smirked. "Very good." He dropped the knife onto the floor and released Seamus. The Irishman turned around with a look of relief on his face, which was gone the second Daniel drew his sword.
"What are ya doin'?"
"Causing me trouble gets you a death sentence. Telling me what I wanted to know means I make it quick." the Zealot replied casually. The barkeep went wide eyed.
"What!? Ya can't just kill me like a dog. I'm not even armed!" he pleaded.
"Never stopped me before." Daniel retorted, examining his blade.
"Oh dear God, please. I got a family!"
The crow grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head down on the counter, bringing his blade to rest on the Irishman's neck.
"Please don't. Oh Lord, have mercy. I got kids man."
Daniel brought the blade up, keeping it in line with Seamus' neck. Once the sword reached the maximum height of its journey, the Zealot took one last look at the begging barkeep before bringing the sword down hard.
"Oh God no!"
Seamus stood there for a moment with his eyes closed, unsure of what had happened. After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes and looked up to see the Crow, standing there with the blade mere centimeters from his neck. Both men shared the same look of surprise. Daniel was breathing heavily, he looked at the sword, then followed it up to the hand that had failed to bring it home.
"Wha.....?" Seamus stammered. After a lengthy pause the Zealot threw him away from the counter and toward the door.
"G-get out of here, now!" he shouted. The Irishman didn't argue and quickly ran out of the bar, stumbling over a few of the bodies that were strewn about.
For a moment, Daniel simply stood silently. He eventually looked at the mirror that was located behind the counter. Removing his hood, the Crow looked at his face. He looked over every detail, wrinkle, freckle, every imperfection. The Zealot looked into the eyes of a man he no longer recognized. He could think of no reason why he had spared that man's life. No amount of begging had ever discouraged the Zealot from following through with an execution. It didn't matter who the person was, or why they were there. He knew the motion, the precision, the follow through. Every aspect of killing another was completely natural to him, so why did he choke?
Then he thought about it. He thought about the pony from the Everfree, Trixie. Up until now, he hadn't thought back to why he had saved her life. He had every reason not to, but still he chose her over the Boy. He had given Jenkins some hollow excuses, excuses he was sure the Handyman had seen right through, yet he himself didn't know why he had done it.
Daniel sat down on one of the stools that lined the counter, setting his hood next to him and picking up a half empty bottle that was nearby. The Crow read the label; some generic brand vodka. He put his lips to the mouth and tipped the bottle back, downing what remained inside. Daniel had never liked the taste of alcohol, which was why he never really indulged. Thomas had always said it was an acquired taste, but every time the Zealot tried it, it never got better.
Dad's probably turning in his grave right now. He thought.
The bar door swung open and Daniel could hear footsteps as they approached. A woman sat down next to the Zealot, setting her rifle down next to her; a woman he knew well.
"Daniel Miller, as I live and breath." she said coyly, picking up a bottle as well.
"Cynthia." the Crow replied with a nod. He avoided eye contact, but could feel her eyes on him through the mirror.
"What brings you to this part of town?" the soldier inquired.
"I could ask you the same question." he quickly retorted. Cynthia stared at him a moment before replying.
"I was on my way to sentry duty when I saw you flying by, and decided to follow and give you some backup when I realized where you were going." she looked around the room. Crows were picking at the bodies of the scattered dead. "Though it seems like you did alright on your own."
"I can handle myself."
"Oh, no doubt about that. Word's spread like wildfire about what you did for the city. You really travel through time and space, and all that other sci-fi bullshit?" she laughed.
Daniel remained silent. Somehow, he had come to like Cynthia. She was an expert marksman, and was unbeatable with a sniper rifle, but he could always sense some inner conflict in her about working in Comstock's regime. The Crow was always careful about what he said around her.
Even so, it seemed as though everyone in Columbia had heard about his little adventure, so there wasn't really any harm in talking about it now.
He spoke up. "Yes, Columbia needed a new world, so I went out and found her one. Not even a dying world can keep me from serving the Prophet."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Wow."
"A bit much to take in?" he guessed. She shrugged.
"Nah, not really. I've been stationed up on Monument Island more than a few times. I'd be lying if I said I haven't seen some crazy shit, but I guess eventually you just learn to accept that there are some things around here that aren't worth the headache." She downed her fist bottle and grabbed another one. "Most stuff would just confuse the hell out of me if you tried explaining them to me anyway. I'm just a soldier after all, and sometimes it's a blessing to have the blissful ignorance that comes with that."
Daniel nodded and grabbed another drink as well. Surprisingly to him, it really was starting to taste better.
"It's funny though. You always seemed like the kind of person who would want to know everything that's going on." he admitted.
"Nope. If I have some sort of impact on the outcome, then hell yeah I wanna know everything there is to learn, especially if it means saving some lives." she looked at him through the mirror, and his eyes met hers. "But most of the time, I know it's out of my hands. I'd rather not know about certain things at all, than simply knowing about them and realizing that there's nothing I can do to help."
His eyes sank back down to his bottle, so she quickly changed the subject.
"So what's it like down in this new world?" the sniper asked. "Meet any of the local tail?"
The Zealot shivered. "Literally." he muttered.
The trooper gave him a confused glance, but shrugged it off. "Learn anything interesting?"
"No!" he snapped, losing patience with her constant questions.
"You looked like you were thinking hard when I came in. Something on your mind, Dan?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
"Nothing I want to talk about." he replied. This part of there conversation always came eventually. Although she seemed to be showing less restraint this time around, probably because she truly sensed that he was troubled.
"You know, I get that Zealots are supposed to be these hardened assholes, but I also know that you aren't a complete asshole. Maybe if you talked a bit....."
"Don't." he cut her off, knowing full well where she was taking all of this. Cynthia looked at him, as if debating with herself on whether she should pursue the matter or not. However, the decision was made for her when her pocket watch started ringing.
The sniper pulled it out and looked at the time.
"Shit, I gotta go. If I'm not on post in thirty minutes, Harris is gonna chew me out good." she finished her drink and grabbed her weapon, turning and putting a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I still want to finish this talk."
The Crow nodded, and she reluctantly left the bar, leaving him with his thoughts once again. Naturally, his mind wandered back onto the subject of why he now seemed to hold some reservations about carrying out his duties as a Crow. Looking in the mirror, he once again saw the blue pony from the surface. She stood at the doorway with a look of surprise on her face, the same look she had given him after he saved her life.
Why in God's name did I have to do that? Why couldn't I have just let her die?
The unicorn started walking closer to the counter, growing larger both in the mirror and in his thoughts. He had barely spoken with her during their time together. The trip to Ponyville and the journey through the Everfree hadn't exactly been a bonding experience, especially for Daniel. He never grew attached to anyone, and he was certain that the pony was no exception. What was it about her that had caused him to make such a stupid decision?
"D-d-daniel, is that you?"
"Gah!" The Zealot shouted and jumped out of his seat, facing Trixie with an expression of shock on his exposed face. He now realized that she wasn't just some hallucination brought on by deep thought, she was actually in the room with him. The look of surprise wasn't a past memory, but her reaction to seeing him without his mask on. Quickly, he grabbed the hood and pulled it over his face, adjusting it so he could see properly through the eye holes.
"Trixie? What the hell are you doing here? How the hell did you get here!?" he demanded. Trixie didn't answer, still recovering from the surprise of seeing Daniel's actual face. He didn't look anything like what she'd imagined, meaning he looked completely normal for a cold blooded, black hooded, slave driving, murdering, sociopath.
The unicorn quickly collected herself. "Daniel, I need you to listen to this." she pleaded, holding up a Voxophone. Daniel studied it curiously.
"Where did you get that?" he questioned, growing more confused by the second second.
"Don't worry about that right now. Just press play!" she instructed, tossing the device to the Zealot.
He grabbed it out of the air and looked it over. The thing looked brand new, like it had never been used before. Sure enough however, there was a thick coil of the tape on one side, ready to play back the echoes of the past. Daniel looked at Trixie a final time before pressing a button and hearing the soft crackling of the Voxophone as it started spinning.
It was a quiet evening at Comstock House. The wind gently blew through the open windows of the Prophet's office as he sat in his chair, staring at a picture of his daughter. In the photograph, Elizabeth stood formally at the bottom of a staircase, her blue, comforting eyes tarnished by the stoic expression displayed on her face. It was an expression the Prophet had become all too familiar with, the same face his wife had often adopted whenever they were together.
He put the photograph back down amongst his other immortalized memories, turning his attention to a framed poem Lady Comstock had written. A slight smile spread across his face as he read the lines to himself. He picked the poem up and stared at the words, reading each one individually.
"All of my love is with you, always."
He looked up from his aged hands when he heard the sound of flapping wings enter his office. A raven had flown through the window and was now sitting on a nearby coat hanger. It eyed him with its usual anticipation, waiting for events to take place that would offer up satisfying entertainment.
Not long after the raven's arrival, several crows entered through the same window, circling a small area of the office and forming into Daniel's dark figure.
"Ah, Daniel. It's good to see you." He walked over to the Zealot. "Are you here to report on your progress in tracking down Fitzroy?"
Daniel didn't respond. He stared at the Prophet silently, his mask withholding his emotions. Comstock returned his gaze, slightly put off by the Crow's lack of response. He turned and walked back over to his desk, grabbing his bottle of scotch and a single glass.
"Am I to take your silence as bad news?" The Prophet poured a generous amount of the liquid into the crystal container, capping the near empty bottle and placing it back on the desk. "You know, these dramatic pauses are really starting to become....."
The Prophet suddenly felt a dull pain in his stomach. For a moment, it was a piercing pain that ravaged his mid-section, starting from the back and ending right at his belly. That pain hadn't lasted very long though, and now numbed into a pulsating ache, as if someone was periodically punching his back.
Comstock didn't scream in agony. He merely grunted, and that was due more to surprise than pain. Then he could taste iron in his mouth. It filled his senses as his vision blurred and he found it harder to breath. Lifting a hand to his mouth, the Prophet put two fingers on his tongue, then drew them away from his face and looked down so he could examine them.
Zachary's eyes widened when he saw that his fingers were now red. His gaze shifted from his shaking fingers to the red and silver that was protruding from his suit. Focusing in as best he could, the Prophet acknowledged the sword just as it started moving back into his body.
This time the Prophet screamed. His yells of pain were quickly lost as he choked on the blood that had already filled his mouth. The pain did not secede, only growing worse as the blade was slowly wrenched from his body, scraping against his spinal chord and lighting his nerves on fire.
As the tip of the blade exited his back, Comstock's garbled cries were silenced, and the Prophet fell to his knees, his legs no longer able to hold his weight. Every time his heart beat, it felt like a slap in the face. Zachary's ears were pounding as his vital organs worked double time to keep the old man breathing.
Soon Daniel once again entered the Prophet's field of vision. He walked to Comstock's front, calmly sheathing his weapon and setting down a Voxophone. The Crow pressed play and then walked over to a nearby chair, grabbing it and dragging it back over to where the Prophet was still bleeding out. Daniel sat in the chair and watched as the life slowly drained from the Prophet's body. Zachary stared at the Zealot in shock, but his attention quickly turned to the Voxophone when it began to crackle. His pale face grew even more so when he heard the voice that now emanated from the small device.
Looking back at Daniel, the Prophet tried to find some sort of emotion on his face, unable to do so with the mask protectively hiding his features. His eyes moved slightly, and now looked right at the portrait of Lady Comstock that was mounted on the wall. Her face, as emotionless as the Crow's, now filled his vision as her voice filled his ears.
"Lutece says the bastard is a creation not of her womb, but of some unholy science. I do not know which is true. The child is no more divine than I."
Comstock's vision went black for a moment as his heart rate started to slow. He could hear the pounding of his heart as it ran out of steam. His wife continued to speak to her audience as the Zealot's gaze remained solely on Comstock.
"What says that for my husband's prophecy? He begs my silence, but I can only offer him forgiveness. But with repentance need come truth. I can suffer his lies no longer."
There was a pause in the Voxophone. Daniel got up from his seat and walked over to the portrait of Lady Comstock. He put a hand on her enlarged cheek as the tape arrived at its next stretch of recording.
"The Prophet has noted my unwillingness to continue on with his false truths. My husband he may be, but I cannot live with the lies. He has become not the man who once offered me forgiveness, but a shadow of the Prophet who built this city. The machine Lutece constructed has tainted not only his body, but his soul as well."
Tears streamed down the Prophet's face as blood drizzled off his chin. His shirt was now a sea of deep red, traveling down his broken body and onto the floor at his knees.
"I do not believe God talks to my husband. The Prophet is the voice of God like a medium is the voice of a vague and incomprehensible spirit. Can I be expected to stand by his side as he leads Columbia to the edge of the world, only to push it over and watch as it falls? He must be stopped, if not by me, then by those who serve him now, those who serve me now. I have learned that he has commissioned the help of Jeremiah to ensure my silence."
There was another pause as the Lady began to cry, her tears now joining those shed by her husband.
"I do not weep for the fate of my own soul. That is something that cannot be changed. I fear not for myself, but for the city I will leave behind. My husband is not a kind spirit, but a devil in a suit. He whispers lies to those who would hear them, at the same time sharpening his scythe to reap the fruits of their labor. If my end goes unjustified, then those who follow me will have failed my last request. Zachary must be stopped, if for nothing else, let it be for the future of mankind. Lord forgive me, for I have sinned. The sins of my husband reflect on me. The redeemer cannot be redeemed. The savior is all but saved."
The Voxophone clicked and then fell silent, signaling the end of the message. Zachary stared at Daniel, saying nothing. How had the Zealot found such a recording?
"D-Daniel....."
When the Prophet opened his mouth, blood streamed down his chin and neck. A large amount of blood had pooled beneath him, and he knew he was finished.
"This whole time..... You played me for a fool." Daniel hissed. He clenched his fists tightly. "You had your wife killed and then used Fitzroy as a scapegoat. Not only did you prevent her from blowing the whistle, but you also gained the unwavering loyalty of the other founders and their allies. The Order of the Raven pledged itself to you. You used the death of your own wife a rallying cry, a call to arms."
The Crow grabbed Comstock's neck and squeezed tightly. The Prophet coughed up more blood, spraying a red mist over Daniel's hood, but still he managed a weak smile.
"Y-you think you're a protector of Lady Comstock? You see yourself as some valiant knight, endlessly searching for her murderer in order to fulfill some pathetic personal vendetta. My wife's death was the single greatest tragedy this great city has ever endured, but it was necessary in order for me to impose the will of God."
"Liar!"
Daniel squeezed even tighter. Comstock's broken diaphragm had struggled to keep him breathing up to this point. Now his breaths were even fewer and far between.
"The Lady saw right through your charade. You are not a Prophet. You're simply a bitter old man who's been blinded by guilt and tainted by sin. When she threatened to speak out about your lies, you had her silenced!"
The Zealot released the Prophet from his grip.
"But now I will be able to give her justice, and stop your insanity. I only wish I could have seen through your twisted deceit earlier. Then maybe your 'daughter' may have been spared as well."
"You fool." Zachary coughed. "What do you think will happen now? I didn't need to use my wife's death to ensure the loyalty of others. Most of the other founders know the truth of her death. No, it was used to keep fractured minds like your's in check."
His smile widened.
"Do you think that killing me is going to change anything? You have only succeeded in making me a martyr. All of Columbia will cry out in anger at my death, then they will turn their anger on the creatures below. You have done nothing but add to their suffering."
"No." The Crow declared. "I will put an end to this madness. There will be no more bloodshed in your name. I promise you."
The Prophet fell on all fours, barely able to hold himself up.
"There's no stopping what is to come." he croaked. "All of the pieces have been set, and my order has already been given. By this time tomorrow, the entirety of the Sodom will be in flames. The cleansing will happen with or without my presence, and you can do nothing but watch as the machine you yourself set in motion destroys everything in its path. Columbia will spread and develop into its own country, and eventually the entire world will be reborn in my image, just as I was reborn in His."
He looked up at the portrait of his wife, she stared back down at him with indifference. With death entering the room to claim his soul, Zachary Comstock fell to the floor. His eyes remained open as his life ended.
"Tell me Daniel....... Do y-you think God ever h-has regret?"
The Prophet fell silent on the floor, blood pooling all around him. His eyes remained open, but Daniel knew he was gone. The raven cawed from it's perch.
"We have to stop this attack."
The raven cawed questioningly as the Zealot approached the window.
"Because it's high time I started obeying the right Comstock." he replied, looking over at the Lady's picture one final time. The raven joined him on the window sill as he jumped out of the Prophet's office, turning into crows and flying off into the night.
* * *
Applejack struggled to keep up with Rainbow Dash as she flew through the air, searching for her other friends.
"Get back down here this instant, Rainbow! You ain't been cleared from the hospital yet and goin' off on yer own is probably the quickest way for ya to wind up back in there!"
"I told you I'm fine." Rainbow assured. "But we need to find the others and help out. I need to get back into the game."
"This ain't a game Rainbow Dash. It's serious, and the last thing we wanna do is blunder into somthin' that we ain't ready for!"
The blue pegasus stopped flying. Hovering in the air for a moment, she decided to land just outside the library. Guards were still busily working to get defenses set up for whatever threat was looming over the land. Applejack caught up to her, panting when she finally came to a stop.
"Where's Twilight?" the pegasus inquired.
"I think she went to Canterlot to meet with the other princesses."
"And you said the others were supposed to meet up with us at the hospital?"
Applejack nodded. "That's what the guard told me."
Rainbow Dash kicked the dirt beneath her hooves, groaning impatiently.
"I hate not knowing what's going on! We have to find somepony to point us in the right direction."
She looked around and saw a courier as he flew into Ponyville. The grim expression on his face led Rainbow to conclude that he wasn't carrying good news. The courier galloped over to the two mares.
"Hey, you two are Elements of Harmony right?" he asked.
"Yeah, were you sent here by Twilight?" Dash asked.
The courier shook his head. "I'm actually here looking for Princess Twilight."
The cyan pony sighed. "You and me both."
Applejack put a hoof on Rainbow Dash. "Do you have a message for her or somethin'?" she asked the courier.
He nodded. "Yes, I need to get to her as soon as possible."
"Well your best bet is to fly straight to Canterlot." she explained.
"Great..." the courier said, frustrated.
"What's the message?" Rainbow asked. The courier hesitated at first, reluctant to give out a private message, but ultimately decided that Equestria's protectors had every right to know the full situation.
"There's been reports that Dodge Junction has been attacked."
Both ponies gasped. "Attacked by what?" Applejack asked.
"We don't know, but whatever it was, it razed the entire town." he said grimly. The two Elements exchanged shocked looks. "Not only that, but we're also getting reports that strange ships are moving all over the Equestrian skies. The higher ups aren't saying much, but I hear they think it's some kind of strategized attack."
Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack. "We have to get to Canterlot, now."
The farm pony gulped and nodded, finally agreeing with her friend.
The courier quickly took off and flew toward the capital, while the two Elements of Harmony galloped to the train station.
"So y'all were brought here from your world because of what Daniel did, huh?"
Donny didn't acknowledge the pony's question. He sat on a wooden crate near the exit of the First Lady, sharpening a large knife. Apple Bloom stared at him for a moment, awaiting some type of response, but was disappointed to find that he was not much of a conversationalist.
"So who are you folks exactly? Why are ya on the run from the other humans? Did ya do somethin' ta make 'em mad?"
"Best if you stop talkin', horse. Daisy may have wanted you alive, but that don't mean I won't smack you with the butt of this here rifle if you keep botherin' me." Donny growled.
"You'd really hit a filly?"
Donny laughed. "Darlin, I'd smack your sick old grandmama if it meant my ears gettin' a break from your constant yammerin'."
Apple Bloom gave him a dirty look. "Hey, you guys were the ones who dragged me along, so that means yer gonna have to deal with my questions whether ya want to or not."
The Vox member stood up and grabbed his repeater. "See this?" he asked, pointing at the weapon. "I don't know how things work in this world, but where I come from the person who's holding this gives the orders, and right now I'm orderin' you to shut your mouth!" he plopped back down on the crate, breaking it slightly, and continued honing his blade.
The filly huffed and resumed staring out the window, surrendering a gasp when she noticed how high the airship had gotten.
"This view is amazin'!"
There was a flock of birds flying by the airship. Apple Bloom waved to them as they passed, then pressed her face against the glass as much as she could. The view itself was more than enough to distract the pony from the situation at hand.
So this is the kinda view the pegasi get to enjoy? Alright, now I'm jealous.
She was sure she could see almost all of Equestria from where they were. The filly noted the different terrains: forest, plains, swamp lands, desert, even a few of the larger pony cities were visible. It was as if they were looking at a giant map of the region. Looking up, Apple Bloom noticed that they were almost at the same level as the clouds. The dark bodies in question were still spread over a large portion of the sky, not yielding any view of the sky above. As the First Lady ascended, they got closer and closer to the cloud line, giving off the illusion that they were going to crash right into a giant ceiling.
The farm pony became very anxious at the prospect of crossing that cloud threshold. Celestia only knew what awaited her on the other side, and if these humans she was with now were wanted by the same humans that Daniel was working for, then she probably had a lot to worry about. Luckily these humans seemed more interested in fighting each other than hurting her or other ponies.
Just gotta make sure it stays that way. Apple Bloom concluded.
The airship's cabin door opened and Fitzroy appeared. She glanced at the filly, then turned her attention to Donny.
"She been any trouble?"
"Hmph." he grumbled back, finishing with his knife and stabbing it into the wall next to him. Daisy ignored the half-assed reply and walked over to the ship controls.
"You sure this thing is set up properly Doc?"
Apple Bloom noticed another human enter the room that she hadn't seen before.
"Jeez, how many humans they got back there?" she mumbled. This human seemed much cleaner looking and far more couth than his compatriots. He had seemingly nice cloths and stood with a posture that implied a great deal of sophistication. Looking in his soft yet calculating eyes revealed an educated intelligence.
"Yes, the changing worlds may have rendered the topographic course settings useless, but with the new coordinates we marked down, this will get us back to the city." he explained.
"Good. I wan't the men ready to move when we get there. If Joshua's right, then we don't have a lotta time before the Prophet begins his assault."
"Assault on what?" Everyone turned to face Apple Bloom, who seemed to suddenly shrink at the attention. Fitzroy quickly disregarded her interruption and continued.
"This may be the only chance we got of taking the city with what limited resources we've managed to scrounge up."
The two men nodded in agreement. "Hopefully Comstock underestimates us as much as we think he does. If he sends enough of his men out on this shock and awe campaign, then we could practically stroll into his house without too big of a firefight." Donny added.
"That's the plan." Daisy replied. "We could move the city while the Founders are out fighting. By the time they got back, we'd be long gone."
"Then those bastards would either crash or have to land in the very places they burned down." Donny laughed.
Apple Bloom grew more uneasy with each sentence uttered. "What assault? What are y'all talkin' about?"
Again, the three humans regarded her, but this time Fitzroy addressed the filly.
"Your world is about to get attacked by the city that's floatin' right above those clouds. While that's happening, we're gonna kill any Founders that stay behind and take the city for ourselves."
The unsympathetic way Fitzroy relayed the news stung worse to Apple Bloom than the news itself. She felt the familiar burning sensation as she struggled to fight back tears.
"What do ya mean? Why would they do somethin' like that?"
"The Prophet don't need a reason, sweetie." Daisy replied. "He says 'jump', and the rest ask 'how high'. That's just the way it goes."
"But ya gotta stop 'em!" Apple Bloom pleaded. "Ya can't just let 'em attack my friends and family! Ya can't just let 'em murder everypony!"
Donny and the other human averted the filly's tearful eyes, but Daisy stared intently at the pony. She moved closer to Apple Bloom, her eyes as cold as ever.
"You think this is the first time men like Comstock have committed such atrocities? They been doin' this shit for hundreds of years. Genocide, slavery, all of it in the name of God or country. Men like him walk into peaceful villages, where they slaughter the men, rape the women, and sell the children into servitude."
She leaned in close to the filly. "The only way to beat men like him, is to wipe 'em out by any means necessary. I can't offer you any words of comfort, but know that your kind will be the last to endure this kinda violence. When your world burns, so too will the Founders. So too will the old America."
"N-no! This can't be happenin', it's just a bad dream! I need ta go back. My sister....." Apple Bloom stammered. She let her tears fall openly now, feeling more helpless than ever. The others turned away, finding other things to do while their prisoner wept. As the airship emerged from the tops of the clouds and the sun filled the cabin with its brilliance, it was only met with grim despair as Apple Bloom could do nothing but cry.
* * *
After the diplomatic briefing concluded, Twilight exited the noisy room, leaving the delegates to talk with each other under their own facade of self-proclaimed authority. She was followed by Luna, Cadence, and Chrysalis. The changeling queen kept her guards close, but maintained her laid back attitude.
"Do we know anything about what these humans want?" Luna inquired.
"No, nothing." Twilight replied. She had informed them of everything save for the dream. There was no need to bring that kind of inconclusive fear into the mix. "You know everything I do."
"That isn't too much to go on right now." Cadence pointed out. "Perhaps we should attempt to open a line of communication. They haven't shown any real hostility...."
"Except for the only human you fools have made contact with." Chrysalis interrupted. "Come now, you really think they would have sent their most violent agent down here to establish contact with us? I have a feeling they aren't here to play nice."
Luna and Cadence looked at the queen hatefully, but Twilight nodded in agreement. "She's right. If Daniel is anything to go by, we have to handle this with caution."
"Princess Twilight!"
They all turned to see a courier galloping down the hallway. Once he reached the group, he closed his eyes and panted heavily.
"T-there's been a situation, your highness." he opened his eyes again, looking directly at the princess. "I have news from...."
His voice faded when he saw the changelings, a mixture of shock and confusion present on his face.
"Oh don't stop on my account." the queen laughed. "I'd love to hear the news as well."
The courier looked uneasy. "Uh, Princess?"
Twilight gave him a reassuring nod. "Go ahead, good sir. She's an ally." The princess glanced at the smiling queen and mumbled. "For now."
"Right then. I bring most unfortunate news, your majesty. Dodge Junction has been attacked."
The courier waited for the gasps to conclude before continuing. "As far as we could tell, there were no survivors. Not only that, but we also have reports that there are strange ships travelling through the sky all over Equestria. My superiors fear that it is a full scale invasion."
Twilight could feel her heart pounding inside her chest. This was exactly what she had been fearing all along.
"Is the Royal Guard planning a counter offensive?" Luna asked.
"Last I heard. They're running through different scenarios right now, but it doesn't look good. Our armies seem to outnumber them, but they're technology and weaponry are far more advanced." the courier gravely replied.
"W-well where is Celestia then?" Chrysalis finally asked. "Our world is being invaded and she's catching up on her beauty sleep?"
"Silence, you insolent cur!" Luna snapped back, the Royal Canterlot voice clear and present in her words. "My sister isn't present because she is currently dealing with something very dire. We are more than capable of handling this situation ourselves."
Twilight wished she shared Luna's confidence. Being truthful with herself, she wasn't certain things would be as simple as the night princess thought they would be.
"Ooh, how secretive. And I suppose you won't be explaining what exactly has the princess so wrapped up?" the changeling queen inquired. Her question was met with silence.
After a brief moment, Twilight turned to the courier. "Thank you for bringing us this information, but I have a favor to ask."
"Anything, princess." The courier bowed.
"I need you to fly to Ponyville and gather the Elements of Harmony. They should all be together at the hospital. Inform them of the situation and tell them to travel to Canterlot."
"Oh, well actually I stopped in Ponyville looking for you, and ran into two of the Elements." the stallion informed. "Before leaving, I told them what was going on, and I think they were going to make their way to Canterlot. They should be on their way right now."
"Just two?" Twilight found that odd. Her friends should have all been together.
"Yes, I believe it was Applejack and Rainbow Dash." he added.
Twilight smiled at this. Even with everything that was going on, news that Rainbow Dash was back on her hooves was enough to get her spirit up.
"Thank you. In that case, I would like you to begin setting up lines of communication between the various settlements and Canterlot. If we are indeed dealing with an invasion, we need to have a connected defense system to properly prepare ourselves."
The courier nodded. "Yes Princess, right away." Then took off down the hallway.
Twilight turned back to the others. "Okay, we should probably...."
A large explosion shook the entire castle. The shaking almost threw all of them off their balance, and caused a few nearby windows to crack. Screams could be heard from the conference room as the ponies reacted to the sudden shaking.
"What's going on!?" Cadence shouted.
"An earthquake?" Luna asked, spreading her hooves out in an attempt to stabilize herself.
"That was no earthquake." Twilight gasped. After another moment, the shaking subsided. There were still frightened whimpers from the other room.
"We're under attack!" Chrysalis shouted, no longer displaying her cool attitude but showing genuine fear.
Suddenly, they all felt shaking yet again. This time not as a result of explosions, but of something far more menacing. Twilight began to feel weightless as the old castle moaned and creaked. The feeling of weightlessness set off alarms in her mind, and the realization of what was happening slowly dawned. Unheard by them, the entire capital cried out in panic. The ancient stone that had held the massive settlement in place for countless years was failing, and there was nothing to stop the reality of what that meant.
Trixie stood in a darkened alleyway, her hooves nervously clopping on the damp pavement. Irene was still with her, sitting on top of a dumpster. She was kicking her feet up and letting them fall back down, stopping just short of hitting the dumpster's side. Occasionally, however, she would catch her feet a little too late and cause a fairly loud bang. Whenever this happened, Trixie would cringe a bit, but she'd never scold the girl.
Irene looked at Trixie. "Nervous, huh?" she asked, noticing Trixie's anxious behavior.
"You'd be a little on edge too if the only human you really knew simply took off in the night and left you in a strange city all by yourself."
The girl put her hands on her hips, offended.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to disregard you. I guess I'm just scared." the unicorn reluctantly admitted.
"It's okay. I get what ya mean. My first time comin' to this city was all kinds a scary. Most folks just treated us like dirt, but it got a lot worse when we were moved to this place."
The echoes of a barking dog resonated from a nearby street. The drunken shouts of random citizens complimented the various noises of the nearby factory. Trixie didn't know what else to do besides staying put and remaining out of sight. She didn't even know if Daniel was coming back. He hadn't asked her any questions or explained anything. After he listened to the recording of that sad woman, he simply grabbed the device and stormed out, mumbling "Stay here" as he did. Trixie didn't even really know if he was directing it toward her, but without any direction, there wasn't anything else she could do but wait.
The only other alternative was to make her way back to the balloon, hope she didn't get lost on the way, and pray that the humans hadn't discovered her dirigible.
Looking back at Irene, the unicorn noticed just how frail and malnourished the child really was. Daniel and the other Zealots, along with the rest of this accursed city, didn't seem to care at all about the humans they deemed "inferior".
Irene noticed Trixie staring, and became slightly uncomfortable. "What is it?"
"Oh, nothing." The unicorn hastily replied, looking in another direction. The girl raised an eyebrow, but didn't call Trixie out on her daydreaming.
"So where do ya think that Crow went off to in such a hurry?"
"I don't know." Trixie responded, becoming worried. "But I hope he doesn't do anything stupid."
At least not until he answers to me for the things he's done. She finished in her mind. How could anyone commit the atrocities that Daniel was guilty of and live with themselves? He was a murderer, and a liar. Daniel didn't save his city, he simply brought it here to let it decay in a different world. This was not a place of safety and peace. It was a shadow of Tartarus, casting fire from its mouth and consuming the world below, plunging it into violence.
Trixie couldn't let that happen. She wasn't going to let what was going on here happen to Equestria as well. She would force Daniel to take her back and explain to Twilight what was really going on. Those two humans who had given her the recording device said that delivering it to Daniel would prevent the destruction of her world, but she would ensure it by taking matters into her own hooves. Irene and her family would be helped, and the Great and Powerful Trixie would be the one to instigate it.
The familiar cawing of Daniel's pet alerted Trixie to the Zealot's imminent arrival. The Raven stood on a nearby gutter, staring at her.
"Where's your keeper, you winged rat?" she snapped.
The bird cawed hatefully at her sudden outburst, but Trixie paid it little mind. She wasn't in the mood for its useless perching. If it wasn't going to do anything other than observe as events took place, then she didn't want it around.
The murder of crows arrived shortly after. Daniel's figure soon formed in front of the girl and pony. The coffin on his back barely fit inside the small alleyway.
"What did you do?" Trixie asked at once, her tone easily revealing her mood.
Daniel waited a moment before responding. "I rectified an issue." he stated flatly.
Trixie waited for more information, already knowing full well that the Crow had finished his explanation.
"How did you get up here, Trixie? And who gave you that Voxophone?" Daniel demanded.
She said, "Wouldn't you like to know."
The Zealot sighed, unwilling to play games with the mare. Looking past Trixie, Daniel noticed a girl sitting on a dumpster. He had seen her only once before, when she and Trixie had first found him in the bar. The girl had been less phased by the Vox bodies then the unicorn had, revealing that she had spent quite a bit of time in Columbia. In order to handle violence, one must first become accustomed to it. Such is the way of all things, he thought. Alcohol was a taste that first required exposure. Few people simply enjoy a spiked beverage on first contact. It is something that must be introduced with potency and consistency. The same can easily be said for blood. This impoverished child had lived in Shantytown long enough to learn how the world truly worked. Her innocence had been taken, replaced with something hollow and unfeeling. Sights that should have made her cringe could now only cause her to shrug indifferently.
Had Daniel been an emotional individual, he might have felt remorse or guilt for exposing children to this world, but any feelings he had on the matter had decayed away long ago. Now, looking at the girl who was harmlessly sitting atop a dirty waste disposal container, the Crow merely felt annoyance.
"Perhaps it would be better if you run along and play somewhere else, girl."
Irene looked up in surprise, clearly not expecting to be addressed by either of them, especially not the Zealot. She had learned a lot about the gutter life from living in Shantytown, but one of the most important rules of the slums was that if a Founder told you to do something, you would do it with enthusiasm.
The girl hopped off the dumpster and made for the end of the alley.
Trixie quickly spoke up, "Stop, Irene. You don't have to do anything this man says."
Both the girl and Crow turned to the pony. She stared at Daniel with palpable intensity. "Where exactly do you get off telling Trixie's friend to take a hike?"
If this had been any other day when Columbia's future wasn't at stake, Daniel might have broken down laughing at the sight of Trixie defending some gutter rat. However, this particular day was not any other day, and Columbia's future was indeed up for grabs, so the Zealot did not surrender a laugh.
"Strange. I didn't expect someone like you to grow attached to some random girl."
Trixie's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Now Daniel did laugh. He said, "Please. I've known you long enough to learn that you don't care about anyone but yourself. The only reason you chose to bring me to Ponyville in the first place, aside from utter terror, was because of some pitiful dream of making me into a sideshow attraction. You've never looked out for anyone but yourself before."
Trixie looked away, and Daniel's eyes widened. "Ah, now I get it. You've heard about me and the group I belong to. So what? Suddenly, you think your better than you were just because you were told about what we humans are capable of doing to each other? Forget it, Trixie. You're no better than me. Your body count might be lower than mine, but we both care very little for others."
He laughed again. "In fact, you're even worse than me. At least I do what I do for the sake of others. Columbia has survived because of me. I've done horrible things in my life, but all to protect the sanctity of this great city. You, on the other hand, are nothing but a washed up magician who refuses to retire from a dull life of maintaining her greed."
Trixie's anger steadily rose. She could feel her temples pulsating and her heart pounding.
He was wrong.
Yes, the unicorn would concede that she wasn't the kindest pony in Equestria, but to even suggest that she and Daniel were anywhere near the same level caused her face to go red with anger.
"You torture and murder people for fun. How can you even suggest that we're the same?"
The Zealot's voice got lower. "Because if you were in my shoes, you'd do exactly the same thing."
"Yes, because it's a slippery slope from taking over a town while under the influence of an amulet, to murder for sport." she scoffed.
Daniel shook his head. "Listen, I shouldn't have said anything in the first place. The fact is that this girl is being put in harms way every second she's with us, so unless you want to be responsible for anything that happens to her, I would recommend sending her away."
Trixie considered his logic. While she didn't like the idea of simply leaving Irene here after all the help she'd been, he was probably right about the danger of sticking around. She didn't know what had happened to the Zealot, or what he was planning to do, but if he came back for her, then that must mean he's trying to help. Teaming up with a murderous psychopath didn't sit well with the show mare, but Equestria was in danger and the two strange humans had said that he was needed to help save it.
The pony was about to respond when a floodlight suddenly filled the alley. All three of them had to shield their eyes from the intense light while a voice blared from a megaphone.
"This is the police! Relinquish your arms and lie flat on the ground or you will be fired upon!"
"Shit."
Trixie looked up in alarm. "What's going on?" she asked the Crow.
"This isn't possible. How could they have found me so quickly? They would only have just discovered the body." the Zealot muttered in disbelief.
"What body?!" the unicorn demanded. She felt it was a silly question considering the blood bath he had left in the bar, but the way he said it made it sound like this particular corpse was significant. "What body, Daniel?" she repeated.
The floodlight was quickly complimented with muzzle flashes as its owners began to open fire.
* * *
The Friendship Express steadily chugged along the tacks, bound for Canterlot. The only passengers on the train were the two Elements who had talked the conductor into taking them to the capital. It had taken some work, but Rainbow Dash and Applejack had managed to convince him of the need to get to the city. Now the two sat in the second train car, which was directly connected to the engine.
This particular compartment was beautifully decorated, usually reserved for first class passengers. During the train's normal runs, there would be a constancy of train attendants, who would go back and forth along the car serving beverages and ensuring that the wealthy passengers had everything they needed. However, no attendants were on staff this day, and the two friends were alone, sitting across from each other.
Rainbow Dash stared out the window at the passing trees. She had taken many trips on this train to various parts of the country. It was crazy to think how exciting her life became after meeting Twilight Sparkle and forming such a strong bond with the rest of her friends. They visited numerous places in their adventures, helping to settle disputes and stop evil doers.
The pegasus shuddered. This most recent adventure had taken a turn that the others never did. The danger of getting hurt was always a factor in her life and Rainbow was no stranger to visits to the hospital, but this time was different. Applejack refused to tell her anything about what happened after she blacked out. The earth pony's hesitance to explain the events scared the pegasus more than not remembering what happened in the first place.
She remembered Daniel, and she remembered feeling anger towards him, but then the rest was murky. She had assumed that her temper had gotten the better of her and she charged the human. He was probably stronger than she anticipated and countered her attack. The injuries she had suffered at his hands must have been why she woke up in the hospital.
However, the more Rainbow Dash thought about that scenario, the less she believed that was actually what happened. Why wouldn't Applejack just tell her that's what happened if it was that simple? Something happened to her that her friend was unwilling to share, and it drove her crazy.
Looking over at Applejack, the blue pegasus tried to read her emotions. She could see the farm pony's reflected expression through the window, but nothing was revealed. Applejack had always been the most mature of her friends. She was able to take control of a situation and keep a level head. She was also able to hide her emotions well, and not reveal her thoughts easily. Looking at her now, Dash wasn't able to read anything from Applejack's face, seeing only that she was deep in thought.
Other than her mild amnesia, Rainbow Dash was also worried about her other friends. According to Applejack, they were all supposed to meet at the hospital. So why weren't they there? Dash knew that her friends wouldn't simply go off on their own, especially during this time. All of these happenings pointed to the greatest threat that Equestria had ever faced, yet its champions were no shows. As soon as they finished talking with Twilight, Rainbow planned to fly back to Ponyville and search for the others.
Her train of thought was cut off as the train she rode on suddenly screeched to a halt. Applejack turned to her and the two exchanged worried looks. Both ponies knew they hadn't been riding long enough to have made it to Canterlot. When the train came to a complete stop. They made their way up to the engine's cab. Sliding the door, the two were surprised to find the cabin empty. The wind gently blew through an open door on the side of the engine.
"What do ya suppose happened?" Applejack asked.
Rainbow looked around worriedly and replied. "No idea."
The two exited the train through the open door, finding both the conductor and the engineer staring in opposite directions. Applejack looked at the conductor, then followed his gaze back toward Ponyville. Rainbow Dash did the same with the engineer, looking forward to Canterlot.
Dash's eyes fell upon the capital just in time to see a ring of fire appear underneath the city. A series of explosions traveled from one side of the mountain to the other, as if a giant knife was cutting across the throat of the mountain.
Applejack didn't witness the events in Canterlot, for she was distracted by the armada of warships descending on Ponyville. In the distance, other warships flew toward unknown destinations.
While both Applejack and Rainbow Dash were looking at very different things, the effects of these events had the same impact. Dash felt herself go numb, her knees slightly shaking. Mouth going dry, she tried to tear herself away from the scene to grab Applejack's attention, but then the city started to descend down the mountain. Dust and debris kicked up as the structure slowly made it's descent, towers collapsing in the city proper while it picked up speed toward the mountain's base.
No words were spoken between the four ponies. No words were needed.
After the initial shaking had subsided, Twilight knew it was only a matter of time before the foundation of Canterlot could no longer withstand the weight of the city. Once the shaking resumed, her fears were quickly confirmed and she sprang into action.
Turning to Luna and Cadence, she quickly said. "We need to get to the balcony!"
"What's going on?" asked Luna, fearfully.
"The city is falling!"
"But how is that possible!?"
Twilight almost stabbed her own hoof with her horn with how fast she facehoofed. "It doesn't matter right now. We have to get to the balcony."
It was apparent that all of them had questions, but they resisted the natural urge to ask those questions, choosing instead to follow Twilight to the balcony in silence. The princesses took off toward the balcony at once, leaving a confused changeling queen and her guards standing in the hallway.
The entire castle was shaking immensely, and completing a task as simple as walking down the hall had become nearly impossible. All three princesses quickly took flight, carefully maneuvering the castle corridors and avoiding the roof, which seemed to be getting lower and lower.
"This is crazy!" Cadence shouted over the rumbling that was only getting louder. "How could the city be literally falling?"
Twilight didn't respond. Instead, she asked herself the same question. Her dreams hadn't included this turn of events, but the humans were clearly to blame for it. The initial explosions must have been some sort of attack on Canterlot's infrastructure, while the current shaking was clear evidence of the fruits of their labor. The purple princess' heart was pounding inside her chest. How large was the distance between where Canterlot was perched and the base of this mountain? How long had the city actually been falling? And how far had it already gone?
Finally, they found themselves hovering just over the balcony that overlooked most of the city. Its ancient stonework was quickly falling apart as the shaking grew worse.
Luna gasped. "If this keeps up, there will be nothing left of the city when it reaches the bottom."
As she pointed this out, one of the castle's narrower towers cracked violently. It buckled under its own weight and plummeted to the ground, taking longer than normal to do so, as the entire city was still descending. All three princesses looked at the rubble.
"Did you see anypony under it when it went down?" Cadence asked.
"No, I don't think so." Twilight assured her. "But we have to stop this before the whole city crumbles."
She looked up at the mountain, her eyes widening at the discovery of just how far the city had already traveled. How it remained intact at all was a complete mystery to her.
"So what can we do?" Luna shouted over the growing noise. More structures began to crack, threatening to fall apart as well.
Twilight turned her attention back to the city. She could see many of Canterlot's citizens standing in the streets. Many were simply standing, trying to remain that way in spite of all the shaking. Other ponies were heading for various buildings that were low to the ground and at less of a risk of collapse. The cities winged residents were all up in the air, staying close to the city. They didn't want to leave friends and family behind, but they seemed unsure of the best course of action.
The lavender alicorn looked back to Luna and Cadence, her eyes showing nothing but determination. "We have to stop the city's descent."
"How?" Cadence inquired.
"Magic."
The other princesses looked at her in disbelief.
"That isn't possible, Twilight." Luna yelled. All three had to shout as loud as they could over the growing noise.
Of course, Luna was right. Not even the magical power of three princesses could suspend an entire city in midair. Before Twilight became an alircorn, she had to put all of her concentration into just picking up a few woodland creatures. Sure, she'd experimented a bit with her enhanced magical abilities, but nothing on the scale of what she was suggesting.
Twilight shook her head. She couldn't think like that right now. Besides, they had nothing to lose by trying.
"Unless you have any better suggestions, I'd recommend charging your horn."
Twilight took the lead, closing her eyes and slowing her breathing. All at once, the world around her became distant. The troubles that she faced no longer muddled her mind and she could clearly see the energy that flowed through and around her. The screams of nearby ponies and roaring of the landslide were barely audible to her now.
Black, she thought to herself. Princess Cadence yelled something, but the lavender alicorn couldn't hear it.
Purple, she concentrated harder. There were more voices now, male. The guards must have caught up with them.
Pink, they all sounded as if they were submerged, their muffled voices unable to penetrate her closed ears.
Blue, another loud boom caused her concentration to falter, but it held fast, unwilling to yield to the present danger all around.
Outside Twilight's mind, Luna and Cadence studied their fellow princess with doubt and confusion. Things seemed to be moving much slower now. The entire city was in free fall, yet it felt as if they were merely floating.
Twilight...... we can't take the chance of trying this and failing. Luna thought, her own words echoing inside her mind. At least if we take flight and rally the nearby pegasi, we'll be able to save at least some of the citizens.
She looked to Cadence. The two never had reason to speak much, and they never really bonded over the years, but right now she could tell that they were both thinking the same thing.
Twilight continued to gather her power. Following her mentor's steps exactly as she had been instructed. Celestia may not have been there at that moment, but her lessons and guidance would always be there for her former student to utilize.
You need to look inside yourself, Twilight. See the energy as it flows around you. As you gather strength in your spell, you begin to add your own strength to it. It gathers in your horn, but the true power comes from much deeper, a place that cannot be seen, only felt. While this power may not be visible to you, the evidence of it's presence is still very much apparent. Whenever you would like to use a spell, simply close your eyes and concentrate. Call out the different colors as they appear in your mind's eye and use them to focus all of your energy into whatever it is you're trying to do. Practice this, my faithful student, and you will find casting even the more difficult spells to be much easier.
The newest princess opened her eyes. She could see very clearly what she was trying to do, the colors that appeared, and the energy gathering to strengthen her abilities. Now all she had to do was cast her spell, and stop this tragedy before it began.
All at once, the colors disappeared, turning from a vibrant rainbow into a flash of pure white light. The state of being that the alicorn now found herself in was not unfamiliar, though it still felt very alien. Without opening her eyes, Twilight looked around. Things seemed to be frozen in time. Luna, Cadence, and the Royal Guard were looking at her with mixed expressions. She knew they were filled with doubt, but this didn't worry her. It was not the first time she stood alone in the face of great opposition.
When Chrysalis first took the form of Cadence in an attempt to cripple the kingdom from the inside out, Twilight was the only one who could see through the dark queen's guile. She had to face the rejection of everypony she cared about, including her own brother and even Princess Celestia herself. Even when the truth was revealed, it was no picnic stopping Chrysalis' evil plot.
Twilight looked up at the mountain, realizing that this was the first time she was able to see the peak from such a low point. The city always prevented one from seeing just how tall the mountain really was.
She smiled.
Even after it looked like all hope was lost. When the changelings ravaged the city and were on the verge of total success, the kingdom still ended up victorious. After all of the foes Twilight and her friends have had to face, after all the places she herself has seen, and all of the trials she has had to pass through, the alicorn realized something that had never clicked before then.
This revelation was the reason her ethereal manifestation could look at the situation, see the city as it plummeted to the bottom of the mountain, and still manage to crack a smile. It was the same reason countless enemies, even after hundreds of years of plotting and waiting, could never topple the great kingdom that the ponies had created.
It didn't matter who was threatening them or why. It didn't even matter how superior their forces were, because as long as their intentions were nothing but greed and hunger for power, they would always fail at the hooves of the ponies. Twilight wasn't fighting for power, she was fighting for something pure. Her friends had taught her so much about the magic of friendship. Her brother and sister-in-law had taught her about love and commitment. Thomas had taught her about kindness and compassion on a level she'd never anticipated. These lessons had shown her that these concepts could overcome impossible odds and defeat the mightiest of foes, but now she realized that simple goodness was the driving force behind their victories. Canterlot wasn't going to fall, because the good and innocent always triumph over the corrupt and wicked.
Twilight opened her eyes.
* * *
It was happening again. Princess Luna had heard about this from her sister, and even experienced it firsthoof when it was used against her at their old castle. Twilight's raw, magical abilities were bursting through the confines of her mind, like a ferocious sea creature breaching the surface of the ocean, only revealing itself in times of true need.
When the younger princess opened her eyes, they were pure white. Luna couldn't even tell if it was still Twilight. Perhaps she was just a vessel with which some ancient power was using to reconstitute itself after an age or more of dormant existence. Yes, when all princesses summon their strength, their eyes become white to the untrained observer, but Luna knew that there was much more force behind the veil of power that now presented itself. It was more power than she herself could conjure up, and she'd bet that Celestia would have a difficult time doing it as well, if she could at all.
Whatever the case was, the princess of the night could tell that something remarkable was about to occur, and if it was going to succeed, she had a feeling that her own power would need to be given as well. After all, Twilight had a point. Sitting here watching the end of the capital come wouldn't do anything useful.
The night princess quickly began charging her own power, her eyes glossing over into a bright light that matched Twilight's in appearance, but lacked tremendously in strength. Even still, her power was evident and it quickly motivated the third princess to begin charging as well.
All three princesses now stood together on a balcony of Canterlot Castle. The ground floor was approaching fast, and the integrity of the city itself was weakening. Whether the city would hit bottom before it crumbled into complete ruin was still up for debate, an excellent gambling opportunity for only the most uncaring ponies who would be willing to place a bet.
Twilight's horn quickly became engulfed in an orb of purple magic. The nearby guards looked on in aw at the spectacle unfolding before them. In a brilliant and dazzling display, the alicorn's magic was released. A beam of light shot out into the sky, its magical potency gathering the attention of all nearby creatures. The few remaining citizens who had not yet reached shelter did so even more slowly now that they were completely enthralled by the event.
"Ready?" Luna asked, turning to Cadence.
Her fellow princess nodded, and the two released their magic as well.
Instead of traveling into the sky, their beams of magic joined with Twilight's, adding to the already unbelievable power. After several moments of the beams crossing, the magic was suddenly cut off. Twilight opened her eyes, as did the other two princesses. The guards looked up in confusion, fearing that the attempt had failed, when a new beam of light came back down.
Twilight couldn't see where it struck down within the city, if that was indeed what had happened. The light towered over the city. It reached up into the sky past the clouds, which had begun swirling around it like an inverted whirlpool.
"Hey, the rumbling stopped." one of the guards pointed out, excitedly. The others looked around, surprised to discover that he was right. The shaking no longer ravaged the city, and the sensation of falling was gone as well.
"How is this possible?" Luna gasped. "How could we have actually suspended an entire city in midair?"
Cadence shook her head, clearly just as amazed, while Twilight continued to look at the beam of energy. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she lowered her head.
It was done.
* * *
Antal Jakab dropped his binoculars. They hit the floor of the airship with a thud, bouncing twice and coming to rest at his feet. Blood dripped from his left hand, the result of his jagged fingernails digging into his palm.
"Sir, was that supposed to happen?" the rookie pilot asked from the ship's helm. He still held his binoculars, periodically looking through them and then back to the demolitions expert.
"Umm, sir?"
Antal pulled out a small device from his jacket pocket. A green light blinked excitedly at the sudden attention. He acknowledged the machine's excitement by handling it further, flipping a switch and adjusting a few knobs. Then he let his thumb glide over a red button at its center.
It had all been going so well. The explosives went off without a hitch and the city fell just as planned. He had been completely taken aback by the sheer beauty of the spectacle. An entire city plunging to its doom....... Only to be stopped by some unknown force. The small line of apparent light made it look like Canterlot was being held up by a mere thread.
It was a slap in the face, and he wouldn't stand for it.
A grimace on his face, Jakab pressed down the button with more force than necessary, confident that his contingency would finish the job.
"Sir, we have to move onto the next target. Mr. Fink won't be pleased if we miss the rendezvous."
Jakab put a hand up. "Addig nyujtozkodj, amig a takarod er."
The pilot gave him a blank stare.
"Only stretch as far as the blanket reaches."
"And what's that supposed to mean, sir?"
He made a dismissive gesture.
"It means go sit down and wait for me to give you instructions."
The demo expert reached down and grabbed his binoculars, smearing blood on one lens.
Through a crimson eye, he watched as another explosion shook the mountain.
"I'm not going to argue with you about this, Thomas."
The annoyed Crow sat uncomfortably on a bar stool. The distillery wasn't over crowded, but the evening rush had already started. Across from Daniel sat his brother. The Zealot didn't know how many drinks he'd had, but it was enough to get the fool irritable.
Daniel hated when his brother drank. It always brought out their father in him.
"You don't have to argue about anything. I didn't ask you to come looking for me!" his brother spat back. A few heads turned, but no one approached them about the raised voices.
"I came here because I knew you were in trouble, and you didn't disappoint me in that regard. You sent four men to the hospital over a stupid bet."
"They owed me thirty dollars!" Thomas defended. "Besides, since when do you give two shits about what I do with my life? Where do you get off coming back here and playing the caring brother after all this time?"
Daniel stood up and leaned over the table.
"I went out and did something with my life. I didn't just give up on myself and wind up in the gutters. Now I'm here to drag you out of the mud so that you have a chance to actually succeed for once. I won't let my own blood waste away in this dead end town."
Thomas met his gaze and the two locked eyes.
"If my memory isn't completely shot yet, I remember you walking out on mom right when she needed us the most. She was on her way out when you walked out the front door and never came back." His eyes took on an extra glare as tears began to well up. "She needed us by her side and you just left her to die!"
"My presence wouldn't have saved her from her fate." the elder brother retorted. "Her mistake was traveling to that foul country. She should have realized that the filth alone would be enough to make her ill. It was her own damn fault that she got sick. Was I suppose to just lie there and die with her like you did?"
Thomas got up and kicked his chair away. The wooden furniture flew across the room and smashed into another customer. The man looked angrily at the brothers, but didn't take action against them, knowing well enough to stay out of the business of two feuding siblings.
"Our mother took care of us! She raised us as best she could and she always provided for us!" Thomas' face became red. "She gave birth to us for Christ's sake! And all you can think about is the one time she left us to pursue her own interests? Are you so selfish that you can't get over something so petty?"
Both of them now loomed over each other, their hands firmly on the table top. Everyone in the room could tell that each wanted to raise their arm at the other, yet no punch was thrown, no weapon drawn. Instead, Daniel merely crossed his arms.
"Don't try playing that 'holier than thou' shit with me you little convict. You act like I'm the criminal here when you're one mistake away from getting thrown into prison for life. You go around with built up anger, taking a swing at the first thing that makes you mad. It's a pathetic method of handling your unstable emotions."
Before Thomas could retort, the Crow started toward the door. The bar was dead silent, the only sound coming from Daniel's footsteps on the aged floorboards.
"I came here hoping to reconnect with my brother, whom I still care deeply for. If you want to stay here and rot, then be my guest." Daniel turned to his brother a final time before leaving the establishment. "But if you want to put your anger to better use, and save this family, then I'd recommend joining me outside."
The two brothers glared at each other. That night in the semi-crowded bar, they were the only two people in existence.
"I'll be out here for five minutes before you never see me again, if that is what you truly desire."
The Zealot let the door shut behind him, leaving his brother standing by the table. Thomas looked down at where his brother had been sitting. A single coin sat on his side of the table. Not any American currency, but familiar looking all the same.
Cursing himself, Thomas left some money on the table and ran out the door.
* * *
"Trixie, I need some support back here!" Daniel yelled. The blue unicorn looked at him, then quickly turned back to Irene.
"Stay here for now, okay?"
The little girl nodded fearfully. Another rocket whizzed by as Trixie ran over to join Daniel. They had retreated further into the back alleys, but the Columbian police were keeping them pinned. Daniel was directing his legion of crows at various aggressors, while simultaneously fending off others with his sword. Few made it by the crows, but those who did quickly met their end at his hand.
"We...... need an escape route." he grunted, pushing an officer away and then sticking him with his blade when the man recoiled.
"Why are you asking me to find a way out? Trixie isn't even from here!" she shouted.
"Well look around! Unless you'd like me to do it while you take care of them." he said, motioning to the gathering of police who were still fending off his avian horde.
A bead of sweat ran down the show mare's face. "I'll just go check this alley over here, shall I?"
The pony galloped as fast as her hooves could carry her. There were three ways out of their current position. One was being used by the police, another was blocked by a mountain of trash, but the other seemed promising. It was unobstructed and it didn't look like the police had covered it yet. She ran back over to the Crow.
"I think I've found our exit." she informed him.
"Alright."
He withdrew his blade from an unfortunate soul before turning to follow the blue unicorn down the alleyway. Trixie found Irene again.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked.
"I d-don't think I can..."
"We can't stay here any longer."
The girl started crying. "I'm only goin' slow you down. You two gotta get outta here 'for they box ya in."
Trixie put a hoof on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "I'd rather get captured, or worse, than let you get hurt."
The two looked at each other.
"We have to move, now!" Daniel shouted. He watched as a pair of Firemen appeared at the front of the police's forces and let loose their fury. They started making quick work of the Zealot's flock.
Trixie looked around, frantically. She spotted a drain grate on the ground next to where Irene sat. The grating was broken and there was a hole just big enough for the girl to slip through.
"Do you know where that leads?" she asked, pointing a hoof at the grate.
Irene nodded. "The sewers."
"Is it safe down there?"
A fire grenade flew over them and landed in a nearby trash bin, setting it ablaze.
"Safer than up here!" the girl declared.
"Okay then, go quickly." Trixie ordered, pushing the girl with her muzzle.
Irene hesitated. "But what about you?"
"Trixie!" Daniel yelled. He had possessed one Fireman, who had started waging war on the other, but the police officers were back on the offensive and the Zealot was starting to become overwhelmed.
"We'll be fine." the unicorn assured the girl. "Now get going!"
Trixie ran over to the Zealot's side, shooting officers with magical blasts of energy that did nothing more than knock them back, while Irene slid through the grate and out of site. After a moment of fighting, there was a lull in the Columbian offensive.
"Now's our chance." Daniel said. The two quickly made for the other alleyway. Not more than ten seconds of running passed before both stopped. Their only other escape route was now swarming with Columbian military. The soldiers quickly got behind cover upon their approach.
"We need a new plan." Trixie said.
Daniel looked around, then looked up. The two buildings they were between separated by at least fourteen feet. The airships hadn't arrived yet, so the skies were still open, but of the pair of them, he was the only one who could utilize the sky.
Trixie created a shield between them and the military, who had already opened fire. Bullets ricocheted off the force field while on the opposite side, the police were still blocked by the two Firemen. They were still battling one another, but the familiar flashing of the possessed Fireman indicated that the spell he was under wouldn't last much longer.
The Zealot removed the coffin from his back and undid the chains.
"Get in." he ordered.
Trixie looked almost offended. "I beg your pardon?"
Several bullets raced by. One of the officers had sidestepped the Firemen and was now running toward them, firing off rounds as he did. Daniel shot Possession at the charging policeman, who quickly fell behind cover next to the pair.
"Unless you want to be left in their hands, I'd suggest getting into this coffin so we can depart." the Zealot advised hastily.
Turning back to the unicorn, he was surprised to see that she'd already climbed into the coffin and was awaiting further instruction, but the Crow offered none. Instead, he closed the coffin and resecured the chains. The military were still hammering away at the force field, but it now showed signs of weakening. The police were working their way up, avoiding bullets from their turned comrade.
Daniel lifted the coffin onto his back, the blue pony tucked inside, then turned back to his temporary ally. The officer's badge read "Nathaniel". Possession's green light blinked wildly as the Vigor lost it's power. When Nathaniel turned and faced the Crow, he was no longer under his influence, yet not entirely in control of himself either. The military broke through Trixie's barrier just as the police worked up enough courage to charge their position, but Daniel continued to look at Nathaniel.
The officer returned the gaze as he dropped the empty machine gun he'd been using, pulled out a pistol, gave the Zealot a quick salute, and then shot himself in the temple.
Daniel regarded his lifeless body for only a brief moment before Columbian forces were upon him. Quickly, he dissipated into feathered shadows, taking off into the air and flying out of sight.
* * *
Trixie didn't know how to describe the feeling. When the Zealot became the flock of crows, so too did the coffin. Teleportation was something that took getting used to. It was as if all of your mass is suddenly scattered through space, only to reform a moment later. However, this feeling only lasts a fraction of a second and is barely identifiable after the first use of the spell.
But this......This was something else entirely. It was as if her very mind was divided into multiple different entities. She could see from several perspectives at once, as if she had a dozen eyes all looking in different directions. When she finally realized that her thoughts were contained in the birds themselves, she began to sense another presence.
Daniel. She could feel him in there too. It felt as if their minds had been dumped in the same vat, and were now sloshing around together. At first the feeling, the idea, it repulsed her. Then she began to see. She could feel with him, think with him, and learn with him. His knowledge became hers. She could see snapshots of his life, his childhood, his years before Columbia as well as his eventual involvement with the city. She couldn't control what she saw or how much of it was presented to her, but she took in every bit of it with great interest. She saw different cities too. Not just Columbia, but other places. New York, Baltimore, Washington, Boston. They were so alien to her, yet they seemed so familiar.
Before the unicorn could observe any further, all of the minds suddenly collected together again, until there were only two. Then she slowly felt the other mind fade. It wasn't gone entirely, but it was barely noticeable amongst her own thoughts. She felt the coffin set down and heard the chains rattle as the Zealot undid them.
For some reason, she expected light to flood the small container when the Crow opened it, but it was barely any brighter outside. The clouds that had formed over the Everfree were now spreading across the rest of Equestria, and dusk would soon be upon them.
Trixie stepped out of the coffin and looked at her surroundings. They were back on Equstrian ground, but the exact location was a mystery to her. There were trees and fields and mountains, the only thing standing out being a random plaque that stood in front of what appeared to be a cave-in.
"Is this....?"
"Where he died?" Daniel finished. "It is."
Trixie walked up to his side. From the way he looked, she guessed that she hadn't just gotten a snapshot of his mind, but he had gotten one of hers as well.
"What happened? What was all that stuff I saw?"
Daniel rested his hand on the plaque. Rain was starting to fall, but only in small increments.
"It's a side effect of my powers." he explained. "When I become my flock, my mind is scattered amongst the birds that incorporate it. They become me, and I become them."
Thunder echoed across the fields at their back, and lightning illuminated the quiet mountainside for a brief moment.
"This side effect is made even more complex when another joins me." the Zealot continued. "When I transport someone in my coffin, their mind and my mind share the same space. We become almost like a single entity for the duration of the transformation. During this time, certain thoughts and memories can sometimes be transferred."
"So those images were of your past?" Trixie asked.
"Past, present, future. It makes little difference when our minds run the information. It can be anything from our past memories, to our current experiences, and even our future hopes and aspirations. When a Zealot takes someone else on with them when they dissipate, the two become very close. It is often a very intimate experience, when emotions and dreams can be traded and stored. Many other Zealots have reported lasting connections with their travel mates even after only a single transition."
He hung his head low as his hand fell from the plaque and to his side.
"That is why I've only ever transported Jacob by those means. His mind is locked away inside himself, left that way after years of indoctrination, and not even our sharing of thoughts could ever unlock who he used to be. The Boy will always be a blank slate, reacting only through raw emotion alone."
He turned to Trixie. The show mare was listening intently. "You were the first free mind I've ever traveled with."
The pony thought over the deep implications he was telling her. The information was so much to take in. Is that why she still felt his presence, even now? Had they truly been of the same mind?
But there was something even more pressing than that. She'd felt herself go over knowledge that even Daniel was still pondering. There were similarities between his world and hers that made her wonder.
"Our worlds....." she finally said. "They're connected, aren't they?"
The Crow thought a moment before choosing to answer. "Yes and no."
"What does that mean?" Trixie pressed.
The Zealot sighed. "Our worlds aren't connected, but they are two versions of the same place. This version of earth is simply another shade of the same color. There exist, in this multiverse, an infinite number of other universes where every possible outcome has happened, is happening, or is going to happen. Your world is simply another version of the world that I left behind. Sometimes the only difference between some of these universes are things like the color of the sky, but others can be as different as humans in one world and little ponies in another. Somewhere along the line, this world's history branched from my world's and the two ended up in very different places, but they are still very much the same."
"How can that be?" Trixie asked, perplexed.
"It's not the how or the why...." they both heard a voice say behind them.
"It's the who." another voice finished.
The two turned to find a pair of humans that they both recognized.
"The Luteces." Daniel scowled.
Trixie gasped. "It's you two."
"Wait, you know them?" the Crow asked, turning to her.
"Well yes, they were the ones who gave me that record player thing."
Daniel turned to them and gave them an accusing glare.
"You turn her into your own little messenger? Why not just give me that Voxophone directly?" he demanded.
"It's complicated." The man responded flatly. "And there really isn't enough time to answer. We've simply stopped by to warn you that you're soon going to have a visitor, and it may or may not be in your best interest to find some cover."
Daniel hadn't noticed the faint screeching sound until the twins mentioned it, but now he could hear that something was definitely approaching. He looked up, seeing nothing but the dark clouds. When he looked back down to where the Luteces had been, they were gone.
Another screech caused the gears in his mind to start turning, and the Crow suddenly realized what was coming. His eyes widened in fearful surprise, and he quickly grabbed Trixie.
"We need to find somewhere to hide!"
The two made for the closest cover just as the Songbird touched down.
The rain was falling even harder now. Daniel was firmly pressed against a large, dead tree that stood away from the others closer to the forest. Trixie was up against him, his hand over her mouth as the two watched the yellow spotlight make its rounds. It slowly swept from left to right, illuminating the area around it. Any woodland creatures that got caught in its gaze would remain frozen in place, petrified by its intensity, before retreating back into the wilderness. The Songbird's light would then continue on scanning for its prey.
Whenever the light got close to the old tree, Daniel's heart rate would quicken, and his grip on Trixie would get just the slightest bit tighter. He knew what the outcome would be if the mechanical beast caught wind of their presence. He didn't really have to worry about being heard. The bird's heavy breathing drowned out most other noise.
With a screeching howl, the Songbird took off into the air in search of the two. Its squeals echoing in the distance. Daniel waited another minute before releasing Trixie and stepping away from the tree.
"As if we didn't have enough problems." he muttered.
"W-what was that thing?" the unicorn asked.
Daniel shook his head. "That is the Songbird. It's a monstrosity, a combination of beast and machine."
"It was engineered?"
The Zealot's voice grew low. "It used to serve as the guardian of the city, keeping the Prophet's daughter safe from harm. After her disappearance, it found itself without a purpose, endlessly roaming the city."
"Then why is it down here?" she asked fearfully.
The Crow looked to where the beast had flown. "Because I killed its master."
The rumbling of thunder covered his voice for a moment. He paused, then continued. "No doubt Fink set the creature upon us when they discovered the Prophet's body."
He was still confused as to how they had so quickly found Comstock and put the pieces of his murder together. And how did the police track him down to that alley in Shantytown? There were a lot of questions the Zealot had, but no idea where he could find the answers.
"I hope Irene made it out okay." Trixie suddenly said.
"She's not the one you should be worried about." Daniel spat.
There was a small break in the rain, and the clearing became eerily quiet.
"So what happens now?" the show mare asked.
Before Daniel could answer, a horn cut through the silence. It was distant, but still loud enough to draw the attention of every creature in the area. They both looked at the fleet of airships. The lightning in the background lit them up only briefly, but it was long enough for Daniel to see that the entire armada was out and about. The Zealot knew what the next steps would be. The ships would indiscriminately attack settlements, establishing Columbia's power and making it apparent to all in this world.
Lightning lit the mountains up momentarily, illuminating both of them. "They've begun their invasion."
"Invasion...." Trixie repeated.
The Crow nodded. "The ships will begin attacking major cities and towns. They'll likely start with the capital, if they haven't already."
"But why?"
"They don't need a reason." Daniel growled. "Fink will do it for the sake of future expansion. Those whom he doesn't destroy, he'll enslave, then he'll rebuild this world as he sees fit."
The sound of flapping wings caused Trixie's ears to perk up. The raven passed her and landed on Daniel's shoulder.
"But I'm going to stop them." he finished.
The unicorn raised an eyebrow. "You? Why would you want to help us when you worked so hard to bring that floating city here in the first place?"
"Because now I know the truth. My Lady wouldn't want this. Zachary Comstock was a mad man who used God and country to enforce loyalty. Now I'm going to stop the madness before it claims another world."
The rain started pouring again.
"So what do we do?" Trixie asked.
"We go back to where this whole thing started."
He started walking down the flooding path, trudging through the mud while Trixie looked at him in confusion.
"We need to find Jacob and Jenkins." he explained, calling back to her.
"But why would we need to go back to the Everfree Forest to do that?" she inquired, running to catch up to him.
"Because I have a feeling they never left."
As the two made their way to the Everfree, Daniel looked back over to where he last saw the Songbird, and suddenly knew deep down how he was going to die.
* * *
The second series of explosions sent another large chunk of the mountain plummeting toward the city of Canterlot, and the princesses found themselves in danger once again. Twilight knew she could do nothing more to defend the city, or its citizens. She had used all of her magic just keeping the city suspended, and though some of it had fallen to ruin during the journey down the mountain, most of it was intact.
This rock slide, however, was sure to change that. Twilight looked up as the boulders came down. There were no longer screams coming from the city below. She knew the ponies likely no longer possessed the energy to scream for their lives. The capital of the greatest kingdom in the world would die quietly, with only the rumbling of earth signifying its end.
The alicorn felt pressure on her shoulder and turned, realizing that Luna was resting a hoof on it. Nopony spoke as Twilight joined Luna and Cadence in an embrace. The other two had their eyes closed, but Twilight looked around. The two guards who had accompanied them to the balcony still stood there with them. She assumed the other guards were busy with crowd control and helping the injured. The two who now stood before her were officers. One was a unicorn and the other a pegasus. When her eyes met their's, they looked away.
Looking at them, she could tell they felt ashamed. They had been charged with the protection of the princesses and all of Equestria's subjects, and now they could do nothing but stand there and die with them. Twilight herself would leave this world feeling the same way. She'd failed them far more than they failed her.
Forgive me Celestia, I tried. she thought, closing her eyes and awaiting the end.
"You ponies give up far too easily."
Everypony looked at the Changeling queen as she walked out on the balcony. The boulders were almost upon them, but Chrysalis stood confidently among the others. With a deep breath, her horn lit up a neon green and she shot a beam of energy upward, much like Twilight had done not ten minutes prior. However, instead of continuing up past the cloud line, it stopped after reaching a bit past the highest tower in Canterlot, then spread out over the city.
The first of the rocks bounced off the force field, rolling down the dome and off the floating platform. Even when the full brunt of the rock slide collided with the green roof, it hardly made a sound beyond a low rumbling. The ponies watched as their doom harmlessly fell away from the city. If any cracks or fractures appeared, they were too small to be noticed. The ponies' attention drifted from the shield to the Changeling who had made it. Chrysalis stood on the balcony in her usual careless manner. She turned her head halfway toward the princesses, eyeing Cadence in particular.
"Guess where I learned that trick from, sweetheart." she giggled.
This comment caused the pink princess to shake off the amazement at what had just transpired far sooner than the others, who still looked at the shield even as it began to dissipate.
She glared at the queen. "How did you do that?"
Chrysalis frowned. "I'm just that powerful."
Cadence rolled her eyes as Luna spoke next. "Nevermind how you performed that spell. What I would like to know is why. You could have just as easily flown away and left us to our fate, yet you stayed and saved us."
The changeling queen seemed almost offended. "Do you think I'm just some monster? It's difficult to feed off the love of a corpse. All I've ever wanted is the subjugation of Equestria, not its destruction."
"How noble of you." Cadence said through gritted teeth.
"Cadence, stop." Twilight interjected. "The fact remains that she just saved the city, but we have bigger problems."
As Chrysalis' shield faded, rain found its way down to the ponies. "We should talk inside. There's still the matter of the giant city getting ready to invade." she turned to the guards. "Can you make sure the citizens are safe? Gather what guards you can and start searching homes for injured."
The guard coughed. "With all due respect, your highness. Shouldn't we focus on preparing the city for another attack?"
The princess shook her head. "If the humans decide to attack, there won't be much we can do no matter how prepared we are. I'd rather spend time saving lives than getting ready for a fight we can't win."
The guards solemnly nodded and ran off. The others went as far as the hallway before stopping.
"Twilight, is there really no way to stop this city?" Luna asked.
The lavender princess looked at her, eyes sad and face grim.
"As of right now, no. That's why we need to start coming up with a plan. They have us beat in terms of weaponry, plus they have air superiority. I hate saying it, but at this point it's gonna take a miracle."
"And what of your friends? The other Elements of Harmony?"
"Even if we were all together, I'm not sure the elements would do much against this threat. They aren't some corrupted spirit or maniacal being. These humans are as cold and callous as the machines they use."
She thought back to the Handyman and Boy of Silence. These creatures had even begun fusing with machinery. How long before they were completely lifeless? Thomas was an exception. He had still been in touch with his natural side, that inner spirit that all living creatures seem to have. Nopony was completely merciless, but then these other humans showed up who seemed to have completely lost whatever had once made them human. She had a feeling that Daniel, Jenkins, and Jacob were only the tip of the iceberg. Speaking of which.......
"That's it!" Twilight suddenly said, her eyes widening.
"That's what?" Chrysalis asked. The others looked at her hopefully.
"No time to explain. I have to go. Do your best to keep the peace while I'm gone!"
She quickly flew out the balcony window and into the stormy abyss.
"Twilight, wait!" Cadence yelled, but the Element of Magic was already gone.
* * *
Fitzroy always did her best to keep calm in desperate situations. When she first led the Vox, it was difficult for her to command the obedience of her subordinates. Being a woman in a man's world was tough, even more so when you were colored, but her calm demeanor, even in the face of extreme opposition, had earned her the respect she needed to maintain control of her rebel army.
This ability to keep her fear in check was tested though, as her airship was assaulted by anti-air fire. Sweat coated her face and her lip twitched slightly. They had not anticipated Columbia to be so well prepared for their arrival. The first assault on the First Lady had caused the death of the pilot. Donny now stood at the controls, cursing as he desperately tried to avoid flak that peppered the sky.
"How'd these fuckers know we were comin'!?" he yelled. "They already had their goddamn guns pointed at the skies when we entered range! The fucks up with that?"
Another barrage of fire shook the blimp. Apple Bloom was no longer crying, and didn't seem to care about the current situation. Daisy had put her under a desk when they took fire, and she hadn't moved since. Her eyes seemed lost in a cloud of thoughts, or perhaps a vacancy of thoughts.
A garbled voice came on the radio. "Daisy, we'll cover your entry. Get that ship down below the skyline."
One of the accompanying blimps moved between the First Lady and the fire. It began taking the brunt of the onslaught while Donny took advantage and flew the craft low.
"This is gonna get bumpy, strap yourselves in!" he ordered.
"Good luck, mates." the voice said over the radio. The blimp was consumed with fire as it spiraled into a building. It had given the First Lady enough time though, as the damaged airship landed in an old town park. The grass had long died and the trees were mere shrubs, shadows of their former greatness, but it provided enough space for Fitzroy's ship to land. Four other dirigibles landed around it, as well as a few gunships.
"We gotta move!" Donny exclaimed, kicking open the ship's hatch and leading the Vox out. Daisy grabbed Apple Bloom and followed. A horn alerted the rebels that police boats were inbound.
"Get those rockets loaded, we don't have much longer!"
"Jesus, I count eight...no, nine!"
"I count twelve."
"They're fuckin' multiplying, get those anti-air measures up!"
What remained of the ill-equipped and under-manned Vox Populi quickly regrouped to defend themselves against the growing forces of the Founders. Using the landed ships as cover, they formed a circle in the bleak looking park and awaited the end. Without proper weapons and with nearly half of their forces gone, they had no cards left in their hands.
Two Vox Handymen were jumping from the various police boats, destroying the engines and tossing a few occupants to their deaths, but with every boat destroyed it seemed as if two more took its place. The red tarped Handymen started getting overwhelmed as the ground forces continued to get hammered by machine gun fire.
"They have us surrounded!" Donny shouted over the chaos. He stayed close to Daisy and Apple Bloom, who had taken cover behind the First Lady. Pulling out his repeater, he sent eight rounds toward the nearest police boat. Three bodies fell. "This is no good, we gotta fall back."
"Ain't no place to go, Donny." Fitzroy smiled. Donny looked to her, wondering if she'd finally snapped, but then realized she was right. The smile wasn't one of insanity, it was of clarity.
"Wish it didn't have to end like this. Fucking sucks." the large man admitted, bullets grazing his cover.
"Indeed it does, my friend. Indeed it does." Daisy laughed. She turned to Apple Bloom. The young filly no longer looked distant, but she was not fearful either, as a child should be. It reminded her of the children in Shantytown. Those who watched their parents worked to death and then tossed on a pile to be thrown off the edge later. It hadn't taken long for the filly's spirit to brake, and it crushed Fitzroy. "Sorry it turned out this way." she apologized to the pony. "Your kind ain't the enemy, but you still gettin' the short end of this here stick."
Apple Bloom didn't respond. She turned away from Fitzroy, and now faced the soulless gaze of an automated turret. The automaton's lone eye met her's, and it quickly went from yellow to red, then opened fire.
* * *
Daniel wasted no time as he ran past the encroaching trees of the Everfree. The vegetation was still thick, but now that it was just him and Trixie, the journey to the ancient castle ruins was much quicker. He sprinted as fast as he dared without making himself vulnerable to possible creatures skulking the trail, hidden in the brush. His unicorn companion galloped right alongside him.
"So tell me again what you expect to find at the ruins."
Daniel panted as he ran, forgetting how tiring the actual act of running long distances can be. Usually flying everywhere, he never really worked on his cardio. Even so, he slowed down a bit to answer the pony without sounding like he was quite so out-of-shape.
"I believe that Fink was always planning on making a play for Columbia. I don't think he anticipated me killing the Prophet, but that didn't change his plans too much."
The two entered a particularly dark part of the forest. Last time they were there, Twilight had used her horn to light the way. This time, it was Trixie who provided the means to see. Her horn lit up the area and revealed the path, allowing Daniel to continue his explanation.
"He would have wanted Jacob to remain in the Everfree, since that is where his abilities are most potent. We have a machine in Columbia that can do something similar, but it isn't very reliable anymore, ever since it was sabotaged by Fink himself."
Confused, Trixie looked at him. "Why did he sabotage it?"
"To kill the scientist who created it, a woman whom you've already met." he answered.
The unicorn's eyes went wide. "She's... dead?"
Daniel nodded. "Supposed to be, anyway."
They continued through the trees, which were becoming much less thick.
"So what are you planning to do with Jacob?" she asked.
"He's going to help me undo this mess. We're going to send Columbia packing the same way we brought it here."
"But what about the ships that are already moving over Equestria? How can you target them when they aren't in the city anymore?"
Daniel thought about that. Trixie looked over at him expectantly.
"I'm still working on that." he finally said.
The two finally reached the clearing where the canyon was. They stopped just short of it, Trixie looking down and remembering how she almost perished here. It sent shivers down her spine.
"Can you teleport over there?" Daniel asked. Hesitantly, she nodded. "Good."
The Zealot formed his murder and flew to the other side. He was quickly followed by Trixie, who crossed the gorge in a flash of light. Daniel examined the castle. "Hmm, no guards outside."
"Maybe there's no one here after all." Trixie suggested.
The Crow shook his head. "Their in there alright. Wait here."
He walked up the ancient stairs, entering the old castle ruins once again. Trixie did as he asked, and remained outside, not wanting to see what she knew was going to happen.
Eight men stood inside the castle, talking among themselves and passing around a bottle of whisky. Their weapons were slung behind them and they were turned away from the entrance. Jenkins was chained down to the floor, not moving. Jacob was nowhere to be seen.
"All I'm sayin' is we should get better weapons than these machine guns." one of the men commented.
"Yeah, Fink's got all kinds of crazy gadgets in his labs, and we get stuck with the low end shit." another agreed.
"That's because we gotta deal with shit jobs, ain't that right tin man?" a few turned and laughed at the incapacitated Handyman. Jenkins turned his head and looked at them. Lifting one of his porcelain arms. He didn't have much movement in it, with his constrained position, but he could still reach his head.
Several men pulled out pistols in response to his action, but holstered them upon realizing he was just adjusting his monocle. The Handyman smirked at their fearful reaction.
"Keep smilin' fuck face." one of them spat. "When the time comes, we'll make sure it hurts."
The men's laughs were cut short by a scraping sound coming from the entrance. They all turned to see a dark figure dragging his blade across the stone floor. He reached halfway between them and the entrance before stopping and raising the sword.
"Is that him?" one of the men asked fearfully.
"Can't be." another said.
The figure clenched his free hand into a fist, which started glowing green. The bottle of whisky crashed to the floor as the men drew their weapons. However, not a shot was fired in the castle.
When the final scream of agony had subsided, Trixie knew it was safe to enter the ruins. As she walked up the stairs, she mentally prepared herself for what she was about to see, scared to death by the realization that she was already getting used to it.
* * *
Twilight looked at the wall of rain with great curiosity. She stuck a hoof into the falling water, feeling the cold liquid slide down her leg and fall to the ground. Her head tilted to the side as she removed her hoof and planted it on dry land, not three inches away.
She'd been flying toward the Everfree, barely able to see through the veil of water, when she suddenly emerged from the storm and out into completely arid land. The princess stopped and went back to where the rain still fell, perplexed as to why it stopped where it did. Looking up, she noticed that the clouds were still covering all of the sky above her. The ones that produced no rain were just as dark and menacing as the ones in the storm, yet for some reason they did not behave the same.
The alicorn wanted to investigate the phenomenon further, but a horn blaring in the distance reminded her that she was on the most important mission of her life, and that it was her first and only priority. With this thought in mind, she turned away from the mysterious weather anomaly, and right toward three police boats.
The princess' heart skipped several beats, then dropped down into her stomach, where it burned for several moments as she looked at the faces staring at her. Most of the humans were smiling, a grin that pointed toward joy from cruelty. There were four men to a boat, and they all carried weapons of some caliber.
"Well look what we got here. This ones pretty far from the settlements, huh?" one of them chuckled.
"Wonder which dirt heap she sprang out of? Probably that Buffalo Bill lookin' town we razed." another suggested.
"No way. Look at what its dressed like. Gotta be the mountain city."
"Oh yeah. I bet that European boomer leveled that place to the ground already."
Another laughed. "Well then I guess this one's got nothin' left to go back to."
The men in the left-most boat pointed their weapons at her.
"Watch that horn. Those damn things can cause a fuck ton of trouble. Tim got cut pretty good by some kinda trick they can do."
"Ain't nothin' they can do against a bullet. Just shoot the thing so we can move on to the next town."
"Terrance, you're never any fun, but I guess you're right." one of them jumped from the boat and landed on the ground in front of Twilight, who slowly backed away. The man drew a pistol and pointed it at her.
"That really necessary, chief?" a man asked from above.
The other shrugged. "I like being thorough."
He continued to advance on the alicorn, but before he could fire, a series of bullets peppered a line between the two. Confused, the man looked up to see a fourth police boat flying in, this one with a mounted turret. The robotic WWI era soldier sprayed the boats with gunfire while the man quickly climbed a rope ladder back up to his transport.
"What the fuck!?" he yelled. "Why are they shooting us? Are they Vox?"
"No! It's Rarity, you ruffians!"
Twilight had to rub her eyes, not sure how she was looking at the white unicorn at the bow of the air boat. The fashionista held a Hand Cannon with her magic, pointing the pistol toward the other boats and popping off a few rounds while the turret provided suppressing fire.
"Shit! Take em out!" one of the men yelled, but before they could return fire, the boat Rarity stood on turned one hundred and eighty degrees to reveal a rocket turret at the stern. The turret's red eye glared at them while it acquired all three targets.
"Goddamnit, we gotta bail!" the alicorn heard them shout. The engines fired up and roared as all three boats took off into the rain storm, leaving a very confused Twilight and a very excited Rarity in their wake. The princess looked at her with a mouth almost touching the floor. Rarity looked a bit tired and she had a bad cut on her face going right down her left eye, but she seemed unafraid if not confident as she brought the Hand Cannon to her mouth and blew smoke away from it. Holstering the weapon in a make-shift belt, Rarity turned to Twilight.
"That was so riveting! I feel so ashamed to say it but these 'guns' are simply a ball!" the unicorn squeed, clopping her hooves together in delight. "I mean did you see that, Twilight? We sent them running in the most extravagant fashion! Those brutes didn't know who they were messing with."
"Rarity, w-what are you d-doing here?" Twilight asked shakily.
Before the Element of Generosity could respond, a door to the boat's cabin opened up and Pinkie Pie stuck her head out, she had several scrapes and scratches on her face, and was wearing an eye-patch for some reason. Both ponies looked like they'd been to Tartarus and back.
In a casual tone the earth pony answered, "Well we're rescuing you, duh!"
"What, in the name of Celestia, happened to you two?" Twilight asked, still amazed and confused at her friends' presence and appearance. The two other Elements exchanged looks as the boat they had commandeered floated to the ground. Pinkie Pie jumped to the ground, followed by Rarity, who elegantly hopped after her companion.
"It is a long and very complicated story, darling." Rarity said, flicking her hair back with a hoof.
Pinkie Pie took a deep breath before summing up their experience. "We went to visit Fluttershy at her cottage, when this weird flying boat came out of nowhere! These guys got off it and started looking around, saying some very rude things about Fluttershy's cottage while they did. Anyway, they tried attacking us, but after a grueling battle between wit and smarts vs. brute strength and weapons, we overpowered them and knocked them out. After tying them up and shoving them in Fluttershy's closet, we took their boat and now we're heading for Columbia!"
Pinkie took a deep breath while Twilight simply stared, no less confused than she had been before the pink pony spoke. Rarity rolled her eyes. "That's the short version, in any case."
"But how the hay are you flying that thing?" Twilight asked, pointing at the boat. "And how did you take control of those robot turret... things?"
"Oh, the controls for the boat are actually pretty simple, and you don't really need to have those finger things to use them." Pinkie said, prideful in her flying mastery. "As for the turrets, they were like putty in my hooves after I drank that green bottle of soda."
Twilight's eye twitched. "You did WHAT!?"
Pinkie licked her lips, reminiscing about the consumption of the bottle she'd found in the police boat. "It was delicious! Not like any pop we have in Ponyville. Plus it gave me really cool powers, so there's that."
"Pinkie! You drank a vigor? How could you do something so irresponsible?" Twilight thought back to the bandit leader who'd downed the bottle of Devil's Kiss. The pony had turned into a flame spitting fire demon, something Thomas had made clear was not common. It was easy for them to deduce that vigors responded differently to ponies' physiology, and had nasty side effects as a result. The thought of this put fearful images in the alicorn's mind, of Pinkie turning into a green ghostly ghoul.
"Oh don't worry Twilight, not all Columbian soda pops are bad for ponies. The two humans we were talking to assured me." Pinkie explained. "I mean, my eye is a little wonky right now, but I can fix that later."
"Two humans?"
"Yeah, these really nice humans, who looked like they could have been twins, told us all kinds of useful stuff!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Where are these two now?"
"They disappeared after a little while." Pinkie said, adjusting her eye patch.
"Indeed. A mysterious pair, those two." Rarity commented.
Twilight took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn't have time to ask them a million questions about their ordeal, and she certainly didn't have time to scold Pinkie for drinking strange bottles of liquid, something she'd already had to do during several excursions to Zecora's hut. She could ask them all the questions she wanted after she was finished saving Equestria from the army of murderous thugs raining down from the sky.
"Alright. We can talk about everything later. I have to get to the Everfree Forest, to the old castle." Twilight finally said.
"Yeah, that's where they said you were going." Pinkie grinned. Twilight made a mental note that she'd have to find these two humans after this and have a chat with them.
"You said you two were headed for Columbia... why?"
"To save Apple Bloom, of course." Pinkie informed her.
"But what's Apple Bloom doing...?" Twilight shook her head. "Never mind. If she's in Columbia, then you have to get her out, and fast. Just please be careful, okay?"
The princess didn't want her friends anywhere near that floating city, but if Apple Bloom had somehow managed to get up there, then somepony had to save her, and Twilight couldn't do both. Thinking of an Apple...
"Have either of you two seen Applejack or Rainbow Dash? I have no idea where anypony is right now."
"Oh, their both making their way to Canterlot, walking along the railroad tracks. They'll be safe." Pinkie assured.
"Let me guess, the two humans told you that too, right?" Twilight assumed.
"Nope, that one was all me!" the pink mare smiled innocently.
Twilight shook her head again while Pinkie and Rarity got back on the boat.
"Do you think Ponyville is holding up alright?" Rarity asked Twilight, thinking of Sweetie Belle.
The alicorn honestly had no idea. "The best thing we can do for everypony is to get that city out of here. Let me handle that, you two just go get Apple Bloom, and please be careful!"
She looked at the boat again, realizing they were one pony short.
"Where's Fluttershy?" she asked.
"P-p-present." she heard a soft voice stutter.
Fluttershy's pink mane and blue eyes peaked over the side of the boat.
"How are you holding up?" Twilight asked, concern in her question.
"I'll manage." she replied, uncertainly.
The princess turned back to her other two friends. "Keep an eye on her, okay?"
They nodded as the craft zoomed away, into the falling rain. Twilight took one last look at the strange rain pattern before turning back toward the Everfree and flying off in that direction.
* * *
Trixie did her best to ignore the bodies that were strewn about the floor in the castle's main foyer. Daniel had already freed Jenkins and the two were talking in a far corner. Trixie was quick to make her way over to them.
"Why would he do that? The most logical thing would have been to either kill Jacob or bring him back to the city for protection." Daniel said, to which Jenkins merely grunted.
"Alright. Let me go downstairs and get him, then we can come up with a plan to get rid of Columbia once and for all."
The Crow quickly ran to the stairway and descended the steps to the lower level of the castle, leaving Trixie and Jenkins to wait.
Trixie immediately felt awkward and did her best to keep her head down, but this was the first chance she actually had to look at the Handyman. The unicorn had expected his metal body to be what called for her attention, but she was surprised to find that his face was what she couldn't stop looking at. It was so out of place next to everything else, and seemed to be the only organic thing left of him aside from his beating heart, which sat behind a glass jar in his chest as if it were some twisted museum piece.
The monocle that still adorned his eye was slightly cracked, and he still frequently adjusted it with two of his enormous fingers. Trixie didn't stare directly at him, in case he looked her way and she needed to avert her gaze quickly. He always seemed so calm, she noticed. The pony had never seen him get angry or ferocious, granted she hadn't known him for very long. Even when he was fighting the beasts of the Everfree, he did so with a calm, if not stoic, expression. It just seemed like he should have been more upset with the world. He was an abomination; something that wasn't living nor dead, but suspended in an endless void of existence, trapped inside a metal shell until one lucky enemy had what it took to end him.
The unicorn didn't know if he was controlled, or if he had free will. Her observations led her to believe it was a little of both. Of course what was free will anyway? She couldn't deny that she'd let her own ego control her in many aspects.
When Twilight first embarrassed her by defeating the Ursa Minor and exposing her as a fraud, she let her obsession with showing the purple pony up get the better of her. She'd spent most of her life savings on that stupid amulet, only to let it corrupt and control her in a more direct way than her ego ever did. Perhaps she and the Handyman were alike in that regard. At one time or another, both had allowed outside forces to control them in some way.
Trixie snapped herself out of the trance she'd seemed to have fallen into, only to find Jenkins staring directly at her. One of his eyebrows was raised and he was wearing a curious expression, no doubt wondering why she was gawking.
The magician averted her gaze, like she'd planned, but it was too late. The Handyman chuckled as her face flushed an obvious crimson.
Downstairs, Daniel found the Boy of Silence held in some make-shift cage. At some point, one of Fink's men had removed the bloody sack from his head, and given him a new one to wear.
Tabula Rasa had been replaced with Fucking Freakshow. It was a cute little message that confirmed Fink's men had brought their sense of humor to work with them.
"Jacob, hang on. I'm getting you out of their." he assured the Boy. The Crow examined the lock that had been placed on the door of the cage. Nothing a quick slash of his blade couldn't handle. He unsheathed his weapon and readied his strike.
Daniel found it odd how silent he was. He'd expected the Boy to be weeping or whimpering, not sitting in the middle of the cage, motionless. It was a bit off-putting and the Zealot was rather disturbed by it.
He was about to question the Boy, when a soft clicking noise caught his attention. It was a familiar noise that he'd heard hundreds of times before, especially in his line of work. The noise signaled that a hammer had just been drawn back into a locking position and that a firearm was ready to... what else? Fire.
Slowly, Daniel raised his arms up, knowing that whoever had him in their sights was close enough to hit him even if he went Crow. He wasn't worried, but still, he waited until he was given instruction by the person.
"Turn and f-face me, s-slowly." he was surprised to hear a female voice, and one he recognized.
He turned to find Cynthia standing behind him, pointing a pistol at his head. Her rifle was slung behind her back and she held the smaller weapon with both hands. As much as she tried to hide it, her fear and confusion were apparent. Even with both her hands wrapped around the pistol, it was shaking violently. He doubted she'd be able to fire it with any degree of accuracy.
"Cynthia.."
"I saw you coming a mile away." she interrupted, trying to steady her voice. "I had you dead to rights in my scope, but I didn't fire. You killed Comstock, you betrayed Columbia. I could have ended you out there, but I didn't."
Her eyes were beginning to water, but her hands were much steadier now. "Why didn't I fire, Daniel?"
The Zealot breathed deeply, calmly. "Because I only recently discovered what you knew all along. Comstock was a monster. He framed Daisy Fitzroy for a crime that he himself was responsible for. He killed our lady and had every intention of doing the same to the rest of the world. Then he wanted to do the same to this world. It had to end somewhere."
He walked closer to her, and she tensed up, keeping the pistol pointed at him. Her expression was one of sadness. "I'm just sorry it took me this long to realize it."
Slowly, she lowered the gun, bringing it all the way down to her hip, and holstered it. "I assume you came here with a plan to fix this..."
Daniel nodded. "I could use some help, if you're offering."
She smiled. "What are your orders, sir?"
Returning the smile, he looked around. "Do you have access to a ship?"
"Yeah, there's one parked out back." she replied, walking over to the caged Boy. She pulled out a gold key and used it to unlock the door. The Boy paid it little mind.
"I need you to fly to Columbia, start giving the order to evacuate all civilians from the city. Tell them to evacuate everywhere from Shantytown to Emporia. All civilians. The city's going down, but her people don't need to."
Cynthia gave the Zealot a nod. "I'll get right on it."
She started running off when Daniel called after her. "Be careful up there. Columbia's main attack force is on its way to the major cities here. In order to get them to go back to the city, I'm going to need to give them a reason, which means things are going to get crazy up there."
"Do what you need to do." she replied with a look of determination.
She quickly made her way up the stairs as Daniel turned his attention back to Jacob. The Boy was now standing, hunched over and rocking back and forth. Daniel knew his mental state was only going to continue to deteriorate. It was only a matter of time until the Boy completely snapped.
Daniel just hoped they could fix this before that happened. The longer they took, the more damage Fink was going to do to this world. He knew things were only going to get worse from here.
Daniel and Jacob rejoined Trixie and Jenkins soon after the Zealot managed to convince the Boy of Silence to leave his cage. All four met at the center of the large foyer. The sound of an airship speeding away could be heard outside.
"So we have Jacob, what next?" Trixie asked, becoming a little anxious. Understandable considering the situation.
"Jacob was the one who initially brought the city into this world. Taking it out shouldn't be a problem." Daniel's brow furrowed. "The real issue is the fleet of airships spreading throughout the land at this very moment. Jacob won't be able to target them all, so we need them clustered together. The trick will be to create some kind of disturbance in Columbia, one that will force Jeremiah to call back his forces. A coward will always hide behind his army if he feels his life is in danger."
Jenkins nodded in agreement.
"That sounds simple when you say it like that." Trixie said. "But Equestria doesn't have a standing military. Certainly not a force that could put up enough of a fight to get them all back there."
The Handyman shrugged his shoulders, closing his eyes as if processing the conversation. Trixie made a good point. There was no way to create the havoc in Columbia on the scale that they needed.
"That's fine. I've already thought of where our invasion force is going to come from."
Both the unicorn and Handyman looked at him with curiosity.
"Jacob is going to create one." he said, finally.
"Err..." The unicorn trailed off. Under his mask, Daniel rolled his eyes.
"I'm not going to begin to try and explain Jacob's abilities. I don't really know the whole story myself." Trixie raised an eyebrow, and Daniel sighed. "But I will give you the short version."
As Daniel got the Boy into position in the center of the main Foyer, he explained to Trixie how the pair of humans she'd met were actually two versions of the same person. The Crow didn't want to confuse the poor mare with too much techno-babble, and the concept of millions upon millions of universes existing at once was something that could easily make even the most competent creature go a bit insane. He explained how a machine was used to open these tears and that it's effects were given to a select few humans through methods the Zealot himself didn't truly understand.
Suffice to say, Jacob was one such recipient of this power, and was able to control it far more effectively than his fellow Boys. Daniel would wager that he could have given young Elizabeth a run for her money.
After explaining Jacob's abilities enough to where the unicorn was satisfied, and once finished positioning Jacob in an optimal place in the foyer, Daniel leaned in close to the Boy's ear, whispering something that neither pony nor Handyman could make out.
Stepping back, Daniel watched as the Boy nodded and looked down at the ground, preparing to once again bend reality.
* * *
Fitzroy hadn't noticed the turret as it pointed the barrel of its weapon at her and Apple Bloom. For the briefest of moments, Apple Bloom considered getting her attention, warning her of their impending fate, but then what good would that do? They were all going to die there anyway. Regardless of what it was, be it a machine, a man, or perhaps even a combination of the two, she would never see her family again.
She wouldn't get to buck anymore apple trees with her brother and sister, nor would she get to make the Apple Family world famous cider. Those little moments, to which she never gave much thought, were now the only things she could focus on. Everything was going slowly now. Fitzroy and her men were engaging in battle. She sneered as her machine gun spat out rounds toward the closest soldier. Each time the weapon fired, it would illuminate her dark face, revealing the hatred and desperation that was expressed in her features. The ships had completely surrounded them, and there was no way out.
And still she thought of Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo. Her two best friends in the whole wide world. The little filly never really thought about death or what came after. Such inquiries had no place in her innocent mind.
After the death of Thomas, however, her thoughts often did wander down that endless road of questions. She would wonder if she would ever get a chance to see Thomas again, to apologize for getting him killed. She'd been such a stupidly curious filly. If she hadn't insisted that the three crusaders search for the bandit leader, then he wouldn't have been able to use them as bait to get Thomas to put himself in danger.
If she hadn't let her curiosity get the better of her a second time, she wouldn't have found herself surrounded by humans who had nothing better to do than slaughter each other.
The Turret finally opened fire, sending fifteen rounds of cold, metallic death Apple Bloom's way. Before the bullets could reach their target, however, Daisy jumped in front of her at the last moment, taking every hit.
Apple Bloom gasped, at first believing Fitzroy had just died for her, but to her even greater astonishment, she realized the bullets weren't tearing through the flesh of the woman's body. Instead, she seemed to be absorbing the ammunition, and getting stronger from it!
"H-how?" was all she could say.
Daisy smirked. "A little somethin' called Ironsides. Pretty handy Vigor when you're in the middle of a bullet storm."
With that, Fitzroy pointed her gun at the turret and fired a single shot, taking its head off.
We can't keep this up, Daisy!" one of the Vox shouted over Apple Bloom's head. "There's too many of em. It's gonna take some kind of a miracle!"
Suddenly, it seemed as though the air itself started vibrating. One by one, soldiers on both sides stopped firing. They kept their guns pointed at the opposite side, but their attention was focused on the tears opening up over their heads. First there were ten, maybe twenty, but it wasn't long before there were hundreds of the portals dotting the skies, as if some sort of ceiling were being constructed over Columbia. Most of the holes were completely white, revealing nothing of what was on the other side. Even ones that were less bright still hid what lay beyond. Daisy looked up at the lights, almost mesmerized at the sight.
"Ask and ye shall receive." she muttered. Then her eyes widened as darkness began blocking the light, and some unknown things began falling from the tears. Fitzroy couldn't identify them at first. Some seemed humanoid, while others took on less recognizable shapes. The closer they got, though, the more soldiers turned their weapons away from each other, and started pointing up at the sky.
The first soldier to fire only got a few shots off before his head was crushed underneath a metal boot.
* * *
The raven didn't understand the nature of the other. It wasn't natural, that was certain. Wherever it had come from, it moved like a bird, and looked like a bird, but it just wasn't. Something about the other made the raven feel bad. It felt wrong when it saw the other, not because it was afraid of it, but because its master seemed to be.
It's master was not a creature that was easily frightened. It had seen its master do horrible things to maintain dominance. Nothing seemed to get under its master's skin, but this giant bird was something even its master would not trade blows with. The other was the only bird in Columbia that the raven recognized. Other birds came and left the city, but the other always remained, always patrolled, always defended.
The other did all these things, but it also found. It always found what it was looking for. It would search, it would hunt, and it would find. If it found, it would usually kill. If it didn't kill, it would capture. The raven knew the other was after its master. The raven knew it would find its master, and the raven knew it would kill him.
The raven watched as the other scanned the trees, quickly flying toward its master's location. The raven would get there first, of course. It would reach its master before the other, it would tell its master that the other was coming, and its master would kill the other. Its master was a hunter as well, and a better one at that. The raven and its master couldn't be killed. They were eternal in this world, and the other worlds they had seen. Nothing was better, and nothing would ever prove to be. The other would find this out for itself, soon enough.
With a light caw, the raven flew off its perch, heading toward the ruined castle, heading back to the only creature in its life it had ever felt any connection to.
Douglas Mann first held a gun when he was fifteen years old. It was a spring afternoon when several men broke into his home and beat his parents to death before attempting to rob the place of its valuables. Douglas, who had remained undiscovered by the burglars, went into his father's personal study and grabbed the loaded revolver that was kept there.
He didn't hesitate to kill all four of his parents' murderers, even managing a smile when the last one fell to his knees and begged for his life. He'd joined Comstock's regime when it was still in its infancy, when Columbia was still a work in progress.
Douglas wasn't a religious man, but he couldn't deny the strong influence the Prophet had over his followers. The way he united those he led was inspiring, and while Douglas didn't identify with the message Comstock carried, he was still ready and willing to carry it with him.
At present, Douglas had earned the rank of Field Commander in the regime. He led his men the same way his Prophet led him; with stern compassion.
As a result of his position, it didn't take long for Douglas to hear the news of the Prophet's passing. The briefing room was more silent than it had ever been before. Everyone held their tongues as the news was absorbed. Some men broke down and cried while others walked out of the room. Douglas had no more tears to shed after his parents' deaths, so he chose to sit in silence.
Now, he sat in silence once again, the only sound being the soft hiss of static emanating from a nearby radio. Blood had started to pool around the device, the source of which was a young soldier slumped nearby. Douglas had tried to save him, but the wound he'd received was far too severe for the Field Commander's limited medical experience. He and the corpse were alone, sitting inside of a mausoleum. Considering the circumstances, the venue couldn't have been more appropriate.
Douglas would have never believed the events that had taken place less than two hours ago if he had not witnessed the horrors with his own eyes. At first, the Comstock regime seemed to have been gaining the upper hand in the battle with the remaining Vox Populi members. He remembered being able to see Daisy Fitzroy's face, thinking that if she was present, it was truly the final showdown between the two opposing factions. Victory seemed to be in reach, until the tears started opening up all over the city.
After witnessing his parents being ripped apart, Douglas thought he was familiar with the monsters of the world. The creatures that stepped out of the gateways proved his theory wrong. The monstrosities that appeared were more hellish than anything he could have conceived in his wildest nightmares. The armored brutes with drills and guns, the humanoid spiders with hooks and daggers, and the masked figures with powers that matched even the most experienced Vigor users. If the Devil really did exist, they must have been products of his demonic insanity.
There might have been a fifteen-second interval between when the creatures emerged from the portals and when they began hacking through Douglas' men. It took less than ten minutes for most of the front line to be completely destroyed, and the regime's forces put on the defensive, trying to hold off the invaders. At first, they had thought it was a Vox counter-offensive, but this was proven wrong when the giants in armor began indiscriminately butchering both sides. The regime was pushed all the way back to Memorial Gardens, where the survivors were ordered to make a last stand while Comstock House was detached from the rest of the city. The men knew it was suicide, but they did as instructed, laying down their lives in a last ditch effort to save Fink's.
When Douglas got the order to stay and fight, he cursed Fink and ripped off his badge. The Field Commander never like Jeremiah. He was a con-man who cared only for himself. While the other men may have fought for Comstock's replacement without hesitation, Douglas wanted nothing to do with him.
Instead of trying to hold the Gardens, Douglas fought to protect the men around him. He fought for the men who he could call brothers, the ones who looked up to him, who trusted him. They were his family just as Comstock had been. He wouldn't die for Fink, but he would go to Hell for them. The boy across from him, the one who had bled out not long after the last gunshots died down, was his last tether to this world.
When the Gardens became overrun, Douglas dragged the boy into the empty mausoleum and made him as comfortable as possible. They didn't exchange words, just sat and listened to the radio chatter. Outside, the invaders pushed on to Comstock House, but none made it past the gate before it detached from the city and left it to die. After that, there was a single transmission from a superior, saying that all forces were being called back to Columbia in an attempt to retake the city. Douglas didn't know how long the static had gone uninterrupted afterward.
He sat on the floor with a gun in his hand; a revolver, like the one he had first taken a life with. Back then, he had thought about turning the gun on himself, but decided to ride it out just a bit longer. Not too long after that, he met Comstock. Douglas held no illusions that such a miracle would happen again. There was nothing left now, the empty eyes of the young soldier reminded him that.
As if he needed another reminder, he saw the room grow darker as a figure appeared in the doorway. It was one of the creatures, one with hooks that could walk on walls. Douglas had witnessed many of them kill his brothers.
The creature looked at him and the gun he was holding, then smiled, revealing a bloody mouth with perhaps five teeth.
"How many you got?" it asked, it's gurgling voice piercing the soft static.
Douglas smirked. The creature's arrival didn't change his plans. "Just one."
It giggled. "Well, then I guess it's up to you if you want it quick, or slow." It dragged a particularly dull, rusty hook along the stone wall that stood next to it.
Slowly, Douglas raised the gun and stuck it in his mouth. It was the second time in his life he'd ever done it, but this time, he knew, would be the last.
Before pulling the trigger, the Field Commander heard the radio buzz with activity once again.
"This is Cynthia Patterson, all remaining officers are to escort civilians out of the city. Load them onto life boats, gunships, anything that floats. The city is lost, but it's people don't need to be..."
Smiling with the barrel of the gun in his mouth wasn't exactly easy, but Douglas managed it fairly well. The city wasn't completely abandoned after all. He had never met this Cynthia before, but she had a lovely voice, and the message she brought was more than he needed.
The creature took a step forward and Douglas pulled the trigger, the shot echoing through the empty cemetery.
Laughing, the creature left the mausoleum with the two fallen brothers in its keep. As the gun fell from his hand, Douglas' bitter smile remained.
* * *
Twilight was shaking, badly. She hadn't thought about what she would do when she caught up to Daniel and his party. She knew she would have to stop him, but she didn't think it would be like this.
Standing in the doorway to the Castle, she looked at its occupants. Not too long ago, she'd witnessed the Boy of Silence, known as Jacob, let off another burst of energy, similar to what he'd done just before Columbia was brought into the world. She had no idea what other nightmare he'd just summoned. He was now knelt down on the ground, with Daniel beside him. Trixie and the Handyman, Jenkins, were both standing off to the side.
Twilight didn't know why Trixie was with them. Perhaps she had agreed to help them in exchange for immunity, or maybe she was just an inherently evil pony who took pleasure in Equestria's destruction, it really didn't matter.
All that mattered was stopping the monster who now stood across the room. The castle was old, and as a result, the ceiling was dotted with holes that allowed light to enter the main chamber. Twilight could easily see Daniel, so she knew she didn't need to get any closer. Even so, she quietly walked further into the ruins. A purple aura was enveloped around her horn as she used her magic to hold an item out in front of her, something she had taken from one of the dead humans on the ground.
As she got closer, her shaking only increased with anxious anticipation, but her magic held the machine gun perfectly still, pointed right at Daniel's back. She'd seen them shoot their weapons before. All she had to do was pull the trigger and account for the weapon jerking as a result. Even if she missed the first shot, she could just keep firing until she hit her mark. It would be too late for any of the others to stop her.
The princess didn't know if taking Daniel's life would stop the madness. It probably wouldn't, but she couldn't let him live after what he'd done. Cities were being razed all over the country, and he was solely responsible. After she dealt with the Zealot, and assuming the Handyman didn't kill her forthwith, perhaps she could convince Jacob to get rid of the city and its forces. He seemed like an impressionable person, and she might be able to get through to him. It was a long-shot, but it was the best she had. The Elements wouldn't stop this, and neither would any other power found in Equestria.
The only way this horrible ordeal would end was if she forced them to make it end, whether that was through reason or with the help of a weapon. She would use powers not found in her world, but those that were brought here by the Crow. The gun she now held was proof of that.
As she walked, her hoof stepped on a piece of broken glass. It crunched beneath her, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Daniel turned to her, his face shrouded.
Until that point, she didn't know if she'd be able to kill another living thing, but now that she saw the faceless monster, any reservations she had died away almost immediately. Using her magic, she kept the gun aimed at the Crow who now faced her.
"There's nothing to be afraid of." Pinkie Pie's voice echoed in her mind. She couldn't remember the context of the words, but at that moment, they made perfect sense. "It's just a hop, skip, and a jump!"
